Telemarketers or BOA employees?

Upon moving to Liberal, KS/Oklahoma Panhandle I opened a new bank account. Bank of America I chose. Several branches in Liberal and ATM location.

A home phone number was asked for on the checking account forms. For the first time in 8 years I have a home phone number. (Thank you internet/cable/telephone combo pack I had to sign up for in order to get internet.)

In the last month, I have been contacted by several telemarketers calling "on behalf of Bank of America". Many have attempted to sell me some sort of insurance. Account insurance, fire and rescue insurance, credit background insurance, etc.

I hate to be rude. Last Thursday the phone rang with a different telemarketer trying to get me "enrolled" in the same insurance offered to me the night before. I told the person I was not interest and this was the second time I had received this phone call. The telemarketer apologized but continued with the ramble because I hadn't "enrolled" yet.

I am not sure "enrolling" in the National Do Not Call Registry. After all, my bank is giving out my number to help me be "insured." Well, Bank of America. If I really needed all these account insurances I would probably have more than $8.54 in my account. Considering the telemarketers always tell me the insurance can be taken out of your account each month for the low-low price of $24. Bank of America you do the math. I am really not interested.

{Stay Tune}

Warning: the bag is louder than the crunch

Applauds to Sun Chips and the decision to invest in a bio-degradable chip bag.

However, I feel the need to info all - the bag is loud. You think the crunching of eating chips is loud just wait until you fumble with the bag.

Just something I realized this past weekend as the cowboy and I sat down for TV and chips. Next time when the chips come out so does a bowl.

{Stay Tuned}

For the love of sheets

For the love of sheets...

I am not sure when it happened or how but there has been a shift in my shopping wants and needs.

Going shopping in college meant going clothing shopping. However, it wasn't limited to just clothes but included shoes, handbags, necklaces, earrings, scarfs, and well, anything body oriented.

Going shopping now means shopping for things for the home. Maybe the shift happened as for the first time in my life I live alone. I am renting an apartment with white, bare walls. I have the ability to decorate my apartment. Decorate it the way I want to.

What is stopping me?

Money. Home decorating is expensive. In lovely, Liberal we have a Wal-Mart but our Wal-Mart doesn't carry the trendy, cool looking Home Trends collection. And before you throw out the suggestions of Crate & Barrel, Anthropologie, Home Goods, T.J. Maxx...let me tell you, they are no where close to me.

Last weekend, the Cowboy and I went to Wichita. We went for the weekend which involved meeting more of his family (Mom and half-brother). Sunday was designated for shopping. I said Target. The cowboy said "Really?" Apparently, he imagined shopping meant mall only.

"What are you going to get at Target?" asked the cowboy.

Everything.

Well, I couldn't quite possibly buy everything because as earlier pointed out home goods cost money. However, I by-passed buying a cute side table, armless chair for my living room, the large art prints for my walls and went for purchasing new sheets.

The {Home Organic Sheet Set} was not a disappointment. The sheets feel almost like silk with a super soft feel. They remind me of the modal fabric Gap Body uses for their panties and p.j.'s.

I am in love with these sheets. Perhaps, they have been out for awhile and I finally just discovered them as I become more of an adult focused shopper.

{Stay Tuned}

P.S. We hit up the mall after Target. I limited myself to 1 hour which included Old Navy, Coach, a Kansas gift shop and than the stores the Cowboy wanted to go in. I am a good girlfriend to take to the mall.

A glimpse into my Okie land Apartment

I have had request to see the place. Here it is. Home Sweet Oklahoma. It is actually the perfect apartment for me. Large kitchen, nice size living room, good closet (while not a walk-in it is long), one bathroom, washer/dryer and two bedrooms.

I call it home.

{Stay Tune}

Tumbleweeds do exists

I never was much of a western movie watcher. However, western movies is where my knowledge on tumbleweeds stemmed from prior to moving out West. My mind visions the plant blowing in some sort of early west town. (John Wayne movie style with hallow wind blowing.) I figure tumbleweeds were something Hollywood placed in those western movies for dramatic effect during duals. Tumbleweeds don't actually exists or do they?

