I'm a bargain shopper and a busy mom who came to rely on the convenience of Amazon.com when it came to buying books. Their prices are always lower than the big guys up on Peach Street and, if you spend more than $25 -- which is really easy for me to do at a bookstore -- they ship it to your door, for free.

Gotta love that.

And, I did.

I shopped and shopped and shopped at Amazon. Sometimes I only wanted one book, but I'd see that if I spent, say, $8 more I'd qualify for free shipping -- so, of course, I'd go find something else I had to have.

So, it was only natural that I'd go to Amazon to order the Disney guide books I wanted -- saving myself a trip up to the mall. Found the books, put them in my cart, qualified for free shipping ... great. Until the order was placed and it said that the estimated shipping date was June 1-20 (this was MAY 1st).

I thought, nah...that can't be right, they must just say that to cover their butts. I've always gotten my books from them in a week -- 10 days at the most.

Only they weren't kidding. I received one of the books about 2 weeks ago, but the other one (which does not appear to be on any kind of back order) had still not shipped as of yesterday. So, I canceled it. Which means I have to pay the $2.50 it cost to send the other book because I no longer qualified for free "super saver" shipping.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, greedy Amazon.

... Messing with the "super saver" shipping means they've lost me. If I'm going to pay an additional $3 (or whatever) for shipping the book (which I will apparently have to if I want it in less than 2 months time), I'm going to give it to a local retailer.

Plus, if "super saver" shipping takes forever (and is therefore undesirable), what incentive is there for me to shop more so I can spend $25 to qualify? None. Zippo. Which means I'd spend less money buying stuff -- why buy 2 books when I'll have to pay to have them both shipped to me?

Stupid move, Amazon.

Much as I love spring, I hate the endless work that it brings. This weekend was anything but relaxing -- in fact, it was downright exausting. It started with weeding all the flower beds (I've got a TON of them) and vegetable garden on Friday until nightfall forced me to call it a night.

Woke up early the next AM and did my long run (10 miles). The girls and I went to a few garden centers to buy a few flats of annuals for the beds and for the pots around the pool. When we got home, I finished weeding the flower beds, dragged out all the pool towels/toys, etc. and got the pool area all set up for summer -- all the while throwing loads of laundry in the washing machine and feeding kids and picking up after them.

Sunday was spent cleaning out the closets -- three of them (I do the girls' closets, too). I worked on those from 2 p.m. in the afternoon until 10 p.m. at night -- I'm not even kidding.

Today I took the girls to do a marathon shopping session.

If ever there is a recipe for disaster -- it's two tired kids and one tired, overworked mom hell-bent on checking off every single item on the list. It wasn't pretty and we all said things we didn't mean (but, you know I accomplished everything on that list).

This morning, I had spent a good hour sorting clothes to take to Once Upon a Child to sell. I'd never sold clothes to them before -- and I won't do it again. I had a big laundry basket full of cute, clean, nice clothes and shoes. They bought about 10 items. I made $8.50. Woohoo. The icing on the cake? The clothes they didn't want -- my nice, neatly folded clothes -- were thrown back into the basket carelessly. So, when I got home I had to fold and sort them all again. Insult to injury.

I folded and sorted while I let the kids watch the video they borrowed from the library four times. Normally I wouldn't let them watch that much TV (even if it is Veggie Tales), but at that point, two kids sitting slack-jawed in front of a TV was just what I needed so I could get the house clean before they had a chance to destroy it again.

So, there I am cleaning the bathroom when I notice one of those big black ants scurrying across the floor. Normally, I'd pick it up with a tissue and squish it humanely -- feeling awful for killing it.

But there was no mercy or compassion left in me today. I stomped all over that little sucker. Stomp, stomp, stomp -- taking the entire weekend's frustrations out on that poor hapless insect who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. There's a scary, dark part of me that enjoyed obliterating that ant.

I left his carcass there as a warning to the others.

... ants and otherwise.

One of our stops yesterday was to Party City -- on upper Peach next to Kohl's -- so the girls could pick a theme for their July birthday party (they share one big party because their birthdays are 10 days apart).

We happened upon the Clearance section where I found some extremely cute invitations for $1 to .50 cents! I scooped up enough Princess invites for the girls' party (50 cents a pack) and picked up a few "Spa Party" invites for the future (25 cents a pack).

