NFL Season

Lynn and Josef my New Jersey cousins are chatting to me online and cajoling me to come visit again. Josef's reason is as he admits himself mercenary. He suggests I come during the football season and he'll get NFL Sunday tickets. (I thought this meant we were going to go to a game, but as Lynn explains it is a super t.v. package for "sports geeks)". She complains that she is going to be a "football widow" and insists that I have to come visit to ensure her sanity. "We can go shopping" She suggests, Lynn has often said that sport turns reasonably sensible men into kids and complains about "wasting money"on television packages. Though Josef points out to her that his NFL Sunday Tickets Price is negligible compared to what she can spend on clothes. Off course this almost causes Lynn to phone a divorce lawyer and when I recovered from laughing I told Josef he should keep his head down for a day or two.

It is all banter between them and Josef and I both know Lynn likes sports more than she admits. When they were visiting me we went to see the Belfast Giants play the Newcastle Vipers (Ice Hockey). She was more vociferous and boisterous in her support than either me or Josef. She really does have a competitive streak. She was surprised that the Giants were "So Good!" I told her that I believed most of them are from Canada or America .. or "countries that have a bit of a history with Ice hockey, but yes the games are good craic".

Later, thinking over our conversation I can't hep feeling that the idea is rather inviting. Josef is pushing for September to fit in with his plans around football matches. I love September it is one of my favourite months. It is usually warm and bright with early autumnal colours, September brings out beauty everywhere. I imagine that it would be beautiful in New Jersey in September. Obviously Newark does not conjure images such as New England in the fall or Vancouver BC. When you think of Newark you think of a post industrial city but like most cities it has it's achitectural gems, its parks and museums. I may sound very uncool but I like newark.


Lynn rings. "You have to come September please come and you and I can go see Anita Baker she's brilliant and you'll love her." the words are tumbling out of her excitably. It is obvious that she and Josef are still planning life around the NFL Sunday Ticket schedule. A promise to go see the new Jersey Devils and to eat some more of the best pizza ever is thrown in before she realises that I am sold...I'd love to see Anita Baker .. I am off to pack my bags.

Lockers

I was looking for my savings book today and when I opened the cupboard door where I put all my important documents; letters, envelopes, receipts and things I had forgotten tumbled out. Looking at the unruly pile on the floor reminded me of school.

When I was in primary school we had desks with lids. My desk was often overflowing with more than just books, Sometimes fruit and sandwiches that i hadn't wanted were pushed to the back and left to rot. By the time I had reached secondary school not much had changed except we had lockers and I had learned not to hide food I didn't want to eat.

My school locker was a black hole things mysteriously disappeared in it regularly. I always meant to tidy it up and clear it out but I just never got around to it. I just kept stuffing things in.
The Gym lockers were a joke! We were supposed to keep our gear in them. I rarely had my gear with me much to the gym mistress' annoyance, I hid my cigarettes in my gym locker underneath a towel.

One day a new girl joined our class and I was given the job of showing her the locker rooms. She "Ohhed" and "Ahhed" at the sight of our lockers standing in rows like "sentinels" (as she put it). The lockers in her old school were wooden ones and looked old fashioned in comparison. I thought 'this one's a bit of a headcase there's no such thing as wooden lockers'. As it turned out though we became the best of friends and to top it off a while back at a car boot sale I saw some wooden lockers for sale.

Mailboxes and Letter Box Symbols of Sucess

When I was very young ... very very young we had an old black and while television. T.v. in those days was totally different from today. kids shows where Andi Pandy and Bill & Ben the flower pot men and things like that. Once a week our parents enjoyed Coronation Street. The nightly news program was a family event because being kids we had no choice at that time in the evening. There was no such thing as children's channels

We loved American shows and films. In those days we thought of the American way of life as being wealthy and sophisticated. In films the main characters lived in houses with porches and picket fences with mail boxes that where attached to posts at the garden gate. My garden at home was about 8ftX14ft sq there was a wall but no picket fence with a garden gate with a postbox attached. The postie posted letters through the letter box in the front door of the house . It was to my mind a much duller event.

When I was fourteen I was lucky enough to get a holiday in America. I stayed on a farm in a house that was, as I thought; the typical American house like out of the movies. Compared to our houses in Ireland it was big and spacious and it had the porch with the swing seat where in the evenings we could sit and chat or look up at the stars. It did not have the white picket fence but at the end of the drive it had a mailbox. I was in America for six weeks & wrote home a few times. I loved cycling up to post my letters in the mail box and putting the flag up to let the postman know there where letters to collect. I loved cycling up to check for mail. I think I pretended that I was one of those idyllic characters from the movies those old movies where there was always a happy ending. I suppose then to my young mind Picket fences mailboxes and front porches with swings were a symbol of wealth and success.

