Luanne's Spot

Just Beat It

2009-06-26T13:35:00.002-04:00

Today is the day after we lost Michael Jackson, an artist who I grew up with as a kid. As I set here, working in my office and the kids are off from school. A chill went down my spine when I could hear my seventeen year old son playing "Beat It" by Michael Jackson. It's like an echo because even on the major news networks that I watch (CNN and MSNBC) they're playing all of the great hits or bits of them from Michael. It just amazes me how much of an impact he truly did have on all of us, even the newer generation. I'm pleased that Michael was such a big part of my youth as well. It saddens me though that as he grew older, he just never seemed to be truly happy. He was always trying to find ways to improve his happiness or self worth. What a shame that he lived such a traumautic life? I know that I will be glued to the news programs as more information about his life comes out. I've always wondered about his skin tone changing color. I honestly have always believed that it was a genetic thing and have always "had his back" when others would criticize him. I truly believe though that Michael was in his "own little world". It's really too bad, but with his fame, I guess he didn't have much of a choice but to just do what made him feel good. I have to say, "good for you Michael for staying true to yourself". I look forward to hearing the music which you never shared with the world. What a sad day for the world.

You will be missed.

McKean County for Barack Obama

2008-09-24T22:25:00.002-04:00

Are you interested in helping with the campaign locally to help Barack Obama win the 2008 Presidential Election.

Feel free to email for additional information.

A Brotha from Anutha Motha

2007-05-01T08:11:00.001-04:00

If you had a brother from another mother somewhere out there in the world, would you want to know? Would you want to find him? Would you be concerned about connecting with him in fear of hurting either of your mother's feelings? How would the Mom's feel about it? Would each of them encourage or discourage you to find someone who was half related to you?

I'm personally in this dilemma myself, in fact, my son has two half brothers, and both of them are from other mothers, but the three boys are all related and I want to see them "together" or at least to meet each other. If I'm not mistaken, all three of the boys are "only" children from each of those mothers. I know now that the oldest boy, also has his own child, so that would mean that the other two boys are uncle's to this child. Half uncles, but still uncles.

What would you do if you KNEW you had found one of the "other brothers" but he had NO idea who you were, this "weird" woman contacting me via the internet. Do I dare to tell this young man that he has a half brother? Does he even know that he has these other two brothers? Has his Mom ever said to him, "Honey, you have two half brothers out there in this world."

My son knows he has two half brothers and has recently been doing web searches for them. Now I'm concerned that he'll find them and not handle this delicately and he'll just say, "Hey, I'm your half brother." Now, the recipient of that news will go "HUH? What are you smokin'?" Or will he say, "Cool, I always knew I had a brother out there, but had no idea how to find you or where to even begin." His mother and I were never close, because, well, you know, the ole love triangle sort of plays in here and we were always kept away from each other, never allowed to share notes. I was young and vulnerable in the big city. It's all history now and all of us have moved on with our lives. For the sake of "getting in the middle" I'm sorry that I did that, but I don't regret having my son. At this point in our lives, I just think it would be so awesome for him to know his brother, even if he was only a half brother.

I DID find one of my son's half brothers and now I'm not sure which step to take next. I've told my son's biological father that my son wants to meet the oldest half brother, who now lives in NC, but who knows if he'll help us to "make it happen". Hopefully, I'll hear from the middle son's aunt who I knew first so I can run it past her, to see what they know and if she thinks that the middle son is even interested. I know if I were the one with other siblings out there, I would want to know them.

How would you feel about it? What would you do? Should I pursue this or let well enough alone??

A Typical Nigerian Scam!!

2007-04-27T15:11:00.000-04:00

I am so sick and tired of receiving these emails. Don't these people have anything better to do. I am NOT a mugu and have no interest in a romance with a man who lives 5,505 miles away from me. I WILL NOT send you money!! I DO NOT have any relatives on that side of the world. I WILL NOT let you send purchased items to me and have me ship them to you. You are ALL con artists and I am so sick of you. Dateline NBC did a program on these Nigerian scammers, Dr. Phil did a brief segment on it, Oprah also did a show on the current scams and featured victims of internet fraud.

Here is the latest email I received. It really makes me laugh how they try so hard to personalize the email. I'd go through and point out the corrections, but I don't need to give them any pointers on how to improve their scam. GRRRRRRRRR If you have any sort of intelligence, whatsoever, you'll be able to dissect this yourself. I must give them a little credit though, because I think they must use spell check for the most part. LOLOL I think the part that really made me chuckle was the "Mr. Brain Lane" lmao

Dear Lane,

Please I wish to humbly solicit for your assistance and business know-how to actualise this transaction. I am a regional bank manager of a bank in the West African region (name of the bank withheld for obvious reasons) and I have a business proposition below which I will like you to go through carefully, make up your mind and give me an urgent reply if you are satisfied to transact with me.

In the year 2005, a businessman (Mr.Brain Lane) made a Fixed Deposit of US$12,060,000.00 (Twelve Million and Sixty Thousand United States Dollars) in my branch office. Unfortunately before the maturity date he passed on after a brief illness and since then this fund US$12,060,000.00 have been in the bank under my watchful eyes as the account officer of the account and the interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. Up until this time that I am writing this to you, no one has ever come forward to put up a claim due to the man's childlessness/relation to stand-in as his next-of-kin and he did not indicate thus in his bank deposit form.

