Win Some Bath and Body Works Products!

Do you enjoy the sweet smell of Warm Vanilla Sugar? How about Cucumber Melon? One of my favorites is Mango Mandarin and I just saw that they have a shampoo and conditioner in this sweet smell. I've even got a pump bottle of Jasmine Vanilla at my kitchen sink, and everyone that uses it loves it!

Oh yeah, the contest for free products! Musings ê¿ê… is sponsoring a contest and the prize is a collection of the following items:

One Jar - True Blue Spa Self Meditating Body Butter - with Rice Bran Oil & Green Tea
One Jar - Sensual Amber Body Butter
One Tube - I’m in the Mood for Scrub Foaming Body Buff with Shea Butter Beads

So, hop on over and check out Margaret's site and register to win a sampling of special smells!

Thanks Margaret!

The Race is On!!!

It's day four of the 2008 tax season and all of our tax professionals are in their gates! On the left we have "Laborious" Lucinda, "Stedfast" Susan, and "Meticulous" Marisa, and to the right we have "Justly" Joanie, "Advantageous" Annette, and "Gracious" Gracie; all are neck and neck and as the clients enter the office one by one ... the race is definitely on! Who will get the next client?

Well, it doesn't quite feel that way just yet, but we're told it will some day soon. Until then, perhaps we need to have dueling treadmills to work off some of this good eating we've been doing in preparation of our busy season. If not, we are definitely going to need to do laps around the building before too long. Being desk bound for 11 to 12 hours per day, six day per week is going to put a hurting on the wardrobe at this rate, not to mention the waistline!

I don't know, but I think it might be time to figure out some kind of routine exercises we can do at our desks besides keyboard reps!

Sound ... Just how loud is too loud?

Right now my children and guest are watching the third movie in the "Fast & Furious" series. I remember listening to music really loud as a teen, or maybe it's a sign of my getting older, but SHEESH! Do they have to blast the noise levels that loud? Not the kids, the filmmakers! I have surround sound speakers in order to really enjoy the music and sound effects of movies, but for goodness sakes, not to blast our what is left of my hearing. And what of the movie makers? Are they not aware that the sound gets louder during the action scenes and then quiet during the talk scenes? Do we have to sit here with the remote in hand and turn the volume up and down with each scene? Seems to me, with technology being what it is today, that someone would have invented a device that automatically sets a movie's sounds to a tolerable level regardless of scene and NOT one capable of blasting one's ear drums out!

Commercial Sales on Bank Sites?

My bank has been offering all sorts of different ways to do business with them online for a while now, but the most annoying thing they have resorted to is advertising products from other companies as I sign into my account. The most recent was for car insurance with the company that has the cute little green amphibian who talks while walking on his hind feet. Although I love that little fellow, I really rather look for my insurance needs without encouragement from my bank. It's not like I can't have my payment automatically deducted from my bank account regardless of the company.

Does your back participate in this type of commercial sales?

Visitors Arrived Last Night, Safe & Sound

My oldest daughter and her hubby are here for a visit this weekend. They arrived here late last night, just shortly after midnight, and will stay until tomorrow sometime. It's nice to get to see them as they live in Virginia and we don't get up there that often. So today, Lisa, Steve, Ryan and Jenn all went out shopping for clothes, while I was at work for the day. Tonight Ryan is at a birthday party for a friend, and the rest of us will eat chili and cornbread as we watch a movie. What movie? Not sure yet as Lisa and Jenn are in town picking one up while I cook and Steve plays video racing games on the television. Maybe we'll have breakfast together tomorrow, wait ... we will but where is the better question?!

;)

My Heart Goes Out to Britney & Family

After having gone through a stressful time with one of my teens a few years back, I can only imagine what Britney and her family are going through right now. I am sure it has been hard enough trying to grow up like any other person as a teen, but to have that coupled with stardom and other stresses have to have added to what ultimately pushed her limits. It wasn't bad enough she has already been in and out of drug rehab, but now a mental institute? It hits too close to home, just how difficult it is for some to handle the pressures of life, let alone success at an early age. Will keep a positive thought, that she gets things turned around for her sake, as well as her sons. They are too precious, and the longer it takes, the more of their childhood she will miss spending with them.

