Viva Las Vegas!

 LUCKY 777

Join me in Las Vegas as we "cash in" on my

LUCKY 7 BIRTHDAY

Also, Happy Birthday to 

T.Shay!

A quick recap.  Today - October 7 - I turn 43 (4+3 = 7) and, as Heather briefly mentioned it is my first year in our new lucky home 4012 (4+0+1+2 = 7).  With all these 7's working in my favor, a trip to Las Vegas was a little irresistible 

So here we go... Now Boarding for Las Vegas.  Today we'll do a little gambling.  Here's how it will go....

Three games, at three times throughout the day.

• 10:00 a.m.: Craps.  In order to get in you have to do two things....  BY 10:00 a.m. (1)let me know you want to be at the table by typing in your name and saying, "I'm in," and (2) ante up by throwing in 1 of your favorite candy bar.  At 10:07, I will roll the die once for each person at the table.   If we have a lucky winner, all candy bars get sent to him/her.  If not... the house wins and they come to me at 4012 Harvestwood Court, Grapevine, Texas, 76051.  Winners also receive a Las Vegas patch for their Patchwork Denim.
  
• 2:00 p.m. : Black Jack, otherwise known as 21.  Again, to get in on the fun you have to have made a post by 2:00 saying two things.  First, say "I'm in." Second, ante up by throwing in $2.10.  At 2:1o p.m.  I will deal each player their first card.  Once the first card has been dealt I will go back and deal the second card.  The person coming closest (without going over) to 21 will win.  If the house wins the money it will be donated to our Helping Hand family.  If a lucky player wins, you get the pot.  Winners also receive a Las Vegas patch for their Patchwork Denim.
  
• 5:00: Slots.  You know the drill.  Get in on the fun by doing two things.  First, let me know you want to play by saying, "I'm in." Second.  Ante up one sheet of stickers for each time you want me to pull the lever on your behalf (i.e. three sheets of stickers = three pulls).  Maximum of five pulls.  Get three in a row and be the lucky recipient of a new sticker collection.  Winners also receive a Las Vegas patch for their Patchwork Denim.
  

Announcements:

• THANK YOU!:  Imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning to make my post and I noticed Ray had come to visit, with birthday cake and balloons in hand!  Truly a thoughtful - the most thoughtful - gesture.  Thank you, everyone. It will have me smiling all day long.
• Thank You, again:  I am a lucky, lucky person.  Yesterday I received a fun birthday card from Julie (made of wood!), a beautiful package of cards from Peggy, and a thoughtful card from Amy.  The day before I received a fun treat from Cristine, which I will open tonight at dinner.  I must also say, that a few weeks ago I received an extremely thoughtful treat from Maureen.  Maureen sent me a biography of Abraham Lincoln, in support of an item on my Bucket List (read a biography of each president).  A side note on that... Richard informed me I wouldn't make it through all the presidents, by the time, I die unless I read more than one a year.
  
• It's a Gamble: Don't forget.  Today is the day we are playing a Prank on the United States Post Office.  Head to the post office and mail something naked (meaning not in a box or mailing envelope) to send T. Shay at 5600 Ostrom Avenue, Encino, CA 91316 (whose 40th birthday is today).  Then make a post telling us whether or not your were successful and what the experience was like.  My item was inspired by an empty barrel of pretzels.  I filled it with Monkeys linked together, reading "Hope your birthday was a Barrel of Fun."  In addition, I filled the barrel with leafy twigs and a banana.
  
• Blog-a-thon: The ultimate birthday gift would be 70 (or even 7) new participants for our blog-a-thon.
  

I'm cashin' out...

Psstt...It's Ray here!

Pssttt...Me again Ray Wattson and as usual I'm posting while Claudia is fast asleep.  The only difference is that it is 12:00am and on 10/7/08 which means it is officially Claudia's birthday.  So this post is written for her to see when she wakes up bright and early in the morning to post.

So...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAUDIA!!!!

From Ray and all the HLA readers, we hope your birthday is as amazing as you are!

Each of your readers has decided to do a special RAK in honor of you.  Some have already been completed, others are doing theirs today, and some will be spread out over the coming days. So, whichever it is readers please post your RAK here so that Claudia can see what she has inspired.

