Will you flake on your New Year's resolution?

Oh how I love it when people talk about New Year's resolutions. As someone who is fascinated by people, I love to hear all the excuses people come up with for either not following through with their resolution or worse, not even coming up with at least one. Don't get me wrong; I don't judge someone seriously by these, as by-in-large they are meaningless, but quite frankly, resolutions may be the only thing of substance to this holiday. Now I'm not going to lie, I've rarely been successful in my resolution attempts, but I do give it a shot because it's fun and given that I'm a competitive and goal oriented by nature, it's just another way to make things interesting. And if I make one and it doesn't work out, well at least I can say that I tried. So what are mine for 2008? Well, I haven't come up with a complete list as of yet, but I have three thus far, at least two of which I'm going to take quite seriously: I resolve to lose 35 pounds and keep it off this time. I resolve to improve my performance at work and do the best I can each day. And finally, I resolve to end the ski season having logged 80 days on snow this season. This may include some hike-to-ski days in the spring. So there are mine. Don't cop out this year and make your own list; you have absolutely nothing to lose by doing so.

Book your next trip with Hotelreservations.com

One of my favorite times of the year is when I begin to plan the details of forthcoming vacations. There’s nothing quite like the excitement of getting the plans together and making those first hotel reservations, which are sort of the first signs that the vacation reality is coming to a tangible fruition. And if you’re at all like me, you know that there are dozens of vacations sites out there that offer a wide array of services. Having tried and used my fair share of them, I often find myself pointing my browser to Hotelreservations.com to check out their prices on hotels, car rentals, and even resort information.
When is comes to finding the right hotel, this site can’t be beat. They even offer a $100 rebate if you book with them and then you do find someone that beats their price. One of the best parts of their online hotel booking is that their webpage lists hotels by country and offers listings for no less than nine countries, which are just a click away. And although they are an online site, there is an 800 number right on the page if three is a hotel or location you’re looking for that is not directly accessible from the main page, you can call one of their customer service representatives for help.
Aside from hotel and resort discounts, Hotelreservations.com offers so much more than other discount travel sites. One of my favorites is the ability to search for, and book condo rentals around the world. Whether you want to go on a ski vacation in Europe or are looking for a nice condo on the beach in Hawaii, their global map has links to hundreds of listing and prices available on the spot. So the next time you’re looking for a car rental, hotel reservation, or even want to book a trip as a group, log on to Hotelreservations.com to take care of all your travel needs.

Check out Magicholdem.com to beat the poker odds!

More and more people are turning to the internet to play card games, and as you might expect, it’s not all for fun. Sure playing the game is meant to be fun, but most folks like to throw a few bucks into the mix to make it a little more interesting. Some win and get out, while others play until they lose their money, but for those who want to play longer and win more, it’s a good idea to learn to play your best if you’ve got money on the line. And while you might be a holdem stud, it never hurts to learn what choices you make with a given hand of cards have the best poker odds. Magicholdem.com has more than 80,000 users who log on to use their unique poker calculator to make sure they make the right decision when money’s on the line. Magicholdem.com is a great site that’s easy to use and offers a free trail download to new users. The site shows players how the holdem calculator works and can work for them and if you’ve got any questions, technical support is only a click away. If you’re in the game, you owe to yourself to check the site out before making your next bet.

Congrats to Tom Brady and Co.

