2013

It has been an interesting year. Started out normal. Nothing special, just another year, month, week, day. I was struggling with medication changes. Kalikat was still alive and pooping everywhere, but giving lots of love. I miss her, even though I hated the mess I was constantly cleaning up.

It was winter, then it was spring. I was very happy to be back on my Vespa which was all fixed up from the fall over and the transmission. My poor Geo Metro was neglected. I was working a decent schedule at COAST.

Summer came and with that I got to go on an amazing trip to England with my mom. It was awesome. I got to see my aunt, uncle, other uncle, Grandpa, plus all the beautiful scenery. My mom showed me where she grew up. It was amazing.

I got hired with the one company I really wanted to work for on the Seacoast. Unfortunately, it is only a temporary position, but it means I am in the door, so I will just wait and do my best until I can get a "full time" job there with amazing benefits. It also means I am behind the wheel of school buses again,, which is where I am happiest!

I had to say goodbye to Kali, but hello to sweet Oliver. Oliver has been an awesome addition to Hobo and I's life. He is a great companion and a great playmate.

This last month has been crazy and weird. Things changed rapidly. The marriage kind of fell apart. There is just not enough romantic feelings to make it work. Nothing is official yet, it's complicated. But either way, we are better off as friends than a couple.

With the upcoming year my goal is to find happiness. I have spent too much time being miserable. Life is short. I am looking forward to what may come in the next year.

Not so Merry Christmas This Year

The Christmas season  is supposed to be filled with happiness and joy. Not really sure why other than its complicated and personal, but this year all I know is I am no longer happy. It's just no good. But, such is life. We make decisions, we move on, continually searching for what it is that truly makes us happy, hoping one day to find it.

I saw a bumper sticker once that kind of sums up how I feel about life: Do What you Like, Like what you do. I know I have that feeling when I am behind the wheel of a school bus, but I would like to have all aspects of my life be like that.

Life is short, you don't know when you will leave . It is so important to find what makes you happy, and avoid unhappiness as much as possible. I know there will always be some disappointment and sadness, that's all just part of the a normal life cycle, but I try to minimize that.

I hate that I live with so many regrets, although I guess if I didn't make the decisions I did, then I wouldn't be where I am today with the potential to get the job I really want, and have met the people I have met. It's hard to see that sometimes when you are just going through the motions of day to day life.

Right now, I am wishing that my perfectly realistic fantasy would come true. Lets hope the upcoming year will bring me more happiness and what I am looking for.

Stocking was stuffed!!!

I do have to say, the presents were very nice this year. :-) Those were a bright patch of light to an otherwise boring day. I also had a nice Christmas Eve breakfast with a friend that was nice. I don't get to go out all that often other than to work or the store, so that was a welcome change. :-)

I was especially excited about the Greys Season 9 DVD, the trunk pull for my Fiat, the sewing machine (now, to find out how to use it!), and the Jurassic Park Trilogy on BluRay.

I got my 4th Rainbow loom as well which is pretty cool. Came in handy when I made a lanyard for my work ID!

Under the Tree!

Black Friday Recap

I love Black Friday. I love getting stuff cheap. I love having saved up money to be able to go on a shopping spree. It is one of my most favorite days of the year!

I got up Thursday morning while my husband was voluntarily working (triple pay...yay!) and headed to the Tedeschis convenience store near my apartment to pick up a coffee and the newspaper.  This is my new tradition as of last year. I love the fresh newspaper with the humongous amount of ads! I actually saw something online that said the Portsmouth Herald had the largest selection of Black Friday ads, so the Herald it was! Of course, I didn't even open the regular paper part, going straight for the most important part, the ads!

I had previewed most of the stores I was interested in through either the store site or an iPad app called Black Friday from FatWallet. Nothing compared to actually going through each circular in it's paper form, being able to slowly peruse each item and it's price. The digital world just can't replace it. It's just not the same online.

This year I had a fairly limited budget as my work hours have been cut so drastically and I need to keep something in savings just in case. I had to really plan my shopping and keep a list.

I went through each flyer looking at the deals and writing down the ones I was interested in and the Out of Pocket cost. I focused on the pharmacies (Rite Aid, Walgreens, and CVS) as they had a lot of household and candy deals that paired very nicely with coupons and their rewards back programs. I planned on two transactions per store, one that gave me the rewards certificates and the next that used those rewards certificates. This plan worked perfectly at CVS and Walgreens, but unfortunately I was unaware that Rite Aid did not give instant rewards on your receipt. Luckily, they were a small portion of my overall plan.

I was able to get two of my larger purchases online so I didn't even have to deal with the stores! One was an amazing deal on a present my husband has been wanting badly, and the other one was a $15 Craftsman Multimeter at Sears, which was something I have been wanting as my Geo Metro Convertible has been cranky with some electrical things.

I also went through the lists for Target, Walmart, and a couple other stores. There were several DVDs I wanted both for myself and as a gift. I wanted to go to Kohl's as I had a $10 off $10 purchase coupon and an additional 15% off everything. I also love crafts, so Michaels and JoAnns were two more stops I had toward the end of my trip as I didn't actually need anything, but would like to find a couple things as they had nice % off entire transaction including sale items.

Household Stuff

I packed myself a tote bag with the ads of the stores I planned on going to, a list of the items and their prices/coupons/rewards totals paper clipped with the necessary coupons, and a paperclip of the other coupons for the various stores. As I struggle with low blood sugar I packed a lunchbox with snacks and drinks to keep me going throughout the day.

I have to say all the planning I did Thursday paid off big time Friday!! I saved 56% on my entire purchase overall. Best part is I didn't leave my house until 6:30AM Friday!

Obviously all my deals can't be shown as quite a few were gifts, and he reads this blog!