They had cute birthday invitations (particularly for boys) as well as surprise parties, retirement parties, general parties and tons of thank you notes. All for less than a buck a pack.

If there's a party in your future, I suggest you stop by. Some of the invites they had an abundance of at the Peach Street Party City include:

Cupcake
Just moved
Pizza Party 1
Pizza Party 2
Glitter fish
Martini glass

Get ready for the summer beach season. Grab your credit card and surf over to the Disney Store where they've got lots of super-cute bathing suits, towels (personalized if you wish!), beach shoes, cover ups, swim hats, and even beach chairs on sale -- most for $9.99 or $12.99!

These items would also make great birthday or Christmas gifts (even if we will be buried in a foot of snow by then).

... if you do, you'll need to email me directly because you will find it nearly impossible to "comment" on our "new and improved" blogging software.

Seriously... posting a comment to is like trying to solve the Da Vinci code now. So, anytime you have anything to say about anything I type...email me at heather.cass@timesnews.com and I'll be happy to jump through the fourteen steps to post your comments for you.

Yeah, I'm irritated.

The June issue of Her Times magazine publishes this Sunday. Be sure to look for your copy in your Erie Times-News.

We are movin' on up -- Her Times has gotten bigger (4 more pages), flashier (thicker stock, coated paper inside) and better (lots of fresh, new writers).

The theme for this issue of Her Times is "Go Play!" and we'll be encouraging you to let loose and have some fun -- with your hair, your clothes, your food and your colleagues.

Don't miss it!

(Here's where I would post a photo of our cover if our "new and improved" blogging software would actually allow me to do that....argh!).

... and I'm getting one -- all next week.

So, you can put away your shorts and sandals and get out your umbrellas and rain boots because I can't have both time off and good weather. (Oops...my pessimism is showing).

Seriously, though, I don't care what the weather brings next week because what next week won't bring is a 4:45 a.m. beeping from my alarm clock. And, regardless of the weather, the girls and I will have no trouble finding lots of fun things to do to fill our days (my husband doesn't get as much vacation as I do...so, it's just me and the girls).

The only concrete plans I have next week are to have the girls' birthday portraits taken and to go see "The Full Monty" at the Playhouse with a friend.

Other than that...we'll go wherever the wind (or our whims) take us. We'll probably reserve one day to stay at home and lounge around the pool (weather-providing) and we'll try to go to WaterWorld and Waldameer one day.

Some other things I'd like to do:

* I just heard about a place at the foot of Chestnut Street that rents paddle boats (that seat 5) for $10 an hour.

* I'd love to catch a SeaWolves game.

* I'd love to make it to Wednesday night's concert on the beach (we have YET to make it to one of those).

* I'd like to take the kids to Pymatuning.

* I'd like to camp-out in our backyard.

I could go on and on....

That's the thing about Erie, for all the whining that the people who live here do, you can't deny that this is a great place to raise kids.

And, it's a great place to spend a week-long summer vacation.

...of our latest issue of Her Times magazine (published on Sunday)? Please send any comments to me at heather.cass@timesnews.com or to hertimes@timesnews.com! We're always eager for freeback.

We're making the most of our at-home vacation and visiting Erie attractions like tourists. I found out my husband had never been to the top of the Bicentennial Tower, so that was a definite "must-do." We went tonight because I was under the mistaken impression that Tuesdays were free at the tower (old information on the Web site...because now it is the first Sunday of the month). But, we were there and the kids were set on going up the tower, so we shelled out our $6 and took a ride to the top.

The view was worth our $6 -- There's so much to look at -- Presque Isle, the factory way over there (is that GE?), the water tower in the horizon (is that the one by our house?), the people driving and walking around down below (is that Aunt Mary?), the construction of the convention center and hotel .... I could've stood up there and gawked all night, but the girls were quickly bored with the view and, frankly, Lauren was making me nervous sticking her little foot under the guard rail.

After our tower adventure, we went down to watch some people on the dock feeding the geese until we became convinced one -- or both -- of the girls was going to end up in the bay. We watched a guy fishing. Lauren wanted to know what was taking him so long to catch a fish. I told her it took patience. She asked was patience was. Hmmmmm....how to explain patience.