Two , Four, Six, Eight...

Cristine and Julie

are really GREAT.

Join me in celebrating this...

B*I*R*T*H*D*A*Y  W*E*E*K!

Let's start by wishing them both a 

Happy Birthday!

My sister Ellen loves numbers.  I don't know if she is all that good at math, but she loves finding meaning in numbers.  For a while she was even into numerology.  Somehow using your birthday, birth month, and a series of other specially selected numbers to determine, what I think was, your lot in life.

I remember she somehow figured out that my oldest son Ricky (birthday 1/20/93) and his best friend Danielle (birthday 2/10/93) when added, subtracted, multiplied, then divided by the double secret super special number... actually had the same astrological number - and therefore, I think, destiny.  It meant that they would always somehow be on the same plane.  It meant, that when the tides brought troubled waters for one, troubled waters would be met by the other.   

Normally all of this talk about numbers might go right over my geometry-failing, statistics-hating self.  But this year, numbers have caught my attention.  This year, in fact, this week I will turn forty three (4+3) on October 7.  Coincidence... I'm not sure.

Let's have some more fun.

Forty-three.  I can pine over that number or I can embrace the number (albeit it big) and look for the 43 reasons why this number is so important...

1. 4= number of seasons; winter, summer, spring, fall... fall - the fourth season and my favorite.
   
2. 3 = number of daughters my parents had.  (Yes, I am the third).
   
3. 4+3 = 7, number of days in a week.   
   
4. 3+4+ 0 = My parents street address in New York
   
5. 4x3=12 = the number of months in a year
   
6. 4th month = April, the month Matthew was born
   
7. 3rd month = March, the month Jack was born
   
8. 43, number of cathedrals in the Church of England 
9. 43, the number adopted by the online community as a representation of organization (ie. 43 things.com) 
10. 43things.com, http://www.43folders.com/
    
11. 43folders.com, http://www.43things.com
12. 43kix.com, http://www.43kix.com/
13. 43 = number assigned to President George Bush; 30 days left of 43 (come on #44!).
    
14. 43 = Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States in 1943
15. 43 = number of this year's Super Bowl! (Yes, I am as old as the Super Bowl!)
    
16. 43 = minutes is the length of Pink Floyd's song, Dark Side of the Moon
    
17. 43 = a prime number - the 14th smallest prime number
    
18. 43 = 41+2
    
19. 43 = 11+13 + 19
    
20. 43 = 2+11+13+17
    
21. 43 = 3+5+7+11+17
22. 43 = The number of consecutive district titles tyring to be won by St. Francis de Sales of Toledo, Ohio (a national record in any high school sport).
23. 43=the designation of Interstate 43, a freeway in Wisconsin
24. 43, The year actor George C. Scott, actress Glenda Jacks, and the movie, Patton won Academy Awards.
25. 43 = the number of different herbs and spices contained in the Spanish Liqueur Licor 43.
26. 43, the year the Pentagon was finished being built and we were in the middle of WWII
27. 43 state to join the union, Idaho.  (It's been a long time since an "Idahonian" visited our fun community.
28. 43 = the number of Richard Petty's race car when he won his 7 Winston Cup Championships.
29. 43 = % of workers who call in sick without excuses, according to CareerBuilders.com
30. 43 South, the name of a company in Tasmania, specializing in growing cut flowers.
31. 43 = The year people such as Newt Gingrich, Barry Manilow, Mick Jagger, and tennis great - Arthur Ashe - were born.
32. 43 = Almost the price of a first class stamp ($0.42), but only $ 0.03 in 1943
33. 43 miles, the equivalent to 69.201792 kilometers.
34. 43 = the number of muscles required to frown
35. 43 = a number, according to a religious website, that "...represents a time of waiting for some blessing from the Lord."
36. 43 = International code for Austria
37. 43 verses in the Old English epic Beowulf.
38. 43 = the year London was founded by the Romans as Londinium
39. 43 species of birds in the Antartica
40. Three hundred-43 = number of fire fighters who died on September 11
41. 43 feet, the average length of the male Gray Whale
42. 4-3 = 1, number needed to complete my list of 43.  Do you have one?