I was wrong. They do exists and they roll through Southwest Kansas/Oklahoma Panhandle. Tumbleweeds even get stuck underneath your car. While driving I do see them tumble across the road. I thought it was the weirdest thing.

In November someone in my office said the tumbleweeds were beginning to come out. (Apparently, there is a season for tumbleweeds. I guess like how there is a season for tulips?) On the way to Alva, Oklahoma for the Cowboy's family Thanksgiving. I told the Cowboy how I had never seen a tumbleweed and wanted to see one.

The Cowboy laughed and laughed. How could someone never have seen a tumbleweed and be so interested? Then I said maybe it could be a story? The facts behind tumbleweeds? Again, laughter filled the car.

I am sure I am not the only one. People from the East Coast, West Coast and South have never seen tumbleweeds. Am I right?

{Stay Tuned}

New Year. New Life. New Boomerang Post.

Despite my New Year's snow...I didn't blog

Despite the snowy and cold weather this weekend I did not get caught up on bloggging.

I was off from work for 4 days: Thursday - Sunday and I didn't blog.

Instead I had a fabulously relaxing weekend. (Something I haven't had since moving to Oklahoma). I cleaned my house, caught up on magazines, finished my (now belated) Christmas cards, watched movies, made dinners for the Cowboy and caught up on sleep. For example exhausted me only stayed awake till Eastern Standard Time New Year's. I couldn't make it till midnight.

This time of year people make resolutions. I usually don't. However, some year's I just call them something else. Thinking back to last year (2009), I made a 'goal' to be in a different place. (Not locational speaking, but at the time I was struggling financially and was in a career path that left me unfulfilled, unappreciated and beyond exhausted daily. Needless to say, I did reach that goal and can happily report that is no longer the case.)

My goal this year is to blog. I really enjoy this blog and hate that I have deserted it for the past two months. There is so much I can share and expect to read about it all in 2010.

{Stay Tuned}

The end of an era

I woke up this morning at 4 a.m.

I was unable to fall back asleep. However, I consider it a blessing in disguise. I've got some of those check marks now marked off on my to-do list. Of course one was to blog.

For those that know me well and others that might not, most know for the past six years I have driven a red VW Bug. On that red VW bug was the license plate of LOV BUG. As of the end of November I am no longer the plate owner in the state of Ohio for LOV BUG.

LOV BUG has been replaced with normal Ohio tags. Yup, still Ohio labeled. In order to register your car in Oklahoma you must have proof of Oklahoma drivers insurance. With my car registration being up in November and knowing it took me 4 weeks alone to get my internet set up, I figured renewing in the state of Ohio was the easiest.

Bye LOV BUG. Make your next driver happy and be a nickname among your friends.

{Stay Tuned}

Updating the Boomerang Lady

It is no secret that I have been horrible at updating my tales.

To be honest I hate the neglect the blog has gotten since mid-October and promise to do better.

But here are the reasons why I haven't updated the blog ...

1. Moved to Oklahoma and have been working full time. Hard to set up internet and cable when you aren't home week days. Also, no roommates to split the cost. Also, found out where I live doesn't have wi-fi. I have to get dial up which means I have to get a phone line. Can you say 1997?

2. My job changed. The newspaper had some shifts in employment and I got switched to Lifestyles editor. What does this mean? I switched desks, have more on my plate on a daily basis and am in charge of wedding announcements. I thought I was taking a break from weddings? But I am still a news reporter all at the same time.

3. I met some one. And not just anyone but some one special. I met him exactly a week after living in Turpin. Three days later we watched a movie and ate pizza. Two days later we went to a haunted house and got Mexican for dinner. One day later we went to the Turpin High School football game. The day after that marked a week I had known him and I made him dinner. Yup, he is fantastic. But the best part is he is a cowboy. An actually cowboy. I'm going to need a whole post dedicated to explaining what a cowboy is. But ladies, YEEE-HAWWW.

