Everybody loves a good getaway vacation.  Spending time away from the real world can be an energetic rejuvenation experience.  With that I wanted to get away from everything. 
Living here in the Seattle area getting away to the outdoors and in nature is very simple to do.  Just last week, I headed out to Whidbey Island (http://www.whidbeycamanoislands.com/). 
It is just a ferry ride away, but we decided to take the northern route through Deception Pass .  There are no major freeways, just highways and two lane roads.  In fact, there’s a major
Naval Base on the Island.

When we got to our location, it was the Farm House Bed and Breakfast (link here).  It is located on a couple of acres, on the countryside with a great view of the Puget Sound.  There are
plenty of things to do there even though you are out in the middle of nowhere.  On the farm they had animals to play with and feed; tons of bunny rabbits, 2 goats and 2 donkeys. 
All were well behaved and eager for a carrot snack to eat.  In addition, the rooms are well decorated with country charm and hidden surprises that you would not find in a normal hotel are placed throughout the room.   

 We also went to local towns nearby such as Langley and Coupeville.  Langley has a breath taking view of the mainland on a cliff.  All the towns have a sense of community and old
fashioned themes on the businesses in the area.

At the Farmhouse they also have horseshoe pits to throw horseshoes in and a hot tub that overlooks the view of the sound.  It is truly a magical and relaxing place. 
We will definitely be back to visit and we enjoyed are time away.

NOTE:  Please take a look at their website.  It has more detailed information if you would like to visit.

With being unemployed (still) I am doing search for the best fields that I feel would be good growth areas.  Here are some areas that I came up with in United States

               Precious metals = In this economy and the recession we are in of government printing money and no end in sight, the law of supply and demand says that if there is a high supply and low demand for the United States dollar, inflation will set in.  What commodity even through high inflation is good?  Precious metals.  I just recommend if you get any metals keep them with you don’t buy paper precious metals and buy them in small fractions like a gram, ¼ ounce, ½ ounce.  One ounce of gold as of right now is about 1,000 dollars.  Hard to barter in 1,000 dollars chunks, huh.

               Veterinarians – as the country gets older our lives on a whole have become less involved with real human contact.  To take that place people are getting more and more pets.  I have heard many times that “My pet is a family member”.  Well if that pet is sick or needs medicine people become so emotionally attached to their pets that they feel like they have to keep the animal alive.  I have had pets and know that emotional attachment is strong.  Because of this people will spend whatever it takes to keep that pet alive.

               Military - Just like the nursing business because people will need to be taken care (in terms of security) we as a country will need security from Islamic radicals.  With this economic downturn in employment, enlistment numbers are up since people know that they are needed by are military. 

               Technology – this is what has made the USA great.  Evolving with the times, technology will always improve our day to day life and with that great ideas and ingenuity will have to evolve with it. Innovators in this market are software engineers and programmers, video game designers, as well as the technicians that install and maintain the equipment that runs the software.

                Nursing – baby boomers people will always need other people to take care of them.  As we get older and live longer it is a necessity to have people take care of their daily needs (Like walking, eating, going to the bathroom).  Hard to imagine since most of us take it for granted every day.

                Seed companies –With prices of food going up at the grocery store people want to save money so they are doing it by growing their own gardens.  Seeds can be bought for cents on the dollar compared to what it cost to pay for the food and vegetables at the store.

That is just a few fields that I came up with.  There are many more out there for the taking.  This way you can make sure whatever work you choose you get a career not a Job.  Whatever job field you go into make sure you enjoy it and you will never work a day in your life.  Doesn’t matter how much money you make.  Enjoy your search and stay positive!

Now that I am unemployed; I am working on a job search.  It can be very frustrating and unrewarding especially in this current economy.  What I have put together is my take on job internet search websites areas that I have done and here is my experience with a few that I have tried.

