Friday, May 29, 2009
Image by Getty Images via Daylife
I'm no travel expert, but I am certainly no longer a novice. Thus, I feel somewhat qualified to throw out some travel tips. So here goes with the best tips I could think of on a Friday afternoon.
- Do your research. There are, quite literally, thousands upon thousands of travel sites available all over the Web. I do have some favorites that I check for airfare including Kayak, SideStep, and TravelZoo. These sites are great because they compile prices they find from websites all around the Internet into a simple, easy-to-read list.
- Ask your friends and family for advice. You'd be surprised what I've learned just today by checking with a co-worker who used to live in England. These are the people who can tell you what's worth seeing, what isn't, and what areas you should avoid altogether. Listen to them.
- Once you've booked a hotel room or airfare, don't continue to search for them. Really. It will make you sick if you find a lower fare or rate somewhere else. Do you really want to torture yourself like that?
- Don't overpack. If you think you need three suitcases, you probably only need one and a half. The last time I traveled to Europe, I was vastly overpacked and wished that I'd brought 2/3 less clothes. How many pairs of jeans do you really need for two weeks? If you're wondering if you need an extra shirt or two, you probably don't. Leave it at home. And with airlines beginning to charge fees for each checked bag, you'll save yourself some money.
- Take in the scenery without the camera. This is one thing I regretted on my last trip overseas. We spent so much time clicking pictures that we forgot to just take it all in. You're there to make memories, and--trust me on this one--those pictures you're taking will pale in comparison to the breathtaking scenery your brain will recall.
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Thursday, May 28, 2009
Image via CrunchBase
Whew! Is this week really almost gone?
In case you haven't heard, Dave Ramsey announced today that you can now follow "The Dave Ramsey Show" on Twitter. This is a pretty interesting development here at Lampo, and I hope everyone enjoys our company's foray into social networking through Twitter and Facebook.
In other news, I've completed 28,505 words on my novel. I only need to complete 1,500 more by 11:59 PM on Saturday to meet my personal goal of 30,000 words this month. Shew! That looks like a lot more written down, doesn't it?
While our senior editor has been out this week, I've been making sure you have your Dave Ramsey blog updates and show highlights. I hope you think I've done a good job.
Finally, I'm hoping to experience a weekend full of nothing starting tomorrow night. Last weekend was a little too busy for my taste--especially since it was a holiday weekend.
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Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Image by law_keven via Flickr
It's been a few days since I last wrote here. With Memorial Day and various other things going on, I haven't had much time. But I haven't forgotten you, and I hope to be blogging back in full force quickly.
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Image by Getty Images via Daylife
Everyone seems to be talking about Kindle these days. And if you don't know what it is, it's Amazon's digital reader. It features wireless capabilities so that you can download a book wherever you may be. The storage capacity alone is impressive.
But I'm not sure the world is ready for Kindle. I'm a reader and writer by nature, so the idea of reading only with a screen is a difficult pill to swallow. Why? I love the feel of a book in my hands, the turn of the pages, the unique smell a brand new book has. And what about bookstores? What will happen to those? Will they go the way of record stores?
I realize how digital our world has become. I'm more than okay with that. But as we move into a more digitized society, I do think we're going to begin to lose some things that have held value for a very long time. While I may end up with a Kindle myself, I don't think I can completely relinquish my hold on a paper book. There's something a little too sterile about that.
I could be wrong, of course. The Kindle could very well be the next iPod. But will it do for books what the iPod did for music?
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Thursday, May 14, 2009
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This is goodbye for a couple of days. I'm off to Salt Lake City, Utah to work at the Salt Lake City Live Event. I've seen a Live Event once before, but it was three years ago, so I'm sure things have changed a bit since then. I'm really jazzed about getting a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on. Fun times!
If you're in the SLC area and looking for something to do this weekend, come join us at the E Center. Tickets are $38 and can be purchased at daveramsey.com.