A windowbox to remember.

One of my best friends lived in a place called Killyleagh. It is a village on the western side of Strangford Lough. She owned her own nursery and spent most of her days in the greenhouse and the garden tending to all sorts of plants and flowers from the mundane to the exotic. People traveled to buy flowers and plants from her because she had an artistic eye and often used some ordinary objects like work boots or sinks and turned them into planters with her own individual design.

Her garden planters may not sound all that interesting but her art work set each planter apart and the rich array of colours and how she arranged some of the plants made her nursery memorable and worth visiting again.

She once made me a window box planter with a selection of purples yellows and orangy red flowers mixed through with rambling vines. The planter a myraid coppery shade with yellows and greens. It was quite beautiful but unappreciated. Although she turned her hand to reuseing stuff that no-one wanted anymore she loved to visit shops that sold quality high end planters. Perhaps sometimes she got a little inspiration from them. Though I don't know, when I think back to those days I remember her as being inspirational.

ZSecurity = Good Security= ZZZ

When I first started to use computers my children were very young and I had a hope that they would grow up to be computer nerds that would keep me up to date with every conceivable update in the hi-tech world of computers. That I would never have to worry or fret about any of my innate stupidity were computers are concerned, that I would not feel the urge to change passwords every few weeks and would no longer suffer computer paranoia that grows because of my ignorance and fear of such things such as viruses and malwares

Off-course what you want and what you get are not often matched. My kids have not become the whiz kids I wanted them to become. They are like me fairly computer literate, or they know just what they need to know. They too probably suffer from time to time from computer paranoia. Typically we do not know our anti malware from our anti spyware and internet security is not so much of an afterthought as one of those mysteries that we promise ourselves we will figure out some day.

We do know this much however, to alleviate the symptoms of this form of paranoia it is not enough to just change your passwords from time to time. It is important to feel that you have a substantial and comprehensive internet security system. Rather than panicking when you hear about trojans and worms and hackers look into getting a fully comprehensive system. A system that offers anti-virus , anti-spyware and proactive technology. (this apparently protects your computer against unknown threats). When your PC has comprehensive security, you'll rest easier.

Like most decent antivirus software Zsecurity aims to be user friendly and once it is downloaded it updates regularly and also scans your computer regularly to keep your system safe. You won't have to worry about anything. They also offer a free trial period. That just shows how much faith they have in their own product. It is definitely worth trying out or even looking into. Their website has also a link to downloads and a page with a list of the latest threats and an explanation of what they can do to your PC.

Retail Therapy And Shopwiki

A while back I had trouble with a leaky bathroom, this led to part of the ceiling in the kitchen collapsing; providing me with proof of the law of cause and effect for my latest essay. After all the tears and tantrums, the stamping of feet and the "I want my mammy"! (& that was just me). The clear up began in earnest.

I tackled this problem with my usual gusto because I realised it gave me the perfect opportunity and reason to do a bit of shopping. I do love a little retail therapy and shopping online is as pleasurable for me as taking a walk down the High Street (without the breeze). So I threw a lot of stuff out that in retrospect i should not have.

One of my favourite places is shopwiki.com The kitchen and dining homepage is well laid out with a list of contents to the right of the page. It fed and encouraging my shopping demon to buy every possible gadget available to mankind. Who on earth can resist kitchen gadgets?

The pots&pans section has plenty of advice about every possible type of pot that you can imagine. I am after a copper bottom frying pan and a clay pot . I found a very well priced set of copper bottom pots thanks to shopwiki.
All this shopping was making me thirsty so I thought of making myself coffee The homepage of the Steamers was very informative. At the moment I use a colander and was very tempted to buy one but what i really need is a toaster (this was one of those items in retrospect that I should not have binned). As usual I am faced with so many choices that I cannot make up my mind.
I have been handed a glass of wine in a cup by a shadowy figure in the perephery of my vision...from a distance I hear a vaguely recognisable voice telling me "to order glasses as you broke what was left from the 'cave in' in a tantrum".....The voice trails away then thunders "DON'T FORGET THE BLENDER" Startled I jump! Then settle down comfy and cozy with my cup of wine and look through the glasses section that is one thing we cannot do without!

