Silverado Tune-Up. Changing the Spark Plugs in the 2005 Chevy Truck.

I am approaching 100,000 miles in my 2005 Chevy Silverado so I figured it was time to do some maintenance. I bought a new serpentine belt, an air filter, and some new spark plugs. I have not installed the serpentine belt yet, but I did put in the filter and the plugs.
The filter is a piece of cake as long as you have the right size star bit. The plugs were a little more challenging but still pretty easy. I purchased Autolite double platinum APP605 plugs. They are really inexpensive but should do the job just fine. I have a 6 cylinder engine so there are a total of six plugs to change. There are three plugs on the left side of the engine and three on the right (driver's side). Change them one at a time, do not try to take all the plugs out at once as you may get confused on which plug wire goes to which plug. I needed a 5/8 inch spark plug socket to remove the plugs. Don't put too much pressure to remove them as you may just pull the threads right off. Don't remove spark plugs while your engine is hot (I waited a few hours since I just drove my truck about 30 miles). You WILL need a tool called a wire/boot puller to remove the rubber boot. Just twist the boot to the right & left a few times and then pull hard (from the boot) and it should come off. The gap on the plug needs to be adjusted to .60. I would recommend adjusting all the plug's gap before you even start so as to make sure you don't forget to do one later. Make sure to use some anti-seize on the threads so removing these will be really easy. Also, use some dielectric grease on the tip of the plug to keep water out and also to make it easy to remove for your next plug change.
The three plugs on the passenger's side were really easy to remove and install but the last plug closest to the cab on the driver's side was a bit more difficult to get to. I felt like a contortionist trying to get the right angle to get to the difficult plug. I did not change the wire set (probably should have at 100k). For Chevrolet, AC Delco are the original type of plugs and wires which are very high quality OEM parts. I used Autolite plugs from AutoZone, but I would recommend Bosch products if you want a higher quality of parts and don't mind spending the extra money.

Barry Bonds Perjury Charge. Will He Spend Time in Prison? HGH & Steroids with BALCO

Barry Bonds is about to go through some much needed "time in hell". The perjury case against him is going to give him some of the bad medicine that he dished out to everyone around him for many years. Yes, he was a stroke. He allegedly mistreated almost everyone who was close to him (wife, girlfriends, friends, teammates, doctors, assistants, fans,....) and this is pay back!
His defense is that his personal trainer misled him into believing he was taking flax-seed oil and arthritis cream. The HGH or steroids that he took helped him become a baseball Hall of Fame type player but it also helped him become a member of the Jerk Hall of Fame. Will Congress make him pay (with his life)? Will he get a slap on the wrist and time in a country club prison? Bonds' personal trainer Greg Anderson has been in prison for a while. Anderson better be getting millions of dollars from Bonds for keeping the silence. MLB, Bud Selig, the Giants, Barry Bonds fans, and BALCO are all getting a bit nervous right about now. Who knew, who else will get dragged under the bus, and what will the fall out be?

Best Places for Cheap Lasik Surgery. 20/20 Laser Vision in Both Eyes With Insurance.

Lasik eye surgery is a very popular option these days. I would love to get the surgery but do not want to pay the bill. Even with insurance, Lasik is expensive. What are the options to Lasik/Laser eye surgery? PRK, Zyoptix, IntraLase, Ablations, etc, are very confusing. My insurance plan offers a Lasik plan that covers $600 of the cost per eye.
It still would cost me somewhere close to $3000 to correct my vision (maybe). I would like to never have to wear contacts or glasses again, but even with the Lasik/Laser it is not fool proof. Is it painful? It may not make my vision 20/20. I don't think that cheap Lasik surgery really exists (do you really want a cheap doctor?). I will probably continue to wear contacts until the price of surgery comes down quite a bit. Lasik on a budget is probably not going to happen.

