When I first learned that Marvel was killing off one of the Fantastic Four, I wondered who it would be. Our local comic book store was able to sell the issue Tuesday – a day earlier than Wednesday, new comic book day. I thought about swinging by to get the issue. But instead I decided to just read about it on the Internet.

Fantastic Four was never a comic I followed. It is only through the movies that I have any real connection to the characters. I looked for who was being killed off yesterday and was saddened by who it was. I won’t spoil it here just in case you haven’t read the comic. This was the last person I would have thought they would have killed off and maybe that is precisely the reason they did it.

It will be interesting to see how they handle the aftermath. Maybe killing off one of the main characters is a way to suck people in to reading the comic. Well, it’s working on me since I am eager to learn more about the storyline.

Housework is a necessary evil. It must be done but who really enjoys doing it? Even though I’m a housewife it does not mean that I want to spend my day cleaning – although I could spend all day doing it and still not be done. There are many distractions that take me away from doing housework and I love each and every one of them. But sometimes, you just got to do what you got to do. There is no getting around it. Here are some ways that I have found to enjoy doing housework.

Set Short Time Limits. I find I work much better if I limit the time I plan on doing a task. I may not get finished with the task, and I can always come back to it. It really helps me focus if I know I am only going to be working on something for a few minutes.

Crank Up the Tunes. Listening to music helps pass the time and also makes it easier to do housework. I find it way less distracting than the television.

Get Dreaded Chores Done First. If there is something you absolutely hate doing, then get it out of the way. You will feel so accomplished and eager to tackle the rest of your to-do list.

Reward Yourself. If you have a lot of cleaning to do, then splurge on a small reward – be it food or a small trinket. It doesn’t have to be a big reward- just something to look forward to when you are done cleaning.

That’s how I make it through my chores list. Hope it helps you with yours.

One job I have been considering is that of a computer programmer. I’ve taken a few classes and really do enjoy the process of developing software. Writing computer software can be a creative outlet – so I love the idea of being paid for creativity.

There are plenty of options to explore with a programming career. Websites like Elance.com can help people find PHP programmers. I would still be able to do freelance work but in a different field. Freelancing takes a lot of self-discipline and drive. It is so hard to work from home some days.

PHP developers always seem to be in demand in part to the popularity of the Internet. I’ve learned a little PHP but still know very little about it. Trying to teach yourself new skills isn’t always possible. My husband is better with self-teaching. Then I will let him teach me. That should make his day.

Right now I’m getting ready to return to the workforce after five years at home. Sites like Elance who give PHP programmers a platform to showcase their skills is a great opportunity. This could be a wonderful way to gain some practical skills when it comes to programming.

I am excited about trying a new line of work especially one I have been thinking about for a long time. Now is the time to gain as much knowledge and experience as I can, so I will be prepared when opportunity comes a knocking.

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Our automobiles are something we pretty much take for granted. We expect them to crank on the first try, run smoothly, and deliver us home safely. When something is wrong with one of our vehicles, it causes us great stress. We are do-it-yourselfers and when it comes to vehicles, that can mean saving money but also a lot of frustration.

Last weekend we tried a few fixes that didn’t work. Then we were at a loss as to what to try next. After some Internet research, my husband and I tested the coil pack. It’s a part that replaces spark plug wires and apparently never goes bad. Once we tested it, we both determined that it needed to be replaced. So $100 later, our Jeep is fixed.

I was able to help my husband with some of the work – which felt good. I’ve always been interested in learning more about engines. Now with so many computer parts in cars, it’s like they are moving computers. That is something I can definitely relate to since I have fixed a lot of computers. Besides I think it’s important to know how your car works just like your computer. That way if you do have to take it to get fixed, you know the right questions to ask and are not taken advantage of.

Our check engine light had come on and we used our CarMD to find the code. But apparently you can turn on the Jeep 3 times and it will display the error code on the dashboard. That’s handy to know especially if we are off somewhere and don’t have the CarMD with us. Although I do like our CarMD, I really wish it cleared the codes. You can unplug the negative cable battery to clear codes but that takes a few minutes. Pressing a button would be much simpler.