I got some great deals on Laundry detergent as the pharmacies had buy 1 get 2 free that I combined with coupons. I got Buy 1 get 1 free batteries (Duracell and Energizer) also combined with coupons and rewards. It was great being able to stock up on name brand products at less than the generic prices! I was very happy that the pharmacies had plenty of stock, as I was worried they would have sold out on Thanksgiving.

Fun stuff for me

My all time favorite deal, and the one I had to work the hardest for was the Cat's Meow toy and the GoGo Pillow. Walgreens had an awesome promotion where it was Buy 1 get 1 free on select As Seen on TV products, the other pharmacies had a similar deal, but not on products I actually wanted. My husband and I decided the cats were getting the Cats Meow toy as their present this year, so regardless of sales, we were going to purchase it. When I saw it was included in the Walgreens sale, I knew I had to try and get one. I almost caved and went out on Thanksgiving to buy one, but didn't. Unfortunately, when I got to my local Walgreens, they were sold out. The associate was very nice and checked in the back and even called the other store semi-nearby. As it turns out, they other store had a truck come in that morning that hadn't been unloaded yet, so I was asked to call later to see if they had them in stock. I did, and was able to go up to the other store and get the toy and got a GoGo Pillow for free (which I totally love!!! It's perfect to support my iPad!).

My luckiest find was the off brand loom bands....the peachy color is usually only sold at one store, which is not in my area and regularly cost $3 or more; they were only $0.99!  I need this color as I plan on making the nativity scene. I purchased extras to list online and they sold within a day! Awesome!

Of all my lists and stores, there was only one thing I did not find....a DVD copy of the Vow for around $4. Oh well. I would say this Black Friday was a resounding success, and I didn't even have to wake up stupid early or shop on Thanksgiving to do it! :-D

I can't wait for next year!

Thanksgiving 2013

Hobo

Every year it seems I struggle to find what I am truly thankful for. I mean, I am lucky I am able to work, have a job, I can walk, I can breathe, I have a roof over my head, etc;

This year, I am most thankful for my cats. My Hobo cat is a wonderful, fun, adorable ball of fluff. He makes me smile. We were lucky enough to adopt a wonderful cat we named Oliver last week from Cocheco Valley Humane Society. He is 5, which is perfect as Hobo is 4. They are getting along fabulously! It is so nice to have two cats who seem to enjoy each other's company. They definitely brighten my day. It is impossible to be miserable while interacting with these two handsome boys!

I am also very happy to be back employed by a school district driving school buses again! Although I am technically a temp, I have my foot in the door for the one local bus company I really really want to work for. I am hoping by next year there is a full time position open.

Lets hope next Thanksgiving will bring about a happier entry. 

Review: Rimmel London Scandaleyes RetroGlam Mascara

I am a newcomer to makeup, I only started learning how to apply makeup a little over a year ago. Yeah, I know, late to the game at 27, but I was a tomboy in high school and never bothered to learn even for special events, but I was missing out! Now, I like to wear makeup for date days or special events. I have amassed a rather decent collection, mostly thanks to couponing and Ipsy (which I will review in an upcoming blog post).

Used for this look

Another way I have acquired new makeup is through Influenster. In the past I received the Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream which I enjoyed. This most recent VoxBox, the Rose VoxBox, contained Rimmel London Scandaleyes Retrogram Mascara. I have found my new mascara! It's amazing! It makes my lashes look so long and dramatic and the best feature, IT DOESN"T CLUMP! As I said, I am a newcomer to makeup, but the other mascaras I own do not go on as smoothly and nicely producing such a glamorous effect as this Rimmel London one does. You can find this in stores starting November 2013.

One of my tasks to complete the badge for the VoxBox (which will allow me to receive more Rimmel Products!) was to create a video or a blog detailing a 60s glam look. Well, you may know I do not do videos if I have to talk in it, self conscious of my voice, blah blah, blah...so a blog post it is!

Of course the first step in creating a 60s look for me was to google what 60s makeup looked like. I found a WikiHow that I used as inspiration for my look. It was a nice simple tutorial I was easily able to follow.

The first step was to pluck my slightly neglected eyebrows. Ugh, what a PITA that is, but at least I've gotten pretty good at it. Thank you internet! My Chella eyebrow filler helps define my brows.

My next step was using my Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream to even out my skin tone. It is a really great product! I had tried to use a primer and traditional liquid foundation, but it turns out my skin desperately needs exfoliating and it was doing a weird scaly thing. Gross. So off it came and the BB cream was the perfect solution, providing coverage plus much needed moisturization.

A quick sweep of NYX Cream Blush and Pixi Beauty Bronzer (both found in my Ipsy bag!). A nude lipgloss from Juice Beauty topped off my base look.

As suggested by the tutorial, I swept a pearly white eyeshadow across my lids and up to my brow bone. A light blue went across my lids. My Cailyn gel eyeliner was perfect for the thick liner with a nice wedge finish rather than a cat eye.

To really tie the 60s glam look together, the lengthening property of the Scandaleyes Mascara really topped it off. It gave me a nice open eyed look. It did not irritate my sensitive eyes either, another plus! I definately recommend trying this mascara! I know it is my new go-to!

The sad thing is, I spent time on this lovely look, but I have no where to go! Must be for the best as it is the middle of the first extreme cold snap of the season.

Review: Dr Scholls For Her Cozy Cushions

I was a very lucky recipient of the free Rose VoxBox from Influenster (If you would like an invite, message me your email address!). Included in this box was a Lindt Chocolate Truffle, Rimmel London Scandaleyes RetroGram Mascara, Kiss Gradation Nail Art, Dr Scholls for Her Cozy Cushions,  and BelVita Breakfast Biscuits.