1st Day to E-file is Here!

Today was a long day! It was our first day for e-filing as the IRS will not accept any Federal tax returns until 8:00 a.m. EST, and they will not be reviewing them for release for bank products for those taxpayers that are in hot pursuit of a FAST REFUND! Still, it was a faster day than the past four months have been and more challenging to say the least. Tomorrow will bring more new clients and lots more adventure!

Another day, another e-filer!

Monday's the Day! Woohoo!

On December 24th we entered a video commercial in the Memory Foam Mattress Contest where we were given a challenge to come up with a unique way to create buzz about their beds. While you're there, make sure you take the opportunity to see all the different styles of mattresses offered by clicking on the "memory foam mattress" link. You can check out the video and the mattress link on the entry post link below:


Remembering With Memory Foam Mattress

The winners will be announced Monday, January 14th!

Enjoy the video and thanks for visiting! Ü

Happy Birthday, Handsome!

Introducing Hoops & Yoyo

Over four years ago, I found a pair of characters who would help me send hilarious greetings for all sorts of occasions! Here they are again, helping me wish someone special a very Happy Birthday!


I agree with these two "Mr.D" ... YOU are lookin' fiiine!!!

Join me as I wish a Happy Birthday to another character ;) who is very special to us all!

Check out all of the Hoops & Yoyo collection over at www.Hallmark.com

Jenn's SAE Project

Today we went to visit my parents while we were in their town shopping for supplies for Jenn's SAE project. What's an SAE? It stands for Supervised Agricultural Experience and can include projects from gardening to home repair to entrepreneurship. Jenn was hard pressed for an idea and as teen often do she had put it off until nearly the time it was due. So Grandpa and Jenn headed off to Lowe's for supplies for the project.

Here she is working with Grandpa's instruction as she builds her first shadow box shelf unit. She has completed the shelf and will paint it when she figures out the new color theme for her room!








Updates to follow ;)

Did you say Crisco? Oops!

Do you know what happens when you are half listening when others are talking? You hear half of what they say! Or do you?

Just the other day, a certain blond (I won't mention any names) was working on her computer trying to find out what was making it stick so badly. As she was trying intently to figure things out she thought heard someone in the background offer a suggestion, but she continued working. Frustrated she arose from her task, went to the kitchen, grabbed a small can from the cupboard, and returned to the computer.

As her son returned to the room he asked her what in the world she was doing? There she sat lubricating the insides of her computer!

"I'm making sure my computer runs smoothly by applying some used Crisco," she replied. Her son nearly fell over from laughter. She gave him a puzzled look and asked why he was laughing to which he explained, "Mom, they were discussing a used cisco, not applying some used Crisco!" Can we say ... oops!

The moral of the story is to stop and listen, you could save yourself a lot of trouble!

Your Best Friend Was Once a Stranger!

We all have friends and acquaintances that we have met in the usual ways, and at familiar places like school, church, the grocery store, the gym, the park, band performances, work, the daycare, and so many others. As technology has advanced so have our ways of meeting people. Since the early part of 1990 I've been learning more and more about computers.

As I began my experience online, I had the opportunity to join different discussion groups. Eventually in 2000 I joined a group on the "Oprah" website and met three women and one gentleman whom I would continue chatting with online long after our experience with the site had ended.

Two of the women; Sally and Deb, were both suffering from a disorder that kept them from enjoying their lives in the outside world. Then one year while we were all still chatting online, Sally made the trip to go meet Debbie. They had lots in common and after their trip they sent pictures. We've lost touch, but I hope they and their families are all doing well.

Next in our cast of roomies, was Coy. He was the only man in the group and a deep thinker. He was always the most quiet, but when he spoke he said the most profound things. He and I still correspond from time to time. It's almost time we get caught up. He has since we first met, divorced, remarried, had all three of his children get married, has three grandchildren and probably more by now. We had all hoped to meet somewhere in the middle of the country one day, but I'm not so sure that will happen now.

Finally, there is Sue. We are like ... best friends from afar. From our meeting in that chat room to this very day we have continued to stay in touch. We have laughed together, cried together, given each other advice, and supported each other like friends do. She is like a big sister, and we relate to so many things that go on in our lives. Though our friendship began online, we eventually talked on the phone adding a voice to the face in the photo.