Careerbuilder.com – Good website but a lot of the jobs are outdated and old.  I would recommend craigslist or monster over this one.  I don’t like how if you apply for a job you have to go to the company’s website.  It makes it harder and more time consuming post your resume and sometimes opening a job account on the company’s website.  Just doesn’t seem like this website updates their job posts if they get filled fast enough.

Local newspaper –YES !  I do know that print newspapers are dead.  But I do recommend the Sunday edition.  It has the most job selections.  The reason why I recommend it is because if an employer is spending money for that job advertisement (which is REALLY expensive these days)  for a one time shot (one week run) in the paper then that probably means they want to get someone ASAP.  I have gotten the quickest response time for people calling me back. 

Craigslist -  Not the most technically advanced website but it gets the job done.  I know for employers it isn’t as pricey compared to the competition and the job posts are usually up to date and accurate.  The only drawback is sometimes you have to be careful of something fraudulent.  Anything out of the USA I recommend staying away from, even giving out personal information I would stay away from.

Monster.com – Definitely the most up to date website of all of them.  Job posts are more updated and taken down in a better time.  I like when you apply for a job it doesn’t take you to the company’s website you just fill out a resume and cover letter.  So it is less time consuming and easier to navigate through.

Networking and Job Fairs – This works the best and is the most fruitful.  Job fairs I can tell are getting a lot more people attracted to them.  One fair I went to had 100 yard line of people wanting to get in.  Be aggressive and assertive at the job fairs when going up to the recruiter in line.  Linkedin.com is a great way to stay in touch with past colleagues and stay in touch with your industry.  So don’t burn a bridge because you may have to walk back over it to get a job.  Plus, It always feels good to chat with old friends about the good old days!!   

So far I have sent or applied to over 50 places on all the above listed sites and counting.  I will keep you posted.  Stay positive and upbeat you will be rewarded!

This economic time is new.  Deficit Trillion dollars spending while jobs are being cut by the hundreds of thousands monthly is scary.  Right now I am unemployed.  The market is tough; I can tell that businesses are getting a lot of resumes and applicants.  The main thing I would stress is not to panic and not to worry (too much).  America has seen ups and downs in the economy and we are not in a great depression era (25% unemployment) or early 1980’s (10-12%) with high inflation times like then.  In fact, we in the United States are still below 8%.    That is a huge difference.  Should we be concerned, “YES;”  should we panic “NO”. 

What steps you can take, if you have been laid off or unemployed is look to your state unemployment website for help.  Here in Washington State it is http://www.esd.wa.gov/ .   Next step is to ask yourself if you have been paid all your back wages owed.  Every state is different but there is an unemployment benefits website. 

Now most of you are saying you know this okay but here is what is important.  What if you have a dispute on your last paycheck?  What if you are not getting all your vacation paid to you or sick leave?  How do you dispute that without hiring a lawyer?  I would recommend searching on Google for your state “disputing pay from employer.”   There are many examples of how an employer can take advantage of these issues.  If you don’t know where to start call up your state’s department (labor commission, labor and industries, etc.) and talk to someone personally and ask questions.  They can point you in the right direction.  Now that the economy is down employee disputes are rising because companies are trying to save money (that is probably why you where laid off in the first place.)  This is free it doesn’t cost any money.   

You can also take your former employer to small claim court usually the maximum amount you can file for is 5,000.00 dollars.  There should just be a 25.00 dollar filing fee and you get to plead your case in front of a judge.  Kind of like Judge Judy show.  If you think that you need proper legal advice, please consult an attorney but beware that it could cost a lot.

I have bought a few houses in my day.  Rentals, owner occupied, and step up houses.  The question to ask yourself when getting a loan, for any of these types of home is how long do you want to hang onto it.  Is that five years from now?  Ten years?  Or am I going to retire in this home?  Below are the more standard types of loans out there.  Hopefully, by the end of this article you ...

If you are reading this article it’s important to read articles Energy Savings From Windows and Installing Energy Efficient Windows.  They are a must read and go hand in hand with this article.  Warranties are very important.  They are just as important if not more important than installation procedures of your windows.  Here is an example of what to look for in vinyl windows.  Apply as needed but read and understand each part of the warranty.  What you don’t understand could cost you!

