My Bout With The Swine (H1N1) Flu

I may have the swine flu! I can't be sure since my symptoms (sore throat, fever, cough, body aches) are not that severe, so I won't be heading to the emergency room to get it tested. Yes, I follow what the authorities, Mr Bloomberg, ask of its citizens. Why do I think I have the swine (H1N1) flu? The same reason every parent in NYC is worried that their kids have swine flu, we live in one of the epicenters of H1N1.

My symptoms (yes I try to keep a good log of my medical history, as well as those for the rest of my family) started with sore throat Friday night, and as of this afternoon, I started getting a fever (over 100 F), headache, cough and body aches. The thing that is different for me is the fact that I took tylenol (generic acetaminophen to be exact) over two hours ago and I don't feel much relief, though slightly better.

I'm not too concerned about myself at this point since I have a two year old who has been sick since Thursday, with high fever. We gave her children's tylenol, but it wears off after a couple of hours. So we repeat. Last night she said her ear hurts, so my wife and I got a little concerned she may have an ear infection. So today, we went to the doctor's office.

We wanted to avoid the doctor's office since so many kids are sick, possibly with Swine Flu, and she may end up getting it after a visit. We had to pay $50 for the doctor's visit and $15 for the anti-biotics since we currently don't have medical insurance. I lost my job in March due to a company layoff, and I signed up for COBRA. However, the premium is pretty expensive even with the government picking up 65% of the tab. The price we paid for the doctor's visit isn't so bad, considering I would be able to pay for over 10 doctor visits for every month of COBRA premium WITH President Obama's COBRA assistance. I would rather put that money to use for housing and food, since the employment outlook isn't that great currently.

So what about an unforseen medical emergency? Yesterday I saw a representative with Health Plus - thanks to my wife's persistance. It seems we qualify for free health insurance for the kids, since I'm considered "low-income" with the unemployment payments. Wish me luck in getting this done. Since I missed the deadline for June, we have to wait till July before our kids are covered.

All in all, my family's health is good. So I'm not too worried. I'll keep you posted on my bout with "Swine Flu" tomorrow. Yes, this post is more personal than my usual posts. Perhaps the fever is affecting me.

If you want to help me deal with the flu, keep me in your prayers, my nyquil supply should now come in handy. If you want to help me financially through this little dip, you can donate through paypal - I'm not sure that button works, so if you have problems with it, let me know in the comments or email. If you know of a good job in tech support (I'm experienced in tech support) send me an email :) If you want to just help spread the word about this post or this blog, please tweet, email, comment, link or do any of the social media things that you are comfortable doing.

Thanks for reading. An if you are having some problems, and need an ear, just let me know.

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New York Pass - See More Of NYC

Want to see the sights of New York for less? Then this deal is for you. If you can't afford to go very far and would like to explore your own "backyard", then you can try the New York Pass. A month ago I wrote about CityPass, which I have used before, and enjoyed very much. CityPass is a great deal if you have not seen the six attractions before.

• Empire State Building Observatory
• American Museum of Natural History & Rose Center
• Guggenheim Museum
• The Museum of Modern Art
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Cloisters
• Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises OR Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island

However, if you wanted to widen your choices of places to visit, or if you have a relative coming to NYC to visit and wants to see the most NYC they can, in the least amount of time and money, I think New York Pass would be your best bet.

Free entry to over 50 attractions – Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, New York Skyride, Madame Tussaud’s, Circle Line River Cruise, Guggenheim Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Madison Square Garden Tour, NBC Studio Tours, New York Aquarium, Top of the Rock™ Observation Deck, Uncle Sam's Hamilton Financial Tour & many others

Prices range from $75 for a one day adult pass ($55 for child) to $180 for a 7 day adult pass ($140 for child). Currently, there is a deal with the Tourist Buses that take you all around the city. To see all the available pricing, check out the prices page on the New York Pass website.

Have you used CityPass or New York Pass? We'd love to hear about your experience.

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Photo courtesy of 708718

Cataclysmic Climate Effects

I recently read an article that says there's a new report warning of continued climate change could cause great floods, drought, disease and other unfortunate global events. I've had a dream similar to the scene depicted by the trailer of 2012, except in this dream I'm in a Manhattan hi-rise. Climate change and helping our environment is always somewhere in the back of my mind. What about you?

Instead of leaving all the work to politicians and scientists, perhaps we can all pitch in, a little bit at a time. We can all walk more, take public transit, share a car (I see too many cars with only a driver in it), recycle, reuse, turn off lights, unplug unused electronics and numerous other things. Only by taking things in our own hands can we really make a difference in our own lives. We may even end up helping millions of others in the process. Leo of Zen Habits mentions in his post, The Art of the Small: How to Make an Impact, that each one of us can make a huge difference if we concentrate on a small enough problem.

