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Budget cuts in Florida have led to big changes in the university system. It was already announced that there is a hiring freeze at eleven Florida schools. Also, according to a friend of mine who is a professor at the University of South Florida, a lot of people got laid off early this year. Thankfully, his position looks secure so far.

Yesterday, the Board of Governors approved changes that will allow college leaders to lower enrollment, lay off employees, and raise undergraduate, in-state tuition 8%. On the other end of the spectrum, they also decided not to enact a plan that would raise tuition by around 13% over the next five years.

Although this seemingly does not impact me right now, since got my initial degrees in the early 90s and finished my teaching program last summer, it does make me take notice due to a comment make by Senate President Ken Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie.

“It’s frightening to think that the Board of Governors would seriously consider a proposal that would, in effect, destroy the prepaid college tuition program in Florida. This is the camel’s nose under the tent,” Pruitt.

This is a disturbing thought. We purchased a pre paid plan for my daughter the year she was born, locking in the tuition rates at the cost of that particular year. In theory, she will be able to attend when she is of college age, using this pre-paid voucher. I’ll be looking into that issue a little more. I was only able to find the quote by Pruitt and not much information to back it up with details.

I’ll admit this is a delicate topic, but you are reading a woman’s blog, so you’ll have to come to terms with the fact that there will be women’s issues discussed here. Just a fair warning; when I say this is an intimate topic I mean as in intimate apparel.

After I had my daughter, my bra size changed. It’s a matter of nursing, gravity, a little weight gain and the wonder of the ever changing female body. Things are just different once you have children. One thing that is not different is that I still do not like plain or “old lady” looking lingerie. I like fine lingerie that makes me feel girly and feminine and pretty. I’m sure I’m not alone in this preference.

There are a lot of retailers that just plain don’t sell bras over a particular size. There are even those who purport to cater to the curvy woman, and still don’t carry anything out of the general norm. So, when you do find a comfy bra that fits well, it is usually decidedly matronly. I’m not having any of that, thank you very much.

Bits of Lace not lonely sells a wide variety of sizes, they also carry truly stunning lingerie. These are tasteful, lovely under things at their best. They concentrate on European styles and brands, from classic Marie Jo bras to the trendy Spanx shaping collection. If you care about how you look from the skin up, this is a logical starting point for you.

Great sweet treat for those who need to watch their sugar intake.

1 egg white
1 Tablespoon cold water
1 Pound pecans
1 Cup splenda
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

Beat 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon cold water together until frothy. Stir 1 pound of pecan halves into mixture.

In a separate bowl mix:
1 cup splenda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Stir pecan mixture into sugar mixture until will coated. Spread onto cookie sheet.
Bake at 275º for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Despite its dubious nutritional issues, I really do love the flavor of freshly cooked bacon, all crisp and hot. I rarely prepare it, though. I usually save bacon cooking for tomatoe season when we can make BTL sandwiches with garden fresh tomatoes and farm fresh bacon. Of course, our family has an odd way of making the BLT sandwiches which turns them into BEG sandwiches, for lack of a better term. We skip the lettuce and instead add a scrambled egg. It might sound odd, but it tastes divine and it is a massive burst of protein. Yum.

Anyway, my mom made bacon the old fashioned way when I was a kid. She made it in a skillet on the stove. She did have a cool splatter guard that not only contained the popping oil, but also kept the bacon from curling up. When microwaves were brand new in the marketplace, our family was one of the first to own one. Bacon was one the foods that was forever relegated to the microwave. She cooked it on a glass plate, laying flat between two pieces of paper towel. The paper towel prevented splatters and soaked up the bacon grease.

I’ve never been fond of either the stove top or microwave on a plate method. So, when I had the chance to try a new fully enclosed microwave bacon cooker, I jumped at the prospect. This handy little gadget lets you cook bacon in the microwave, eliminated 100% of the splatter and saves the bacon grease for you – which can come in handy if you want to add a little your green beans or baked beans for extra flavor. The CrispyClean® Bacon Broiler is the only gadget of its kind available – fully enclosed and splatter-free.

It looks like an unassuming plastic pitcher.

As you can see on the inside, though, once you unlock the levers and lift off the cover there are arms on which you can hang half a dozen slices of bacon. By hanging the bacon, you get an evenly cooked product in just about 30 seconds and all of the grease drips down and collect in the bottom of the unit. The best part of the process is that the entire contraption is dishwasher safe. That rocks.

I have room to store this little gadget, so it is completely worth my time and effort to cook my bacon with it. I think the benefit of how the bacon hangs and allows the fat to completely leave the meat is probably my biggest selling point. Healthy bacon might sound like an oxymoron, and turkey bacon just doesn’t make my grade, so this cooking method is hands down your best option if you want to use bacon in any of your meals.

The Hogans are up to their necks in press, and not all of it is good. This week we have new fodder for the fire. Linda Hogan (Bollea) submitted a new filing in her divorce case and is accusing Hulk Hogan of “legal shenanigans”. No really, that is what they are calling it. Legal shenanigans. Did her attorney go to school with the Lucky Charms Leprechaun?