I'm obviously not the first to mention the fact that late last night New England quarterback threw for his record setting 50th touchdown pass of the season, breaking the mere two-year-old record previously set by Peyton Manning, but I have some of my own thoughts on this achievement that might not be shared by others. After Manning broke the 20-year-old single season mark set by Miami Dolphins legend Dan Marino, this looked to be a mark that perhaps could only be broken by the one who had just broken it, but then there was the trade that sent Randy Moss from the Oakland Raiders to New England for a few pennies and pat on the back. Moss, who had become known more for his antics than his pro-bowl abilities, was thought to be all but washed-up and a risk to any team that would take him, but this isn't any old team and it's coach has always had a way of keeping guys in line. That said, Moss went on to break the single season for touchdown receptions, set by Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.
But I digress. Why? Because I don't really care about that record, albeit nice. Quite frankly, I didn't care about the Patriots winning every game this season. Yes, I've been a fan my whole life and would love to see another championship, but all this crap about team this and team that is getting old. Tom Brady has been a company man long enough and should get to enjoy this record. For years he's been racking up victories and while his last minute heroics may be second to none, the media darling has always been Peyton Manning. Whether the Patriots won every game of the decade, pundits would always praise Peyton Manning and if I were Brady, I'd be sick of it. I'm obviously not Brady and I'm sick of it. So yes, last night I really cared about seeing Tom Brady break that record. After two dropped passes in a row, it looked like Moss might not be up to the challenge and perhaps Brady would have to go to Wes Welker for the record, but then late in the forth quarter, Brady unleashed a Hail Mary on 3rd and 10 for a 65 yard touchdown completion, which gave both Brady and Moss their respective records. And while I don't care to say much about how lame it was listening to Bryant Gumble babble throughout the game, I would like to direct my attention for one last thought on a comment that he a Chris Collinsworth agreed upon nearing the end of the game. To paraphrase, they said that Brady didn't care about setting the single season mark and just wanted to win this game... Wake up guys! Tom Brady has as much pride as anyone and he has three Super bowl rings. To put it bluntly, Tom Brady wanted nothing more than to get that record and hats off to him for making his mark.

Do you want to win a Wii?

If you’re at all like me, you still have an old Super Nintendo game console because all the new technology in gaming is just too confusing to keep up with, but to be honest I’ve actually heard that this form of entertainment is not longer just for the youth. Nintendo’s new Wii has several games that involve live action and have been appealing to a much larger age demographics than previous systems. That doesn’t mean that I’m gonna run out and buy one, but I wouldn’t mind winning one, and now there’s a chance for you to, as well. Just be one of the first people to have 1000 new members sign up at myndnet.com and one of these sweet Nintendo’s can be yours from their Myndnet Wii Contest.

Yep, I want to see some records get broken

We all hold aged sports records so dear to us, but after one has been broken, we seem to long for it to happen again and again. We only need to look back to the late 1990's with the home run pursuit in baseball to see how invigorated fans were by the multiple chases going on. Granted, there is a little controversy behind those to say the least, but the fan reaction was amazing. I may not have been a fan of Sammy Sosa or Mark McGuire, but I was into those chases and loved seeing the fan reactions. As for Barry Bonds, I'll just leave that topic alone 'cause getting sick isn't my top priority for the day, but regardless of scandals and this and that, we all love to see records get broken. In my case, any records held by Peyton Manning needs to be broken, and fast. While Dan Marino held on to the single season touchdown record for over 20 years, it looks like Manning's grasp will over last a little over 2 as the Patriots, led by Tom Brady will take on the New York Giants this weekend. Brady is one touchdown pass short of tying the record and two of breaking it. The likelihood of this not happening Saturday night is remote and for all of us Manning haters, it couldn't come soon enough. And while I would like to see Randy Moss get the Rice record as well, for receiving touchdowns in a single season, I'm a little more ambivalent that this one. I'm sure it will happen, but quite frankly, Brady's my man.

