I love Skype!

I don't know how many people use webcams regularly, but I am becoming one of them. My family lives approximately 2,000 miles away from me and I don't get to see them all that often. Yes, I do live away from my family for a reason, but I am also missing out on watching my nieces and nephew grow up. My folks introduced me to Skype recently. Mom has an iMac with a camera built into her screen, but all I have is my laptop with a built in microphone...no camera. I'd been looking around for an affordable webcam, with the cheapest being about $30, with fairly good ones around $50. Being the poor school teacher that I am, I was looking for the best bargain I could find. By happenstance one Saturday morning on my way to DI, I stopped by Yours Mine and Ours here in Bountiful for their %50 off sale. Lo and behold, there was a brand new webcam, still in the box, for the low low price of $5.50. I figured that was a rock bottom price, the software was still in the box, and I could afford to spend $5.50 to find out if it worked. Imagine my surprise when I got up to the counter and discovered that it was only $2.75 with the %50 off.
End of story? I have a $3 webcam that works AND I get to see my family more often. Who knew?
I had a pretty horrible day on Thursday. I cut my finger on the paper slicer at work, broke a friend's spiral binder, skinned another finger, and was still nursing a sore scalp from where my hair got wrapped around the wheels of the shop cart while I was changing my oil. It had been a long day and I was SUPER frustrated. I headed back to school around 6 p.m. ( 8 p.m. Eastern) and spent another couple of hours of preparing my classroom. Imagine my relief at being able to chat with my parents, sister-in-law, Owen(my 4 year old nephew), Aspen(my 7 year old niece), and Paytyn(my 3 month old and 15 lb niece). It was like a balm for my soul. And they got to see my classroom. Owen thinks Auntie Mer's classroom is an awesome place because she has a sandbox! That kid would stay for hours to play if he could.

Summer 2008 Home Improvement

Like a crazy person, I decided that this was the summer that I was going to remodel my condo. It started off with little thoughts of, "Hey, the wall color isn't really my favorite," and "My kitchen cabinets would look so much better if they weren't brown." But I really jumped into the deep end when I came to grips with how disgusting my carpet was. Sure I vacuum it every now and again. But after I accidentally kicked over that can of polyurethane a few years ago in the dining room, I realized that no amount of carpet cleaning could make crunchy carpet soft again.
I was initially going to put in laminate flooring. I figured being a single gal with zero home improvement skills, that was all I could handle. I talked to a few folks, got some information, and then was quoted a lovely price of $8/foot for laminate, including installation. GAG!!! $3,200 was not in my budget. I'd have to sell a kidney or something to afford that. Jesse and I were yapping one day about my home improvement ideas. He was like, "Mer, you could totally put hardwood floors in there...and I'll help you do it. " DING!!!! Kids, we have a winner!
It took us 3 days but the floors are in and they are BEAUTIFUL!!! I now know how to run a saw, use an air compressor, nail gun, and staple gun. Jesse gave up 3 days to come and help me put these floors in, and all I had to do was feed him. Sounds like a great deal to me.