My writing you therefore, is to solicit and propose that you stand-in as his next of kin or a co-investor being a foreigner to claim this fund ($12.060m), such that this fund does not revert to the government as custodian of such funds in the event that nobody applies to claim it within the next six months or thereabout.

Upon your willingness to transact, we could discuss in advance our relationship regarding the compensatory aspect of the business, which will now lead to me providing more detail information regarding the transaction to you, to enable you have a clearer picture.

Thank you for reading through while I await your return mail please.

My regards,

R. Peter

It's a Conspiracy I tell ya

2007-04-11T08:51:00.001-04:00

Why is it when you buy a bag of awesome looking oranges, that there is always at least one in the bag which is one of those ones which had been frozen. Why is it that they all come from the same farm and some of those oranges are more damaged than the others. I swear they just don't have the heart to throw them away. Guess we need to get a pig for the farm so we don't waste food either. Geez. They need to teach these crop growers how to spot the questionable fruit. Sort of like my friend Gayla and her box of pop tart's missing one tart. It's a conspiracy I tell ya.

I'm so EXCITED - I can hardly stand it!!

2007-02-13T09:49:00.000-05:00

Van Halen has announced a summer tour for 2007, with David Lee Roth joining them for this reunion. I am so excited, as Van Halen (the David Lee Roth bunch) has been my all time favorite band. My friend Teressa and I, along with several other of our friends, saw Van Halen for the first time back in either 1978 or 1979 at the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, NY. We were only 16 - 17 at the time and our very first concert in 'the big city' and our parents were concerned about letting us drive, let alone go to the concert alone in the big city of Buffalo. So my mom, drove 6 or 7 of us girls (yes, we were packed into the car) to Buffalo to watch the show. We were sooooo excited to be going and when we arrived, my Mom had brought along a book to read (she had NO ticket for herself) and ear plugs. She entered "The Aud" and asked a security person if there was a waiting area for parents to set and wait while their kids enjoyed the show. Well, the security man, took my mother and placed her in the secure booth, right off the stage, no ticket!! She had better seats than us girls did who were on the floor, about 20 rows back. Mom said she could have touched David Lee Roth because she was just that close to the stage. I remember her telling us girls, that that she could have reached right up there and pulled his pants right off. Now she tells me she might have embellished the story a little bit. lolol.

Now we just need to find out when and where they are playing. I suspect it will be difficult to get tickets because we aren't the only ones who are still living in the past, knowing that Van Halen was the greatest of all time. It's even possible we might take have to take along some ear plugs at this ripe ole age of 46. LOLOL.

Source:

And we'll never forget, Freitag's Liquor Store and stopping halfway up so that we could use the restroom and Sunny not being able to wait and peeing in the sink in the bathroom. What a crazy woman!! lolol What wonderful memories. Oh, the good ole days.

More interesting facts about this awesome band!!!

Return call at 8am Zulu Time

2007-02-04T10:30:00.000-05:00

I had a real good chuckle on this one. I belong to a message board and one of the members was complaining about receiving phone calls at 700am PST (that would be pacific time) from a woman who was located on the East Coast (10am for her). This woman calls her on a daily basis and one of the other group members said that on his message machine, he states that: "All calls will be returned at 800am zulu time". I really had a great chuckle on that one because for the annoying woman from the East Coast of the USA who was calling, if I returned her call at 8am Zulu time, she'd be receiving her return call at 3am EST. LOLOL Payback!! I just thought that was a neat idea.

Let me tell ya, my laughter was an evil laugh. How funny!! Especially to the dimwits who have no clue what Zulu time is lolol

Apples, Oranges & Raisins Recipe

2007-01-21T13:14:00.000-05:00

I have been trying to watch what I eat lately and let me tell ya, the fruit alone is getting pretty boring and plus, my poor apples were starting to die. So anyway, yesterday, I decided to clean out my refridgerator of the excess fruits I had in the fruit drawer. I cut up 2 apples, 2 oranges and poured about 1/4 cup of raisins into the bowl and covered them with about 1/4 cup of coconut flakes (I have a ton of them for a very tasty, yet fattening treat, which I have NO business eating LOL). So I grabbed one of my Betty Crocker cookbooks to see if I could find something else which would maybe spruce up my fruit salad. I found something similar to what I had already started throwing together and the dressing below really added a bit of a kick to my fruit. It was yummy. Try this out:

2 T of lemon juice
2 T of honey
1/4 t. of cinnamon

Mix the juice, honey and cinnamon all together, then drizzle it over the fruit. Don't stir it all together until after you let it set for awhile in the fridge. I left mine for about 2 hours, pulled it out, stirred it up and enjoyed the fruit with this different twist. Try it, I'll bet you'll enjoy it.

Supposedly coconut is a "good fat"

Living with an STD?

2007-01-20T12:09:00.000-05:00

Positive Singles is a website dedicated to people who are living with an STD and are wanting to connect with others who understand their situation or who are simply looking for love. These people are wanting to live honestly and without the fear of passing an STD along. Too many times, when a "positive" person needs to share their "positive" status with a new mate, they are rejected out of ignorance or basic fear. Usually, they are searching for that special someone who also shares a concern in regard to their positive STD status, such as HPV, HSV, HSV1, HSV2 or HIV.