Glasgow for Shopping-Then The Italian Caffe To End The Day

We danced down Sauchiehall Street dallying from time, there was a preponderance of most excellent shops for us to explore. By the time we had gotten down to the Buchanan Galleries my friends were in shopping heaven. "Is this not the best Country in the world?" Mary (our Scottish Friend - and guide) said to us as she rushed into Virgin Vie.
I loved the culturally rich Merchant City part of Glasgow. It is a beautiful part of the city steeped in history and vibrant with pubs and restaurants. Mary had booked us into a Merchant City Restaurant. In the meantime we were doing some serious shopping and sight seeing. I suppose the merchant city area of the city is similar to the Temple Bar area of Dublin.
When you think 'Glasgow Restaurant' You can be forgiven for thinking 'chippys and deep fried mars bars.' That is not the case at all there is a broad choice of great restaurants and coffee bars. A buzzing coffee culture alongside the pubs and clubs. Mary brought us to the Italian Caffe restaurant. This Italian Restaurant Glasgow is stylish, modern, busy. Any preconceptions I had about Glasgow being a rough hard city faded away that day. The Italian Caffe was the first Enoteca in the city. It was a joy to finish off our visit to the city sharing food and wine with our friends in the comfortable and relaxing surroundings of The Italian Caffe

Stretching Your Horizons in Myrtle Beach

The family are arguing and going at it hammer and tongs we are making plans for a holiday in September. We have had a short break in Amsterdam a beautiful and historic city with plenty to do and see but my heart is set on an American holiday this year. Picking America is no problem with the rest of the family but choosing where to go ... My daughter wanted to do New York, the rest of us though have other ideas.
When I was younger i was lucky enough to spend a week in Ocean City Maryland. It was an amazing experience. An experience worth repeating and sharing. But visiting the different holiday websides Myrtle Beach and its attractions won me over and it didn't take much to win the family over either. (They are however still going at it hammer and tongs about what we all should do while we are there).
We are looking at Myrtle Beach Accommodation it is a far cry from the accommodation that was on offer in the centre of Amsterdam but then, the hotels in the centre of Amsterdam are very old and rickety and atmospheric. (As you climb the stairs from floor to floor the staircase gets narrower and steeper)! The Myrtle Beach accommodations that we have looked at are elegant modern and lavish. The condos are luxurious and iddyllic as are the Myrtle Beach Hotels. They are roomy and bright and modern with every mod con that you'd want.

I am picking The Horizon at 77th. A spacious 2 bedroom condiminium that has every mod con that you would need, a sea view and a balcony to watch the sun go down. We are definately going to see the aligators and we are definately going to learn about sharks (so I have been told). A spa fo both my daughter and I and the Dixie stampede is a must for us all. Some time playing golf and some shopping. There is on this holiday something for all the family.

GOLD COINS GAINS & A TOUCH OF NOSTALGIA

I came across Gold Coins Gain earlier on this evening it is a website about gold. About what it is worth and how to buy it; in particular gold coins and what a good investment they can be. Strangely enough it brought back some warm memories from my childhood.

my granda and granny owned a corner shop, they worked long hard hours and when we went to visit we were sent into the back parlour to sit quietly and behave. I always remember the faint smell of bleach and disinfection. granny was a particular wee woman and everything sat spick and span. We were almost afraid to move.

Granny would pop in quickly and give us a poke of sweeties ask how school was and then go back out to the shop. We sat as quietly as we could and waited for one or both of our parents to pick us up. It

One day granda came in he called my brother and me over to the china cabinet; he was taking out a presentation box. "Wait d'ya see this" he said to us. Inside were five shiny coins.
"Ohh" I said. They were bright and sparkling and I wanted to reach out and lift one.
"Aa Aa Ah!" my granda said wagging a finger at me. "Do you know what these are?"
"Money" My brother said.
"More than money" he said. These are gold. These are bullion. These are an investment". He was looking mostly at my brother while he spoke. "These are an investment". My brother nodded solemnly. "If you buy gold you will always have something to fall back on. If you buy gold sovereigns it's like buying gold bullion. My brother was looking at my granda not sure whether to believe him or not. Gold bullion in his mind was like the heavy gold bars that you saw in the movies.

From time to time Granda would show us the latest addition to his collection. He was very proud of them and investment or not I could never imagine him selling them. I sometimes wonder what happened to them after he died. Were they split up among his children or passed on to the eldest? His children did not have the same business acumen as him, his corner shop is long gone and I assume so are his coins.

New Jersey and TV Options

A while back I was lucky enough to get the chance to visit my cousin in New Jersey. I hadn't seen her for years and the prospect of a get together was exciting. She had recently moved into a new apartment so there was a newness and that strong smell of paint about the place. Everything was lovely and exciting and by my second day there I had the mother of all headaches.

It didn't help that Lynn and her partner were having a row about television. I thought it all seemed a bit silly the two of them fighting over the television when they hadn't even organised their provider. Usually couples fight over what channel to watch...they hadn't got to the point were they had a channel to fight about.

Lynn had gone online and found a website MyTvoptions and was in the middle of expanding the realm of her domestic control by picking out a provider and a package. Joseph was having none of it. "What did she know about cable or satellite" he was shouting.
"What's there to know?" she said mockingly. "My TV options found me the perfect match....It's a pity they couldn't have helped me find the perfect husband when i was lookin!"
"You get the Direct Tv with the sports package don't get cable." He ordered.
"I'll get what suits me" They went on bickering like this while I found refuge in the kitchen among the oreos and coffee leaving them to it.