Refinance Your Home Mortgage with Best Rate! I Have Used both eLoan and Lendingtree

I have lived in my house for almost 12 years and originally had an 8% interest rate on my mortgage (1999 was tough for APR). About a year later, I refinanced through eLoans (or maybe it was Quicken loans??) and was able to get a 6.5% APR and reset the loan to a 30 year term. My total monthly payment went down considerably and I was able to drop the dreaded PMI so I was happy.
A year or so later, I again refinanced the mortgage and went through LendingTree.com. Comparing several loan offers is definitely the way to go. Your local bank probably will not be able to compete but it is still a good idea to ask them what APR they can offer you. The prime rate had fallen and I was able to get a 5.5% interest rate for a 20 year term. My monthly payments only went up a few dollars but I dropped about 8 years from my amortization. The refinancing process is a bit of a pain, but well worth it in the long run. I highly recommend that when you refinance, you subtract years instead of dollars. Don't worry so much about lowering your monthly payments because by subtracting years of the term you will save a ton of cash. The mortgage broker and bank really won't care what you choose.

Bug Out Bag for Surviving a Disaster. Survival Mode Gear for the End of the World.

What is a "bug out bag"? Who needs one? I stumbled upon a web site that was basically about survival during "all hell breaking loose". The main theme was about having a bug out bag that had the essentials to help you survive the first 72 hours of a major disaster.
The assumption is that the world as we know it would cease to exist and everyone would be out for themselves. Help in the form of police and military would not be able to respond to everyone. You need to be prepared and the bug out bag would help. The bag is basically a back pack filled with items such as batteries, water purifier, matches, knives, multi-purpose tools, etc. The bug out bag would have to only carry the utmost important items so as to keep it as light as possible. The term bug-out means that you need to leave right now--no time to think about what to grab. I don't have one but maybe it has some validity (without sounding too paranoid). What would happen if a major earthquake or an asteroid hit were to happen right NOW? How about a nuclear meltdown accident? Do you need to buy some anti-radiation pills? Maybe a major terrorism event. When you need to get out of Dodge in a hurry, a prepared bag of essentials is literally a life saver. The boy scout motto is "Be Prepared", maybe they know something we don't.

How to Win the Lottery. Secret to Scratch Off Lottery Tickets Revealed?

There was a column on a major news blog this past week that said a guy in Toronto, Canada had cracked the code to scratch off lottery tickets. He said that he could tell which tickets would be winners by looking at the pattern of numbers on the ticket.
This guy called the Ontario lottery agent and told them that he knew how to predict which tickets would win and also sent in some predicted winners--19 out of 20 predicted correctly (thus the tickets were then pulled from the store). This guy could have made a small fortune if he would have chosen to use his knowledge to scam the government. Did this really happen or is this guy a little delusionable? The best way to beat the system when it comes to scratch off lottery tickets is to NOT PLAY! If you play consistently, you WILL lose your money. There is no such thing as luck. Make you own good fortune, save your money.

10 Great Ronald Reagan Famous Quotes. Happy 100th Birthday President Reagan!

As the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan was in the right spot at the right time. America was changing as was the world. Reagan happened to be the perfect fit for the changing times. As he would be celebrating his 100th birthday this February, I think it is a good time to post some of his famous quotes.


1. “My fellow Americans. I’m pleased to announce that I’ve signed legislation outlawing the Soviet Union. We begin bombing in five minutes.” – joking during a mike check before his Saturday radio broadcast

2. “I hope you’re all Republicans.” – Speaking to surgeons as he entered the operating room following a 1981 assassination attempt

3. “I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of national emergency, even if I’m in a cabinet meeting.” – Said many times during his presidency, 1981-1989

4. “I am not worried about the deficit. It is big enough to take care of itself.” – Said during his presidency, 1981-1989

5. “Recession is when your neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours. And recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his.”


6. “Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.” – Remarks at a business conference, Los Angeles, March 2, 1977

7. “Thomas Jefferson once said, “We should never judge a president by his age, only by his works.’ And ever since he told me that, I stopped worrying.”

8. “I want you to know that also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.” – during a 1984 presidential debate with Walter Mondale

9. “I’ve noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.” – The New York Times, September 22, 1980

10. “What makes him think a middle-aged actor, who’s played with a chimp, could have a future in politics?” – on Clint Eastwood’s bid to become mayor of Carmel

Happy Birthday President Reagan!

How Does a Zero Based Budget Work? Dave Ramsey Would be Proud of You!