Send eCards to support Marines Toys for Tots

Regardless of the time of year, supporting our troops overseas and their families is of paramount importance. While Christmas may be over, the Marines Toys for Tots Foundation continues to gather toys for families in need. Partnering with Month2Month.com eCards they have developed a program where with every eCard sent, a cash donation is made to Toys for Tots. Here's where to get the month2month free eCards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Marines Toys for Tots Needs Last Minute Help
Quantico, VA. December 21, 2007 / PR Newswire – The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is making a nationwide last minute appeal for more toys. Since time is critical as they go into their toy distribution phase this weekend the Foundation is encouraging people to make cash contributions because it allows them to purchase the toys they need to fill in gaps and match the remaining needs.
One novel way to get cash immediately into the hands of the Marines is to send lots of holiday eCards to everyone you know. Month2Month.com, a free eCard website has agreed to contribute up to $50,000 when their cards are sent and received.
Bill Grein, Vice President for Marines Toys for Tots, said: "Cash contributions are critical for us at this time because we can purchase the toys we need and can place them where they are needed most at the last minute. It will help us close a gap in many areas where the economy, toy recalls and even bad weather have caused us to come short of our goals so far. We urge everyone to take advantage of this wonderful offer from Month2Month."
John Aslanian, CEO of Month2Month.com said: "We are expecting to have 1 million cards sent in the next few days that could result in a contribution of up to $50,000. We know that for some the economy might be putting a crimp in their generosity. But what this can do is to save them the cost of buying cards and the postage. We are asking everyone to send these cards, even if they already sent other cards, to help make this a merry Christmas and happy holiday for many more needy children."

Month2Month.com cards are all produced by top-notch artists working in a loft studio just outside of New York City. The cards show great care in design and detail and often take weeks or months to complete. They are all professionally animated often requiring hundreds of frames to get the motion to look smooth and flowing. Month2Month.com is a privately held online greeting company founded in 2005. The site offers free high quality online greeting cards and can be found at http://www.month2month.com.
This year marks the 60th anniversary for the Toys for Tots tradition of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. In 2006, Toys for Tots delivered more than 19.2 million toys to over 7.6 million children.

CONTACT:

Bill Grein
Marine Toys for Tots
V: 703-640-9433
F: 703-640-0917
wjgrein@toysfortots.org
http://www.toysfortots.org

Steven Marcus
Month2Month.com
V: 914-933-2638
F: 501-325-9147
smarcus@month2month.com
http://www.month2month.com

The Maine Coast In Winter

In my humble opinion, all of Maine is special any time of year. The state is unique in that we have both 3000 plus miles of coastline and mountain ranges reaching to the clouds. While either is beautiful no matter what time of year you choose to visit, winter is most special in my book.
One of the most unique places in Maine is Camden. Located in Maine's mid-coast region, Camden is where the mountains literally meet the sea and for winter sports enthusiasts, it is home to the only ski area on the east coast where you can see the Atlantic Ocean from the trails. While the mountain is small by most standards, it has a classic New England feel and a homeyness about it that draws you in. Driving around town, the white colonials are lit up by outside floodlights and Christmas lights in the windows. Bayview Street and Route One are almost empty and the stark contrast from the hustle and bustle of the summer tourist surge makes for a feeling of peace and tranquility.

This evening, Jules and I will hop in the car and head up to my folks' place in Camden for a respite from the sometimes frantic weekends spent at the larger ski resorts.

Get prepared for your Real Estate 2008 exam

While many of us take industry courses and exams to help get ahead in the workplace and further our education in our field, many others professionals are required to take industry exams before they can even work. This is particularly the case in financial fields and real estate. And something that people often get caught on is that with these two fields, federal law varies the required information and testing from state to state. Why is that important? It’s simple, I can take the same insurance exam in Maine that I would take in Alaska, but if I’m taking a real estate exam and for one of my licenses and I’m from Maine and study for the one from Alaska, I’m going to be in trouble. While this may be a little overdramatic, it is for the most part true. Regardless of what state you live in, your 2008 AQB Appraisal Exam will be administered by either PSI, Experior, Promissor or AMP. To make sure you get as well-prepared as possible, you’ll want to get the best study program possible. While CompuCram’s practice test questions aren’t exactly the same as the one’s you’ll face on your appraisal exam, CompuCram is so sure you’ll pass the exam the first time with flying colors that they offer a 100% money-back guarantee. So before you sit down and cram with your plethora of books, get the software to really help you towards your career goals!

My time for vacation and the outdoors!