What I am trying to say is stick with me. I PROMISE to be back up and running officially Monday.

{Stay Tuned}

I moved to KS, met a munchkin, was invited to Church, became front page news, got lost twice and LOVED every minute of it

There is nothing like moving and starting a job all in the same week.

May I mention that the move happened to be over 1,000 miles away from everything I've ever known and the job was everything I'd ever wanted but never experienced. Yes, stress was on my side to say the least.

But I pushed through and the week went perfect. As I type, I glance over at the clock to see it has officially marked a week in Liberal.

Let me give you the highlights:

The Job: From my opinion, I am doing well. I did ask a ton of questions this week and had some glitches on the computer. But I am pretty sure I didn't mess anything up. I had a story for each paper and edited quite a lot of pages. Not to mention that I even built my first ever page. (Weird accomplishment if you have no idea what I am talking about.) Although, the first day was a little rough and well, Wednesday when I couldn't figure out how to work the camera. Oh and then there was Friday, when I had to call the office because I had gotten a bit lost while out on assignment. Other then those moments of feeling like an idiot and wondering if my co-workers were thinking "Why did they hire her?", I have to say the week went great. Plus I really like what I am doing and can't wait for more to come.

The Housing Crisis of 2009: For those that don't know I am currently living in a hotel. The newspaper has been nice enough to pay my stay at a hotel for up to 14 days. Although, I never imagined I would take them up on the whole 14 days it has since become that way. I spent much of my downtime this week looking at places, driving around and discussing my options with my parents. It came down to the townhouse that I really liked and a house that was just so-so. But there were problems with each. The townhouse was unavailable till November 1st. Then there was the landlord who quoted my mom on the phone at $525, quoted me in person at $595 and then, when I checked out his website it was listed at $575. I don't play numbers games. I asked him about it and he shut me down saying it was $595. I felt really uneasy signing a lease for it because I felt like I was getting ripped off. Who's to know what he might make me pay for later! My mom credits the fluctuating pricing based on how I was dressed when I met him. Perhaps if I had shown up in jeans and a Kansas City Chief's t-shirt it would have been $525. But my heels, dress pants, sweater set and nice sunglasses said $595. My dad said it was small town and that the landlord must figure he could get away with it. I just felt like it was a no win situation. Plus it was more then I had originally planed on spending.

On Thursday, I put the application in for the house which was available for move in. The house was older but it was nicely kept up inside. Outside, another story. But, I am not trying to be on the cover of Midwest Living. Friday, I called the office to check up on my application. I had figured 24 hours would be a sufficient time to do a credit check and call references. But the women went on to tell me that she should of told me the following: they had leased the house to someone else on Wednesday and it was no longer available. Should of told me? Heck yes, you should of. And the fact that I had to call. What if I had passed on something else for this house?

My head was spinning at work the rest of the day as I got off the phone with the relator for the house. What was I going to do? There was hardly anything available to rent in this town. There aren't too many apartment units. Liberal is mostly composed of neighborhoods with homeowners. I spoke with my parents on Friday evening and it was a tough conversation. They were upset to hear the house hadn't worked out and none of us were happy about the townhouse. But we did make a game plan. A listing to appear in the Sunday paper (thank God I have access to that stuff) was for a 2 bedroom, one bath, washer, dryer apartment for $475 and included water. I called Friday night. My mom called Friday night. Saturday morning he got back to me. 1 p.m. Saturday I saw it. PERFECT! Great sized bedrooms, nice kitchen, built 14 years ago, decent bathroom, large living room, available next Saturday and nice neighborhood. Although, it isn't official yet, this could be my new residence.

Keep your fingers crossed. Funny thing about it. It happens to be in Oklahoma. (Not too weird though because Liberal is 3 miles from the border and well, the apartment is in Turpin, Oklahoma, 13 miles from Liberal.)

