Monday, June 30, 2008

Don S. Davis, rest in peace

With tears in my eyes, I pass on the news that is spreading like wildfire all over the internet to those in Stargate SG-1 fandom -- Don S. Davis, perhaps better known as General George Hammond, has died. The report says he passed on the 29th.

Don came to Sacramento a few years ago to attend a convention. I was fortunate enough to have lunch with him with some other fans, and later to just stand around and talk with him before we were all leaving. He was a nice, sincere, interesting, entertaining, caring, and friendly person. He generated warmth. We all just couldn't wait to talk with him and get to know him better.

Don has performed in numerous TV shows and movies. Even if you don't know his name and never watched SG-1, I guarantee you've seen him. Check out his credits at the imdb.

Please take a moment and pause to remember a very sweet man.

Thanks, Don. I already miss you!

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Stargate SG-1 on Helium

Just another quick note that my latest article on Helium deals with Stargate SG-1 and a topic of controversy -- to ship or not to ship. Of course, anyone who knows me is quite aware of my opinion. I believe ship ruined the show. Anywho, I wrote out a few opinions, and they are posted here --- http://www.helium.com/items/1096186-romantic-relationships-on-television

... and now I'm watching "MacGyver". He's in a tux -- mmmmm mmmmm good! :}

July Fourth Article

Quick note ..... It's a contest, and I decided to do a last minute entry on the Fourth of July. The direct link is http://www.helium.com/items/1095939-july-4th-holiday so go now! lol Tell your friends! Winning, placing, or showing equals cash!

Thanks!

Nascar, Gas, and Saturday afternoons!

Hello World!

I had to work this morning, and I almost forgot my keys. Egads, I only just found them after losing them. What a start to the day!

On the way to work, I noticed that gas prices had actually dropped! Wow! I couldn't believe it. The other day it was $4.57, and today it's 4.49. What did I miss to cause a dip? I'm not complaining, especially since I need some of that fuel, but I was surprised. I'm sure it won't stay at that price, either.

On the flip side, there's Wendy's. Honestly, just a year ago, I could get a combo with drink for $4.34. Every couple of months, the price has gone up. This week, it's up to $5.15. That's a huge jump in less than one year. I really love their burgers and fries, especially the bacon cheeseburger, but I can't afford that. When the price jumped to over $5.00 for the combo a few months ago, I started just getting the burger and a small fry. Now, I'm about to downsize again and just get the value menu fry, which is a dinky thing, but $5.15 is ridiculous for just the burger and fry.

After work, I came home and turned on the end of the Nationwide race; that's the 'minor league' of NASCAR. I was shocked to hear Steve Letarte's voice. Steve is Jeff Gordon's crewchief. Apparently, he was doing a little freelance today as an expert for the broadcast on ABC. While only seeing the last 70 laps or so, the race must have been unusually incident free. Their wrap up lasted an hour, which you just never see on network TV. Normally, they're cutting off the interviews to get to the next show! It was nice, actually, to hear some extended post-race coverage.

I went through my email -- discovered more offers that had verified from GPTCashcow, and that translates to money in the bank eventually. I was disappointed with an email saying my blog didn't quite qualify yet for a sponsored blogger program that I wanted to sign up for. I'm doing everything I can to earn some cash, and doing some paid blogging seemed like another good possibility. When my blog reaches 'of age', I'm going to try again. Wish me luck!

The best part of my regular mail was my check from Global Test Market. That's another survey site I use a lot. If anyone wants to join up, just send me your name and email, and I'll be glad to refer you. It'll get a few points. I didn't realize how much my points there were worth --- it was a really nice surprise.

I'm still struggling with my SG-1 fan fiction muse. She wants to come out, and she's toying with me, but nothing is quite forming yet. Last month when things seemed so hopeless, the muse went into hiding. That hurt, because my fic writing has really been my sanity for many years, and my readers are the best! They are so loyal and true! I hate not having anything new to share with them. It's been a long road, recovering from the depth of despair that I was in. With the future uncertain, it's still hard to move forward, but I am trying, that's for sure. The muse will reemerge! We are both determined!

