It's Friday!

Hot Dog it's Friday!

I love Fridays! I enjoy the promise of a fun, relaxing weekend ahead. It is like running a race and seeing the finish line. Fridays feel great!

My family usually wakes with the “It’s Friday” dance and even though we still have a normal day at the office and preschool, we know that our fun time together is not far away.

We load up and race off to school and the morning seems to go a bit easier.

Some work weeks really are challenging and it is nice to see the end in sight! Don't get me wrong. I have one of the best jobs in the world! I love it and it is so much better than anything else I can imagine doing for 40+ hours a week!

But it does have it's challenges and at times, like everyone else, I feel overloaded.

The weekends give us the time to slow down a bit, and that is great!

What are my plans for this weekend? None really!

I do have hopes that the kids will not Kung Fu Fight...

...and just get along.

I really would like to have a restful Saturday morning around the house...

...and for a little time to myself!

Sunday I would like time to focus on God with my family.

We'll see what the weekend holds, but for now, I am just happy for some time to relax!

So whatever your weekend holds, have fun and be careful out there!

Too soon it will be Monday again!

Have a great weekend!

Optical Illusions

I always enjoy looking at optical illusions. Hope you do to!

What do you see above? A woman looking to the left or an eskimo looking out into the night...both are there!

Stare at this and you will see a shimmering groove!







Read out loud the list of colours, remembering to read the text only.

Stare at this image long enough and you'll see it move.

Here is the dissappearing gray trick....stare at the black dot and say abra-cadabra!

Stare at the small black dot in the centre of the image and move your head slowly toward then away from the screen...

Are the gray lines straight? Hard to tell with the eyes but put a straight line next to them!

How many black dots you can see above?






I thought it nice to end with this one - wave anyone?

Enjoy your day!

Top 10 Movies That Are Fun To Quote

Top 10 Movies That Are Fun To Quote

# 10 Dirty Harry

"You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?"

#9 The Terminator

"I’ll be back. "



"Hasta la vista, baby." (T2)

#8 The Wizard of Oz

"Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."
"There's no place like home."
"I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!"
“Follow the yellow brick road!”

#7 Jerry Maguire

"Show me the money!"
"You had me at 'hello.'"
"You are hanging on by a very thin thread and I dig that about you! "
"That's how you become great, man. Hang your balls out there! "
"I love him! I love him for the man he wants to be. And I love him for the man he almost is. "
"I just want to be inspired. "
"Maybe love shouldn't be such hard work. "
"Jump in my nightmare, the water's warm! "
"I love you. You... you complete me. "
"Help me... help you. Help me, help you."

# 6 Forrest Gump

"Mama says they was magic shoes. They could take me anywhere. "
"What's normal anyways? "
"I'm not a smart man... but I know what love is. "
“Run Forrest Run”
"That boy sure is a runnin' fool! "
"Me and Jenny goes together like peas and carrots. "
"My momma always said, 'Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.' "
“Stupid is as Stupid does”
"Sometimes, I guess there's just not enough rocks. "
"Anyway, like I was sayin', shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey's uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that's about it. "
"You have to do the best with what God gave you. "
"I gotta find Bubba! "
"He was from a long great military tradition. Somebody from his family had fought and died in every single American war. I guess you could say he had a lot to live up to. "
"The best thing about visiting the President is the food! Now, since it was all free, and I wasn't hungry but thirsty, I must've drank me fifteen Dr. Peppers. "
"That's all I have to say about that. "


#5 Casablanca

"Here's looking at you, kid."
"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
“Play it again, Sam.”
"Round up the usual suspects."
"We'll always have Paris."
"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine."

