Time to manage that money
With all of this talk about the possibility of an economic recession, all of us are keeping a close eye on the economy and our own personal finances right now. My friend Allison told me about this new web site she is using that is what she calls a “FREE financial advisor.” The link is: http://www.mint.com. You just plug in your banking, credit card, savings, 401k, investments, whatever you want (and can leave out whatever you want) and it tracks everything for you. She absolutely loves it because they send you alerts when bills are due and even help you set up a budget. She only has her checking account and a credit card registered and it tracks her purchases and labels them so she can see what categories all her money goes to. It’s nice to see it all visually laid out (and painful to see how much my finance charges are - sick!). I haven’t checked it out yet, but when I have some time on my hands I want to try to add a few of my accounts in there to see how it works out for me. It can’t hurt to try it and all of us can use another method to handle our money a little bit better right now.
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage this month
Sept. 15 was chosen as the kick off date because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18. Although a little earlier, another Latin American country, Brazil, celebrates their independence on Sept. 7.
During Hispanic Heritage Month, learning about and celebrating the contributions of Latinos can only help to educate our communities and build the pride of those who identify themselves as Hispanics.
Spanish was the first European language spoken in North America and the U.S. is the fifth largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. There are more than 2,000 cities and towns in the United States with Spanish names. The state names of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, Montana and Florida are Spanish.
Hispanic Heritage Month and emphasizes Hispanic contributions to this country and inspires Hispanic Americans to be proud of their heritage.
We should all acknowledge the contributions of all of the great cultures that have joined to live in the great melting pot of America every day of the year. It is important that everyone learn to understand the ethnic diversity that is our country.
NC Women braved the bad weather in hopes of becoming the next MISS/MRS NC Beauties
This weekend I judged my first beauty pageant, the MISS/MRS NC Beauties Pageant in Raleigh.
I have been a contestant in pageants before, but never recognized the challenges that judges face when holding the future of these women’s pageant careers in your hands.
Pageants are serious business. Although some think of pageants in a negative light, and there certainly can be a downside to pageants (I can’t think of any right now), there are many positive aspects too.
I never would have participated in a pageant had it not been for a college professor my freshmen year in college. Dr. Anne Fountain. She knew that I was working my way through college and she encouraged me to participate in a local scholarship pageant. It was my first preliminary to a national pageant and I WON! Soon after, I caught the “pageant bug.” I was entering the pageants to make money not spend it, so everything including wardrobe, personal trainer, and accessories were either donated or borrowed. I never left a pageant without making it into the finals. My pageant career soon opened many doors and won me a significant amount of scholarship money, allowing me to pursue my collegiate and professional career.
For women, like me, who had few options for advancing their education, pageants can be a positive way to further their careers and also a way to stand up for any issues they wish to bring to the forefront. Pageants usually require contestants to have a platform (My platform was domestic violence awareness), which is basically a critical issue that she wishes to promote and inform others about. Community service is also a major aspect of today’s pageants.
Pageants not only consist of women working the stage in a swimsuit, they focus on in-depth interviews with each contestant. In fact, the pageant I judged this weekend didn’t even have a swimsuit competition. It focused on personal style and interview instead.
The benefits of being able to think on your feet during an interview far surpass the pageant stage and into many real life situations. Almost everyone must go through some sort of interview process to apply for a job. Those women who have been through the extensive interviews conducted in many pageants just might have an advantage over the average applicant for a position.
There is also something to be said for the positive self-esteem that comes from being able to walk and speak on the spot in front of hundreds of people.
I always tell people that competing in a pageant is no different than running for public office. Each woman serves as a representative for her hometown, she is already a leader and role-model in her community, except now she is seeking to propel her status and platform on a statewide and then possibly national level. In preparation for the pageant, she campaigns in her community, raises money for her participation in the competition, educates the public and advocates on behalf of the issues that are important to her and her community…all of this while maintaining a certain standard of conduct, morals, and appearance. Now you tell me how different that is from running for office?
Sure there are some differences, a pageant has traditionally been considered a form of entertainment (today’s political campaigns could arguably pretty entertaining themselves). It’s a competition that people enjoy watching and mostly women enjoy participating in.