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Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Image via CrunchBase
So tonight, I "tweeted" about a problem I'm having with Comcast. For the last couple of days, we've been unable to receive our local channels. We do have cable boxes, so I tweeted that I was frustrated with Comcast's inability to resolve the issue. Almost immediately, I received a reply tweet from a Comcast representative offering to assist me. She was incredibly helpful, and as of tonight, we have a technician visit scheduled for Saturday morning. When I used the direct Comcast customer service route last night, they were unable to help me. This tells me that while their customer service may be lacking in one area, they've obviously gotten on the ball with social networking. They identified a problem quickly and efficiently and probably resolved it with much less hassle on their end. It's certainly less hassle for me since I didn't have to spend 20 minutes on hold.
Kudos to Comcast for recognizing that times are indeed a-changing. Is this the new wave of the future?
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Today, Dave read an article from USA Today on his radio show that indicates Congress may try to allow student loans to become bankruptable.
Right off the bat, I see several problems with this.
1) Students could begin racking up student loan debt only to file for bankruptcy to avoid repaying it as soon as they graduate.
2) Taxpayer dollars supporting federally supported student loans would be lost.
3) What reason would students have to continue working their way through college if they can essentially go for free on the backs of taxpayers?
Granted, I understand the overwhelming sensation of graduating from college with debt hanging over your head. I graduated with more than $20,000 in student loans myself. But I paid it off. I did not whine about how hard it was. I did not complain that I worked all the way through college at 40 hours/week. And I did not file bankruptcy on the thousands of dollars in credit card debt I accumulated.
Here's a suggestion: instead of choosing a low-paying field that requires $100,000 in education that you simply don't have, why don't you find a career that requires an education you can actually hope to pay for? Doesn't that make a little more sense?
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Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Will and I decided to check out the Tennessee Renaissance Festival yesterday afternoon. More than anything else, I was curious about the local castle known as Castle Gwynn. (Tours were available for free if you bought a ticket to the festival.) So I talked Will into going, and we spent a whopping $36 at the gate for tickets. But once we got inside, we were actually really glad we did! The people-watching was...interesting, to say the least. One guy was dressed in such Gothic attire that the kids wanted to take pictures with him...and he wasn't even a part of the fair! It was an expensive venture, but we had good food, a good time, and a great tour of the castle's first floor. I even got to stand in the same spot Taylor Swift stands in her "Love Story" video. Really cool. Two disappointments: they were out of turkey legs, and we missed the deep-fried Oreos by a half hour (they ran out).
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Friday, May 8, 2009
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You've probably all heard by now that KFC--in its infinite marketing wisdom--decided to offer coupons for free meals of their new grilled chicken line. As if this weren't incentive enough for bargain hunters the world over, KFC one-upped themselves and used the Oprah marketing machine to promote it. Add the Oprah equation into almost anything--books, music, food--and you're bound to get a response better than any you could have imagined. And that's exactly what KFC did not anticipate.
Coupon downloads and usage began on Wednesday, and by yesterday afternoon, KFC pulled the campaign. It would seem that they were running out of chicken at their stores. Now, the company is scrambling to find more chicken before their biggest day of the year on Sunday: Mother's Day.
Instead of having millions of happy customers, now KFC has millions of angry customers who were not able to redeem their coupons. I, myself, experienced disappointment last night when Will and I went to two local KFC franchises to use our coupons. Both times, the parking lots were full, probably much fuller than usual. Much to our dismay, signs had been placed on the doors of the restaurants indicating that we could receive "rainchecks" if we wished to pursue the use of the coupons. I don't know about you, but getting a raincheck for a meal seems like a lot of trouble. Most likely, we'll never get around to it. My guess is that KFC is betting on it.
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Thursday, May 7, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
The Power of Small reminded me a lot of John Miller's QBQ series. I haven't read the previous book, The Power of Nice, but I would imagine the message is much the same. All in all, Thaler and Koval are sending the message that just one small action in your life can have momentous or serendipitous consequences. By taking a moment to thank someone for a job interview, you could be setting yourself up to be chosen over a more qualified candidate. Or by escorting an old man to a room he's looking for, you could be escorting your boss's boss and thereby leaving a (favorable) memorable impression.
The point of the book is this: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It's the Golden Rule. Everyone knows it but not many actually follow it. Follow it and you will be rewarded in spades.