As I got online last month, Sue sent me an instant message. She had a surprise. Her cousin is coming here to visit a friend of hers who lives in my town. What are the odds of that happening? It appears that she might get to come visit me April 19th through the 22nd! This would be the first time since we met online back sometimes in 2000? I can't remember ... LOL! Anyway, she should know more soon, and if she gets to come we'll have that cup of coffee!

Another exhausting day ...

Such an innocent face, such a sweet disposition, such a loving young lady; what in the world could cause her to be so unhappy? Perhaps an absent parent, perhaps a protective mother, perhaps the absence of a best friend, perhaps the teasing of family members about her weight. Whichever of these causes, I am hoping we will be able to find a way to make it all work for her. We've talked at great length and we have some talking to do with others involved, but bottom line, she has to learn to have confidence in herself and learn how to choose to do what is best for her emotional and physical health.

Last night as we fell asleep, our eyes were swollen from the tears, our heads ached from the crying and all of the thinking that had to be done, and at the end of the night we were both praying to avoid getting a migraine headache. Neither of us needed that added to the stress of the days events! Perhaps tonight will be a better nights rest ... at least one can believe for the best!

Does Your Sink Stink?

Some sinks stink and some sinks sink, but Kohler sinks make one think that perhaps now might be the right time for a new sink, you think? Mine stinks, not literally, but it has no real appeal, dull, drab, fake porcelain top glued to a fake wood cabinet. Sounds great, right? Not even great! I'll be glad when the landlord starts fixing things around this house that are in dire need of repair, and as you can see from this picture the wall looks worse than the sink. In fact, the sink looks pretty good compared to the wall. Oh well, until then I'll do my best to dress it up a bit. Wish me luck!

A Play on Words Video

What do remembering things on a day-to-day basis and a memory foam mattress have in common? Check out this video assignment to see what I mean:

"Remembering With Memory Foam Mattress"

Thanks to Ryan, Jennifer, and "Mr.D" for all of your help in making this video possible, without you it would have been much more difficult a task.

Hope you all enjoy!


Comments and suggestions are always welcome!

Holiday Travel Proves Hard Drive

Although this holiday season will be warmer in the south than that of my friend in Massachusetts and a lot less snowy, the traveling for my boyfriend will seem a lot more tedious. After spending several days here with us on the east coast he will travel southwest to GA to see his children for the holidays and then back home to western NC. Why then is this a hard drive?

Well, as we continue to age the idea of having to travel an extra fifteen hours over a weeks time on top of the nearly 15 driven all week to and from work tends to wear on a body! All of the sitting tends to make the ride hard or hard on the bottom ... LOL! I wonder if a foam seat cushion would ease the ride?

Perhaps he'll find something special under the tree this year from a certain KrisMsElf! He is not only a great dad, he's a wonderful boyfriend! We're so glad to have him come visit, because every visit is a holiday when we are together!

What do I want for my birthday? Sheepskins Boots!

Tomorrow is my birthday, and yes I am up way too late thinking about the holidays, tasks that need to be completed over the next few days, and what I want for my birthday. Why? Well, my parents asked me what I wanted and I told them I needed a new pair of shoes for work. However with the weather being colder lately, and our office being drafty, I've been eying a sweet looking pair of sheepskin boots! Ahh ... the thought of my feet being snuggled up warmly in those boots is such a comforting idea. Now, if only I could find a sheepskin seat cover for my desk chair, I'd have it made!

Las Vegas or Atlantic City?

Where would you go in the off season? Some of the ladies from work spend part of their spare time each year visiting casinos in Atlantic City and in Las Vegas. It seems they enjoy the east coast casinos in the fall before tax season and the casinos out west in the early spring as tax season winds down. Imagine spending your nights in a room which oversees the local scenery in one of the posh hotels in Las Vegas courtesy of the casino. The night lights would be an awesome sight to behold, at least for this east coast girl. I wonder; have they already planned a trip to Las Vegas for this coming spring? I'd love to go with them!

Who knows? Maybe I'd even see Elvis!

A day at Grandma & Grandpa's ...