It's just one of a few difficult things I've had to explain to them in the last few days. Why do all the hard questions come at once -- and in public -- like when we saw a bunch of Amish at the zoo on Saturday. "Mommy, where are they going? Why they look like that?" There I was trying to explain the Amish. Hmmmmm.... I said something about them choosing to live a different lifestyle than us and that it was OK and they were people just like us and ... . Lauren said, "What a lifestyle?" (Oh, forget it!).

Last night, after we went to the Erie Runners Club meeting at the peninsula, we went over to the beach side to watch the sunset. I, of course, had to explain where the sun goes, why the earth rotates and that the moon is always there (and that it's not following just us).

Tomorrow -- weather-providing -- is a beach day!

My week of vacation is fading fast, but we made the most of it yesterday.

First stop -- Beary Creative -- Erie's budget version of Build-A-Bear. I'm going to write a story about our experience in the next issue of Her Times so I hate to scoop myself, but suffice to say we had a great time. The girls each made an animal -- Lauren a pink unicorn, Kelly a pink bear and we bought pink ballerina outfits for both of them. Total cost? About $20 a bear. (Here's where I'd post a photo if I could).

The girls loved it and there were TONS of animal "skins" to choose from including lots of things for boys (dinosaurs, monsters, tigers, etc.). The store which had been located on Myrtle Street (near Saint Vincent's) has relocated to W. 8th & Pittsburgh Ave. Lee Rider, whose mom owns the store, said their business has increased 100% since the move.

The story behind the store is an inspiring one. Lee -- who was great with the kids, by the way -- told me that his mother started the business with a $200 investment after she had just gone bankrupt. She started Beary Creative and set up temporary shop at local fairs and festivals, craft shows and special events (you may have seen them at Discover Presque Isle last year).

After Beary Creative, we set off down the road to Presque Isle. I took the long drive to Beach 11 because it's a great beach for little kids. With the sandbars so high at Beach 11, I know they can walk 20 feet from shore and still be up to their bellies. When it turned dark and stormy-looking in the late afternoon, we headed home.

By the time we got home, it was all blue skies and sunshine again, so the husband and I decided to take the kids back to the beach for the Presque Isle Sunset Concert Series on Beach No. 1. It was our first time, but it won't be our last. The crowd was impressive, but it wasn't oppressive. There was plenty of room to spread out and we had no trouble parking (we did get there before 6:30 though). We brought dinner with us, so we spread out our blanket and ate while the band played on stage and the kids played at the shoreline and the sun sunk in the horizon.

It just doesn't get much better than that.

I am not the kind of woman who goes to Chippendale's shows or enjoys male strippers. The few times I've been at bachelorette parties and seen them it's been sort of, well, gross -- and kind of embarrassing. I mean, dude, get a real job.

So, when I found out I won tickets to see "The Full Monty" at the Erie Playhouse, I had mixed emotions. Sure, I love the Playhouse and I love live theater, but...a show about male strippers? One thing was for certain; I wasn't taking my mom...or my husband. Fortunately, I have a good working-mom friend who was in need of a girls' night out.

To be honest, I expected to feel uncomfortable and embarrassed for the guys on the stage. I couldn't have been more wrong. It was positively hysterical. I laughed to the point of tears on at least three occasions. Really, is there anything funnier than an obese man in a red "banana hammock" g-string?

Until yesterday I'd have said, "Yes...about a 10,000 things." But, now I've seen The Full Monty and I have a whole new respect for male strippers and -- to paraphrase the show's final song -- for letting go and having a little fun.

The Full Monty is playing at the Erie Playhouse through next weekend -- including a special "Ladies Night" on Thurs., June 21. Tickets are just $12. Be aware that the show is -- obviously -- adult themed and contains brief nudity and more than a few F-bombs.

... and we'll make the most of this hazy, hot and humid day as we lounge around the pool for a much needed stay-at-home rest day. We've been on the go for days on end and now I feel like I need a vacation to recover from my vacation.