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Rather than create an entirely new blog for this condition (there are several out there already), I'll post my story and at the end, you'll find a list I've compiled of other bloggers suffering the same fate as myself. More information is a good thing.
The story begins in November 2005. I had just turned 25 and had been under general anesthesia for a surgery two weeks earlier. It was the first time I'd had surgery under general anesthesia and been "put out" for more than an hour or so. I began to notice light flashes coming from my right eye. I also noticed that at night in the dark, my right eye felt as if someone had dropped a gauzy curtain over it and, while I could see through the curtain, it was still blocking my vision in a way I couldn't explain.
I decided to see an optometrist who immediately referred me to an ophthalmologist specializing in retinal diseases. He ran several tests, could find no immediate cause for worry, and sent me on my way with a warning that I should call the office immediately if I noticed any further changes.
A couple of weeks later, I was at work and began to notice that my right eye was again giving me problems. When I used only that eye, everything appeared distorted as if I were viewing it through a fun house mirror. I called the office, the doctor ran a myriad of tests, and I was diagnosed with something that would change my life over the course of the next three and a half years: ocular histoplasmosis (POHS).
The first treatments my doctor tried were called photodynamic therapy (PDT). I showed absolutely no improvement after two rounds, and since PDT leaves permanent scarring on the macula, a halt was put to that and he began to inject my eye intravitreally with an experimental cancer drug called Avastin. It was an off-label use, but ophthalmologists all over the nation were having success with their patients using this treatment. So I began this treatment, and the rest is history.
I've been receiving Avastin injections since March 2006. At times, it improves my right eye's vision up to 20/40. Other times, it does not improve at all and instead the vision worsens--sometimes to 20/200 or worse. The longest I've ever gone without an injection is six months. My current doctor expects that I'll be on the injections at least periodically for the foreseeable future (unless another treatment is introduced).
This condition has upset my life in more ways than I can tell you. It's an emotional roller coaster, not knowing if I can stop the injections with each visit. I must take time off of work to attend my appointments every six weeks. The current drama with it is that there are a limited number of people in the world with this eye disease, and while it's well-documented, my doctor still can't tell me what effect a pregnancy would have on my right eye's vision. Tomorrow, I'll ask what kind of effect it would have on my good left eye.
And even my left eye isn't so good. The same scarring that has ruined my right eye has also appeared on my left eye. While it isn't active and there's a 70% chance that it likely won't ever be, there is a possibility because the scars are on my macula near the area that controls central vision. Central vision is essential for everyday activities such as reading, driving, or--in my case--writing. The thought of putting my good eye at risk is terrifying.
I've learned to live with POHS. It isn't pleasant having a needle stuck in your eye every six weeks no matter how much you know you need it or how much they numb it. There's a constant subconscious fear of losing your vision. And there is the strong desire to stick your head in the sand like an ostrich and pretend it isn't there. But I don't have that option. My whole life, I've been a fighter. And while right now is a really difficult time for me with this disorder and I'm working through it, that doesn't make this any better, any more fun, or any easier.
I wanted to tell this story to give someone out there who hasn't yet discovered he or she has POHS some hope. I've been living with this for a while now, and I'm still working, still doing everyday activities, and I still see with both eyes at 20/20. Even with the bad eye alone, I am currently seeing at 20/60. It isn't great but not horrible either. Things could be worse. God is looking out for me, and I'll be all right.
Bloggers with POHS
A Dad, a Mom, and Three Princesses
What Your Eyes Don't See
Wonder, Hope, and A Dream of Possibilities
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The story begins in November 2005. I had just turned 25 and had been under general anesthesia for a surgery two weeks earlier. It was the first time I'd had surgery under general anesthesia and been "put out" for more than an hour or so. I began to notice light flashes coming from my right eye. I also noticed that at night in the dark, my right eye felt as if someone had dropped a gauzy curtain over it and, while I could see through the curtain, it was still blocking my vision in a way I couldn't explain.
I decided to see an optometrist who immediately referred me to an ophthalmologist specializing in retinal diseases. He ran several tests, could find no immediate cause for worry, and sent me on my way with a warning that I should call the office immediately if I noticed any further changes.
