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I've been to 3 weddings this

miket — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:58:04 -0400

I've been to 3 weddings this year and just got another invitation so many people are getting if it's one thing thats stressful i think it's shopping for wedding dresses with the family.

The Funny Thing Is

Bill Bunker — Thu, 8 May 2008 11:50:50 -0400

The funny thing about the present fuel crisis is the following.

Clinton and McCain want to roll back the gas tax which would be about 45 cents on fuel for the three months of the Summer.

Opponents argue that this would save the "average" person about $75.

When fuel was $3.12, no one was complaining or calling it a crisis. Over the last two months, it has climbed in price to $3.55-$3.60, which is by all measures the same amount the roll back of the gas tax would be...45 cents.

Now if you do the math, that means that over two months the gas increase has cost the "average" person $50.

Over 8 weeks that is an increase of $6.25 in their weekly gasoline bill. Heavy commuters aside, it seems to me that is not alot of money. Anyone who is anxious about the increase should be able to find a way to shift the burden and save $6.25 elsewhere.

Long commuters are the ones that would be most affected.

The second half of that story is that some politicians are saying that we would ONLY save $75. That tells me that those same politicians can not care much that we have ONLY spent $50 more over the last two months if we were an "average" person.

Americans feel entitled to certain things and I am not sure why. Fuel and health care are front and center.

Terri is correct that we do not need to drive monster vehicles. The ones that give me the biggest anxiety are the four wheel drive Dodge RAM trucks that many of the contractors and their employees drive 100 miles an hour on the interstate. These guys drive like they are shielded like a tank and as if they are invincible. There sitting on the back is strapped a ladder and nothing else in the truck and most of the time no passengers.

The speed and offensive driving aside, they are flushing fuel down the toilet!

American way of life

Terri Oberg — Wed, 7 May 2008 09:07:09 -0400

....that is essentially what it boils down to. We are a country made up of spoiled children. We have become a nation of people who like the freedom of just hopping in our cars and driving where ever we wish to go, from around the block to the pizza joint to cross country to visit friends or explore some wondrous place.

I am as guilty as the next guy. Until gas prices started sky rocketing, I thought nothing of making more then one trip into Concord in one day (a 15 + mile round trip each time). Trains went the way of the dinosaurs because they weren't as convenient as hopping in the car. There are schedules to keep, one would have to plan their trip to Boston around the train schedule. How much more convenient is it to just come and go when you want and/or need? Who wants to share a ride with strangers when we can go in the solitude and comfort of our own cars? New Hampshire is growing by leaps and bounds from the influx of people wanting to experience that solitude and comfort.

This is the mentality of the country we live in. I mean, seriously, do we really need to drive a vehicle that is nearly the size of a small house? Until I start using a bicycle to get around, walk to the pizza joint to get dinner and sell my S.O.'s big truck and boat I won't be complaining about the rising gas prices.

I remember the gas shortages in the 70's. That's when car companies started producing smaller, "compact" cars. I remember my Dad getting a Vega and calling it "the bug" because it was so much smaller than any other car they'd ever owned. Now it would be considered a mid-size car by today's standards. We are a nation that waits until there is a crisis that effects our way of life before we demand changes be made. This spike in gas prices is no different.

Also, those countries that have been around for so much longer then us, have an infrastructure that won't accomodate our big, gas guzzling vehicles. There is more then one reason they drive minis and find other modes of transport. There are plenty of times I think simpler is better. There are even times I think some of God's other creatures are smater then we are because they aren't raping and mutilating Earth; they just take what they need and leave the rest alone.

Just wait five minutes...

Susan Sherrouse — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 17:57:19 -0500

Nicole, hold this moment near and dear to your heart, since I'm sure you'll be needing it on one of those -20 degree evenings!

I definitely agree! I

Justin Drake — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 15:38:13 -0500

I definitely agree! I happened to be cruising around Thursday night, and when I got out of my car it was like a heatwave hitting me (I happened to be wearing my winter jacket at the time, expecting it to be cold out). Gotta love New England. ;)

I've always been baffled by

Nicole Henninger — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 02:23:19 -0500

I've always been baffled by it... but it never really had much of a reason to stop to question it until now. Really, it is all the same... but I always feel obligated but hesitant to specify because Suncook is the "poor" section of Pembroke and the stereotypical thing that comes to mind is all the duplexes and apartments that are in all former mill towns (which the apartment we're going to be isn't one of).

