Easy Walk Down the Math Path

Third grade was the undoing of my math career. I had a horrible teacher. I know she was bad as my mother was a school teacher. My third grade teacher did nothing except sit at her desk and read novels. She did not teach us math at all that year, so when I got to fourth grade I was at a great disadvantage.

I changed schools and ended up having to learn basic things like the multiplication tables that I should have learned in the third grade. I ended up having another student who was really good in math sit with me and she acted as my math tutor. I thank god for her. She helped me make it and as you can guess, math was never my best subject. It was always a struggle. I believe that
if you do not have access to what you need then the next best thing would be a tutor. There are now tutors for every subject out there. My own child needed help in middle school and I sent her to the after school tutors at her school.

With our wave of technology there is even help on line now. Take Algebra 2 for example. There
is free online help with TutorVista. If your child is stuck doing that homework they can get help with algebra 2 in such a way that they will understand it and not just be given the answers. Understanding how the answer is derived is the whole thing. Understanding is power. The tutors will provide one on one help and are experts who will work at your child's level and speed to be sure they comprehend the math they are having difficulty with.

There is even help with 4th grade math as well as 5th grade math. Math topics pertenant to each grade level will be addressed. In 4th grade math a few of the subjects that can be accessed are fractions, decimals and geometry. In 5th grade math some of the subjects include fractions and mixed numbers, word problems and graphs. In 4th grade math learning begins with a subject area, then doing simple then more complex problems and ends with a math test to see where you stand. With the 5th grade tutoring, study is customized to the student with thousands of study questions to practice on. Those along with math worksheets will surely improve comprehension. Regardless of the time this help is available 24 hours a day! So late night study is not a problem.

When I was in middle and high school the one thing I recall that I could do well was adding fractions. I loved to do them. In addition to the help with manually adding fractions you can even add fractions on line and get an answer on the spot! That was not around when I was in school! Formula for volume and figuring that out for different shapes was something I had a hard time with. I will never forget that. I had help and once I understood I had no problem after that . Looking at it now it looks like greek and I am so glad I do not have to deal with that anymore! (Volume of a shape is given by computing area of a cross section and spinning it over 360 degrees--did I say greek!)My child is working with that now and she must be smarter that me because she is having no problem with it! If she did I would refer her to the online tutoring that is available!

My child is in high school now and is doing work with graph of lineal equations. She came to me with this about 3 weeks ago and I told her I could not help her. I knew I had had it before but remembered nothing! I guess my mind was a blank slate-a tabula rasa! At that time I referred her to school tutors and she has no problem now. I did not know about this website and the wonderful assistant it can provide. We know now. Both of us for the remainder of this school year will be referring to it if she has any math issues.

Having use of chat and a whiteboard to work out problems with a live tutor is just like working face to face. Students and parents are happy with this service. Check out the testimonials!

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe! ~~Aileen Mehle~~

Vans!

This school year was a little different in that the only pair of shoes my child wanted was a pair of Vans. I had no clue what they were. I had not heard of that brand....as it turned out she wanted to go to Journeys in the mall and get a pair. She took me there and I learned all I ever needed to know about Vans. I was thinking they are more for the grunge look/type and as it turns out it is a skate shoe. I guess roller and skateboard skating. She wanted the purple plaid/checkerboard.

I was thinking that a more modest style or color would go with many more things. Then I began to think with Vans I guess it is not about matching but with just having a pair. So the purple checkboard pair was bought for her and she was happy as a clam! These are them and believe me when I say she loves them. Once I pretended that I was going to try them on and my feet are bigger than hers. Well...I was in fear that I would loose a toe! Hands off her VANS! She loves them and the more I look they are very interesting shoes. Good to wear with jeans. I may even get a pair and I will not be getting a solid color either! Vans! If they are good enought for my child, they are good enough for me!

The price was not too bad. I paid about $45 dollars for them. There seems to be a whole lifestyle of skating surrounding the Van name. I mean really...they gave bmx riders a camera and sent them on a trip. Okay. I can do that! Send me on a trip with a camera. It would be Vans from an older generation perspective!

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!

~~Aileen Mehle~~

Sorting Shoes

My shoes feel confused today. They are out of sorts and feel just like two left feet. I think they will be staying in the closet until they can get turned around and even buffed and polished! I guess every shoe needs a day of rest. Today I will get mine! Shoes going the bed in about 30 minutes. Silence and seclusion can be golden!

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe! ~~Aileen Mehle~~

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe! ~~Aileen Mehle~~

The medicine profiles the line.

