Does eBay sell Time Machines?

I'm in the market for a time machine. Not one that you travel back in time with like H.G. Wells. No I need one that stretches time. Or stops it completely without stopping me. You see, I had a relatively reasonable list of things to do over weekend, but for some reason did not accomplish them all. Wouldn't it be nice if when you noticed you were falling behind you could flip a switch on the time machine. And not just for reasons of getting things done. How about keeping our kids from growing up so quickly. Maybe it's just me. After all, my 'baby' went out and bought his first car this weekend. I'm barely used to the fact that he has his license, now he's got his own set of wheels. How much longer is it going to be before he's not asking Mom to play Rock Band with him or watch Mythbusters with him?
But then again, I suppose if the moments weren't fleeting we might end up taking them for granted. Maybe I don't need a time machine after all, maybe I just need to worry less about the list of things to do and say yes more often to doing those fun things with my family.

A Girlie Glimpse at the Gridiron; SuperBowl Edition

Yes, the princess has been quiet on the football front for a few weeks. It just seemed redundant to continue to post about the Patriots and their winning ways. And Bill Belichick just kept wearing those fashion emergency items like the flash-dance sweatshirt and headband. But I would be remiss if I did not mention the fact that my 18-0 Patriots will be meeting the Giants in Arizona for Superbowl XLII. I watched the AFC Championship game on a mega screen at our local movie theater. Yes, we take our football seriously up here too. And then I watched the NFC boys take the frozen field at Lambeau. It was quite the game, with a surprising upset ending. After all, weren't we all thinking the 'old' man was going to get another shot at the brass ring? (I'm not calling you old Brett honey, I've dated guys your age.) So 'mini-manning' gets to follow in big brother's footsteps and take the coveted trip to the BIG game. It'll be a good game. Yes, you heard me...a through and through Pats fan, and I'm saying it's going to be a good game. I don't for a minute think that the Giants are going to roll over and play dead in Arizona.

And the Patriots don't either.

To all of the silly folks out there who are whining about how 'cocky' and 'full of themselves' the Patriots are: Where are you getting your sports news feeds? All of the interviews, etc. that I've seen on national television pretty much show the same thing, a group of guys who give the credit to their team, teammates and coach. Not once have I seen one of them brag or boast. Not once have I seen them make 'promises' of winning or take personal credit for anything. So just where is this 'cocky' thing coming from?

And look, something rarer than a Bigfoot sighting ....Bill Belichick smiling!!! I didn't know he could do that!!!

It's a Love/Hate Relationship

Have you ever experienced a love/hate relationship? Sick isn't it? Well, that's what this Princess has with Microsoft Office. You see, when I bought my nifty laptop (with the plans of starting my own business) I also bought Microsoft Office Home and Student. It had the basics; Word, Excel and Powerpoint with the nifty little OneNote thrown in for good measure. At the time it seemed sufficient. Then I launched my business and it soon became obvious that I really missed having Outlook and Access. So I signed up for the 60 day free trial. The plan was that when the trial was up I'd simply upgrade. After all, I had the base components we were just adding Outlook, Access and Publisher, right? Except I should have remembered that this was Microsoft I was dealing with. After 54 days, my business is dependent upon Outlook. So off I clicked today to do the upgrade thing. Imagine my royal shock when the price tag for the upgrade was over $300. I couldn't believe it. I figured perhaps that was for upgrading from an older version of Office, and I of course had 2007, just not the additional components. Silly me, I actually sent a 'customer support' e-mail thinking they would direct me to a more inexpensive option. Ha!! The soulless response provided a link to just the same spot where I had initially experience sticker shock. And below it, they listed the three additional components at their non-upgrade, street market prices. Let me just say to the sender of that e-mail, "Honey, I wasn't born yesterday. Just because you throw down prices like that, doesn't make me think I'm getting a deal when I already own the better part of the Suite. It's a freakin' rip off! But I love Outlook. I must....have...Outlook..... See what I mean about the love/ hate thing? I refuse to pay over $300, so I guess I will be purchasing a stand alone of my beloved Outlook and wait to purchase Access and Publisher at a later date. Damn Microsoft! And damn Bill Gates for never giving us a break.

Princess vs Businesswoman

The princess is torn. The frivolous, fun-loving and sometimes political (sorry Pablo) side of me has been battling lately with the no-nonsense, marketing minded business side. Balance is a delicate thing. Sure, as a new business owner, I have to be committed to making it work. Coming up with new ideas and working hard to make a good impression on my clients so that they not only are completely satisfied, but that they will tell others about my business. But then there is the other side of me. The creative side that loves to dance and write and sing along to the radio in the car. (Yes, that was probably me you saw looking foolish while belting out "Big Casino" by Jimmy Eat World at the red light). It's like oil and water. The two don't seem to mix do they? In the past I've taken a stand in my red high heels on soapboxes here at Princess Girly Girl. Recently, my soapboxes have been more corporate in nature, and the heels a more subdued navy blue. Is there a way to bring the two together? I didn't think so for awhile, but today I had a marketing brainstorm. One that brings a little bit of creativity into the drab business world. I've decided to pursue teaching classes about my industry to the general masses. It will give me a bit of creative license in preparing the materials and outline. Maybe I can even throw a bit of humor in there. Who knows? Maybe one can stand on a corporate soapbox in red high heels.

Primarily Speaking

Yes folks, it's New Hampshire primary day. New Englander's have been wooed by the likes of Hillary Clinton, John McCain, John Edwards, Huckabee, Obama...you name 'em, we've seen their smiling faces gracing our local newscasts for months now. They all have the answer to America's woes. One is determined to cure our illegal immigration problem, another the health care crisis, still another is ready to work for our invisible middle class. I really like the sound of that last one. But in reality, no matter which one ends up running for the coveted seat in the Oval Office, the chances that they alone can institute the change they are promising is highly unlikely. They may mean well, but they...and all of our other congressional representatives so often have their hands tied due to debt. You see, running campaigns is costly. Gaining endorsements is like signing a contract. By the time anyone actually takes office they generally end up owing so many special interest groups and corporations that it cripples their ability to do anything. It would be great if it didn't cost anything to run for office. If the media gifted each candidate with the same amount of free air time to run ads. If newspapers provided free of charge a space for each candidate to explain what they stand for and what they aim to accomplish if they are elected. If candidates could walk into office owing no favors, no money, no promises to keep. Then maybe...just maybe we would have a chance of a new president actually making sweeping changes. Then candidates for all offices might actually weigh in for what their constituents need and want. Then...maybe... they would truly represent the people of the United States of America.