My Blog

Today is a great day for all of my dreams seem to be coming to fruition.  I have been planning this big trip to go on home building and teacher education program with about fifty students from my department since september and I finally think it has all fallen in to place.  We have had contact with all of the organizations in Europe and Africa where our trip would go to work and help.  The problems we faced were finding cheap international airfares. Up until about a month ago we had absolutely everything figured out except for the airfare.  Our schedule was laid out and we had looked at every major airline we could find.  The problem arose when we compared the prices we would get to our budget.  The two did now come out on the right side of zero.  So we have been checking daily on all of the cheap international flights listings to find any kind of discount airfare.  We had even talked to airlines and they gave us a bit of a discount but it still wasn’t enough. We had basically been stranded before we ever even got to the airport or bought our tickets.  I could find plenty of scattered cheap flights on the days we needed to move, but we have fifty people and that many seats are hard to find at that low a price.  I was actually considering cutting the later registered students because it just didn’t look as if I could get it to work out.  That all changed when I went back to one particular cheap international airfares web site.  I went through my usual routine of entering in all our data and what I saw in front of me was unbelievable.  A whole day’s worth of cheap international flights had opened up and lined up perfectly with what we needed to fill in for. I can’t even begin to say how happy I was at that moment.  Now I am reserved again and ready to get to the work at hand.  I have four finals next week and then it is right off to France for our first teaching workshop.  

I used to be very taken with the idea of moving to New York City at some point in my life. As someone interested in theatre, it just seemed to make sense. With all I have heard about current Broadway shows, though, Broadway no longer has the same pull to me that it once had, not quite the same draw. It’s something that everyone talks to you about when you’re younger and you are discussing a future in theatre with people who really know very little about it – your parents, for example. “Oh, so you’re going to move to New York someday and become a Broadway star?” So it takes on this mythical sort of identity to you, and you start to think that is what you should be aiming for in the future.

But truth be told, more and more Broadway seems to be about making money. Broadway tickets aren’t getting any cheaper, and the lengths that Broadway ticket brokers go to in order to advertise shows are extreme. Producers only want recognizable names at the heads of musicals. Casting one of the Spice Girls in Rent? Really? Putting pop culture icons from reality shows like American Idol in major roles in Broadway musicals? It’s all a ploy to enlarge theatre audiences, and it’s relatively sickening.

Still, this is mainly the current Broadway shows musical scene. Non-musicals tend to be treated with a little more respect, although they still make their fair attempt to star-stud the shows. If only I didn’t get the feeling that very little of Broadway casting is actually based on talent, I wouldn’t be so disgusted by it.

It just seems like there are much better cities, at least to start out in, as a theatre artist. A lot of friends of mine have been moving to Chicago, for example. They have a big theatre scene, lots of internship possibilities, they produce a lot of new work, they have nationally well-known theatre companies (like the Goodman, for example), but they have a lot less of that commercial feel. Just some things I’m thinking about as I near the end of my college career and begin to consider my future.

Do you own or work at a business? Have you had trouble with your phone service as is or just don’t want to pay such high prices anymore? Are you looking for a way to easily and (for a much lower price) streamline your business operations?

Maybe you should consider VoIP. VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, allows you to make phone calls over an Internet connection versus over a traditional phone line. What are the advantages of such a service? It eliminates aggravating phone wiring, which can clutter workspace and looks tacky. You can use this service either through a compatible computer or  IP telephones.

VoIP is ideal for businesses as it can greatly decrease the wiring and complication of intraoffice and outside communication. Each employee can have their own line, and it is possible to see who is on the phone and when. And if you are concerned about you or your employees becoming competent with their ip phones, you can purchase Microsoft Response Point. It allows you to work with VoIP without spending hundreds of dollars on training and gaining expertise. It also allows you to work not only with the phone service but with email as well, streamlining your business operations.

Not convinced? Think about it this way. Let’s say, for example, that you are an employee at a large corporation and that it is your job to call clients concerning, say, overdue account balances. You have a large list of clients you need to call in a database on a computer in front of you, but you have to manually enter the numbers in a telephone to call each person. Let’s also say you have to record information on the computer at the same time. Wouldn’t your life be so much easier and much more organized if you could simply push a key or click a button on the computer screen and would be able to call each client from the computer without having to dial or any other such unwieldy work? This also eliminates the possibility of numbers being misdialed or any other such human error.

