Ramblings

Start Your Own Outdoor Blog in Under 15 Minutes

Think about it … fifteen minutes from now, you could be writing your own blog. Five simple steps will get you there, and I’ll walk you through them. No technical skills required.

I’ve really enjoyed doing my own outdoor blog. I’ve equally enjoyed learning from other blogs. It’s this knowledge-sharing that makes our community so tight. Why not pitch in your own voice? It’s so much easier than you think. This article will help you get launched.

Remember this: If you can type, you can blog!

Even if you can’t type, you can blog … just more slowly 😉
The point is, you don’t have to be a computer guru.

As we get you set up, there will be a couple of steps that sound technical. They’re not. The process is easier than it looks.

Let’s get going.

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Five Things More Affordable than Health Care

Ever since the Affordable Care Act passed, my health insurance premium has been climbing faster than a Titan rocket, which should have prepared me for this year’s rate jump. It still managed to catch me off guard.

To give a little background, before the Affordable Care Act I paid $423/month to insure a family of six. The passage of the Act brought an immediate $250/month increase, with increases every year since. Last year I got sucker-punched with a $270/month blow. I thought I’d gotten numb to these rate hikes. Think again.

This year dished out a whopping $340/month jump. That hurt, but worse than the jump itself was the new milestone my premium reached. As of this year, I pay over $2,000 a month to insure my family. Let that number soak in a minute; I know I had to.

With a nice number like $2,000 the math becomes too easy to hide from. $2,000 a month adds up to $24,000 a year. Twenty-four thousand dollars. TWENTY-FOUR THOUSAND. I struggle to even say the number, much less breathe while I do it.

As I continue struggling to wrap my mind around that number, I can’t help but imagine what that kind of money could buy if I didn’t have to spend it on health insurance.

So as my way to help ease the pain, here are five things that, for my family at least, are as affordable as health care …

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Two Decades of Father’s Day

It’s Father’s Day and I’m the first one up. I’m sitting here reflecting on years gone by, and it’s dawning on me that Father’s Day has slowly and subtly changed for me over the years. So if you don’t mind walking with me down memory lane for a few minutes …

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