My mission … purchase shampoo!

Besides buying toothpaste, I absolutely hate it when I’m sent to get shampoo for the house. There must be a million and one different brands and types of toothpaste and shampoo on the shelves in Walmart. So there I was staring at all the different choices of shampoo to choose from..

- dry hair

- body

- extra body

- deep clean

- hydrating

- dandruff (yep there’s at least 15 options here)

- manageable

- fortifying

- curly hair

- straight

- volume

…and that’s just one freaking brand!

I have to ask - do these really work? Do you actually see a difference depending on the one you buy? Or is this just a marketing scheme invented by the shampoo manufacturers to get your $$? I have a feeling that the ingredients in all these shampoos are basically the same, with a difference in texture, color and scent!

With 4 girls, I left with 3 different types (from the list I was given) , but you should see the stares I got when I went to pay. A bald guy (by choice) with all this shampoo and conditioner!

Maybe I’ll be brave enough to go buy toothpaste next and wrestle with the many varieties available?

If you work from home (or not) I’m sure you’ve found yourself doing things so regular that it almost seem like an addiction. I don’t mean having a smoke or craving that scotch on the rocks or even any whacked-out desire to do drugs. Here are some of the addictions (as I see it) that I’ve had to deal with over the last 7 years of telecommuting.

- urge to check my email every couple minutes. This soon went away when the Spam kings reigned supreme and I started getting over 200 + email an hour.

- checking my Google adsense account about every 30 minutes to see how much I made. As if some miracle avalanche of traffic would hit my websites and my Adsense account would show lottery-type payouts. That soon changed when the adsense bubble busted!

- I always got HUNGRY at 9 am - Yea, exactly when the “Maury” show would be on. “You are the father” Just had to watch the foolish ways of people and the lengths they go to get a free trip to NY and be on tv. Best … the guy who’s invited to the show by his wife and have no clue why he’s there. Are you living in a friggin cave and don’t know you’ll be told you were cheated on, the baby is not yours or that she’s a prostitute while you’re at work. NOT good for me, so I starve myself now so I don’t sit in front the TV at 9 am stuffing beans and toast.

- Checking my affiliate accounts many times during the day. See Adsense comment above. Pretty much the same thing, but I’ve learned that most sites take a while to update their stats and my checking so often was a waste of time.

My latest addiction..

BTW, I blame (yes I said blame) Caron for this. You just have to make me stop every morning you work, to get coffee for you. And the greedy-guts I am, you know I have to get a large double-double. 4 months ago I would scowl if someone offered me a Tim Hortons coffee, now I’m freaking addicted to the stuff.

What’s your addiction?

So you’re in line to order at a fast-food joint with your children waiting patiently for that kids-pack with the burger, fries and toy. Yippee the toy!  You nervously look at the menu hoping to find something that’s not deep fried or covered in some sort of fat-laced sauce. After-all you’re on a diet or just like eating a bit healthy. Yep, there is a fresh garden salad that you can order and feel good about eating here. Don’t forget the low cal dressing to accompany the healthy choice you’ve made.

I’m sure you’ve seen this! As adults we make choices that’s supposed to be good for us, but are we making similar choices for those we’re supposed to care for?  Wait, you got the fruit juice for little “Jimmy” instead of the “coke with ice” so that makes it all good. Shame on you!

BTW why is it the coke with ice at fast-food joints taste so much better than the ones in the can out of your fridge?

Note: I’d like to pass on my congrats to my friend Steve and his new bride Julia. All the best for what the future have in store for you newly weds.

Further to my post yesterday about how expensive dental care can be if you don’t have dental insurance, I just wanted to point out a very important consideration. If you need to have major dental work done and you get that free consult they give you at the dentist office, when they give you the quote ask them for it in writing. Be sure to have them point out the following on that written quote:

- all fees

- exactly what the procedure is and a breakdown of the item cost for each step

- who’s doing the work and if it’s all done onsite

- if there is lab work involved, is  that cost included in the quote

- how long does the entire process take

- have them verify that this is the final cost and there are no hidden fees.

BTW if you can’t afford the full price, be sure to ask them if there is a payment plan option. Basically if they can spread out the payments into 6 months or something like that.

One of the things people who work from home, freelance, run their own business etc have to deal with is the lack of dental insurance. If you worked that 9-5 at the office you’re probably covered by the company’s group insurance program. Well sad to say I’m not, so every dental visit means cash or our good friends Mr. Visa or Ms Master Card.

I think I was about 13 at the time when I had to have a double root-canal on my upper front teeth. Since then I’ve had one of them broken (capped) and the other one severely discolored. I had plans to go in sooner or later to get them replaced with a couple crowns so i could once again have a good smile. But when you don’t have coverage and you have 3 children who needed braces, you know which came first.

I’M MARRIED TO BILLY BOB! (if I offended any rednecks, I’m sorry)

That was what Caron mentioned when I showed her my little accident yesterday. Yep, I broke one of my front uppers and now I’m faced with having to finally get the much needed dental work I need. BTW, I was told to say that I got hit in the face with a football during a game of tackle - That’s the story!

I just came back from the consult at the dentist to get a quote on how much all this is going to cost. When it’s all said and done I would have paid over $2000 to get 2 freaking teeth outfitted with crowns. The good news is that until Wednesday I’ve been given some temporary relief when I look into the mirror. A temp tooth was built where the one is broken. BUT GET THIS - The freaking dentist just called and told me that the temp fix was not included in the quote they gave me. So I now how to shell out another $300 to cover that!

I do hope he’s prepared to explain to me why I have to pay SOOO fucking friggin much!

Kids, get into dentistry. There’s tons of money in other people’s pockets!