Having worked at a business before, I know how difficult it is to communicate on a regular phone line. Often, you must have 3 or 4 separate lines to carry out any sort of efficient intraoffice communication. This can greatly decrease the efficiency of the office. I’ve also had to make calls to clients before and it can be time-consuming to pull up numbers and other such actions manually. By using VoIP, your office will be able to operate seamlessly with email, voicemail, and telephone communications. Office operations can’t get much more streamlined than this! But don’t take my word for it; try it yourself!

My mother was not feeling well and was experiencing difficulty breathing and occasional chest pains.  I was very concerned and took her to the doctor myself (I didn’t think she would go otherwise).  The doctors ran extensive tests over the weeks that followed, and when all was said and done they determined that she had Pleural Mesothelioma.

I had heard the word a few times, but really was not sure what this illness was.  The doctor explained to us that it was a form of cancer that was in the lining of my mom’s lungs.  I didn’t really understand then that it was from prolonged exposure to asbestos, which by the way is the only known cause of this disease.  I asked how this could possibly be, and was told that although this disease is more commonly found in white males over the age of 50, there is also a known risk for women who have worked in schools for many years.  Well, my mom had been a teacher at a local school.  Years after she had been working there, apparently they did have an issue with asbestos and that is mostly likely what had put her at risk. 

The doctor told us that my mom’s chances of survival at this advanced stage were not good.  We asked how long and were told that he would estimate a year or so was the amount of time she had left.  We both sobbed and hugged each other.  Devastated that this was happening, and still partly in total disbelief we went home.  Needless to say I withdrew from my classes to stay home and take care of Mom.  She tried to stay strong, and did pretty well right up until the end.  I prayed every night to God to let my mom be with me just a few more years, hoping that she would live long enough to see me married, or to see her first grandchild.  Unfortunately, that was too much to ask for.  By the end, I was praying for God to end her suffering.  Well, my mom passed only 8 months and 4 days following the initial diagnosis.

If this blog serves any purpose, please if you have any chance of having had prolonged exposure to asbestos, tell your physician and get him to check you out.  Even if you feel fine, by the time Mesothelioma symptoms appear, it may be too late.

I am a true gift giver and love finding something special for that someone special.  I am always the one who has to get the gifts for the people at work too, I am not sure whether this is because I am good at it, or just because I am willing to do it.  As much as I love gifts, I actually always like personalized gifts.  You know the kinds of engraved gifts that include dates, or special sayings, or even at times people’s names, depending on the occasion. 

Recently I found a local shop that does custom laser engraving on just about anything.  They carry a unique line of gifts for just about every occasion imaginable.  I recently had to buy a baby gift for someone at work.  I always like the unique and this shop had a silver baby rattle that I had engraved with the baby’s name and birth info.  On the back of it, was a cute little saying about babies being a blessing and we had it engraved with who it was from as well.  I think that these are the best gifts because when someone see’s it years from now, they will not forget you or the keepsake you gave them.  I mean think about it, if you give them a baby blanket, are they really going to remember you every time they see it? And after they have a few more kids will they even remember which baby’s blanket it is.  This is why a personally engraved gift holds much more significance.  It will be the item that is saved in a box for that child and when it is pulled out when they are grown, it still holds a memory in the person’s heart and mind. 

The next time you go to get a gift for someone’s special occasion, be sure to get personalized gifts or engraved gifts.  There is usually somewhere near you that will do it.  It takes a little planning, but most places will even engrave something that you purchased somewhere else, for a small fee.   Make sure that the next gift you give is a gift that is remembered for years to come.  Put a special note of your very own right on the gift, and be sure it will bring back fond memories of days gone by.

I just got off the phone with my mom and she was telling me about the new VoIP telephone she got.  I said, “Mom, what the heck is a VoIP phone?”  She went on to tell me that a friend of hers told her about how great it was and my mom decided she wanted to give it a try. 

She went on to explain that all she had to do is get a device from a company that provides this type of service, and hook it up to her computer.  Then she had to plug her phone into the device, using asterisk, and it was that simple.  (I knew if she could do it, anyone could! LOL) She then explained that this device allowed her phone to place phone calls using her computer.  She told me that anyone with a computer and a broadband connection can use this service.