#4 Gone With The Wind

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."
"I’ll think about it tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day!"
"As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again."
"With enough courage, you can do without a reputation. "
"I don’t know nothin’ ‘bout birthin’ no babies! "

#3 Steel Magnolias

"Time marches on and sooner or later you realize it is marchin' across your face. "
"I am just about at the end of my rope with you. - Well, then why don't you tie a noose and slip it 'round your head? "
"This is it, I've found it, I'm in hell. "
"I would rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special."
"Well, we went skinny dipping and we did things that frightened the fish. "
"There's so much static electricity in this room, I pick up everything but boys and money. "
"Well, you know what they say: if you don't have anything nice to say about anybody, come sit by me! "
"Oh, Sammy's so confused he don't know whether to scratch his watch or wind his butt. "
"The only reason people are nice to me is because I have more money than God. "
"I have a strict policy that nobody cries alone in my presence. "
"You are too twisted for color TV! "
"I'm not crazy, I've just been a very bad mood for the last 40 years!"
" That which does not kill us, makes us stronger. "
"The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize. "
Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.
"Smile! It increases your face value. "
"A lot she cares. Ousier's never done a religious thing in her life." - "Now that is not true. When I was in school, a bunch of my friends and I would dress up as nuns and go bar-hoppin'. "
You are playin' hard to get! - At her age, she should be playin' beat the clock.
"A dirty mind is a terrible thing to waste. "
"There is no such thing as natural beauty. "
"Oh! He's a real gentleman! I bet he takes the dishes out of the sink before he PEES in it! "
"Louie brought his new girlfriend over, and the nicest thing I can say about her is all her tattoos are spelled correctly. "
"Don't try to get on my good side, Truvy. I no longer have one! "
"He is a boil on the butt of humanity! "

#2 Airplane

"Surely you can't be serious. - I am serious... and don't call me Shirley. "
"This woman has to be gotten to a hospital. - A hospital? What is it? - It's a big building with patients, but that's not important right now. "
"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking. "
"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking. "
"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue. "
"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit amphetamines. "
"You ever seen a grown man naked?"
"No, thank you, I take it (coffee) black, like my men. "
"Oh stewardess! I speak jive. "
"Johnny, what can you make out of this? - This? Why, I can make a hat or a brooch or a pterodactyl... "

#1 Princess Bride

"As you wish. "
"I will never love again. "
"No more rhyming now, I mean it. Anybody want a peanut? "
"Do you want me to send you back to where you were? Unemployed in Greenland! "
"I only dog paddle. "
"Out of curiosity, why do you ask? "
"Inconceivable! "
"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. "
"I have some rope up here, but I do not think you would accept my help, since I am only waiting around to kill you." - "That does put a damper on our relationship. "
"You seem a decent fellow, I hate to kill you."
"You seem a decent fellow, I hate to dye. "
"There's not a lot of money in revenge. "
"I am not left-handed" … "I'm not left-handed either. "
"Get used to disappointment. "
"Why do you wear a mask? Were you burned by acid, or something like that?" - "Oh no, it's just that they're terribly comfortable. I think everyone will be wearing them in the future. "
"My way's not very sportsman-like. "
"It's not my fault being the biggest and the strongest. I don't even exercise. "
"I just want you to feel you're doing well. I hate for people to die embarrassed. "
"I do not envy you the headache you will have when you awake. But for now, rest well and dream of large women. "
"You're trying to kidnap what I've rightfully stolen. "
"Let me put it this way. Have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates? – Morons. "
"You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia, but only slightly less well-known is this: never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha... (drops dead) "
"This is true love - you think this happens every day? "
"Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while. "
"Well, I'm not saying I'd like to build a summer home here, but the trees are actually quite lovely. "
"Rodents Of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist. "
"We are men of action, lies do not become us. "
"Tyrone, you know how much I love watching you work, but I've got my country's 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder and Guilder to frame for it; I'm swamped." - "Get some rest. If you haven't got your health, then you haven't got anything. "
"You truly love each other and so you might have been truly happy. Not one couple in a century has that chance, no matter what the story books say. And so I think no man in a century will suffer as greatly as you will. "
"You are the brute squad! "
"It just so happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead, well, with all dead there's usually only one thing you can do". - "What's that?" - "Go through his clothes and look for loose change. "
"While you're at it, why don't you give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it? "
"Get back, Witch. - I'm not a Witch, I'm your wife. But after what you just said, I'm not even sure I want to be that any more. "
"Humperdinck! Humperdinck! Humperdinck! "
"Bye Bye Boys! Have fun stormin' da castle. "
"My brains, his steel, and your strength against sixty men, and you think a little head jiggle is supposed to make me happy? "
"Oh, what I wouldn't give for a holocaust cloak. "
"You must be that little Spanish brat I taught a lesson to all those years ago. You've been chasing me your whole life only to fail now? I think that's about the worst thing I've ever heard. - How marvelous. "
"You've got an overdeveloped sense of vengeance. It's going to get you into trouble someday."
"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father prepare to die. "
"Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam... And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva... Have you the wing? "
"There's a shortage of perfect breasts in this world. It would be a pity to damage yours. "
"To The Pain! "
"You warthog-faced buffoon. "
"DROP... YOUR... SWORD! "