We went to Waldameer and Waterworld on Friday. I was going to buy admission to just the amusement park (and skip Waterworld), but it was actually cheaper for me to buy combo passes for $15 at my credit union than to pay $18 for Waldameer admission. It's funny how, from year to year, I can guage how much the kids have grown by which rides they "step up" to at Waldameer. Each year they get a bit bigger and a bit braver and take on new adventures -- like the Sky Ride and the Giant Ferris Wheel. It's unlikely I'll ever talk them back into the Wacky Shack or Pirates Cove again, though. They don't even like going in that corner of the park.

Saturday evening was my all-time-favorite summer 5K -- the Moonshine Shuffle -- in McKean. They have a 1/2 miles kid's race beforehand. Both girls ran the whole distance this year -- We were proud beaming parents, of course. After the kids race, Dan & I ran the adult 5K. We decided ahead of time to run it easy -- not something that comes naturally to me in a race even if it is a "fun run."

After the race, there's a big party with food, a DJ, cheescake (homemade!) and lots of friends. Unfortunately, the long week had gotten to the girls & both of them were begging to go home at 10 p.m. My husband and I joked that we were going to have to revoke their last names because Cass' never leave the party early. But...as anyone with tired preschoolers knows, you have to get the bomb out of the building -- before it blows -- and spare the civilians. A complete meltdown was looming.

Father's Day was a blur of activity -- rushing from house to house.

So, today, we rest poolside. And, it's quite likely we won't be alone. When you have a pool and a big family, you learn to expect visitors on stifling hot days. My parents will likely stop by as will my sister and her grown kids. We'll invite our cousin and her boys and the neighbor and her girls over, too. The more the merrier. We have to make the most of these hazy, hot, humid summer days -- we know they don't last long.

Tomorrow, I return to regular life and, to be honest, I'm looking forward to getting back to normal. Life goes much more smoothly when we're in a routine.

We want you to be a part of the next issue of Her Times (August 12).

Here are a few ways you can participate:

Up to your ears in zucchini and tomatoes?
Probably not yet, but come Aug. 12 our readers will be and they need your best recipes for dealing with their garden's bounty. Do you have a tastiest zucchini and/or tomato recipe that you'd be willing to share with our reader? Send it to heather.cass@timesnews.com. Be sure to include your full name so we can give you credit! Hurry..deadline to send in a recipe is June 27!

Know any good Erie men?
Her Times would like to pay homage to the good guys in the Erie area and we need you to tell us who they are. We're looking for men who have helped advance women and/or women's causes or who have done something remarkable to help children in our area. You can nominate any good guy you know -- your husband, your co-worker, your brother or just someone that you think deserves more credit. We know that Erie is filled with great guys -- tell us about them! Click on Download file to download a Good Guy Nomination Form. Hurry...deadline to nominate a guy for the August issue is June 27!

I make a conscious effort to shop local even when it means a few more cents (or dollars). I have a family of four who live on the income of two and sometimes shopping local is simply out of our price range. But, for the most part, I make an effort. I buy Meadowbrook Dairy products even though the store brand is cheaper, I buy Dad's cat food even if Friskies is on sale, I choose Channelock pliers for my Dad's birthday gift, I buy Arrowhead or Mazza wines at the liquor store, etc.

But, some area businesses make it hard for us to support them. Two that come to mind - that I've been foiled by recently are Erie County Farms and Nickel Plate Mills.

In both cases, I've been standing at their doors, money in hand, ready to spend it all in their establishments, and they're not open.

I have -- for two growing seasons now -- wanted to support Nickel Plate Mills and buy my flowers and vegetable plants there, but on weekdays they are closed by 5 or 6 p.m. -- even in the spring when everyone is planting and it's light out until 9 p.m.! I can understand why they might not want to be open after 5 p.m. most times of the year, but...if you sold plants and flowers, wouldn't you expand your hours in May and June? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve “swung by” there after work only to realize they’re closed. So, of course, I take my dollars up the road to Kmart or to one of the big box home improvement stores where they have store hours that allow people who work to shop there. On a brighter note — Stan’s Garden Center has very customer-friendly summer hours (and yes, I spend more than a few of our hard-earned dollars here).