Most manufacturers put a lifetime guarantee on all their vinyl frame windows.  Does anything last for a lifetime that’s made out of plastic?  If you get a warranty make sure get two copies, one of the warranty from the dealer selling the window and the other from the manufacturer that makes the frame.  Be sure to read this fine print and compare the two to make sure what is missing or is in one and not the other.  Those details will tell you how good the warranty is to you. This way if the dealer goes out of business you still know what you are getting from the manufacturer.

Most companies won’t even show the manufacture one to you.  Here is one from a manufacturer:

Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is the second book of the seven book saga written by C.S. Lewis. The four original children from the first movie are summoned into Narnia only to discover that hundreds of years (1300) have gone by and that humans called Telmarines now occupy Narnia. Prince Caspian, the true heir to the throne, is forced out of his home by his uncle who wishes the thrown for himself. The children and Prince Caspian meet up and together attempt to save the remaining Narnians from the Telmarine’s war machine.

I enjoyed this movie, it was better then I thought it would be which, is always a welcomed surprise. The battles were as epic as a battle could be without blood. The director did, in my opinion, didn’t do the best translation from book to movie. He took a lot of creative liberty, but it’s still an enjoyable movie with a lot of great characters, from noble to devious.

This movie appeals to everyone and the people who don’t seem to enjoy it are either Atheists who don’t like the Christian theme or Christians who don’t like the mystical Pagan creatures. To both of those people I have to say is, get over it, and really, just enjoy the darn movie for what it is, an epic fantasy story.

Every time I walk into the grocery store, usually on the far right hand side (looking straight ahead from the entrance) I will see the produce section.  There are plenty of green plants, lettuce, grapes, melons, tomatoes, oranges, bananas, fruits and vegetables of all kinds.   Now that the summer months are coming up, before you go to the fresh produce section make sure you do your homework.

I have lived on a farm and growing melons, zucchinis, potatoes, carrots, radishes, corn and many other produce.  The key to picking the most ripe and succulent tasting produce depends on when it’s picked and how it’s picked.  Unfortunately, when you get to the grocery store you can’t  pick it off the vine yourself, but there are some factors in correctly picking certain products to make sure they are ripe. 

Watermelon:  In order for it to be picked ripe you need to see the vine.  When they are picked at the farm there is a vine that lets all the nutrients flow into the melon.  From the watermelon there is a pig tail (closest to the melon) that when all dried up means the melon is ready.  Then it can be picked, but you can’t tell this at the store.  So then what you have to do is give it a pat or slap to make sure it sounds hollow.  If the melon is overripe (stringy inside) it will have a dead sound and not give a sound back at all.  But if it’s ripe and ready to eat it will sound more like a hollow log.

Cantaloupe:  A cantaloupe is much easier to tell whether it’s ripe or not.  You can see by the outside if a melon has any yellow along its ribs.  If it’s dark green it means it was probably picked early.  Another way is seeing if the vine is still attached to the melon or has been ripped off.  If it has been ripped off or still attached it means the melon has been picked green.  Stay away from it!  The melon will be hard and not taste as sweet.  Most people that have bought a melon from the store at a grocery store produce isle have been dissatisfied and this is the reason why, they don’t pick the melon vine ripe.

Tomatoes:  Make sure that you know when you want to eat them.  The more red they are the more ripe the produce is, so if you are going to eat it right away I would recommend taking it.  If it is greener and firmer it means you can sit it out longer just like pears and bananas. 

Don’t buy produce that is from down south (Arizona, California, etc.).  Usually it won’t taste as good and they have been picked all at once so it’s not vine ripened.  I recommend going to a local farmers market in your area.  Farmers in the summer time pick them vine fresh off their farm.  Talk to the local farmers ask them of their ways to pick produce and what their secrets are in picking them.  They will be more then friendly, since they know how hard it is to grow produce that is tasty and sweet.