You can search profiles and if nothing else, make a lifelong friend, someone with whom you can share your story with and be there for each other for support. To not feel alone. So check them out today and add your profile to the website if you are living with an STD. Heck, even if you're not living with an STD and interested in learning more about all of the different viruses you can join. Who knows, you might have it and not even know it. So stop living your life in fear of passing it on. Stop being ashamed if you're living with an STD. After all most of these viruses won't kill you.

Tattoo at 14? Too Young?

2007-01-20T11:30:00.000-05:00

My son is now interested in getting a tattoo at the age of 14. I personally am not jazzed about this idea, but he's so sure that it's the right thing to do to his body. I don't agree at all, however not agreeing is NOT a first. I'm looking forward to the day when my son agrees with me, but I digress *chuckling*

So, we go on vacation right before Christmas and my son sees a sign for tattoos in the Bayside Market Place (aka: shopping mall) in Miami and of course, he just has to have a tattoo, RIGHT NOW!!. He claims that everyone else in school (those damn Jones'!!!) is getting one and of course, he thinks he's entitled. Ah, the good ole I'm entitled strikes again!! OK, so thank goodness they were henna tattoos, because you know, he knows everything there is to know about tattoos at 14 *healthy roll of the eyes again* and he wants his to be PERMANENT because he just knows that an armband would be something he wants to live with for life! I have such a SMART kid. (note sarcasm)

OK, so the tattoo topic was shelved until we got back from our cruise and we decided to drive around Tampa, waiting for our cheaper flight to return home. My son begged and begged and begged for a tattoo. I said, we'll look into it and I kept my promise. I looked through the yellow pages because I couldn't think of anyone I knew in Tampa who might be savvy about tattoo artist recommendations, so I went with my gut instinct on finding someone who had a decent business vs. a hole in the wall (mind you, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a hole in the wall). I personally don't know much about tattoos, except for the needle thing needs to be clean and that it hurts like hell. So, we find what seemed to be an upstanding tattoo place because they had paid for a huge ad in the Tampa yellow pages (my logic, if they can afford a big ad, they must be good) What do I know?? That's the way I do things *shrugging my shoulders* lol. We walked in, they were super friendly guys (wish I could think of their name now) and seemed to be very knowledgeable about their craft. The one fellow asked if they could help and I told them that my son would like an armband, how much would it cost (that's ALWAYS an issue for me) and his response was "How old is he?". I said, "Oh, he's 14." The guy replied with, "Sorry, we won't do tattoos for anyone under 18." I secretly mouthed to him "THANK YOU!!!" *wink* and then of course, my ALL KNOWING son says, "Well, all my friends have one!!" (the damn Jones' strike again!!). UGH, I can't win, so we left there and my son was PISSED!!! He wasn't mad at me, (even though I felt like he was), but just at that "professional" tattoo artists opinion, but of course, in my son's opinion, the guy didn't know anything!! The point made was that my son at 14 is still growing and they also admitted that they regretted having gotten tattoos at such a young age as well. Exactly my points I had tried to impress upon my son too. Thank you guys! So needless to say, I've been able to avoid the tattoo topic for awhile. He wants everything, but what kid doesn't.

So, what do you think? Should a 14 year old get a tattoo?

Do Clothes and Fashion make a Person?

2007-01-07T11:45:00.000-05:00

Does it really matter how you dress for school or for a job? I believe that dressing for success has everything to do with comfort and being relaxed in your day to day activities. Sure, there is a time and a place for everything, depending on the title you might hold at your job, but should we be judged because of the attire we choose to slip on before we head off to our jobs each day?

This has been a topic as well as an issue for the past two years for me, both in regard to myself and my son. For me, I was involved in Mary Kay Cosmetics and the big push was to only wear a blouse, skirt and closed toed shoes!! *rollin' my eyes here* That is simply not me and to be honest, I didn't feel comfortable in that get up. OK, so the Mary Kay corporation and those in the upper echelon of the organization felt that being dressed to the hilt, all made up with Mary Kay make up only, was one of the ways of being successful in Mary Kay. Of course, now I know better and realize it was simply a case of smoke and mirrors. If you dress like a business woman, you send off the message that you are successful at selling Mary Kay. UGH!! Can I say bullshit? Yep, because after having "seen the light" I realized that it was what it was, just another way to get new recruits to believe that they wanted to sign up too. Ah, but that's another story. For the real truth on Mary Kay Cosmetics, be sure to check out Pink Truth. I'm now back to dressing for comfort and occasion, not trying to impress anyone.

