Young Men's Soccer In Seattle

Author: Jonathan Suarez

An ambitious MBA by day and a rough and tumble soccer player by night, I am very glad I made the choice to move to Seattle from the South for several reasons. The reason that comes through, time and time again, is the vast array of opportunity here for men's pickup soccer and organized soccer. I mainly participate in one league, though I have popped in and out of an ongoing league at the University of Washington. The league I have spent many an evening in is designed for "Young Professionals". The league is gender mixed and sometimes features former Division I stars who have either had an injury or have elected to pursue other professions. Needless to say the competition has been very high. I decided to invest the majority of my liquid assets in a business venture that is starting to turn a profit, therefore I live in a rougher part of Seattle than I'd like to. I always set my ADT home security alarm before I go every evening to soccer. The best part about Seattle has been the social connections that I have made through "Young Professionals" soccer. In fact, the business venture is one I came upon through a match a little over a year ago. It has come to my awareness that the leagues for older adults and for young children are booming and that there are several semi-professional teams in the surrounding region. If you're looking for some great soccer, come to rainy Seattle!

Picking Up an Old Hobby

Guest post written by Hank Livingston

The other day I treated myself to a visit at the local Guitar Center in town. From the moment I walked in, I was like a kid in a candy store. I noticed many young kids trying out a variety of electric guitars and banging out rough melodies that rattled my Miracle Ear hearing aids. They reminded me of when I was their age and how I would go try out some of the instruments that I couldn’t have played back at home. My recent visit reminded me of when I was their skill level and learning about the world of music.

When I come to Guitar Center, I also check out the acoustic guitar room and play the twelve string guitars. I always loved the full and rich sounds that they produce, and I always enjoy getting my hand on one. After my visit, I determined that I wanted to pick up music again. Throughout my life, an instrument has always given me joy, and now that I’m retired, I want to spend more of my time recreating that joy.

Watch the ship carefully... You'll hear the people screaming if you turn your speaker's volume up. Look how the ship vanished.

New House, New Furniture

Thanks for the post, Lucius Gaines

There is about two more weeks until our house is finished being built. That means it's time for furniture shopping! My husband and I try to do the inexpensive, good quality search at Walmart and Sears, but we can never find anything. So we usually end up heading over to Nebraska Furniture Mart for all our furniture. We really like their huge selection and endless brand names. And best of all, it's modestly priced. When we bought our daughter's nursery furniture, we only spent about $1300 for her crib, armoire and dresser. We liked Baby's R Us' selection, but they were so overpriced it hurt our eyeballs to look at the tags.

Clearly, I'm pretty excited about going furniture shopping. I think we're going to be buying a new dining room set, bedroom furniture for the master bedroom, and a sectional couch for the living room. I've seen some sectionals that are like a recliner and massage chair in one. I can only imagine coming home from shopping, sitting on my vibrating, massaging recliner chair and watching some satalite tv.

Anyway, I think I already know which dining room table I want. I'm not sure of the brand, but I've seen it around Nebraska Furniture Mart before. It's all black, except the centerpiece of the table is cracked glass. It looks awesome. And very, very modern. Which is what I think we're going for in the new house.

The Gift

Ten more days before my wife’s birthday. I don’t know what to give her. Lately, I’m seeing her spending a lot of time giving herself some beauty treats like putting lotion, fixing her nails, doing her eyebrows and more. Though some of it is really included on her regular hygienic routine but I still appreciate it, I know she always wanted to look good in my eyes. Well, she’ll always be the most beautiful woman for me even if she’s just in her simple looks.

This made me think of giving her some makeup products like lipstick or lipgloss to enhance the softness and appeal of her luscious lips. I don’t have any idea of what shade she wanted and I don’t want to ask her. I want it to be a surprise. I asked some of my lady friends and one of them suggested for me to try getting a lip lacquer instead. Waaahh..!! I didn’t know that even just a simple lipstick will be so complicated when you open it up with ladies. I’m still thinking of my other options. Do you have any suggestions?

