Crib Hunting

Not that anyone really cares too much about buying/selling cribs, I found this interesting due to a recent recall with Graco and Simplicity cribs.

Now that many of us utilize craigslist and ebay it makes it easier and cheaper to buy used/like new large items. My wife and I bought a double stroller with a carseat and two bases for $125 on craigslist and bought a like new, but used crib for $75 on craigslist. We are in the age of buying used due to tighter finances and a struggling economy so revenues like craigslist make it more affordable to buy larger baby items.
However, we just learned that recently several hundred kinds of cribs made by Graco and Simplicity have been recalled. This is scary for us since we really aren't sure what brand our $75 crib is and we know for sure our daughter's convertible crib is a Graco. It seems as soon as you buy something it is recalled for some reason or another.
The recent recalling is because of a number of deaths due to suffocation because the side rails on these particular cribs are able to go up and down and have been doing so at the hands of the older infants/toddlers.
The brand Simplicity has been the subject to many recalls and is no longer in business as of 2010, however many people continue to sell used cribs and must be aware of this potential health hazard.

You should take the advice of several websites that offer advice about what kind of cribs would work best for you. There are many different options available now with cribs. Some cribs convert into a toddler bed, some have drawers under the mattress, some have both sides that go up and down, the options are crazy. I'm a guy and all these options give me a headache.

The best way to find out subscribe to Consumer Reports website (it costs only a few bucks a month) and it has several in-detail articles that offer their own safety reports about a variety of cribs. They are also a great resource for just about any other product available on the market. I have used them for vehicle purhasing and camera purchasing.

We will probably just stick to the cribs we have, but pay extra attention for any possible problems. I want to say that a bumper helps, but this has been proven false recently too so I guess the only option is to watch your children sleep for the rest of their lives so they don't harm themselves in any crib (I'm being sarcastic here).

Why can't Spanish speaking people learn English?

Disclaimer: I am in no way a racial person. I do not consider myself to be any better or worse than any ethnicity that exists out there. This is just meant to be a rant on my soapbox and nothing physically violent will come from it.

I was 8 when I moved to Carthage with my parents. At that time I was extremely unaware of the two different kinds of Spanish speaking people: Guatemalans and Hispanics. I saw them in my school -- children my age who spoke very little English and who often translated for their parents.
It didn't seem like a big deal until I got older. Any job in Carthage it seemed like a desired quality would be Spanish speaking. No, not Hispanic of Guatemalan Spanish speakers, but biligual English speaking people. You had to be able to speak both English and Spanish fluently.
It didn't make any sense to me that people who were immigrants (sometimes even illegally) were being catered to. Anywhere you saw it, older Spanish speaking people relying on their children to translate or even do some kind of sign language to get their point across.

The language barrier is great and in some ways continues to grow, but I don't understand why we are encouraged to learn their language if they don't have to learn English? Doesn't that enable them?

My wife has witnessed this time and time again being in the medical field -- Spanish speaking nurses preferred over non-Spanish speaking. One of her close friends landed a much coveted job that she applied for over and over again and this girl speaks fluent Spanish. The hospital has used and abused her, sending her all over to translate and not paying her a penny more than her nursing salary. But in her particular area a lot of Spanish speaking mothers need a translator and she is demand.
The translators in her hospital get paid more than the nurses do. Both have a bachelor's degree, but the translators make significantly more.
Am I going in the wrong field???

Please don't misunderstand me, it is just frustrating that in some ways it feels like we are enabling the non-English speaking community.
My wife and I have been to Mexico 4 times. No English speaking Mexicans there -- they all spoke Spanish and we had to learn a few phrases in order to make our stay easier. If we went anywhere in the world we wouldn't be catered to. And why should we be? We would choose to live in the country that speaks French/Spanish/German/Portuguese we should learn their language.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox. Now I'm off to learn Spanish since that may help my marketability in this area and my starting wage may be greater.