Bali Holidays

My first exposure to Bali was in the movie Bali Hai and I fell in love! It seemed like such a romantic, beautiful place that I dreamed of going there some day! Now I have done some traveling of the world but I have not made it to that side of the globe yet! I still have an active bucket list and bali holidays are still on it! To help plan that wonderful vacation there is a wonderful link you can go to book that romantic Bali cruise: P & O Cruises! This line has been around since 1837 when European tourists took excursions to the Mediterranean. Today P&O is the premiere cruise line from Australia and New Zealand to the South Pacific. With super liners that offer balcony rooms, wonderful entertainment and diverse eating establishments, you can book a Bali holiday and travel in style!

P & O has a wonderful cruisefinder page on its' website that will easily let you put in your departure and destination cities, dates of travel, ship and let you find out availability and pricing. There is even a button to click to find out about special deals!

What is there to do in Bali, Indonesia? Plenty! It is an old place with ancient temples and palaces. There are active volcanoes to explore and plenty of shopping in markets and art stores.
That is the Bali that I want to see. I want to see the local culture like the Barong dancers and try some of the local food as well as some of the find dining restaurants!

The culture there is very different that our western culture and women must be covered when entering temples. Luckily sashes and wraps are readily available if needed. Booking bali holidays is easy. The cruise website and/or your travel agent is all you need to book that Bali tour! Safety, security and customer satisfaction are a focus and policies are updated as needed to keep everyone safe to that a wonderful cruise experience is had by all.

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe! ~~Aileen Mehle~~

Books About Shoes!

Check out! A great collection of shoe books!

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe! ~~Aileen Mehle~~

My Home Improvement Shoes

On the weekends I tend to wear some of my most comfortable shoes. Sometimes I even feel industrious so I will put on my work books. Timberlands. When I put those on I feel like doing home improvements. Can shoes actually help you do housework? I think my shoes can! This past weekend I did take a good look at the living room as well as the bathrooms. I want to redo both those rooms. Paint, pictures..the whole nine yards.

In the bathroom I want to put some decorative tile up. I had thought of this about 3 years ago and spent about 4 hours in my local Home Depot. I did not get anything because I could not decide exactly what I wanted to do. Plus some of the tile, just like the ceiling borders for the living room, were limited. So, I still have just plain white walls.

I have discovered a place which seems to have unlimited choices on tiles for the bathroom and lots of other places as well! Glass Tile Store.com has literaly hundreds of tiles to choose from. From glass to marble to shells and cobblestone tiles. There is even free shipping on all orders. In order to keep prices competitive, they will match competitors regular final prices. All you have to do is email the link showing the lower price and it will be matched! Who can argue with that?

Bathroom tiles are not the only style they have on the site. They have tiles for kitchen, pool and backsplash projects. There are even online coupons available to help lower the price even more. Once an order is placed, there is ease in tracking your order and seeing the status. For some reason if an order needs to be returned, there is a 365 day guarantee. There is a 15% restocking fee and customers are responsible for return shipping. Just be sure to repack well in the original containers. Tile is delicate. In the same vain, if we are shipped a tile that is broken, the company will replace it on their dime.

I am thinking that I need to spend some time on investigating and creating exactly what sort of design I want. The tiles range from small to some that are like large tile panels. I guess that sort of large tile could be used as subway tiles. I have seen some tiles in some subways. Tile is durable and lasts forever once installed. That is why I was so indecisive at first some years ago. You have to live a long time with that tile once you get it installed. Whatever the choice, be sure to check out Glass Tile Store.com. They can handle all your tile needs and will leave you a satisfied customer. 40,000 happy customers since 2005 can't possible be wrong!

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe! ~~Aileen Mehle~~

Time For Latin Shoes: Zumba!

I recently saw an infomercial on tv about Zumba! I had not really explored it before and I must say that I think I need to be putting on my Latin shoes and getting with it! It looks like fun and I guess if you are moving around that much, you are sure to loose a few pounds!

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe! ~~Aileen Mehle~~

Sperry Shoe Strings

The only thing that is worrysome about Sperry's are the shoe strings. That tough leather does not like to stay tied. We are forever tying and retying our shoes! My daughter has 2 pairs of Sperry's and she is forever trying to get me to tie them for her. She is a teen and can do it herself but she says my tie is tigher than hers and they stay tied a little longer. That is the truth because when I am feeling lazy and ask her to tie mine..what was I thinking. I should have done it myself. Two minutes later and I am tripping about to fall down!

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe! ~~Aileen Mehle~~

Do Sperry's Ever Wear Out?

I have come to realize that Sperry's never wear out! I am waiting for mine to become tattered and wear out, but they will not. I have three pairs and i vowed never to get another until the ones I have become unwearable. They are lasting forever. I have 2 pairs made of leather and one sueded pair and another that is made of the soft buckskin leather. I did buy the white cleaning eraser and have been using that and it keeps them looking like new.