Now on to my kid!! He's 14 years old and is trying to dress like he's a hip hop rap star or a city kid. Well he is definitely into the music, but don't let him fool you, he listens to all sorts of music. So anyway, we took a trip before Christmas and after getting settled into our Miami hotel for one night, we walked across the street to a shopping mall called Bayfront. This mall was geared towards the kids in the biggest way. We're talkin' Hooters Bar. Yes, for some reason my kid is impressed with Hooters lolol -go figure-. I guess that could simply mean that he has a normal sex drive (normal=in the eyes of the general population). WHEW!!! *smile* So anyway, he found this "blingin" watch and just HAD to have it. OK, so it was Christmas time and I succumbed to the purchase, even though I knew darn well what would happen. He wore it on vacation and I haven't noticed that he's worn it since, but he just HAD to have it!! He just loved this mall, saw lots of things he thought he would like to have, but fortunately, I didn't give in to his every whim. I did end up buying him a new pair of sneakers, made in Argentina (modeled after their soccer team) while we were in Key West and he's actually been wearing those. Luckily, they didn't soak me for 100.00, but I did buy him some nice cologne. He's all about 'smellin' good' lol. We returned home from vacation on Christmas Eve and luckily, I had done a bit of Christmas shopping prior to even knowing about this last minute vacation so at least I had some Christmas presents for him. All in all, I think I did pretty good. It's so difficult to buy for kids who think they have to 'dress to impress' and keep up with those darn Jones' In the past, I have let him pick out his own Christmas clothes, but this year, I got smart *wink*. I followed a couple of "men of color" around the store in Erie and bought what they bought after having seen basically how they dress. Akademis sounded like a possible hit and Old Skool worked for me too in regard to urban wear. He really wanted some Ice Cream sneakers by Pharrell, but we never did find any his size. So that's when he settled for the shoes from Argentina. *smile*

Don't Miss: Nov 18th 2006 Leonid Meteor Shower

2006-11-18T20:38:00.000-05:00

About two, maybe three years ago, I woke up at 3am to watch a spectacular meteor shower and this one is sounding like something I won't want to miss either.

It's happening tonight, in the Northwestern PA, Southern Tier of NY state starting anywhere from 1030pm until 2am this morning. Last one was absolutely magnificent.

source:

Luanne's Favorite Perfumes

2006-11-18T20:33:00.000-05:00

Need a gift idea for Luanne. Her absolute favorite perfume sprays are:

Samsara by Guerlain

Samsara is a feminine scent which posesses a blend of: amber, sandalwood and jasmine, blended with other oriental florals and vanilla. It is recommended for evening wear. I love this stuff!!

Ysatis by Givenchy

Ysatis is a feminine scent which posesses a blend of flowers and aromatic woods, with spice, musk and rum. It is recommended for daytime wear. (lots of compliments on this one)

Opium by Yves St. Laurent

Opium is a feminine scent which posesses a blend of: exotic florals, mandarin and coriander blend to create this rich, exotic fragrance. It is recommended for evening wear.

I love all three of these scents and always make an excellent gift for Luanne :-)

Mary Kay Sucks

2006-10-26T00:58:00.000-04:00

I spend entirely too much time over on what used to be called the "Mary Kay Sucks" blog, but I'm sorry it is so addicting. Well, I read this post today and it literally describes my story to a T. Amazing how so many of these stories and real life situations are exactly what I experienced in Mary Kay and could see coming down the pike.

Here is the quote from today's post:

Maybe it’s time to move some of our “I” or “me” stories into this section as all of you are aware how much data is really on this blog. I’ll go back and construct my story, luckily I wasn’t in it long enough to go too deeply into debt, but I did feel as though I was “conned” or coerced into this “opportunity”. When I was actually recruited, the frontloading happened and I was “convinced” that that was the only way to go as I had planned on holding skin care classes etc, to “make some money”. But as time went on, being a single mother, drawn away from my son and what really frustrated me more than anything was the lack of training which I was promised and I truly felt that the weekly meetings were soooooo much more about recruiting and finding “5 sharp women” to bring as a guest to our meetings. I actually made a “list” of those women and two of them were my customers. As time went on, I started thinking, why in the world would I want to “recruit” my customers!!?? That was a lightbulb moment for me, and then I was sick of the childish foolnishness which would happen at the meetings, that fakey smile my recruitor would slow out at us. The sad thing is, I really do like her and I believe that she’s a good person if I could just get through that phony Mary Kay outer shell of hers. I wonder if she’s really as sweet as she appears to be. So as time went on, for each meeting, internally, I hated using up all of my samples (but I was thinking I was just being greedy/selfish), but ya know what, I PAID for those samples for MY business, not to use at training sessions to put on my own face all the time. Then they (recruitor and director) kept saying you should just buy the full size products to use instead of samples, because you could write those off as demos/supplies for your business on your tax return. Of course, they also told me that whatever make up, nail polish etc, that I purchased for my own personal use could be taken as a tax deduction too because I was “demonstrating” the product. Puleez…..I really wondered about that one.

So I started searching the internet, because God Forbid if you even hinted to ANY negativity at your weekly “training (aka: recruiting”) sessions. (that always used to get me too, I’m sooooo glad I NEVER brought a guest) and of course, none of my friends wanted to ever hear anything I had to say about Mary Kay. In the beginning, I was spewing Mary Kay. I even tried to warm chatter with my perfume samples. That poor girl!! I live in a small town and I’m guessing if that girl ever sees me again, she’ll probably avoid me like the plague. So glad I didn’t try to get her to hold a skin care class. That would have made it even worse!! Back to my internet search….I honestly don’t remember what I typed in, but I went searching for groups of other women who were in Mary Kay to see how they were running their business and I came across a few groups, some HOT pink (no negativity allowed there!!!), some mildly light pink, they still had issues with any negativity, because they were trying to do things the right way, but at that time, no negativity was allowed, no true feelings were allowed, no support was given for our feelings. So I FINALLY found a place where I could vent and get it “out of my system” to know I wasn’t alone. I just felt icky prior to going to the meetings, then of course, after the meetings, felt that maybe, just maybe I could do this (ahh, brainwashing at work (learned that one later too). I held the product for about one year and returned it in time to maximize my return and for some reason, I still feel “addicted” to this blog? I wonder why, I’ve said it sooooo many times, why can’t I JUST let this go? Why are women finding this blog who left Mary Kay over 10 years ago and they’re saying things to us like, I am SO glad to now know that it WASN’T ME, it was the system of Mary Kay!! It amazes me how these women have struggled with this for so many years and they’re now just getting some validation to realize they truly weren’t losers or quitters. They were simply following their gut instincts and knew that something just didn’t smell right.

