I have always liked Peyton Manning because he played college football for Tennessee my home state and was then drafted by the Colts in 98. This isn’t about him though it’s about his younger brother Eli Manning and his victory for the Giants in the last Super Bowl over the Patriots. I of course didn’t make any money on this Super Bowl because it was an upset and I didn’t see it coming.

Eli Manning is the second quarterback and Joe Montana of course is the first ever to throw two fourth-quarter touchdowns in Super Bowl history. I am a Redskin fan and a Joe Gibbs fan in Particular, but when you see a great athlete you can’t help but root for them especially if they have had a lot of bad press and hadn’t lived up to the rest of the family expectations.

His Father and brother of course are people he has felt like he has had to live up to being great Quarterbacks themselves and believe me when the MVP trophy was given to Eli from Terry Bradshaw another great quarterback that had to be a crowning moment that will never be forgotten. The boy had arrived and played some of the best plays ever.

I have always been a sports fan and we have always revered our star athletes as someone to look up to and it really doesn’t matter what sport it is. I also love how major companies seek these top stars to endorse their products and most of these stars will only endorse a product that is just as great as their star status is because they don’t want to mislead and Eli Manning is one of the Unstoppable Ambassadors for Citizen Watch.

Eli is now living the American dream and he can pick and choose the products he wants to endorse and have his name behind and what better product than a company that has been in business for 84 years and is already a proven winner in watch manufacturing. Eli isn’t the only great sport figure that backs Citizen there are others just to name a few such as Emeka Okafor, Paula Creamer, and Nicole Vaidisova.

These celebrities deserve all the good things that life has to offer and I salute each and every one on their victories.

When I ride the scooter my jeans pull on my knees and restrict my mobility and that makes it very uncomfortable and draws my attention away from what I should be focusing on. So the other day I had to go searching for special jeans just for riding my scooter. It took me forever to find the right ones and I hate to shop and apparently so does Bill unless we’re at a swap meet.

Since riding on the regular streets with automobiles and trucks all around I need all my concentration focused on traffic since I’m still a novice. I visited the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and was reading their tips for all car and truck drivers and things they need to know which I am going to list below because it’s important.

I realize that more than ever since a truck pulling into the fairgrounds didn’t even stop and almost caused me to crash into him. People that are use to riding bikes and scooters are always more alert when driving a car or truck because they know how inconsiderate drivers are toward bikers and that they just don’t think especially the ones on their cell phones.

I think you’re going to find a lot more people turning to bikes and scooters for transportation because of the soaring fuel prices. I know the dealer we bought my scooter from said his sales were way up. I am seriously thinking about selling mine and getting a 150 cc because I think I will be safer with a bigger tire and more power when I pull out.

These are very good tips and should be read by everyone just so you will be more aware. Please take a moment to read, you could save a life and it might even be yours.

QUICK TIPS:
Ten Things All Car & Truck Drivers Should Know About Motorcycles
1. There are a lot more cars and trucks than motorcycles on the road, and some drivers don’t “recognize” a motorcycle; they ignore it (usually unintentionally). Look for motorcycles, especially when checking traffic at an intersection.

2. Because of its small size, a motorcycle may look farther away than it is. It may also be difficult to judge a motorcycle’s speed. When checking traffic to turn at an intersection or into (or out of) a driveway, predict a motorcycle is closer than it looks.

3. Because of its small size, a motorcycle can be easily hidden in a car’s blind spots (door/roof pillars) or masked by objects or backgrounds outside a car (bushes, fences, bridges, etc). Take an extra moment to thoroughly check traffic, whether you’re changing lanes or turning at intersections.

4. Because of its small size a motorcycle may seem to be moving faster than it really is. Don’t assume all motorcyclists are speed demons.

5. Motorcyclists often slow by downshifting or merely rolling off the throttle, thus not activating the brake light. Allow more following distance, say 3 or 4 seconds. At intersections, predict a motorcyclist may slow down without visual warning.

(That’s why we bought the backoff light module, if you just touch the brake it will flash 3 times stay on then start flashing all over again and believe me that will get your attention)

6. Turn signals on a motorcycle usually are not self-canceling, thus some riders, (especially beginners) sometimes forget to turn them off after a turn or lane change. Make sure a motorcycle’s signal is for real.

