I didn't think I generated this much traffic to my site…

If you look at the bottom of blog posts, there is a rating system for that post. Apparently people have been voting for the posts?

Who are you? Why not leave a comment or two?

As of late AOL Instant Messenger has been using these Macromedia Flash ads that play music and movies at the top of your buddy list. It is rediculously intrusive and really annoying if you have your speakers up (I admit I peed a lil a few times… lol).

The past few days these stupid midi ringtone ads have been going around and I got really sick of it. I turned to google once again and found a little Aim Ad Hack Program.

After reading the site quickly, I decided to give the program a try - WOW! I am now AD FREE!!!

If you are currently using AIM Version: 5.9.3861 you can download it directly here

It is definately worth a try!

Here is a screen shot of AIM - Ad Free!

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Just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I hope Santa treated you all very well and brought you all everything you asked for.

Have a safe night and enjoy spending time with your families!

I know I slacked off a bit in the past week, but I was really busy with shopping and work stuff.

I will have an entire week off now (from school), so I will spend a few hours getting the menu to work throughout the site.

Have a few drinks for me!

Well it's Wednesday morning and I am officially halfway back through my first week back at work.

My shoulder is sore as hell!

I have been trying to take it easy at work, but everything involved has me moving my arm and contorting my body into a difficult working position. I have been doing ductwork in an office we are building and I am constantly above a ceiling. There is nothing like avoiding all of the objects up there.

I had physical therapy last night, so on top of being sore and tired I had to work out on top of that…. good thing I only have one more session left.

I have not done ANY school work yet this week, so I need to do as much as I can and get to sleep a bit earlier tonight - I am tired.

On a side note, my Islanders dismantled the St. Louis Blue last night 6-3. They are 2-0 on this road trip so far and are now two games over .500. Hopefully the win over Detroit on Sunday gave them the confidence they need to beat anyone. We need it too, playing Edmonton tommorow night and Ottawa next week!

Let's Go Islanders!!!!

Anyway, I need to get ready to go to work.

So it's been a while, I know - but I am back to bloggin (I guess). I have been through many changes with my site, and could never really figure out just what to do with everything - but I have considered making this blog my page. I just cannot be bothered with designing something for myself.

I will incorporate some stuff on here and add links to my gallery and whatnot. I guess it's good enough.

Tek –> Out.

I am not going to lie, I can be very disorganized at times and sometimes procrastinate on things that I shouldnt.

Here are two examples:

Home phone
Medical bill that was sent to me rather then my Health Insurance

Home phone: I am trying to save money by cutting out things I dont really need. While my "own" line was the thing to have in my youth. I realize now it is a waste of freakin money! I have two cell phones, one of which I do not pay for. The other I got just so I can speak to my girlfriend for extended periods of time (free mobile to mobile) I shall dub this the "Sam Phone".

Well wouldnt you know it, everytime I get home from work and get around to calling Verizon, it is after 5pm and they are closed….cant call on the weekend either….hmmm. Being I was home today I figured I would take care of it. I hate fighting a company to lessen the load of their crappy service. She wanted to know why….so I told her why and she was still confused? Haha…showed you sister.

Medical Bill: 30 days past due (ignore it isnt my problem)
60 days past due (what the…?)
90 days past due (still ignore it)
120 days past due (hmmm, maybe I should call?!?!)

So I call Empire BCBS and explain my situation. The nice lady told me to call the billing dept of the company that sent me the bill and explain to them they need to resubmit it to Empire. I do so, and give them my info. The lady on the phone cuts me an attitude and I ignore it….I say I keep getting the run around from my health provider. She calls them while I am on hold and comes back on and tells me that my card # is invalid and doesnt match what the hospital used. Confused I asked how can that be I read you the number off of my card, right in my hand. "Well I would need to see a copy of the card". Ok, no problem I will drive there right now….."No, we are closing now" Ok I will try to fax it over…

Now, I dont work in an office and barely have time to eat lunch. How am I going to fax this? The lazy mentality sets in….ahhh F*%k it.