To tile or Not to Tile

Whenever we go to our local hardware stores, we always see to it that we visit and check the tiles section. We have plan of putting backsplash in our kitchen counters to add color and character. As of now, we still don’t see in stores the one we really like. We’re looking for tiles that are contemporary in its styles and designs to match our appliances and furniture. We resorted on searching for it online and we found the one that we really liked, see the picture below:


This is so cool! We’re excited to see it in our own kitchen. The online store also gave other varieties to choose from, so personalizing our house is very possible. Glass is what we preferred but we are also open for other options as long as it will look extraordinary. Once we’re finish in our kitchen, our next project will be the bathrooms, we have 5 full baths in the house so I believe we need to work hard first to earn the right budget for all 5. Our bathroom tiles are kind of traditional though it’s an upgrade but still didn’t qualify our taste. I’ve seen bathrooms made of subway tiles and they’re really great! Very modern and sophisticated. I always see home improvement expensive but still worthy especially when you take pride of the house you’re starting to build as your home.

Down in the Pumpkin Patch

Guest post written by Alex Leider

My wife and I had the best time last weekend. We're trying to get into the spirit of the season, what's with it getting colder and the leaves turning and all. Well, we were just sitting around though last Saturday when we saw a commercial come up for a new pumpkin patch in our area. We decided on a whim to check it out so we could get a few pumpkins for the house, a few for carving, and one for cooking! (Edna makes the best pumpkin pies.)

We got to chatting with the guy that worked there, he had a really interesting story. Apparently, he'd inherited the patch through his family, and was running it for the time being. He looked so familiar, almost like someone I'd gone to school with in the past. I wish I had gotten his name! All I remember is that he was wearing Miracle-Ear hearing aids at the time. Oh well. It sure was a great day at the patch, though.

Getting Good Deal in Car Insurance

Time is so fast. I can still remember 6 months ago I sent my payment to my car insurance company and now I received my renewal package. Though they gave me lesser premium for the next term I still want to shop for better deals. There’s a lot to choose from. This time I prefer local insurance company. I asked my friends of their insurance, went online and called some agents to compare and get the best buy.

I gave the same coverage I wanted but still they offered different premiums. Some are really expensive maybe because of the integrity they already established in their names, but some which are not well known are good enough for me. I got my car insurance from the latter group, I’m really looking for a cheap one but with good standing from their claimants. I think that’s more important; easy transaction, same coverage and reasonable price. One of our friends referred this one and told us about his good customer service experience in processing his claims. I believe it's because of being not a well known insurance company, they only have fewer clients and this means more time and attention will be provided for me in times of claims. Still, I’m praying never to have a chance of getting any claims from them.

I want The Office to be MY office!

Written by my friend Lino Brown

My favorite comedy on TV right now is The Office. Michael, as the clueless branch manager, is the pivotal character in the show. His antics and carefree management style often create total chaos within the branch. I also would not be able to live without Jim and Pam streaming through my satellite I ordered at www.direct.TV every Thursday. After years of watching them struggle to come together as a couple, my patience has finally paid off, they just got married and had a baby. Of course the Angela and Dwight story line has been a constant source of humor over the last few seasons. This past year the show took a twist with the disbanding of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company and the takeover of a printer company owned by a southern woman with a large personality and she is played by none other than the talented actress Kathy Bates. I am sad to hear that Michael's character will be done on the show at the end of the Spring season due to Steve Carell leaving the show. I truly hope that the remaining characters will be able to carry the show and fill the large void that will certainly remain after his departure.

Bridezillas

The Author of this post is Velma Baird

One of biggest guilty pleasures on television is the show Bridezillas. I could have never imagined that there were women who actually behaved like this when planning their wedding. At times I have almost felt guilty watching the show and laughing at the craziness that they exhibit, but I always continue to watch. Each bride comes with her own set of drama and issues. Each season seems to bring with it louder, angrier and bossier brides than the season before. Between the meltdowns, fights and evil glares that these brides provide, I cant ever look away from the screen.

My satellite tv from direc4u.com is often tuned into Bridezillas, especially on days when I can just sit around and watch tv for hours. Luckily, the show is often broadcast as a marathon and I can truly spend my day watching women overreact and lash out at everyone around them. It is always interesting to see how bridesmaids, family members and especially grooms handle difficult brides. One of the most shocking episodes I ever watched centered on a bride who left her groom by himself at rehearsal over his mother being ten minutes late. In the end, almost every wedding ends with the bride and groom spending a great evening at their reception and still somehow having friends around to celebrate with.