So, congrats to our new North Carolina ambassadors! Phaedra Flowers- MISS North Carolina US Beauties Sharon Miller Ashley- MRS North Carolina US Beauties…I look forward to watching these smart, dynamic, and beautiful women representing North Carolina well in the national pageant in 2009!!
I kissed a girl…and I liked it
Her name was Bimini and her skin was as smooth as fresh hot dog out of water. She was a mammal alright, but not like you and I…she was a dolphin! You’ve heard the mysterious legends and fascinating facts about dolphins. This Labor Day weekend, I traveled to
Miami and had one of the most exciting experiences on my life. I had the chance to have a hands-on experience with the dolphins at
Dolphin
Harbor at the Miami Seaquarium! First, they handed us wet suits to change into (the suits still carried the aroma of those who took to the waters before us). Our group then filed into a classroom for an interactive, educational session about dolphins. Eventually, our instructor led us to the dolphin pool and were told to get into the warm water. They briefly explained where and how to touch the dolphins for each of the “experiences” we would be having. There were about 20 of us in the pool and 4 or 5 dolphins. Our very first encounter with the dolphins was to be pulled across the deep water by one of the dolphins. We were instructed to swim into the water, without splashing our legs outside of the water, and put one are out and wait for the dolphin to swim up to us, grab the dorsal fin, and turn over onto the dolphins back and put our other arm over the fin for more support as she pulled us. It was such a rush. I was terrified that I was going to be “the one” in each session that would fall off the dolphin’s back and be stranded in the middle of the pool. I did it though. I just wish they had allowed us to do it one more time before the end of the session, after I had become more comfortable with the dolphins. One ride was a tease.The dolphins swam by us and let us pet them. The skin was smooth and about how I expected it to be. We got to kiss, hug, dance, play ball and rub and get up-close to these friendly mammals.learned about in an interactive and educational classroom presentation before you put on a wetsuit for the fun filled, deep water interaction with a dolphin.
I always love visiting
Miami. No matter what time of year you visit, the place is always full of life, there is great shopping, food, and nightlife. It’s like traveling to a tropical paradise without having to go too far. I will say, however, that the highlight of my trip was my dolphin swim and smooch. I came away from the experience with incredible respect for the dolphins and a new appreciation for the conservation of nature.
I definitely recommend the experience, but if you are looking to swim with dolphins in NC you are sadly out of luck. The closest encounters that you may have in our great state will be by way of a boat tour or dolphin watch cruise in the Outer Banks (Roanoke Island/Nags Head region).
Greenies unite! All shades of green welcome…
On the prowl for a green job or volunteer organization to be a part of? Looking for some green love? Simply looking to connect with eco-minded folks around the Triangle? If the answer is “yes” to any of the above, I have the event for you!
As eco-consciousness expands across the globe, green networking events have become more and more common place. That is why MyNC.com and 30Threads.com (powered by NBC 17), in collaboration with Greenfire Development, have joined forces to host the Triangle-area’s green networking event of the year on Tuesday, August 26th from 5-8 p.m. in
Durham.
Don’t be shy if you’re not a dark shade of green – all shades of green welcome! Shopping organic and driving a hybrid are not prerequisites to attending this event! The purpose is simply to expand your green horizons, meet a diverse group of people and learn more about what you can to paint the town green!
So join MyNC. com, NCGoGreen. com, 30Threads. com and NBC 17 for a night of friends, laughter, tasty treats and fun.
All in the name of loving the outdoors, loving the Earth and loving our fellow people!
The venue is owned by Greenfire Development, located in
Durham, NC. The beautiful downtown building is located on
.
The event is free and a guaranteed blast! Bring your own business cards, pamphlets and handouts to share information at our Green Resource table!
Why my neighborhood?
This week, I found a bright red ALERT on my doorstep warning me that CASA with funding from the City of Raleigh and Wake County is attempting to purchase George’s Mews Apartments (corner of Washington St. and Glenwood Avenue) to convert it into subsidized housing. It’s in the heart of Glenwood’s Brooklyn neighborhood, 5 blocks from Hayes Barton, 1 block from Bishops Park and across from Fletcher Park. This is my neighborhood. This was the first time I had heard of the project.
