My daughter

Written by Fermin Washington

My daughter is one of the most active teenage girls I think I’ve ever seen, and she stays in really good shape. I’m really envious of how naturally athletic she is but I think it’s great she’s got such a productive, healthy habit. I hope she continues to play sports well into her adult life! Last year we got Internet at home from CLEARWIRELESSINTERNET.NET so I’ve been doing some research on how we could use her love of sports to help her make more friends and even score college scholarships. She’s already a varsity athlete at her school so she’s definitely got a good shot of getting in somewhere on scholarship. I think she’s best at swimming but she’s really partial to her cross country team, although she tends to just hang out with the same girls all the time. I’m thinking of having her sign up for an intramural league here in town so she can meet some new people and you never know, maybe she’ll find her next sports “calling” that she can sell to a college!

Motorcycle boots with kick

Guest post written by Val Neil

I never really used to wear boots unless it was snowing outside until a few years back. I just thought they would be way too much trouble to style and thought I would never be able to wear them with casual things. Boy was I wrong. I have about eight pairs now and wear boots probably about 5 days a week. I just love them in winter because you can tuck skinny jeans into them and leave the house with a sweatshirt on and instantly look way more chic that you did a few minutes before. But I just recently found a pair of motorcycle ones that I like.

I had put off buying some motorcycle boots for a while because I thought I would look a little bit ridiculous in them. But then I saw a picture of my sister wearing some with jeans and a sweater while I was on Facebook at home with my Hughes Net. Then I just had to have a pair of my own.

Luckily when I decided that it was right in the swing of holiday sales, so I got a pair for a pretty good discount. Yes, I know that it's a little silly to rave about them after a month, but I can't stop wearing them!

Knitting Food Art

Thanks to Darwin Barton

When I first started knitting, I knitted the basic things such as socks and caps and mittens or doilies. After years of honing my craft, I am now knitting on an advanced level and am creating still food pieces with my knitting. Much the same way a painter paints still life food I am creating the same art in a knitted fashion. I like to watch satellite TV from CannonSatellite.com to take a break from knitting and let my mind and fingers pause from the work before I continue on with creating these artistic pieces.

In the past month I have knitted bananas and bowls of fruit such as pears and apples. I have knitted hanging grapes and gifted them to a friend whose kitchen is decorated in wine and grape accessories. She loved them! I have also enjoyed knitting large loaves of rustic, old-fashioned looking loaves of French bread. All these food pieces I have knitted have really made my kitchen come alive and have given it a unique appeal and charm. I enjoy also knitting wine bottle holders as a simple but charming accessory for gifts to give to friends.

New Year's reunion party

Guest post written by Mike Richardson

For months now, my old college buddies and I have been saying that we should get together to catch up and party a little bit. Well, I told them that we actually needed to act on our wishes and they're all coming over to my house for a New Year's Eve bash that they'll never forget. We all stayed pretty close to our alma mater, so that's likely and reasonable for all of them to actually come over for a party.

But, I don't really know hardly anything about throwing a party that doesn't include a keg, so my girlfriend and I have been using our Direct TV Internet to look up all kinds of stuff to make and do for it. I'm going to make my mean cheese queso dip, which is one of the only things that I can cook. (I'm kind of famous for it.) She's going to pick up some stuff from the bakery at the grocery store and also put together some other snacks for it.

I'm just hoping that this party is better than the New Year's that my brother threw last year because after he begged me to come to it, it was kind of a disappointment.

Fiesta Bowl Bound!

Contributed by Maria Ruiz

Jennifer and I wanted to take the kids somewhere fun this January. We thought about going whitewater rafting but ended up deciding on going to a college football bowl game. Since we did not want to leave Arizona our choices were the Insight Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl, or the National Championship Game. Rather than get mixed up in all the fuss of a championship game, we figured a good way to bring in the New Year would be to watch Connecticut and Oklahoma duke it out in Glendale, AZ. Jennifer thinks that we should take the motor home but I am more apt to want to stay in a Holiday Inn or a Super 8 so that we can save the money for our trip to Las Vegas in March. Neither of us are too partial one way or the other about who should win but since Latka is our beautiful Husky dog, the kids want Connecticut to win. Before we head out for the game, we really should set our home alarm from BestHomeSecurity.com. My main excitement since getting the Fiesta Bowl tickets in the mail has been the prospect of being able to enjoy some tailgate action with Tim, Joe, and Chad. They are huge Oklahoma fans and have been for the last fifteen years. All in all, I think the trip will be fun.

A Great Family Holiday Activity

Written by Fermin Washington

Christmas is filled with great opportunities to spend time with the people we love. The holiday also brings wonderful smells to the air and beautiful arrays of decorations and lights to the night's atmosphere. Going to look at Christmas lights in the area is a great activity to do with the family.

