Daniel Dessinger

Month: November 2007

  • Things to Do This Holiday Season in DFW

    Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year: cold weather, Christmas lights, watching kids get excited about presents, Christmas movies, and getting together with friends and family. There is so many fun things to do and see. I thought I would write a post about it and maybe share some of my ideas for the holiday season: places to see, where to shop, where to eat, special events and family activities, movies in theaters, movies to rent, and Christmas music.

    You can’t have Christmas without a tree, so if you haven’t put yours up yet, you should check out Christmas in the Country in Flower Mound, even if you have a fake tree (like I do some years). This is good family fun and plenty of stuff for the kids to do including sleigh rides and both complimentary hot chocolate and cider.

    Shopping

    If you can’t stand going to the mall to shop, here are some alternate choices: you can find just about any thing you need at Target, especially if you’re a young family with or without kids. Barnes and Noble, I’ve discovered, is always a good choice if you are shopping for parents, grandparents, and siblings. If you want good deals on CDs, DVDs, and video games, there is a place off of Cooper Street in South Arlington by the Parks Mall called Entertainmart – really good prices. If you are looking for something really special for your wife, you should try Diamond Wholesale Exchange in Addison.

    Now this is going to sound really strange: if you want to buy perfume or cologne, a really smart place to shop is Albertsons (the grocery store). They usually carry all the name brands for about half the price. Another good place to shop that has a lot of everything including a wide selection on name brand clothes and isn’t in the mall is Kohl’s.

    If you’re a big fan of coffee (which I am not but my wife is), you should try Starbucks Christmas Blend. Starbucks is also an ideal place to buy small gifts for friends and family.

    Activities and Events

    If you have kids between toddler and teenage, you should try Six Flags Holiday in the Park. I did this when I was a kid and it was a blast! My brother took my kids to Holiday in the Park recently and they had a great time. Tickets are $29.99. Parking is extra. If you want something a little more sophisticated, Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth will have several performances including “The Nutcracker” and “A Christmas Carol”. Prices and schedule vary. Casa Manana will also have some exciting shows, including “Frosty the Snowman” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. Handel’s “Messiah” will be at the Meyerson Symphony Center December 2nd at 7pm.

    Something I am definitely going to do this year is pack up the family, put some hot chocolate in spill-proof containers, get in the truck, listen to 103.7fm (Christmas music) and check out some Christmas lights. For the best Christmas lights communities, visit Grand Prairie, Dallas, and Arlington.

    Movies

    In theaters this holiday season: Fred Clause, starring Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti; Mr. Magoriums Wonder Emporium, starring Natalie Portman and Dustin Hoffman; Enchanted by Walt Disney, starring Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey; Thomas Kinkade’s The Christmas Cottage, starring Peter O’ Toole, opens November 30th; Alvin and the Chimpmunks, starring Jason Lee, opens December 15th; The Golden Compass, starring Nicole Kidman, is now showing – I was originally excited when I saw the trailer for this film, but am not sure if it’s something I want to endorse. Please be careful if you plan on taking your children to see this, or even if you are seeing it as an adult. Click here to find out more.

    Restaurants

    Before or after your movie, here’s a list of cozy places I like to visit during the holiday season.

    Le Madeline – French Bakery with a fireplace. Great for a date night and a place where you can pick up some small unique gifts. Cracker Barrel – Notthing upscale, of course, but some good ‘ol country cooking. Family environment and another place where you can pick up some unique gifts
    Carrabbas    – Italian grill. Great food, great ambiance, nice place to eat in December. Perfect for a date night
    Simply Fondue     – Although time consuming, it makes for a nice dinner in December.

    Around the house

    Spending time with the family is one of the things I enjoy most about Christmas. Red wine is something I really enjoy while watching Christmas movies and snacking on my favorite foods. Every year I order summer sausage and cheeses from Hickory Farms. If you’re burnt out on the same old Christmas movies (It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story), here are some movies that have become tradition at my hous: Home Alone, starring Mcullay Culkin and Joe Pesci; Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis; Step Mom, starring Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon; The Family Man, starring Nicolas Cage; The Polar Express, starring Tom Hanks; Narnia; The Nativity Story; Planes Trains and Automobiles, Steve Martin.

    Music

    Here are some fresh options on Christmas Music:

    “Sounds of the Season” by Enya
    “Winter Song” by Sara Mclachlan
    “Christmas Songs” by Jars of Clay
    “A Christmas Celebration” by Celtic Woman

    That covers it for now. If you have any other ideas I forgot to mention, feel free to chime in. Part of the fun is sharing our favorite things. Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!

  • Can the Dallas Cowboys Convince You to Switch to Dish Network or DIRECTV?