The only ones that have just begun to show any signs of wear are the green suede pair and I love them. I wear them so much that they have become a little smelly and the inside is wearing out just a little! Oh joy! Or not. It has been 4 years and they are just beginning to show signs of wear. I think that if every man, woman and child got about 4 pairs of Sperry's they could almost last a life time and there would not me a need for any other kind of shoe! What a thought!

I love my Sperry's and my other shoes. I just wish that some of my other shoes had the longevity of my Sperry's!

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe! ~~Aileen Mehle~~

Choices

I have plans for this evening but I feel like I need to make another choice. I can go to happy hour at a friends house from 5-8. Then I actually have theatre tickets to a play that begins at 8pm. I had planned to do both these things tonight. In addition I was invited to a tailgate party and a football game. What to do?

What I really want to do is go home and stay in. I am very tired today and just want to be still with a glass of wine and maybe begin to clean my house prior to the weekend actually beginning. The later it gets, the choice seems to be leaning in that direction!

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe! ~~Aileen Mehle~~

Travel for All!

For a few years I had the wonderful opportunity to work in the hotel industry with Disney and I guess that was when I was first made aware of the gay community really trying to carve out a market for places to vacation and go. I guess it was with Gay Day at the park...not promoted by Disney at all, but originated by the gay community to go in numbers to vacation spots. Nothing wrong with that. Prior to that I had never thought of that and this was about 10 years ago. Since then there are all sorts of travel spots, cruises, places that cater to all and that includes the gay community.

Take the San Diego Hillcrest Area for example. Most of the gay bars and restaurants are in Hillcrest. Some of the lively places to hit are Urban Mo's, Fiesta Cantina and the Brass Rail. These establishments have large bar areas, lively and diverse activities and great food! After dinner you can even dance the night away at Number's or Rich's. (I digress now but I remember in the 80's when disco was King, the gay bars in my town were the best places to go. They had the best music and the actual "fun" there could not compare to any other local place in town. Disco was a fun era!)

If you ever travel to the Las Vegas Area, the situation there is kind of dicey! Las Vegas is apparently not that gay friendly but you know Las Vegas. Glamor and glitz is everywhere of course and things stay open around the clock. There are bars there that stay over 24 hours a day. And I guess the saying "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" is true for the gay community as well. There is only one gay hotel there called the Blue Moon Resort and it is clothing optional! Wowee!


If you are ever in the San Francisco, Casto Area, the you have indeed come to the mecca of the gay world. Nicknamed the "gay hotspot of the world," it has excellent shopping, clubs, restaurants and bars. There is quite a long list of eating establishments but be sure to check out Trigger, Twin Peaks or Harveys. Everything you could possible want can be found there. The only thing to be wary of is the parking. Correct parking and meter times are strickly enforced and those tickets will not go away. So park correctly and be very careful! If you choose not to drive you are in luck because San Francisco has great public transportation.

Travel to the Big Apple will not be a disappointment! New York City has alot to offer. Chelsea has a lot to offer with bars and restaurants like XES, G Lounge, Grumpy Coffee and Splash NYC. The option for rooms is to stay in Time's Square since most of the hotels are concentrated there. There is where you will also find the shows on and off broadway.

There is a market for businesses that cater to the gay community. I know there is lots of money that is spent on establishements that cater to that community as well. It is good to know that the travel world is becoming more diverse and encompassing of all people.

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe! ~~Aileen Mehle~~

A Cup of Crazy!

A man came to our office to day and he had drank a cup of crazy! I thought he was an alcoholic but maybe a recovering one with the rambling and very loud speech. He kept asking me questions and I would answer and he would ask me again! Finally I told him to leave and that I could not talk to him anymore. I locked the door after him. He had dropped someone off at our building and the person was taking longer than usual and he had to go to work. At one point he began yelling and shaking the doors and telling me to go get that person. Since he was acting a fool I did. No telling what people will do these days. I did have to tell him to leave again. The person he was waiting for came out and he got loud in the lobby when he saw here. Oooohwee! He had taken a big swig from the cup of crazy before he left the house this morning!

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe! ~~Aileen Mehle~~

Golf Shoes

What kind of shoes would I wear if I were to go golfing? Well....I guess I would have to find the perfect golf shoe. Just looking at some, here are some stylish ones for women. Clearly it is a man's sport because the shoes for men are far more numerous than the few I have found for women! These look stylish and practical too!

