Category Archives: Personal

Eight legged company

Personal

I’v read a number of articles and watched a few TV specials that documented horror stories and spider bites. It always seemed like the Brown Recluse always got it’s nose in there somewhere. When I lived in IL I did not pay that much attention to them, didn’t seem like they (spiders) were around that much or they were smaller than a dime. Yes I know about Black Widows but I didn’t see those hardly at all.

I will pay much more attention now though.

The articles and shows would comment where spiders like to hang out and shoes seemed to be one of there favorites. Every time I’d read about or see a show where someone was bitten I’d always think twice for a few days and then it would pass. Today that changed.
I keep some shoes in the garage basically if I know they are going to get messed up, you know for mowing and things. Last night I happened to leave my regular shoes in the garage and this morning when I put them on, without socks, my foot was not the only thing in the shoe.

Yes I had company… after pulling my foot out as fast as I could, a brown recluse came scampering out. I paused stunned for a moment trying to realize what could have happened, then squashed it to a pancake. Wow that was close. I don’t mind spiders but if it has the potential to put me in a coma …well I can do without that.

MedlinePlus notes good information about a brown recluse bite. I was lucky and didn’t get a scratch. But from now on a shoe won’t go on the foot without a thorough shaking. I can get lucky once, there doesn’t need to be a second time.

Hockey’s back !!!

Personal

Can’t believe we went an entire season without hockey. Thank God I can still go to the rink and play otherwise I’d have to go back to golf. I’ve been keeping track of what’s going on at Eklund’s Hockey Rumors, which is in the “links” section, and it seems like all that’s left is the formalities. With the draft coming at the end of the month and the seaons just around the corner it will be good to get back in the stands and see some games. With any luck ticket prices, initially, might be a little bit cheaper.

As a side note I’ve noticed equipment prices seemed to have dropped slightly. Of course the major brands have come out with new products during the lockout but things appear to be more reasonable. Especially one piece sticks.. I’ve seen them for less than $100.00 from Bauer and Reebok (RBK) and two pieces are are in the $50.00 to $60.00 range. I have paid $130.00 for a one piece and it lasted about 90 days before the blade split on the face. I don’t think that was talent however.

Can’t wait for a new season and at least we’ll have some entertainment for a few years till this CBL expiers, but hopefully they have learned their lesson and this won’t happen again.

Identity theft hits home

Personal

Identity theft seems to be a topic in the news almost every week. While just recently MasterCard is feeling the effects of a recent exposure of almost 14 million cards keeping your personal information private is becomming increasingly more difficult. In many instances this information is not even in your control banks, credit card companies, financial institutions, employers, retail stores, the list goes on and on. All of them need to know who you are, where you live, your income, and you are at the risk of how good there security is.

From a personal perspective a recent run in with incorrect information at one of the credit reporting agencies appears to have allowed someone to use a credit card to the tune of $1500.00. A simple type-o, mail not being delivered and an enterprising individual with low morals on the receiving end and the damage was done in one day. Luckily at the moment it appears that is it. A credit watch being placed on the SSN has not produced any inquires from credit reporting agencies and after two months no additional unknown charges have appeared.

Googling the internet will get you many resources one non profit organization is the Identity Theft Resource Center. I’d recommend reviewing what’s out there on preventing identity theft not to mention some prevention methods. Here are some you can do today.


1. The next time you order checks have only your initials (instead of first name) and last name put on them. If someone takes your checkbook,they will not know if you sign your checks with just your initials or your first name, but your bank will know how you sign your checks.

2. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put “PHOTO
ID REQUIRED”.

3. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the “For” line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes
through all the check processing channels won’t have access to it.

4. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home
phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks. (DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have it printed, anyone can get it.

5. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc… keep it in a safe place.

Of course you can only do so much and there is no guarentee it won’t happen to you. But if you pay attention and try to prevent it you can save yourself some headaches, not to mention potential serious financial difficulties.

A short vacation

Personal,

I can’t believe it’s been a month since my last post, that’s horrible. I guess I can’t use the excuse of there hasn’t been much going on, there’s always something. So I’ll get back into the swing here as the wife and I took a little trip to Amelia Island, FL. It’s about 45 minutes from the Jacksonville airport up I95.


We stayed with some friends who have access to a condo on the beach. Even though it rained one day there was still plenty of time to get some sun, take in some history, and play in the water. Fort Clinch was a good afternoon experience taking you back to the days of the confederate. Another afternoon was spent hanging out on a beach where campers were welcome and you could park… on the beach. I forget the name unfortunately but there was plenty of surfers, jet ski’s and family’s with there pets having fun.

All in all it was a great four days away. I even managed to read a book, something that is rare for me. A magazine is no problem but to wade through a novel… that is different story. But then again what is vacation for !!!

Braces arrrrrrg !!!

Personal

Well today I finally had the appointment I’d been dreading for years, literally. I am finally in the position to make right what I should have done 10 years ago. But at the moment I can’t see why. Good things do come to those who wait and in about 24 months it will be good but now …. it sucks !!!

Yes I visited the orthadontist to get some hardware added, what has been a little “out of place” is on it’s way to respecability. At least that is until they start to wander around or fall out, which ever comes first. It started the first week of the month with an extraction from the dentist. Extraction, that is a good word to use. I’ve never had a tooth taken out before, of course the wisdom teeth were pulled but I was not awake for those. So seeing a large pointed chissel type object in the hands of my dentist was a first I’ll say. And in the end when it finally came out it was a first for the dentist, according to them.

They had never seen a tooth with roots so long, I’m not sure if that was good or bad but at an inch long I did ponder how it fit in my lid. Not to mention if all the others in there the same.

Next came the spacers last week. At the time I didn’t really know what they were for just thought they were trying to put some space between my teeth so they’d have some room to move.
Yes I should have asked questions but it was not something that seemed out of the ordinary.
So the spacers were two on each side top and bottom all at the back.
Oh and the extraction was on the top to make room for the movement that would be needed at the front. See that’s where things are a little smooshed.

They were in for a week and today was the “install”.

As for the spacers I’ve learned they were for bands that go around the back teeth and hold the anchors for the wire. Two hours later I was done and on my way with a packet full of info on foods you can’t/shouldn’t eat, wax, perscription toothpaste and a tiny brush for access between the “hardware”. Now I have a mouth full of “extra things” and needless to say it is an expierence. The first day is not even up yet.

I will probably be buying some stock in pain relievers at this rate. It wasn’t that bad when four were moving with the spacers but now there are a lot more. But the bigger challenge will be keeping from getting banged up while playing hockey. Knock on wood after four years of adult league and no cage I’ve been lucky but now I’ll have to pay extra attention.

But that’s ok in 24 months it should all be worth it … at least that is what I keep telling myself…. ;)