I’ve got to tell you that I have nothing but love for all the folks at PayPerPost! I’ve been a postie for just over a month now, which means the cash is starting to roll in every single day. I’ve scooped up more than $50 so far, and (get this), I have another $450 on the way! All of this from helping great companies advertise on blogs by posting a couple times per day.

I already know exactly what I’m going to spend my PPP money on. I’m going to get my husband a new One Industries motocross helmet that he’s had his eye on for awhile now. He’s been wanting it since the beginning of summer, but everytime we got the money together for it, some kind of financial emergency cropped up so he was never able to get it. Not this time, though. I’m making a point of not withdrawing any money from my PayPal account until it’s enough to buy the helmet.

I’m also going to buy my son his first bicycle. He’ll be four soon and is ready to get a real bike. He’s practically ridden the tires off his tricycle and will be completely thrilled to see a “big boy” bicycle under the tree. I can’t wait to see the expression on his face!

I saw on ESPN Insider today that the Red Sox and Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka are still “far apart” in terms of contract negotiations. If you remember my spring training post from just over a week ago, the Red Sox claimed to have submitted a fair offer to Matsuzaka and his agent Scott Boras. That was Nov. 28 and as of today, Dec. 6, nothing has been decided yet. Remember, the Red Sox have until Dec. 14 to sign Matsuzaka or his rights go back to the Seibu Lions who will then be free to post him again.

Personally, I don’t think things will get that far. The Red Sox have to come to terms with Matsuzaka because, as their GM said after the winning bid of $51.1 million was announced, they weren’t just doing that to block out the Yankees. They really want Daisuke on their roster. So they’ll end up giving him the money he wants.

Remeber that Boras is the same guy who negotiated Alex Rodriguez’s record-setting $252 million contract. I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts he’s the real reason the negotiations are being held up. I don’t know Matsuzaka at all, of course, but it’s extremely rare for a Japanese pro athlete to get hung up on money matters — especially when they’re talking about millions and millions to begin with.

I saw on ESPN Insider today that the Red Sox and Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka are still “far apart” in terms of contract negotiations. If you remember my spring training post from just over a week ago, the Red Sox claimed to have submitted a fair offer to Matsuzaka and his agent Scott Boras. That was Nov. 28 and as of today, Dec. 6, nothing has been decided yet. Remember, the Red Sox have until Dec. 14 to sign Matsuzaka or his rights go back to the Seibu Lions who will then be free to post him again.

Personally, I don’t think things will get that far. The Red Sox have to come to terms with Matsuzaka because, as their GM said after the winning bid of $51.1 million was announced, they weren’t just doing that to block out the Yankees. They really want Daisuke on their roster. So they’ll end up giving him the money he wants.

Remeber that Boras is the same guy who negotiated Alex Rodriguez’s record-setting $252 million contract. I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts he’s the real reason the negotiations are being held up. I don’t know Matsuzaka at all, of course, but it’s extremely rare for a Japanese pro athlete to get hung up on money matters — especially when they’re talking about millions and millions to begin with.

When I lived in Japan, I met a lot of expats from Canada and had a great time trading barbs with them about which of our countries was better. I’m still in touch with a lot of them even though I’m in the U.S. and they’ve gone back home.

Anyway, I immediately thought of my friends in the Calgary area when I heard about this company called Rent Spot. Rent Spot is a service that provides help in finding Calgary apartments for rent, which is something former expats could definitely use after they return from a year or two abroad.

I checked out the Rent Spot website and loved how easy it was to search for apartments based on different criteria, such as monthly rent, number of bedrooms, whether or not pets were allowed, square footage, etc. Those are precisely the things I’m most interested in when looking for a place to live, so I can tell Rent Spot knows what they’re doing.

Right now Rent Spot just services the Calgary area, but they should be expanding to other Canadian cities soon. Check them out!

The finalists for the Heisman Trophy were announced today. Ohio State’s Troy Smith, Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn, and Arkansas’ Darren McFadden all theoretically have a shot with walking off with the trophy. I say theoretically because everyone knows that Smith, as leader of the undefeated No.1-ranked Buckeyes, will be the winner.

I have to say that I’m a bit disappointed at the way Quinn’s season turned out. I really thought he’d put up huge numbers this year and would eclipse some of the school records he set last season. But it just wasn’t meant to be, I guess. At least his stock didn’t fall too much and he’ll still be a high draft pick come April when he enters the NFL.

I’ve been suffering from terrible migraines for years, and over-the-counter pain relievers are just not effective on the symptoms. So my doctor’s been prescribing Fioricet for me, which seems to do the trick. The only problem is that it’s very expensive to get my prescriptions filled and refilled at local pharmacies, so I’ve been trying to find a reliable online pharmacist. I’ve tested out a few, but haven’t settled on a specific one just yet. I’ll keep you updated on my progress.

I heard that New York City has instituted a restaurant ban on artificial trans fats. The ban will go into effect in three months for both national chain restaurants and single-owner places alike, while a ban on trans fats in baked goods is scheduled to take effect in 2008.

The link between trans fats and elevated risks of heart disease was established some time ago, and it’s kind of scary for me to think about (since I eat so much restaurant/bakery food). I’m behind this move 100 percent, even if it means that some of my favorite foods will taste slightly different. Better health is more important, obviously.

What I can’t believe is that people in the restaurant industry are opposed to the ban. Yes, it will cost them a lot of money at first, but aren’t they concerned about the health of their patrons??? I’d rather pay a bit more for healthier food when I go out than save money and have a heart attack. Duh.

Read the full Reuters article right here.

I’ll admit it: the first thing I notice about a man is the way he dresses. I love it when men actually care about their appearance and pay attention to the little details, like having a great pair of shoes or just the right tie. These things make all the difference in the world, in my opinion.

My husband, unfortunately, doesn’t care too much about clothing, so I’m left to do most of his shopping for him. I’ve just discovered a terrific designer name Peter Belisi, who is well-known in the industry for his unique, luxurious neckties and accessories. I’m planning on purchasing several hand-made silk ties from Belisi Fashions for my husband for Christmas this year, but am having a little trouble narrowing my choices down to just a few. All the designs are so beautiful that it’s really hard to decide which ones to buy!

Check them out for yourself and let me know what you think.

I’ve been following the story of the Kim family, which got stranded in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, ever since it broke across the wires. The story was particularly relevant to the blogging world because James Kim was a senior editor over at CNET.

Although Kim’s wife and two daughters were rescued on Monday, but he was not with them. He had set off by himself on Saturday in order to look for help.

According to this article from The Mercury News, Kim was tying clothing to branches along the way, probably to help mark his trail. It was speculated that Kim was attempting to follow Big Windy Creek in the hopes that it would lead him to help. Instead, rescuers found his body today at around noon.

What a sad, sad story. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Kim’s family and friends. Bummer.

My friend Stefan over in Luton will love this offer! I just heard that Eclipse Internet is offering 20% off their business broadband service, and the features included are exactly what Stefan needs for his small office. He’s been looking for an Internet service provider that can give him a fast and reliable connection with unlimited downloads and uploads, which is precisely what Eclipse does. Plus, he can get 25 email addresses for himself and his employees. Perfect!