Here's the rundown of the Sand Diego 3-Day walk on November 10-12, 2006. I have a couple dozen excuses about why I'm so late writing about it... but I won't bore you with them :-)

The walk was fantastic! Five THOUSAND people participated in the 60 mile journey as walkers. Most of the walkers were 20 or 30 year old women. Even so, there were lots of participants outside that age range and quite a few men.

The walk began at the Del Mar Fairgrounds with an inspirational send off speech and then we were herded out through the gates and along the back entrance of the fairgrounds to the road. I saw smiling faces everywhere. My teammate and I seemed to be walking with some of the fastest, though we were passed once or twice.

We had only been on the walk about 15 minutes when we saw our first official 3-Day support vehicle on the side of the road to cheer the walkers along. Brashly written on the side of the van was the logo "You're limpin' we're pimpin." A peak inside the van revealed red velvet and fringe covering every surface. Disco music was blaring from the speakers. In the front of the vehicle the driver (dressed in a red velvet suit, large red hat, animal print shirt, and lots of gold jewelry) was dancing away to the disco and waving to each walker that passed.

Less than an hour into the walk we saw our first glimpse of the Pacific. We'd been told that we wouldn't have that much of a view on the first day, but we were right on the beach. We could also see the one of the first pitstops, also right on the beach... and we could see the dreaded hill at Torrey Pines. My walking partner wanted to avoid the pit stops as much as possible, however I took a look at the start of the hill and decided that a refill on the drink was a good idea... and a stop at the snack bar... and maybe a restroom stop as well. Anything to procrastinate a bit. Reagan was kind, but after 10 minutes she sweetly told me to get going. And off we went up the hill at Torrey Pines. It wasn't as bad as I though. I kept moving off into the shade. About 5 minutes into the climb I realized how much of a mistake it was to wear pants and a jacket during the walk. (I shed the jacket quickly and stuck to shorts the next two days.)

3-Day Milestones

I'm so excited!!!! Today I had the chance to speak at the local Soroptimist meeting about my Breast Cancer 3-Day walk in San Diego. While I was there I received almost $200 in donations on the spot from individuals in the organization. In addition, the organization said that they would get back to me and I'm hoping that they will give me a donation as well. Then one of the ladies asked me to come to a Mary Kay business meeting that night. I made an additional $50 in donations and received an invitation to speak at a local Lions Club meeting!!!
I'm almost to the halfway point for fundraising!!!
I've also been walking on a regular basis, training for the event. I may have recruited a person to walk with me as well and I've found two women in the area that are walking and have agreed to team up with me to work on fundraising together. We are planning a big yard sale in October to raise money. We are also planning a silent auction, a candy guessing jar, T-shirt decorating, and other things to raise money. We hope to raise at least $1000 during the yard sale. I'm hoping for much more! Check out my fundraising website. What a great place to give money to! All of the money raised goes toward research on, education about, and detection of breast cancer; a disease that can affect men as well as women.
It's amazing that every time I talk to someone about this event they have been impacted in some way by the disease through a diagnosis in their family or the loss of a friend or co-worker. The stories have beenall been candid and heart-felt and I'm honored to dedicate a portion of my time to doing something that will help future generations avoid the pain and suffering that goes along with a cancer diagnosis.

Assurance Plus info from www.ripoffreport.com

Here's information about a company that I had the misfortune to be involved with. Scam? I'll let you read through all of the reports which can be found at the Rip Off Report as of today. My report is dated 8/19/06 out of Lemoore, CA. I'll update when I have more information.

8/21/06
Assurance Plus - Diversified Marketing Concepts ripoff Double scam sold me a website w/ a coach who contacted me to sell an advertising package w/ a guarantee Phoenix Arizona
Company:Assurance Plus
Address:3644 E Mcdowell Rd.
Suite 114Phoenix Arizona 85008U.S.A.
Phone Number:602-346-8949

I purchased a website for $199. Received a binder in the mail that included a certificate of ownership and W-9 tax form.After sending in the tax form the coach (Matt Cowie) called and offered a guaranteed form of advertising.Matt Cowie called it Targeted Traffic Advertising which contained 3 levels of advertising. 1. V.I.P.- guaranteed 5,000 visitors per year for $2695; 2. GOLD - guaranteed 10,000 visitors per year for $3495; 3. PLATINUM - guaranteed 15,000 visitors per year for $3995. All of these were for one year contract for advertising the website.The three websites they offer are www.mycasinosonline.com for the online casino; www.premiershoppingsite.com for Ebay, and www.youronestopstore.com for Amazon. The original offer is 3 websites for $399 or try one for $199. Matt Cowies phone# is 1-602-346-8949, Assurance Plus' phone # is 888-600-8955.Luckily I saw Rip-off Report.com about 15 minutes before Matt called me to confirm the purchase. I told him "NO SALE" and to never call me again. Your website saved me alot of money, time, and hassle. I will not get my $199 back and I can imagine how the others feel losing thousands.
Brandon
Lakeside, TexasU.S.A.