Howdy Neighbor

Terri Oberg — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 05:39:03 -0500

Welcome to my town! I just moved here 11 months ago, and I'm still confused by the whole Pembroke/Suncook thing. When my children ask, I just tell them "it's all the same." My address is Pembroke and we're walking distance to the Village. That's what we call it..."the Village".

home work

Linda Odum — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 11:50:05 -0500

Nicole,

As a freelance writer I can completely understand your work from home observations. My biggest pet peeve is how my family just assumes that I can stop whatever I'm doing to do what they want me to do. There attitude often is, "Well, Linda works from home and that's not really work, is it?"

Drives me crazy.

That article says it well.

Nicole Henninger — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 01:47:17 -0500

That article says it well. Thanks for sharing!

I do have a few more entries planned on this subject, it's just finding the time to write them... Hopefully this week! :)

Great post Nikki. I've been

serda99 — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 01:02:29 -0400

Great post Nikki. I've been getting pretty pi**ed off about all this crap being blamed on myspace and other similar sites (though mostly it apparently all falls on myspace) as well. I just wanted to share this article with you, as I think you will agree with most of what it has to say as well: http://159.54.226.83/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060601/OPINION/60531012/1049
Any chance of future posts on this topic? I'm intrigued. :)

Thank you

Sarah Colombo — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 08:58:59 -0400

Good blog.

As a fifty something person who has young adult children, one in college who uses MySpace and other like-sites I am glad to have you explain these things from a reality-based perspective. I hope you will continue to talk about this and provide an education to those of us who know little, and open a forum for others who know as much as yourself.

I have a on/off habit of zoning out to shows like L&O, I know it is fiction and take it as such but do find myself wondering how much of the "technical" talk is based on reality. As as nurse, I have seen many shows that infuriate me with unrealistic depictions (and outright wrong information ) re: nursing and medicine---I caught one on L&O Criminal Intent one night... I forget the details now (oh age) but the main character was defining some psychiatric term and I found myself correcting him loudly.

As if he was real, the guy either muffed his lines or they were written by someone who didn't know and didn't bother to find out what is true. (then again, sometimes I am foiled, like when the guy took Geodon and, before "Bobby" could show off I snapped "It wasn't out then!")

Anyway, my kids use those sites, and the internet has afforded me the opportunity to talk to friends once lost----and I have so much to learn about the possiblilities...

Wisdom

Dan Meeks — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 08:54:06 -0400

Congrats Nicole. Your rules are good ones. There is much frustration at most work places. I wrote about work a few times. I have stopped. Dan

The Job Hunt

Susan Sherrouse — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 18:58:40 -0400

I'm in the same boat as you, Nicole.

I've been submitting to blind e-mails; corporate e-mail; fax numbers; all to no avail. Sometimes the company will be bold enough to come out and say who they are, ie: Austin Stone Works. And in some cases, I've been bold enough to reach back and request information as to where they are in the hiring process. Lowe's initially told me that they liked my resume, but their company policy is to post all jobs internally, then to look externally. In my case, that means that I probably won't get hired, despite my retail & management experience.

I've also sent a number of e-mail to large builders (KB Homes and the like), and they do send a computer generated thank you note.

Personally, I'm rather appalled. If you are a small company, you should take the time to send each & every applicant a nice note, acknowledging reciept of their resume, and a description of the process, and that if you meet their qualifications, they will get in touch with you. A template letter would be fine. Click, copy, insert, and away goes the thank you note. Again, I do believe this comes all down to common courtesy, and the lack thereof, probably do in large part to the busy-ness which has taken over our lives.

Several years ago, I intentionally stepped back from all the 'busy-ness'. I was commuting to work in Boston, missing out on my kids lives, and generally had no time for myself. I assessed my situation and realized that I could take a much lower paying job in Manchester, if I made some changes in my own life. This is a step I took which I never regretted.

As for your hubby...There are an abundance of IT Jobs here in Austin. It reminds me of how much a flurry Boston was before the dot com bust.

OK --------------------------

zhguoioop — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 02:38:02 -0400

OK
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Congratulations!!!

Susan Sherrouse — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 17:21:34 -0400

From one still in the job hunt, I'm envious. But congrats to you! It is really nice to have that security, especially since you just got married!

Susan