This year is the very first year we are all going to be able to look at the holiday displays together. Every other year we have planned to go, something seems to come up like work or the flu. This year though, everyone is going to get the chance to see the great christmas lights in our neighborhood and it's about time! This year's exciting line-up includes a lot of movie inspired displays and great classic displays with reindeer on the roofs. I even heard rumors of a neon Santa Claus!

Tomorrow is the night and we are all excited and ready to go. The only thing we really need to do is make sure to dress warm and make sure to set the home alarm from securitychoice.com before we leave. I'm sure we're going to be cold when we are all done so I plan on making a really warm home cooked meal for dinner when we get back, and I made sure to stock up on plenty of hot cocoa too.

Looking at holiday lights and decrorations is a great way to get the family together and share a special moment during the Christmas season. I look forward to doing this great holiday family activity again next year. Maybe we'll invite some friends to come share the experience with us as well.

A Seasonal Flip-Flop

Guest post written by Will McCraw

Living in Houston has been a big change after living in Vermont for 10 years. Things are so much busier here, and I am definitely not used to the traffic patterns. However, there are some great things about living down here in Texas, and IÕm glad that I made the decision to come down this way. This is my first winter in Texas, and itÕs definitely more bearable than the winters in the northeast. IÕve actually been glad for the cooler temperatures that IÕve been experience lately. While the winters are really harsh where I am from, I am finding that the summers are very harsh down here! The heat is often times smoldering and itÕs taken a little bit to get used to. The key is to have an excellent cooling system in house. Otherwise, it can be pretty unbearable.

While itÕs cooler, I am going to make an investment in a new cooling system so that when summer comes back around, IÕll be ready this time. I decided to browse for Houston Sears Home Improvement sites, and I think IÕve really found some good options for the New Year!

Holiday Season Brings Fun, As Well as Some Danger

I appreciate the guest post, Jewel Rodgers

Of course the Holidays are the most wonderful time of the year. You get to be with the ones you love and just relax and enjoy the day in a way that seems uniquely set for the fall and winter. Christmas time means that you get more time off, more really great presents and of course some fantastic food and drink. It is here that you need to be careful that when you drink you do not drink too much or make sure you know you have a ride home. Safety and security is also a big part of the holiday season because no one wants to spend their thanksgiving night visiting you at the hospital or even worse.

Practicing a few nice safety tips like making sure that if you are planning to go out of town for the holidays it isn't quite so obvious that you have vacated the premises. Sadly this is also a huge point in time for burglars who know that there are plenty of houses that have no one in them around the holidays. Whenever I leave my house over the holiday season, even if it is only for a couple of hours, I make sure and set myhome alarm systems. This way I know that no matter how short a time I'm out and about, everything and everyone I love are safe and secure.

Christmas Vacation

Thanks to Darwin Barton

I love to watch Christmas movies during the holiday season. Despite the fact that the entire house is decorated and all of the stores are crowded, I still need a little extra to get me into the holiday mood. One of my favorite non-animated movies is National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. One of my coworkers actually recommended this movie to me and I was a little hesitant. There's been incidences where my coworker recommends a movie and I didn't like it. I guess you could say we have different tastes in films. But I actually watched this movie and really enjoyed it.

This movie is about a man and his family during the holiday vacation. His cousin comes to visit and they bring their dogs and their trailer and camp out in the front yard. It's really hysterical. My favorite part was definitely when the squirrel is in the Christmas tree. It goes running all over the house and the family is terrified of the little critter. I love catching this particular Christmas movie on Direct TV when I get a chance to watch it. My Christmas is never complete now, when I don't watch Christmas Vacation. I have to give my coworker credit for picking out a really fun and hysterical movie to watch. In fact, I've even purchased it on DVD and have given it as a gift to him.

A New Tradition

The Author of this post is Solomon Dejesus

This year will be my first year buying a Christmas tree on my own.

In the middle of summer, I moved a few states away from my parents and, since I can't afford to get back there this Christmas, I will be spending the holiday by myself.

I have never been without a Christmas tree, however, and I am not going without one this year, either. So, I have made plans to go out tree shopping, once the Thanksgiving holiday has passed.

A friend told me of a place to pick one up, if I want to do a live tree. I am not sure if I will do that, yet. Having a small artificial tree has advantages, especially when one lives alone. I could get one of those that already has the lights hooked up; all you have to do is plug it in and turn it on.

There are a few places around here that sell both live and artificial ones, so I guess I will just have to set myHome Security Systems and go look at all of them.

It'll be a little different for me this year, but maybe I start traditions of my own by inviting friends over to decorate.

That way, even if it is different, it will still be a great Christmas holiday.

Skiing in Stratton Vermont

Written by my friend Dong Wood

One of my closest friends has a family ski home in Stratton Vermont. Each year I sit and wait excitedly for the weekend that he will invite me to go skiing with him. The Green Mountains of Vermont is to me one of the world's most beautiful spots and it is truly a magnificent place to ski and visit in the winter time.