Announcements:

• Countdown to the Super Bowl: Congratulations to Nicole, winner of this week's Throw Down, between she and Julie!  Nicole, I heard about your costly mailing experience.  Next time we will consult ahead of time about which day you should mail.  Hopefully the win makes the cost of mailing more palatable!  Click on the Struble Suds site to hear more about the this week's Throw Down.  Next up Katie and Maureen...
  
• Congratulations, Cheryl:  Cheryl was one of two people who predicted Atlanta would win over Green Bay.  She wins a gold star for coming closest to guessing the final score.
  
• Blog-a-thon: We still have PLENTY-o-spots left for blog-a-thon participants.  Remember, this initiative is to raise money for the Helping Hand family we adopted for the holiday.  Sue, Brian, Maureen (...and I) appreciate you helping us reach our goal.
• Festival of Birthdays:  Our very own Cheryl has started a fun new blog.  The very purpose is to recognize people she knows on their birthdays.  Check it out at festivalofbirthdays@blogspot.com

Signing off until tomorrow...

Just Say "Yes"

Today's post is dedicated to all the can-do people out there who's first instinct is to say, "yes," in stead of "no."

I'm not talking about taking on more than you can handle or saying, "yes" at the expense of life balance and sanity. I'm talking about one's natural reaction when presented with the idea of a new venture or with the opportunity to try something out of your norm.

A brief story on my part and then maybe a personal challenge for you this weekend.

Right now King Arthur Flour Company is at top of my list of favorite companies and the Container store is at the bottom. Yes, the Container Store.  The store to which I have been a faithful customer and advocate, is at the bottom. The reason? The Container Store has a well-developed "No-Reflex," while King Arthur Baking Company is still nimble enough to see possibility.

Months ago, in anticipation of an upcoming Highlowaha theme week, I mailed a representative at the Container Store a package. I'm talking a P-A-C-K-A-G-E! I'm no slouch when it comes to mailing treats. I derive pleasure from sending mail, so packaging is a skill I've developed over time. Not everything I mail is inspired, but this package was! I'm talking a pristine white Container Store box (of course) chock full of fun treats wrapped in bright Container Store tissue paper, with krinkle, a fun note, and of course a carefully selected treat for the recipient. I even went so far as to call the woman to whom I was sending the package to assure she was made aware (I didn't want her to be confused and to therefore dismiss the box once placed on her desk).

The entire gesture was designed to get a lunch date with someone from the Marketing department. I have a GREAT idea for the Container Store and I wanted to pitch it, in time for my upcoming theme week. I mailed the package, by the way, in August. The person to whom I sent the package didn't reply until I made two follow-up phone calls. Even then, she passed me off to someone else in the department. The woman I was pawned off on actually replied to my introductory email. She agreed to go to lunch at a future date, when the dust settled from a series of store openings in which she was involved. We tentatively planned on the last week in August or the first week of September. I have followed up a number of times, but to no avail. The woman at Container Store has never called me back to make good on her agreement and the realist in me knows she won't. Opportunity lost on the part of the Container Store. Too bad.

Juxtapose that with Rebecca from King Arthur's. In preparation of National Ice Cream Month, I contacted the company to see if they would donate an adorable ice cream cone cookie cutter that I saw advertised in their catalog. I couldn't track down the name of a particular person to whom I should address the letter, so I addressed it to, "To Whom It May Concern" - a cardinal sin when writing a letter of this sort. Months later... in fact, just two weeks ago, a representative of the company emailed me. She explained that the letter just worked its way to her desk and that she was sorry to have missed the event. She was quick to suggest that maybe there was another way we could work together.  Here's a woman with a strong "Yes Reflex."

Immediately, I told her of my plan to do a week focused on some of my favorite holiday items for kids. The focus of the items would be gifts that foster kids creativity. She told me of a series of new kids Cooking Kits that we being launched and offered to send me a sample. Deal made.

The difference? Woman "A" was intent on getting me, "off her back." In fact, so anxious was she to get out from under having to do something that she never returned my messages or formally told me she was not interested. Bad business etiquette! Person "B," on the other hand, knows Highlowaha is no big fish, but she was not so adverse to the unknown, that she was unwilling to let a in a new idea. Truth... 98% of our readership is women and many of us have kids. We will all probably all give at least one child a gift this holiday season - making the plug King Arthur's will get from Highlowaha worth every penny.

