Archive for the ‘Want This’ Category

A Gently Used Newer Model Vehicle Via Uncle Sam

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

I think that I have done a pretty good job in keeping piles of  receipts and keeping my Excel spread sheets up to date, in an effort to get the best bang for my buck come next year’s tax return with good old Uncle Sam.  I’m thinking that I may get back enough to put a decent down payment on a gently used vehicle, like an very sweet looking audi 23 or a cute looking toyota prius. My mother is pushing for a kia sorento, while my father is insisting on buying American, like a nice ford taurus. Everyone has their opinions and favorites that they feel strongly about. So it will a challenge to find the perfect vehicle for me, but I do have plenty of time to figure it all out.

I’m so grateful for the Internet, it will make this challenging and time consuming task a much easier and smoother one to tackle. I can’t imagine running all over town and possibly some of the other surrounding towns and counties from dealership to dealership and all that goes along with that part of the very labor intensive and hard work involved in this process. Thecarconnection.com is a great resource that I’ve been spending a bit of time checking into on some of the vehicles that I can dream of owning and having the privilege of driving them, along with some of the more affordable variety that there is now to choose from. I have a lot of decisions to make, but I’m ready to take it to the next level and start doing some legwork before the holidays come around and sweep me away from tasks such as this.

Nothing Says Cozy Like a Fireplace

Thursday, October 7th, 2010

The chilly morning and fog across the yard this morning made me think of San Francisco. I have some wonderful memories of a spring vacation to the west coast with a gorgeous scenic drive down the coastal Highway 1, a picnic among the redwoods, stopping at a quaint inn, and my first experience with fireplace gas logs.

We have always had a fireplace in every house I’ve ever lived in, but we always used firewood. I had no idea what gas logs were or how to use them. But this guest room had a view of Monterey Bay, a hot tub, and gas logs in the fireplace.

I was embarrassed to have to call the front desk and ask them to send someone to show me how to use the gas logs in our guest room. But it was worth it! What a lovely evening it was, sitting in rocking chairs watching the sunset over the Bay, with the gas log fireplace crackling and sending out just enough warmth to keep the chill off.

We’ve been discussing the conversion of our wood burning fireplace to gas. I want to buy R. H. Peterson Real Fyre Gas Logs and be able to just turn a little knob on the side of the fireplace to have instant warmth and a cozy atmosphere in my own living room. But first I have to get further educated on the process. Thank goodness I have the internet and can do my own research using the gas log FAQs on the R. H. Peterson gas logs web site.

Collecting Gold Coins

Wednesday, October 6th, 2010

Until just a few years ago, if you said the word, “bullion” to me, my first thought would be those little gold foil wrapped cubes that I drop into a big pot of boiling water and cook with. But now that I have been learning about investments, I know that bullion is much more valuable than that!

I’ve learned that gold bullion is an important part of a well balanced investment portfolio. As my investment adviser says, you cannot afford to have all your investment in one type of vehicle. If all you have is stocks and the Stock Market crashes, what have you got left to live on? If all you have is your house or some real estate investments, what do you have when the housing market falls? On the other hand, if you are smart and buy some stocks and some real estate, but also buy bullion, then you have something solid to fall back on. And if you look back at the last 10 – 12 years for the monthly performance results of each type of investment, you will see that gold has been the best performer overall.

Baby Gear

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

My sister-in-law is having a baby shower for her daughter, so I need to find a baby shower gift. I am willing to spend about $100, which is a little high for a baby shower gift, but she is family and she needs a nice stroller. There are so many different types on the market, with convertibles, full features and then the simple lightweight strollers. Its been so long since I had to worry about baby strollers, that I need to read up on what’s new and what the latest features are so that I can her the best that I can afford.

They have only lived in the area for about a year, so neither of them know many people here. I’m sorry that we don’t expect many guests – it is hard to find a list of women to invite. So I want to make sure that she gets some very nice gifts from those of us who do attend. At first I was thinking about an upscale baby carrier, which is required by law in most states now. But I think someone else is more likely to buy that for her and I think a nice stroller will be both needed and appreciated.

I’ve Discovered Scrubs

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

Some of my friends have started wearing nurse uniforms on the weekends when they are cleaning house or even running errands. I usually wear jeans, but I became curious as to what was the attraction of the scrubs? I have to admit that I’ve never even had on a pair, never bought any and never considered them to be a good alternative to wearing jeans.

Well, I decided to give nursing scrubs a closer look. They come in several different colors and all of them have a wide cut through the rump, thighs and knees. They all have a drawstring waistline. All of them are plenty long to fit me at my inseam. They appear to be easy to launder and don’t need ironing. And they are inexpensive. What’s not to like?

I asked my girlfriend Alexa where to buy cheap scrubs and she told me about a web site that she uses. So not only do I have a new source of casual wear, but I can order the scrubs online and not even have to drive to the store to buy them!