Cloning Machine Needed.....

Do you ever feel that you are torn in too many directions all at one time?!?!?! That is my life this week.

I have even made the comment to my family "I am trying to get everything done for everyone else but I cannot get anything done for me!". In which case my husband has sent me away to the store to regain my sanity.

With trying to get my office set up, take care of the family and rearrange my home office area entirely I have grown very anxious. I am confused with everything around me as it is not where I am used to it being at. I hate the feeling but I know that once everything settles down I will be all set.

So if anyone finds a good cloning machine please let me know the price. I may be willing to pay big bucks for it. Or put it on a credit card. Who knows......

A Whirlwind Christmas

Or something like that....

Maybe it was more of a Hannukah type Christmas. It started on Wednesday and just kept going on.

On Wednesday, I spent the entire day at home. Why you ask?!?! I had to be here for the delivery of all of my office equipment!! Everything came in three big boxes!!! I was astounded. I opened everything to make sure it shipped okay and then went about my day. It was too overwhelming to really get into at that particular moment. Especially since I am not a techky geek like E.

Later that evening we had FlexiGirl and her family come over to exchange gifts. I got some really cool scrapbooking and cardmaking stuff. I love getting crafty stuff!!

On Thursday I went shopping with my friend KinderTeach. That is her official name. We got the rest of our stocking stuffers and took care of some other stuff. Then we filled in for the sitters for a couple of hours to allow them to complete their shopping. They were very appreciative of it and as a thank you gave us some great candy!! Then we exchanged gifts with the Carr family that evening. We received more fun stuff and a gift certificate for one of my favorite restaurants, O'Charley's.

Then it was on to Bedford. We got there on Saturday afternoon and promptly asked for all of us to go bowling. It was our neice's first time bowling and she really enjoyed it. We ended up going back on Sunday and had my whole family bowl. It was good to see my dad doing something active.

Sunday evening we went to Christmas Mass. It was a nice service and once again we got to put Baby Jesus in his place. Every yeaar I am asked by Father W. to put Baby Jesus outside in the manger after the last mass of the evening. And of course the first time he asked me he said for me to put Baby Jesus in his place. I am more than happy to put anyone in their place. This year I let B put Baby Jesus in the manger. It was sweet to watch him do it.

On to Christmas morning. There were a ton of presents under the tree. The kids enjoyed opening their stuff and were each thrilled with their big gifts. B received a train table and set and my neice got a dollhouse. They aren't spoiled or anything are they?!?!?!

From my parents I got my down comforter and a beuatiful candle holder that is big enough to serve as our headboard. So my bedroom got spoiled. And from my boys I got a toaster/toaster oven combo, a wonderful micro fiber blanket, a new hair dryer and lots of fun little trinkets. And from Sassygurly I got my favorite candles and candleholders and a yoga ball that I have wanted for a while.

All in all, not a bad holiday!!!

Trump lets Miss USA keep her job

This was released today after much anticipation. I heard about it on my way to E's work for him to do some paperwork for me for my new job. I was shocked at the decision. I think I was surprised for a variety of reasons:

1) She has exactly 365 days on the job. It is not a long term position.
2) Her job is to be a role model to hundreds of thousands of people. She is fully aware of this.
3) She has a contract which should have a morals clause of some sort.

To me, this is unfair to all of the young women who had worked hard to try to have this important job. I was not fond of her in the first place but thought that she had it together enough to handle the job.

Image is everything when you are a titleholder. It is important to always put your best foot forward and to always be on. That is whether you feel up to it or not. Once again, it is a ONE YEAR JOB!!!

But it is not for me to decide......





By ADAM GOLDMAN, Associated Press Writer
Tue Dec 19, 11:35 AM ET



Miss USA Tara Conner, who had come under criticism amid rumors she had been frequenting bars while underage, will be allowed to keep her title, Donald Trump announced Tuesday.

"I've always been a believer in second chances," Trump, who owns the Miss Universe Organization with NBC, said with Conner at his side.

Trump said he and Conner had met earlier Tuesday morning.

"She left a small town in Kentucky and she was telling me that she got caught up in the whirlwind of New York," Trump said. "It's a story that has happened many times before to many women and many men who came to the Big Apple. They wanted their slice of the Big Apple and they found out it wasn't so easy."

Conner won the title in April and has been living in New York. Recent media accounts of heavy drinking brought a storm of criticism, since she was underage at the time. She turned 21 on Monday.

In a tear-choked voice, Conner said, "In no way did I think it would be possible for a second chance to be given to me."

Turning to Trump, she said, "You'll never know what this means to me, and I swear I will not let you down."

Trump said Conner would be entering rehab.

If she had been dethroned, her title would have been taken over by first runner-up Miss California Tamiko Nash.

Conner, a 5-foot-5 blonde, has been competing in pageants since age 4. After winning the Miss USA title in April, she finished fourth in the Miss Universe pageant in July.