My plea to you is remain open to possibility.  Granted it's easier to say "no."  Saying, "no" assures you won't be any busier and that life will stay exactly as you know it.  Saying, "no" means you won't have to do anything more, learn anything more, visit someplace you've never been, or try something you've never tried.  But, it also means you might miss an opportunity.  Sure... going to lunch with someone you've never met to hear a "pitch" about something for which you are unsure....it's unconventional, I know.  All the more reason why a marketing person - assigned to promote and advance the Container Store image - should have said, "yes," instead of "no."

How about it?  This weekend and into next week, try to say "yes" to the requests and opportunities that come your way.  Try to relax your "No-reflex" and see what happens when your first instinct is to say, "Yeah, sure."

You could shrug me off, pretend you didn't read this, or say, "no," but then you'd be proving my point.  So try saying "yes" and surrendering to the challenge.

Let us know if something cool comes from it... and I will too.

Believe it or not, I am off to facilitate training for the a group of Methodist student leaders!  A spiritual retreat, Bas Mitzvahs, and Blessing of the Animals all in one week!  And, on the seventh day I think I'll rest.  See you back here on Monday... 

Oops!... Announcements:

• Congratulations, Lori!  You had a clean sweep yesterday.  You won the Pet Match AND your dog Jessie (#5) was voted the cutest.  Dog treats coming your way.  The pet owners, in order, were:
  

Brian

Maureen

Cassie

Chaotic

Lori

Heather

Peggy

Susan

Lori

Tera and Treye

Maureen

Cassie

Lori

Claudia

• Today Halloween Activity: Today we will go on a Hayride.  The local Pumpkin Patch opened yesterday at 3:00, so we'll make our first visit of the year later on this afternoon.  Have I mentioned, I love this time of year?

Free for All Friday: But first...

There's a special irony to today's post that deserves some explanation.

I grew up in New York with a father who is Jewish and a mother who is Catholic. That is to say, my family never really participated in formal religious activity. I did, however, go to a Catholic school for a period of time and we did celebrate Christian holidays (Christmas and Easter). We never really celebrated Jewish holidays, though every year at Passover, we looked forward to my grandmother's matzah. Warm with maple syrup... PERFECT!

The other thing we never did was have a pet. Wait... not totally true. My father - the consummate environmentalist - had a large fish tank in his basement office for a while. I think he liked it because it brought the outside world inside. I can't quite remember when it went away. I seem to remember more years without the fish tank around than with it around. That fish tank was our only run at pet ownership. No dogs, no cats, no guinea pigs, not even a pet rock. Consequently, there is no "pet-gene" embedded in my DNA. If I didn't have a pet, my life would be complete, but I certainly acknowledge our home is a warmer, cozier place because of our dog, May Day

The combination of my non-religious, non-pet-owning upbringing is what makes today's post so ironic. Today we celebrate Blessing of the Animals. The only reason I even know about Blessing of the Animals is because I spent four years working at a small Catholic school in Louisville. The Campus Minister, in conjunction with the president of the University, coordinated an annual event in the quad. Students, faculty, staff, and surrounding community members were encouraged to bring their pets to campus in late afternoon, so the pets could be blessed. The event is in honor of a patron saint, I think (already, I am feeling out of my league). Nonetheless...a fun event and one I thought we should acknowledge.

If yesterday was about getting to know your cars, today is about getting to know your pets. As requested, many of you submitted pictures of your pets and through the power and skill of CSPgrad, we have turned them into a slide show for your viewing pleasure. We'll have two kinds of fun with these pet pictures.

• First, we'll vote on the Cutest Pet. Each picture has a number, so just post the number of the pet you find cutest in the comment section. The winning pet will receive a treat in the mail.
  
• Second, and for a much more elaborate gift, we will play Pet Match. We will have a contest to see who can match up the most pets with their correct owners. Below is a list of people who submitted pictures and as noted earlier, the photos are all numbered. To play, just list name with a corresponding number.