 One of my favorite products in this box are the Dr Scholls Cozy Cushions. I have always liked the Dr Scholls brand, they make comfortable, quality insoles, plus they often have coupons. Currently there is a $2 off For Her insoles, as well as other offers.

As I have knee and joint problems, comfortable shoes are a must for me. They need to have some form of cushioning and support. These insoles offer just that and then some. An amazing soft fleece, think Ugg lining, will keep your feet warm and dry (very relevant considering this cold snap attacking the nation today!) According to the Influenster website, these insoles are designed to insulate your foot from the weather, absorb sweat, and provide support.

To get the best fit, remove your existing insoles, trace them onto the new ones, and then place the new insoles in your shoes. I did this and got an absolutely perfect fit! If your insoles are not removable, start by trimming to one size bigger than your shoe size and check the fit.

I placed my Cozy Cushions in my Bearpaw Meadow Boots (which are my all time favorite boots!) as the original insoles are worn out from a couple years of wear! Best. Decision. Ever. My already comfy boots just got better! The new Cosy Cushions are warm, comfy, and supportive. I was able to go for one of my mini marathon shopping trips which usually leave my feet sore regardless of what shoes I wear, with no pain! I want a pair of these insoles in all of my shoes for the winter!

Overall, these are the most comfortable insoles I have ever owned. I would definitely recommend them to anyone wanting to make their boots (or shoes) more comfortable this winter! You will not regret it!  

My latest addiction...

So, as I made a temporary return to school buses, I was introduced to the concept of the Rainbow Loom. At first it was like, that is silly. I'm all set. Then I was in Michaels and they had them in stock, so I figured, what the heck. I could do something cool with this. Then I was hooked.


I started simple. I made a couple bracelets. I used YouTube tutorials to inspire me, then I chose my own colors. I love that I can take what is considered to be a "children's" craft and make it more mature by choosing my color combinations. I like making the bracelets to represent something. The pink/white one was for October Breast Cancer Awareness, the yellow, black, orange, and red one is School Bus. I made an orange, black, purple, and green one for Halloween. I also made them just to have pretty colors together or to match an outfit.


Of course then there was the fun of organizing the bands and looms (yes, plural, I ended up with a second one). So I grabbed a under-used adjustable container and filled it up. As many of the bands came in multi-color packs, it was very helpful to separate them out.

Fall Leaves

 After making a few, I thought, huh, maybe I could sell some; I'll jump on that trend/fad bandwagon. So I finally opened up my Etsy store (Hobo Cat Creations) before I even was ready to list my intended products (a line of quality cat toys, more to come in a future post). Now, on to the promotion and getting my Etsy store name out there! You can find HoboCat Creations on Facebook and on Twitter, please like and follow!! I will post coupon codes!

Glow Keychain

I currently have the school bus bracelet, fall leaves bracelet, and a  custom glow in the dark keychain (you pick the other color). They are running $4. If you are local, you can pick them up, or they can be shipped. Check out my Etsy store for more information if you are interested!

If you have any ideas as to a color combo or design you would like to see, leave a comment! 

Paper Anniversary

They say the first year of marriage is the hardest. My husband and I managed to survive it and stay together. There were definitely ups and a lot more downs, but we made it. Normally a anniversary post would be filled with mushy saccharin sweet sentiments...but then it wouldn't be me!

The biggest "up" is that we decided in July to try to have a baby. So far things have been unsuccessful, but it's only 3 months, "they" say not to worry until a year passes. If you know me, you know I am impatient, and like immediate results! Luckily, I have relaxed a bit as stress is a major factor. Also, if you know me, you know how insanely opposite this whole baby thing is. For years and years I have been adamant in how I do not want kids, ever, period. I have cursed my uterus for years, wanting to do anything to end the monthly cycle of torture. And now, I want a baby. No reason. Nothing obvious changed. All that happened was there was a scare, and we realized, hey, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing! Weird, but very exciting.

In other aspects of my life, I am finally a school bus driver again! I am so thrilled, I got hired as a temp at the district I most wanted to be in! They are owned by the district which makes for a great working environment. There is almost no employee turnover, so just to have my foot in the door is awesome. I am hoping that a "full time" position opens up soon. I am still employed by the city transit bus company as well, which will work out nicely for days off and school vacations.

Anyways, back to the anniversary. My husband "kidnapped" me, not telling me where we were going or what we were doing. That actual works nicely, that way I can't come up with an excuse not to!

It turned out to be a perfect fall day. He took me to Ikea, which is one of my favorite stores, and we ate lunch there. I love the Swedish Meatballs! Ligonberry juice is yummy too. After lunch, we headed to the Franklin Park Zoo. We have been wanting to go there for a while now, but we just never got around to it.

It was great! I loved all the animals, but my favorite was the Jaguar. He was so beautiful! All the big cats were cool. I was disappointed that the giraffes weren't out, I'm not sure if they can't handle the cold. Some other birds were not out either, but the tradeoff of perfect cool temps was worth it!

After the zoo, we went to the Container Store to kill some time before dinner and found a perfect microwave stand, and it was on sale! We were able to customize it for the size we needed. The best part is that it freed up a huge section of counter in our very space-limited apartment kitchen.

Dinner was amazing, P.F. Changs. If you have never been there, you have to try the lettuce wraps! They are absolutely amazing! It's heaven wrapped in an iceberg lettuce leaf. I personally like the tofu variety, but I'm sure the chicken ones are excellent too.

It was a beautiful day!

For a gift, he gave me a Double Wrap leather Pandora bracelet with a Vespa and London Double Decker Bus charm.