She said that so far it was working really well, and that she had made several phone calls already using it without any problems.  The connection was clear and it was just like using a regular phone, except without the big monthly bills.  With this system, she informed me, she would be saving about $75.00 per month.  My mom went on to explain that there were no additional fees associated with this type of phone, and that all of your phone calls could be made for one flat monthly fee (even long distance and international calls).  When she told me that on average, the cost was $20.00 a month, I was astounded.  Home phone service for $20.00 per month is an incredible deal.

Well, with the easy installation, low monthly charge, and reliability, how could I not give it a try? Then she proceeded to tell me, she was getting me the service as well. She said that I would receive the device in the mail and the instructions on what to do would be inside.  Well, for $20.00 a month I will give anything a try, that is too good of a savings to pass up.

Quite frankly, I am excited to receive my VoIP phone but am still a little leery of the service and reliability.  It seems impossible to believe that someone has found a way to reduce the cost of anything these days.  And to be able to do it without giving up reliability is just awesome. 

Compared to other places in Europe, Italy is a very reasonable place to live.  Depending on where you want to live, there are plenty of varied choices in Italy.  From the beautiful architecture in the city of Rome to the rolling hills of Tuscany, what ever you desire can probably be found somewhere in Italy, with its very diverse cultures and landscape.

I have been online and have researched all kinds of accommodations in Italy.  The areas I researched were Sardinia, Venice, Rome, Tuscany, and Florence.

If you are interested in the beach, then Sardinia is the city for you.  Sardinia is an island right off the coast of Italy.  This quaint community has beaches all around, some of the most beautiful beaches you will ever see.  The people are very friendly and there are many little town shops.  This area is not a big tourist area, and therefore Lucca apartments are pretty reasonable.

Venice is the city built on water.  This area is filled with canals and gondolas to transport you like taxis from one place to another.  It is a very different place to live, but beautiful.  Venice apartments are a little more expensive, then those in Sardinia.

Rome, of course, is one of the biggest tourist areas in Italy.  It is beautiful, but has a lot more hustle and bustle than some of the other areas in Italy that I have researched.  Rome apartments tend to be smaller and have a little less pizzazz then some of the others.  If a bigger city feel is what you are after, however, then Rome is the right city for you.

Finally, Florence is the area to go if you are an art and wine connoisseur.  Filled with art galleries and wine tastings this area is definitely a site to see.  Florence apartments are very well decorated with lots of elegance, very similar to the city they are in.  There is a certain amount of charm that one would expect in this artists town. 

No matter what area of Italy you choose, whether moving to or visiting, you will not be disappointed.  The people are very friendly, and the accommodations are more than reasonable.  They are very tastefully done with a class that only Italy has to offer.  This is truly one of the most amazing countries in the entire world.  Be sure to take a trip there, you won’t be sorry.

Choosing the correct life insurance policy is a very important decision.  Most people are not aware that there are choices.  People tend to believe that all life insurance is the same.  This could not be further from the truth. There are several important things that you should know about purchasing life insurance.  The first and most important thing to be aware of is that there are two basic types of life insurance policies available today.  They are term life and whole life policies.   The first, term life is better suited to young people.  This type of policy only provides a death benefit.  This means that if you die, your designated loved ones will have money for your final expenses and to possibly pay off a mortgage or provide a nest egg for the future.  The reason this is more suitable for the young, is that this type of policy is relatively inexpensive while you are young and good health.  The premiums are very affordable and will gradually increase about every 5 years, but this will give you coverage in the event that something happens to you prior to becoming more settled in your life. The latter, term life insurance policies provides a cash value that builds and can be borrowed against or taken out in your time of need.  This type of policy also provides a death benefit as well.  This type of policy is more suitable for the elderly, as most term life policies will only cover you until about the age of 80 and then will leave you uninsured after that.  Also, the additional cash value can help you pay off a mortgage or help supplement your income when you are on Social Security.  Most of the insurance offers that come in the mail, are offers for term life insurance policies.  A better way to shop for insurance and find a policy that will truly meet your needs is to contact a reputable insurance agent.  Your insurance agent can help you understand things like which policy type is right for you.  They can also help you figure out what size policy you will need to be able to leave your loved ones secure and cared for in your absence.  An insurance agent can give you the policy quotes and whole life insurance rates and let you know exactly how much each of the different types will cost you premium wise.  If you are not sure if you are covered well enough, or if you are not covered at all, be sure to take this step and secure your family’s financial future for years to come.