My Opinion Counts

Does it seem like school is starting earlier each year? Our public schools begin on August 10th. I think it is crazy. Kids need time to be kids. The legislators put guidelines into laws that our schools must obey. The teachers in our public schools are bogged down with trying to teach our children so that they will be able to pass the Istep tests. They don't have time to work with kids one on one. There are no funds for tutors who can take a child aside and help them. Score learning centers provide reading tutors who can help a child catch up. I wish the politicians would stick with things like why ducks fly south. They should let our kids be kids.

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I read on CNN online that a little 6 year old girl has been hospitalized after a horrific accident at a swimming pool.

Abigail Taylor was severely injured Tuesday when she sat over an open drain hole in a wading pool at the Minneapolis Golf Club. According to a posting by her family on the Caring Bridge Web site, the drain's powerful suction tore out part of her intestinal tract, and a surgeon told the family that part of her intestines had been lost.

I had no idea this could even happen.

Years ago, we would never think of buying our glasses and contact lenses from anyone but our eye doctor. I don't think we knew what quality we would get if we tried to buy via calling a company from whom we saw on an ad in a magazine. I had gone to an inferior ophthalmologist and had a horrible time getting used to the contacts I purchased there. Having been burnt once, I didn't want that to happen again. I don't mess around when it comes to my eyes. The inferior doctor didn't work with me to find out why the contacts he sold me didn't work. I just thought that it was as good as it could be and so I gave up on wearing contacts. I thought that I was a poor candidate to wear a contact lens.

Fast forward. I began going to our local optometrist instead of a chain type of business and he tried different contacts until he found a pair that worked for me. I couldn't believe what a difference the type of contact could make. I wore gas permeable contacts and they felt so good. I'm not saying that all chain eye businesses are bad. In fact, I had gone to another optometrist in our town and he wouldn't even try to fit me with contacts. Twenty years later he and my doctor are partners in the new eye clinic in our town!

I always felt that I needed to be loyal and purchase my glasses and contacts from my eye doctor. Then I began noticing how much difference there was in the cost. I could order online at a much lower price. My doctor began lowering his prices to meet the online prices. It was awkward to ask for my prescription so that I could order online. I just couldn't do it. My kids had no problems doing so. LOL They were responsible for paying part of the cost of their contacts. Since it meant money out of their pocket, they were going to buy them as cheaply as possible. By this time we knew that the contacts bought from our doctor and the ones purchased online were the exact same contact. They came from the same manufacturer!

I had Lasik eye surgery and so I never did order my contacts online. Online is the only way my kids order theirs!

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My sweet baby girl is in school all day and studying her brains out all evening. I can hardly stand not being able to pick up the phone to call her. Even when she worked on the tarmac, she was able to answer her cell phone. I've become spoiled.

If you dislike checking out and comparing insurance policies as much as I do, you need to check out Insurance.com. Whether you are interested in comparing home insurance or auto insurance, Insurance.com is going to help you get the most comprehensive insurance at the best price. It is so easy that you'll wonder why no one thought of this before! The simple process involves filling out a form. Insurance.com sends the form to possible insurance carriers and lets them give a quote. The quotes are given back to Insurance.com and then you, the customer, are given the opportunity to review them. After you make a choice, you are walked through the purchase process or left to purchase on your own. It sounds like a great plan.

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Everyone is yacking about the new iPhone. I have heard a few complaints. Like everything else it has to be broken in. I think I'll wait until all the bugs are out of it!

Do you remember putting pennies on the railroad track and waiting for the train to smash them? Why did we do that? My kids have smashed pennies in a penny press machine that you paid for the penny and turned the crank to get the penny to go through. It come out smashed and had a pretty impression in it. The last time they did this was in Philadelphia near the Hard Rock Cafe. The penny came out with a skyline of Philadelphia on it. They added those pennies to their collection. They have them from San Francisco, Monterey, and Niagara Falls. It's an inexpensive and fun collection to maintain.

Crooks always figure out a way to con the system. The governments of countries set up practices to catch terrorist supporters, narcotics syndicates and sanctions busters who try to launder money. To get around the authorities, these people have discovered a new way to get their funds without being detected. They buy a commodity with the money. They ship the commodity to Europe or the Middle East and the goods are sold. They look like legitimate aid so no one suspects any different. It is difficult to sort out the bad traders from the legitimate ones. Why are crooks so smart? Why can't they use their intelligence for good projects?

All you parent's of boys know what I mean when I complain about the high cost of car insurance. Insurance.com is a wonderful site that lets you compare the cost of car insurance from companies. Those companies include top national insurance carriers. At Insurance.com you use their form to enter companies from which you are interested in obtaining quotes. Insurance.com sends those inquiries out and each company sends back a quote. You can then review the quote and choose the company that suits you best. Isn't that cool? It sure makes it easier than being on the phone all day to check prices. After you choose the policy you wish to purchase, you can then buy it online or over the phone!

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I love not having to turn on the air conditioner. I am grateful to have central air conditioning but when it is not so hot to need it, I prefer to have the windows open. Invariably, one of the neighbors will decide it is the perfect day to burn brush or trash and I have to close the window and turn the air on. It hasn't happened today. I can hear the birds! Yeah, these are the same "dang" birds that I hate to listen to at 6 am. When they sing in the afternoon they are A. OK!

There have been many times when hubby goes to install floor covering and discovers that the subfloor and joists are infested with termites. Termites are definitely not to be ignored. When you discover termites, you have to get on top of the situation or you can have a big mess. Termites go from house to house. If your neighbor has them you need to be on the look out for termites invading your own home. When you are protecting your house from termites, it is a wise decision to go with a protection company that is experienced. Don't throw your money down the drain. Go to www.killthetermites and get an experienced business who can rid you of the nasty critters.

Do you have a garden? I am curious to know how many people still garden. I would love to have a garden but our soil is just not conducive to good results. I have canned green beans and corn. I even canned salmon! It is so much work. I really think that what you buy in the store is so cheap that it isn't worth the effort to can things.

I am so excited! I probably shouldn't mention this so that I can be the only one to enter this contest and therefor be declared the winner. That wouldn't be very nice though so I will share my good news. You need to check out this offer at http://www.canadianspacompany.com/freespa.php Did you look? I want to win the spa so badly. The Haliburton Spa is the best fully portable hot tub on the market. It is the only one to have a heated air blower, aromatherapy, a proper hard cover, double-walled PVC sides. We already have the electrical set up and the spot marked for the new spa whenever we can afford it. If we won it I think it would have just been meant for us!

I've been called a shoe whore. I admit it. I think it is because no matter how much weight I gain I can still fit into shoes! I love all types of shoes but lately I have noticed that my feet hurt when I wear shoes that don't support my feet. I bought a new pair of flat, and I mean FLAT, flip flops and by the end of the day, my feet felt like they were bruised. They are so pretty but I think I'll wear them for short periods of time.