Am I the Only One Who Still Goes to the Movies?

Thanks to Erasmo Cortez

I remember when I was a little kid every time I went to the movie theater there was always a line, my Mom and I would have to almost fight for seats that didn't make our neck hurt or require up to climb over eight people's laps in order to go the bathroom and sometimes (God forbid) the movie would even be sold out! These things never happen to me anymore. Now, I have to sneak snack in my purse in order not to pay $20 for a small box of candy, set my Adt security company home alarm before I leave the house, to ensure I can actually enjoy the movie without worrying the entire time and when I get there, nine out of ten times it just end's up being me and my boyfriend in the theater, which isn't necessarily a bad thing if we want to smooch or any of that without offending anyone. To be honest with you though, this really takes away from the whole experience for me! Before it was an adventure, now I feel like I might as well wait for the rental. This deters me from going to the movies at much as I once did, so now I only go to see the movies I cannot wait for instead of just going for something to do on weekends.

Modern Technology makes life easier

Wouldn't be cool if you can access your home computer from your office computer or vice versa? Or say as far as from one country to another country. People may don’t know but it’s possible. The convenience of file access, troubleshooting and configurations of computers and software from one place to another is actually happening. Remote Management or Access is what you can best describe it. This is with the help of Remote PC Access Software and of course, internet connection. Security will not even be an issue since these kinds of software provide up to 256-bit encryption making your computer files safe and only accessible to the one authorized to work with it, like your technician or co-worker. Can you imagine how much it will save time, energy and effort for both you and the other people involved in your business? Even technicians love it! They can still brainstorm and troubleshoot together in the convenience of their own different locations to work on one remote computer with the help of some collaborative tools that comes with the software. New technology rocks! You better update yourself for what new today maybe obsolete by tomorrow. That’s how fast it is!

This is the job for cook top cleaner

Our home improvement project – kitchen segment doesn’t end with nice furniture and accessories but also the sleekness of the appliances. Being organized and clean are all it takes to make the kitchen look gorgeous and elegant. My rule of thumb when it comes to kitchen, “where you get it, there you’ll return it”. It really helps a lot and it makes cleaning easier. Every time I cook and had our meals, I always make sure that everything will be cleaned up asap, from the counters and tables to the pots, pans, dishes and ranges. The thing that encourages me a lot to do this task fast is by thinking that someone might give us a surprise visit any minute and I don’t want to be apologetic by the messy scene in our house. Cleaning agents are my partner in doing this seemingly never ending chore in the kitchen. For the toughest grease on my cook top range, I use my trusted cook top cleaner. It doesn’t just cut the grease and make it clean but also polishes the surface for a shiny finish. If yours are glass or ceramic, you better find the one that has protection feature. I can say that the cook top range is one of my biggest challenges in the kitchen especially when I forget to clean it right after I used it. But no worries because my cook top cleaner will surely do its job. A little wipe here, a little sweep there and voila! our kitchen will look like unused and fresh again, ready for all family and friends to come and visit.

Online conversations with old friends

Guest post written by RJ Benson

Since most of us retired and we had a lot more time to spend on the Internet, a bunch of me and my high school friends will chat online. A lot of times we’ll just e-mail each other but a few of us have started using Skype to call and video chat each other. It’s a lot of fun and the easiest option because we live in different cities across the country.

One time I was Skypeing with one of my friends she mentioned that she had just gone to miracle ear Charlotte and got fitted with some hearing aids. I told her that I thought that sounded like a good idea and had been considering booking an appointment to do the same thing at miracle ear HOUSTON. That inspired me to get off my tail and actually do it, so I did.

About a week later I talked to another one of our friends who was on the football team with me and he said that he had just bought a hearing aid in PA where he lives.

I thought that it was funny that even though we live separately now, we still have the same mindset and are going through a lot of the same things.

Home improvement

We've been trying to furnish our house but due to limited budget, it will be a neverending project for us. We need to prioritize other important things that's why all other furnitures are in our pending list... sigh.. Here are some of the pictures.. We're still planning to add more wall arts, change some accessories, lamps, rug for the dinette set, maybe a palm tree too, backsplash, and a curio.. you may not be familiar with a curio just find it from the pics below.. You may click on each pic for a larger view. And once it is in the larger view, another click to zoom it for a full screen view.

