Day 9 - The Last Full Day in Montana

Today was a relaxing day... slept a little late... got up packed up most of my things for the journey home tomorrow... then Yeoh treated me to a massage at the European Massage.... my masseuse was Tamara... This was my first professional massage ever and it was GREAT! So very relaxing and calming.... exactly what I needed and wanted it to be ... THANKS MELISSA!

Then later this evening we went to the famed Sir Scott's Oasis Steakhouse, Manhattan Montana!... Yes the place of the ALLEDGED infamous Ted Turner Jane Fonda refusal to serve (Urban Legend going around via email forward). Well it is actually a small place and not fancy at all!... and the size of the steaks served ... all I can say is OH MY GOODNESS... I got some ummie steak fries... Yeoh talked me into getting a large order but I should have just gotten the small, however her logic is they will be great plane food... we will see about that. It was great though!... also at Sir Scott's was the first time I have ever had pickled cauliflower.. don't even ask but I love cauliflower and it wasn't that bad. We were served veggies to snack on, soup, salad, meal, and dessert... man am I full! Here is a little about Sir Scotts taken from ultimatemontana.com...

This nationally known restaurant is the Sir Scott's of the "Real Beef in Manhattan" commercials. Locally famous for their outstanding steaks and seafood served up daily. Your entree selection comes with appetizers, soup, salad, choice of potato, dessert and coffee. The generous portions are something you won't forget! All of Sir Scott's beef is USDA Choice beef aged and cut daily on the premises. Try their Jo Jo fries and don't say no to their soups. The atmosphere is pure Montana and open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. They also offer a carry out menu. Reservations are highly recommended.

Day 8 - The Week's Educational Culmination

The week's educational culmination was today. Today we heard from our very own Bobby McCormick, visited North Star Consulting, and heard and concluded theday with an summarization of the weeks educational activiest and lessons from Terry Anderson.

While at North Star Consulting, we visited Clemson Alumni, Doug Fletcher. He told us of his path to where he is today, owning his own company and what steps he took to get there. He shared with us a little of his Career To-Do List top 10...they read as follows

1) Intern/co-op - seek out unique work and extracurricular activities-grades alone will not differentiate you

2) Grad School - work 2-3 years then go back to school

3) Experiment until 30 - then FOCUS - seek diverse work experiences - begin to focus by around 30 to 35

4) Become a Voracious Reader - diverse topics and surces - internet, magazines, books

5) Travel Extensively

6) Learn a Second Language - how good is your Spanish or Mandarin?

7) Write It Down - write and review your life goals every year

8) Work/Life Balance - keep things in perspective - dont' let relationships suffer - remember, job change but friends/family are there forever

9) Focus On Your Strengths - do that which you like best becuase that will be what you are best at doing

10) Money Doesn't Make You Happy - money will not make you happy, achievingperson goals and dreams will

If you like or are inspired by Doug's Career To-Do List you may also like to read his blog from time to time, "Friday's with Fletch"

This evening the gang went and enjoyed a closing dinner at Ale Works.

Day 7 - A Little Bit of Bozeman

The day began with us sleeping in... next we had great expectations of hiking the College "M"... those expectations were quickly squashed with a greater desire for a mid-day nap following a few personal chores. Once we were finally out of the house we picked up elk and bison jerky from the local Meat Shoppe.

Then we had every intention of going to Moooo Casa to enjoy a milkshake, however upon arrival Yeoh smelled something good and turns out Moo Casa is now Mooo Casa La
Tinga... half ice cream shop, half Mexican restaurant. The food was good, however my ice cream left something to be desired with its frost bitten aftertaste... while Yeoh enjoyed her creamy Chocolate Moose...

Our next stop was a brief one at the Museum of the Rockies to see Big Mike... featured here :)

Then off to Bozeman Hot Springs & Spa.. where we enjoyed the amenities of the spaand springs. A relaxing evening of soaking in hot tubs which felt wonderful to our aching ski muscles....