BzzAgent Review: Curel Intensive Healing Cream

As you know, I am a member of BzzAgent, a site that gives you samples and points in return for your opinion. I was chosen to participate in the Curel Intensive Healing Cream campaign, so I received 6 or so travel size pots of cream to try for free and share with friends.

I had high-ish expectations of this cream as it comes from such a well known, quality brand Curel (yeah, I have no idea how to get the fancy little ` above the e, sorry!). The timing was perfect as fall was coming and my skin basically decides it wants to be like the Sahara desert; dry, dry, dry! So I was excited for this opportunity to try this cream.

According to my campaign homepage this cream:

Spreads easily, non-greasy and absorbs quickly

Provides immediate healing relief and revitalizes ceramide levels for long-lasting hydration

Clinically-proven to help chapping and chafing caused by dryness

Fragrance-free and hypo-allergenic

9 out of 10 dermatologists recommend using it

Pediatrician tested: suitable for children 6 months and older

Excellent for dry skin associated with diabetes — Curél^® is a proud partner of the American Diabetes Association

(source: BzzAgent.com)

I had mixed feelings about the results of using this cream nightly for a week. The cream does absorb fast and is not greasy, which is impressive for such a thick cream. It is definately fragrance free...it's actually a bit odd as it really smells like nothing. I would have preferred a very light fragrance myself, but I understand the hypoallergenic reasons. It does give an immediate effect of softer skin, however by morning, my hands are just as dry as they always are. I tried to remember to use the lotion again, but I am just not one of those lotion addicts. I forget. I think a "lotion addict" would experience good results with this lotion on their hands.

For an experiment, last night I put some of the cream on my very dry, disgusting elbows. Sorry in advance for the visual, but my elbows feel like a dried out crocodile skin! Yuck! I would have posted a pic, but how do you take a pic of your own elbow? It seems about as feasible as licking it! But anyways, it's around 1pm EST and they are still soft. So it seems on tough, scaly patches, this cream works very well, as I had expected. My hands are just difficult, plus I have a slight addition to alcohol based hand sanitizer, so that makes it even harder for lotions and creams to work.

Overall, it seems to be a good cream for tough scaly skin, but not for general dry hands. This is disappointing to me as my hands are a bigger issue for me, and I was hoping to find a solution. But not having scaly elbows is a plus. ;-)

My recommendation to you depends on what sort of dry skin you have. If you have basic dry hands, then I'd say pass. But if you have scaly, rough patches on your body, give it a shot! Even in one night I saw results, which was what I had expected from Curel.

Review: Kashi Hummus Crisps Sea Salt and Olive Oil

I received a free bag of the Kashi Sea Salt and Olive Oil Hummus Crisps from BzzAgent, a site that sends you free products in return for you completing simple tasks that generate buzz about the product. One of the tasks is to blog about the product you receive, which is extremely easy to do as these crisps were AMAZING!

Serving Size 27 crisps

I was skeptical at first....I mean, I like hummus and all, but in a crisp? Not so sure. Luckily, I was wrong. These crisps are amazing. They are light and perfectly satisfy a salty snack craving. They are only 120 calories for 27 crisps, and 3 servings per bag, so if you accidentally eat the whole bag, it's no big deal. They also have 3g protein, 3g fiber, and 5g of whole grain per serving, so you can feel good about snacking on them. I love the Sea Salt and Olive Oil flavor, but they are very plain, so those of you who enjoy more flavor in your snacks, they have also have Carmelized Onion (which I have been told is also yumtastic) and Sundried Tomato, Basil, and Feta. Personally, I am not interested by these other flavors as I am kinda picky, but you may like them.

I finished the bag pretty quick, but then there was a tragic problem....I couldn't find the crisps in any of my local stores!! The horror!! Online they said there were none within 40 miles of me!! Fortunately, they are wrong, and just this week they started showing up in the stores. First place I found them was Shaws Supermarkets, but then today, they were sampling them at my local Walmart!! So I grabbed 4 bags...lol, yeah, they are that good!! They are $2.78 per bag at my local Walmart (prices vary depending on area) and there was a $1 off 1 coupon you can print which makes for a good deal on an awesome snack!

I highly recommend these crisps as a healthier alternative to traditional potato chips and other salty snacks.

How to Save Money and Get More from Comcast Easily

The other day I was randomly perusing the internet as I normally do. I stumbled up various posts on how to save money at Comcast. I know a lot of people hate Comcast, but they are our only choice, and honestly, we have never had a single complaint about the service, ever. The only complaint is cost. Holy crap. I guess it was close to $200 a month for our TV, phone, and cable. Yeah, that is not cool at all.

I am not confrontational. I don't want to threaten Comcast by saying I'm leaving as so many people online recommend to do. I hate phone calls period. I am just not that sort of person. So how else can I save money without confrontation? So online I went.

IMPORTANT NOTE: My methods will not work while you are still in your contract time with the reduced price. This plan is for when your contract expires and your bill suddenly jumps up to not just an arm and a leg, but to an arm, leg, first born child, and a kidney. 

We had the Digital Preferred package, 160 channels. I don't watch sports and neither does my husband except the occasional football game (Go Pats!), which is on network TV. I don't watch movie channels very often, I don't watch the majority of the channels we have. So why pay for them? With a few minutes of research, I found that we just needed the Digital Starter package (80 channels). I still get all the channels I watch regularly (minus Discovery Fit & Health, sadness) but that is a small sacrifice for the cost savings. I do use the HD DVR a lot. I cannot not have DVR as I go to bed early and all the good shows are on late! If I could live without that, it would make sense to drop all TV and do the Hulu for TV and Netflix for Movies like many people do. However, this plan was to get the most for the money.