Now that I almost just choked on a milk dud, thereby waking them up from their naps, the dogs are clammoring for some Mom-time, so off I go!

Later all!

Friday, June 27, 2008

New article, ad promos, and unwanted critters!

Evening Readers!

It's been a long couple of days. I've had an interview to try and get some assistance for survival, and I'm hoping that goes through. Odds are slim, but I am staying positive. My financial situation is such that, when combined with certain physical problems, just make this necessary, or I'm gonna have major problems by the end of the year.

This is one of the reasons you see all the ads on the right side of this blog. They are there because every time a reader clicks on them and either buys or joins up, whatever the case may be, it helps me. I'll be rotating these ads periodically. Please try and use this as a jumping off point for these places; and don't forget to check out my writing at Helium.

Tonight on Helium, I added my position on the subject of whether or not texting is ruining communication. It certainly is popular, that's for sure.

I had a lot of offers verify today over at GPT Cashcow, which is always good news. I hope you've joined, or will consider doing so. That and Vindale Reasearch are the two sites I believe in so much. The Cow is a place where you can earn money and have lots of fun in the forum, and Vindale is a great way to try out products and evaulate websites while being compensated. Their links are on the right side of this blog.

Yesterday, while some friends were helping me to put the garage sale items back in place, we discovered hints of a ... grrrr, rat. Two boxes had been chewed. This is so not good news. I haven't heard anything, though, which is definitely good news. I had to have the pest control guys come out and do their thing today. They'll be back to check it next week.

It's possible the critter hasn't been around in recent times. The gnawing on the boxes appeared to be fairly new, but it's impossible to tell just how recent. I sure hope the little fella is long gone.

I recall as a young girl we had a huge rat infestation, caused by a home nearby where someone had died. When folks went in to finally clean the place out, rats spread out everywhere. It was horrendous. Everyone in the area had problems. Anywho, one rat got in the house and ended up locked in the cupboard with the ironing board. My sister and I actually stuffed little bread crumbs through the holes. What can I say -- we're animal lovers. Yes, it died, but I made sure I wasn't around for that.

During that same time, I'll never forget this one rat event. We fed our beagle, Tammy, outside at the time. She hadn't eaten all of her dinner, though. Well, here came this huge rat. I swear, he looked around, moved slowly, sauntered up to the dog bowl, peeked in, sniffed around, then walked away. A minute later, he returned -- with mama rat and three baby rats. The five of them took their positions on the dog bowl and ate the dog food.

Tammy was never again fed outside! Oh my! It was a crazy scene, but we all stood in the dining room, watching it happen outside.

It took a long time to get rid of all those rats, but we finally did. It was calm until just a few years ago. Apparently, we had a rat or two in the attic that devoured part of the central air piping and whatnot. Fortunately, never saw them. I don't want to, either.

So, apparently, it's rat time again, but I'm hoping he's already gone. I don't intend to spend much time in the garage until after pest control returns next week. Yeah, I'm chicken! Did I mention I recall the time when my mom and sister chased a rat through the house? Happily they closed my door and handled it on their own, somehow chasing the thing outside. Eeeeeewwwww!

On that note, gonna watch part two of "New Order," an episode of Stargate SG-1. I love certain scenes in this one, although it's an episode that triggers the beginning of the end for the series I love so much.

Have a good evening!!

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Coats, Anyone?

Hello Bloggerites!

I've spent the day uploading some furniture items for sell on eBay. Most of it is local delivery, so if you're in the Sacramento area you might want to check it out. However, there are also a couple of nice women's coats on there that ship anywhere.

Check it out -- Orrymain's items

More later!

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Money, SG-1, Bugs, and whatnot

Happy June Evening!

