Customer Reviews

Right now I'm working on adding a section to our product ads that will allow customers to leave product ratings and reviews. Working on this really got me thinking about how I use product reviews. When I buy online, I always look for customer reviews and ratings, but I've never left any reviews or ratings of my own. It's not that I don't want to leave helpful reviews for other customers. I just forget. I pick out the item I want, pay for it, wait for it to be delivered and then use it. Once I've left the computer the thought of getting back on to review the product, or seller, never crosses my mind. I feel kinda bad. I've decided that I'm going to start leaving both product and seller reviews when I buy online. I know it'll help my fellow eShoppers and I'm sure any company would love a review, especially a nice one :)

I don't quite have the product reviews setup on our site yet, but I plan on sending out a newsletter once they're ready to go. If you're interested, you can sign up on the right. Oh, and we always appreciate customer reviews about our site, products and service. If you're bored you can hop over to our ResellerRatings page and leave us a review.

That's all for now,
Shala

Dog Days of Summer

Fall us upon us, but it still feels like summer here in Colorado. I figure one of these weeks it's going to start cooling down so I'd better get out and finish doing some of things I wanted to this summer.  Last Friday it was National Dog Day, so in celebration I decided to take my two dogs along with my friend Lauren's new puppy to  one of the biggest local dog parks - Chatfield State Park.  The Chatfield dog park has an off-leash area that is 69 acres of open space including two ponds and miles of paved and unpaved walking trails.  My Goldendoodle Charlie aka."Chuckernugger" loves the water and I practically had to jump in with him to get him out when it was time to go.  Sophie, Lauren's Swissy also took her first dip ever into the water and a few minutes later she was swimming like a champ. My other dog, Iggy the Chihuahua doesn't like the water...actually, he really doesn't like much of anything other than soft blankets and laying in the sun. So, he laid on the bank of the water most of the day and meditated.  All in all, it was an excellent way to spend the afternoon and great exercise for the dogs and us.

~Allison~

I Hate The Heat

I absolutely, positively, can't stand, hate more than anything, the heat that summer brings. I realize that I don't live in the hottest climate, however the last two months has just demolished me. This July, Colorado averaged a max temperature at 89.2 degrees f. with an average low of 60.9 degrees f. So with this hot summer coming to a very slow end, I'm looking forward to a nice cold and snowy winter. With that in mind I just got blasted with some horrible news. The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center came out with its seasonal outlooks. The NWS is predicting an enhanced probability of above normal temperatures for the Southwestern US through the Great Plains to the Great Lakes. The precipitation isn't looking any better. The NWS is predicting below average winter for the Southwestern US eastward to Mississippi. They're also predicting just a slight chance of above average precipitation in the Northern Plains. To me, it looks as though Denver is just going to be boring and warm this winter.

We need a blizzard!

Trevor

Tough Decisions..

Hi,

Well, a while back, I bought a 1977 Chevy Nova for a project car. I have been waiting patiently for a clear title (and do not feel like paying $400 for lost title on a heap of metal) but have not yet received one. So the first tough decision is whether to pull off all the body panels, clean them up and sell them (along with any other parts that can be salvaged), or just get the whole thing crushed and pocket some quick easy cash.

My next tough decision is for a car to replace it. I really like old muscle cars and I have all the tools and can do most of the work, but have a very limited space, so a frame off restoration just isn't likely to occur on my property. I think the best bet is to just purchase something already in good shape. Something I could just clean up and drive. Of course I would still throw in a bigger motor eventually and clean up the body, paint, and interior. I'm thinking maybe a 1986 Monte Carlo SS, or a 4x4 Chevy Pickup.

My current plan is to pick up an old 350 Chevy block and a crank out of a 400 small block and throw together a solid, high compression 383 and rebuild either a T5 manual, or a TH400 automatic transmission to mate to it and let those sit in my garage until the perfect project finds me. Most everything fancy on Craigslist is missing both anyway.

Bye,

Ruben

A Garden Next Spring?

I love gardens! With the right preparation and care, gardens will provide you with food at a fraction of what the grocery stores charge and, usually, you have plenty fruits and veggies to share with friends and family. You don't have to worry about pesticides, you don't have to think about people feeling all over the fruits and vegetables when shopping and you are pretty much guaranteed freshness. I have wanted to start a garden in my backyard for the past three years. Each time, something different has come up, but this year I'm determined. I've already started plans for beds, I've already bought the seeds, I've even decided that I am going to get everything ready this Fall for planting in the Spring. I'm working on plans for an irrigation system and compost heap and I'm even studying up on canning and freezing. I'm so excited to get started.