While millions of Americans scramble to get their vacation times in during the hottest of summer months or when the kids are off from school during the year, things move a little differently in my world. Yes, I did take a few days off over the summer and did go on a vacation with my significant other last year, but by-in-large, I tend to take my time off when others don't. I've been blessed to work for a company that provides ample time off and for most of that time, I spend gliding down what I consider to be a winter wonderland. And while I returned to work today, I spent a week and a half enjoying the great outdoors in Maine. Skiing 11 out of 12 days, I took a break to celebrate Christmas with my family. And yet I know full well that this sometimes selfish approach to time away from work will change when I have a family of my own, I feel that until that time, I should take my time doing the things I love - for the most part, that means skiing. Indeed, I was joined on the weekends by family and friends, but sometimes it's those times when I'm alone, gliding above the clouds, over freshly fallen snow, that I feel most at peace.

And while getting back to the office today was like having a bucket of freezing water dumped on my head, I put my nose to the grind with a little notion in the back of my mind that in less than two months, Jules and I will be off to Lake Tahoe for our second straight year - yes, we will be skiing in The Blue World.

Great calling rates - domestic and abroad

Whether you’re traveling across the country or across the Atlantic, calling home can be an expensive proposition. Typical cell phone plans don’t include international calling and would therefore open the door to huge charges to your monthly bill and calling from a hotel room is downright silly with the all the fees from the carriers to the hotels themselves. Getmecallingcards.com has the phone card that’s just right for you. You can choose from cards that are prepaid and non-rechargeable or pin less cards that fully rechargeable. Getmecallingcards.com has 459 different cards to suit your traveling and calling needs. So stop paying ludicrous charges from your hotel or dorm when calling home and check out the lowest priced cards in the business. Some of these actually offer cash back to ensure you get the best rate on every call.

The Mall Chronicles - Volume 2

I have to admit; I was just going to post this volume with two words – Chess King. Yes, the thought of some of you nostalgic folks spitting up your coffee in your office cubes made me chuckle bit, but I guess there are people out there that don’t know what Chess King was… or maybe is, depending on where you live. I know the dark and seemingly mysterious clothing store is o longer an occupant at the Maine Mall, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a couple stores that didn’t get the memo about the 21st century. Regardless of whether there still is a Chess King by you, I know many of you have had a good laugh at the expense of some poor guy that thought a one-inch wide leather tie was truly cool. Interestingly I have found that the spirit of Chess King is actually alive and well in our malls, sort of. No, I’m not going to review clothing stores or clothing stores. I admittedly know little about what is truly considered in style, so to speak, but apparently I know more than the poor guys who run the plethora of cell phone kiosks that dot the mall hallways. (I’ve get to this phenomena at a latter date as it deserves its’ own post) And whereas I don’t want to beat this topic to the ground, I want you all to think. I want you to take a look back to 1985 and try to think of how many shades of black, white, and gray there were. If those thoughts don’t make you think about Chess King just a little, well, I guess you weren’t as fortunate as the rest of us… Fortunate? Hmmm.

Check out Gammon World for great online backgammon

Although I consider myself a big fan of games of skill, I can’t always find someone to play with me. If you’ve ever tried to play Scrabble, chess, or backgammon on your own, you know it isn’t much fun, but I recently discover a really cool site where I can play backgammon online with people from all over the globe. Gammon World is a truly professional site with tons of information on the game, 24-hour support, and a wide range selection of http://www.gammon-world.com/tournaments.htm.

The First Step May Be The Canyon

While the medical community has increased its’ understanding and subsequent treatments for chemical dependency, it is still true that illnesses such as alcoholism and drug addiction have no cure. And while millions of Americans suffer from one or both of these illnesses, few seek treatment and fewer succeed. For some, it is the mere impossibility to admit that there is a problem, but for others, committing to a life long program of recovery is unfathomable. Whereas the former is only something that can be learned by the individual when the time is right, the latter is more an issue of taking that first step towards treatment. Twelve step programs and rehabilitation facilities can not be successful in helping to change the life of a suffering drug addict of alcoholic unless that person allows themselves to turned their life over to a different way of living. And if this sounds extremely difficult, that is because it is and no individual can begin the journey of recovery on their own. The important thing is to know that there is alcohol and drug treatment available to those willing to make the commitment.
Addiction treatment comes in many forms and what may work for one person may not work for another, but realistically, the more intense and direct approaches to treatment have the highest percentage of success. If you have one or both of these illnesses or know someone who wants help, The Canyon provides integrated residential inpatient and outpatient treatment to persons in need of drug rehab or alcohol rehab.