I haven’t been the most “engaged” homeowner. In fact, I didn’t even attend last Wednesday’s community meeting with city leaders because I was working. But I am a concerned resident. I am surprised to learn that this project has been kept under wraps and that most of my neighbors, many of which are engaged HOA members, had not heard anything of these plans before now. The anonymous flyer urged residents to come to write and call all members of the Wake County City Council, County Commissioners and CASA to speak out against the development.
The CASA Website states that, “CASA is an independent non-profit housing development corporation which develops, owns and manages decent, safe and affordable housing for special populations in Wake County. Working through credible referral channels, CASA has housed over 700 people who face the daily challenge of living with a mental, developmental, or substance abuse related disorder.”
$926,164 in funds will be used for the acquisition and rehabilitation of a 26-unit development at 615 and 625 Washington Street, known as the George’s Mews Apartments. Funding for the project is close to being approved but has not been finalized by the City Council or the County Commissioners.
What are the consequences if the project’s approval is finalized?
This is what I do know:
Few communities welcome subsidized housing, with one of the most commonly voiced fears being reductions in property values.
The folks that left the ALERT on my doorstep claim that the project with negatively impact adjacent property values, does not support the city’s goal of downtown growth and revitalization and could increase chances of crime in the area.
The probability of these things worry me. I am very proud to be a homeowner. I live in a walkable neighborhood with pretty homes, a nearby park and pools. I am proud to say that property value in my neighborhood has gone up significantly since I purchased 4 years ago. I truly do love my neighborhood and feel safe when I walk down the sidewalk at night. I am walking distance from Cameron Village and Glenwood South. So many pluses here…I don’t want to risk losing that.
So my questions are…Why the short notice? How is it that I only learned of this new project from my neighbors and why only during the last week? What can I do about this? How can I find out more?
In a last ditch effort to learn more and try to make a difference, I have written emails to our county and city leaders and plan to direct them to my blog to see if any of them are moved to answer any of my questions.
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Last chance to celebrate my 20-something birthday?
A co-worker asked me what I am doing this weekend. I said that I would be celebrating my birthday along with my mom’s (our birthdays are one day apart). No big deal, just dinner and a night out at a relaxed rock n’ roll bar in downtown Raleigh with my family and close friends. “No big deal?” He asked…and then proceeded to remind me of the significance behind this particular birthday. I was reminded, “It’s the last birthday in your 20’s!” For once, I was speechless. I hadn’t stopped to think of this particular birthday this way. Besides, where had my 20’s gone anyway? Is this really it?
After years of thinking I was the younger one at work, in leadership positions within Boards and civic service organizations, or in some social settings, I realize that will no longer be true, soon enough.I’m still single, never engaged, no kids, i’m still learning something new about myself every single day, and my family thinks that i’m on my way to become a bonafide “cat lady,” (Which will never happen because I am not a fan of felines), but i’m content with where I am at almost-30.
A few year’s ago Kiplinger released a report on the “8 things to do before turning 30″ at that time I was 25 and was proud to have already knocked over half of the those tasks off of my list. I am proud of my professional accomplishments. I have a great network of friends and a loving family. I have the coolest dog around. I still get ID’d on a night out at the bar. And most importantly, I can eat ice cream every night without feeling guilty.It saddens me when people don’t want to celebrate their birthday. Why the heck not? I always say that birthdays are about celebrating life with others who are just as happy as you that you were born to enrich their lives in some way.
There is a saying that life is too short to eat bad food or drink bad wine. Now that I have been reminded of the apparent milestone that is my 29th birthday. I will be sure to raise a glass — and a fork — to that this weekend and celebrate milestones accomplished, great memories, wonderful friends and family.
Drive or Glide?
I learned about an interesting new trend in fuel efficiency as I was chatting with my friend, Jim Grosslight, today. Jim is a partner of Peak Automotive Restoration. They are experts in the preservation and restoration of classic autos and they customize new cars. One of the many perks of being friends with Jim is that, apart from knowing the answer to just about any car-related question I may ask, I get to ride in his beautifully restored antique cars regularly. Thanks, Jim!