As I pack up my bags and car and get ready for the long drive to Vermont, I think of the mountains that await me. Stratton has 92 trails so there is skiing for beginners all the way to world class experts. Then I think of the wonderful village and the great shopping and restaurants, as well as clubs and bars. Its amazing that I don't wind up forgetting everything in my haste to get there, even remembering to stop and lock up my house and set my security alarm from www.TotalAlarmsystems.com/.

Eventually I do get to Stratton, and find all the great skiing and other activities. Last year I made sure I hit the tubing park and tried some cross country skiing as well. What a totally different experience that was. This year I'd love to try snowshoeing, it seems like it would be a great way to see some of the mountain's beauty.

Christmas Tree Shopping With Dad

Written by my friend Roosevelt Spence

My dad is really great at finding the perfect Christmas tree.

We always go out to this store he found years ago. They have both live and artificial trees, but Dad always gets a live one. He says the fake trees always get messed up when you store them. I don't know much about that, but I do know that every Christmas, we have had the best tree in the neighborhood; I guess Dad knows what he is talking about.

I enjoy going with him to look for a tree; we make a day of it. He'll set the home security alarm from CLICK and we go to a really nice restaurant to have some lunch. I love the sandwiches they serve there. Then we head to the tree place, where he will look over every single tree they have.

He takes his time looking at the branches, shaking them to see if any needles fall off. He says that every tree has what he calls a “dead spot,” the side of the tree that the branches are not as full. He's also really good about telling which trees will last the season.

We're already making plans to go again this year. I think I am looking forward to one of those sandwiches the most.

Kiefer Sutherland

Guest post written by my buddy Fidel Hernandez

Most kids imagine getting tucked in by their parents. I imagined getting tucked in by Jack Bauer, played by Kiefer Sutherland. Jack is the most courageous character in recent television memory. Thanks to Directtv DVR packages, I've never had to miss an episode of 24.

Jack is a member of CTU, the Counter Terrorist Unit in Los Angeles. While he displays an extraordinarily selfless commitment to his country, his family is what he holds most dear to his heart. He lost his wife when a woman he trusted, Nina Myers, killed her. With his wife gone, his daughter Kim means everything to him and he tries his best to protect her. She isn't always very receptive but she knows that his intentions are only the best.

Jack's main claim to fame, however, is his devotion to his country. He has routinely put his life in harm's way so that his country can go on. He has protected the President of the United States and put a later president in his place when it is shown that he is corrupt, namely when he OK'd the killing of the very president that Jack risked his life for. Jack Bauer is my favorite character because of his determination and selflessness.

Skirting around the Christmas tree

Guest post written by Erin Hartman

Our family is pretty big, so we need a big tree to put all of our presents underneath and a big tree skirt to protect them from the floor too. Christmas tree skirts in our house have to be pretty sturdy too because between the grandkids and our dogs, it gets a whole lot of traffic even when it's not piled up with presents.

I decided that I wanted to get a new Christmas tree skirt for this year and thought that I would go online and find a new one. So while I was online looking for a new one to order and buy for our tree, I saw some Wireless Internet specials and after looking more closely at them, decided to switch over my internet service to that company.

Well, I think that I found the biggest Christmas tree skirt that I had ever seen in my life online and it's even made out of canvas. But it's still really pretty, even though it's made out of that really sturdy material.

Thanksgiving With the Folks

Posted by Ambrose Mills

It has been a tradition for many years now to enjoy our Thanksgiving day with my parents. We will go to their house early in the day so I can help my mom with all the cooking that will occur. We not only have ham and turkey, but there are also about a dozen side dishes plus many desserts. We make so much because we have a pretty big family and we want to make sure everyone has plenty to eat. Along with the traditional side dishes such as mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and cranberries, we also have some newer ones that we have started to serve annually. My favorite one is the zucchini and broccoli salad. While it might not sound appetizing in black and white, it is one of the most scrumptious dishes I've ever tasted.

While we cook and catch up, we usually have the radio on. This is the day when our local radio station starts playing Christmas tunes, so we all get pretty excited by that and sing along with our favorites. Everyone is in high spirits by the time we are ready to serve. There can be as few as ten of us there or as many as thirty people. We all just crowd around where ever there's a spot. After a nice meal and the dreaded cleanup, we are all exhausted but still excited because of what comes next. We all gather in the living room and turn on the Cable Packages so we can watch some football. We all need three hours of just sitting there for all the food to settle!

The Good Earth

Guest written by our friend Forrest Oneal

Only a few of the beans did Wang Lung hide in his own hand and these he put into his own mouth and he chewed them into a soft pulp and then putting his lips to the lips of his daughter he pushed into her mouth the food, and watching her small lips move, he felt himself fed.”