Oklahoma City Bombing

Today marks the 15 year anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. Most of us that are old enough to remember can remember the exact moment they found out about this devestating life changing moment that happened in the United States. In 1995 that was the largest act of terroism ever to occur. Unfortunately since then we have witnessed several other terrorist-like attacks with the largest being of course the attack on September 11th. For most of us that seems like a violent attacks on our land in our lifetime, but we really have been fortunate compared to most third world countries where attacks seem like a normal part of life.

A total of 168 people were killed during the Oklahoma City bombing some of them being children. I remember watching a special after the clean up of the bombing and a family was able to have closure because the authorities recovered one of their 6 year-old daughter's hands in the rubble. I was in the 6-7th grade when I heard this, but it made such an impact on me. I felt so thankful that I didn't have to experience my family members being completely destroyed and only having a body part left of them.

We all also remember the daunting story of the bomber, Timothy McVeigh, who showed no remorse for this actions. If you are really that demented you can watch the documentary made by MSBNBC that includes clips of audio from his confession. He goes into detail about his plan to kill many people along with his co-conspirator, Terry Nichols. Anyone who has kept up with this story know that the day of his execution, while controversial, was secretly welcomed by most and I know that some of us wish we could see more evil people also meet their doom.

I know it was a horrible event, but I think that it's entirely appropriate for students who were too young or not born yet to experience some of this painful tradegy. We need to be aware of these horrible things in order to fully appreciate the life we have been allowed to live (free of tragic occurrances). Hopefully most of us will be spared from the world's ugliness during our lifetime, but we shouldn't ever forget those lives lost from events such as the Oklahoma City Bombing.

1st Visit

We just got back from my wife's first prenatal visit. We got to see our little baby for the first time on ultrasound it was waving with its stub arm and we could see its little heart flicker. I was so glad to have seen all of this considering the circumstances and stress that have been surrounding this little fellow. All looked good and our midwife was very reassuring.
We also met with Susie, the financial aid lady who was extremely kind. She put us on a self-pay payment plan of a tidy little sum of $300/month for all the prenatal visits. She also gave us Freeman's hospital plan that is just for self-payers and is quite a substantial discount. We also have to have that paid for before we go in to have our baby.
Even though it has been scary with everything that is going on and the uncertainty of our future we do know that the Lord promises to take care of us and to take care of my wife and baby. We sold a vehicle to pay for the hospital bills and maternity leave so even though we are down to one vehicle we are getting by okay!

So I guess this is to be continued for the next seven months as my wife is 10 weeks and 2 days counting......

Tax Day

As most of you know today is April 15th, marking the deadline for tax season. Accountants, CPAs, and other like employees can breath a sigh of relief as they see this year come to an end.

We all know that we hate paying taxes. For the majority of us (the working class) we make up the most of America and pay in the most taxes. For some of us our return was smaller than in previous years due to Obama's stimulus plan last year and for some of us we had to pay in for the first time.
It always amazes me to hear about celebrities who fail to pay on their taxes. One of my favorite actors of all times, Wesley Snipes, has been a variety of action movies has decided to quit pay taxes. Wesley quit paying in 1997 and after his $58 million dollar income from that year, demanded that the IRS pay him back the $7 million he paid in. That amount of money just blows my mind. $7 million dollars. Most of us will be lucky to even make a million in our lifetime, but $7 million? And just to taxes?
Wesley Snipes refused for so many years that he eventaully was called to court and was charged on three accounts of refusing to pay his taxes. He was sentenced to pay the IRS back taxes and serve three years in prison. He is now walking the streets on bail.
You want to think that this kind of protest is worthy of admiration and respect, but I think otherwise.
I do not believe in paying ungodly amount of taxes. Each year my personal property tax goes up, our food taxes increase, and the amount we have to have withheld from employment checks keeps increasing, but I don't sympathize with this man. He made so much money and while $58 million to us seems so incomrehensible, the amount he paid in taxes is pocket change to him. I think it all boils down to greed. A greedy man wants all his money. And because of his money he doesn't have to servce jail time or pay the consequences of his behavior.

Laying that all aside, it was appealing to know that some retailers and food-chains are taking into consideration the poor people's pocketbook by offering discounts or free food on this particular day. If you call your local McDonalds you could get a second Mcdouble or Big Mac for just a penny. Worth the phone call if you ask me!
Don't forget about Starbucks free coffee day. Bring in a reusable mug for a free cup of joe.

