The Examiner – Insights on Fighting Financial Fraud

Friends are special people and good ones are always there when you need them. They provide support and guidance. Friends can also be helpful when you want to pull a prank on someone.

When I was young, my grandfather bought me a dog. I named him Cecil T. McCoy. He really enjoyed running in the woods and chasing rabbits. He was a beagle, after all, and hunting rabbits was in his blood.

As I have aged, living healthier has become more important to me. Exercising and eating well gives me more energy and, I pray, will add years to my life. I don’t usually have a problem with the exercise part; I work out or run 3 to 5 times a week depending on my schedule. Eating well, however, is a different story.

Fighting weeds is a full time job in my backyard because when we moved in almost 10 years ago, the builder did not sod the backyard. Rather than spend the money, I chose to do it myself and battled the dirt and mud until the weeds took over. After I grew weary of constantly fighting the weeds, I tried planting grass seed, but the seeds were washed away or eaten by the birds. Finally, I transplanted strips of grass from my front yard and now have grass covering almost the entire yard. It only took eight years or so. I missed the boat by not doing the right thing (sodding the backyard) as soon as we moved in. Investing the time and money on the front end would have saved me (and the weeds) lots of hassle in the end.

I thoroughly enjoy cutting my grass on the weekend. It allows me to get exercise after sitting behind a desk most of the week. Once complete, I feel a sense of accomplishment because I can sit back and enjoy the green evenly cut grass. Sod is the foundation for most pretty yards with lush grass and is almost required to get a yard started off right. One day dirt and weeds, the next day pretty green grass, but it requires an investment of time and money. Sod must be installed properly or problems will quickly emerge. Additionally, it must be watered frequently or it will die — especially in the beginning. Once the sod is firmly rooted, it still must be maintained through fertilizing and weed prevention if you want to continue to enjoy your soft, green living carpet.