When I went back to school last fall to get my teaching certification, I was pleasantly surprised by all of the discounts I was eligible for as a student. I fished me my last degrees way back in 1992 and I really don’t remember suing my student ID for much of anything off campus back then. This time around I took advantage of cheaper movie tickets, discounts at a lot of area attractions, and the best thing of all, in my opinion – the ability to purchase academic versions of lots of computer software. I’m still technically enrolled, so I still get the discounts. Plus, as a teacher, those discounts are still extended to me. It’s a massive bonus I never even considered before I actually had it in my hands.

CostCaptain.com is a Microsoft Authorized Education Reseller. That means they sell all kinds of Microsoft products, like the Office Suite and Vista, to students and staff of educational institutions, labs, museums, libraries, and home-school programs. All you have to do to receive the products at an academic price is prove eligibility.

The difference here is that CostCaptain is selling the full versions of the software, rather than student versions. You just save a bundle. I just looked on Microsoft’s website and they are selling the Office 2007 Suite Professional for $499.95. CostCaptain has it for $179.99, if you are eligible. That’s an amazing savings.

Hey, if you have a student to buy for this Christmas, you might consider getting them a gift certificate from the site. Talk about a cool gift idea.

Tonight I finally gave in and bought my daughter a Webkinz. She is already interested in playing games on sites like Cartoon Doll Emporium (virtual dress up dolls) and Daily Noggin (Loads of games based on the shows on Noggin). Webkinz have been a vague idea to her until tonight when we went into one of the big stores in the mall that was having a sale. Everything in the store was 33% off and I had been promising her she could make the Make-Your-Own lip gloss. While we were in there, we started looking at the Webkinz and talking to one of the girl show works in the store about the online games and activities you have access to for a year with the code on your doll.

I gave Gigi the opportunity to choose any of the pets, but she went with one of the Lil’Kinz – the tiny unicorn. She named her Rose Petal and tonight we spent a little time letting up Rose Petals room, mining for gems and working a job. I have to dig out my timer now, because I told her she will get 30 minutes a day to take care of Rose Petal, but no more than that.

I’m no expert, but in the process of buying and selling houses in the course of my marriage, I learned a lot about the real estate game and the other industries that feed off of it.

One of the aspects of the whole buying a house process that was new information for me was the concept of title insurance. I’ve bought and sold two houses now, with one last house on the market. So, all of the little expenses and legal aspects of the process are still important for me to understand. It’s complicated, to my ears. Title insurance basically insures against losses caused by title problems that have their source in past events, like liens or deeds of trust still attatched to the property. You need to know if you are buying your home free and clear.

TGenerally, title companies work along with your lender or real estate agent. When we sold our house in Gainesville, we happened to like the title agent we had used to buy the house and asked to use him again in the process, since the buyers were from out of state and had no preference.

What I focus on is my rights in the arena of title insurance. The homeowner has the right to choose the title insurance companies they wish to work with, though more often than not the bank or attorney involved in the purchase or refinance will choose the company., Nonetheless RESPA laws say that it is not legal for a homeowner to be forced to use any one company. In the end, you still have a say. Obtaining a clear title is usually not a problem, but title insurance provides you with assurance that you are not going to lose valuable property in the future if there is a problem.

I’m not sure how it will be before I venture out into the current housing market again once we sell our house, but I can say that I’m much more educated in the process than I was when we bought our first house.

Reading this next news item made my heart break, and not just because it involves a young child. This morning my own daughter was supposed to ride on her school’s float for the Christmas Parade in Dunedin, Florida. We were excited about it, but due to the fact that she was terribly disobedient and confrontational last night, she was not allowed to participate. We stayed home.

This morning in Plant City (not far from here) I can only imagine that another child’s family wishes they had stayed home. 9-year-old Jordan Hayes of Inverness was walking beside the Greater Heights Family Worship Center float in a Christmas parade last night, handing out beads and candy when his foot caught in a wheel. Observers saw the situation and shouted to the driver of the float (Hayes’s cousin) to back up. In the confusion, the truck ran over Hayes a second time.

Hayes died later at a local hospital.

It breaks my heart.

As someone certified to teach, I understand the importance of continuing education and know the guidelines in involved in keeping my certification up to date. Teachers aren’t the only ones who have to keep on top of their licenses. Most other highly specialized professionals also work hard to maintain ongoing career education and professional development. Once you obtain a certification in any given area, you have to work to keep it current. Contractors, inspectors, interior designers, engineers, architects, and electricians are just some of the professional trades that require ongoing education and certification.

Many professionals have to complete a certain number of hours or credits of continuing education in order to renew their licenses within their fields. In fact, engineers and architects in particular have deadlines fast approaching. December 31 is the cut off in many states.

Although there are many ways in which to obtain credits for ongoing education, the most convenient way is to use a well recognized online company like RedVector. They are a company located right here in the Tampa Bay area, but their reach is nationwide, because all of the courses are fully online. Redvector.com offers courses for individual licensees as well as large corporations and a large number of professional organizations. You can simply click on your home state to browse the course offerings available to you.

Completing your coursework online means no commute, no fixed time in a classroom, and more often than not, less expensive fees.

The Florida Strawberry Festival is a huge event here in the Tampa Bay area. Some school districts even reworked their calendars to do away with extra days off around Easter in favor of giving a day off for the Festival. Yes, it’s that big around here.

Yesterday, the entertainment was announced for the 2008 Florida Strawberry Festival. It’s a varied mix, though traditional heavy in the country music genre. Maybe those of you who could not get Hannah Montana tickets can just settle for seeing her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus,

The festival is also reverting to the practice of offering free seating in the stadium’s concrete bleachers for all shows. Last year, fans had to pay for those seats during the evening shows. Reserved seating ticket prices range from $10 to $40, depending on the act.

• Bobby Vinton, 3:30 p.m. Feb. 28, $10 and $15.
• Josh Turner, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28, $15 and $20
• Charley Pride, 3:30 p.m. Feb. 29, $10 and $15
• Miranda Lambert, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 29, $10 and $15
• Jeff and Sheri Easter-The Isaacs, 3:30 p.m. March 1, $10 and $15
• MercyMe, 7:30 p.m. March 1, $10 and $15
• Chris Cagle, 3:30 p.m. March 2, $10 and $15
• Alan Jackson, 7:30 p.m. March 2, $40
• Mickey Gilley, 3:30 p.m. March 3, $10 and $15
• Travis Tritt, 7:30 p.m. March 3, $15 and $20
• Glen Campbell, 3:30 p.m. March 4, $10 and $15
• Blake Shelton, 7:30 p.m. March 4, $10 and $15
• Crystal Gayle, 3:30 p.m. March 5, $10 and $15
• Tom Jones, 7:30 p.m. March 5, $15 and $20
• The Smothers Brothers, 3:30 p.m. March 6, $10 and $15
• Charlie Daniels Band, 7:30 p.m. March 6, $10 and $15
• Gene Watson, 3:30 p.m. March 7, $10 and $15
• Trace Adkins, 7:30 p.m. March 7, $15 and $20
• Billy Ray Cyrus, 3:30 p.m. March 8, $10 and $15
• Neal McCoy, 7:30 p.m. March 8, $10 and $15
• Sugarland, 3:30 p.m. March 9, $30 and $35
• Jason Aldean, 7:30 p.m. March 9, $15 and $20

Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 8 a.m. online at www.flstrawberryfestival.com, or call the festival ticket office at (813) 754-1996.