So anyway……..

I had no intention of writing my “I” story right this minute, but once it started flowing from my fingertips, I couldn’t stop, so here is my story. Shortlived as it may be, but nonetheless, my story. I am so glad that I got out when I did and that I was able to find online support to help me do what was best for me and my child. I still had my full time job which was a job I loved and still love doing to this day. I believe I’ve learned my lesson and I have no interest in ever trying to do Mary Kay again, mainly because it has such a bad name and people avoid a “mary kay” lady around my neck of the woods, like the friggin’ plague. They don’t want to host parties, they don’t want to hear it, because for a period of time, I know that the one who recruited me, tried to recruit (with some luck I might add) several others and as I mentioned earlier, we live in a very small town and this “recruitor” (very very short lived director I might add too - she couldn’t keep up production and also got a divorce -claims it was his fault, but I REALLY have my doubts about that one too), but she could sure sell that product though!!. She alienated many of these women from the thought of even being involved with Mary Kay because she was sooooo pushy. I’ve talked to others and her name always came up. I wish I could rescue her more than she knows, but the last I checked, she didn’t feel as though she needed to be rescued, so I’ll just check back in with her from time to time. She’s aware of this blog and I wonder if she’s been reading all this time. Something tells me that she might, but she won’t admit I’m sure. Why do I care? Why do I want to ’save’ her? Crazy huh……

source:

Could it be?

Technorati

2006-10-17T12:56:00.000-04:00

Well, today I'm going to try and get linked in with Technorati. This is one of the bigger blogging networks. This will be interesting to see how this works.

Technorati

We Lost George Tonight

2006-10-07T01:02:00.000-04:00

This is such a sad day for me and I'm just not sure where to start. Have you ever met someone and you immediately make a connection, you just have this bond of friendship that the two of you can not ignore. It's not a sexual connection, but more like a brother and sister, best friends who didn't have enough time to really be able to nurture that friendship for as long as we would have enjoyed. That makes me sad.

Tonight, I lost my very dear friend George Lee. He was in a motorcycle accident on Thursday night, September 21, 2006, headed towards Eldred, PA. I had seen him earlier that night at the Two Mile Inn in Port Allegany. He was out and about, having dinner and a few drinks. I got three hugs from him that night and I just wonder why? Did he know something or was God preparing him to say goodbye and we just didn't know it? From that night, I remember that this was the first time he had ever officially met my friend Dawn, in fact it was her son Josh's birthday and the first time Josh had ever met George either. George kept fussin' about his fish not being cooked. Just ask Hartle. He had to take it back to zap it and even then it still wasn't cooked just right. Apparently, George really knew his fish and apparently was a good cook himself. I can still see him setting at the end of the table, poking at that fish saying "look how rubbery it is". I can't eat this!!! It's NOT cooked.

George always greeted me with a warm hug and that friendly smile. He was only 39 and left his daughter without her dad. I know that was not his intention, because he loved her so much. He absolutely adored his daughter. George always wanted to have more babies. That's all he ever talked about, his daughter, his job and wanting to meet a woman, younger than him, who would want to have more of his babies. He hadn't met her yet and he felt that his life was just starting over again. He shared custody of his daughter with her mother. I had met both he and his ex-wife on Valentine's night, 2003 at Mo's in Port Allegany. It was a wonderful evening, filled with laughter. He never forgot that night, nor did I. We had such an instant connection the first time we met. He always commented to me how he felt that same connection, we couldn't explain it, it was just there. He was a great friend and I will miss him. I still can't believe he's gone. He was so full of life. Can I say that George was filled with "piss and vinegar"? That would be George, always with a twinkle in his eye and he always looked like he was up to no good, in a good way of course. One thing for sure, he always had a smile and a hug for me, without fail, no matter who else was around.

I will miss his happy go lucky attitude, the love of his daughter and the wonderful connection that he and I shared as friends. This all really sucks. I'm thankful for the fun times hanging out and sharing laughter with George. You know what I keep thinking about is his email address: "livetoride" I wonder if while laying in an induced coma for two weeks, if he finally gave up with living because maybe he knew that, due to his head and chest injuries that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't be able to "ride" again and I think that would have killed him spiritually if he couldn't do that. This man loved his Harley, I would dare to say, second to his daughter. I understand he had a dog as well and I'm sure the dog rated up right up there. I don't know, it's so hard to say what people feel and think when they're in that situation. Are they aware? I think he probably lived a full and wonderful, yet short life, with hard times like the rest of us, but he always made the best of it. This is a tribute to my friend. I will go to his funeral, to let his family know how important he was to me and that he will be missed.

