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Getting Smart about money...for free

The state of Idaho really does care about the financial well being of women.

The Smart Women Smart Money Conference on Thursday at the Boise Centre on the Grove is a free, all-day seminar with classes and speakers designed to educate all women in the area on being financial fit and getting smart about their money.

The annual conference has hosted hundreds of women in the past few years, and most walk away with a basic education on several financial subjects.

And Shirley Jones is they keynote speaker. Yes, that same Shirley Jones of “Partridge Family” fame. [more]

These guys are the bright side of life

If you had asked me yesterday whether or not I liked Broadway musicals, I would have answered with a thumbs down and a “ptthhhbt.”

Ask me tonight and I will tell you that there is at least one I like: Spamalot. [more]

Days of Yore

As kids growing up in Connecticut, we celebrated Mischief Night the eve of Halloween. Some called it Arson Night or Prank Night but it was mostly known as Mischief Night and it was as widely celebrated as Halloween itself.

It was a night dedicated to the fine art of toilet papering lawns, egging neighbors’ homes, lighting bags of leaves on fire, putting bologna slices on cars, and other generally benign prankery. (Except bolognaing cars, which will eat away car paint in perfect circles if the luncheon meat is left on overnight.)

Neighbors would open their front doors to quite a fright on Halloween morning, but it was so common an occurrence that they would laugh, sigh, shake their head and shout a congratulatory, “Top drawer, my friends!” as they pulled TP from their bushes. [more]

Boise Events We Like

Monday, Oct. 29
Take Back the Night – The highlight of the annual event will surely be singer-songwriter Katie Sawicki, who earlier this month headed out from New York on a national tour to promote her new record to be released early 2008. The show is at College of Idaho, recently renamed from Albertson College of Idaho, but it is open to the public and worth the trip to Caldwell.

Tuesday, Oct. 30
James Taylor – Legendary Sweet Baby James is rocking out at the Idaho Center. Past JT experience indicates that there will not be a lot of headbanging but the show will be lively, chock full of classic favorites, and a satisfying way to spend $55 to $75. Show starts at 7:30 p.m. in Nampa.

Check out more events at BoiseEvents.Net [more]

No, I didn't accept the prize

It’s Just Lunch is a dating service for busy professionals. I only recently found this out after I entered what I thought was a drawing for a free midday meal, and only a midday meal.

I was wrong. A few days after I had entered my name into the raffle at the last Alive After Five festival in downtown Boise, I received a call from a woman at the dating service who said my name was drawn from the entries to win the grand prize, a free six-month membership.

“Is that six months of free lunch?” I asked, thrilled with the idea of winning such a wonderful prize. [more]

Contest: Pick my costume

It’s convenient that Halloween is on a Wednesday, because folks can throw costume parties the Saturday before, which happens to be exactly what a bazillion people are doing.

Boise is full of Halloween activity this Saturday, and I’m a little nervous because I still don’t have a costume. Any suggestions for an easy, comfortable costume on the cheap are much appreciated.

I have a turtle costume I wore for the last three years (although one year I was a tortuga, which is Spanish for turtle). It is a good costume, but it might be getting a little played out by now, so I’m taking ideas for a new costume.

Here’s your chance to help: Offer costume proposals in the comments section below. Rules are simple: I need to be comfortable (sneakers), it needs to be inexpensive and it can’t be Larry Craig related, because that, too, will invariably be played out. I’ll pick a costume from your suggestions and the winner will get a NewWest.net T-shirt. [more]

There's enough for everyone this year

Three cheers for the flu shot. Since Idaho’s first confirmed case of influenza this season has been reported, health officials are once again on the urge to get us common folk vaccinated.

In addition to health officials's public suggestion, I also recommend people get the flu shot. I recommend that everyone who lives near me, breathes near me, shops at the same stores, and goes to the same gas station get the flu shot. Because I don’t want to get the flu.

I had it a couple of years ago, and make no mistake, the flu is not just a “bad cold.” It is the worst. [more]

The secret lives of strangers

This is what I found on Wednesday night: The founders of Found Magazine on their national “There Goes the Neighborhood” tour at Boise’s Women of Steel Gallery.

Brothers Davy and Peter Rothbart, Found editors, are on the cross-country tour to celebrate and promote the release of the fifth issue of Found – the Crime Issue.

Found is a magazine collection of crap that people find: love letters, birthday cards, homework, to-do lists, ticket stubs, poetry on napkins, doodles – anything that gives a glimpse into someone else's life. [more]

Idaho Ecosystem

Sagebrush seems to grow all over Idaho. The sharp-smelling dusty green shrub blankets the countryside along the state highways, the foothills, the deserts. It is hard to believe the livelihood of sagebrush and its ecosystem are in jeopardy.

The fires that devastated Idaho’s rangeland over the summer also destroyed greenery critical to the state’s ecology. So last week Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter asked for several hundred volunteers to help gather wild sagebrush seeds for rehabilitating the damaged areas. [more]

Bronco Nation

The Boise State Broncos did it again. Sunday night's football win against Nevada was an Instant Classic.

BSU beat the Wolfpack 69 to 67 in the fourth overtime, and the game set a record for most points in an NCAA Division I-A game with 136 total points.

If you missed the nail-biter, you can catch it when ESPN Classic will rebroadcast the whole game and four overtimes on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. [more]

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