The other thing with the TV was we hardly ever watch regular TV in the living room. My husband works all the time and I spend my time in the bedroom cause I have a serious case of laziness. So why pay for the fancy box that puts the guide on the TV and you can control with your iPhone? We had them change it into the tiny little box so we can get the digital channels with no frills.

We never ever use the house phone. Ever. I use it as the number to fill out forms I don't actually want to give my cell number to. Once again, why pay for something that we never use? The only reason we had it in the first place was it was cheaper than not having it! Silly bundles!

As for Internet. Don't touch my internet!!! We have perfect internet. Its the Performance speed level which is 20mbps. If we never have the faster internet, we will never know the difference as pages load plenty fast, Netflix streams great. Downloads are generally reasonable. Yay. All is well here.

Now, for the getting more your money aspect. I was reading a random post about how you can trade in your older equipment for the newer versions. Hey, if you are "renting" it anyways, why not? So out came our modem, DVR box, digital fancy box and into the car they went. At the Comcast office, we left with our same DVR box (and instructions to call in 2 days to set up an appointment for the X1 5 tuner (record 4 shows, watch a 5th rather than record 2, but watch one of them) DVR box of awesomeness which will cost a whole $2 more a month, but as we are saving so much, $2 is nothing), a new basic cable box, and a new Wifi enabled modem.

So to recap we:

• Downgraded from Digital Preferred to Digital Starter
• Exchanged a higher cost per month cable box to the basic one on the unused TV
• Cancelled our house phone completely
• Kept our amazing Internet
• Upgraded our DVR box from 2 tuners to 5 for $2 a month
• Got a much better wireless router/cable modem that makes our amazing internet even better

Overall we saved likely close to $40 a month while improving our services! We will see the exact savings when the first new bill comes in. 

Just a couple points to remember....be nice. You may hate Comcast, but I have to say, they have been excellent to us for this change. The office staff was happy to follow our requests. We had some technical difficulties with setting up the new modem and cable box and both phone tech support guys were very nice (and spoke English!!). You get a lot further than being a screaming jerk. Also, keep your account in good standing. It just makes things easier and they are more willing to help you out!

10 years flew by....

Now and Then

I went to my 10 year high school reunion on Saturday evening. It was a nice simple occasion at a local Concord restaurant (The Red Blazer). Overall it was a good experience, I wish there had been some real food rather than appetizers I don't care for...but I guess there is a serious problem with how the school board handles the class's money, so I am happy there was food at all.

It was so nice to catch up with some friends I only ever talk to on Facebook. Face to face time is so much better lol.

I am fairly satisfied with where I am in life. I am happily married, we are planning to have a baby, I love my job, my husband is the main provider. It's perfect. I definitely did not see myself becoming a career bus driver after graduating....as it says in my yearbook I was interested in attending college to become a teacher. The most important thing is that I love what I do.

Attendees of the Reunion (not my pic, Stolen from Kate W's Facebook)

If I could go back and do high school again, I would have taken the Auto vocational program and upon graduating went to the Heavy Construction Academy and gone into construction. Oh well, hindsight is always 20/20 and if I didn't take the path I did, then I wouldn't necessarily be in this situation. As I said before, life is pretty decent right now.

I now understand how Jeremy Clarkson feels...

And I want to be him  even more. I got to drive my dream car yesterday. Well, one of them; the Fiat 500 Abarth. It is a 160hp/170lb ft torque turbocharged  4 cylinder engine and 5 speed manual.. That may not sound that great, but you have to remember that this is a very small car. So that is a lot of power.

Boy, do you feel the power. It is definately one of the fastest cars I have ever driven, and by far the most fun, because not only does it have a boatload of power, but it handles awesome too! It has a improved suspension over the "regular" 500. Unfortunately I was unable to really get on it in some corners due to traffic and the crappy area we got to test it in.

What I couldn't get over was the amazing sound from the exhaust. It was deep and throaty, not fart can-ish at all. A true Euro tuner. Obviously, I kept the car in Sport mode (improves throttle response, adjusts  the tightness of the steering) and you just touch the throttle and the car emits amazing sounds out of the exhaust. However, while idling at a light, it is nice and quiet. I didn't find the noise to be too much at highway speeds either. It was a perfect balance.

As far as the interior, I loved the boost gauge. The shifter had a nice feel to it, definately a higher quality than the plastic of the standard 500. It was quiet, and the race inspired seats were very comfortable. Other than that, it is the same as the standard 500.

I do know when the time comes for me to trade in my current Fiat 500, I will be seriously considering the Abarth as it's replacement. In the meantime, I am thinking a Mopar Cold Air Intake and Mopar performance exhaust will be a nice addition to my Fiat.

Been a tough week

It's only Wednesday, but it has been a tough week already.

On Monday morning, I went out to my car to go to work and found my radio faceplate had been stolen. They had ripped the bezel off the dash, which was completely unnecessary, as the faceplate just comes off. Luckily the damage was minimal. I did use the opportunity to change the bulb that has been out for a couple years. To prevent further damage, I removed the radio in it's entirety. Today, I did read an article that a Scumersworth, I mean Somersworth, man was arrested for a string of theft. I am hoping they recover my radio faceplate.

Monday evening I notice my cat is really not feeling well. She was not being herself and wouldn't even touch her favorite food. I know its time. She has been struggling with what the vet thinks is intestinal cancer for over a year and a half. When she first came to my apartment from my parents, she was only given a month or so to live, so the fact she is still alive this long was a miracle. We were able to provide her a comfortable, happy place to spend her last year.

Tuesday I had to bring my car in for service which was uneventful. But then I had to take my cat to the vet for her final visit. Definitely not on my list of things I enjoy doing. I miss her so much already, it is weird her not being there. I am surprised at how much I used to check on her, as I go to now, and shes not there. :-( It is so hard to lose a pet, they are a member of the family. She was a member of my family for 16 years. Its not easy to say goodbye. She is now with her surrogate mom cat, Tiger, and feeling no pain.