What do you do to help the environment and stave off climate change? What do you do in your daily life to help our environment?

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Photo by Simon Davison

Free Rides To Water Taxi Beach in LIC

Aside from the free ferry ride to Governor's Island and The Staten Island Ferry, there is now another free water ride in NYC. I just read about this on AMNY and found it helpful to New Yorkers or visitors who can utilize this free offer.

Take the New York Water Taxi for free during weekend evenings this summer to the original Water Taxi Beach in Long Island City. This is usually a $5 ride.

To get the free ride, you have to take the water taxi from the East 35th Street launch site on the East River. Starting May 23, the free rides run from 8 PM to 2 AM on Fridays and until 3 AM on Saturdays. This offer is valid until Labor Day.

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Photo by Steve Kelley

Geico Isn't Just Autos

I recently received an ad in snail mail, thanks USPS, about Geico. I always pictured Geico as the low cost "Auto Insurance" company with a gekko as the mascot. This notice informed me otherwise.

Many people tend to use the same insurer to bring their insurance premiums down. So now you can do that with Geico as well! There are many other ways to bring your insurance premiums down and I'll share some of that information in a future post.

I just thought it was interesting to find Geico offering anything other than auto insurance. Then again, it was only a matter of time.

What about you? Do you use Geico? What insurance company do you use and why?

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Frugal Dinner Out For Two

I just read about a restaurant deal at Smith located in the East Village. A Dine out meal for two for $35 is pretty hard to find in NYC. I'm sure some will disagree, and I hope to see many other offers so many can benefit from this.

The meal for two is on Mondays and Tuesdays. Smith's new chef, Doug Psaltis is offering a Spring Chicken for Two, a three-course menu for two featuring an appetizer salad with shaved vegetables and herbs, sides of polenta and mushrooms and chocolate mousse with pistachios for dessert.

If this offer has your mouth watering, then head on over to Smiths at 79 MacDougal St. Their phone number is 212-260-0100 if you would like to make a reservation.

Have you been to Smith's? Would love to hear your opinion of the food and service there.

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Free Popcorn

I recently read that Flea Markets are getting a huge jump in attendance and sales due to the current economy. I've been to a flea market or two and have usually found something to pick up. The great thing about flea markets, you can haggle on the price. I'm no expert haggler, but even getting a dollar or two off something can make you feel like you got a better deal.

Here's another reason to attend the latest flea market, free popcorn samples from Kettle Corn NYC! Festival by the Sea in Coney Island is being held today, Friday 5/15/09. Even if you don't like popcorn, I'm sure there are other freebies you can find.

If you get tired of the Flea Market scene, just walk down by the beach and enjoy the ocean waves. Another favorite destination for me is the New York Aquarium, right on the boardwalk!

What flea markets in NYC have you been to? Why do you attend flea markets?

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9 Facts of Queens Zoo

I've been to the Queens Zoo with my family numerous times in the past several months. We are WCS members so entrance is free. Even if you are not a member of the Wildlife Conservation Society, the entrance fee to the Queens Zoo is very affordable.

Here are 9 things you may find interesting about the Queens Zoo.

1. The Queens Zoo is located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park
2. The New York Hall Of Science is a neighboring attraction.
3. The Queens Zoo is home to two Lynxes, that meows like an owl's hoot!
   
4. 111 Street 7 train Subway station is the closest subway train
5. Playground for all Children is a neighboring free attraction.
6. Admission is free for WCS members.
7. The Queens Zoo contains a petting zoo, where you can feed many farm animals
8. The Aviary is my favorite feature of the zoo.
   
9. The Queens Museum and Theathre in the park are also steps away from the Zoo!
   

Have you been to the Queens Zoo? What do you know about it? What's your favorite feature of the zoo?

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Photo by law_keven

Another Tracfone

I wrote about Tracfone in my post about prepaid wireless. Recently I have seen many Tracfone ads on my Yahoo account, which reminded me that my recently order for another Tracfone is about to arrive soon. I purchased another Tracfone, for business related use this time. Why did I buy a Tracfone? The primary reason is because I had a good experience with it before. Another reason is, it meets my needs very well.

I don't use that many minutes on a monthly basis. With the one year card, I have only used about 50 minutes in the last two months. At this rate, this card and phone plan will cost me only about $103 for an entire year. Yes, I might run out of minutes before then, and I can always buy another card to fill it up again.

Bottom line, I had a good experience with the service and I can't find anything that will fit my needs both financially and service wise as well as Tracfone has.

UPDATE: I just discovered Dan's site for big discounts on Tracfone prepaid plans so I thought I'd update this post. His site has some great deals listed - free phones, free airtime minutes, bonus codes and more. I'm hoping this becomes a great resource for Tracfone related information.