BEFORE



AFTER


BEFORE

AFTER






BEFORE


AFTER


CURIO - hoping to be added soon right beside the pantry cabinet... again this is our first choice but if not available will get a different one and hopefully with a lesser price.

What is pick up artist?

– This is an individual who has skills in meeting, attracting or seducing women. A person who can help men improve their romantic abilities with women using self-help and an understanding of social psychology. Whoa! I think men with problems in getting even just a single date should definitely need the help of the pick up artist. I believe these people exactly knew even the right and best way of how to text a girl because seriously, some men are being dumped just because of a dumb text. Women are not just into men’s looks but they also see if men are into books. I mean, man.. I.Q. and sense of humor, sometimes that's all it takes.

One wrong move, one shameful night.

Sell Your House

Just three steps in getting help to sell your house:

1> click this link
2> enter your zip code
3> submit

The Wedding Planner is my favorite chick flick

Post contributed by Toni Jensen

My boyfriend bought me some DVD's for my birthday and I noticed one of them was the Wedding Planner. I always wanted to see this movie and never made time.

I made some popcorn for us as he popped it into the DVD player so we could watch this chick flick on satellite tv! It was so funny and romantic at the same time. It was about a lonely wedding planner, played by Jennifer Lopez, that unknowingly falls for her client's fiance, played by Matthew Mcconnaughey. It got even funnier when Jennifer's self proclaimed fiance comes into the picture! He was a cutie! Midway through the movie, Jennifer decides that they should be professional about everything and she assured him she was only around to plan the wedding for him and his fiancee and nothing more would ever happen.

There were some definite funny moments in this movie and in the end, he decided he didn't want to marry his fiance. She didn't want to marry him either! He went looking for Jennifer before she went and married the self proclaimed fiance because he realized he loved her. He finds her where they first realized they had feelings for each other and you know the rest. I really love this film. My boyfriend said it's one of the funnier chick flicks he has seen on free satellite tv in California in awhile too. I recommend you see it at least once!

My heart’s in Philly

Guest post written by Rick Stalls

They say people will move mountains for love. Well, I just moved all my stuff, which still happens to be quite a big step.

My girlfriend’s job moved her from our Philly home to rural West Virginia. It sounded like a nightmare at first, but once I went with her to the town to look around it seemed really nice and decided that I would move with her, after all.

Before the move, I used my wildblue in PA to remind all of the editors at the publications to which I regularly contribute as a freelance writer that I was moving but would still be available for remote work. I write a lot about the local music scene but there are also musicians in West Virginia too that I’ve been writing about since the move.

When we moved out here we settled on using satelite internet West VA, which has been great for keeping up with my editors and getting feedback from them about my new subjects.

This sure isn’t Philly, but I can get used to the nonexistent traffic here.

Finding the Love From the Gloves

I’ve been trying to salvage the green in the front yard. Weeds and dried grass are noticeable. I tried using fertilizers, weed killers and grass seeds. I also set the water sprinklers to be on twice a day considering how hot it is during mid day. I bought a lot of things from the hardware store that will make everybody think I’m genuinely serious of what I’m doing. There, I got hedge scissors, water hose, a couple of trowels, pairs of gloves, boots, grass trimmer, blower, lawn mower and fertilizer spreader. I’m not good in gardening and all these equipments seems new to me. I know it because when I use each one of them, it is either I made an operation mistake or used it in its not supposed function.

The worse are getting my hands pricked and feeling the weeds sap when I pulled and wrestle with those annoying weeds. I realized right there and then why the gloves I bought were on sale. That clearly explains its unbelievable price. Why did I fall on that again? I hate it when I thought that I got a good bargain and saved money then little I know that it comes with a big compromise – the quality. What a waste! Now I need to get a new one but this time I’ve learned my lesson, no more cheap gloves but instead a real work gloves. I wonder if electrical gloves will work better in gardening. I may have more funny stories to tell in this experience. I’ll give you updates of what this green project of mine will look like soon.