Lynn came in a little while later she poured herself a cup of coffee and dunked an oreo into it with vehemence. "He thinks I am stupid ... I put our zip code in and it recommended Directv. The package looks great and he'll have his crummy sports. I couldn't find a link for a New Jersey webpage just a phone number. I left it to him to sort out, he is territorial where the tv is concerned, I think it's a male thing." I nodded in agreement. (Later when Joseph would say words to the effect that it was a female thing i would nod agreement to him). "You know they had a Direct TV in New york and in California...Lots of other states but i couldn't find New Jersey" Her brow crinkled thoughtfully. I sighed, waiting patiently for the pair of them to remember they were taking me out on a mini tour.

Later that evening they took me to their favourite pizza place where i tasted the nicest marguerita pizza i have ever tasted. It was absolutely gorgeous and quite a shock as I can't say as I am a Pizza person. It was well worth travelling to New Jersey for. When we got back home we had a few beers and chatted. Lynn started to sing "Bye bye mr merican Pie drove my chevvy...." Joseph joined in "to the levvi but the levvi was dry. We sang songs into the small hours. The entertainment was so good i wondered why this couple even wanted a tv..never mind have a tiff over one

The Car Connection

I 'heart' my Skoda but it is getting rather elderly (for a car) so my mind obviously has turned to thoughts of trading it in. I visited TheCarConnection.com to read some of their reviews. I haven't any particular car in mind-yet, reading reviews is a good way to get ideas. It also gives you a chance to drool over the things that you like but just can't afford.

The mercedes Benz GLK This has the look of an suv but it is described as a 'compact cross over'. I take that to mean that it will have lots of room and height so great visibilty though probably not much good off road. It looked good but at $30,000 it is a little outside my price range. Nice to look at though! i give it a 3 out of 5 on my own personal drooling meter. The overall score in thecarconnection is 8.2

The Ford Taurus comes in with an overall score of 8.4. I drooled over it also giving it a 3 out of 5 (another car to add on to my wish list). It seems the more reviews I read the more I seem like the little kiddy in the sweetie shop. I want it all. The Car Connection advises not to be put off by it's conservative look. It does look very much the business man's car. That would not put me off as I am neither conservative nor flashy by nature but do like my comfort. It is however still a little out of my league starting at $25,170.

I came across the Smart car review but I did not linger. Smart cars may be well within my price range starting at about $11,000 but they are definately not to my taste. I don't care if they are supposed to be smart and green. I think they are stupid - and stupid looking! And I don't see the point of having a car that can only hold at most two people, plus its top speed is about forty! that is almost unbelievable. I have heard the arguments that they are perfect for driving around the towns (and parking) but that just makes me think we should work harder towards having reliable public services such as buses and trains rather than the embarrasment of having to drive around in this ridiculous looking contraption. Smart cars 0 -5 in my drooling meter.

I Like the Mazda If I could I would choose the Mazda CX9. A comfortable seven seater with good road holding that also looks pretty good. Mazdas are as far as I know by reputation great cars. One man described them to me as the work horses of the motor industry. If so that is the car for me. Off course the Mazda CX9 is also out of my price range starting at around $29,000. it scores a definate 5 out of 5 in my drooling meter though so I think I need to go check out my piggy bank ...Or maybe I should start to do the lottery.



TheCarConnection does more than reviews it has a classified section, insurance and finance section. It also has a news blog that keeps you up to date with what is going on in the automobile world. The site is very well laid out and their reviews seem to be very thorough.

Liverpool F.C. Tickets

I remember when I was a kid everyone picked a football team to follow and followed them slavishly even if they didn't know that much about football. I picked Liverpool F.C. mocking rival teams such as Man Utd and Everton as sissys and Losers.

Then the only way you'd get to see a premier league football team play was on Match of the Day. I remember watching their first European Cup Final in 1977. The game started off slowly enough but by the second half I had my nails chewed down to my elbows and a few times I felt like hiding behind the settee. (You get caught up in the drama of the game). For all my nail biting they won 3-1

Live games are something else, not only do you get caught up in the drama you feel a part of it. The atmostphere is amazing. When I was a kid the idea of having Liverpool Tickets was like a fantasy. Seeing my team play was a 'jim il fix it' dream ... something that happened to other kids.

Times have changed and getting Liverpool F.C. Tickets is not one of those impossible feats but getting Liverpool Tickets and getting to a match is still a treat. That is why I use the SportsBoxOffice they take most major credit cards and the tickets arrive 3-5 working days before a game. They charge a small insurance fee (£2.00) and shipping. It is a stress free way of booking for a game.