Below is the news article which gives details about his accident and his obituary below that:
09/22/06

A Port Allegany motorcyclist was hurt in a mishap taking place late last night on Route 155 just south of Route 446 in Eldred Township Troopers said George Lee was headed north at about 11:00 p.m. when his Harley Davidson failed to negotiate a curve and struck a road sign, before sliding to a stop along the western berm. Lee was taken to Olean General Hospital by Eldred volunteer ambulance. (Source)

George J. Lee

Published: Sunday, October 8, 2006 11:58 PM CDT
BUFFALO George J. Lee, 39, of Port Allegany, Pa., died Friday, Oct. 6, 2006, at the Erie County Medical Center.

He was an engineer.

Survivors include his mother Catherine Lee of Genesee Pa.; father, George C. Lee of Genesee Pa.; a daughter, Taylor Kaye Lee of Port Allegany, Pa.; a sister, Karen Fox of Port Allegany, Pa.; a brother, Stephen Lee of Lititz, Pa.

Calling hours are 7-9 p.m. Wednesday at Olney Funeral Home & Cremation Service.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Eulalia Catholic Church.
source:

George, I will miss you.

Luanne

An Open Apology

2006-08-28T01:13:00.000-04:00

OK, so maybe I was a bit harsh when I indicated that I believed that Kevin Eckenrode was an idiot!! Maybe irresponsible would have been a more politically correct comment to make. Maybe it wasn't even any of my business to comment on them, seeing how I didn't know them personally. It's scary as a parent to think that your child might do something so reckless and hopefully others will learn from this situation. It's an unfortunate thing which happened to Rachel Kozlusky back on February 25, 2006.

In doing a web search today using "idiot Kevin Eckenrode", I find that I'm not the only one who felt that way when I initially read the story. I was horrified when I had read what this boyfriend had done, even if it was accidental according to Kevin.

I almost now regret having deleted my original post, but I still feel as though, what Kevin did, no matter how much he and Rachel loved eath other, no matter how much of a free spirit she was, and how much they were so connected because they got matching tattoos, still doesn't make me feel any better about the choices they made which were very unfortunate. I'm sure Kevin feels horrible for what happened, but I still feel strongly about their actions and yes, this was apparently, according to Rachels' friends and family, sure sounds like something she would have trusted him to do was to let her dangle over a ledge from 23 floors up. I cringe. Who did he think he was? Michael Jackson? Rachel was a full grown woman. I'm sorry, I'm sure Rachel was a lovely girl and I'm sure I probably would have liked her too and yes, I'm a mother, but you have to agree that they did make some really bad choices that night so my initial reaction of saying that Kevin was an idiot still stands. Heck, I'm sure he probably thinks that about himself too and he's probably a GREAT, upstanding young man, but COME ON people, he did something that was totally irresponsible and he lost his best friend in the process. How sad!! Originally I had said that this was idiotic and I hate to say it, but I still feel the same way.

Most recent information on this case:

Kitchen Blenders?

2006-08-11T22:02:00.000-04:00

Someday I'm going to invest in this blender. I've read several excellent reviews on the product and someday I'm going to splurge. Check out these awesome blenders by Waring. Be sure to check out the Amazon reviews on this link.

comment from a personal friend:

If there is a better home blender, I've never seen it, and I've seen a lot of blenders!
-Chris

Grief Stricken? Do you Believe?

2006-05-06T10:15:00.000-04:00

It is so very important for family members to attend funerals and to accept the death of a parent or sibling. Here are some ramblings of my life's lessons in dealing with grief. I hope you enjoy as it did bring tears to my eyes while writing.

I'll never forget, when I was 12 years old, my eldest sister passed at 24 (she died from a juvenile diabetic coma, no one was around to help her at the time, she went to sleep and never woke up), but when I was 12, I was too young to realize or I hate to say it, care, because she had been away at school since I was much younger, so I never really got to know her. That happened in 75, maybe it was 73, (the numbers aren't adding up), but anyway, my brother got married in 1978, family all travelled to Ft Kent, Maine (on the Canadian border) and did the marriage thing and during that ceremony is when it finally struck me that Linda (my sister) was gone for good, that a part of our family was missing from such a big family celebration. I still didn't cry, but I was in a funk during that entire wedding/reception. The family all returned to PA and had the 2nd wedding reception for family and friends here locally. That night, my brother pulled me aside and I just sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. I don't think I ever remember crying so much. My brother who is the greatest man, most compassionate person I've ever known (1 boy with 5 girls -he had all these sisters lol) had never in his life held me in the strongest/longest hug/hold. I will never forget it or the exact spot in my Mom's house where it happened. I wonder if he remembers that time slot in our lives. That was my grieving moment, grieving for the loss of my sister who had passed only a few years earlier, but it too was the best thing and way overdue. I still did well in school prior to that time and still went on with life because I was just a kid, but I'll never forget that moment when my brother held me in his arms while I sobbed. That's why I feel so strongly about family, as we have all since been through so many things which makes family even that much more important. I'm a huge fan of "John Edwards; the medium who "talks to the dead". Some people think it's hokey, but I don't. I truly believe that all of us are born with the gift, our heart just needs to be open to receive it. I'm not a real religious person (8am mass on Sunday is way too early :-) but all of us kids went when we were little, religiously for lack of a better word.