8/19/06
Assurance Plus Lets Get Together And Stop Them!! Took my money delivered nothing Phoenix Arizona *Company:Assurance Plus
Address:3644 E McDowell Rd.P
hoenix Arizona 85008U.S.A.
Phone Number:888-600-8955

I took was taken by Assurance Plus I should have known better but I was fooled. They are always saying the coaches called me back but I know that is a out and out lie. I have set 4 appointments with them and not has ever called. I spoke with Brian Butler and was assured he would get this taken care of and still no results. I am going to be contacting the State of Arizon Attorney General office and want everyone who has been ripped off to help. I have set up a email address (((ROR REDACTED FOR SECURITY PURPOSES))) so that everyone who wants to stop them can contact me. They are scammers and together we can stop them. I know we can. Lets not let this continue. They are on every rip of site I have checked lets get them.....
Loretta
Ogden, UtahU.S.A.

UPDATE ..Assurance Plus

I have called Amazon directly to report this rip off and they assured me they are not affiliated with Asurance Plus and gave me a email address to write to the legal department about what has happened to me and to you. They seem to be taking this serious and hopefully the can help us all and prevent this from happening to anyone else. I wish there was a way to get us all connected so that we can fight fire with fire. I know we can win.Loretta Ogden Utah
Loretta - Ogden, UtahU.S.A.

8/19/2006
Assurance Plus; Diverse Marketing Concepts deceptive business opportunity and marketing practices Phoenix Arizona
Company:Assurance Plus; Diverse Marketing Concepts
Address:3644 E McDowell Rd Suite 114
Phoenix Arizona 85008U.S.A.
Phone Number:888-600-8955

I first heard about Assurance Plus last December while looking for opportunities to work from home. My military family had recently moved across the country and I was having difficulty finding a new job. I found Assurance Plus through a web search of work-at-home and home business opportunities. After researching the company on the BBB website, I found that they had been listed with the BBB for 5 years and had no complaints so I decided to call them.

Assurance Plus offered to design affiliate websites for me that would be affiliate gateways to three companies: amazon.com, ebay.com and windowscasino.com. The price of the site was $100 each, for a total of $300. They said that they would host the sites for $19.00 a month for 6 months and if I signed up then,after the 6 months my hosting would be free because of a special they were running. I happily signed on for all three websites. Assurance Plus said that my advertising coach would be in touch very soon.

A few days later I received a binder in the mail which included my "Certificate of Ownership" of the three websites: www.youronestopstore.com/11022; www.premiershoppingsite.com/11022; and Viannah
Lancaster, PennsylvaniaU.S.A.

7/27/06
Assurance Plus ripoff Phoenix Arizona
Company:Assurance Plus
Address:3644 E. McDowell Road, Suite 114
Phoenix Arizona 85008U.S.A.
Phone Number:888-600-8955

Assurance Plus is a company that is out to rip-off people looking to make money on the internet.My Husband and I talked about joining Assurance Plus. The man named JR talked with my husband about charging 299.00 for all (Three)affliate programs. Then after we started to make money they would take out the rest of the money for the program.JR and Brin called me to get the money. I was told that my husband has agreed to pay $299.00 for the programs. Then they said that to get the voice over I would need to pay $298.00. They did not tell me that they had added that to what we were to pay after we made the money. They charged my card $597.00 not $299.00.We were told we would have a coach that would walk us though everything. After they got the money we never heard from them. They only called when they found I am charging back on my card.Then they called and said the are taking me to court. Well if they do I will tell everyone I know as well as news and other midia how bad they are. They need to be shut down!!! They are hurting alot of people.
Judy
Las Vegas, NevadaU.S.A.

6/20/06
Assurance Plus ripoff Phoenix Arizona
Company:Assurance Plus
Address:
3644 E McDowell Rd.
Phoenix Arizona 85008U.S.A.
Phone Number:888-600 8955Fax:
I am an old lady and the scammed me out of 4000. I know I should have been more alert. but the guy talked so fast that if I spent this I would have all of these advertisements that would bring me in money. Assurance plus is in phoenix. az. Is there any help in helping me get some of my money back..
Barb
Promise city, IowaU.S.A.

Name Change

I was thinking that it's really time to change the name of my blog. Ex-Chesapeake Ranger really doesn't work anymore. I haven't been one in over a year and I think it's time to start identifying with something else... but what? Do you have any ideas? I'm definitely thinking on this subject and I'd appreciate any suggestions from people that read this!

I think I'll temporarily name it VA 2 CA.

Let me know if you think of anything better.

Summer 2006

It is now August, 4 months since my last post. A very busy 4 months too! I finished up Microbiology in May and took 8 credits of Biology over the summer: Anatomy and Physiology during the 8 week session. We hosted my parents for a week in July and then my mother-in-law a week later.

My daughter and my husband baked a surprise cake for my birthday back in June. I'm so happy that he took the effort to make my birthday special.

My daughter and I took my parents to Jamestown, CA to try our hand at panning for gold. We went with a company called Gold Prospector ( I think) and had a nice time. The creek we were on was well sheltered from the hot California sun. The guide was knowledgeable and pleasant to talk with. We spent 3 hours on the creek looking for gold using the traditional pan as well as a sluice box. I had no idea how much hard work was involved in prospecting until I tried it myself. Between the 4 of us, our 3 hours produced enough gold to purchase (maybe) a McDonald's happy meal. Now I fully understand why most of the gold rush fortunes were made in laundries, food and other services for the prospectors!