    That's the million dollar question. Just minutes ago, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones held a press conference on ESPN Radio where he urged football fans nationwide to switch to satellite. Two days from now, the Dallas Cowboys will face the Green Bay Packers on NFL Network. 

    I was livid until I heard Jones say that fans in both the DFW region and Green Bay will both be able to watch the game on a regular broadcast channel. If you live in the Dallas area, tune in to Channel 27 KDFI at 7pm. So crisis #1 solved. I get to watch the game.

    The truth remains, however, that Dallas and Green Bay are the two most popular teams for nationwide televising. That means that millions of people nationwide will be looking for a place that has Dish Network or DIRECTV or making the switch themselves from cable in order to watch this game.

    But answer me this: are you hardcore enough that a football game will make you switch providers? Will you switch from cable to satellite just to watch more football? Drop me a comment with a yea or nay. I really want to know. Because honestly, I'm cheap. I don't have cable OR satellite. I get enough shows that I want to watch on prime time broadcast. Of course, that may change with the writer's guild strike. But there is NO WAY that I'm signing up for satellite tv just to watch the Dallas Cowboys, and I love my Cowboys.

    I would have searched high and low for somewhere to watch the game. There is a movie grill not too far away that usually puts the Cowboys game on a theater sized screen, and I've watched there once. That wasn't bad at all. I could do it again. But it's the principle of the thing. Don't take away my team just to sell me on satellite tv. Seriously.

    So I'm glad that as a local Dallas fan, I'll get to watch the game as usual from the comfort of my own home. I'll be cheering on my Boys while my wife watches on with dismay over the loss of an evening.  

  • When Promised Promotion is Postponed

    I heard an excellent explanation once about prophetic words of knowledge and encouragement and revelation in general. When God speaks to us, he builds faith in our hearts. It is our responsibility to hold onto that revelation and to talk to him about it. Usually, God gives us a heads up because we need it to stay the course.

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  • One Change that Will Make iTunes Almost Perfect

    Let me just tell you, I love iTunes. Seriously. I don't think I'll ever purchase another CD again (unless it's not available on iTunes, of course). It's so easy to use and allows me to listen to my music in so many ways, I just have no desire to use another service or store. 

    Having admitted my serious crush, there is still at least one major flaw with iTunes that, if corrected, would make me a loyal brand evangelist for life. And the only reason this one thing needs to be fixed is because it has already cost me at least $30 that I can't get back.

    The problem comes when you purchase music. Once you've purchased, iTunes remembers WHAT you've purchased. You download each song, movie, music video, or podcast onto your PC or Mac and it's stored on your hard drive. That's great, until your hard drive breaks down, is stolen, or reclaimed by your employer. 

    I purchased several albums on my work laptop. I used it all the time, both at home and in the office. I was totally planning on burning my new purchases to CD, but never had the opportunity. I was laid off at work, and in an instant, the laptop was no longer mine. I lost those new albums because I hadn't transmitted them sooner. 

    This is the problem. If I'm downloading from iTunes, and iTunes keeps track of what I purchase, WHY CAN'T I DOWNLOAD THE SAME THING AGAIN FOR FREE?!?!?!

    This is my dilemma. Seriously, how hard would that be? That way, if my computer dies or is lost or stolen, iTunes would always allow me to re-download ONLY the songs or albums or shows that I had already purchased. Sounds perfect to me. 

    If you're listening, iTunes, this is my holiday wish: change iTunes so that I can re-download what I've purchased so that I will always have access to the music or videos I have paid for, and you will have my loyalty forever!!!! This is an excellent idea. You know it is. You know I will love you forever if you do this!

    As the cheeseballz say, Let's make it happen!
     

  • Delight in the Lord

    Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
    – Psalms 34:4

    I’ve heard several takes on this one. Everything from name it and claim it to God will tell your heart what to desire. The former is an abuse of greed. The latter a rewording based on fear of misuse and misunderstanding.

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  • How to Cleanse Your Way to Weight Loss

    Call it ex-smoker weight gain. Call it pregnancy empathy. Call it what you will, but I gained a LOT of weight this year. I'm talking 35 pounds in extra weight I was carrying around. I'll spare your eyes and NOT show you a photo. But you could ask anyone and they'll tell you that I was getting pretty hefty. It was so bad that I had to buy larger clothes for the second time in two years just so I could go to work. 

    I would likely never have seriously attempted weight loss had it not been for the fact that weight gain is directly related to snoring. My snoring has gotten louder and more obnoxious over the past year, and my wife's concern was that she would never get any sleep once the baby was born. Either the baby would cry to be fed or I would snore and drive her insane. She's been using ear plugs, but that won't be an option while our child is an infant. She'll need to hear the baby when it's time to feed.