Putin named Time Magazine 'Person of The Year'

Each year, Time Magazine names a person or persons that are found to be so influential that they, in one way or another, demand public attention. The 2007 person of the year was announced today and while the nominees ranged from the beloved novelist J.K. Rowling to the extremely controversial Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It's important to note that the 'Person of the Year' is in no way a gauge of popularity and whereas this year's winner is seen as favorable by 70% of his fellow countrymen, Russian Vladimir Putin is definitely seen as controversial among Americans. Some political pundits fear that Putin represent a return to the old ways of the Soviet Union with rights activists criticize his hard line approaches, which have included the limitation on free speech. And while there is little doubt that Putin has seemingly brought Russian out of the dark depths of the 1990s, his direction for the country is unclear.

What to do when you get sensitive teeth

When I was younger, I admittedly didn’t appreciate the importance of routine dental visits and flossing daily. I suppose, like many others, I figured that if there was nothing wrong, why go to the dentist more the necessary? I’d go for a cleaning once a year, but it wasn’t till I was in my twenties that I had a cavity. With a subsequent filling, I was pretty much determined to stay away from anyone with a drill. After a few years without seeing the dentist regularly, I found myself with sensitive teeth. Although I was fairly convinced it was because I had food caught between my teeth that I could reach with floss, I soon learned that my one deep filling was gone, leaving one of my molars unprotected and susceptible to tooth decay.

While I booked an appointment with my dentist as soon as I could, there was quite a wait and I had done increasing damage to my gums by trying to floss away an issue that had nothing to do with my gums, but indeed that molar. While I tried to use topical pain relievers to dull the pain associated with eating things such as ice cream, the only thing that would cure the issue was to have the filling replaced and yet while I had to wait, I tried Biotene sensitive toothpaste. While Biotene may be best known for symptoms of dry mouth, it has an active ingredient that helps with the pain of sensitive teeth. Thankfully, I’ve seen my dentist, had the tooth repaired, and avoided a route canal, but more importantly, I’ve learned that keeping up with appointments is the best preventative measure.

Welcoming Back Winter In Maine

In all my travels through the years, I would often tell people that I'm from Maine and the first thing I would hear was, "Wow! It's really cold up there, isn't it?" I'd smile and explain the distinct 4 seasons that Maine offers, but also in the back of my head I'd be thinking that for quite a while, the snowy winters had been only a distant memory. While we have always received huge snowstorms in the latter months of winter and into spring, I have been sad to say that in Portland (along the coast) we haven't seen a 'White Christmas' since the Reagan administration. And that's sad quite frankly as Maine is supposed to be cold and snowy in the winter. I have often said that as long as it's wintry in the mountains, I don't care what it's like on the coast, but that really isn't the case. I love winter and I love the way Maine looks in the winter, especially the holiday season.
Jules and I just wrapped up a 4-day weekend at Sunday River. Having skied 3 days together, she ventured back to Portland this morning while I take the rest of the week off. This time last year, the resort was mostly dry with strips of white where the snow makers had left their mark, but we've already had a couple of substantial storms this month and the skiing has been the best in December in over a decade. After Sunday's nor'easter, we both had to shovel out our cars as 15 inches fell on this western Maine playground. And while it's entirely possible for the weather to change, if the temps remain cold, we'll ring in Christmas with a cover of white in every area of the state. To most, that may be insignificant, but to myself and my family, it brings an extra smile. Happy Holidays.