Pet Owners:

Peggy

Lori (3 pets)

Cassie (2 pets)

Tera and Treye

Susan

Heather
Chaotic

Maureen (2 pets)

Claudia

Brian

The winner of contest #2 will win a great present... especially in light of the Christmas holiday coming up! My good friend, Sherry A, is an artist and professional photographer. She will take favorite photos of your dogs and cats, etc, provided by you, ... and transform them into works of art - Warhol Style!

Pets... the first of many things you can "Free For All" about.

Next. Don't forget to place your bet on this weekend's Green Bay game and to wish Julie and Nicole luck in their face-off. Julie and Nicole, if you're out there... tell us what you submitted. Inquiring minds can't wait until Sunday!

Next... I ran into a friend today and she asked for a consultation (informal and on the side walk, not come-in-to-the-office-I-don't-have type consultation). Her daughter is having a bar mitzvah (or is it bat mitzvah, because she's a girl. Again, out of my league). Anyway, she is looking for inexpensive centerpiece ideas. Much like Maureen's daughter's Sweet 16, costs are getting out of hand. The daughter's mom is looking for something nice, but not exorbitant (like the suggested dozen roses per table). This woman is practical, so something useful/reusable is all the better. Here's what we know. Her daughter likes roses, boxed chocolates, and cupcakes. That's what we have to work with. I told her this was a task for Highlowaha. Surely we can come up with something.

Next. For the month of October, we will celebrate Friday's as Freaky Fridays.... starting next week, when we do a "Freaky Free For All" of our favorite Halloween tricks, treats, decorations, centerpieces, etc... My hope, if everyone participates, is we can come up with a fun list of Highlowaha Favorites. While you're out and about this weekend keep your eyes open for the next best Halloween item. Be ready to share it NEXT FRIDAY, during Free for All Freaky Friday.

Announcements

• Daily Halloween Activity: Celebrate along with the Beeny family. Today's activity is to Warp the Witch. Visit this website http://blackdog.net/holiday/halloween/warp/index.html
  
• Host Ray: Baker Ray has been hanging out in Shaker Heights, Ohio for the last few weeks. He's looking for a new home. Someone willing to bake a batch of Ray cookies and distribute to friends, neighbors, colleagues, a book club, fellow soccer or baseball moms, etc... Ray's looking for his next great adventure. If you're interested, please let us know, so Tera can mail you the Ray cookie cutter and other supplies.
  
• BOO: Though we didn't get any takers when we "BOO"ed other blog sites, I still think it's fun. I will continue doing one a day until Halloween. Will you join me?
  
• Post Office Prank: Tuesday's the day! We've had some fun ideas floating around. A box of cake mix, candles, a container of frosting.... Do you have your idea yet? Confused and don't know what we're talking about? See Monday's post (9/29).
  
• Wacky Wednedsay: Thanks for all the suggestions in response to last week's post, Breakfast in Bed.. Now That's Wacky! (9/27). Issac and Matthew ended up carrying fishing rods with fish on the ends through the swim center. Matthew had the words, "Gone Fishin" on his belly and Issac's belly said, "Happy Wacky Wednesday!"
  
• Blog-a-thon: Still looking for people willing to be on the blog for 15 minutes on Friday, October 24. We have a long way to go before we fill the 96 slots necessary. Remember, this is a fundraiser for Sue, Brian, and Maureen's Helping Hand Project. Click on the Helping Hand link to learn more.
  

Phew... signing off until tomorrow...

All Revved Up For...

National Name Your Car Day!

Today we pay tribute to our cars.  Can you believe we've been hanging out together for eight months and we've never talked about our cars?  I feel like I should know your cars as well as I know you.  They're an extension of us.  They are like pets in that they reflect their owners.    

Me.  I drive a red SAAB.  A 2000.  Not too fancy, but it gets the job done.  I'm practical.  I'll drive my car until it dies (which may be any day now).  I don't get a charge out of fancy cars.  But, craft supplies... now that's something I can get excited about.

Truth is, I've come a long way since my very first car - a Hyundai.  That car felt a little like a tin can.  I think it still only went 60 MPH when the pedal was to the medal, and it had that hollow sound when you open and closed the door.  It had a sun roof, though.   Pretty fancy for a first car.  Eventually the sun roof broke and the only way to open and close it was by using a metal crank that was in the glove compartment.