Happy feet here! I just received my $50 bonus check from GPTCashcow. This was from a special contest to see who could get the most milkshakes in a fifteen-day period. Woo-hoo! Love the extra! What a great way to earn cash. Reagan, the admin, continues to add contests and share the rewards from her site. Check it out, folks! It doesn't take long to achieve some extra cash! I can't wait for my regular check next month. That'll be exciting!

Sitting here watching "Stargate SG-1", an episode called "Birthright." Michael Shanks shines in this one, and he and Richard Dean Anderson are just so funny together. There's a great moment with a power bar that I just can't describe on this blog.

Don't forget to check out my ramblings over at Helium (link is on the right side of this page). My pets as family article is still number one in its category when I looked earlier.

Had a bug infestation in my house and had to have pest control come out. It was driving me crazy. I'll bet I killed twenty of these little gnats or whatever they were. Don't know where they came from or where they've been hiding, but I wanted them gone, gone, gone! Put some frontline on Cassie and Tessa (my dogs), too, just to try and help out a bit.

The fires are the big news here in California, and the fires can't be missed. We've had smoky haze for the last few days. They've been telling people to stay inside. I've been fortunate not to feel the effects, but my sister hasn't been so lucky.

Time to get something to eat and settle in for the evening. Actually, gonna hop back over to GPTcashcow and see if I can pick up a few more milkshakes (they convert to fifty cents each, and they do add up). Wish they had chocolate shakes to go, though!

Have a good evening!

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Helium, hot days, and NASCAR

Afternoon All!

Just taking a quick moment to say 'hello' and catch you up on the latest.

I've just added two more articles over at Helium, one on making money while working at home, and the other on reflections of a parent who has died. Please use the link to the right to go to my page and find the articles I've written and visit them. Feel free to let me know your thoughts.

After two days of horrid 100+ degree days, today is looking to be a cooler 95. Oh, I hope. I'm still recovering from yesterday's garage sale.

I'm about to head back over to GPTCashcow and complete some more offers, while watching the NASCAR race at Sonoma.

I'm a huge Jeff Gordon fan, and I'm hoping today will be the day he gets his first win of the season. It was a year ago this week that his baby daughter, Ella, was born, so it's a pretty special time for him. I'm hoping the magic spreads over into the race.

The dogs are outside, barking at something, probably a squirrel. They do love to do that.

Have a great day, and I'll be posting again very soon.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

CashCrate

Good Evening!

It's been a long day. I had a garage sale and am exhausted. It really wasn't that successful, either, so I'm a bit disappointed. On the bright side, I did get rid of some of the junk in the garage and made a few needed dollars.

I added links to two of my favorite online places to shop -- Amazon.com and DeepDiscountDVD.com. Please consider purchasing through this links.

Good news from yesterday. I received my first check from CashCrate, which was the first GPT site I went to. It's a very professional looking site and snags a lot of first time users.

The site has several pages of offers. In my experience, I rifled through many of these offers in two or three days. I was eager to earn the cash! At first, I had a lot of success, with many offers going through and being verified. It hooked me for sure. Then things slowed down, and I headed over to their forum for the first time.

I quickly learned that they don't like any negativity, probing questions, controversy, or just anything that didn't match their happy place. In reality, I think they are very concerned with not offending their advertisers. I made a few posts, and three of them were deleted. They weren't harsh posts, but were just asking questions about offers not verifying and what not.

On the forum, they do have folks who offer support, but mostly it's in secret. Again, they seem to be very concerned with upsetting the sponsors who pay the tab.

In addition to offers, I also have done a few of their trials. Those always seem to verify quickly for me.

So, I still recommend CashCrate as a source for some quick and early verifications. A weekend there will get you a lot of quick cash. I was thrilled to get that first check yesterday, and I'll be getting another one next month. After that, I'm not sure. They don't add much at CashCrate. Since I joined, I believe I've seen maybe ten new offers, fifteen tops.

Join CashCrate and get your feet wet. Don't waste time in the forum. Keep the site as one of your backups.

Then hop on over to GPTCashcow, which is the absolute best of the GPT sites. With a friendly and open forum and offers added frequently, it's the place to be!