    My wife gives me this ultimatum: figure out how to stop snoring / snore quietly or sleep in another room! And folks, she wasn't kidding. The concept of sleeping in separate bedrooms is beyond disturbing to me. It wasn't an option. But neither is a sleepless wife for six months. She had lovingly reminded me several times that weight gain/loss was known to affect snoring. I thought it was a clever ploy to get me to lose weight (it still might have been, but she wasn't lying).

    I started trying Breathe Right nasal strips and that liquid you spray toward the back of your throat. They made a tiny difference, but not significant enough to rescue me from certain banishment. I looked online, but nothing other than weight loss or surgery would do the trick. I don't even like giving blood, and I'm not made out of money, so weight loss was the only answer.  

    I was at my chiropractor's office in October and brought up the snoring issue, hoping for some kind of suggestion or alternative method. He tells me that they sell a cleanse that both cleanses and helps people lose weight. The weight loss aspect is especially effective with men, apparently. He told me of a guy who dropped 26 pounds in three weeks. I was skeptical, because I'd done two other cleanses before and they didn't do anything but cleanse. 

    The key with this cleanse is that you change your eating habits for the duration of the cleanse. I ate only fruits and vegetables for the first week along with the cleanse capsules and shake with each meal. During week two, I added a boiled egg with each meal so I could increase my strength (I felt pretty weak during week one). I also added a little brown rice in the evenings. I drank one shake blended with a banana or two along with every meal. 

    It's a 3 week program, but I'm not skipping Thanksgiving just to finish the prescribed time limit. So I've done 2.5 weeks of the cleanse, and it ends tomorrow morning.

    How much weight did I lose on this cleanse?

    In two and a half weeks, I lost 15 pounds. I don't know how good that is compared to the contestants on The Biggest Loser, but it's enough to drop me down from a size 42 to a 38 waist. Were it not for Thanksgiving, I'd probably drop an extra 3-5 pounds before finishing. It would have been more without the eggs, I bet, but now was not the best time for me to go around weak and starving all day long. 

    So what is the name of this cleanse?

    The cleanse is made by SP, which stands for Standard Process Inc. The company is in Wisconsin. They use whole food ingredients in their programs, not artificial stuff created in a lab like you'd buy at Wal-Mart. SP is sold through healthcare professionals, so you won't find it on the shelf even at your local Whole Foods Market. 

    I don't know where to find it in your part of the country, but if you live in the Dallas / Fort Worth area, I can hook you up with the folks who sold it to me. It consists of a natural shake mix, gastro-fiber capsules, green food capsules, and cleanse capsules. I'm going to keep taking the gastro-fiber capsules for a while and maybe even the shake mix (though we have another very healthy shake mix made by Nature's Sunshine) and an egg for breakfast. 

    Breakfast has traditionally been the ignored meal for me. If I take the shake and an egg each morning, that protein and supplement will help my metabolism start off balanced and ready to face the day. Did I mention that I haven't had caffeine or concentrated sugar in two and a half weeks? It's true. I'm not going back to caffeine unless my body can't handle processing regular meals. If I start feeling extra tired and lazy, I may have to. But for now, it's water, milk, and water to drink.

    Best of luck to you as you cleanse.  

  • The Encore Azalea: Queen of the Flower Bed

    Encore Azaleas are one of my favorite bushes to plant. You can use them in many different ways in landscape concepts and designs they can be used as a colorful back drop or in front of a green back drop of bushes as a different level or as an accent at the corners of a flower bed.

    Encore Azaleas have a nice evergreen leaf and look great even when they're not blooming. When they do bloom in the spring, summer, and fall, they are gorgeous. Encore Azaleas come in about 20 different colors: mostly pinks, reds, oranges, purples and whites. My favorites are the Monarchs and Royalty.

    Encore Azaleas are easy to care for. The key to healthy Encore Azaleas is proper soil, environment, watering and fertilizing. When I plant Encores I always use peat moss which retains water well and is ideal for the plant. Azaleas are also an acid loving plant, so they need the proper fertilizer. You can actually buy fertilizers made specifically for Azaleas.

    Azaleas can withstand the North Texas heat, but I prefer to plant them in areas that get plenty of shade. They seem to thrive in shaded environments. Encores also need plenty of water, so always plant them in flowerbeds that have an adequate irrigation system*.

    The Encore Azalea is definitely a great way to go when planting a new bed. Their vibrant, delicate blooms speak for themselves.

    * for more information on how to plant and care for Encore Azaleas, visit Terra Firma Landscaping website.

  • 5 Things You Can Do to Find Your Missing Cat

    It happened to me, just last week. One day I let my cat out the back door in the morning and he never came back. He was missing without a clue for four and a half days. My wife and I were heartbroken. I gave her this kitty on our first Valentine's Day as a married couple. He's been an integral part of our family for the past four years. 