My Hyundai was replaced by a Subaru.  Sounds like a step up, right?  I'm no mechanic, but I feel safe saying it probably was a step up in terms on inner workings.  But outward appearance?  ...How unfortunate.  The color was a cross between an ugly tan and a pea green.  The only thing worse than the color of my car was the rust eating away at the body... oohh... and the apparent leak, resulting in a constant sound of water sloshing back and forth in my trunk.

Finally came Whitney.  She was my pride and joy.  I finally earned her when I hit my mid-twenties and moved into my second professional position.  Oh, what a feeling.  I will remember driving that car off the car lot for the rest of my life.  I might as well have been driving a Porsche for how important and rich I felt in my new car.  It wasn't a Porsche.  It was a Saturn.  A white Saturn.  I wouldn't let anybody eat in my car and I opened and closed the door as quickly as possible to keep the new car smell inside for as long as possible.  I loved that car.

Whitney was good to me.  She finally retired in 2003, making way for my SAAB.  Whitney is the only car I've ever had that I named.  I don't know why.  I guess I didn't name the first two because I hoped they wouldn't be around long enough for me to need to know or remember their names.  I'm not sure why my red SAAB never got a name.  Maybe because only months after getting my car, we found out we were pregnant with Matthew and we were busy picking out baby names.

I have named my GPS, though.  I had to.  She is my savior.  I have a horrible sense of direction and Delila gets me where I need to go with minimal stress and a perfectly calm voice.  I love Delila like I loved Whitney.  

How about you?  Let's spend today introducing one another to our cars, their names if they have one, and maybe you'll throw in your "first car story," for good measure.

Announcements:

• Blog-a-thon:  Have you signed up for your time yet?  We are still in need of over 80 people to make our Blog-a-thon work.  Please help spread the word.  Again, writers don't have to write for the full 15 minutes they are scheduled.  They just need to commit to spending the full 15 minutes on the blog and to add to the story in some way.
  
• Pet Picture: Absolute last call to send Katie a picture of your pet.  She must receive it by noon today or you and your pet miss out.  You can send it to kkolkmeier@gmail.com.
  
• Naked Mail: Are you still thinking about what you're going to mail T. Shay in our United States Post Office Prank?  Tuesday is the day we will each visit our respective post offices in an attempt to mail the most outlandish item...NAKED... that we can.  Does anybody want to give us a preview of what they'll be mailing?  See Monday' blog for more detail (9/29)
  
• Halloween Activity:  As you know, each day in the month of October my family and I will do something in anticipation of Halloween.  Today...  we will create a Halloween story during dinner time.  Mommy starts and everyone adds a little something until dinner is over.

Signing off until tomorrow...

Bunny Bunny, Boo, and Bailouts, Oh My!

Bunny, Bunny!

Phew, so glad to get that out of the way.  Confused?  See yesterday's post.  

Happy October 1st.  I love October!  Leaves turning vibrant colors, crisp air, sweaters, pumpkins, and my Annual Random Acts of Kindness Party  What more could you ask for?  We are going to have a great month together, gearing up for and celebrating Halloween.

It was just about a year ago that we sold our house and were preparing to make our move from Louisville to Dallas.  We lived in our Old Kentucky home for four years.  The irony, for someone who loves community as much as I do, is that we really only connected with one set of neighbors.  Then, literally weeks before we moved a new family moved in to the neighborhood.  They were great.  Four kids - all around the same age as my boys - fun, social, and generally nice to be around.

They introduced me to the world of "BOO"ing.  Forty two years of life, homes in nine different states, a Halloween Junkie, and I had never heard about the Halloween tradition of "BOO"ing your neighbor.  Once my eyes were opened to the idea, I called everyone I knew.  I called my friends, my sister in-law, my niece, everyone and anyone I thought might get into the act of "BOO"ing.  I single handedly booed my co-workers, other neighbors, and teachers and kids at Matthew's preschool.  I was, for all intent and purposes, a "BOO"ing Ambassador.

So, for the few remaining soles in the world who still might not know what "BOO"ing is - today is dedicated to YOU!  I will share the idea and then we'll "spread the spirit" by "BOO"ing other websites or Blogs.  Think of the fun of it!