Onward!


Friday, June 20, 2008

Helium - new article

Just a quick note to let you know I've written my third article over on Helium. It's about Pets being part of the family. Please support this endeavor! Your visits to Helium truly help my success there. There's no rating to be done, unless you are already a member of Helium.

Check out my article here.

Thanks!

Vindale - following up

Just a quick note to let you know that I did get my second check from Vindale Research. I really love this site and urge you to check it out. It's not a GPT site. From my experience, I know you can make decent money fairly quickly. That's two checks from them in three weeks.

Check it out!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

My Opinions on Helium

Evening!

I wanted to let y'all know that I've started to do some writing on Helium.com -- just some thoughts and opinions. The more you view and rate my ramblings, the better it is for me.

My main page is at here.

Tonight, I published two articles:

Is Life Fair?

Strength - Patrick Swayze

Please check them out and remember to rank the articles, good or bad. My earnings come from your rankings! If you have suggestions for writing, let me know!

Onward!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Stargate and This and That

Evening everyone!

It's been a busy day of sorts. I'm trying desperately to have a garage sale this Saturday and get rid of things (I need the money), so I've been sorting through things, trying to put more in the 'sell/junk' pile, rather than the 'keep' box.

At the same time, Sci Fi ran a 'Stargate SG-1' marathon, and it was vintage shows from S1. It was awesome! These are the shows I truly love, where the team is out there, exploring new worlds, and Jack and Daniel are just the bestest of friends.

I was also spending some time at GPTcashcow.com, trying to complete a few more offers. I love this site more everyday. I now have karma on the forum! What a hoot! I highly encourage anyone interested in making a bit of money to go there, and to sign up with Vindale Research as well. These two sites come highly recommended by me. The links are on the right side of this page.

I'm wondering if I should reconsider my stance on the ID and Pirate's Riches, but I'm still not sure or totally convinced.

Anywho, onward and upward.

My Happy Fic - Update

To the readers of my happy fic, stay tuned. I've been working so hard on trying to get some cash for survival, that I've had to let my beloved universe set for a while. Truth be told, emotionally, I wasn't in a place to write for a few weeks. I'm really trying to snap out of it and take the positive that has happened and move forward.

I expect to get "Corncob" published in the next day or two. It's long overdue, I know. Thanks to all of you for your patience, encouragement, and support!

Perhaps I should try doing more of the little fics. My heart misses the universe more than I can say.

Onward before I start to cry.

Money Makers - Pirate's Riches, a No-Go!

Good Morning!

I've just come from GPTCashcow where I've been chatting on the forum there. Just a reminder that this is the best place to earn extra dollars. Reagan, the admin, even has an activity bonus. The amount can change, but she runs it often, so that just for being online and doing offers or chatting on the forum, you earn a little bit of change. It's just another way she makes The Cow a special place to be.

On the down side, I was really surprised today to see that another site I have been plugging has started a new policy. In order to 'cashout', you have to submit to them photo ID, such as a driver's license or passport. While the folks there say you can black out the information, I was just stunned by it. This is a brand new policy they say has been brought about by cheaters. I'm sorry about their cheaters, but I'm not about to send them a copy of my DL or passport.

I have no idea how others are responding to it, but I'm backing out of Pirate's Riches, a site that I had liked quite a bit. I told the folks there that they should honor the cashouts of those of us who signed on board in good faith prior to this decision. I didn't get a response back. I had $13.33 earned there, time wasted now, so I'm advising anyone who asks me to avoid that particular website. There are many other gpt sites that aren't making it inconvenient on the honest to combat their business problems.

So, once again, I say -- go to The Cow! See the link on the right side of this blog, and check it out!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Night owls, Nashville Star, and Patrick Swayze

Here it is, the wee hours of the morning, and I'm still up. I've been a night owl my entire life, and here I am again! I've been over at the forum on Cash Cow just chatting with another member. It sure is a fun place.

