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Dealing with weight... a story of gain and loss

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living on a budget

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Ana White white wood plans

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How do schedules affect our daily lives?

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Which is easier to teach?

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Military moves don't have to be the worst!

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Christmas tree hazards

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Is the internet making kids dumber

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Oreck Touch Bagless Vacuum - Product Review

You would have thought I hung the moon! And if you didn't know... I did! On a trip to +Best Buy today I got to see all the new +Samsung USA Televisions and boy-howdy was that tough! Like letting a girl choose chocolate; you'll be there all day! Anyway, As I was extracted from the TV department much like an American POW we skirted the perimeter of the store where I found the Clearance Section. Come on, guys, help me out here... this is the full-price-for-the-poor-man Mecca! Naturally, after spending at least 30 minutes talking about the new +Samsung Galaxy Note 3 with the Samsung folks and almost an hour looking at TVs, no one on my 6-man firing team wanted to watch daddy wander another section of ANY store. Honestly, I wish I had a picture of it. Kids - "Where's Daddy going?" Mom - UGH! "Come on, daddy's lost in the clearance section, again." Me - "I'm not lost. Look! Bargains!" I can tell you that I was disappointed that it was nothing like +Bed Bath & Beyond's "Beyond" section but I came out the winner here. I picked up the +Oreck Corporation's newest bagless upright for $157 out the door. You can see here that it retails for almost $400 but since it didn't have a box, well, poor me. This review is kind of a big deal since we've gone through countless vacuums and haven't found one that DOES suck! (as opposed to doesn't, see what I did there?) And I know that mom's aren't the only ones doing the floors so I hope there are some men out there that can appreciate a product that is worth what you pay for it, even at full-price. We got home and after a quick operational check this thing sailed around the living room and went from carpet to tile with ease. Here's the neat part; when transitioning from carpet to tile (and vice-versa) you typically have to stop, turn a dial or make other height-adjustments, resume vacuuming, and then chase all the little pieces around that the spinning brush sends under the stove or fridge. And let's be honest, you only REALLY get those dropped cheerios after they land on the transition piece to the carpet. Well, how about this little gem has a thumb button for the on/off AND the roller-brush. That's right, once you roll from carpet to tile, or anytime for that matter, you can thumb the little "roller" button and vacuum your carpet without beating it up if you like or roll straight into the kitchen without stopping. Yes, I am impressed. We haven't gotten into the $600 +Dyson world yet because we're not millionaires! Come on! Seriously?! I wouldn't have bought this one if it wasn't $157 but I CAN tell you that it's worth the $400 retail price tag on it. I don't have $400 either but, hey, who's judging here? Another nice thing about this vac that is often duplicated by many other companies is the dirt release part of the bagless models. On other models we've purchased you had to reach down with your hand and un-latch the trap door on the bottom to empty it and get "yuck" on your hands in the mean time; or even when you close and latch it. This one, like it's Dyson counterpart, has a top-mounted handle and rear-mounted trap-door lever that also closes the door so you never have to bend down except to grab the handle to empty it. Another nice thing is the insane amount of cord! Holy mackerel! I've had to move to no less than three different outlets just to do the down stairs before but not with this baby! Ergonomically this was an alright unit as well. I'm right at 6 foot 3 and I didn't have to stoop over to push this around. Speaking of its weight, it's noticeably lighter but not by much. But, since it is considerably easier to maneuver it feels lighter and won't have you cussing the architect that put your furniture in the wrong spot. Oh wait, that was you that wanted to get a three-piece couch with three-hundred cushions... never mind. So what do we have:

I practically stole it from Best Buy.

Check those hidden corners of the store, look for ads

Seamless and literally non-stop transitioning from carpet to tile to carpet

Thumb button on/off for roller AND unit power

Emptying the container

Quick release handle opens and closes trap door for a "clean getaway"

Power Cord length

Covered the entire down-stairs without re-plugging

Attachments

Hose-handle is ergonomic and releases for quick cleaning and easy re-attaching

Weight and Use

Comparable weight but considerably easier to use

Reportedly MUCH lighter than the Dyson

So the BAD news... If you check the reviews on the bottom of the Oreck site they have a common theme:

People with high-shedding pets complained about the cyclone "clogging" after multiple uses and having to manually empty.

To be fair, there are no follow up reviews of these people that purchased another vacuum to compare it to. 

Some complaints about the attachments not staying on.

I haven't had this problem and the "turn-and-click" attachments work fine for me

So there you have it. The good, the bad, and the honest. I hope you can purchase with confidence knowing that this product had been "TESTED".