As for the rest of it:

• My first night in town I called Pizza Hut and asked for carry out. Got lost on the way there. Should of done delivery.
• This weekend marked the 70th year of the movie, The Wizard of Oz. I am in the home of Dorothy and it was OZFEST this weekend. One of the movies munchkins was in town on Friday and I went and took photos for the newspaper.
• I went to the local furniture store in Liberal looking to purchase a mattress. I found one and am having it delivered somewhere next weekend. The furniture sales people were very nice and got me free delivery. Of course, they did ask me if I had found a church community yet. This is funny to me because if you have scene the movie New in Town, Renee Zellweger's character gets asked the same thing shortly after moving to Minnesota. I said no but will keep that in mind.
• I did make the front page with not only the byline but on the actual paper. Which lead me to get remarks by four different people in town that they knew who I was. Although the photo is horrible, the story is not. Please check out my links on the right hand side under The Southwest Times for all articles I write and any that might included me.
• Stories from my week of work included prairie dogs, breast cancer awareness and 212 lbs. pumpkins. Ask me about any of those topics and I am an expert.
• Had that first glimpse of true small town life. I went to the grocery store on Friday night. I was a bit upset about the housing issue of earlier in the day and had worked till 7 p.m. So I picked up some mac & cheese, a Milky Way candy bar and a 6 pack of Bud Light Lime. Only to approach the check lines to see a very prominent politician in town that I had met only a few hours earlier. Thinking this would look bad in the sense of possible unhealthy eater and boozer, I ducked into the Hallmark Card aisle. I don't think he saw me. And really the mac & cheese just sounded good and heats up in a hotel microwave well, the candy bar was for my chocolate craving and the beer was for a beverage celebration of finishing up a week of work. Kill me?
• Saturday, I woke up early to cover the 5k Toto Trot. It was 29 degrees with ice all over my car and raining. I scrapped my VW Bug and spilled hot coffee on my right hand. I'm fine but thank you early season cold front. Can't wait to move next weekend.

If your still reading then your a very good friend, a very faithful blog reader, a bored individual with some kind of computer freeze going on, or a potential stalker. Thanks for reading. Thanks for the support. I've revamped the blog a bit for next week and have some new regular features beginning. As always...

{Stay Tuned}

Leaving Kansas...for a week

I am leaving today to go back to Ohio.  How things have changed since last week.  I am leaving Kansas with a whole new plan for the next week, month and year of my life.  I am officially moving to Kansas the Weekend of October 2nd and begin work on Monday, October 5th.  Basically in a week I will be back in Kansas.  My goal today is to figure out and make a decision on housing before I head out of town for the drive to Wichita. Flying from Wichita to Ohio tonight.  I'll keep everyone posted.  I have a few options that I did research a bit on Thursday. But need to do further research and make sure Tiger Lilly can live with me.  

I want to thank all my friends, Twitter friends, and blog readers for all their on going support and encouraging comments this week.  I did get some questions and I'll go ahead and answer them at this time.  

Yes, I will continue to blog.  Hello, exciting things are on the horizon and I want you all to know. 

No, I will not be changing my blog name. People know me as the Boomerang Lady and well, you could say I am boomeranging to Kansas. 

Yes, my parents are completely on board.  They have been very supportive and they can tell how pumped and excited  I am.  I think that helped a lot. 

Yes, still be guest blogging for {Stuff Under Twenty}.

Probably be pulling back on The Examiner and I did officially call the Gap store in Cincinnati and quit.  I only held that job for one week! Felt bad about it but it was always a "something in the meantime". 

Anymore questions leave them here and I promise to answer.  Anyways got to get a move on.  

{Stay Tuned}

P.S. Photo above from the entrance of Dorothy's house and below is Munch-kin land. 

Let me paint you a picture of my generation...

While career searching online I found an article with some results I think we all might be a little bit interested in.