I'm also watching a show I taped earlier tonight, er last night, called Nashville Star. I like a lot of these reality competition shows. This show has been on TNT for the last few years, but NBC owns it now and has chosen to air it on Network. Billy Ray Cyrus is the host this year. This show never has the same host or set of 3 judges every year. It always changes. Wynonna did it one year, Leann Rimes another. I believe Nancy O'Dell hosted for a year or two before they went to the celebrity singing hosts. It's nowhere close to the success of "American Idol," but it's always been interesting.

Anywho, been sitting here thinking about Patrick Swayze. He's my absolute favorite performer. I've been lucky to meet him a few times. I treasure those moments and conversations. He's such a nice, caring human being. Most everyone is aware that he's fighting Pancreatic Cancer, but he's gonna beat it! Patrick has a tremendous will and strength that comes from within. He really believes that 'pain don't hurt' stuff that 'Dalton' from "Road House" expounds.

Patrick's TV series 'The Beast' has been given the go-ahead by A&E, proof that he is succeeding in his battle. This is his first series since his very early days when he did a short-lived show called "The Renegades," not to be confused with that Lorenzo Lamas thing called just "Renegade." That show was a sort of "The Mod Squad" thing. I actually liked it, but it just didn't do well and only had six airings. I wonder if there are more episodes, never aired, around in some vault somewhere.

I adore Patrick. I was actually a very late comer to the Swayze bandwagon. I didn't see "Dirty Dancing" until the very very very end of its run, when it was at a drive in with two other movies. I liked it, but it didn't knock my socks off at that point. It was years later when I discovered the magic of Patrick. Actually, it was the year my father died, and I think I was searching for something special. I didn't want to like another performer, but "North and South" came on, and I just fell in love with it and his "Orry Main" character. I began researching Patrick and liked what I learned. One thing led to another, and I became a SwayzeManiac.

One of the things I love about the man is how devoted he is to his wife, Lisa Niemi. They just celebrated another wedding anniversary -- 33 years. Together, they have a true nation of two. They really don't need anyone or anything else, and it shines through brightly.

This photo is from a few years back when Patrick and Lisa danced together at the World Music Awards that Patrick hosted. It was the first time they'd danced together professionally on TV. Since then, they finally made their dance movie, "One Last Dance," that is a somewhat autobiographical story of their love of dance.

Every night I pray for God to bless the Swayzes as they battle this cancer. If anyone can beat it, it's Patrick. He's done so well. Regardless of whether or not you believe in God, please keep him in your thoughts. I, and he, too, also believe in positive thinking and good vibes.

Not quite ready for bed. Think I'll head back over to Cashcow for a few minutes. I really should be going through some papers, but that sandman is finally beginning to make sleep sound like a good idea.

Have a good one, folks! Later today, I'll be adding some info about the other websites and some tips for the gpt sites.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Money Makers - the Cow!

Recently, I learned about a new way to make some cash on the internet. It's something called GPT (Get Paid To) websites. I joined up and have been having some success. Soon, I will be writing some tips and suggestions, a sort of 'how to' for these sites, based on my experience, but right now, I want to introduce you to the absolute best of these sites that I've come in contact with. Later, I'll share some other sites I like, too, but the Cow is hands down, the best!

The way these sites work is that they present offers. You simply click on the offers and go through them, looking at a bit of sponsor advertising, selecting anything you might want and skipping over the rest. You get paid 'x' amount per offer. Some offers are simply PTC, or paid to click. There are sign up sites for newsletters and other GPT sites. You can purchase at some of your favorite places and get cash back. You can do trials and get paid for it, via the milkshakes that convert to cash. There really are all kinds of offers to be checked out and potentially earned.

GPTcashcow has a great admin, otherwise known as Reagan, the site owner. She's very accessible. There's also a super forum that is growing. People are eager to help newcomers by answering questions and giving their experience. They also just chat about all kinds of things. Right now, aside from specific offers, there have been discussions ranging from NASCAR to American Idol. There are also lots of contests and chances for extra cash by participating with them. On Friday the 13th, Reagan held a trivia contest that several of us took part in. She gave out $200 that night! She's planning much more, so the forum is not only fun, but profitable.