#oreck #vacuum #dyson #bestbuy

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Guess Who Lost Another Tooth??

A few months ago I had posted the last time someone in this house had lost a tooth and guess what, she lost another one! Last time her older sister was giving her a hard time about the tooth fairy not being real. If "last time's" letter wasn't enough check this one out... Yes, I... er, the tooth fairy had a great time in fairy land and the only way that "she" could exist is if little people believe in "her." Unfortunately, I was laughing so hard that my wife had to field this one. If she wasn't such a wonderful artist she wouldn't have been able to squeeze out a poorly-scrawled image of something. However, even this simple task wouldn't have been possible if Ava hadn't have left four different colored crayons in the bag with the tooth and the note. Fortunately she didn't ask anymore questions like she did last time. +What Does the Tooth Fairy Do With Our Teeth?, etc... She got away with $2 this time so she's up to $21 now. I think she's planning on buying a house by the time her molars come in.

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Burger King at MacDill - Restaurant Review

I know that many people don't +Urbanspoon their +BURGER KING visit however, this one needed it. I walked in and needed to wash up since I had just left the gym and didn't want to handle what was expected to be a wonderful dinner, with nasty "gym-hands." After entering the restroom and treading across the shredded and strewn paper towels I navigated my way to the sink. A few pumps of the soap dispenser revealed one of two things: either everyone is a hand-washing freak and used all the soap or no one is washing their hands and I'd better be VERY hungry. Well, hungry I was and to the cashier I went. The order went well and the wait wasn't terrible but I should've left when there was as much food on the floor as their was on my tray. The neat trick they do now using the narrow fry "tray" is pretty neat, too. Instead of filling it up they take what looks like a medium and dump it on its side so the fries take up the tray. Well played BK. Tell you what though, how 'bout if I never visit your store again. I figured my nearly year-long absence was enough but, no... So long Fatty-King!

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Veteran's Day 2013

As Veteran's Day 2013 approaches I am most certainly grateful for the service of our fore-fathers as well as my own ancestors. Don't forget to get your poppies from your local +Veterans of Foreign Wars and listen to the stories of your remaining WW2 vets. As I was attending a function this weekend I was sitting next to an older man and we started to talk about our occupations. He is a shorter man, but most people are shorter than me anyway, and he had a hobble to him supported by a cane that he had found in the park; it was a contractors wooden flag post since he had forgotten his at home. I asked him what the park we were at was used for during Florida's "winter" and he said they were expecting almost 200 rigs next week. "Rigs" are apparently the term for RV's and their occupants are "snow-birds"... silly me. Anyway, we began talking about how he and his wife of 45-years traveled the country after he retired until her passing and their vast RV-ing experience and his recommendations. By the way, he recommends a motor-home based on the fact that if it's raining outside you can simply back into your spot and setup later. Trailers would require you to get soaked just to setup. Again, a wealth of knowledge! After her passing he moved into the park and began work as a maintenance man there. Interesting story, but what did he retire from, you ask? Yes, what DID he retire from? So, I asked! He was a "flyer". What did he fly? He was a gunner on the TBM Grumman. Taking into consideration his appearance, guess-timated age, flying status, and reluctance to discuss his prior occupation, I could tell this guy had something pretty-stinkin'-awesome about him. I accessed my brain's vast aviation knowledge and recalled the Grumman name and asked him when he flew. He said he was a gunner in the TBM, not TBF, Grumman during WW2. He participated in the D-Day invasion and after they liberated France his group was sent to the Pacific. He was at Iwo Jima when they bombed and shelled the island to soften it for the ensuing invasion force of Marines. Shortly after that his group got orders that they would be "heading up North" but they couldn't tell them where. Turns out he was on Okinawa shortly after we dropped "the bomb"s on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. That was all... He didn't provide much more detail than that and as a budding psychologist I could tell the recollection of events was beginning to "shake" him. I asked him if his group was aware of the horrors of the Pacific or if they were so concerned with their own war that they had no idea of the atrocities. He said the DID know and many of them were immediately "affected". I could only imagine. Stories like this and many more are passing at a rate of 600 per day. Make sure to shake a vet's hand whether you support "war" or not and remember that freedom is not a "right". It is fought for and defended by less than 1% of the population. You can show your respect for these warriors, past and present, by supporting the various organizations that represent them when they no longer can; especially our latest generation of Wounded Warriors that suffer long-lasting and even hidden wounds. Organizations such as  +Carry TheLoad, the +Veterans of Foreign Wars, The +American Legion, +USO, +American Red Cross, and #WoundedWarriorProject, just to name a few, are outstanding supporters of our Veterans. When considering a list of charitable organizations to donate to you can check them out at +Charity Navigator who rates each organization and evaluates their actual donor status. This Veteran's Day there are several local businesses that will be demonstrating their unparalleled support by giving free meals and/or discounted services. A thorough list of these businesses can be found by clicking here. Other businesses that are supporting specific charities, such as +On The Border, have flyers that you will need to print out to receive credit. #veteransday, #veteransday2013, #CarryTheLoad, #VFW, #RV, #snowbirds, #DDay, #IwoJima, #Marines, #USMC, #veterans, #USO, #AmericanRedCross