As if that wasn't hard enough, I was dreading having to get up early to go to work Wednesday to do a shift I really don't like as I have to do the same loop 4 times in a row. I almost called out as I felt like crap last night, but I didn't. I figured staying busy and away from the apartment was a good plan. So I got up, got dressed, went to work. I checked to see what bus I was assigned, only to see my name not on the list. WTF? So I looked at the schedule $#!% I am doing the shift tomorrow, not today. Epic fail.

As my week has had such an awesome (not) start, just wondering how much better it can get...

Review: Sinful Colors Sinful Shine

I am a bit of a nail polish addict. So much so I bought a professional type wall rack to display it all as my crappy Sterlite shoeboxes weren't cutting it. I got this awesome rack from Amazon to corral my collection. It was shipped quick and easy to install. We did add 2 small L brackets on the bottom for stability, but they weren't necessary. Anyways, back to the reason for the post.

I received a bottle of Sinful Colors Sinful Shine in my Influenster Sunkissed VoxBox. It was the color Rebel, I wasn't thrilled with the color, it's a neutral browny gray color. However, as part of the program, I figured what the heck, I'll try it. The color grew on me and I could see it as a nice base to do some nail art on. It applied easy. Nice and smooth. It took 2 coats and it was perfect coverage. The shine is incredible. They claim it's 5x shinier than a patent leather shoe (whatever patent leather is....I'm so not fashionable lol). To me it's as shiny as a freshly waxed car. Anyway you put it it shines.  I kept the color on for about a week and the shine lasted, but the color did chip. It's worth mentioning that I did no prep to my nails, and I drive a bus, so it's not easy on my nails.

The best part of this nail polish other than the shine is the price, it's only $2.99!! I love inexpensive nail polish! If you look at my collection, there is no way I can be paying $8+ a bottle, plus I am a bargain shopper! The quality is good for the money. You can only find the Sinful Shine Collection at Walgreens,

I liked this polish so much I went and bought two more colors, Picante, a reddish pinkish bright color, and Alfresco, a pretty light blue without being baby blue. 

I would definitely recommend these nail polishes to anyone looking for a shiny colors that's easy on the wallet. There are 32 colors to choose from. 

Review: Dr Scholls For Her High Heel Insoles

Yet another product I received in my Influenster Sun VoxBox was the Dr Scholls For Her High Heel Insoles. At first I was like, what am I going to do with these, I don't even own high heels, I barely have flats that aren't sneakers or sandals! Then I remembered about a pair of Crocs flats I owned. They are very comfy, however I am not a huge fan of the little massaging nodules that Crocs are famous for as I have sensitive feet from years of wearing socks and shoes.

Pic from DrScholls.com

Once I finally got into the packaging (luckily I won't hold that against the product lol), the  insoles felt very nice. Just enough squish to them while still providing support. I was able to peel off the backing to reveal a mild adhesive that keeps the insole in place. I had to readjust the left insole several times, but the adhesive stayed useable. If my shoes had a felted insole, I think that would affect the adhesives reuseableness, but in my case it was all good.

I liked that they have arch support and massaging gel at the ball of your foot. It made my shoes even more comfortable than they already were. I know I'll be able to strut out in style while being comfortable with these insoles under my feet. I will have to try them in a couple pairs of shoes I haven't really worn due to them hurting my feet. If you have any slim shoes, I would definitely recommend trying these insoles. Plus, there are often coupons that can be combined with sales to make these an affordable option!

Review: Goody Ouchless Ribbon Elastics

As part of my Influenster Sun VoxBox , I was sent a set of  Goody Ouchless Ribbon Elastics to try out.  Unfortunately, shortly before my box arrived, I got a hair cut which means I couldn't really try these elastics in my hair, but when my hair gets long enough, I think I will enjoy using them. They have a nice wide band of elastic ribbon that would not put as much pressure on my hair.

Pic from Goody.com

I really liked the colors, kind of wish there was a dark blue one in the mix as I wear a lot of jeans, and my work uniform has blue in it, but other than that, it's a cute color palette.

For the time being, I used them as a nice bracelet option. They are a bit tight and I have a small wrist (as in I can comfortably wear a children's watch and almost all one size fits all bracelets just about fall off), however the size seems perfect for an average ponytail. They are a bit wide for a short ponytail though, as I did try to use them in my hair. They did not pull or catch my hair, which was very nice. I have fragile hair that falls out and breaks easily, so these would be an excellent solution for me.

You can find out more information as well as where to buy these Ribbon Elastics and other Goody products at http://www.goody.com. If you have long hair, I would recommend getting these. As they are Ouchless I would also recommend them for finicky children who may not like traditional elastics.

Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream

As you most likely know, I am a member of the product testing website, Influenster. You fill out surveys and review products from pet care to food, to health and beauty. Every so often, they select a group of people based on your interests to receive VoxBoxes....a custom box with full size samples of products for you to test, share, and review, and no cost. I was selected to receive the SunKissed VoxBox that had a very nice selection of products. Included in this was Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream in Fair to Light.

I was pleased to receive this product to test as it was something I was considering purchasing prior to my receiving the Sun VoxBox.

Image from pgestore.com

According to Olay.com, this BB Cream has 6 main benefits:
• Refreshes skin instantly
• Brightens for a radiant glow• Evens tone with a splash of sheer color• Hydrates for 24 hours• Smoothes for softer feeling skin• Protects against UV damage with SPF 15

I am definitely not an expert with skincare and makeup, I only started experimenting with it in the past year; however I have been intrigued by the promises of a BB Cream and the simplicity of application.