At the Cow, as we lovingly call it, the offers you complete earn you cash and milkshakes, the milkshakes converting to cash at checkout. Right now, that's done at the end of the month.

One way to increase your earnings is to get referrals who are active. It really doesn't do anyone any good to just sign up, but if you sign up and do some offers, it's great. The person doing the offers gets their money and milkshakes, and the person who referred them gets a percentage, too. The more referrals you have, the better the percentage.

Please give the Cow a chance! I'm eager to build up my referral base, and this site is one I'm a big believer in. I haven't gotten that first check yet, but I actually just won a fifteen-day contest there, and Reagan is in the process of sending me a $50 money order. I should have that next week, and I will post here when I receive it.

So -- you can earn some cash at Cashcow and also have some fun with trivia, games, and just meeting and chatting with the folks in the forum! It's made this much more enjoyable to me, and I believe it will for you, too!



Onward!

Cassie and Tessa

Cassie and Tessa are my two beautiful dogs, and I thought I'd do a quick introduction of them.

Cassie is coming up on her third birthday in July. She's a black lab, very gentle and loving. Her sister is Tessa, who is 1 1/2. She's a mix of lab, german shepherd, and heeler. She really does try to herd people! It's very cute!

Right now, on this very warm day in California, they are outside, being taunted by the squirrels. Have you seen those commercials where the squirrel is in the middle of the street and just laughs at the motorist who ends up crashing? I believe it!

These squirrels sit on the top of the fence and just stare down at my babies, taunting them. The girls go nuts, and it's absolutely hysterical to watch.

I wanted to upload their picture, but no matter what I did, blogger wouldn't upload them -- some internal error; but if you want to see them, you can click here and visit my doggies' web page.

Onward!


Money Makers - Vindale Research

To start with, I'm one of many people who are struggling to make a go in this very complicated and expensive world of ours. One way I'm doing that now is by participating in various online surveys and places where you can earn some extra cash. This cash isn't 'extra' for me, though. It's what I use to pay my bills and buy the groceries.

As I write about some of these places, I will be honest about my experiences and views on the individual sites.

The first site I want to plug is called Vindale Research. With Vindale, you can do trials and test for products both online and in your home. Since signing up, I've gotten MP3 downloads, credit services, movie rentals, skin care products, and so much more. There's no cost to the member at all. You sign up for free. The compensation varies, depending upon the survey, but it has always been reasonable and profitable in my opinion.

Many of these test items have been online, just doing a quick survey about a website. Others have been items that have come to my home for review.

Vindale Research is proven to me. I've received payment from them, with another check in the mail. It really hasn't taken much in terms of time or effort, either. Their customer service has been very good, and they seem to be very professional.

On the referral side of things, I get $5.00 if you sign up. On the plus side for you, if you like it and tell your friends, you then get $5.00 for every sign up. As soon as you join, they send you an email with tips and information on their organization, one for three days. They have a test survey you can do, or not, for $5.00. I actually didn't do the test one. I did get $2.00 right away just for completing my profile.



Try Vindale! It'll help me, and you'll profit from it, too!


Welcome to my blog!

Hello, and welcome to my blog. You can read about my ups and downs and daily progress in life. This space could cover my personal life, my appreciation of various performers and shows, ways to make money, freebies, my animals, and more.

As a quick introduction, my name is Marcia, and since first coming online many years ago at Prodigy, I've been known as Orrymain. The name was taken from the character of Orry Main, played by Patrick Swayze, in "North and South," which I absolutely adore. I wanted to have the URL to this blog be 'orrymain.blogger.com' but it was taken, so if there is another orrymain out there, please don't confuse us! Since the name was taken, I chose 'happyfic.blogger.com' because I write Stargate SG-1 fan fiction that I call happyfic.

I hope there is something for everyone here and that the blog is worth returning to!

Please come back often!
 
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