If you have any planting tips, canning and freezing advice or if you know of anything that grows really well here in Colorado, let me know!


-Shala

Smartphones

Well I have had an iPhone for quite some time now and I must say I don't know how I lived without it. The smartphone has simply made life better for me. To anyone who doesn't have a smartphone I would highly recommend getting one real soon. You can watch videos, browse websites from your phone, talk and text of course and they have so many different apps. They have navigation apps, fishing apps, game apps etc which helps pass time on road trips and at other boring times. So go out and get you a smartphone if you haven't already. You'll be happy you did.

Dale

Da Broncos

Okay, so this week I was going write about how much of a bind the world is in with the looming water shortage. However, that topic requires a little bit more time than I currently have to write. So we'll talk about the next thing that is on my mind. The great Denver Broncos, who seem to have a curse of bad coaches. Now it may be a little bit early to call John Fox a bad coach. Especially since the coach is ranked 3rd among active coaches in the win category. Lets go with the fact that Kayle Orton was just named the starting QB for the Bronco's season opener. And that Brandi Quinn seems to have moved up to 2nd string even though we're not going to name a 2nd or 3rd stringer this year. How can you put Orton or Quinn before the greatest college quarterback of all time, or arguably the greatest college player of all time. Only a blind coach would make this mistake. Just last year the great Orton completed only 43% of red zone passes, down from his 2010 average of 58.8%. Another interesting choke stat is in the 4th quarter within 7, Ortons completion percentage drops to 49.3%. I remember this from last year, we'd drive down the field like champions and KO would choke in the red zone. Oh, but he's our number one! John Fox needs to get in the right mind set. Yes, by the numbers Tebow should not start, but that's only if you leave out the major point that Tebow has not had a chance to put up any numbers in the NFL. Bottom line is that Tebow will replace KO as the starting QB this season, as soon as John Fox realizes his mistake.

T-Rev

Need to Vent?

Hi All,

I was on my way to work this morning and heard about a pretty hilarious website on the radio. The website is http://www.annoyingcoworker.com/, and it's a place where you can vent totally anonymously about co-workers in your office.   I think this is a great idea, not to mention it is pure entertainment to read.  Of course, I would never use this site because I don't have anything bad to say about my co-workers....


Enjoy,
Allison

Homonym

I heard a commercial the other day where they mention that the sayings "slim chance" and "fat chance" mean the same thing but "wise guy" and "wise man" have two different meanings. I never really thought of it but there are many words that have different meanings depending on how they are used and most are called Homonyms:

hom·o·nym (hm-nm, hm-)
n.
1. One of two or more words that have the same sound and often the same spelling but differ in meaning, such as bank (embankment) and bank (place where money is kept).
2.
a. A word used to designate several different things.
b. A namesake.
3. Biology A taxonomic name identical to one previously applied to a different species or genus and therefore unacceptable in its new use.

Happy Friday,
Dale

Road Trippin'

Well, today after work my two favorite allies and I are going to be road trippin'. The car is fully loaded and we have snacks and supplies. Although we are, once again, making the trip for less than desirable reasons, I am happy I will get to see some of my family and friends that I just don't see anymore. Plus, Colorado does not have Braums, Phil's BBQ, or the Flamingo.

Now for the important part. When going on a road trip, it is important to have a checklist and to stick to it. Most importantly, your vehicle should be ready for the trip. First things first, if your vehicle isn't running right, you should get it checked out. Read and understand your owners manual. This will make intimidating vehicle checks very simple. Check your tire pressure. And do not air up your tires to the psi limit printed on your sidewall. That is the max the tire your can handle. You want to run the pressure suggested by the car maker. They choose a specific pressure for your car based on vehicle curb weight and performance testing. If you run what they suggest you will get optimal handling, ride quality, and gas mileage. This value is usually printed in your drivers side door jam (door open). Don't forget to check the spare tire and tools for changing the tire if necessary. Check your fluid levels, tire tread wear, exterior lights, and any important electronic devices such as windshield wipers (operational and blade condition), fog lights (if equipped [and only use them if it's foggy. Seriously.]) I also recommend a map or printed directions. Check the weather (and pack accordingly) and highway status. Also, bring some extra cash and anything else that you might need.

Drive safe,

Ruben