I appreciate the guest post, Marian Combs

My favorite talk show is The Oprah Winfrey Show. I've watched it regularly since I was a little girl. As a child, I watched it with my sister and mother. Today, I record it on my Direct tv and watch it solo. There have been many hits and misses on the show. Sometimes Oprah has enthralling and interesting guests, and at other times the show can be quite dull.

Oprah Winfrey is definitely the best thing about the show. I love rags to riches stories, and hers is one of the most intriguing. She grew up in poverty and made her way to the top of the business world. I think she is an excellent role model for women. She's a philanthropist and a well-educated woman.

One of Oprah's most memorable recent shows was the one where she interviewed Mackenzie Phillips. I learned about Mackenzie from watching her biography on the E! True Hollywood Story several years ago. I knew that she was into drugs as a young woman. On the Oprah show last year, Mackenzie revealed another part of her past. She told Oprah and viewers that she had a sexual relationship with her own father. I gasped. That was the most shocking thing I've seen on TV in a long time. I thought it was extremely brave for her to come forward.

M just had a conversation with our manager and told her the stuff needs to be replaced; Right now mainly kitchen appliances and a bathroom makeover sounds really wonderful too. We are in need of new bathroom tiles and a new paint on the ceilings and walls as well. Another thing to consider is buying subway tiles . I'm really careful on what to get. I have a lot of ideas right now, but time is so limited and I don't have anyone around to share this with. Isn't planning difficult? Plus the management is already slacking on a few things that was already scheduled last week; But in return no maintenance person is showing up. I want this done before school starts because I have a very limited time by then; Yet they're not good at managing their time either to accomplish things that obviously needs to be done ASAP. Again, I'm still looking for unique and not too expensive bathroom tiles . I know I will find it in no time. I've already spotted a few I like and I hope we can pursue this plan this month.

I took my little guy for swimming practice earlier and he's just getting better and better. I'm so proud of my boy. It's just like when was it when he started and now he swims like a pro. Only if it's not hot outside we could have stayed longer. I told him he could swim for half an hour and he agreed. Moving on, I can't wait to watch Bitter Moon after this. I just picked up my reserved DVDs from the library yesterday and got a few that would entertain me today. Offbeat and original, this voyage of avid obsession puts a whole new twist on the concept of marital bliss. Featuring dazzling performances and nasty comic moments, BITTER MOON is a hilarious walk on the wild side. I could definitely use a company. M is working though!

This guest post from Margaret Mills

I love when the back to school season comes upon us once more. I am in college and I will never grow tired of it. I usually go to Target to get all my supplies in one store. Yesterday, I went to the store after setting my security choice alarm system and grabbing my keys. I wanted to see what kind of dorm accessorizes they had for me to use while decorating.

I found some amazing things and all at great prices. I will have plenty of money left over for new clothes! My style is very bohemian and I loved a multi-colored shag rug that I found. It will look perfect with my new paisley bed spread. I also needed a bright floor lamp. Target had the perfect collection for me to choose from; I ended up buying a twisty lamp with 6 different colored heads- like a Medusa! It will be great to twist into different shapes to alter the lighting.

I also stocked up on notebooks, pencils and a day planner. I also needed a new digital camera so, I checked out their selection. They had quite a few but, I am just a poor college kid. I bought a digital camera on sale for $20! That was something I never expected to find! I love Target back to school season so much.

I was hoping to see the school nurse today, but it was already late when we got back from the DCHD. I still need her signature as a final requirement and I could go ahead and register. I also noticed there's a checklist attached in my packet and these are the things I need to have before clinicals. Yeah, I know I need blue scrubs and I've been browsing online and stumbled upon this one great store which has an amazing selection of nursing uniforms and medical scrubs. I really like the color selection as well. I'm kind of drawn to the pastel colors everything from lab coats to scrub hats are available. I better order it now just to make sure it will get here on time. We never knew any problems might occur during shipping or if the product needs to be replaced; Better give time for that. Bad things could happen unexpectedly and you sure don't want to be in that situation. I'm kind of excited to see it upclose.