So that’s my list of the 10 Movies that are fun to quote – It was hard to narrow it down to 10 so I look forward to your feedback!

Return on Investment Guaranteed

Return on Investment Guaranteed!
By Renee Yousey

Every time I turn on the news I hear talk of inflation, the poor shape of the economy, a volatile stock market, social security benefits going away, etc. I don’t know about you, but I think many of us are wondering what to do with our resources to promote a good return on our investment! I’m not just talking about an investment of money, but also an investment of time.

Over ten years ago I said a statement that I wish I had followed a bit closer! ‘I really only feel comfortable investing money in my own business. – It is the only thing I have some control over!’ Well, I took my profits from my successful business and invested in technology – how could that not go up with all the new advances, right? Wrong! Numbers were inflated, profits were lost, and the only thing that retained its value was again – me.

My father told me many years ago that an education is the only thing you can have that can’t be taken away from you. You can’t trust that you will always have anything physical but the knowledge you gain will always be yours!

Don’t get me wrong! I am not saying don’t invest or save your money! I still have 401Ks, IRAs, and other investments! But as important as it is to set aside savings for your future – it is even more important to put aside time and money for your education!

I don’t think there is anything you can learn in College that you can’t learn anywhere else. I have a degree and would highly recommend getting a degree to anyone. It does not show I am smarter or know more than anyone else, but it does open some doors that might be shut otherwise. A degree is a symbol that you can achieve a goal and follow instructions. It shows a basic level of knowledge in a particular area.

If you do not have a degree, it is not too late! My Mother, who was a Mom and housewife the majority of her life, went back to school and got an Associates Degree in her 40’s – I was very proud of her. In today’s world you can get a degree at many Universities taking many courses on the Internet. It has never been easier!

Accountants will find more bias towards an Accounting Degree than any other BA! It is a smart investment.

The other real secret is that the best knowledge I have ever gained came after the degree! I have learned much more after college than I did in college! Continue to seek knowledge! Read books, research on the Internet, invest your time and money in continuing education! The fact that you are reading now shows you value this – way to go!

Investing in yourself and your education is the only investment with guaranteed results and permanence!

APT NEWS

April 28th 2008

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BOOKKEEPER ~ SEEKS $16/HR

Personable, customer-oriented professional has ten year's CPA firm experience with full charge bookkeeping through financial statements for multiple clients. Prepared sale/payroll/income taxes, compilations, bank recs, journal entries, job cost, payroll, adjusting and reversing entries. Software: Creative Solutions, Ultratax, QuickBooks and Peachtree. Desires a 30 to 40 hour per week position in the DFW area.