Before my dad was told that there was no turning back, that it was just a matter of time for him (weeks), Dad was lying in his hospital bed, I was home from DC to see Dad before he got too sick to the point of unrecognizable or oblivious to the fact that I was there to see him (so glad I was able to be here). Mom and a few of us were setting around the kitchen table discussing what was coming, losing Dad was just too unbelieveable, he was only 61, we were trying to decide if we should bring him home and do the hospice thing, etc. Well, as we were talking, in the other room (the dining room), there is an old grandfather's clock which sets on a shelf. No one had fooled with that thing since my grandfather passed shortly before my sister Linda, that might have been '73 that he passed, maybe a tad earlier. It had just sat there, never chimed, was your basic dust collector.

Remember the children's song (it happened like this with Grandpa's clock)

My grandfather's clock was too large for the shelf,
So it stood ninety years on the floor.
It was taller by half, than the old man himself,
Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.
It was bought on the morn of the day that he was born,
And was always his treasure and pride.
Chorus:
But it stopped short, never to go again,
When the old man died.
Ninety years without slumbering, tick, tock, tick, tock,
His life seconds numbering, tick, tock, tick, tock,
It stopped short never to go again,
When the old man died.

Ok, so anyway, we were setting around the kitchen table and out of the blue, that dang clock chimed, no one was next to it and it was officially 11am-ish and the clock said 1pm. A few of us heard it chime (me being one of them) and my nephew (11 yrs old) came from the living room where he was watching TV and said "What was that". It was the strangest thing that I've ever experienced. At 11am-ish, the doctor was scheduled to tell Dad of his situation. It was almost as if Grandpa had come to let us know that everything would be OK, that he was there for Daddy. It was such a heartwarming experience. We went to the hospital later in the day, told Dad and he said, my Dad is just letting us all know it'll be OK. Since Dad has passed, Mom senses Dad's presence in the house all the time, she also hears my grandfather (we all lived in our grandfather's home and he lived with our entire family) shuffling through the house (he sort of dragged his feet when he walked) and she finds pennies around the house in places where that the only explanation would be someone other than her (she lives alone) had left them there. Ever heard the phrase "pennies from heaven"? So anyway, I guess my point is that Dad is still around all of us, mostly Mom I'm guessing, but I believe they watch over us even from "the other side".

Feel free to share your comments about things which have happened to you in my comments section. I would love to hear of other people's experiences.

Do you have a healthy heart?

2006-05-05T17:20:00.000-04:00

I finally had a chance to watch Oprah's show which aired earlier this week in regard to our hearts and how one in two women will die from heart disease. What they failed to really expand upon was.......How can people help reduce the amount of plaque in their arteries to avoid possible aneurysms. What builds plaque in the arteries? What changes in my lifestyle can I make to help decrease my risk for heart disease.

Here are some tips:

Dr. Ornish's Heart-Healthy Suggestions

The plan involves a low-fat, high-fiber diet that puts food into three categories: foods to choose most often, foods to eat in moderation, and foods to choose least often.

Don't count calories. Instead, keep track of fat and sugar, which cause problems for the heart.
Choose a diet high in fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains not high in animal proteins.
Try to replace white foods such as sugar, white rice and white flour with whole grains like brown rice and whole-wheat flour.
Try to use hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils less often. They preserve food but could add to your cholesterol levels.
Take three grams a day of fish oil. Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, it can reduce sudden cardiac death by 50–80 percent. It can also reduce incidences of breast cancer and prostate cancer. Conversely, women (but not men) may try flax seed oil.
Everybody should know his or her cholesterol level. The goal should be to get the total cholesterol number under 150, and the LDL (or the "bad" cholesterol) under 95.
Smoking contributes to a much greater risk of heart disease. If you smoke and take birth control pills, you quadruple your risk.

Source:

Let Enterprise Pick You Up

2006-05-05T16:36:00.000-04:00

Being in the travel business, I hear people complain all the
time, but you hardly ever hear compliments. It seems to
me though, that whenever I do get a compliment on a car
rental company, it's always Enterprise. They are some of
the friendliest agents in the business and the great thing
is that they'll come to pick you up and return you back to
your location. Many times, I've needed a rental car when
mine was in the shop and Enterprise was always there
for me. They even drove over 20 miles one way to come
and get me (40 miles round trip). How's that for service!
I can't say enough good things about their service.

So next time, Rent-A-Car from Enterprise.

Thank you.
Luanne

Traveling to Canada? Reserve your car online here

What is Reggaeton

2006-04-16T19:33:00.000-04:00

All I can say is "Reggaeton is HOT" This description below tells it all. If you want to get down and dance to some awesome non-country music, then come hang out with me and I'll turn you onto some awesome dance music. It's all the rage. Reggaeton is awesome!! woo hoo Some call it "black puerto rico" My friend Raquel is puerto rican and this girl just LOVES this stuff. Now if I could just learn how to say it with that roll in the tongue lol You go girl. Bring it to life in Port Allamagheny ;-) lol

Reggaeton is a type of Spanish language dance music developed in Puerto Rico in the mid-1990s. It has now become popular in other Latin American countries. Reggaeton - also spelled Reggaetón and hispanicised as Reguetón - blends dancehall and hip hop genres, with additional influences from electronic, bomba, plena, and other styles. This gives Reggaeton its distinct Latin touch.

Source:

And this link is simply relevant to me. I personally love this type of music which my son has turned me onto. I can't get enough of it, but shhhhh, don't tell my son. lol Top 50 R & B/Hip Hop Songs

Daddy Yankee is currently the number one Reggaeton singer with top hits such as "Gasolina" LOVE IT!!!