Friday night Lisa (my eldest daughter) and Steve (her husband) came down from their home in Virginia to visit before the holidays, since they will be spending them in the mountains to go snowboarding! How fun is that?! Will ask her to send some pictures of their trip for everyone to enjoy. When they arrived we promptly got things set up for a good night's rest.

Saturday morning, as soon as everyone was ready we headed to my parent's house. When we arrived we fixed some lunch and then headed out to work. Since my dad had surgery last week to repair a hernia he was not allowed to do anything strenuous for a while. Mom had mentioned that he had been talking about how bad the yard looked with all of the leaves on the ground, so our visit was two-fold, to visit and to clean up the yard. As you can see in the picture below we finished it off just in time for Bubby's visit.


Jennifer had been practicing with her color guard rifle when he arrived and so he just had to play with it too! Jenn and David (Bubby's dad) are in the background watching on, while Ryan and Lisa take it easy as Sheriff Bubby talks to them about his new job as an officer. He is such a serious little man! As the youngest of three great-grandchildren, he is nearly 3 1/2 years old and a very bright young man. His favorite thing to do when he comes to visit my parents now, is to ask his uncle Greg to show him his computer. Greg plays games online and Bubby thinks that is just too cool!

Before we left Mom & Dad took us out the the workshop and proceeded to pass along some Christmas decorations for the house and yard to us kids and grandkids. It was perfect timing as Lisa was about to go shopping for tins to package up her annual "Christmas Cookies" gifts. She makes the best "Pumpkin" cookies! We also picked out some boxes to store our ornaments in after the holidays are over. Jennifer showed up and chose the lighted sleigh and reindeer for our front yard this year. As we were about to leave Mom took Ryan aside and gave him the pedestal "fog lamp" out of the living room; he was so surprised! I can see it now ... black light ... fog lamp ... playing his electric guitar ... his own private rock and roll stage!


This time Lisa & Steve they managed to see not only Grandma & Grandpa, but also those uncles and youngest cousin Lisa usually misses. Today was a good one for everyone. We got to visit, share a meal, work together, play and laugh, and share our love for each other. Here in the photograph to the left are Bubby, Lisa and Sandra (Neal's fiancée), and Jennifer, Neal, Ryan, and Steve.

When we arrived home from our visit with the grandparents, we settled in for a home cooked meal, a surprise birthday cake and present, and a movie. Time for some rest, we've a Christmas parade tomorrow and it's supposed to be 70 degrees!

Where is "old man winter?" Shhhhhhh!

PS We miss you "Mr.D" ;)
(((((xoxoxoxoxo)))))

"Sweeney Todd" in Theaters Dec. 21st & on MySpace now!

Yes, that's right! Only 14 more days before its debut and we are so excited! If you can't wait until the 21st to see the movie, you can visit Sweeney Todd on MySpace and familiarize yourself with the cast of characters and get a glimpse into all of the wicked excitement.

Just two weeks from now Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd is opening in theaters around the country. Rated "R" its not a warm and fuzzy feeling, compassionate film for the entire family to see preceding the holidays, yet it remains to be a highly anticipated performance starring Johnny Depp. In this film he portraits a young man who is arrested, tried, imprisoned, and taken from his family in the prime of his life. When he returns to the place where both he and his family met with misfortune, he plots his revenge against those who took part in making his life life miserable.

There is a lot to be said about the power of revenge, and though many may not agree on whether or not it can have a positive end, oftentimes revenge takes on a life of its own. What more sinister way for this character to carry out his revenge than to lure in his victims under the guise of being a barber? "Welcome, sit right down and relax while I give you the shave of your life. Or shall I say for the life of the shave?"

Do you think you know why he did it? Perhaps you've already figured out what he does with his clients? Why not visit the official Sweeney Todd movie site for a taste of what's to come? Then again, if you enjoy surprises, the rush of fear running through your veins, make sure you go see this movie!

Johnny Depp is sure to be a delight as he sings for the first time in this thriller! See you there; I'll be the one with my hands over my eyes and ear plugs to deafen the scary music. LOL!