What about you? Do you use prepaid cell phones? What service and plans do you use?

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Photo by Refracted Moments

Frugal Digital Swiss Army Knife

Part of frugal living is all about making the most of what you already have. Besides taking photos and videos for the fun of it there are many uses for your digital camera. Here are nine things that you can do with your digital camera that you may or may not have utilized before.


9 Uses For Your Digital Camera

1. Locate Your Car - Take a photo of where you left your car parked and never worry about finding your car again.
2. Voice Notes - If you don't have a voice recorder handy and have a thought you need to record, use your camera's movie feature to capture a quick voice note.
3. Tracking prices - If want to compare prices for items you are shopping for, take a shot of the item and price and then compare them. The photos will have a date and time stamp for your reference.
4. Keeping Inventory - Take photos of the things you own. It's a great way to keep track and even useful for your insurance policy documentation if needed.
5. Learn photography - Whether you want to learn photography to find a creative side of yourself or you are doing it just because you enjoy it, learning something new is always great. I've started a photo a day blog at vgaphotos blog and haven't looked back. There is so much to learn in photography and so many directions you can take, it can become a life long pursuit.
6. Make computer wallpaper - One reason I started taking photos was to make
7. my own computer wallpaper.
8. Time Piece - During my recent travels, I did not have a wristwatch handy, but I did usually have my digital camera with me. I just turned it on and it gave me the current date and time I needed.
9. Flash Light - I don't usually carry a flash light with me. My digital camera's LCD came in very handy when I needed to find the bathroom in the middle of the night during my recent travels.

What additional uses do you have for your digital camera? Do you use your digital camera for any of these uses?

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Help Save Zoo Funding

I recently received the following message from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). I wanted to share this information with my audience. I signed the petition several months ago and hope there is something we can all do to help.

An Urgent Message From Tiki Barber


Dear Friend:

As someone who cares about the environment, conservation, education, and economic development in New York City, I urge you to send a message to Mayor Bloomberg and the New York City Council to restore city funding to the Bronx Zoo and New York Aquarium.

As a parent of two young children and a regular visitor to the Zoo, I know from first-hand experience that the Bronx Zoo and New York Aquarium educate and inspire thousands of children and teachers and are essential to the cultural fabric of our city. These beloved institutions are an integral part of their communities and stabilize the city’s economy by providing well paying jobs and supporting local businesses. They work jointly with schools and area community groups to provide free or affordable access and programming for the most vulnerable citizens.

According to a 2008 national public opinion survey, 79 percent of Americans believe that zoos and aquariums are good for their local economy, and an impressive 80 percent believe that zoos and aquariums are important enough to local communities to be supported by government funding. But you don’t need a survey to tell you that. All you need to do is go there, as I do with my boys, and see the children’s faces light up. That tells you all you need to know.

New York City is great because of its great cultural institutions. Please join me in asking City Hall to recognize the important and unique role of cultural institutions like the Bronx Zoo and New York Aquarium.

I hope you can do your part in support of this cause. Have you visited the NYC Zoos lately?

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Photo courtesy of law_keven

8 Sites To Help You Network

Facebook and Myspace are fine for networking with your friends, consumers and peers. If you want a more focused approach to networking for your business, the below list from Entrepreneur Magazine's March 2009 issue may be more of what you need.

1. APSense.com - Tap into an affiliate marketing revenue stream by promoting products and sites on your business profile, and get paid for the friends you refer. Sounds like you can network and get paid for it too!
2. Biznik.com - Join your local business community to connect and collaborate with nearby entrepreneurs, and find out about local seminars and events. Sounds like a good place to start your business networking.
3. Entrepreneur Connect - Share ideas, join groups, publish content and promote your business on Entrepreneur's own network. A bit of self promoting from the magazine, but I think the magazine and site are great resources on their own for small businesses.
4. FastPitchNetworking.com - Create a profile, product listing and blog, and take advantage of email marketing and virtual trade shows. Not sure what to make of this description. If you have experience with this one, please let me know.
5. GoBigNetwork.com - Get serious about fast growth in this startup communityh focused on finding funding, talent and expert trade. Sounds like a good place to be for those more experienced in their entrepreneurship skills.
6. Konnects.com - Build a network among other startup entrepreneurs and launch your own branded network when you're ready. This sounds like a generic NETWORKING description, what do you think?
7. Marzar.com - Connect with other business owners while promoting products and services in the marketplace. Another generic sounding description. I'll have to just take a look at this site.
8. Xing.com - Search this global site for business partners, contacts and professional opportunities. I've heard of this one and it's one of the bigger networking sites. Not sure if a startup one person business can take advantage of this right from the start.

Are you a member of any of the above networking sites? If so what are your thoughts and experiences with these sites?

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