I applied this BB Cream with my fingers and blended it in. I was hoping for a bit more coverage, and I found it a bit greasy. My skin is combination, lately dry in the T-zone and oily everywhere else. This products felt good on my dry areas, but a bit heavy elsewhere on my face. I was hoping for a bit more coverage, but from my research, American market BB Creams are rather sheer compared to the Asian originals. After the product was on my skin for a few minutes, I did notice a better coverage than upon application. It has been comfortable to wear, I don't feel it on my skin unless I actually touch my face. I was out shopping in the heat and humidity and feel the product lasted well. The smell of the product is pleasant, and not very strong, which is nice. I don't like heavily scented products as I have sensitive skin.

If you need light coverage and dry to normal skin, I would recommend this product. If your skin is oily, I would recommend finding a different BB Cream.

You can find out more information and purchase at: www.olayfresheffects.com and http://www.amazon.com/

England June 11-19 2013 Trip (long post!)

I have been really bad about neglecting my blog lately. I am currently working to establish a "business" making cat toys that I will sell on Etsy. You can keep up to date on HoboCat Creations by following the link to the Facebook page. @HoboCatCreation is also on Twitter. Right now the Etsy page is not set up as I have not completed product development and testing. There will be more to come in the next couple weeks, so stay tuned!

Part of the reason for neglect is I spent a week in England with my mom. It was a trip we were planning for a couple years now. The first time we were going to go, the Royals decided to get married. The next timeframe was the Olympics, which would have made travel a nightmare. So finally we were able to go this month, and I was able to get the time off from work. (Have I mentioned how much I love my job, I'm part time, and been there a year and a half and have over 60 hours of paid time off?)

We took C&J Buses to Logan from Dover. What an awesome way to get to the airport or Boston! Leave the driving to someone else! I would recommend anyone traveling in the area to take them. They have a very well maintained fleet of new or recently renewed buses as well as very professional drivers. Did I mention the terminals are very nice and have great bathrooms?

Had a lousy flight to London Heathrow....crowded, turbulence, not to mention it was overnight. The landing was the worst thing I had ever experienced, it was extremely windy when we touched down. I was very happy to be on the ground again. I am not a very good flier. Solid ground works for me! An freakishly easy trip through customs and baggage claim got us on our "taxi" to my Aunt's house. My grandpa is awesome and hired a car for us to go straight from the airport to my Aunt's. The funny thing was even though I had not slept since 7am the previous morning, I never felt any jet lag or any challenges adjusting to the 5 hour time difference. When we landed it felt like 6am in the morning!

At my Aunt's we took it easy. Decided to go to a nearby town, Thornbury, to get some groceries as I am very picky about breakfast and non-alcholic drinks. Tesco, the supermarket, was awesome. Well, it was just an everyday grocery store to the locals, but to an English food loving American it was heaven! There were so many things I wanted to bring with me, like sausages, all the HP sauce in the country, all the Cadbury everything, so many of the almond flavored snack cakes!

Thornbury

We spent the rest of the day relaxing and socializing with my Aunt and Uncle and their wonderful dog Toffee. My grandpa came over and I got to spend some time with him. It was really nice.

I went to bed early as I was exhausted.

Old and New in Leeds

The next day we caught a train (like Amtrak) to Leeds. Leeds was an area my mom spent quite a bit of her time in when she lived in England. I was expecting a quaint town like the one pictured in Thornbury...just a bit bigger. I was in for a surprise. Leeds was a busy city, I would compare it to a larger Manchester, but with even more history. It was amazing to see the old and the new combine. Buildings over there are considerably older than anything you can imagine over here in the USA. Next to these amazing ancient buildings are new, modern structures.

Creepy Underground Tunnel thing...it felt like
something out of a vampire movie!

Just getting to the hotel was an adventure. You had to go underground, underneath the train station and other buildings. I'm sure there were surface roads to get you there, but they definately were not practical for you to walk on. I much prefer the shortest route, even if you go through a creepy underground tunnel like thing...

The hotel was very nice, a Hilton DoubleTree. I would love to stay there again! Instead of a crappy TV,  there was a iMac, which was both your TV and a very nice computer. Of course, I am a Mac person. I went to type on it, only to realize the keyboard was laid out differently! Sure, the letters were in the same place, but the Shift and Enter were different sizes, as well as no #! How was I going to tweet?! I know, the problems of living in the first world!

British Mac Keyboard Layout

We explored Leeds, met up with my mom's cousin, a super nice lady. We went to a cemetery that has special significance to my family. It was very different than any cemetery in the USA....there was something lacking; gravestones! Instead, they had plaques that lined the curbing, and above the plaque in the grass, families could have a vase on a spike that holds flowers. The plaques only stay for 25 years unless the family renews them. I was upset by this, as I think it should be forever. I was told it was due to a sheer space issue. England is a very old,  high populated physically small country.

The next day we took a train to York. York was my favorite desination we went to on the entire trip. It was a perfect old city. It reminded me a bit of Portsmouth, NH, just larger, with more stuff. Very historic and beautiful.

Inside view of the museum

 The first stop was the National Railway Museum. I was very excited to go here as I love almost anything transportation related (except actually flying in the airplane!). It was a very well laid out museum. Lots and lots of train engines on display as well as very interestingly informative displays. Definately not a boring museum! They even had the Royal train cars.

When we left the museum, we went downtown. (Why does the Lady Antebellum song pop in my head on writing that sentence?). What a perfect place. It was designed to be a walking city, ok, well I guess when the city was developed they hardly had horse and cart, much less cars! Anyways, it made a perfect destination.

