Let's Try This One More Time!

OK, so, the last time I was here, I had said that I was going to keep up with my blog on a regular basis.  Did I lie?  Well.....not intentionally.....

I had said, and I did mean it, that even being sick, I would do my best to post at least once a week. This was in late Nov., 2012.  Well, as it always seems to happen, things went every which way but the right way!  

It began with one of the worst things anyone can experience.  Let me give you a little background:

  My mother and father divorced when I was 4 and I was raised by dad and step-mother.  I did not see my real mother again until I was about 23 or 24 yrs old.  At that time, I lived with her in Alabama and Florida for just a couple of months.   My sister Tye was in Jr. High, my brother Bennie was in grade school and Micah and Twilla were both toddlers.  After returning to California, I spoke with my real mom now and then but we then lost contact (she was experiencing problems that we don't need to get into) due to her moving around a lot.  I did not see or talk to my brothers and sisters until I found them on FaceBook..... about 25 years later!  

Now....back to my original train of thought.... just a few weeks after reuniting with my sisters, brothers and mom, on-line, we found out that my mom had lung cancer.  Everyone, including the doctors, figured she had at least a good year before there was a chance of her passing on.  Since my boyfriend, my son, and I live on my boyfriend's seasonal work and my SSI. any trips we take have to be planned and saved up for ahead of time.  We, unfortunately, don't have a 'nest egg'.  So we were making arrangements to visit my mom and the rest of the family in Alabama sometime in May or June, 2013.  Well, during the middle of January, 2013, I was in the hospital for one of my regular bowel obstructions when I received a phone call from my brother Bennie.  The doctors had given my mom about 10 days, at the most!!!!  

After getting released from the hospital and back on my feet, I hopped on a Greyhound and made the trip to Alabama, alone.  (it was a 2 day trip but I actually had a nice ride and met some really great people).  

Well,  when I was about 6 hours from Alabama, I got the phone call.  My mom had passed away.  I wanted so very badly to see her before she went..... it was a very, very sad moment.   However, my sisters and brothers believe she was holding on as long as she could, waiting for me.  (about 3 days earlier, the doctor's had given her only hours!)
also,  about 4 hours or so before I got that phone call, my brothers girlfriend, who was helping care for my mom, called me and said that my mom was in terrible pain and thought she was doing all she could to hang on waiting for me.  So, I had her put the phone up to my mom and I told her, "I love you, and I want, so much, to see you, but I don't want you to suffer waiting on  me.  Please don't suffer, if you need to let go, I will understand.  Just know that I love you".  It was a few hours later she passed.  I am just very happy that the weeks prior to this, we had talked on the phone sometimes for hours at a time.  So, although I wasn't able to see and visit with her before she left us, I was able to reconnect with her by phone...............

Well, I am sure no one wants to visit a blog and read a novel..... so, I will continue tomorrow.

In the meantime, I am going to post my new earrings made earlier today!

Love you all!

Tracy

Nutkitten's Handcrafted Jewelry

BLACK FRIDAY NIGHTMARE!

While researching possible laptops to purchase, this is what I found:

At Best Buy - Samsung laptop bundle (includes:  sleeve, mouse, and flash drive)  15.6", 4GB memory, 500GB hard drive.  Reg price:  $574.95  Black Friday sale price:  $349.95.   I had to have it!

When we were at Best Buy on Tuesday, there were people camping outside waiting for Black Friday.  I thought, "Oh my God, what a bunch of idiots.  It's not like this is a Hollywood premiere or something!"  Well, ha ha, I guess the joke was on me!

We arrived at Best Buy about 5 min. before they were scheduled to open.  We had to wait in line for 30 to 45 min.  Once inside, there was not 1 laptop under $900 left in the entire store.  WTF!!  I really don't care how many people showed up for the sale, it was only 30 min. after opening.  There is no reason that they shouldn't have enough merchandise to last that long!  So, no laptop for me yet.

But, I do have a chest cold and sore throat now......thank you Best Buy.
THUMBS DOWN FOR BEST BUY

WALMART - 0     BEST BUY - 1     GAMESTOP - 2

TRACY
Visit me on FACEBOOK  

A GREAT BEST BUY OFFER

This computer that i am currently using seems to have one problem after another.  So, I decided that my best bet would be to have it wiped clean and reformatted.  I have reformatted my computers in the past, but now that no one gives you discs anymore and the windows cds are on a partition, I'm lost.  While exchanging my ink cartridges at Best Buy, I asked the manager if he could point me in the direction of the 'Geek Squad' and mentioned that I was thinking about having my computer reformatted.  He said, "I can tell you that it's going to cost you around $200."  OMG!