A couple of weeks later, I was at work and began to notice that my right eye was again giving me problems. When I used only that eye, everything appeared distorted as if I were viewing it through a fun house mirror. I called the office, the doctor ran a myriad of tests, and I was diagnosed with something that would change my life over the course of the next three and a half years: ocular histoplasmosis (POHS).
The first treatments my doctor tried were called photodynamic therapy (PDT). I showed absolutely no improvement after two rounds, and since PDT leaves permanent scarring on the macula, a halt was put to that and he began to inject my eye intravitreally with an experimental cancer drug called Avastin. It was an off-label use, but ophthalmologists all over the nation were having success with their patients using this treatment. So I began this treatment, and the rest is history.
I've been receiving Avastin injections since March 2006. At times, it improves my right eye's vision up to 20/40. Other times, it does not improve at all and instead the vision worsens--sometimes to 20/200 or worse. The longest I've ever gone without an injection is six months. My current doctor expects that I'll be on the injections at least periodically for the foreseeable future (unless another treatment is introduced).
This condition has upset my life in more ways than I can tell you. It's an emotional roller coaster, not knowing if I can stop the injections with each visit. I must take time off of work to attend my appointments every six weeks. The current drama with it is that there are a limited number of people in the world with this eye disease, and while it's well-documented, my doctor still can't tell me what effect a pregnancy would have on my right eye's vision. Tomorrow, I'll ask what kind of effect it would have on my good left eye.
And even my left eye isn't so good. The same scarring that has ruined my right eye has also appeared on my left eye. While it isn't active and there's a 70% chance that it likely won't ever be, there is a possibility because the scars are on my macula near the area that controls central vision. Central vision is essential for everyday activities such as reading, driving, or--in my case--writing. The thought of putting my good eye at risk is terrifying.
I've learned to live with POHS. It isn't pleasant having a needle stuck in your eye every six weeks no matter how much you know you need it or how much they numb it. There's a constant subconscious fear of losing your vision. And there is the strong desire to stick your head in the sand like an ostrich and pretend it isn't there. But I don't have that option. My whole life, I've been a fighter. And while right now is a really difficult time for me with this disorder and I'm working through it, that doesn't make this any better, any more fun, or any easier.
I wanted to tell this story to give someone out there who hasn't yet discovered he or she has POHS some hope. I've been living with this for a while now, and I'm still working, still doing everyday activities, and I still see with both eyes at 20/20. Even with the bad eye alone, I am currently seeing at 20/60. It isn't great but not horrible either. Things could be worse. God is looking out for me, and I'll be all right.
Bloggers with POHS
A Dad, a Mom, and Three Princesses
What Your Eyes Don't See
Wonder, Hope, and A Dream of Possibilities
Image via Wikipedia
Today, I discovered that someone is blogging about her experiences with ocular histoplasmosis, the eye disease I'm dealing with. Every experience is unique, but she has some good material on her blog to explain what it is and what it does to your eyes. The name of the blog is What Your Eyes Don't See.
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Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Image by Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton via Flickr
So the last couple of days, kids have been on my brain. It seems that everyone I know is either having them or adopting them. (See The Morris Family Expands and Loving Life for more info.) And no matter how much I say that we aren't having children anytime soon, people keep asking. That's fine; I really don't mind. But it's also causing me to reevaluate some things.
Will and I still aren't entirely sure we want children. Part of that has to do with my personal health situation and part of that is due to our lifestyle of traveling and work schedules. We have nieces and nephews that we simply adore, and we do lavish attention on them whenever we have the opportunity. The last few days, I feel that God is really trying to tell me something...something related to starting our own family.
Both of us have always felt that adoption is a fabulous option for those who can't have children the old-fashioned way. When I met Will, I began to dream of a little girl with my red hair and his blue eyes. Slowly, that dream has evolved into something else...maybe a little girl or boy with dark skin and dark eyes from another part of the world. Or maybe it's a fair haired child from right here in the States. Sometimes, I think we just need another dog.
Whatever the answer turns out to be, I believe the Lord will let me know in good time. In the meantime, I think prayer and thought is definitely on the front burner.
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