STAFF ACCOUNTANT ~ SEEKS $45K

BS Accounting, Certified Tax Preparer. Detail-oriented, efficient professional has experience in the healthcare, broadcast, and public accounting environments. Responsible for A/P, A/R, journal entries, G/L maintenance, account recs, 941's, 990's, sales, payroll, excise, and property tax returns. Also prepared individual, corporations, partnerships and sole proprietorship tax returns. Versed in QuickBooks, Peachtree, FAS, SAP, and Oracle. Excellent interpersonal skills!

PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT ~ SEEKS $50K

BBA Accounting, Cum Laude. Smart, outgoing professional has two years experience with a small CPA firm and a year with the IRS. Prepare financial statements for clients, prepares payroll and 941, 940, and TWC reports, prepares tax returns, assists in audit process of clients, worked regularly with taxpayers, their representatives, CPA's and attorneys to determine their federal tax liability. Seeking new challenges!

TAX MANAGER/CONTROLLER ~ SEEKS $85K

CPA, Masters Accountancy. Flexible, knowledgeable tax expert has 15+ years background as corporate Tax Manager, Controller, and CPA firm tax and compilations. Skilled in federal income tax, multi-state property tax and sales compliance and planning, computer and accounting system implementation and training, write-up, review, and audit of accounting data for clients, on-site part time controller function for numerous clients. Developed tax strategies, which reduced Texas Franchise Taxes in excess of $80,000 annually. Ready to make an impact on your company's bottom line!

Greener Grass

Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books. ~ John Lubbock

Greener Grass

I'm sure you know people, perhaps even you, who spend a good amount of time admiring and wanting 'other people's lawns.' 'The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence' is a common phrase. It is in our nature to search for greener pastures. The challenge is not finding the greener grass; the real secret to a good lawn is to make the green grass. Green grass does not happen without initial work and constant upkeep; ask any lawn lover! That is also the secret to having a successful life. Let's look at what it takes for a good lawn (successful life):

1. Ground preparation is needed before grass can really grow. The soil must be fertile. (You need to be healthy and have a positive mental attitude.) You may need to add nutrients (training, education, self-help) and remove rocks and weeds (negative attitudes, emotional baggage, negative influences).
   


2. Figure out what grass grows best in your soil and plant the seeds. (Find out what your passion is; what you excel at and start doing it!)
   


3. After planting the seeds, continue to fertilize and water. (Continue to add training and knowledge; don't become stagnant in your goals. Realize that it takes continuous work to achieve and maintain goals. Success is not easy; but it is rewarding!)
   


4. Watch out for problems or challenges and find solutions. Realize some things are out of your control, such as weather or insects, but you can respond to those things in order to eliminate the negative effects. Water your lawn when it is hot and dry; spray for bugs. (You need to keep your eyes open for the problems that come up beyond your control. You may not be able to control what challenges arise, but you can control how you react to them. Don't forget to adapt!)
   


5. Enjoy your lawn! Take the time to enjoy what you have accomplished. Take your shoes off and run through the grass! (Find time to appreciate what you have. Enjoy what you work for. Don't forget to have fun!)
   

"A man can't just sit around."

"A man can't just sit around."

Larry was a truck driver, but his lifelong dream was to fly. When he graduated from high school, he joined the Air Force in hopes of becoming a pilot. Unfortunately, poor eyesight disqualified him. So when he finally left the service, he had to satisfy himself with watching others fly the fighter jets that crisscrossed the skies over his backyard. As he sat there in his lawn chair, he dreamed about the magic of flying.

Then one day, Larry Walters got an idea. He went down to the local army-navy surplus store and bought a tank of helium and forty-five weather balloons. These were not your brightly colored party balloons; these were heavy-duty spheres measuring more than four feet across when fully inflated.

On July 2, 1982, back in his yard, Larry used straps to attach the balloons to his lawn chair, the kind you might have in your own back yard. He anchored the chair to the bumper of his jeep and inflated the balloons with helium. Then he packed some sandwiches and drinks and loaded a BB gun, figuring he could pop a few of those balloons when it was time to return to earth.
With his preparations complete, Larry Walters sat in his chair and cut the anchoring cord. His plan was that after he enjoyed some flying time to lazily float back down to earth. But things didn't work out that way.