BOO!

The air is cool, the season fall

Soon Halloween will come to all.

Ghosts and goblins,spooks, galore,

Tricky witches at your door.

The spooks are after things you do, 

In fact a spook brought this to you!!!

The excitement comes when friends like you

Will copy it & make it two

We'll all have smiles upon our faces,

No one will know who "BOO"ed whose places!!!

Just two short days to work your spell, 

Keep it secret, hide it well.

Please join the fun, the season's here.

Just spread these "BOO's" & Halloween cheer.

Join www.highlowaha.com 

in catching the Halloween spirit and "Booing" two more blogs.  Simply cut and paste this into the comment section of two of your favorite blog sites.

The fun doesn't stop there.  Make a post in our comment section at www.highlowaha.com letting us know you saw this and your name will go in a 

Trick or Treat drawing, to be held on Friday, October 31.

O.k., so my idea is to have each of you cut and paste the orange text and then post it in the comment section of two other blogs.  Let's see how far we can make this spread between now and October 31!  Don't be shy.  How about posting our "BOO" in high-profile blogs such as Oprah's, Ellen Degeneres's, Anderson Cooper 360, Larry King, Joann Fabric's blog.  Think outside the box!

If you've never heard of "BOO"ing and you are interested in doing it for your neighborhood or co-workers, let me know and I will forward you other helpful "instructions."

Still on the topic of Halloween...  Half the fun of holidays is the build up - the anticipation of what is to come.  For Halloween it's the excitement of deciding on a costume, hearing what costumes your friends have decided on, enjoying the decorations in your neighborhood, finding pleasure in simple things like carving a pumpkin or creating a ghost.  Life's simple pleasures... they are out in full force during the Halloween season.

Each day this month, I will share a simple daily activity that my boys and I will engage in to build their excitement and to make sure life's simple pleasures don't escape them.  Emphasis on the word, "SIMPLE."  Sure, there are more elaborate things we could do (the internet is FULL of them), but that isn't realistic for our hectic life style.  Instead we're going to keep it simple.  Feel free to follow along with your family, friends, (or residents).  And, if you're doing something similar, how about sharing the ideas you have?

Today's activity...  Of course... BOO a neighbor!  Per my sister in-law's recommendation, I assigned this to October 1, in an effort to maximize the number of families who get "BOO"ed by Halloween Day.

Now Bailouts.  Not the stock market.  Not the credit market.  This bail out is a Highlowaha bailout.  Midnight yesterday marked the end of the 77 day period, in which we were supposed to accumulate 9,153 views of our site.  We missed the mark by 508 readers.  I was trying to imagine... what's the opposite of Dividend Cookies?  When we exceeded our goal by 1,765 views, I baked chocolate cookies using exactly 1,765 mini chocolate chips.  So, if you miss the goal, what happens?  

I consulted with my MBA husband.  He suggested lowering pay or firing people.  I had to remind him, though he feels like this is my full time job and that so many of you work like paid staff for highlowaha, there is no pay and there is no staff.

Cut backs.  That's what I decided on.  We should still celebrate the 8,645 views we've had over last 77 days, since that's nothing to sneeze at.  BUT, times are tough.  Fewer readers... fewer donations.  Fewer donations... fewer giveaways.  Fewer giveaways... fewer readers.  You see where I'm going with this.  Yes, today we'll celebrate, but we'll have to do it in a no-frills way.  No perks.  Cut backs.  Chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips.  That's what one of our lucky readers will win.   To the Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) box I go...

And the winner is...  

KATIE KOLKMEIER

Announcements:

• RAK Box:  Get your name in the RAK box and be the recipient of a Random Act of Kindness.  Send me a postcard with your mailing address.  Postcards should be sent to Claudia K. Beeny, 4012 Harvestwood Court, Grapevine, TX, 76051.  You've got to be in it to win it.
  
• Have a Pet?  Don't forget to send a picture to kkolkmeier@gmail.com by tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. (EST).  You won't want your pet left out of the fun!
  
• Blog-a-thon:  We have 14 of the 96 slots filled.  82 more to go.  Who do you know?  How can we get them signed up?