    Here's are the five steps we took to find our kitty which you should follow at a minimum:

    1.  Post a LOST ad on your city's Craigslist.com page under both "lost & found" AND "pets". Volunteers for some animal shelters check Craigslist regularly to hopefully match found animals with their owners. Include a photo, description, and phone number. You may consider adding your address or cross streets. In our case, an animal shelter volunteer saw my ad on Craigslist and contacted someone at the shelter who in turn contacted me. 

    2.  Create a flier with the same information. Make tons of copies (I made 120). Tape a flier on every door within 3-4 city blocks. Include telephone poles, light poles, below stop signs, etc. As you do this, talk to everyone personally that you see. Tell them your story and hand them a flier. People who make personal contact with your plight tend to go the extra mile to help out. 

    3. Visit the local pound / animal shelter daily. Calling is a waste of time. In my case, one lady checked Mr. Kitty in on Thursday and another lady answered the phone when we called on Friday. She had no idea about our cat and told us she hadn't seen him. We could have had him the next day if we had gone to the shelter in person.

    4. Check Craigslist, Petfinder.com, and your local newspaper ads online to check for a) anyone announcing that they've found your pet or b) anyone trying to sell or give away your pet. Some people might try to find a good home for your pet if they think it's a stray. They also might try to make a profit if your pet is an expensive or rare breed.

    5. Pray. It works. Don't be afraid to ask God for what you really want. You won't always get everything, but he gives more when you ask than when you don't. "You have not because you ask not."

    Best wishes to you and yours.  

  • Farmer’s Insurance Scam in DFW

    Whether this is technically a scam or not, Farmer's Insurance has managed to screw over at least one family in the North Texas area. 

    Steve and Marian were looking to buy a house in the DFW metroplex. They found a nice home in Bedford and applied for a loan. During the process, Steve and Marian requested an insurance quote from Farmer's.

    Before Steve and Marian could finalize the contract, someone else came in and bought it out from under them. They were disappointed, but chose to assume that God had better plans for them elsewhere. 

    Six months later, Steve received a call from a collection agency. "You owe Farmer's Insurance $200," they told him.

    "For what?" Steve asked.

    "For insurance payments you haven't made on your home in Bedford."

    "But I don't have a home in Bedford."

    "Yes you do."

    "No, I don't."

    "It says here that you do."

    "I don't care what your paperwork says. I never purchased that home and I've been living in a different city."

    "Well, all we know is that you owe us money."

    "How do we resolve this?"

    "Send us proof that you didn't buy that house."

    "Do what?!?!? How exactly do I prove that I DIDN"T do something?"

    "…."

    "I can send you my current residence agreement, but that doesn't prove that I didn't buy a house in Bedford. Nothing will prove that I didn't buy that house in Bedford."

    "…"

    "I'm going to talk to Farmer's Insurance about this."

    "Okay. Bye."

    So that's what happened. Steve called a Farmer's Insurance branch several times. They claimed that only their main office in Austin or Houston could take the action necessary to solve this issue. After several weeks, Steve received another call from the collection agency. The issue has not been resolved to this point and Steve's credit is at risk because he can't prove that he DIDN'T purchase a home. 

    Seriously? How do you charge someone without their consent? This is wrong. Farmer's Insurance owes Steve some sort of compensation for threatening his credit for NO REASON. He was never a customer, which means they had no right to report him to a collection agency. He owes them no money, and if they damage his credit, they will owe him big time.

    The moral of this story is apparently to never automatically trust any business. There may be some better organized home insurance companies in Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding areas, but you don't really know until you're on the wrong side of a mess.

    Do you have any crazy stories about insurance companies? Or do you have an insurance agent that you would trust with your life? Let us know.  

  • Writer’s Guild Strike Brings Quick Halt to Prime Time

    You've heard whispers and vague comments about the Writer's Guild strike. Well, prepare to be affected. Michael Ausiello recently posted a list on TVGuide.com of television shows and how many remaining episodes you can expect to see this year. 

    I won't mention most of them, because I don't care about most shows. I will briefly mention the shows in his partial list that I watch:

    Bionic Woman
    9 total episodes will be produced, so there are only 3 left 🙁

    Chuck
    13 episodes will be produced, so there are only 6 left.

    Grey's Anatomy
    11 episodes will be produced, so there are only 4 left. 

    Heroes
    12 episodes will be produced, so there are only 5 left.

    House
    12 episodes will be produced, so there are only 6 left.

    LOST
    8 episodes will be produced, so there are only 8 left.

    NUMB3RS
    12 episodes will be produced, so there are only 5 left. 

    Shark
    11 episodes will be produced, so there are only 5 left. 

    Still waiting to hear about other favorites including Battlestar Galactica, NCIS, and October Road.