The article "1 in 3 Young Workers Live With Their Parents" by Ellie Behling was quite interesting and entertaining with stats like the following:

• Thirty-one percent of surveyed young workers reported being uninsured, up from 24% 10 years ago (almost half cited the reason as being unable to afford it). (Guilty)
  
• Twenty-four percent make less than they need just to pay their monthly bills, up from 10% in 1999 (only 31% make enough to pay bills and put money aside—down 22 percentage points from 1999). (True a year ago...or basically what I brought in went to supporting myself)
  
• More than one in three young workers live with their parents. (True since August)
  
• More than half (51%) of young workers do not have a retirement plan, up from 41% in 1999. (Retirement? I am just trying to get through 2009!)

Does anyone feel like Bridget Jones in the scene at a dinner party when she begins to be harped on for being single. Bridget asks "Is it 1 in 4 marriages or 1 in 3 marriages that ends in divorce?" When Mark answers, "1 in 3". I feel like my next outing with people my own age may now go similarly.

{Stay Tuned} as I attempt to fly the coup.

What makes me smile on a Friday

A lot of things make me smile. InStyle's 15 Year Anniversary September Issue, The Thursday Night Drinking Club, Pumpkins at the grocery store, snail mail, flavored coffee, Tiger Lily laying in the sun, *a morning run (*well some of the time), and the list could go on and on. 

But here are some highlights that specifically happened yesterday...

A text message from a friend that said she had lined up an interview! Congratulations and knock them dead.  (Yes, my phone is very circa 2002)

Another inspiring 24 year old made it in the media. The Daily Beast hired a Lucas Whittmann as the new Books Editor.  Whittmann comes from serving two years as an editorial assistant at as publishing house. Read the story on {The New York Observer}.  Again, editorial assistant is an entry level job with a college degree. 

My third article went up on the Cincinnati Examiner. Check it out.  Which celebrity has turned designer this fall? 

Also, I updated my links on the right side of my page.  When I first created this blog I listed several wedding blogs and while I still look at wedding blogs I acknowledge that many of my readers might not. Check them out.  There are some great ones in there. 

Happy Weekend! 

(Stay Tuned} I promise some great posts next week. 

Stuff Under 20 Guest Blogger, The Examiner, Nick Lachey, College Football and The Gap!

I've been very excited to announce that today on {Stuff Under 20} I am a guest blogger! Please check out all six of my posts and leave a comment if you like my stuff. Last month, Lexi from {The Motherload} sent me a Twitter message to let me know she had heard that N & S from {Stuff Under 20} were looking for guests bloggers. Of course, I jumped at the chance to be apart of their amazing blog and was ecstatic to hear they thought I would make a great guests blogger.

I wanted to go with a theme (even though not required) and I wanted it to be trendy, timely, and include accessories. So I went with the jewel tones of fall. Check out {Post I}, {Post II}, {Post III}, {Post IV}, {Post V} and {Post VI}.

In other updates, my second article went live on {The Examiner Cincinnati}. Please check it out when you get a chance. I recently heard about a stylist who did a 31 day experiment of wearing the same black dress and changing the look each day with different accessories. The end result is quite good and I think it shows how great an outfit can be by just adding something extra like a belt, hand bag, necklace, watch or scarf.

On Sunday, I got a call from The Gap store in Cincinnati I applied to. Guest what? They scheduled an interview with me. I'll let you know what becomes of my interview and possible employment back at the Gap.

Back tracking a little in my week, I final had a very Cincinnati experience. {Nick Lachey} is from Cincinnati and comes back in town quite often. My Mom saw Nick and Jessica Simpson once at a restaurant. My Dad saw Nick at the airport once. But I had yet to "see him". On Thursday, my friends and I were leaving a bar in downtown Cincinnati and I look ahead on the street to see Nick. At first I was wondering how I recognized that person. But then it hit me! It was Nick! And Vanessa!

Lastly, I did want to share a few photos of my College Football Saturday. I went to the University of Kentucky vs. Miami University game at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. Final Score 42-0 Kentucky. C - A - T- S! Cats! Cats!