And then comes in the advice about how to spend your return (if you got any...). Most of us would like to think we are pretty savy with our money, but truth and the economy proves that most of us live off of credit cards and loans.
My wife and I have started the Total Money Makeover and since that we have accumulated a nice savings and have paid off some large items and have less than $400 on a credit card. Though the recent change in situations (i.e. pregnancy) things have changed slightly, our goal does not: pay off everything, live minimally, and enjoy things in life that are free. So far we are doing okay and rarely deviate off that path.

Okay so go pay your taxes and try to enjoy doing it by partaking in freebies and thinking about how you are going to spend your refund.

Family Drama

Apparently growing up I was oblivious to the whole family dynamics/drama aspect because I never realized it existed. Until I met my wife's family. Anyone who has seen the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" would see things how it is in her family (except for the Greek part). I remember meeting her family for the first time and being sufficiently overwhelmed -- they were loud, laughing, in-your-face kind of people who loved to eat, drink (sweet tea), and be merry. I wasn't used to this kind of behavior. I was used to having a quiet family dinner at special occasions, but even then my family is absent in almost every form so seeing the broad contrast between the two almost gave me an anxiety attack. Almost. Now that I've been in her family for 6 years I have witnessed things first hand. The family who almost always has something dramatic going on: runaway sister, abusive brother-in-law, mouthing off little brothers, just to name a few. There is always something. But in the end I realize something about them. Despite the bickering, opinion filled lunches and dinners we almost always laugh and have a good time. Yes they are up in our business, yes they annoy me, and yes, I will go crazy because of them one day, but in the end they really do all love each other. I have witnessed this time and time again.

As for my family, drama still exists, just in the silent dinners and family gatherings where we all pretend everything is kosher and no one has any problems with anybody. They just are better at keeping their mouths shut.
I think I prefer the loud-mouthed ways myself.

Fat Melting Injections

Once again our fat obsessed society has fallen for an injection that supposedly is given to decrease the amount of adipose tissue in various parts of your body.

This form of fat removing involves no surgical procedure or anesthesia. It is called a lipodissolver that if injected into the fattest parts of your body (arms, legs, abdomen) it causes the fat to breakdown and decrease the amount of fat in those particular spots of the body. Thie type of fat dissolver has been promoted as being safe and effective at getting rid of excess body fat.

Lipodissolving injections have been routinely used in spas and other non-medical areas all over the country. People have been paying large amounts of money to get these particular injections with the hopes that it will help the battle the bulge.

However, the FDA is putting out a warning to people who have been using these injections. They are claiming that these injections are not necessarily safe or effective to use and not be treated for their danger.

However, recent claims are showing that some of the people who have been using the injections as form of fat burners have had adverse reactions to them. Most of the negative side effects include: burning at the injection side, hard lumpy areas where injected, and brownish spots at the infected site.

I say there's no way to get ride of your large amounts of adipose tissue unless you cut back on the food you consume and increase the amount of exercise you get. There is no other way of trimming down. We all look for quick fixes and something that is easy for us to do (diet pills, extreme diets, etc) and that just isn't how our bodies work. For some of us fat naturally clings to us. Our society is so inactive now it's not surprising that a large amount of us are suffering from being overweight. Cut out your calories and get moving...that's the safe answer for all of us.

Sacrifices

Some of you read a recent blog of mine about my wife's pregnancy and lack of health issurance. I thought I would give you an update (if you are interested...).
When we found out we were pregnant we had no health insurance. We were very scared. My wife's jobs all are on a prn basis so that means all benefits are given up to get paid more. We had been living okay without them and were planning on getting private benefits when she took a pregnancy test and it was positive.
Thankfully we have been blessed and have been provided for by our gracious God. Each day He seems to remind us that He is in charge of our lives and will take care of us. After we were turned down for Medicaid we were devastated, but we knew something would work out. This last year we started following the David Ramsey debt method and had saved up enough money to buy my truck cash (we sold our car with the car payment). Right now we own both our vehicles. We decided last week to put my truck up for sale and then use that money to pay for all our medical expenses. Our OBGYN office has been extremely gracious and we are making payments to them and also arranging payments for Freeman.
We will have to go get another vehicle (eventually) that will require a payment each month, but we are thankful for the opportunity to be able to sell a vehicle we own and use that for her maternity leave and medical costs.

