This was originally posted on my super secret Facebook account but since I don't think my non-household family reads this blog (I hope?), it's safe to share that holiday gift planning is making me hungry!

Every year we struggled with gift ideas and default to the wallet/socks/thermals/manicure set stuff for the guys. For girls, it's Snuggies/thermals/socks. Then some of us went to cash while others went to gift cards but suddenly we're like, wow.

We're all cheapos!

The cash and gift cards put a very noticeable price on the relationship. It's like we're saying how much they are actually worth to us and it can cause problems unless we're willing to double, triple, and generally explode our gift budget.

More so because my cousins married some ladies who were accustomed to the high life from birth. Although they themselves haven't earned anything, their fathers and step-fathers have done well. One actually said it was okay that I didn't get her a (good enough in her eyes) gift because she knew I was 'poor'.

It's safe to say that relationship is strained. LOL

So this year, I thought: let them eat cake! Pancakes, that is. Let's face it. The best gift is a gift that is used, enjoyed, and remembered fondly. Probably the only thing those gals and I have in common is that we eat!

Breakfast and camping are traditions in my family so why not order gift baskets of breakfast and trail-safe goodies? The girls can do the gourmet breakfast thing and the boys (and I) will have our wilderness grub. It's a win-win as long as I can get the delivery timed right.

Except looking at all that food porn has made me hungry now and I'm trying to reboot. So thanks for that, marketing people.

Have fun, stay safe, and G-d bless,

Unknown

Although I'm not a scientist and I do not claim to be, I noticed that my son started asking questions and showing interest in things that I did not expect him to focus on yet. Which lead me to believe that my 10 year old might be hitting the puberty stage sooner than anticipated.

Which in turn lead me to wonder how the heck that happened if we're homeschoolers and although we do the 'socialization' stuff, CJ isn't spending a lot of private one-on-one time with the opposite sex, if you know what I mean.

Then I read this in the New York Times:

"A large study released by the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that boys are entering puberty earlier now than several decades ago — or at least earlier than the time frame doctors have historically used as a benchmark."

You can find the rest of the article here: Boys Now Enter Puberty Younger, Study Suggests, but It’s Unclear Why

Unclear why.

That's a tad bit funny to me, considering how inundated our society is with sexual imagery. I mean, hey, Shrek and Fiona rolled around in the grass in the opening scenes to one of their movies, Disney and Nickelodeon show dating drama, and even Timmy Turner has a girl crush.

Makes me think the 'safer' media isn't exactly that 'safe' after all.

Have fun, stay safe, and G-d bless,

Unknown

"We are all inventors, each sailing out on a voyage of discovery, guided each by a private chart, of which there is no duplicate. The world is all gates, all opportunities." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Everywhere I turn, it seems someone is telling me I'm doing something wrong. That I need to conform. Homeschooling, extended travel, working from home, laughing "too much" - all things I should supposedly give up.

"Why can't you just be normal like everyone else?"

Because your path is not my path and my path is not your path. Because what is right for you may not be right for me. Because we were all given free will to choose and design our own 'destiny'.

Destiny and Luck are Roman deities of old. I do not bow down to either. Instead, I choose to live and let live. To create a life that is right for me and my little family. A life that will provide us with happiness, peace, great health, and success.

Choose your path and know that it's okay to be different. It's not always easy but trust me, you will respect yourself more and be happier for being true to who you are.

Have fun, stay safe, and G-d bless,

Unknown

On October 11, 2012 at 3:40 AM US Central, my nightmare was officially over. All 10 of my domains were freed from an AWOL host and available for normal use once again.

However, I know I am one of the lucky ones. Not everyone is able to get their domains back as relatively easily as I was able to.

If it ever does (G-d forbid) happen to you, there are a few things you can do right away to start taking control of the situation and potentially securing a favorable outcome.

STEP #1 - Gather The Facts
If you don't know who the registrar of record is and/or who they may be a channel provider for, find out immediately!