I get one more notice and now I am pissed that I am even looking at the thing again. Good thing I was home today with a sore back (shoveling from this blizzard). I call up Empire and get a nice guy named Kevin. I explain my problem, explain what I was told the last time from his company and the other company and he was laughing pretty hard…."She said what about your member ID number?" "Can I have the billing number and your account number with them. I will clear this right up for you" He put me on hold for like 5 minutes and came back and said I shouldnt be hearing from them again. Kevin, you rock brother!

I don't know why I am so lazy….both of those calls took about 15 minutes….TOTAL!

Now if I can set up a notification schedule to pay my bills 2 weeks before they are due. I would be uber organized

Hey there everyone, my appologies for not blogging in a whole 9 days!

So…..This week has been entirely freaking cold. Working outside I get to experience lots of wierd crap. Below is something that occured me while reading Samantha's Blog

Here is my top ten list of things that happen when your beyond cold:

1. Your nose starts to run
2. You use your glove, jacket or hat to wipe said snot from nose
3. Trying to concentrate whilst your contacts freeze
4. Noticing that your nostrils are beginning to freeze from your nose running
5. You take your glove off to work on a broken heater, and the sweat on your hand makes it freeze to metal
6. You lost your toes someplace?
7. Your figers feel solid and you cant pick up tools or screws
8. You realize you cut yourself but never felt it, and the blood made your glove freeze to your hand.
9. Your socks freeze to the inside of your boots
10. Frostbite and windburn….. Yikes.

Well Happy New Year everyone!

I hope you all had a happy and safe holiday season this year. 2004 is gone, and now we start filling in 2005 with everything we did not get to accomplish in the last year…and then some.

One of the christmas presents we got for the house this year was a Sportscraft Foosball Table.

A little background…

For years at my Uncle Gene's house we would always play foosball with all the uncles and cousins in the family. It was great, lots of beer and lots of laughs. Being way too young to consume beer…we would only get to "play" now and then between quasi-fistfights of brotherly love. (My dad has 6 brothers and a bunch of brother-in-laws)

They were great memories and they all just came out as I kicked my dad's ass in the innagural run our of Foosball table; 2 games to 1.

You really work up a sweat playing Foosball, I tell ya. This year is going to be lots of FUN!

Cheers!

With the latest news of a Mess Tent being shelled and 22 US Troops being killed. I realized how close to home the war can be.

My girlfriend is a US Army Staff Sergeant, she is a medic on a Recruiting mission. Her best friend Monica, just got in country Saturday for a year of deployment.

Learning of this attack,made me humble for what these men and women do for us.

I am in support of the war and support of the Troops…although I wish they get treated a bit better…. GW you listening?

Monica's boyfriend, Matt will join her for a year's worth of deployment in January. These two people I have gotten to know quite well in the past 6 months and are very, very cool.

I gave each of them an Archangel Michael Medal (Protector of Medics and Infantry) with the Army Crest emblazoned on the back, when we met after Thanksgiving. I am not very spiritual…but I felt this was the right thing for the situation. We can all use a bit of protection in one form or another in life.

I have almost joined the service a few times in the past 6 years. The latest reason for not is obviously a good one. I have too much to walk away from right now.

Call me old fashioned (at 24), but I feel that we all need to give a little to our great land. Our forefathers fought in every major conflict prior to our time….this is our time.

"We do it, because somebody has to!" "Adapt and overcome!"

Hooah!

Here is a group picture from November:
Left to right :: Matt, Monica, Me (Mike) and Samantha

Well, 2 weeks ago I got a summons for Jury Duty that started on 11/29. It was telephone standby and I called in on sunday to see if I needed to go in on Monday…I did not. Monday night I called and I indeed needed to go on Tuesday.

I sat in the jury pool from 8-11:30am before my name got called. I then sat in the court for 2 hours while they interviewed jurors. (SO BORING) They interviewed 6 then sent them off and called up 4 more. We broke for lunch and they interviewed the remaining 4. I had managed to sneak by and not get called for 10 names, untill it was time for alternates. I got picked, naturally.

So I had to report, today Friday 12/3 at 9:30am. I sat around untill 12:30 and they called us all into a room….The case was settled. LOL

So I sat around for 2 days, and now I am good for 6 years. Could have been worse, but I still lost time for work.

The funniest part of this little adventure? I ran into a friend I had not seen in like 4 years! She was on the same case. It was good to see you Diana!