The Mitchell Report: Politics As Usual

Sports fans from around the country have been salivating for this day. With a budget of $20 million, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader, George Mitchell was hired by Major League Baseball to investigate steroid use among its' players. While names like Mark McGuire, Jason Giambi, Jose, Canseco, and Barry Bonds had been thrown around like candy out of a pinata over the past several years, most other players probably held out hope that their names wouldn't appear on what some have referred to as "The List." Surely, Roger Clemens and Miguel Tejada would have loved for this day to have come and gone without the new found fanfare that doesn't go along with signing autographs, but realistically, the list was small. Some 80 or so former and current players - 7 MVPs and 31 all-stars - were named in the 400 plus page report that covers the use and abuse of steroids in baseball. So what? What now?
If you listen to Mitchell; it's over. He was paid to compile a list of offenders so the national media would have something to talk about. Seriously? How can a sport really think they will clean up their image by producing such a high profile document with so many accusations and decide to just move on? Whereas I may not yet be a parent, but if I were, I'd be furious if I had a kid playing sports and watching as these players get a seemingly free pass. Wasn't part of the point to be made that if you break the law or cheat and get caught, you get punished? Isn't that what we try to teach young athletes?
Having followed Mitchell's career as a Mainer, I have great respect for the wonderful contributions he's made to our nation and others, but this is a joke. If anything, it is a time to take a stand. If you say you want to clean the sport up and produce real role models, this is the wrong way to go about it. All it has done is provide fodder for sports talk shows and basically said that cheating and lying is okay if you're a high profile athlete. In my book, Bud Selig, the MLB commissioner needs to take a stand and follow-up on his statement from today. Not that Selig has really done a great job in cleaning up the sport, but at least he has the opportunity to take this report and run with it. Suspend players, fine players; do something to ensure that this was not all for naught. Our game and our youth need something more to come from this. I don't need a report to tell me that someone has been on the "juice," I want a report that tells me that participating in such illegal actions is unjust, unethical, and punishable. All great politicians learn how to play both sides of the aisle, but in this arena and in this fight, there shoudn't be such a middle ground.

Consolidating with the experts

While we can’t go out and blame individual consumers for the current credit crunch, the lenders who gave mortgage loans out to individuals with sub par credit are under far-more scrutiny. And yet that isn’t to say that people with poor credit shouldn’t be getting Loans, it means that they sometimes need more structured loans by experts who aren’t going to the individual or a couple a disservice by helping them overextend themselves. Bestleadinglenders.com can assist with Debt Consolidation and Unsecured Personal Loans to help those with less-than-perfect credit get back on their feet without going through bankruptcy or losing their homes they’ve worked so hard for.

A slap of humility for Anthony Smith

Competitive sports can be inherently humbling. The joy of victory is savored by far fewer than the agony of defeat, but for most of us, even competitive sports are much less pressure-filled than profession sports. That's not to say that if I play a foe in tennis, a defeat isn't going to be humbling, especially if I'm better and happen to lose, but what I mean to say is that I don't have much on the line and at the end of the day, it's just a loss.
So what's my point? My point is that yesterday's loss for the Pittsburgh Steelers and in particular, safety Anthony Smith was like a double blow to the head, but to be frank, I think I agree with Rodney Harrison, who actually didn't give the guy a hard time for guaranteeing the victory, but rather, expressed his opinion that this was and is a learning opportunity for the young player. Granted, he needs to first learn to shut his mouth, but The Steelers didn't play a bad game, they just played a New England team with a chip on their shoulders after two straight close games.
Quite a big piece of humble pie he has to eat though' no doubt about that.

Los Angeles Criminal Defense Blog

Perhaps if you’re like millions of other Americans, you get the daily dose of who is in trouble for what in Hollywood or what controversial celebrity is facing a seemingly uphill court battle. Of course many of us are often more intrigued by the sometimes odd or confusing outcomes of these legal battles. Whether or not you think celebrities get preferential treatment when a judge hands down a sentence, there’s usually more going on than the media avails to us. UCLA and Pepperdine law professor, Dmitry Gorin – a frequent commentator on Court TV – knows all the ins and outs of cases involving the likes of Phil Spector, Lindsay Lohan, and other notables. Gorin goes into all the details with in-depth explanations and coverage on his Los Angeles Criminal Defense Blog | California Criminal Attorneys Law Blog.

