Most of the prizes are suited for website owners but with over $14,000 in value, the Craziest Internet marketing Contest has stuff that even non-owners of websites might enjoy. An iPod, logo design, and t-shirts. For site owners there are hosting plans, site reviews, site designs, ads, and much more. Check it out and sign up to win.

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I reinstated the links to five “related posts” on the post pages.  I might add a tag cloud page.  Are there any tweaks you’d like to see on this site?

If you drink Coke products but don’t save the rewards points feel free to email me the codes. Most Coke products have the code on the bottle cap or inside the box of a 12 or 24 pack. This includes their bottled water line and sports drinks. I’ve been ignoring them for years but it looks like i can get coupons for more Coke products, movie rentals, or magazine subscriptions with the points.

Friday was a going away party for Orin. He’s moving to Sitka to start a pizza business. Because he works so much he hasn’t been to our place for a FFF in quite a while. This one turned into FFFF (Formal Finger Food Friday) when Mike, Josh, and Earl showed up dressed in suits. I went upstairs and changed of course.

Win!

•		A custom lawn and garden consultation and plan from Justin Cave, landscape consultant and host of HGTV’s “Ground Breakers.” With years of experience in every aspect of landscaping, Cave will focus his expertise and enthusiasm on developing a plan for our winner to turn their yard into an incredible outdoor living space.
•		$3,000 cash to be used towards carrying out your recommended lawn and garden plan.
•		Mustang™ ZT 50″ Zero-Turn Riding Lawn Mower with innovative zero-turn technology, and a time-saving 50″-wide mowing deck.
•		TB1086 XP Series™ 21″ Rear Wheel Drive, Self-Propelled Mower with increased traction, precise speed control and increased maneuverability.
•		Troy-Bilt Pony® Garden Tiller for preparing finely milled, well-aerated and ready-to-plant garden beds.
•		TB70SS Straight Shaft Trimmer that converts into a blower, an edger, a hedge trimmer and more.

That’s over $17,000 worth of prizes and all you need to to is give them a little information about yourself! Only one entry per person per household per day (enter daily!). Enter at the Troy-Bilt sweeps.  Sorry – this is closed.

1. Pen and paper – Even in the digital world i still need paper and pens on occasion. If you have not already, writing your name, address and phone number on a piece of paper and putting it on top of your stuff inside your luggage can help if your tags are torn off of your luggage in transit. Keep one handy on the plane so you can jot notes of thoughts (like a list of things to steal from a hotel). When you get home keep one by the phone for messages or one at the table for shopping lists or things to do.
2. Toiletries – Of course grabbing the shampoo and conditioner is a good idea. If you use some of them then they will just throw them away anyway. If you use the soap bring that home too -otherwise it will be trashed. Use the bag from the ice bucket or the laundry bag clipped to a hanger in the closet to transport your wet soap home. It is supposedly good for your hair to switch products fairly often. Throwing in a sample size will sure help. But maybe i’m making up the switching products thing.
3. Sewing kit – You should have these stashed everywhere. Have one in the car, at work, camping gear, in your travel bag…
4. Fist full of tissues – Put them in your pocket for the rest of the trip. I get sick often after travel. I get bloody noses sometimes now because i’m used to high humidity.
5. Laundry bags – If you don’t already have a barely used bar of soap in it then you can double bag your toiletry collection or put dirty laundry in it. Once it is home use it as a small trash bag for the laundry room or bathroom.
6. Coffee and tea – I don’t drink coffee but i know plenty of people that do. I especially like finding regional coffees so that i can put them in my brother’s stocking for Christmas. Having a few around our house is good for when we have long term guests. Or it would be good if we had a coffee maker! Some places will also have tea, spiced cider or cocoa.

On Monday one of my staff members called my office because someone wanted to talk to me about building a half pipe. I went down and met Will Coffey who is stationed in Petersburg with the USCG. He asked if i would mind him building a half pipe. I dragged him up to the ball fields, opened the container van and showed him the equipment we had purchased with grant money from American Ramp Company. He said he would have some friends get working on it Wednesday morning. By 5:00 Wednesday the container van was unloaded by hand by Will, Josh and me and pieces were staged in their approximate location.

Thursday afternoon i talked with one of the design engineers and got a walk-through of the steps to putting the system together. Matt Gerrits, Holly and Paul, Will and i worked on getting one ramp put together and the frames for the rest assembled.

Friday at 10:30 Matt and i met and started plugging away at the project. I called Earl Warner and he helped for an hour or so and when school let out kids started showing up. Word was out that the skate park was coming together. Will also showed up late in the afternoon and by 6:00 just about everything was bolted together and ready to ride.

As Matt said, he had been waiting 16 years for this day…

A huge thank you to the volunteers that put in the time to assemble the park. Future expansion is possible and with the interest that has been shown so far quite probable!

I stayed at the Seattle Airport Doubletree hotel on my way to and from D.C. It is not possible to make the trip from Petersburg to D.C. in one day now that Alaska Airlines only has one flight a day from Seattle. I used Priceline’s name your price booking service and asked for a three star room by the airport for $50. Adding taxes the room came to under $65. Cena did the same for me the day that I was stuck in Seattle (I was actually in the parking lot while she made the reservation).

It’s a nice hotel but some rooms you have to walk quite a way to get to. They give you a warm chocolate chip cookie to eat just after checking in. There are a few fast food restaurants extremely close (Taco Bell and Jack in the Box are on the same intersection.) And you can walk from the baggage claim area to the hotel in about 15 minutes. They have a free shuttle that runs every 15 minutes also.

The shower head wasn’t so low that i had to stoop and they were quite generous with the toiletries… shampoo, conditioner, shower cap, lotion, facial cleanser and medium size bars of soap. Here are some pictures of the hotel.

One of the few corporate email newsletters that i don’t always automatically delete announced this bit of news…

Alaska Airlines is bringing on the unique, fun beverage experience of Seattle-based Jones Soda. Beginning April 1, we’ll serve Jones Soda’s premium sodas on 1,000 daily flights — including complimentary Pure Cane Cola, Sugar-Free Cola, Lemon Lime, and Sugar-Free Cream Soda. Of course we’ll continue with complimentary ginger ale, tonic water, club soda, coffee, tea, and juices, as well as Alaskan Amber beer, Athena® bottled water, and Red Bull Energy Drink. … And on flights to Hawaii, Kona Longboard Island Lager and Johnny Love Aloha Vodka, and on Horizon flights — complimentary premium Northwest wines and microbrews

So the bad news is that i can no longer get Coke on flights. The good news is the airline is supporting a smaller regional company. Like their decision to carry Alaska Brewing Company beer this is a very good move. Even for those of us that love Coke.

Last Saturday I was in bed working on the computer. Having a laptop is a true luxury isn’t it? Anyway, Hex settled into my left armpit and after a while Yeti wanted to sleep on my chest. He slid off and right onto little Hex who took it like it happened a few times a day.