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How Was Halloween at Your House?

There I was, minding my own business when BAM! Russell from the movie UP is taking my order at +Taco Bell. Don't believe me?

UP -----> Other than that... the kids had a great time and I love living in a "clean" neighborhood! As hard as I tried I couldn't get my wife to let my son #vader her. If you don't know what #vadering is then you're way behind.

Never you mind the fair-skinned Native American.... he'll do what he wants! 

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Is Your Daughter Missing Her Peanuts?

The following conversation took place between my 10-year old daughter and 4-year old son. Apparently they were bathing together and well, this is what happened... Her: "Close your legs! I don't want to see your penis!" Him: "Why? I can see yours!" Her: "No, you can't because I don't have one!" Him: "That's 'cause God cut-ted off yours!" (notice the two-syllable emphasis on the past-tense of the verb 'cut'. It's not always what he says but how he says it that makes me wet my pants laughing.) Her: "No, He didn't!" Him: "Yes, He did! All the books even said that God cut-ted off your peanuts!" (Yes, peanuts) Her: "No, they don't, and no, He didn't!" Him: "...Well, I can still see your peanuts... because they are cut-ted off." Really though, what do you do here? Do you let the conversation take its natural course and see where it goes or do you step in and stop the bickering? In this case my wife was incapacitated by laughter and was unable to do anything but crawl to the phone and text me. #thingskidssay #mykidjustsaid +funny things my kids say 

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How to Glamp... Post-Action Report

Well, it wasn't ALL bad I suppose. I did notice that we over-packed, which is pretty par for us. This only added to the weight of pulling a 4,000-pound trailer with six people in a +Ford Expedition. Our mpg went down to 7.1 for a trip of less than 300 miles. We started with a full tank of gas and had to stop a little over half-way there to fill-up and arrive with just over a quarter-tank! Once at +Stone Mountain Park we parked the trailer at our site and immediately began Camp Glamp Setup.

We hooked up the electric and water while I ran lights and rugs. This trailer was a Palomino with dual pop-outs and all the amenities. After throwing out all the chairs and pop-up over the "dinner table" it was time to play. Overall a good time was had by all but here's what we learned:

We took lots of tips from the numerous +Glamping Out sites on the internet.

We wrote down food plans which we stuck to for the most part (we only missed one meal).

We over-accessorized our site and made it comfortable for living, hence the trailer.

We pre-planned as many of our activities as possible, i.e. purchased tickets online and "Googled" coupons before we went.

We stressed about everything BEFORE we went camping so that it was easier to enjoy the site rather than stress about tickets, food, activities once we arrived.

Finally, we let the kids be kids. 

Some notable mentions we learned were:

The Ford Expedition is an excellent vehicle however, not enough to pull almost 5,000 lbs AND passengers much further than we did AND be cost effective.

The truck pulled fine up and down hills and kept up with traffic but for a vehicle with already "poor" mpg, (14 mpg avergage) this much weight just made the overall costs of camping equal to a luxury hotel. The trailer was $80/day, partial hook-up site was $38/day, two tanks of gas to get there was $90/tank...

When camping/glamping/or otherwise accessorizing, decide whether you plan on being at the site or off somewhere else the entire day.

It was honestly pointless to bring anything more than beds and a grill since we were off-site 90% of every day we were there. While we WERE there, the internet research helped out a lot. One thing that WASN'T noted on any sites was the invaluable resource of 550-cord or paracord. It's an amazing resource for any situation.

The kids had fun, no one got hurt, and we'll be doing it again next year.

#ford, #expedition, #fordexpedition, #smhg, #stonemountaingames, #ridetheducks, #glamping, #camping, #familycamping, #campingwithkids, #paracord, #550cord