On Final farewell

Posted on August 28 at 2:48 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

We'll miss you, Ryan. You've been a great addition to our newsroom, and you will be again as soon as another paper hires you. ;) Good luck!

On A plea to grocery-shopping gurus

Posted on August 24 at 7:04 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

Thanks, everyone, for your comments on this blog. I plan on referring to this particular post so that readers can take a look at all the comments, not just the ones I chose to highlight in the newspaper in a couple weeks.

Which brings me to my next plea...

u2katie posted an excellent comment about how she's able to use coupons to her utmost advantage. I wanted to do a feature about her, but I haven't been able to get in touch with her (it appears she's a new user). So if anyone knows her or has a story similar to hers, please contact me. I'm in desperate search of a coupon king or queen who'd let me in on a few secrets of the scissors.

Thanks,
Kayla Bunge
Reporter
kbunge@gazettextra.com

On Challenge course is cutting-edge entertainment

Posted on August 10 at 1:08 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

ashlea1099: Again, if I remember, I don't think there's an age or weight limit -- at least not one mentioned by the owners. Participants have to sign a liability waiver, and I'm sure parents have to sign for minor children. And as far as weight goes, the owner himself told me he's a big guy and the equipment could handle him easily. In fact, I think he told me the equipment is rated for 5,000 pounds.
Kayla Bunge
Reporter

On Challenge course is cutting-edge entertainment

Posted on August 9 at 12:55 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

garyprimer: If I remember, I think ABEE provides the insurance along with the training for Aerial Adventures' staff.
Kayla Bunge
Reporter

On Darien firefighters resign; more could follow

Posted on August 7 at 6:48 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

HDRoadKing: Although the comment tally says five, the four comments that you see were made by users who haven't been banned from the Web site. Comments from banned users are still counted, but they aren't visible to anyone using the site, including me. Hope that helps.
Kayla Bunge
Reporter

On I need to drop the Sun Drop

Posted on August 7 at 10:03 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

Ann Marie,

I don't really have tips for you to kick your addition to the Drop... When I gave up soda, I just decided to give it up. I guess I thought about something my mom always told me: Why waste calories on a can of soda when you can expend those same calories on a piece of chocolate cake? Now while diet sodas don't have sugar (or calories), they're still terrible for you. My dentist once told me that while she was proud I'd given up soda, she was mad I was still drinking carbonated water. The carbonation eats away at the enamel in between your teeth, making you susceptible to cavities. Yikes!
Here's my advice:
Give it a try for a week (even just a work week if you're feelin weak), then two, then three. Or try cutting down to two cans a day for a week, then one a day for a week.
You've just gotta get used to it, I guess.
Good luck!

On Shortcuts between Walworth County and Janesville

Posted on August 7 at 9:58 a.m. ( Suggest removal )

I've been exploring all the county roads between Janesville, Whitewater and Delavan...and Lake Geneva, too, since Highway 50 is closed.

It's tough when those direct routes are closed!

On Young professionals social II

Posted on July 23 at 6 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

prevention:
Did you mean for us to answer the question: "Why is this blog named 'Off the Clock?'"
Not to toot my own horn, but I think the title was my brainchild, and everyone else jumped on board.
We were looking for something that reflected our life outside of work. It's our job to write the stories that appear in the paper and on this Web site, so we wanted the blog we were starting (geared toward people under 35, like us) to be separate from work.
And while work creeps in once in a while, this blog is about what we do when we're "off the clock."
Does that answer your question?

Kayla Bunge
Reporter and OTC'er

On Feeling the gas-pump squeeze

Posted on July 10 at 7:40 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

westside: I love my Kia. It was very affordable compared to some of the other foreign cars in its class. The particular model I have is very basic (manual windows and locks, no cruise control) but that saved some of the moolah, too!

On Feeling the gas-pump squeeze

Posted on July 10 at 3:07 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

I know it's not an option for everyone, but I got a new car--a smaller, more fuel-efficient one: a 2008 Kia Rio. I get the same amount of miles in one tank of gas as I did when I drove my 1999 Ford Taurus. The catch is that the Kia's tank is smaller--about 3 gallons.

And while I try to do less driving for no reason, I can't help my love of exploring. And it doesn't help that I live with Adam, who's the king of aimless driving.