When Larry cut the cord, he shot up as if fired from a cannon! He climbed and climbed until he leveled off at 11,000 feet! At that height, he could hardly risk deflating any of the balloons, lest he unbalance the load and really experience flying! So he stayed up there, sailing around for fourteen hours, totally at a loss as to how to get down.

Eventually, Larry drifted into the approach corridor for Los Angeles International Airport. A Pan Am pilot radioed the tower and told the air traffic controller that he had just passed a guy in a lawn chair at eleven thousand feet who had a gun in his lap.

Larry finally shot enough balloons to lower himself down safely. Although he was entangled in some power lines, he was uninjured. As soon as Larry hit the ground, he was arrested. But as he was being led away in handcuffs, a television reporter called out, "Mr. Walters, why'd you do it?" Larry stopped, eyed the man, then replied nonchalantly, "A man can't just sit around. Since I was 13 years old, I've dreamed of going up into the clear blue sky in a weather balloon," he said. "By the grace of God, I fulfilled my dream. But I wouldn't do this again for anything."

Larry's statement has a message for us. We need to get out of our comfort zone and follow our dreams. Larry is rumored to have won the 1997 Darwin Award, but as crazy as the stunt sounds, I would give Larry an award for the courage to act on his vision and fly!

Thankful Thoughts

Thankful Thoughts

While driving to work I heard an interesting report on the radio. It was about the one characteristic all happy people have in common. They took quite a few calls and no one guessed what it was. The key to happiness is so simple, yet it eludes most people. Billions of dollars are spent every year on antidepressant drugs and therapy trying to find happiness in life. Well, if you are or know someone who is in search of happiness, stay tuned…

There's an ancient tale of happiness that appears in many cultures, and it goes something like this: Once there was a prince who was terribly unhappy. The king dispatched messengers to find the shirt of a happy man, as his advisers told him that was the only cure. They finally encountered a poor farmer who was supremely content. Alas, the happy man owned no shirt.

We see this in every day life. Money and possessions do not equal happiness! Things can be nice, but they are not the answer. Happiness is an inside job. So how do we start to work on that job?

In recent years, many scientists have begun examining the links between religion and good health, both physical and mental. Now two psychologists are working to unlock the puzzle of how faith might promote happiness. Dr. Michael McCollough, SMU in Dallas, Texas, and Dr. Robert Emmons, of the University of California at Davis, say their initial scientific study indicates that gratitude plays a significant role in a person's sense of well-being.

Scientists discovered what many knew all along. People who describe themselves as feeling grateful tend to have higher vitality and more optimism, suffer less stress, and experience fewer episodes of clinical depression than the population as a whole. These results hold even when researchers factor out such things as age, health, and income, equalizing for the fact that the young, the well-to-do, or the hale and hearty might have "more to be grateful for." Grateful people tend to be less materialistic than the population as a whole and to suffer less anxiety about status or the accumulation of possessions. Partly because of this, they are more likely to describe themselves as happy or satisfied in life.

In an experiment with college students, those who kept a "gratitude journal," a weekly record of things they should feel grateful for, achieved better physical health, were more optimistic, exercised more regularly, and described themselves as happier than a control group of students who kept no journals but had the same overall measures of health, optimism, and exercise when the experiment began.

Gratitude gives us a perspective and focus on what we have vs. what we don’t have. This creates a sense of happiness and contentment. We all have so much to be grateful for! You probably have your basic needs met…food, clothing, shelter. Most likely you have someone who loves you and someone you love. We live in a country where there is freedom to follow our dreams and share them with others. All that is more than enough for gratitude!

Take the time today to express your gratitude. Not only will it make you a more pleasant person to be around, it will help make you happier. Now, isn’t that what we really want in life?