That being said I have come to realize that things I valued 5 years ago really don't seem that important anymore. When you are required to sacrifice things (especially material objects) you come to realize their poor value. Most of the time I don't mind giving up stuff I once thought was so important, but seems to small to me now. Maybe it's because my wife and I have had to give up several dreams and objects :) for the birth of our first child and we are getting used to the thought of giving up everything for the people you love. Honestly we put so much value into materialistic things and to realize their lack of value is enlightening. There is so much more to our earth than the things we can't take to heaven with us. It's about investing into our families, our children, our friends. Investing into things we can take to heaven.
Our journey has slowly begun, but sometimes I look at my wife and think "I wouldn't do this with anybody else."
Oh and P.S. Another praise report we found out my lack of employment will give me grants for the fall so I'm probably transferring to PSU and then will be a stay-at-home dad to my soon to be 2 kids while going to school.

April Fool's Day

Everyone tries to think up a good trick for April Fool's day and I am no exception. I remember growing up trying to "fool" my family into something that I saw in the sky or something that I did.

April Fool's Day started back in 1539 because of a hilarious poem by Flemish who wrote about sending his servant on a series of wild-goose chases on April 1st. Since the start with this poem people all over the world have been attempting to fool people around them on the first day of April.
In the list of "Top 100 April Fool's Jokes" you get to read all about some of the larger scale hoaxes that were played on many people.

Swiss farmers were viewed on television harvesting spagetti pieces from trees while the broadcaster boasted "Swiss farmers harvesting spagetti from the spagetti tree." Viewers were captivated and call the television channel to which there reply was simple: "place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best."

Taco Bell announced that they had purchased the Liberty Bell and had renamed it to be the "Taco Liberty Bell." This caused an outrage from the general public in which later Taco Bell admitted to their false information and apologized.

In 1989 in London many people gathered around a field to see the much talked about UFO that was circling the city. When it landed and the police came up to it they ran after seeing a small man in a tin suit come out of the UFO. Turns out the 36-year old inventor of this UFO-looking hot air balloon was forced to land after being drifted off course making his April Fool's joke come one day early.

Burger King anounced in 1999 for the first time ever a left-handed whopper. This ad was published in USA today and Burger King had to rebuttle there statement telling of it's falseness.

So what would be your best idea of an April Fool's joke? Get on this website for a list of practical jokes that would surely be for a good laugh.

Running

Running has never been one of my favorite types of workouts especially with my especially small 5'5" frame, but lately I have been exploring the idea of incorporating running into my regular routine.
I used to go to the Y and lift weights and work on machines, but since I've gotten married and had a child (not me personally, my wife!) I've noticed this bulge coming from the abdominal area (aka dunlap's disease).
Back in highshool I was smaller than most of my friends, but topped the scale at 200 pounds...a pretty hefty amount for a guy my size. I lifted weights in highschool and was bulky, but once I graduated and stopped my weights class my muscle went bye-bye.
At 20 I decided it was time for a change and right after I moved into my own home I started the Adkin's diet and working out. Some days I would get on the treadmill for over an hour and then lift weights. Pretty soon I had trimmed down and became a nice 150lbs. My wife even said the first thing she noticed about me was my big muscles. :)
So imagine what life and stress will do for most...I stopped the Adkin's diet and slowly became less and less active with the increased responsibilities in my life. Now I'm topping the scale at a 170lbs.
So that is why I am back running. Only this time I'm running outside -- with a friend -- on a daily basis and we are both trying to trim down our spare tire and train for the Boomtown day's 5K run. Eventually I would like to be in a half-marathon then a marathon. I'm not quite there yet, but I am getting there. Being physically active is essential for our health, physically and mentally.