The Shambles

My favorite area was the Shambles. When my mom mentioned it for some reason I was thinking ancient building ruins, no idea why, that was just my weird thought process.  With that in my mind, I was not overly excited to visit. But then I saw what the Shambles was.....an absolutely perfect little shopping area. The stores were very nice....everything from tacky souvenirs to specialty shops, such as my favorite The Cat Gallery. If you know me in person, you know I am a crazy cat lady, so this shop was right up my alley.

http://www.thecatgallery.co.uk

The next time I go, I will be doing the cat scavenger hunt from the York Glass shop.


York was the most exhausted I had been in a long time. We spent the entire day on our feet, which once again, if you know me, is not something I do on a regular basis! It was probably a good thing, as the majority of the food I consumed was not healthy by any means!

The next day we headed back to Bristol to my Aunt's for some much needed rest and relaxation. It was a welcome break from the past few hectic days. I'm so glad my mom is so excellent at trip planning!

We visited the city of Bristol. It was a very nice city. Not too big, but not tiny. Once again it was an amazing mix of new and old. My Aunt and Uncle gave us a tour. My favorite place was this gorgeous suspension bridge. I do not recall the name of it, but it was beautiful.

Sunday we headed to Gloucester. We were meeting my Grandpa for lunch as it was Father's Day. It was so nice to spend more time with him. He is such a nice person, and freaking awesome. Did I mention he drives a Porsche Carrera S, as a daily driver, and he is 90 years old? Yup, definitely the coolest Grandpa ever. He has finally downgraded from a Ducati 999 to a Suzuki GSXR to a 125cc Honda scooter, but just within the past couple years....Crazy!

After lunch we went to the outlets. Didn't find anything special other than the Cadbury outlet, but it was still a good time. There were American brands like Gap. It was amazing how the prices in pounds were the same as you would expect in dollars, but you need to remember it took $1.69 or so to buy 1 pound, so things were nearly twice the price as they are in America.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing and spending time with my Aunt and Uncle as the next day we went back into hectic tourist mode in London.

London was amazing. It is so much more enjoyable than Boston or NYC. It's cleaner. The people are nicer. There is so much more history. The first day we took a sightseeing double decker bus tour. It was a way to see all the sites while staying seated. The only downside was the fact that I am partially deaf and wear hearing aids, which does not work for headphone audio tours. Luckily the first bus we rode had a live tour guide. We could have waited later for another bus after we went on the river cruise.  with a live guide, but that section wasn't as exciting.

We did the stereotypical tourist thing. Lots of photos of the main attractions. I had gone on the London Eye in 2000, so we didn't do that again, nor could I as I am terrified of heights. In 2000 I was only 15, so it wasn't as bad.

Partway though the bus tour, we got off the bus and went to the Thames river shoreline to board a sightseeing river cruise. It was a great way to really see the sights along the waterfront.

As most people did the boat tour the opposite direction, it was relatively quiet and we got a good seat.

It was amazing listening to some of the ages of the buildings that were pointed out. We saw a structure called Cleopatra's Needle that was 3000 years old. That is just not a number i can wrap my head around. That was 1000 BC! It is so strange to think of something being around before Jesus, yet still standing. Insanity. There was a pub that was around when Shakespeare was alive. I can kinda deal with the 200ish years old of the historic buildings in NH....you get much past that and it is too much to think about. In York, we went to a Viking museum....there was an actual dig from a Viking village that was there. The history surrounds you when you are in London and everywhere else in the UK.

After another exhausting day, we met up with my other uncle. It was awesome. I now know where I got my collecting of automobiles from....he has several cars and even more motorcycles. I was excited to know he even rides a Piaggio scooter! Scooters are the ideal transport in London. I would not want to drive a car, plus they have extra taxes if you drive into the city. Motorcycles can filter up through traffic as well, so you don't get stuck in the same traffic jams. He was awesome to talk to.

The next day was our last in the UK. We did more London tourist stuff. I got to see the Royal Mews, which is where the Royal horses and carriages are kept. Unfortunately, most of the horses were away at Ascot. It was still very cool learning about the history.

After the Mews we went to Westminster Abbey. I was surprised by what was inside. All I was expecting was a grand church like place...but it was full of tombs of Kings and Queens and many other people. It was amazing to think how it was made back before any of today's technology. It was all carved by hand, transported by horses, built by hand. It was some amazing architecture. And to think of the coronations and weddings and history that happened inside those walls. Awesome.

Then came the place I was looking forward to most; the London Transport Museum. It was even more fascinating than I imagined. It went from the days of horse and car to the modern machinery that is carving out under London expanding the Underground subway system. Of course, the buses were what I was there for. They did not disappoint. There were the original electric trolley like buses, the traditional Routemaster double deckers and even a modern bus that had been cut to become a display.

Although the buses were my main interest, I was excited to learn about how the Underground was made. Before I came to the museum, that was one of the questions in my mind. How did they dig underneath an existing city all those years ago? The answer was by hand. Literally. Men used tools and manually chiseled and dug out the tunnels. Now, a huge machine bores though the Earth like nothing, leaving a concrete tube in its wake. Amazing. It used to be run with steam engines, and now with electricity. There were cool simulators that put you in charge of the subway car. Wow, that was confusing! I'll be sticking with buses!

After the museum, we went to Oxford Street shopping. I finished off the rest of the money I brought with me. Then it was dinner time. We had to be up early to be on the first bus to the airport.

Did I mention that I love HP sauce and in the UK it is as common a condiment as ketchup is in the USA? I think I ate the total of an entire bottle in the week I spent there. I used to make fun of my hubby and his love for ketchup...well that had nothing on my addiction to HP sauce!

It was an amazing trip. I am so glad I got to go with my mom. I learned a lot about her life before she met my dad, and got to do so many fun things. I cannot wait to go back and have even more amazing experiences.