We rented a cabin in South Lake Tahoe during my mother-in-law's visit. We spent two days seeing the sights of Tahoe, tubing on the Truckee River and visiting the Lake Tahoe casinos and shops. We took a ride to the top of Heavenly to show my in-laws the view of the lake and to compare the view with our memories of the lake during winter.

I also continued facilitating the PREVENT course at the local Navy base.
And, I've been training for my upcoming 60 mile walk. Last weekend I walked 10 miles to Hanford for some ice cream at the Superior Dairy, possibly the BEST ice cream I've ever tasted!

I've also been contemplating the best ways to raise money for my walk. So far I've raised almost $500. That's just under 25% of my fundraising goal. I've spent all morning writing letters to local businesses. The next step is to go and deliver the letters. Next week I'll be making follow-up calls. I've got my fingers crossed (and toes). I really want my fundraising efforts to succeed!
I've also found two other locals who have signed up to walk the3day in San Diego. I'm hoping that the three of us can train together and team up to support each others' fundraising. It's a pretty exciting time out here.

Training for the 3 Day

It's been 3 weeks since I decided to sign up for the 60 mile walk. I have 29 weeks to train for my walk. I've made a point of going to the gym just about every other day since I signed up. Sometimes more often. I went running with a neighbor, which was interesting. He was running so that he could get ready for his PRT. I haven't run for exercise since 1993. I made it 1/4 mile before I had to stop running and walk. I was nver a very good runner, but I didn't realize that I'd be that far out of shape! I'm glad I signed up so early for the 3 Day so that I have plenty of time to get ready. I can see that I have my work cut out for me.

I have big goals for my 3 Day. In addition to fundraising and training, I'm trying to lose weight. I think 25 lbs is a reasonable goal in 30 weeks. Losing that will still put me in the overweight category, but if I keep up my practice I'm hoping I can make the exercise a part of my lifestyle.

Life has been busy too. We have had a house built and should be closing on it in the next week or two. That means it's time to pack up our belongings again and move to a new household. It's our second move in 11 months. Hopefully this one will last for a while! Somewhere between 3 and 9 years anyway.

I've also been busy with school classes. This semester is Microbiology and Nutrition. I've held on to a 98 average in my Microbiology class and an A in Nutrition as well. Micro is great, but I don't like Nutrition as much as I enjoyed Sociology and Psychology last semester. For my Psychology class I took an interesting IQ test. What is your IQ? Take this free online IQ Test to find out! I printed the questions and results and took them in to class too. Everyone in class had fun trying the questions themselves.

I plan on taking Anatomy and Physiology during the summer session. Those should be interesting as 10 week summer classes. Nothing like a fast pace challenge! After those two classes I'll have all my prerequisites done for the nursing program that I'll start in the fall.

So far my 3 Day fundraising has gone well, but it's been pretty slow the past week and a half. I've raised $180 dollars out of the $2200 I need by the event. I still have at least $2020 to go. I'd love to have large donations, but the reality is that most people can't afford to give $1000 or $500 to every cause that comes there way. A lot of people can't even afford $100, but I think that $10-$50 is usually available. $10-$50 is equivalent to giving up one fast food dinner or one restaurant dinner for most couples. The money goes to support treatment and research for a disease that impacts everybody in the United States in some way. Breast Cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women and the second most common cause of death. It is also one of the most treatable, curable cancers if it is caught in the early stages. More than 200,000 women will be diagnosed this year and about 40,000 women will die from the disease. Just about everyone knows a woman that has been diagnosed with this disease. Our mothers, sisters, aunts, daughters, friends, aquaintances, co-workers, and neighbors are all at risk. Some even know men that have been diagnosed with the disease. That's right, I said men. They can get breast cancer too. Approximated 1500 men in the US are diagnosed with the disease each year and 400 men will die of breast cancer. These are a few of the reasons that I walk, and (I hope) a few of the reasons that you will sponsor my San Diego 3 Day with a donation.

It's time to end my post and get back to work. My son is calling me, and I have a lot of 3 Day letters to write and send today!

Breast Cancer 3 Day

I've registered for the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk. It is November 10-12 in San Diego California. I could use all the support I can get. My goal is to raise $5000 by the start of the event. Here is the link to donate to my cause.
http://www.the3day.org/SanDiego06/laragans757

Another interesting site

I added a new button to the right side of my site. It's Yahoo Answers. It's a pretty interesting place to waste a bit of time. If you haven't heard of it, it's a place to post your questions and get answers from people all around the world. A lot of the people on there treat it like a joke or like a chat group, but there are some very interesting questions and some very informative answers. The button on my site leads to questions that I've answered recently. Anyway, check it out! Let me know what you think.

I'm going to study for a midterm now. The next time I post I'll write about Driving over the Tioga Pass toward Mono Lake, Mammoth Mountain and Bishop California.

Take care!