Ayala's rapid ascent to wealth and fame is a result of the hit song Gasolina, from his 2004 album "Barrio Fino". The album has sold over 1,000,000 copies in Puerto Rico alone and has also sold well in the United States and Europe. He has appeared on over 70 albums, including compilations such as; "Más Flow 2" and "Blin Blin Vol. 1". Ayala is famous for recording songs in both English and Spanish, although the latter is more prominently used. Ayala first became involved in recording music in the early 1990s alongside DJ Playero, a pioneer of reggaeton music. He has also performed with Nicky Jam, Luny Tunes, DJ Blass, DJ Eric, Eliel, Nas, DJ Tony Touch and many others. In Italy, his international hit Gasolina is being used in a TV Ad campaign for the new 2006 Citroën C2 Deejay. The commercial will run through the spring and summer 2005

In 2005, Ayala was cast in a Paramount Pictures film, tentatively titled Talento de Barrio (Barrio talent). Ayala says that although the movie is not autobiographical, it does represent the lives of himself and others living on the streets of Latin America. The movie is expected to première on DVD in Spring 2006.

Also due out in 2006 is Ayala's own clothing line, named DY. He has also teamed up with Reebok to have his own shoes and sporting goods, also to be available on May 23, 2006

Source:

Are you a Mary Kay Cosmetics Beauty Consultant?

2006-04-14T13:11:00.000-04:00

Are you involved in an MLM and you feel like you're spinnin' your wheels? You are not alone. I can only imagine that ladies living in the pink bubble will not be pleased with this post and these links, but at this point in time, it doesn't matter to me because this is how I feel. I simply feel the need for closure on this and to share with you, what I believe and so many other women believe are the "real truths" about this business of Mary Kay Cosmetics. When I read the part about the "car insurance", I wondered to myself, was that just another carrot which was dangled in front of me? I wanted to "share this" non opportunity with you to show you how damaging being involved with this company can be for those who are not comfortable doing what they're "trained" to do. I have read this and so many other survivor stories of women who "failed" in trying to sell Mary Kay Cosmetics. I honestly don't believe that I failed, I just believe that it was simply not for me. Why do I keep thinking about it? Good question. It's now been over a year and I have since returned all of the product which I had been frontloaded with, but I still can't just move on. It's not that I don't want to and I will. I know I'm not alone, that's for sure and I feel like a total fool for allowing myself to get sucked into this "non-pyramid" scheme. Ha!! I have to laugh because I am now convinced that MK is a total multi level marketing plan, not a dual marketing as it was presented to me. There are so many things that I now understand now that I'm out of the pink bubble. I was out of that bubble very soon into this whole mess. My ex-directors could sense that I wasn't feeling it, soon after I got started. Negative Nellie!! Yep, that was me. There is no such thing as "our car". What a joke. OK, I'm getting annoyed and could go on. You'll understand what I'm saying though when you check out these links.

In regard to my recruiter, I sincerely hope that by being involved in Mary Kay Cosmetics is not what has caused the demise of her marriage. She claims it was all his fault, but the way I see it, I almost wonder if that's not what she has been programmed to believe by other ladies caught up in the pink bubble. She claims she was having marital problems before she even started selling MK. I see this whole business and how it can affect marriages. I have read many, many stories of men who have left their wives because the wives were way too deep in the pink bubble.

So, if you ever felt like you were spinnin' your wheels........read on

Where I found this link: *A Former Director Speaks Out*

Here is the former director's letter which is also linked from the page above.

Many I stories are written on this link.

What are the health benefits of cinnamon

2006-04-03T01:13:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was reading an article telling me that if I wanted to increase my metabolism, that all I would need to do was to add 1 tsp. of cinnamon to my daily diet, so I started doing that along with a 1 tbsp of baking cocoa into my coffee because I understand that dark chcolate is good for you too. Boy, did I enjoy that dark chocolate bar I bought from Aldi's a few weeks ago lolol. I'll use whatever womenly excuse I can to eat some chocolate :-) I'd be interested to hear from others on their experiences with the use adding of cinnamon tablets to their daily diet. Did you see where it made a difference? I also read on a USDA website that taking cinnamon can help to decrease your blood sugar level. I'm still likin' that metabolism angle ;-) Wow it'also mentions on that same website where it's beneficial in controlling cholesterol also. It all goes back to the caveman days when I'm sure they used to knaw on some cinnamon bark. We are such an unhealthy society, myself included.

And of course, as I dig deeper from what I believe to be reputable sources where they discuss the advantages of cinnamon in reference to diabetes.

And last but not least, this would be the very best reason to have a jar of cinnamon in your cupboard:

Cinnamon oil, they found, kills mosquito larvae more effectively than DEET, a common pesticide and mosquito repellent. The next step is to test it against adult mosquitoes.
Now I'm curious to know if you should rub the cinnamon oil on your skin or if
just by eating the cinnamon tablets alone will keep those nasty critters
off of your skin.

While I'm on the topic of Crack

2006-02-28T13:07:00.000-05:00

OK, this fella is just a wild lookin' thing. You can't help but like him. He cracked me up and I wanted to share my find with the world. You should hear my son say that "What's crackin'" and of course, his what's crackin' comes from good ole Dave Chapelle. Now that boy is a piece a work :-)