We were discussing the differences in gas savings between antique and current cars, when he asked me if I had heard of the term “hypermiling.” Shocked, that I hadn’t heard of this smart new expression, I said “no” and inquired further…”Hypermilers,” are drivers who will do almost anything in their power to boost their gas mileage by changing their driving habits. It’s apparently a popular new trend that when done the “Smart in the City” way can save you some money at the pump.
Want to know where to sign?
Here are some tips that you can use toward becoming a “hypermiler.” Hypermilers break down their vehicles performance, highlighting every misstep: stop-and-go driving, too much braking, etc. Hypermilers say that some simple ways to improve fuel economy are by optimizing the design of your car, pumping up your tires and turning off your air conditioning — which can be hard during Raleigh’s hot days of summer.
Hypermilers have also taken steps to adjust their lifestyles to reflect the challenges of the new economy. Many are carpooling, using alternative transportation options, or driving less.
Some more extreme maneuvers are not so smart, and can get you in trouble — like coasting at 7 miles per hour through a stop sign. I don’t recommend that, unless you want to talk yourself out of ticket by explaining how breaking the law is “in style.”
With gas prices relentlessly soaring, we are all being forced to rethink our driving habits in one way or another. While it seems logical, Hypermiling seems like it requires a lot of extra thought and planning that I don’t think I could fully dedicate my remaining energies to. The concept may or may not be for you, but some of the methods used can be implemented easily enough to save you at least a bit of stress — and money next time you visit the pump.
Tourist in my own back yard
My little sister came to visit me from Florida this past weekend. She’s eighteen, so I was a bit nervous that she would be bored out of her mind! Last time she came to visit was atleast four years ago. I remembered that she loved Vic’s Pizza (best pizza in town!) in Raleigh’s City Market, so we went there for dinner the first night she was in town. My sister just graduated from high school and has an interest in psychology. Before she came to visit, she mentioned the Rhine Research Center at Duke University. The center researches and studies the experimental science of parapsychology. Who knew? I had no idea there was such a thing, but it was interesting to learn nonetheless.
I decided that since she had expressed an interest I would take her to Duke University for a visit while she was in town. We visited Duke’s public gardens with a friend who is much more familiar with the campus that I. I had never been, so I would have been totally lost without our personal tour guide. It was a tranquil, pretty place that’s good for out-of-towners. There are miles of walking paths and themed gardens, birds, and turtles. It’s the kind of place where people have their wedding pictures taken. I think we spotted one.There was a young woman in a pale orange dress with an asian influenced umbrella taking photos with a large group of suited men. It was absolutely beautiful. and the newly constructed Doris Duke Center is popular for wedding receptions (as well as educational programs). We then moved on to the beautiful English Gothic style Duke University Chapel. It was closed because a wedding was taking place. I have always wanted to visit the chapel, so i’ll have to go back at another time. After walking through the campus, we had worked up an appetite so I decided that we should go to one of my favorite lunch spots in Durham, Mad Hatters Cafe & Bake Shop. The food is fantastic, but the true lure to this downtown Durham lunch and brunch staple is what sits within the glass enclosed cases surrounding the cash register…rows and rows of tasty brownies, cookies, cakes, muffins, etc. We were full after lunch, but each had one of their enormous buttery cookies afterward. A tip: Their buttercream frosting is the best! I couldn’t take my sister to Duke without taking her to UNC. We visited Mama Dip’s for Sunday brunch. I hadn’t been in ages and it was just as good as I remembered it. Southern cuisine at it’s best. We feasted on corn bread, biscuits and veggie plates – only in the south are macaroni and cheese and french fries considered vegetables. 
We then walked down Franklin Street and stopped in a couple of shops. It was a bit of a ghostown, this time of year, without the college students roaming around so i’m not sure how exciting it was for my little sister. In the end, I think the weekend was a success. I got to show off my stomping grounds and spend quality time with family. I was nervous that I wouldn’t have the youthful energy necessary to keep my sister entertained all weekend, but my dad confirmed that upon her return she crashed and slept for hours, so I actually think I wore her out.
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