Your Kid and Drugs

A few years back when my step son was in his teens he had a substance abuse problem.  The real kicker for us was when we got a call from the emergency room at 2:30 in the morning and the doctor explained he was trying to pick bugs out of his skin, that were not there.

He has a really bad problem with some hardcore stuff. We took him to a drug rehab place in rancho mirage.  He stayed there for a few weeks and got better.  We felt lucky that our medical insurance paid for the rehab center and a year later he used it again when he went to alcohol rehab.

I’m glad all those years are behind us now and he has matured.  Getting calls like that in the middle of the night are the worse things a parent could get.  He has really straighten out his life now and has a steady job and is a full time employee.  Back then I knew there where other signs but we just didn’t see them.

Some signs

  • Inability to relax or have fun without doing drugs.
  • Sudden changes in work or school attendance and quality of work or grades.
  • Frequently borrowing money, selling possessions, or stealing items from employer, home, or school.
  • Angry outbursts, mood swings, irritability, manic behavior, or overall attitude change.
  • Talking incoherently or making inappropriate remarks.
  • Deterioration of physical appearance and grooming.
  • Wearing sunglasses and/or long sleeve shirts frequently or at inappropriate times.
  • If you see any of these signs on your kids be sure to get help as soon as possible.  Studies have shown that 6 in every 10 teens have tried some type of illegal drug at one time or another.


    Backyard One Year Later

    Last year we bought a brand new house, it was so much fun going through the process.  We bought so much furniture since our new house is 35% larger than our old one.  One thing you have to do when you buy a brand new house is landscape the backyard.  We live in a gated community and our association has rules that the backyard had to be complete within three months.

    We have a beautiful backyard with 21 tress, most are a type of pine but we also a handful of white birch.  IMO, tress are what make a yard.  We spent more money than we thought and went with the mature trees that have been growing for a while.  If you have ever been in a backyard where people plant the little ‘baby tress’ it doesn’t look as nice.

    For our lawn we went with sod and it took a while for the lawn to really grow in.  A few months ago our gardner suggested that he use a lawn aerator on our lawn.  He explained this would provide the grass with a better soil drainage and encourages worms to grow.  We also have a few spots on our grass where the dogs have dug holes.  He has laid down some grass seed to help fill in the areas.  Today the lawn is looking much better.

    The concrete we had laid looks great!  We used a colored concrete so it doesn’t look like the gray stuff you see elsewhere.  We have a small crack in one part but other than that the concrete is looking good.  Since we have so many pine trees this year for Christmas we are going to decorate some of them, I cannot wait.


    New Truck Comes With Alomst Everything

    Last year, well not quite a year yet I bought a brand new 4×4 Dodge Ram Laramie full loaded.  I was able to get a great deal since it was on sale.  The truck has it all well almost.  It came with leather seat warmers, in dash six cd changer, electric sliding rear window among many other features.  I got the 4×4 for when I go up the mountain snowboarding because I really hate dealing with putting chains on.

    Well, my truck has it all except a GPS navigation system.  It has the GPS vehicle tracking in case someone decides they want my truck.  The GPS tracking system is top of the line and truck can be tracked virtually anywhere it goes.  They hide the tracking components in the heart of the truck and if the truck moves without my keys I get a call to my cell and/or home phone.  I thought this would be a great feature since I’ve never really spent so much on a vehicle before I thought I would add the additional feature. 

    A buddy of mine in San Diego had his car stolen and he didn’t have any tracking system.  He had to wait a month or so to file the insurance claim and after he did the police found his car but it was too late.  His car was trashed and there was pretty much nothing left but bits and pieces.  The first thing he did we he bought his new car was get a tracking system installed.  This saves time and it’s really not worth the wait and headaches you get wondering where your car is.


    IMO Get The Warranty

    We Bought our Chevy Tahoe a little over two years now and when we bought it we got one of those extended auto warranties. I’m glad we did since we’ve had a few things go wrong with our car. The engine made this loud noise a few months back and when we took it in there was something wrong with the engine but thank god it was covered under our car warranty.

    A friend of mine bought the same model and his car has had numerous problems. He ended up getting a continental warranty but I really don’t understand all that stuff. His car has been in the shop three times this year. The one good thing is they seem to give him a decent rental car when he brings it in for warranty work. My new Dodge Ram has only been in the shop once and that was for an oil change. They Dodge dealership gave me a rental car while my truck was getting the oil change, it’s part of their 5 star program or something like that.

    It seems most cars breakdown after the warranty runs out anyway. My parents were on a trip to Las Vegas when their car broke down this summer. I asked them if it was still under warranty and my dad was upset and explained that the warranty ran out four months prior. Murphy’s law, I know it’s in there somewhere.

    Consumer reports says that extended warranties aren’t worth the cost but to most American that live paycheck to paycheck would disagree. Major breakdowns can cost several thousands of dollars and since more than half of the people in the country have zero savings, I would disagree with consumer reports.