The Mall Chronicles - Volume 1

I've sort of been thinking about writing about "the mall" my whole life. Yes, that sounds sad, but really, the mall is the quintessential people-watching playground where on any given day you can see things that you only imagine or perhaps have never imagined. My fascination of the mall sub-culture goes back to my pre-teen years when my mom used to take my sister, her best friend, and I there every Wednesday as our school got out at noon. I recall memories of acid-washed jeans, Iron Maiden patches on denim jackets, high that nearly reached the top of the atrium, and enough make up to fill a Tiffany concert, and those were just the guys!
So what is my point? Am I just here making fun of this creation of 80's? Absolutely not. I love the mall, as long as I don't have to spend too much time there. I went tonight to do some Christmas, or holiday shopping, as it were, and while I'm still a little nauseous from watching some guy get a massage with his face implanted in a sweaty cushion that had been used by God knows how many people, I was pleased with my purchases and even got a little nostalgic.
And I bring you "The Mall Chronicles," which will be a variety of musings on life, love, and the pursuit of Phoebe Cates; while sharing some stories, poking a little fun, and perhaps taking just a glimpse back to the glory days of mall culture. So don't be afraid to pop in your favorite Poison CD - or tape - and I invite you to share with me. Whereas I'm sure my postings will come at random times, but hopefully will bring a smile to face of at least a few of you. Rock on!

Flights to the USA

As we enter the heart of holiday season, it isn’t too late to book flights to USA. DialAFlight offers a wide selection of destination packages to suit every travelers needs and has some of the best rates on flights to New York, flights to Washington, and holiday offers. Whether you’re looking for a simple flight or a full vacation with spas, resorts, and beaches, this is a site you want to check out.

I'm glad I didn't check my work email over vacation

So a few days back I posted about how I was trying to leave work at work while I was on vacation and I was indeed successful. I didn't check my work email or voicemail while away. And while this was a victory of sorts, I'm still bothered by the fact that whenever I come back from a break, there's always so much work waiting for me. Yes, the theory would be that it gets done while your away, especially in my position, but you can't expect that people will have the time to do all your work and theirs at the same time. It isn't fair to expect it and I don't. Those that did cover for me did a great job, but it always seems that when I go away, a ton of stuff comes in and no matter how much of it is done while I'm away, there's always the catch up game when I return. In fact I was pretty much in a trance all of Monday, thinking that the world was going to end. Of course, that isn't the case, but I suppose I wouldn't be obsessive if I didn't think so. Regardless, it was good to get some time off and will have some more in the near future. I better start planning... or maybe I shouldn't!

Shopping with WebbyPlanet.com

The holiday season is a stressful time for many of us. There are families to consider and visit with, holiday parties to attend, and then there's the gift giving. We all love to give people special gifts, but the costs can mount, adding to the financial stress of the season. All of this combined with the time it takes to shop for family and friends can really make things hard, but I found a site called WebbyPlanet that offers great deals and coupon codes to many of the best brands on the market, making holiday shopping a whole lot easier.

When rivals meet

As a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan, I follow my team closely and appreciate how fans of others teams are passionate for theirs. This past summer this culminated in what was nothing short of an online battle on a ski resort forum regarding the Red Sox and the New York Yankees. While Sunday River boasts skiers from all over the east, it's fairly rare for too many Yankees fans to be around, but a few years back someone had started a thread for the two sides to debate. For one reason or another, I decided to get involved in the debate and it was nothing short of cut-throat. Both sides took shots at one another over a whole season and it was easy to formulate opinions about those who we were debating, but then as the ski season neared and the promise of meeting some of the Yankees fans, approached, I was curious as to what they would be like. We knew the thread was all in fun, but still, I was a little apprehensive. And yet today I finally met one of the men I'd been sparing with. In 10-degree temperatures with 20-knot winds, he joined a bunch of us for some runs and I got a chance to chat with him. I was pleasantly surprised by the mutual respect we had for each others teams, but also that he was nothing like I had imagined. Baseball season is over and we were embraced in our passion for skiing. If only this was always the case...