Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: baggallini, family, gift returns, gothic boots, mystery gifts, pirate wench costume
You know those mystery gifts that you get every year. The ones you get from that aunt you rarely see that make you raise an eyebrow. For example, some gothic boots last year and my wife got a pirate wench costume from an uncle. Uhh…thanks? There is always someone strange in your family and you never know what you are going to get from them. I mean, I think I’d take my 40th pair of pajamas over a Baggallini bag, but I guess that’s why December 26th was invented. Hooray, I get to spend hours in line returning gifts that I don’t want. Here comes another year of mystery gifts.
Filed under: Uncategorized
check em out.
Corey Larrison from The Never Setting Suns from Lisa Hanneken on Vimeo.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: dowel rods, economy, jobs, life, non profit fundraiser, people, politics, recession, renaissance armor, shopping, spending
It’s amazing how the spiral effect kicks in when one part of the economy goes wrong. I’m no expert when it comes to everything technical in our economy, but I don’t have to look far to see the impacts all around me. With unemployment levels skyrocketing, companies are looking to trim the fat left and right. If you are not somehow contributing to the bottom line of your company, this is a very scary time. Hard working people all over the place are getting laid off and can’t find jobs. Plumbers, accountants, managers, manufacturers, even people who make dowel rods are feeling the squeeze. And it doesn’t stop there. Spending is down. People won’t buy discretionary items that are not important, no matter how cool they are. People are taking less vacations and going out to eat less.
Imagine being the head of non profit organizations right now. With people holding tight to their dollars, holding a non profit fundraiser is like pulling teeth. Holding a raffle without a good prize is just not going to work. Giving is down all around, when it should be the opposite. We should be looking to help others right now whenever we can. When times are hard, it’s easy to see what the makeup of people really is. What is scary to me is the selfishness of this country from the top down.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 4th quarters sales, depression, ecommerce, economy, Gen X, government, marine corps rings, money, Obama, politics, retail, scrubs, thomas the tank toys
Now that the election is over, the big question on everyone’s mind is, “Can Obama deliver the change he promised?” People all over this country are seriously hurting. Many are losing jobs and others can’t pay the bills. And so, there is a dependency on the government that is growing. People have been reckless with their money, and they need a bailout. This is tough, because you need to teach people how to fish, not just give them a hand out.
The market continues to go down in record fashion. Many people feel that a depression is on the way. What would that look like in this country? This isn’t the same generation who knew how to hunker down and work hard. We have a lot of spoiled Gen X’ers. Will they be able to fight through these rough times.
Companies continue to report losses, and it looks to be a down year heading into the holiday season. This is horrible news since so many retailers depend on the 4th quarter to break even. And now, with fear in America’s minds, the wallets will tighten. One sector that is expected to do well in spite of the recession is online retail. Ecommerce companies sell nearly everything online including scrubs, marine corps rings and other merch. Experts expect online sales to go up again as people are hesitant to spend money on gas and would rather shop for the best deals online. So, this area of growth appears to be recession proof. Don’t think Obama will have much impact here.
I am concerned in a plan to redistribute wealth. It seems to me that people need education on how to handle money, not more money. I guess it’s not a huge concern in the current state of the economy, but that’s where I would focus.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: ben 10, cartoon network, disney cars apparel, hospitality, introvert, nephew, ocd, transformers toys, war game
It’s been said that the sign of a hospitable house, is worn out, dirty carpets. (sigh) For the rest of my life, this will be said of my house. I really like clean carpet. I really like laying on the ground and stretching. I think I’m a bit OCD, but it makes me feel good. I also really like being alone. I’m an introvert, and I get my energy from not being around people.
The problem, if you want to call it that, is that our house is a revolving door. At any point of the day, someone could be walking in to hang out. I love it. I love that people want to be here, but it can be kind of crazy. For an introvert, this is picking up my cross. Right now, my roommates nephew is here. He’s, I don’t know, 8-9. He’s on the cartoon network, playing computer games. I’ve never met the kid before in my life, but he came in and immediately started talking about this war game he plays.
He’s told me that he’s into Transformers toys. He’s wearing Disney Cars apparel, and he keeps going on and on about this show. I tell you what. You never know who might show up and dirty your carpets at my place.
Filed under: meaningless, pirate guns, plus size pirate costume, portland oregon photographer, work
I have a friend who loves his job. He gets to interact with a huge variety of people, which he loves. I’m an introvert, so, I don’t think I would like it so much. But he is an extrovert, and so people fuel him and give him energy. Plus, he has a very flexible schedule and he loves what he does, which makes all the difference.
He’s been telling me of some of the people he’s worked with lately, which is hilarious. Some folks came in wearing a plus size pirate costume and handling some of these. This was for their family picture! Ha, they all wanted to be dressed up as pirates. I think that is hysterical. People are funny.
Well, he’s living the life. What about you? Do you like your work. Most people don’t, but I guess it’s to be expected. Meaningless, meaningless…so says the teacher.
Filed under: fall, korean ginseng tea, October, pirate clothing, pirate flags, themed party
With Halloween coming up, I have some friends who are practicing by throwing a themed party this weekend. The theme is pirates, which is always a hit. How can you go wrong with pirates??? Everyone loves to give a good ARRRGGGHHHH! Well, they’ve been shopping online for all kinds of things. And I have been trying to find the right get up for the event. It’s going to be a lot of fun.
I love that Fall is finally here. I’m a huge fan of October. The leaves turn, the weather gets cooler. There’s football going on everywhere you turn. It’s just a great season. It’s also a lot easier for me to drink my Korean ginseng tea, when it’s not 90 degrees out.
Good times. I’m looking forward to this party and the fall season. It’s a whole lot of fun!
Filed under: best friend, Bible, car accident, Faith, funeral, God, Godly woman, Hope, hope in Jesus, London, love, tragically killed
My best friend just buried his mother. She was in her mid 50’s and was tragically killed in a car accident, but she wasn’t in a car. She was in London for a friend’s wedding with her sister, when crossing the street, she was struck by a car and obtained severe head trauma. By the time her family arrived from the States, all they could do was say their goodbyes.
It’s such a sad story, but there is a silver lining. There is a happy ending. Liz knew Jesus, and she loved him well. The funeral was the largest and most hope filled funeral I had ever attended. The message of Jesus was communicated very clearly because Liz lived it. There were hundreds of lives there who had been touched by her love, and it was an incredible display of respect and honor. I was full of emotion, not only at her death, but when thinking of her heavenly escape.
My friend used to say that he liked funerals more than weddings. When I first knew him, I thought this was the strangest comment ever spoken. Now, he’s buried his mother, a Godly woman. We got together yesterday and talked, and now I know what he means. We said calmly to each other in agreement, “I hope I go out like that.”
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