So now that the Jeep is running smoothly, it is time to do a round of maintenance on my truck. That is a project for next weekend. It does feel good to get some things accomplished.

Guest post written by Jan Lively

The jump from being an apartment owner to a homeowner has really opened my eyes to a lot of things. It’s nearly forced me to become a maintenance man of sorts, and I am learning more about home improvement in the past few months that I ever did living in apartment. I realize now how I took my old apartment for granted. Whenever there was a problem, I could call the building superintendent and he would take care of it for me. Now if something goes wrong, I need to hire a private serviceman or go to the nearest home improvement store to pick up supplies and try to figure out what to do by reading books and online articles. It’s not easy when you are responsible for all the repairs.

In my new home, my kitchen needs to be remodeled. That is going to be a pretty heavy job so I just decided to look into sears kitchen remodel options. That is one thing I don’t want to have to figure out alone. In all, being a homeowner is great, but it takes a little getting used to.

Somehow I wound up with two flour containers – one has all-purpose and one has self-rising flour. I kept my sifter in the self-rising flour but took it out to use in something else. Now I’m not sure which flour is which.

I took to the Internet for advice on how to tell the difference. One suggestion is to taste it. The self-rising flour has salt in it, therefore it should taste a little bitter. I couldn’t taste the difference, so I tried another suggestion.

Since self-rising flour has baking soda in it, you can add some vinegar to it and look for a reaction. One flour just got wet but the other one did slightly bubble. So I guess I have my answer.

When I do some baking again, I will know for sure if this experiment worked.

The Author of this post is Rory Reilly

I never knew how enjoyable knitting could be until I saw an ad in my local newspaper advertising knitting classes.At the time I was looking for a hobby to fill my time, so decided to join the classes.It seemed like something that I could really get in to, and I was right! The classes are twice per week,and a group of us old ladies sit around and knit til our fingers can’t take anymore.I was surprised at how quickly I picked up on it, and just how easy it really was! I have been taking the knitting classes for just over a year now,and look forward to it every night!

We do cheat a bit, as we keep the Direct TV on our favorite shows as we knit.We all enjoy the same shows, and this keeps us entertained and working hard.There is nothing that we can’t knit. If you want it,we’ll knit it. Currently we are working on Bible covers that are simply beautiful. In the past we have knitted scarves, hats, and baby blankets. Who knows what we will come up with next!

For Christmas, my daughter got a Rapunzel tower. She loves it. It comes with many small pieces that fit onto a small shelf. She wants those items to sit nicely on the shelf. The problem is that any slight movement knocks everything down.

My husband offered this tip – use a small amount of Handi Tak to keep the items secure to the tower bookshelf. Handi Tak is sort of like Silly Putty. It is used to hang posters and other items. I used it a lot in college since you couldn’t put any nails in the wall at the dorm.

We haven’t tried it yet but hope this works. My husband does this at work with some of his small stuff on his desk. She is going to test it out tonight. Maybe this will be an easy solution to falling toys.

With the new year, we hope to finally fix our Jeep. The transmission has been slipping, so it is a problem that will need to be taken care of soon. My husband is sort of a shade tree mechanic even though he hates to admit it.

He has replaced the timing belt before and done other repairs. There is one more solution that he is going to try before we take it to someone. We hope to get that done in February. Apparently there is a sensor that can cause all sorts of problems.

This Jeep has been one repair after the other. Last Christmas he replaced the water pump. With all these repairs, we need to keep track of just what we have done to this vehicle. RepairPal.com allows you to track service done on your car. It can be quite taxing trying to remember just what all has been worked on with a vehicle.

Our next vehicle will be something like a Ford Expedition so that we can take advantage of my father’s knowledge of Ford vehicles. Anyway hopefully this last repair will fix this problem once and for all. If not, then we will be taking it to someone.

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