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe! ~~Aileen Mehle~~

A New Journey

When I think of Myrtle Beach I have several distinct memories. I say memories because I have not been there in awhile. When I graduated from college my boyfriend and I planned to go just for the weekend. We did. We planned ahead and made a reservation at a hotel. I remember the traffic on 17 was just ridiculous heading that way and when we arrived at the hotel we arrived late. Later than the check in time. But I thought I had prepared for that as well. I called ahead and told the hotel we were arriving late.

When we arrived we were dissapointed. It was kind of like a house made into a hotel/inn which was okay...but they had given our room away anyway. We had nowhere to stay and it was about 9pm. What to do! What to do! Luckily we did find another place to stay. It was a much nicer place with an ocean view and I think we were very lucky to find it. It was the 2nd place after we left the original place we reserved!

That experience was about 20 years ago now and today if I were looking for a great Myrtle Beach Hotel I would quickly go on line to a site like Expedia and fine a nice resort. I have used them before for past travel arrangements and I have faith that my room would not be given away before I got there! My brother and sister-in-law travel to Myrtle Beach in the early fall and I am now considering the same thing. This is the perfect time when it is not too hot and not too cold. With the improvements that have been made to that area like the new rides, pavilion, shopping and shows, I know that my child and I would have a grand time.

Check out the Horizon Resort for example. This is definely a place I could stay. (For more in formation check out the link: http://www.horizonmyrtlebeach.com ) It is lovely with ocean views from most of the rooms. Who would not be happy with that? The rooms are actually condos so to me that would be like a home away from home! It is only a few feet away from the ocean but there is also a lazy river that I know my child would love. She swims like a fish! Another great feature that appeals to me in the wireless internet. These days the computer rules my life and having access at all times in important.

There is of course golf. I have only had the opportunity to place once or twice before in my life with my ex-husband but I would like to really learn how to play. There is a plethora of courses in the area so I would have no problem at all finding a course and an instructor to help me get a handle on the game. After the game I would easily find my way to the pool or the spa for a bit of relaxation. But you do not have to take my word on it. Just take the words of others. It is ranked as one of Myrtle Beach best hotels. Guests who have stayed there before have had quality down time in a beautiful setting. With the holidays coming up the resort even has some holiday specials.

In the future 20 years will not pass before another trip to Myrtle Beach will be planned. With places like the Horizon Resort, having a weekend away can happen anytime I feel the stress of the world and want to get away!

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe! ~~Aileen Mehle~~

Shoe Thoughts!

I had the blues because I had no shoes

until upon the street,

I met a man

who had no feet.

*Ancient Persian Saying

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe! ~~Aileen Mehle~~

Me...Today!

Today I am wearing my most comfortable pair of running shoes....I love my Asics Gels!

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe! ~~Aileen Mehle~~

As The Shoe Turns

As the shoe turns....

I reflect on what a week this has been. It started off well and then the shoes all got a little nutty. Par for the course! It all began early in the week when several of the other shoes in the closet of various types...canvas, leather, cloth, dressy , casual began to leave and never to return. This made the ferragamo shoes really antsy. The ferragamos already have a host of personality issues ranging from being obsessive to high strung. So the ferragamos were in full gear panic mode by the time I got in on Monday. Luckily I have seen it all before. My motto is never take the crazy on! If someone is over the top...let that stay with them. Don't take it on. You cannot. They will only drag you down to their level and then beat you over the head and beat you down with their experience.

There was a lot of misplaced blame directed toward me for things that had nothing to do with me. I just looked and took no responsiblity for it! The first thing was the bad behavior of one of the various others who were leaving. Somehow that was my fault. Nuts! The next was the water vendor.

With the water vendor, I am just a small pair of shoes in the office..small but nice..Gucci! The ferragamos contracts with a water vendor to come and fill the coolers every 2 weeks or so. The water vendor came in on his day....I do not know the schedule but I was the only pair of shoes in the office. I am not privy to the contract or conditions. I assume he is showing up based on whatever the ferragamos and the company have agreed to . Normally the water vendor comes and looks for empty plastic containers, takes them and replaces them with full. Not a word to me is ever said.

Ferragamos is now mad because the water guy came and he did not want water this week. Who knew? Not me. How would I know? Why did he not call the company and cancel the order or change a schedule? So it is now my fault he has more water than he needs. He implied if it happened again I would be paying for water.

Yes! Insane! I do work with insane shoes! More to come later as the shoe turns!

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe! ~~Aileen Mehle~~

New Shoes

It really is time for me to get new shoes. I have been very good the last 2-3 years and have been trying not to buy any and just wear out the ones I have. All 69 pairs. I have worn out quite a few. Still quite a few are left. Now all the basic colors like black and brown need to be replaced. I have literally been throwing worn out shoes in the trash. I now need to do a new inventory and see how many I have now. My intervention has been working!

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe! ~~Aileen Mehle~~