As I’ve been sitting here this evening, flipping through channels unable to find anything decent to watch, I came across VH1 Classic which is showing The Wedding Singer. Needless to say I’m watching it, for about the 5th time, since there is nothing else the least bit interesting to watch. I came up with my own list of movies, some of which are/were in my own DVD collection, that, in my opinion, are worth keeping around for those boring television nights.

Yes, I know some of these are chick flicks, I’m a chick therefore these are the movies I enjoy most. I have included several for anyone in the family, but not many. What are your favorite movies to watch when there is nothing else on?

1. My Big Fat Greek Wedding—I had to pawn this DVD and I now wish I hadn’t. One of the best romantic comedies ever made-a very sweet and funny movie.
2. The Wedding Singer–I have to add this movie because I am currently watching it and it’s set in the 80s. I’m a sucker for the 80s, and this movie hit the nail on the head. It’s worth watching for the music alone.
3. Sweet Home Alabama–I did keep this DVD. Sweet movie, especially on a rainy day. Don’t we all wish things turned out like this?
4. The Shawshank Redemption–My all-time favorite movie and although it’s a little long, I’ve seen it 3 times. Morgan Freeman makes any movie worth watching. Based on a Stephen King short story.
5. The Green Mile–Another movie based on a story by Stephen King, this movie will not only keep your attention for 2 hours, but make the hairs on your neck stand on end too.
6. Million Dollar Baby–I borrowed the DVD from my cousin and haven’t given it back. One of the best movies made in years, again Morgan Freeman plays an important role. You’ll laugh and cry- and keep thinking about it after it’s over.
7. Christmas Vacation–Yeah, I would watch and have watched this movie outside of the holiday season. The funniest of the “Vacation” series, I can remember going to see this in the theater. My friends and I laughed until we were crying.
8. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off–I really can’t tell you how many times I have seen this movie, but it’s one of my favorites. Another movie you can watch over and over again-and you can re-live high school without the zits.
9. Shrek–I still think the first Shrek is the best even though I haven’t seen Shrek 3. The only animated movie in the list but we all know it’s worth it.
10. Office Space–I personally cracked up at this movie, but I don’t know if you should work in an office before watching it or not. I have a few friends who didn’t quite “get it” then again, they’ve never worked at a place that places ridiculous demands on you. If you’ve ever worked for idiots and known wackos in the office- then this movie is for you.


The list is in no particular order and I do recommend buying the DVDs. You know, legal issues and all plus you’ll always have them on hand.

I just left a home that has at least 50 bears, maybe more. No, not real bears, stuffed bears of all varieties- from Boyd’s to Gund, my dear mother at one time, bought it. She has since stopped her bear collecting obsession, but it has left me a fan of the little critters.
The site I am reviewing, BearToday.com, is one place my mother would go nuts over. With a huge selection of bears, from Winnie The Pooh to Steiff, if you are looking for a gift idea this may be the place to shop.

The Bear Today Shop focuses mainly on classic baby and child gifts. Although the Winnie the Pooh section is the most popular, they also have a selection of “giftware” such as trinket boxes from Gund, Sesame Street characters, posters, even stationary. If you are a parent the Sesame Street section provides a few games for the kids, a word search, crossword and wallpapers and screensavers to save to the computer.

The site is easy to navigate, giving the top pages and assorted products in a list format. The visual issue I had with the site-and it may be the laptop I am on, but the horizontal scroll bar shows in Firefox. I overlooked this since it may be caused by an image being too large or CSS positioning not being correct. I wouldn’t let this stop you from checking out the bears-the prices are comparable to retail stores. However, the second and final issue I have with the site- they only accept PayPal as a payment method. While this wouldn’t be an issue if I wanted to order since I do have PayPal- others may find this confusing. You have to remember you can always use your credit card or checking account even if you don’t have a PayPal account- this is one item the site needs to let potential customers know-so they don’t click away.

Overall I enjoyed browsing through the products and choosing which bears I would like. It’s a great place to buy that special baby shower gift, or a gift for yourself.

One thing I do not like about this new job. I’m behind a proxy, hence everything is blocked. I have no idea why they would block Wikipedia, it’s considered “education” by the firewall. I can only view things on Yahoo. Even play games. I can’t get to MSN-it’s considered “television, entertainment”-the same for CNN. I can still blog though, even if it’s in secret.

So, day two of the job and nothing to report. I don’t have speakers for the PC in this office and I can’t go through the “virtual training” until I have them. Let me describe this office. Have you ever been in an old school and it had that, well, smell? A cross between cat urine, although no cats have been in it that you know of, and musty, it hasn’t been cleaned in ages smell? That’s my office. I think I may go to K-Mart on my lunch break and buy an air freshener. I’m right smack beside the nasty bathroom too. Before myself and the other girl were hired only two women worked in this entire little building. How they managed to nasty a bathroom is beyond me. I do my “hover” move when I have to go. It’s days like these that I really miss working at the newspaper. I may not have had an office of my own, much less a desk of my own, but it didn’t smell like cat pee either.

With my recent move I have come to several conclusions. For one, I remember why I don’t like renting. Although what I am currently paying per month is low-what am I really paying for? A place which will never be mine. Sure I can decorate, I can plant flowers in the yard, (with permission), I can do a little landscaping, (again, with permission), but I will never truly be able to enjoy what homeowners enjoy-the knowledge that I worked hard to purchase a house and land.

Investing in real estate is not something for those who are afraid to take chances. Whether you’re investing for your own, personal use, or, as a means to make money, you need to make sure you have researched the property, the resell value and the overall market in the area. For example, let’s say you wanted to invest in Asheville real estate-Asheville, North Carolina that is, and you know very little about the area. Research is the key. Asheville is probably one of the best places to invest, however you still need to do a little work when it comes to learning the ins and outs of the area. Do your homework, compare mortgage rates, find the right property or house and determine if your money would be well invested.

For me, living in West Virginia really doesn’t give me many options. The housing market here is slow- and surprisingly expensive compared to larger cities. I would love to buy a house, but I know I can’t afford it. Some may laugh when I say I would buy a modular home, (not necessarily a trailer, most modular homes are pre-built, manufactured homes), before I would buy a house. I know the value goes down-but not by much, especially if you own land. I could buy a modular/manufactured home now, paying $5000 down, (I own land, which makes it easier), and pay as much or a little more than what I am paying now on rent. What is the best solution? Continue renting? Or, save for the down-payment and purchase something which would be mine?