In 2002, Miss Russia Oxana Fedorova won the Miss Universe pageant but was stripped of her title after violating her contract. Trump said Fedorova didn't show up for some photo shoots and charity events. It was the first time a titleholder had been ousted in the contest's more than 50-year history. Fedorova denied she was fired and said she gave up the title voluntarily.

Queen is way out of line

I found this on another pageant board but checked to guarantee that it is an actual article. Here is my source. New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com. It makes for a very interesting read.

And after competing for so long, you would think that she would know better.

BY JO PIAZZA
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Saturday, December 16th, 2006

Miss USA Tara Conner is on the verge of losing her crown after testing positive for cocaine, lustily kissing Miss Teen USA in public and sneaking men into their Trump Place apartment, sources tell the Daily News.
"Tara was a party animal," said a source who knows Conner, 20, and Miss Teen USA Katie Blair, 18, from some of the city's top nightspots. "I've seen them kiss before. They always dance all sexy on the tables. ... They definitely get close."

Conner packed her bags and left the bachelorette pad Thursday, and canceled a scheduled Miami charity appearance tonight. Pageant sources said she has no other public appearances this year.

Pageant boss Donald Trump scheduled a Tuesday news conference to announce her fate.

"First and foremost he is concerned about Tara and wants to do what is best for her," Trump's office said. "Then he will think about what is best for the very successful Miss USA pageant."

One clubgoer described for the Daily News seeing Conner snort cocaine in one of the nightclubs where she drank regularly despite being underage, and The News learned she recently failed a drug test.

The Miss USA runner-up, Miss California USA Tamiko Nash, would inherit the crown if Conner can't finish her reign.

Conner was named Miss USA just eight months ago, but quickly started blazing a trail through New York's late-night club world, scenesters told The News.

"She really is a small-town girl. She just went wild when she came to the city," one nightlife veteran said. "Tara just couldn't handle herself. They were sneaking those [nightclub] guys in and out of the apartment."

Conner and Blair shared a Trump Place apartment with Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera, 19, but sources say Conner and Blair got in hot water with pageant bosses for getting Rivera drunk on her birthday.

Rivera cleaned up her act, sources said, but Conner still brought boyfriends home.

Conner grew up in a tiny town in rural Kentucky, trying her luck in regional pageants before winning the Miss USA title.

Soon she broke up with her hometown fiance and started dating around in the Manhattan nightclub world - when she wasn't traveling all over the country for pageant obligations.

Ironically, when she was competing for the title, she complained that celebrities like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton were bad role models, TMZ.com reported.

"I think that they're getting a little bit too much edgy. I think that they are a little bit too risque," Conner said. "I think they need to tone it down a little bit."

Miss USA's 'personal issues' scrutinized

I was kind of shocked by this article. This day is just full of blogging......


By ADAM GOLDMAN, Associated Press Writer
Thu Dec 14, 5:38 PM ET



The organizers of the Miss USA pageant said Thursday they are evaluating the "behavioral and personal issues" of the reigning winner and will decide her future within a week.

Pageant officials and Donald Trump, who co-owns the Miss Universe Organization with NBC, would not say what Kentucky native Tara Conner, 20, had done to prompt the serious evaluation.

"I can't really talk about it now," Trump said. "But we have to make a decision. There is no question about that."

Internet gossip Web site TMZ.com reported that pageant officials and NBC met Tuesday to discuss Conner's alleged bad behavior, "including her conduct at New York City bars." The Web site did not name its sources.

Miss USA is considered a role model and must act accordingly, said Lark-Marie Anton, spokeswoman for the Miss Universe Organization, which produces the Miss USA pageant. Behavior such as underage drinking is clearly prohibited, she said.

The organization and Trump will evaluate Conner's "behavioral and personal issues to see what we can do to work with her and what we will do about her reign going forward," the organization's president, Paula M. Shugart, said in a statement.

"Mr. Trump will make a determination and announcement within the coming week," Shugart said.

A 5-foot-5 blonde who lives in New York, Conner has been competing in pageants since age 4. She won the title of Young Miss Russell County in Kentucky at the county fair when she was 13, and by 2002 she was second runner-up in Miss Teen USA. She finished fourth in the Miss Universe pageant in July.

Trump said if Conner gets the boot runner-up Miss California Tamiko Nash would take over as Miss USA.

This wouldn't be the first time Trump has dealt with such a scenario. In 2002, Russia's Oxana Fedorova won Miss Universe but was stripped of her title after violating her contract.

"We had a Miss Universe from Russia that was a total disaster, and we fired her, and Miss Panama took over and she did great," Trump said.

Trump said he had not spoken with Conner.

A telephone message left for Conner with her grandmother was not immediately returned Thursday.

___

If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes

This is a quote that is commonly used in our business.

Many people complain about things in their life that is dissatisfactory to them including their jobs, their money situation, their home life, etc.... However, when you ask them what they would like to do to change the situation they are often not willing to take the plunge that can improve their life. They rather stay in their situation than do something about it. Why? I believe a lot of it is fear of the unknown. They fear failure, they fear success, they fear what is not stable.

And what is fear? It is defined as False Evidence Appearing Real. Very scary for us to adapt to.