You have all heard that a budget is needed to control expenses but what is this thing called a "zero based" budget?  Why not just use an old fashioned one?  Dave Ramsey always recommends the zero based budget so that every dollar has a name.  It is like you telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.  Essentially, a zero based budget is where you will end up with zero dollars left at the end of the month because you accounted for every last dollar.
You start with your total income and end with the remaining money going to a specific place. There is ZERO unaccounted for money. It is difficult to be accurate for the first several months but you will soon better at predicting your total expenses. Keep track of every expense (even the little ones) and you will be able to identify and reduce your frivolous expenditures. Visit Dave Ramsey's website for more information on the zero based budget.

What Temperature to Set the Thermostat at Night Depends on the Winter Low. Programmable Thermostat is the Answer.

How low you should set your thermostat in the winter depends upon your own situation. If you have very young children or a baby, you probably shouldn't go any lower than 64F. If you have laminate flooring, most recommend not to go below 62F. If you have an irritable wife, I wouldn't go below her comfort level...just kidding.
In our house, I set the thermostat temperature to 63F at night and the furnace rarely kicks on until morning (when the programmable thermostat goes to 67F). In the winter, I like it cold at night and have a hard time sleeping if it is warmer than normal. I like to cover up with a blanket and a comforter so I feel as snug as a bug in a rug. No electric blanket needed for me, just the lower energy bill makes me happy.

Happy Groundhog's Day 2015. Phil Can't See His Shadow in a Blizzard!

February 2nd is Groundhog's Day. Why exactly do we still do this?
Is it so every local news channel has two minutes of silly filler? Why not have a reality tv star day where if he/she see's their own ridiculousness, then their 15 minutes of fame disappears. I really don't understand how a groundhog seeing its shadow can predict whether or not winter will stay or spring is here. Of course there will be six more weeks of winter, it's only flipping February 2nd! What kind of silly activity will you plan for the special day? At least on St. Patrick's Day you can do something productive like drink green beer.

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas. Budget Minded, Unique Presents.

That lovely holiday called Valentines day is soon approaching. How do I hate thee. All Valentines day has ever done for me (since I have been married) is get me in trouble. I don't believe in being "forced" into buying a gift or present that is supposed to say how much I love her. So you buy her flowers on a day when your expected to buy her flowers, big deal.
What does that say, that you comply well? A valentines day gift that is unique is the way to go. Buy her some Crest White-strips or something. How about a membership to Jenny Craig? Maybe a breast enhancement certificate. OK, before anyone gets too bent out of shape, I'M JUST KIDDING. Give her a big kiss, a dozen roses, and the credit card bill. Don't get me started on sweetest day...

Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Others are Experiencing a Real Blizzard. Midwest Snow Fall Might Be a Record.

The Snowstorm in Illinois right now is brutal. Whiteout conditions are being caused by 40mph winds and lots of snow. As I look out my window, it seems like this is the real deal. We skated by for many years of just missing the "so called BIG ONE". This might be the storm we talk about 30 years later.
I remember the big snow falls of the late 70's. 1977 through 1979 was a great time to be a kid. The snow was always deep and sometimes would drift up to the gutters of the house. We would build snow forts, tunnel a deep cave, and even build thrones out of the never ending snow. Snow days (school being canceled) was the icing on the cake! That meant an all day snow fest outside with the neighbor kids, followed up by hot chocolate (of course with marshmallows). Oh, to be a kid again! Chicago public schools just canceled school for tomorrow for the first time in over a decade. I would imagine most businesses will be closed at least until mid-morning as well. Go make a snow angel and act like a kid, it might just be a little fun.

Midwest Blizzard Conditions Bad for Business. Snowstorm Cost Millions of Dollars.

The snowstorm expected to hit the Midwest on Tuesday will be tough on the already frazzled Midwest economy. The state of Illinois is already in sad economic shape and this might set sales taxes back even further.
The East coast has been hammered all winter and many small business have had a tough time keeping the doors open. This just opens your eyes on the many risks of owning your own business. If the blizzard conditions do hit, it may hamper the economy for several days. Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and other large mid-western cities will be a mess. I can see that snow removal might even be a huge campaigning strategy for the candidates for mayor of Chicago (like it was in the late 70's). Snow go away.