    Mom Needs A New Job

    My mother-in-law has been a nurse for more than 30 years. She started off working at desert hospital in Palm Springs and has been there ever since. She wants to cut back and do some traveling so she is now looking into a travel nursing agency so she can get paid to do what she loves. Travel nursing is for a short period of time but is a great way to help out communities in need as well as visiting a new place.

    Some of the benefits of a travel nursing job is higher wages and furnished housing. This is a perfect job for someone like my mother-in-law who just has herself and her dog. She doesn’t have to worry about being away from a significant other, she can just pick up and go. The best part is that most assignments range from 4 to 16 weeks and most amenities are provided. Things like telephone, cable and Internet access and did I mention they pay the rent!

    She has applied and is now awaiting response. Who knows maybe she will even meet that special someone when she’s out helping others. I can really understand how she feels after working somewhere for a long time you really need a change of pace, no matter what type of job you have.  I own a company but I really don’t want her working for me.

    We Miss Our Medical Site

    One of our first ventures on the Internet was a medical supply website.  We later sold that site but we still wish we wouldn’t of sold it.  We started off selling diabetic supplies like test strips and then moved into the wound care products.  Wound care products were our bread and butter with products like Promogran, Silver and other wounds supplies we had clients from all over the USA including several Universities.
     
    A friend of mine has a similar site and he has been growing into other sectors like wheelchairs, hearing aids, bathroom chairs and medical tape.  He was explaining to me the other day that the gross margin on wheelchairs and digital hearing aids are upwards of 70% depending on the model.  He has learned so much about hearing aids he couldn’t believe how many types there are.  Behind the ear, body worn, in the ear, Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHA) and Eyeglass aids.  The eyeglass aids where more popular back in the day when eyeglasses were thicker.  Anyway, it’s crazy to think about all the product knowledge he needs to know.
     
    Running a e-commerce store can keep one very busy.  Answer the phones, place the orders, learn the product, add new product, deal with customer issues and market your business.  In the end our operation got too big for us and having just two people to run it was too much so selling was the right choice but we still miss it.

    Hillary in Flip Flops

    She’s planting audience questions, what a moron.  Some of the questions were planned in advance, planting some audience members in the crowd. She can’t argue, can’t debate, and can’t honestly answer a question. She flip-flops, lies, and is a chameleon this next year is going to be very interesting.  I think she needs to make up her mind and stop flip flopping over the issues.


    DUI Defense Attorneys

    Not long ago I made a poor decision about driving while under the influence of alcohol. I know that I made a mistake and if I could take it back I would. I knew that I had to pay the consequence for my choice but I also knew that I wanted to have the best attorney working for me to make sure that I could prove my case in the best way. I got in contact with the Los Angeles Criminal Lawyers | California DUI and Criminal Attorneys and they were able to give me the representation I could have asked for.

    I truely believe that the DUI Defense Attorney had my best interest in mind. He knew that I felt very remorseful for the choice I had made and was able to use that in my court case. This was a very scary situation and I am very thankful that I had the attorney I did working for me. I know that everybody makes mistakes and I don’t plan on doing anything like that again. But if something like this ever happens again or if something like this happens to someone that I care about I will have them contact the defense team at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP.


    Bewre of Hit & Run - California Crominal Defense Attorney There to Help

    A few months ago I was in a small car accident. The other party and I exchanged information and from that point I believe everything was going to be taken care of. Little did I know that this small accident was going to be the start of something very big. Weeks after the accident I recieved a letter from the police department stating that I needed to get in contact with the detective working the case. I was being charged with a Hit & Run and I basically lost it! I didn’t understand how I could be charged with a Hit & Run when I had talked and exchanged information with the other party.

    I contacted a California Criminal Defense Attorneys | Los Angeles Criminal and DUI Lawyers to handle my case. I knew that I did not want to meet with a detective without having someone there to represent me. Since I was able to meet with my lawyer before I went to discuss the case with the detective I was able to go to the meeting with confidence. My lawyer was able to prove my case and prevent charges from being filed against me. I was very thankful to my lawyer and couldn’t have done this process without him.


    Traveling for Business and Pleasure

    Traveling can be so much fun.  Seeing the sites and meeting the people of different countries has been a favorite past time of mine for years.  I also have to travel for business which is still enjoyable even though I’m working.  One thing that can take the fun out of your travel plans is getting off the plane and the car rental agency doesn’t have your reservations.  Even though you have a confirmation number and a piece of paper stating your reservation was made, they still can’t find your information in the computer.  This happend to me when I was traveling to Switzerland for work.  I had flown into Geneva and the car rental agency didn’t have any information on me.  I was so happy when I found Argus Car Hire Switzerland.  The representatives were fast and friendly.  They got me on my way in no time in an absolutely fantastic car. 

    I remembered Argus when I made plans to go to Italy for my sister’s wedding.  I wanted the BMW to show some class and I got the best rate through Argus Car Hire Italy.  I traveled the countryside and showed up to my sister’s wedding in style.  I felt very protected with all the features included in my price such as break down assistance and unlimited milage.  The next time I am traveling overseas, I will make sure that my car rental is made through Argus.


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