Erie County Farms, of course, is legendary for treating their customers like crap. Since they close at 6 p.m. every day (and I work a 10-hour work day), going there after work is not an option for me. I'm stuck with Saturdays which means I’m also stuck with taking two kids with me. The last time I went there I was waiting in line full of angry people, with two cranky preschoolers, shivering in the freezing cold (I think it was March) and it was more than 20 minutes after the store was supposed to have opened. We left and I've never been back. There is no amount savings that justifies that sort of shoddy customer service. I just won’t stand for it. Again...the big grocery stores win because they open on time and have convenient hours (and heck, a couple even have babysitting so I can shop to my heart’s content).

I want to shop local, but, customer service counts -- particularly with women. And, if you aren't offering it, women will go elsewhere -- and take their entire household income with them (because in most households, the woman does all the shopping).

I was at a stag-and-drag on Saturday with a bizarre mix of people -- but, this is what you get when a pipefitter marries a lawyer (an A.D.A. at that). You had biker-chicks and blue-collar workers (and those like my husband and I who are somewhere in between) mixing it up with Erie judges, lawyers and politicos.

Though, to be honest, there wasn't a lot of mixing -- most stayed with their own kind on separate sides of the pavilion. True to form, my husband and I and our friends stood firmly in the middle (which was conveniently close to the beer and food).

I found the dynamics of the stag to be fascinating. But, then, I could people-watch for days on end.

Over there, to the left, was an old family friend in a jeans and a t-shirt roasting a pig (that he raised and butchered himself) on a spit and there, to the right, was a well-known and much-loved Erie radio personality in Dockers and a button-down and just over there were a circle of lawyers and judges in their casual J.Crew outfits and ivy-league college sweatshirts (that they probably bought at their actual alma mater bookstore rather than the JCPenney catalog).

And, of course, there I was straddling the middle -- talking to everyone and anyone.

I don't have much respect for wealth -- I care more about what kind of a person you are, and I can always tell. I like people with good personalities and good character -- whether they live in a mansion or a trailer. If there's one thing I've learned in my 35 years, it's that all the money in the world does not mean you have class.

Just when you think that nothing we tree-huggers and nature lovers (I count myself among them) do makes a difference, you realize that the laws and reforms that we force actually work. Like in the case of the bald eagle which, according to a story in today's Erie Times-News, has become so prolific that it will be taken off the endangered species list.

The articles says that "government biologists have counted nearly 10,000 mating pairs of bald eagles, including at least one pair in each of the 48 contiguous states, giving assurance that the bird's survival is no longer in jeopardy." The article goes on to say that there are at least 26 nesting pairs of Eagles right here in Erie and Crawford counties, including one couple at our own Presque Isle State Park.

10,000 mating pairs today from a population low of 417 in 1963! That's just amazing and it's proof that sometimes government involvement is a good thing.

(AP photo/Ted S. Warren)

I have an outgoing, friendly personality (98% of the time) that has led more than a few people here at the paper to tell me I should consider being a sales rep (selling advertising).

Forget for a moment that I am dangerous with numbers and that I can't even figure out our rate card. The real reason I'd never move to sales is that if my income depended on me selling something to someone, I'd starve to death.

I hate asking people for money. I'd rather just fork over the cash than ask someone else to. When I do a charity walk, I never collect donations -- I cover it myself.

When it comes to things I don't want anymore, I'd rather give my stuff away than sell it. And, yet last night found me preparing for a garage sale -- loading up the back of our pick-up truck with all manner of baby stuff and tons of preschool toys and household items we just don't need and/or want anymore.

There's just too much good stuff for me to just donate it, so tomorrow I will be laying all my crap out on my mother's front lawn in an effort to sell it to other people. Sure, I could list it on eBay, but...good Lord, who has that kind of time, energy or patience for all those trips to the post office to mail stuff (ugh...have you dealt with those people...what are they all so angry about anyway?).

I hate that I'm going to spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon watching people paw through my stuff. I hate that I'm going to lay a truck-load of my personal possessions out for the world to see. I don't know why but I find it embarrassing. I hate when people try to "talk me down" -- it makes me uncomfortable, and I always give in.

The other thing I hate about garage sales is all the prep work. We spent all evening hauling stuff out of the house last night, I'll spend all of tonight marking it all and setting it all on tables and in boxes.

And, tomorrow, it's quite likely I'll be hauling half of it back home.

Which makes me wonder -- is it even worth it?

I guess I'll find out.