I will be off to the DC Health Department for my last shot of Varicella. Then off to the college clinic. I hope I will be able to finish everything today. My CPR class is already scheduled on the 21st of this month. After that I will be able to register for the PTC September class and a few prerequisite courses. Least I forget, I must go to the library to return the books and DVDs we borrowed last week. M is going to accompany me later today. I'm just fixing a few things here before taking off. Thank God breasfast wasn't late. My little guy got up so early and was hungry, so I had to prepare it a little early than our normal brunch... And my long list of tasks continues. I pretty much like my schedule now, but once school starts it's really going to be chaos. How was weekend? Has it really been that long that I haven't been out and taking pictures. The heat outside makes me not want to go somewhere else. Aside from taking my boy to swim and go to the malls; Other than that outdoor acitivities isn't very interesting anymore. No one wants to get burned. It's definitely scorching hot. We had a chance to come with M to Waxahachie last Sunday. That was a nice drive though even though we can't really stroll the area that long. We stopped along the highway and took a few pictures. We really enjoy short trips like this. There are a lot of things to see out there. We just got to go out and see it ourselves.

I can't stop admiring my neighbor's window flower boxes. She's definitely putting so much effort into it and deserves to be praised. I have a patio here that's kind of neglected for years. I haven't really done anything to it, but instead made it a junk storage. We've been required to clear out the space recently and not overcrowd it for emergency purposes. The stuff in the patio should be minimal so it's accessible in case there is fire in the building and we could easily go out. It's pretty much blocked as of the moment and the idea of making it pretty is something I would want to do before school starts. Considering M's schedule it's really kind of impossible to start a simple project. I can't manage to move things around especially most of the stuff are heavy just like this exercise equipment we have. Have I thought of window boxes? Oh yeah... that's exactly what my neighbors' got. Once the flowers starts to bloom; It's just so pretty to look at. I do like to walk by early in the morning and just stare at her plants and secretly admiring it. There's just something about plants when you have it at home. No doubt any place would be as warm and welcoming when your home is surrounded by gorgeous window plant boxes. I hope one day I will be able to transform my patio as well.

Thanks for the article from Quinton Wynn

When I am in the mood to go out for some great food and superior service, I grab the family and head to our local TGI Friday's. The kids get so excited when I mention we are going to Friday's that they are stumbling around tripping over each other to get ready to go. I help get the kids ready, while my husband sets the alarm system we got from www.SecurityChoice.com before we go out to dinner. TGI Friday's here we come.

When we arrive to TGI Friday's, we are greeted at the door by a very friendly host. They ask how many are in the party and find us a cozy table in the back like we request. The waitress then comes over and asks if she can take our drink order. Who can resist the perfect raspberry sweet tea! The children usually order slushies or flavored lemonade.

Next, we are asked if we would like an appetizer. Of course we do; the fried green beans are my family's favorite choice. We order a huge basket of delicious crunchy green beans that even my 2 year old loves. There are other very tasty appetizers such as mozzarella stick and chicken wings.

When it is time to order, there are several kids menu items to get the little ones started. Spaghetti and chicken tenders are a favorite choice for my family. My husband and I always order off the pick 3 menu. You can get 3 items for $12.99 or $16.99; an appetizer, entree, and dessert. I absolutely love the sizzling cheesy chicken meal, and get it every single time we go to TGI Friday's. My husband prefers the flat iron steak and mashed potatoes.

The dessert that follows the meal is mouth- watering! My husband usually gets a peanut butter dessert, while I prefer the cheesecake. It is so rich and delicious. The kids generally get an ice cream sundae. After eating, we are so full that we can barely move, which is a good thing! There is something for everyone at Friday's; I can hardly wait to go back!