1. Go to: http://who.godaddy.com/whoisverify.aspx?domain=YOURDOMAINHERE
2. Enter the anti-spammer code.
3. BOOM! You've got what you need to start attacking the issue.

STEP #2 - Get The Ball Rolling
Get your documents in order and contact them with:

1. Detailed Account Information
2. Specific Dates
3. Your Desired Outcome

You want to be as specific and as clear as possible. Emotions may be running high but you need to take a deep breathe and focus. It will save time and prevent a lot of the confusion I think I may have unintentionally caused my international registrar.

Even if you think you are doing business with a same-country business person, their supplier might be from another country entirely and what we may think of as straight conversation may be completely different from what they understand we're saying.

STEP #3 - Document, Document, Document!
Do not rely on their system to send you a copy. Screencap your entire message, screencast yourself typing/sending it, and do not be afraid to make a video about the problem. I wound up making two to clarify what appeared to be textual confusion.

Keep every one of their replies. Make written notes of conversations. Record dates, times, names, promises, compromises offered, EVERYTHING.

If you are willing to make some of the information public, create a blog post about the situation and share a link to it on social media outlets. The squeaky wheel gets the oil and nothing squeaks as loud as social media right now.

STEP #4 - Know Your Options
Sometimes domain owners are lucky and are able to work things out with the master registrar. Other times, someone else beats them to their own domain and they lose all the work they put into it or wind up having to pay a domain buy service a LOT of money to buy back their own domain.

How far are you willing to take this?

STEP #5 - Be Persistent
Keep opening tickets until your situation is resolved, no matter how uncharacteristic it may be of you or how squeamish it makes you feel. This is your domain, your home on the web, your personal life, or your business.

STEP #6 - Seek Relief
Use your documentation to file detailed reports with the Better Business Bureau and the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network. Speak to a knowledgeable legal representative.

Disclaimer: These are just basic steps that I took to help me recover my domains. They may or may not work for you. However, you will never get your domains back if you don't step up and try something so why not start here?

Have fun, stay safe, and G-d bless,


P.S. Please don't hesitate to add your tips below!

Unknown

“Knowing others is perspective, but knowing one’s own self is enlightened; conquering others shows strength, but conquering one’s self shows true power.” ~ Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

True power doesn't come from conquering someone else, it comes from learning to conquer ourselves. Self-control. Self-discipline. Not railroading someone just because we can. Honoring someone's personal boundaries even when they themselves do not.

Have fun, stay safe, and G-d bless,

Unknown

Never have I been more grateful for my past as a contractor than today. Although I was looking at RV's, a lot of the the stuff I used to do for my uncles clearly saved me a LOT of money, frustration, and from being suckered.

Not sure whether the salesman was lying - he seemed sincere enough - but come on.

Just because someone walks him over the roof, demonstrating there are no defects doesn't mean there aren't any on the inside. Defects that were covered by a new roof coating. I saw small but significant water damage lines on the roof and by the windows. Some wallpaper bubbling by said windows. Flakes of what looked like wood paneling on the bed and in the shower.

Beyond that, I felt a soft spot by the corner of the bed.

He offered to drive the RV over to their RV service bays and have one of their guys 'go over it' but I had a hard time believing his buddy would tell me anything different.

Although my family doesn't get along that well, my uncles trusted me to do their paperwork and to conduct initial walk-throughs to determine what needed to be done and in what order. We primarily worked on mobile homes, park models, and provided make-ready services for realtors, which is - IMHO - similar to RV's in many respects.

CJ (my son) and I did look at a few other models on a different lot, with a different salesman, but we walked away really disappointed. I know the salesmen and women are there to sell but we're still debating whether the salesmen honestly thought everything checked out or if they thought a single mom would be a sucker sale.

Guess we'll just keep looking until we find the right fit for us: the right RV, the right dealer, and the right deal. Which is a nightmare for an anti-shopper like me. LOL

Have fun, stay safe, and G-d bless,

Unknown