Matt White & Lee Nadel Perform at Hooligan's

On Sunday December 02, 2007 I had no clue who Matt White or Lee Nadel were, that is until they sang Matt's new HIT song "Best Days" at Hooligan's in a concert sponsored by All The Hits BOB 93.3! They came out on the stage as the opening act for another band and to my surprise, they were really good! As a parent of two teens I am often introduced to new music all the time. Little did we know that we would get to see two awesome performances. Matt played guitar and sang several songs from his debut CD. After Matt and Lee finished their performance they headed out to the lobby to sign autographs and talk with the audience. When it was our turn to thank him for his performance Jennifer had no problem cozying up to Matt for a photo opp!

After our chat with Matt, Jennifer headed back in as the other band was almost ready to begin playing. At this point I also took the opportunity to thank Matt's sidekick, Lee for his performance. Though Matt does all the singing, Lee accompanies him on the bass guitar. During their performance Lee wore a light colored woven cap which prompted the girls to insist that he "take it off!" He complied to their wishes as they burst into a resounding scream, all the while he teased them with the idea he might toss it into their midst ... no such luck ... a man and his cap are rarely separated ... at least not for long. Both were friendly and personable young men, and as I spoke with each they responded with a heartfelt "Thank you! It really means a lot."

You can find them both on MySpace, and while you're there why not give Matt's music a listen, and Vote for his song "Best Days." Right now it's VH1's #8 video on VSpot's Top 20!

You might be interested in reading the article titled "Matt White "Best Days" … and Getting Even Better" by Ronald Sklarat at PopEntertainment.com for more information about this talented young star!

Cell Reception in the "Boonies"

In about twenty minutes we will heading out to pick up all of the gang to go see "Boys Like Girls" at a concert. One of the teens lives way out in the boonies, and I pray we have adequate cell reception in case we need directions. This will definitely be an adventure! Well, I had better finish getting ready or I'll have two mad teens of my own to deal with ... and goodness knows I don't want that! ;)

Christmas Vacation Planning

It's just weeks now before the holidays and we are considering a trip with as many of our children to see my boyfriend's family in TN. So far we made trips there with just the two of us, and not yet on Christmas. It would be so cool to see everyone all together, my boyfriend, his sisters and their families, and our children all celebrating being together. If getting everyone together in one place doesn't work for this holiday celebration, perhaps we can plan a camping trip this summer to the TN river with everyone.

Either way, not to worry, it will be all right, and we'll figure out a plan that puts a smile on everyone's face!

Did you know this about real estate?

An acquaintance of mine once told me that she and her husband had to pay taxes on property they used for a business that had been repossessed for non-payment. They were operating a small business on the side and decided to call it quits as it was not generating enough income to offset the expenses. Since they still owed money on the property at the time it was repossessed, they were sent a form requiring them to pay taxes on the portion of the debt that was forgiven them by the finance company.

As I understand it, the same is true of real estate when it comes to foreclosures. If you were purchasing a home and the bank foreclosed on it for non-payment, if the bank sells the property for less than the fair market value of the house, you are responsible to pay taxes if there is a loss.

Like this:

Fair Market Value of Home - $150,000.00

Less Selling Price by Bank - $70,000.00

Your Tax Liability - $80,000.00

On the other hand, if the bank sold the property for more than the fair market value you would have zero tax liability.

The first scenario seems so unfair. If you lose your home to foreclosure that means you didn't have the resources to pay for it. Charging you with a tax liability for the difference in what the bank cannot recoup seems like a kick in the teeth. It was bad enough you were down, but should they add insult to injury?

News like this almost makes one afraid to buy a home or start a new business. Scary!

Business Meeting or Free- for-All?

Today our office met with at least three of our satellite offices to go over the 2007 Tax Updates. It was an excellent informal meeting and there even though there was a lot of information to learn we all seemed to understand the changes. There will be stricter guidelines for income tax preparers, and penalties for oversights on compliance issues but overall it won't effect the professional preparers who correctly do their job. It was nice getting to meet everyone and to have the meeting be informal, however, there were two preparers who insisted on chatting to each other for a majority of the time. I sure hope that they are more professional in their office when they are dealing with clients, but it was disrespectful to our owners to chatter while they were conducting business.

Though my coworkers insist that I am the "Queen of Chatter" in our office, I gladly relinquish that crown to these two today! I am sure my coworkers are just kidding about me ... really, they are!