Ok, yes I know this is a real estate website; however I have to keep up with what is going on in the NFL. Fortunately that includes a wonderful man, husband and teammate.
Brett Favre. Some of you may not like Brett because of his wobbleness (my word.. don't look it up in the dictionary). Some of you judged him because of his age! Some of the Green Bay Packer Backers were unforgiven to him and maybe the team too for allowing such a staple to leave the team. Whatever your reason is to follow the man, you have to admit that he has given us many surprises!!!
Brett has been playing professional ball longer than some of you have been alive or even married. He and his wife Deanna has been through cancer and back which helped them create a wonderful nonprofit organization for research. Yes, even athletes have normal life issues to overcome. My condolences to Chris Spielman and his children for the loss of his lovely bride of many years, Stefanie, who we lost to breast cancer. Have we ever wondered why the press focuses on the negative areas of these players lives and not the real life issues or the great things they do to help their community?!!!
Let the record speak for itself. Brett has had a great year. Although I as a common person can see that when Brett is able to call his plays; there is a huge difference in yardage. Just like the linebacker calls the defensive plays, the quarterback should have the right to call the offensive plays...isn't that what you hire him for??? We cannot expect the Vikings to win every game. We can't expect the offensive line to be great every single week and protect such a commodity. But hey, I am not the coach and I am sure he would have a different opinion. These players are human and they have aches and pains on Monday morning....heck Tuesday through Saturday too. For some reason Sunday or Monday comes and they forget the pain because of their adrenaline. Nevertheless, they have pain and they need time to heal; not just physically, but emotionally too. It's rough being booed or unfavorable reporting; matter of fact, false reporting is yet a better view in my eyes. So the next time you read the newspaper or a blog, remember that truths are only half told. Also remember the next time you decide to judge or be a Monday quarterback; that young man could be your son, husband or cousin....so be kind. One of many of my favorite quotes came from Douglas M. Lawson, "We exist temporarily through what we take, but we live forever through what we give." Give kindness and a Smile this 2010 year. It could be contagious.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Energy Tips Can Save Money !!
I often wondered growing up why my parents would tell me, "turn off the light Sara."
Now that I am that parent and aunt, I am often repeating myself except I add, "and that TV." You may wonder what the big deal is? I too wonder until I got my first bill of my new home in 2000. It was a Duke Energy bill because we were on electric and not gas at that time. It was also for two months because of how the bill cycle fell. I opened the bill and gasped for air. I showed it to my husband and he nonchalantly continued a conversation he was having with our son. I was sure that there was an error with the bill. I called Duke Energy to inquire their procedures and if this was an estimate or did they REALLY read my meter. They determined that it was indeed an accurate read!
"Really, I blurted out, Really??? I came from the coldest of the north and my bill in 4 months was never this high.!!" I am sure she was thinking, then go back North. I paid the mortgage, I mean electric bill and decided to do some observing over the next month.
Everyone, I mean all 3 kids, husband and dog left the lights on. The thermostat was moved again and again; I would adjust it to 71 and somehow, an invisible person would move it again and again.
Because our kids did not have Televisions in their room, fortunately I didn't have to monitor that power button. However, I would have to shout up the stairs, "did you turn your lights off?" "Yes mam" would echo in the foyer synchronized as if they were singing the hook to a song.
The next month's bill came. I ripped it open to see if my diligence paid off. Yes, I replied, 30% less. I knew we could do better the next month. It would be the last cold month for Charlotte. Again, the next month's bill came and we were down 50%. The experts say that it takes 30 days to create a habit. It may have been sixty days, but I was elated with the progress. Today my kids have homes of their own and when I visit, I am proud to say that they are very energy efficient!
The great thing is that we are working as a society to become more green. Duke Energy has great information on how to save on your home bills. Their research shows that 43% of residential energy consumption is heating and cooling, 12% is water heating and lighting is 11%. Just the three categories above is over 67% of our total bill. We can really decrease our budget by carefully creating new habits.
I received a wonderful surprise today in the mail. It was a duke energy efficiency starter kit. It included wonderful information and 6 Compact Fluorescent Bulbs, (CFL). I posted this blog because of this surprise and the great information in this kit.
I want to leave you with one fact from the U.S. Department of Energy; "In the average home, up to 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics occurs when the devices are turned off." I suggest unplugging those toasters, car chargers and night lights when they are not in use. It will make a difference.
Now that I am that parent and aunt, I am often repeating myself except I add, "and that TV." You may wonder what the big deal is? I too wonder until I got my first bill of my new home in 2000. It was a Duke Energy bill because we were on electric and not gas at that time. It was also for two months because of how the bill cycle fell. I opened the bill and gasped for air. I showed it to my husband and he nonchalantly continued a conversation he was having with our son. I was sure that there was an error with the bill. I called Duke Energy to inquire their procedures and if this was an estimate or did they REALLY read my meter. They determined that it was indeed an accurate read!
"Really, I blurted out, Really??? I came from the coldest of the north and my bill in 4 months was never this high.!!" I am sure she was thinking, then go back North. I paid the mortgage, I mean electric bill and decided to do some observing over the next month.
Everyone, I mean all 3 kids, husband and dog left the lights on. The thermostat was moved again and again; I would adjust it to 71 and somehow, an invisible person would move it again and again.
Because our kids did not have Televisions in their room, fortunately I didn't have to monitor that power button. However, I would have to shout up the stairs, "did you turn your lights off?" "Yes mam" would echo in the foyer synchronized as if they were singing the hook to a song.
The next month's bill came. I ripped it open to see if my diligence paid off. Yes, I replied, 30% less. I knew we could do better the next month. It would be the last cold month for Charlotte. Again, the next month's bill came and we were down 50%. The experts say that it takes 30 days to create a habit. It may have been sixty days, but I was elated with the progress. Today my kids have homes of their own and when I visit, I am proud to say that they are very energy efficient!
The great thing is that we are working as a society to become more green. Duke Energy has great information on how to save on your home bills. Their research shows that 43% of residential energy consumption is heating and cooling, 12% is water heating and lighting is 11%. Just the three categories above is over 67% of our total bill. We can really decrease our budget by carefully creating new habits.
I received a wonderful surprise today in the mail. It was a duke energy efficiency starter kit. It included wonderful information and 6 Compact Fluorescent Bulbs, (CFL). I posted this blog because of this surprise and the great information in this kit.
I want to leave you with one fact from the U.S. Department of Energy; "In the average home, up to 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics occurs when the devices are turned off." I suggest unplugging those toasters, car chargers and night lights when they are not in use. It will make a difference.
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