The shenanigans of which she speaks are things like her allegation that Hulk tried to trick her into signing a post-nuptial agreement and hiding $10 million from a real estate transaction.

Linda Bollea filed for divorce in November and now she wants the judge to stop Terry Bollea (Hulk Hogan) from using the money from the sale of real estate and to freeze his assets.

This is getting juicy.

The post-nup and the home sale she refers to, though, are both things that happened back in August, before she filed for divorce. They occurred after their son, Nick Bollea, was in that horrific accident that incapacitated John Graziano.

Linda Bollea says actions taken by Terry Bollea back in August are what caused her to file for divorce. She called his actions “legal shenanigans.

She also admits that last year she removed $1.5 million from their accounts, but has not spent any of it.

So, is the Hulkster hiding money? Is he tying up money from trusts into LLCs? Is he reporting all of the money transactions, as he is required to do under the divorce proceeding? Let’s just assume that now that suspicions have been brought to light, someone will find out what is really happening.

Divorce is Florida can be relatively straight-forward, but you still have to settle up all of the assets so they can be split 50-50. The tough part is tracking them all down and agreeing that the list is complete. I know my ex hid money from the sale of our home as well as some freelance work he did and stock options that he sold. It was very difficult for me to get a hold of all of the information I needed and in the end, I know I just got the short end of the stick. However, I did get my daughter and that’s worth all the gold in the world.

It’s January. How many times this month have you already been asked how your resolutions are going? Holy cow. I’ve been deluged. Now, to be honest, this is the first year ever where I just relaxed and did not make any real resolutions. I just can’t handle the clichéd failing feeling.

But, let me tell you something just between you and me….and the several other hundred people who pass by here daily, according to my stats. In my heart of hearts, I still look at January as a time to sort of start over and I particularly look at it as a time to really try to work on my weight issues again. I used to have no problem with my weight, but then I had my daughter, and my divorce, and two subsequent moves. It’s been a rough road and my health has not been at the top of the list. So, here we are in January and although I do not like to call it a resolution, I suppose it really is.

Now, I know there is no miracle pill. And, if wishes were money,…yadda yadda yadda. When it comes down to it, the solution is exercise and a goal to achieve fast weight loss with healthy diet plans. I will add the stress to the word healthy!

Now, the year I had my daughter I joined Weight Watchers and I have to tell you, it works. I stuck to it as long as my family was willing to eat the food I prepared along with me. Once that willingness was gone, I got too flubbed up trying to cook separate meals and gave up. Still, the diet works and right now Weight Watchers has a 25% off coupon that expires at the end of the month. It’s a good deal.

I’ve heard good and bad things about so many of the popular plans and when it comes down to it, everyone has an individual plan that is right for their body, lifestyle, and desires. The Weight Loss Diet Help site is a good resource for discovering what might be right for you, because their focus is comparing the different popular plans. There are also helpful articles, like this one on how you can do small things to lose a pound a week. Do that for a year and you are looking at a loss of over 50 pounds.

So, like I said, it is January and my resolution to not have a resolution has likely failed. Maybe one for weight loss will succeed.

I’ve been putting off the applications for a couple of the charter schools in the county and I know that the lottery for admissions will start soon. I have no idea why I have been so slow to gather the paperwork I need, but it might be because the school I really like actually requires me to turn in everything I would give them if she were actually enrolling. That includes her birth certificate and immunization record. So, I have had to bop around gathering things.

If my daughter gets into one of the charter schools in the lottery this year, she will be able to attend at public school prices (free) and still; have a private school experience. I am focusing on two of the schools. They both have longer school days, because they incorporate additional curriculum, aside from the Sunshine State Standards. One school is an arts school and Gigi would have dance, art, and music weekly – if not daily. The other school teaches Greek and she would eventually come out bilingual. That would give her a leg up for the rest of her school career, so I am sort of hoping she gets into the Greek school, though I know that if I ask her she will choose the arts school.

The law here says that charter schools must hold a lottery for kindergarten admissions. That way, things are 100% fair. Cross your fingers, say a prayer, send good vibes, whatever it is you do in stressful situations. I want her to get into one of these schools.

I actually have her arts school application in already. I am going over to the Greek school this afternoon to turn in paperwork. And, there is one more school I MAY go see next week.

Now is a good time to be a girl. The world is wide open for women today and anything, absolutely anything, you want to do, and you can. No doubts, no ceilings, no strings. And the coolest part? Things are only going to get better.

I love that the barriers are coming down, particularly in the job world. I can’t think of anything girls can’t be. Women are soldiers, mechanics, forest rangers, and software engineers. And then, most of them also come home and are moms on top of everything else. Try that one on for size, boys!

The most empowering part of my life is being a mom and supporting myself and my daughter on my own, with my own sweat, education and energy. Because I am so independent and confident, I can see daily the traits that my daughter is assimilating and it feels GOOD! I am raising a happy, confident daughter who loves being a girl and knows she is strong enough to help herself.

Girl Mogul is a website with products that encourage and celebrate the girls, the women, the females that are strong and forward thinking. They have a cool shirt I am going to order for my daughter, to keep her inspired: Future Rocket Scientist. I included a picture of the graphic in this post.