While talking to the 'Geek Squad', the lady proceeded to tell me about a service contract they had for purchase.  Normally, this costs $199 per year, but since we just purchased a laptop, we could get this for $99.  The thing about this service contract is, it covers 3 computers!  So, not only would both my son's laptop and my computer be covered for a year but I could get mine reformatted.......completely free!  WOW!  Since we have 30 days from our purchase to get this contract for $99, I decided to wait and talk to my boyfriend (since he is the one who will be paying for it).

At home, I talk to my boyfriend.  He says, "Well, you can get it, but let's just buy you a laptop and you can have the computer you use now as a back-up."  Hey, who am I to complain?

For the outrageous price to reformat:
THUMBS DOWN FOR BEST BUY

For the great service contract available:
THUMBS UP FOR BEST BUY

WALMART - 0     BEST BUY - 2     GAMESTOP - 2

TRACY
Visit me on FACEBOOK

ON TO BEST BUY

Ok, since Walmart obviously didn't want our money, we headed off to Best Buy.  Once there, my son located a laptop he wanted and within 10 min., we made our purchase!  I also purchased a combo pack of ink cartridges for my printer; $1 less than the Walmart price! On our way home, we stopped at GameStop where my son purchased a used headset and a game for his Xbox 360.  The salespeople at GameStop have always been very helpful.
THUMBS UP FOR BEST BUY......THUMBS UP FOR GAMESTOP!

WALMART - 0     BEST BUY  -  1     GAMESTOP - 1

It was a couple of days before I got around to changing the ink cartridges in my printer.  Dummy me, I opened, not only the box, but the individual wrappers inside when I realized I had bought the wrong cartridges.   Ut oh!

Well, I decided to call Best Buy (knowing for almost certain I was screwed since I opened the packages inside) but decided to give it a shot.  The guy I talked to on the phone said, "Normally we can't exchange them once the individual packages are opened, but if you can come in tonight, I will go ahead and exchange them for you."  Wow!

When I told my son we were going to Best Buy, he informed me that his headset didn't work.  I asked him, "Where's the receipt?"  His answer, "I don't know."  So, I call GameStop.  I talk to the manager and ask him, "We don't have the receipt, but if the saleslady remembers us and remembers selling us the headset just a couple of days ago, can we exchange it?"  He says, "Don't worry about it, come on in and I will take care of it for you, no problem."  Wow, again!
THUMBS UP FOR BEST BUY.....THUMBS UP FOR GAMESTOP!

WALMART - 0     BEST BUY - 2     GAMESTOP - 2

TRACY
Visit me on FACEBOOK

More Than Just Jewelry!

It Took A Few Days

But

Here I Am Again!

The past few days, since my last post, I've been wanting to come back here and, like I said, keep my blog active.  However, I didn't have any jewelry news to blog about.  Then I thought to myself, "Just because it's named 'Nutkitten's Jewelry Blog', does that mean that the person behind the "jewelry" can't have anything to talk about besides jewelry?"  I post on Face Book almost daily so why can't I share those things here....so, between jewelry news, that's what I'm going to do.  

My son and I had an interesting weekend while shopping for laptops so, the next few posts are what I shared on Face Book about our laptop shopping experience.  Actually, here is where are shopping began, at Walmart.

While shopping for my son's laptop Fri., our first stop was Walmart, after all, he just started college and didn't have a ton of money to spend, so where better to start. Well, he saw one he wanted but we didn't see any other than the display. So we ask an associate, she goes to the back, and not finding any, gets another associate with a Telzon (

spelling?). The employee enters the product # and informs us that two of them came in on the truck that they just finished unloading. Just as we reach the stock room, we run into one of the guys that unloads the trucks. She asks him about the laptops. He then answers her in what, he thinks, is a whisper. I, of course, hone in and hear all, lol. He tells her, "There's stuff stacked all over back there, I don't want to look through that stuff." So, she turns and says to us, "He says that there were no laptops that came in on the truck." If either of them were employed by me, that would be their last day! When I told my son I was going to go on line and make sure that corporate was made aware of this, my son, like so many others, says, "Like its gonna make big deal to them." Well, I know, for a fact, that Walmart did not become the success that it is by telling customers or potential customers, "we don't feel like bothering with you right now, go take your $400 somewhere else." 