{Stay Tuned}

Job "Frenzy"

I am going to be honest, I don't know what job "frenzy" means.  I just feel like I have heard it in passing recently and I nod my head like I know what we are referring to.  I even goggled "Job Frenzy" and found no clear definition but a website.  Maybe it will help a few of us out.  It is a job search engine.  {Click here to check it out}. 

But the really reason I am blogging about this on a Friday is because I am having a fantastic week in the job search. Now, before you get all congratulations on me beware I said "job search". I have found splendid jobs to apply for this week.  Jobs I know I can do, do well and want to do.  Not to mention the locations are ideal (Greensboro, NC, Cincinnati, New York, Northern Ohio, Washington D.C.).  If I could land an interview with any of them, I would be happier then a bride on her wedding day. Anyways, I am having the greatest end of the week. I really feel joyful and optimistic about what might come.  But I have to say a lot of it comes from my wonderful friends/readers.  I got a few emails this week really inspiring me to keep going.  Then there was the change of heart on {September 1st} and the inspiring article you should read.  

I do have to congratulate two of my friends who earlier this year both experienced the job lay off thing and months of unemployment.  Both received word on Friday, August 21st about offers for jobs.  Both started training this week. I am convinced that both will kick butt and be stellar. Congrats to Courtney J and Steffanie. 

On to my weekend.  This weekend has always marked the final weekend of summer for me.  So as I embark on this holiday weekend with plans so fall, I wonder where summer went? The sister is coming home from a month away at college and Saturday, we are all headed down to the river to watch "Rumble on the River", a college football match between Miami University and University of Kentucky.  C-A-T-S! Cats! Cats! (No, I did not make that up.) 

May your holiday weekend be full of whatever season you hope it to be!

{Stay Tuned}

I don't do Chain Emails but this one is GREAT

One thing I don't enjoy is being included in on is some sort of joke that is sent to you and everyone your friend knows.  And I don't like the ones that included photos and take forever to download and I hate that after someone sends it to you, an individual hits "Reply to All" as oppose to "Reply" and before you know it your getting emails from everyone in the Smith Family.  

I will never "chain email" anyone but I will blog about one when I like it!

This is more on the informative side but honestly, I think it is so interesting and I don't want this to happen to any of my friends. 

Thanks Mom for sending this my way. For those with a GPS Unit:

A couple of weeks ago a friend told me that someone she knew had

their car broken into while they were at a football game. Their car was

parked on the green which was adjacent to the football stadium and

specially allotted to football fans. Things stolen from the car included

a garage door remote control, some money and a GPS which had been

prominently mounted on the dashboard.

 

When the victims got home, they found that their house had been

ransacked and just about everything worth anything had been stolen.

 

The thieves had used the GPS to guide them to the house. They then

used the garage remote control to open the garage door and gain

entry to the house. The thieves knew the owners were at the football

game, they knew what time the game was scheduled to finish and so

they knew how much time they had to clean out the house. It would

appear that they had brought a truck to empty the house of its contents.
 
Something to consider if you have a GPS - don't put your home
address in it. Put a nearby address (like a store or gas station) so you
can still find your way home if you need to, but no one else would know
where you live if your GPS were stolen.

 

For those with a cell phone:

 

This lady has now changed her habit of how she lists her names on

her mobile phone after her handbag was stolen. Her handbag, which

contained her cell phone, credit card, wallet... Etc...was stolen.

 

20 minutes later when she called her hubby, from a pay phone telling

him what had happened, hubby says 'I received your text asking

about our Pin number and I've replied a little while ago.'

 

When they rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the

money was already withdrawn. The thief had actually used the stolen

cell phone to text 'hubby' in the contact list and got hold of the pin

number. Within 20 minutes he had withdrawn all the money from their

bank account.

 

Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in

your contact list.

Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad,

Mom, etc....
 

And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked through texts,

CONFIRM by calling back.

Also, when you're being text by friends or family to meet them

somewhere, be sure to call back to confirm that the message came

from them. If you don't reach them, be very careful about going places

to meet 'family and friends' who text you.

{Stay Tuned} and be safe.