(That would be me, because I do forget sometimes, but I do my best to remember)

7. Motorcyclists often adjust position within a lane to be seen more easily and to minimize the effects of road debris, passing vehicles, and wind. Understand that motorcyclists adjust lane position for a purpose, not to be reckless or show off or to allow you to share the lane with them.

8. Maneuverability is one of a motorcycle’s better characteristics, especially at slower speeds and with good road conditions, but don’t expect a motorcyclist to always be able to dodge out of the way.

9. Stopping distance for motorcycles is nearly the same as for cars, but slippery pavement makes stopping quickly difficult. Allow more following distance behind a motorcycle because it can’t always stop “on a dime.”

(Please don’t stick your bumper up my rearend ,that happens quite often.

10. When a motorcycle is in motion, don’t think of it as motorcycle; think of it as a person.
www.msf-usa.org 4/05

Now see that didn’t take long to read and I’m sure you already knew most of this because it’s basic common sense, but I realize not everyone uses common sense especially with all the distractions out there and that also applies to some bikers.

I have always loved card games and I know it comes from my Father because when I was young he would lock my brothers in the car so Mama couldn’t interfere and teach them to play poker and take all their money, unfortunately I also inherited his love of gambling. I tend to be more conservative now that I’m more mature, but I can still get caught up with the fever on occasion.

I am relearning the rules on how to play spades right now. I remember playing that with our friends and we always had so much fun until my first husband would get mad at me for not bidding right, he always took everything so seriously. Bill doesn’t like playing games or cards so that’s not something that I can share with him and he’s not a gambler, but he knows I am.

I found Spadester.com and have been reading over their site and they show you how to play and they have a user guide that’s easy to understand. I just downloaded the software and was watching the players play, that was a simple process and I got a little engrossed with watching the match. I don’t have the confidence yet to jump right in even though it’s play money, but when I pick up my technique and strategy again I will.

There’s no limitation on the software. It’s free to download and free to play and they give a $1000.00 bankroll so I can play for fun. When I feel confident that I’m good enough I can switch over if I want to and play with my real money. When I first downloaded they gave me a bonus code I can use to get a 100% bonus from them when and if I decide to use real money so of course I had to check and see how I could withdraw my winnings.

The easiest and cheapest for me is to use a prepaid Mastercard because if they send a check you would have to pay courier costs and by wireless to my bank it could cost up to 30 dollars. I’m not cheap, but I am frugal and I like to have all my winnings intact. With the prepaid they would just return it to the card and I can get it out at any ATM.

I can also fund my account with that same prepaid card, which would keep me under control with the amount I want to use. They have some articles that will help refresh my game and they also provide a forum. You can chat and make friends while you play, but I haven’t tried that yet. You can also create your own table and that’s easy to do or you can join one that is already available.

You have to pay the fee to join the table, whatever it’s set at and you can see how much you are playing for to win. The house has a service charge set between 10% and 15% which doesn’t sound unreasonable and we all know the house has to have it’s cut for providing the service and fun. There are different game levels to choose from. When you check out this site be sure that you read the terms and fair gaming pages.

My Son called tonight and it was so unexpected of him that I was afraid to call back because I thought there might have been a miscarriage. If you know my son and his history then you would understand my dread when I get an unexpected phone call. Chris lost their first baby and if anything would happen with this one, I honestly think he would lose it.

Thank God it was happy news and he wanted to let me know that they had done the 3D sonograms or ultrasounds and he just wanted us to know that they saw some really good pictures of the baby and have the CD so I can see it and hopefully make a copy when we go to Kentucky in August. They decided on Ethan David which I like, he decided against Eric David Jr, but the initials are the same.

I want to try and time it so that I will be there when it’s born, but even though they have been told that it will be Aug 6th or the 8th and not my birthday which is the 7th since it’s a first child and at 38 it could be early or late, but I’m hoping it will be born on my birthday, now how great of a present would that be?

Eric said it looks just like him except the jaw line which is his wife’s and he says he has lots of hair which Eric did not. They were able to see that he had all his parts and that takes a worry off new parents especially older ones. Since she’s a nurse she would know any signs to look out for if something wasn’t right and she has had all test done to insure everything is okay.

It wont be long and now that it’s getting nearer I am getting more excited. I could tell by the way he was talking that he hoped when we come down that I will stay a lot longer than was originally planned. Of course Bill can’t, but I could and either take a bus back because I’m frugal or I could fly, but I’ll have to wait and see. I’m going to bed because I need to get up early in the morning.