I give major kudos to the men and women who went on the show The Biggest Loser. These men and women knew that they did not want to stay in the same situation so they did what they could to change their situation. Many risked their jobs, their relationships, their familiar surroundings, etc. But they took the risk.

So I pose a challenge to everyone I know.

Take a risk.

Find something that scares you and overcome it. If it means that it can potentially improve your life and possibly make you feel better, look better or financially benefit from it take a chance and do it.

That is what we have done with our business venture. We are taking a risk. And it will eventually pay off. Because we have faith in what can be done. Not in what we can't do.

A Very Long Drive

Whew!!! Today was a long day.....

Sassygurly and I went to Oxford, OH to pick up her best friend from high school. It was time for her winter break and if we would not have come she would have had to wait until Friday or Saturday. And everyone was already gone for the break. We could not leave her there by herself so we hopped into the car to pick her up.

While there we went into town for lunch. It brought back memories from college and from going into town with my friends. It was a nice and relaxing lunch and fun to learn more about Ky.

The one thing I enjoy about car rides with Sassygurly is that we have great heart to heart talks. Sometimes we get very serious and other times we crack up laughing the entire time. These are times that I will be happy to remember.

One New Associate and One Tow

Last night was very interesting.

We went to Eddie George Bar and Grille to meet with Dre. Dre is a retired professional boxer and has decided to sign on as an Associate with us for USANA. We are so ecstatic to have him on board as he is a complete go getter.

We went to leave the restaurant and head home. We go around the corner to find our car missing. We looked up and saw a sign that said "Private Tow Away Zone". GREAT!!!

So we called and found out where the car was. And headed over. I would have been completely upset on any other night but last night I take it as a sign from God. If something were to happen last night, I would rather have that happen than get into a car accident or get a ticket.

But the part that sucks was that it was money we did not have to spend. Now we need to make up a few bills by money from nowhere.

Lesson learned!!!

For Princess Mombi

Mombi, this post is for you!!

I got moved to her "I Love You Guys But You Never Update Your Effing Blog" list. I used to be so good about updating my blog but alas, life has overruled me.

I promise you Mombi, I will update more often.

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me.

This is a verse from John 15:4

It is amazing how a bible verse or a phrase can affect your day. Or help you to reflect on it further.

Last night, SassyGurly had another round with the Witch Guardian. It ended very badly for SassyGurly and she was in tears for the rest of the evening. It hurts me to see her in that pain. She has relied on the Witch Guardian for years and to have that relationship fall apart is very hard on her.

We all want was is in the best interest for SassyGurly. It is important to us that she leads a happy life. As we are trying everything in our power to help her get well physically, it is hard to get her well physically when the Witch Guardian tears her down emotionally. The emotional only harms her physically as stress is terrible for her body.

Luckily, her spiritual side is very strong. That is why this verse means a lot for me to share with her. She knows that she will always be fruitful through the Lord. And that her connection will give her the strength to get through all of the drama.

SassyGurly, please always know that we love you very much. And no matter what happens we will always be here for you. Through the good times and the bad.

Trash Talk

Tell me this. How is it possible to have so much trash in one day? I have been doing some light cleaning and I am on my THIRD garbage bag of the day. And on normal days we usually go through about one to two bags per day.

I guess that is what you get when you are a four person household.

Thank you for listening. You may resume your normal blogging activities.

Gift Card Scam

I received this e-mail from Mrs Bedford. I thought it was useful so I am posting the info.

This might be one to remember.
Well, the crooks have found a way to rob you of your gift card balance.

If you buy Gift Cards from a display rack that has various store cards, you may become a victim of theft.

Crooks are now jotting down the card numbers in the store and then waiting for a few days before calling to see how much of a balance THEY have on the card.

Once they find the card is "activated", they go on-line and start shopping.

You may want to purchase your card from a customer service person, where they do not have the Gift Cards viewable to the public.

Please share this with all your family and friends...

What is new......

Hmm.... What is new. Quite a bit actually.

It has been awhile for posting for me. I have been extremely busy this past week with USANA related business. I have had lots of appointments and some great networking this week. Hopefully, this will be a very strong and profitable week.

I also got a call back from an insurance company that I interviewed with. They were technically not hiring until after the start of the new year but they needed to fill one more position before the end of the year. After 3 interviews and some talk, I was hired. There are a lot of very good benefits that come with the job. One very big benefit is that I WORK FROM HOME!!! That for me was huge. I hate going to an office and having to be within a time clock frame. It will be a lot of discipline and hard work but over time it will pay for itself.

The big drawback is that I do not want to go back to work. I have been enjoying my time being at home and owning my schedule. But with the amount of flexibility that I am being given I think it will be about the same. And we need a paycheck. So I definitely need to get it done.

My fun of this week has been helping a photographer with an advertising campaign that he was working on. We both think very similarly with creativity for the campaign. And I am curious to see what the final results were for the campaign.

And also, keep your fingers crossed. I may be having 2 new Associates coming on board this week. They are both very talented people that I know I can help to be successful in the business.

Enjoy the month of December!!