The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck, was probably the first adult book I ever read. Buck grew up a child of missionaries in China. She spoke both Chinese and English fluently. I even found the movie, based on the book, one time when I was watching direct tv. Basically, the story is about a Chinese farmer, Wang Lung, during the reign of the last emperor of China. One of the overall important themes of the story is about how people react to cultural change. Even though the characters seem like ordinary people of the time, it is the flaws of ordinary people that create a great learning experience for the characters and the reader. Ms. Bucks style of writing is so that you forget you are reading English and not Chinese. I once stood before a bookstore window where books were displayed with a sign overhead that read, Banned Books.Banning a book is akin to burning a book, in my judgment.

My Dad's favorite for Thanksgiving

Guest post written by Ron Bryant

This has been a pretty tough year for my Dad because he was in a car accident and it's caused him a lot of health problems. So I think it's especially important to him that he really enjoys all of the holidays thsi year. We're all going to his house for Thanksgiving to make it easier on him so he won't have to travel, but I told him not to worry about any of the cooking because we would all handle that.

Somehow, I got in charge of planning who's going to bring what, so Iv'e been constantly emailing everyone and finding out the final head count. When I was doing that one day I was surfing on the internet and came across the site www.clear-internet.com. After giving it a read through a few times, I changed over our internet service ot it because we've been having problems with our old provider for a while.

One thing that I'm bringing is cherry cobbler because IÕm kidn of famous for it.

St. Louis Blues

The article written by Landon Gilbert

I've been following this team for years and am not going to stop now - even with the departures of Keith Tkachuk and Paul Kariya, I believe that this team can challenge for a playoff spot this year. A lot rest on the young core of the Blues to step up and take ownership of this team. I'm especially high on Erik Johnson and T.J. Oshie to have great years.

Oshie is a 23 year old Center with an incredible feel for the game and great play making skills. Paired on the line with 24 year old Right Winger Matt D'Agostini and 22 year old Left Winger David Perron, these three may be the best young line in the entire National Hockey League. It is easily the best line that I've seen this team have and it is not even close.

Meanwhile, Johnson leads one of the best defensive units in the league. The Blues are usually ranked in the upper echelons of most defensive statistical categories and are backed up by goalies Ty Conklin and Jaroslav Harak. With all this young talent, it is up to head coach, Davis Payne to mold this team together. Payne is also a newbie having taken over midseason last year.

I'm so pumped up for this year that I shelled out some extra cash so I can watch the Blues in High Definition on my direct tv hd dvr.

Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium

Posted by Dorian Compton

There is a new aquarium exhibit at the Pittsburgh Zoo. In fact, the zoo is now called the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium instead of just the Pittsburgh Zoo. The “PPG” is for Pittsburgh Paint and Glass. Glass is a big feature of the new aquarium. There is a tunnel that visitors can walk through that goes right under the huge tank where the Polar bears swim. The tunnel is made of glass. Visitors can get an up close and personal view of the Polar bears in actions underwater.

I thought the zoo was fun even before the new aquarium was installed. I liked it that I could feed peanuts to the elephants when they were in their shelter facility. I'm telling you, it is a weird feeling having that dextrous trunk pick up peanuts from the palm of your hand knowing that the same trunk is capable of smacking an 800 pound tiger against a tree. Whoever said the lion was the king of the jungle must have never met an elephant.

My wife and I have been to the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium several times. It's not that far away so we just set the home security alarm (DC ADT security offers) and head on over to Butler Street. The exhibits are educational and inspiring. Just to know that there is such a diversity of species in existence on our planet shows us the wonder of creation. The kids are absolutely awestruck at being able to see the animals of both their dreams and nightmares so up close.

The Secret Show: I Love This Cartoon

The Author of this post is Rolando Dickerson

I watch a lot of television, but because of my age you might never believe the kind of thing I'm hooked on: cartoons. There are a lot of them, and they're on every day. If I had to choose a particular show that I like the most, though, I would have to go with The Secret Show.

It's a pretty funny show. Our main characters, Victor Volt and Anita Knight, are always getting into silly situations because of their super spy careers; some of these are through the fault of Victor, because he's not too bright. Even when Anita warns him not to touch something, he'll still touch it. Although she does find him annoying sometimes, I do believe they are friends. In fact, I hope they get together someday, in the romantic sense.

The animation, I believe, is done in Flash. But it's not tacky; actually, it's produced quite well. The animation is smooth and stylized. I believe it's supposed to look retro somehow, and it works. Aside from the animation, the music used in the episodes is great, and quite catchy. You'll find yourself wanting to dance around with Victor and Anita, or at least put the songs on your mp3 player.

I usually watch this show through direct tv hd dvr, when I find the time. If you're looking for something fun and a little different from other kids programs, check it out.