Needless to say, we didn't purchase a laptop at Walmart.  So..... off to Best Buy we went.......

THUMBS DOWN FOR WALMART.............. WALMART 0  (there will be thumbs up or down for a couple more stores in future posts)

See out Best Buy shopping experience Tmo.......

Tracy!

Great Site to List Your Jewelry Business

Hi Everyone!
Sorry I haven't been here lately, but since my Dr. started me on my new meds, I haven't been much of anything.  I am not  sure if it's the Thyroid meds or the Cymbalta & Abilify since I started them both at the same time.  I do know that I keep nodding out a my computer and have absolutely no energy at all.  One thing though, my forehead now knows my keyboard quite intimately!!


I wanted to tell everyone about this great site I found. It's called Manta.  It's a business listing site.  You can list your jewelry business here for free.  After I listed mine, I had to play with things (of course).  Anyway, viewing as a customer would, on my page, there were different searches.  (Google search, Social search, News & Article search, etc.).  Everyone should check it out.  It certainly can't  hurt to have your business listed in yet another place on the net.


If you like, before adding your business, click this link, MANTA  On the home page search "Nutkitten's Handcrafted Jewelry" then click same when you get the search results then check out the info it shows and try the reports, different searches etc.  I think you will like it.


I have a couple of new items I need to get pics of and will post soon, I hope.


I ALMOST FORGOT.....


WE HAVE NEW PUPPIES!! (5 OF THEM). HAVE PICS ON MY CELL AND WILL POST SOMETIME TODAY!!!! THEY ARE SOOOOO CUTE!


Tracy
Nutkitten's Handcrafted Jewelry
Nutkitten's Jewelry on Facebook

I'M BACK

Sorry I haven't been around for awhile.  I have not been feeling well and didn't seem to have the energy to get out of bed.  I still don't have much energy but feel a little better knowing what the problem is.  I visited the Doctor the other day and found that I have a very low thyroid.  Put that together with the fact that I am anemic and .......Talk about tired, lol.  I am now on thyroid meds but they take 2 to 3 weeks to start working so....just waiting for that burst of energy to come......someday, I hope!


I wanted to let you all in on this great contest I came across.  There is an online store that sells cellphone accessories at fantastic prices.  I ordered tons of things from them.  For example:  A memory chip for my phone, $3.99, car chargers, $4.99, data cables, $2.99, etc.  Everything has been great quality.


Anyway, here is the contest:


Come up with a slogan for their website, 5 to 25 words.  They will pick the top 3 and those 3 people will win a free "JAWBONE PRIME BLUETOOTH HEADSET".  Contest runs from 09/01/11 to 10/09/11.  Just visit their FB page here:  CELLPHONESHOPNET.  From there, you can visit their store to check it out.  (You can, of course, create a better slogan if you know what the store is about, DUH, LOL).  (They only have 272 'likes' so far so may not be a ton on entries so......better chances of winning).


Good luck to those of you who wish to enter, I have submitted one slogan already and working on another one.


I have a couple of jewelry items completed.  Just need to get pics and will be posting probably tomorrow.  


Nice to see everyone again, I have missed you all!  


Tracy
NUTKITTEN'S HANDCRAFTED JEWERLY

Happy Birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! To the "LOVE OF MY LIFE", MICHAEL SLAGLE.


HAPPY 53rd MIKEY!!!


I LOVE YOU!

I.R.S.

This is totally off the jewelry theme, but.......I went to the IRS site to check on my refund.  So, I go to the "Where's My Refund" tool, fill it out, hit submit..........OH NO!  WE HAVE FOUND AN ERROR AND HAVE REFIGURED YOU REFUND!  Here I thought I was getting back $197.00.......Turns out I am getting back $578.00!   I just love those kind of mistakes!  LOL

Following

So Very Sad!!!
I have only had this blog for ..... maybe a month, so, I don't expect tons of traffic or anything but, a few days ago I came to write a post and.................. 1 follower!   Yeah, I was so happy!   Came to write a post today........ No followers!    Almost cried, now not so happy...........