We then ran to Bobby's to change and get dolled up to paint the town orange! Per recommendation of Terry Anderson, icon of free market environmental movement :), we decided to grace the wine bar Plonk with our gorgeous presence. There we experienced fine dining, saw two of three African-Americans I have seen in Bozeman on this trip, and Yeoh was almost swept away by a middle age doctor, while I was in
the bathroom checking out the cool tile mosaic Yeoh insisted I see.

Late breaking News

Good Morning all. As my friends and family check back regularly many of you may or may not know. While composing yesterday's blog I got word that my townhome was on fire in South Carolina. No one was injured, which is most important. Had I been home, it was my afternoon "nap time", therefore thank God I was not there. To each of you that have called, emailed, imed, texted... Thank you so much for everything, words cannot express my sincere gratitude. Thank you for your offers of copies of pictures, furniture, clothes, places to stay, and so much more. Not that I doubted it but I truly know that I am loved! I would like to extend a very special thank you to my boyfriend, Kris and my parents who are handling thing until I return. They are a TRUE BLESSING. They requested that I continue to stay in MT and I agree there is nothing I can do there that they cannot handle until I return.

Many of you have expressed concern about me. Just please keep me and my family (biological, extended, and more) in your prayers. I am doing fine, and that I promise. Thanks to my extraodinary family and spectacular friends.

If you are in the area, Upstate South Carolina, and would like to help please contact me and I will either pass along Kris' information to you or let you know something when I do.

For friends and family that are away the following are news articles regarding the fire.

- Greenville News - There are pictures here

- WHNS Local CBS

- WYFF Local NBC - There is a video here with "interviews" of my next door neighbor Brian and the neighbor on the other side of them.

Thank you again.
Love ya,
Liza Corrine

Day 6 - Learning to Ski

My oh my... today Yeoh and I went to the Bridger Bowl and took ski lessons form Instructor, Rick... who was absolutely awesome and PATIENT. That in and of itself was an expereince. For one thing we never left the "Snowflake"(what we called the kiddie slope), however we learned. Then we stopped by the famed, Burger Bobs where I had "The Cardic Arrest" and Yeoh "Buger Bob's Inferno". Now is nap time. This evening the students are coming over for dinner and poker.

Day 5 - Let the Learning Continue

Good Day All! I am not sure why but my blog has been down and I do apologize to those friends and family are checking daily. If you have been following my blog daily go back a few days and I have added pictures.

Today we...
- picked up our special order M.E.L.E.E. vest that turned out great
- had lectures from Holly Fretwell & Don Leal
- Holly's lecture was interesting and discussed everything from incentives to natural burns of forest
- Yeoh, three students and I took a quick trip to Montana State University's Bookstore to pick up some university paraphernalia
- we then went out and had an AWESOME tour of Ted Turner's Flying D Ranch by Russ Miller and Ranch Manager Mark Kossler
- we got to see Bison upclose and personal
... a little about the Flying D taken from www.tedturner.com

Flying D Ranch, Montana
"This stunning 113,600-acre ranch is located in southwest Montana just north of Yellowstone National Park. The Gallatin and Madison rivers comprise the eastern and western borders respectively. The Spanish Peaks Mountain Range run along the southern boundary."

- Yeoh and I then returned to Bozeman for a little shopping and dinner prepared by Bobby and Bentley

And tonight I got to to talk to my sweetheart, mama, daddy (last night), and sister... I love you and miss each of you :)

Day 4 - Let the FORMAL Education Training in MT Begin

Hello yet again from the beautiful let rather cold state of Montana! On last evening the we were introduced to what a think tank actually is by the lovely Jane Shaw of PERC, Property and Environment Research Center.

This morning we were presented a lecture on Green Buildings from physicist, John Scofield, of Oberlin College in Ohio. He addressed everything from the efficiency of heat pumps to the specific environmental efficiency of two "Green Buildings". It was an interesting lecture, efficiency aspects of which I plan to share with my daddy and others I will share with friends about building design.

Next the students were presented a lecture on .... by Clemson's own Bentley Coffey.

Finally, we concluded the day of lectures with a presentation by Hank Fischer, the gentleman that reintroduced wolves back into Yellowstone. He spoke of his conservation ventures as well as much more. However his main points that he encouraged us to take from his seminar were...

1. When working on issues look for nontraditional partners
2. Think collaboration not compromise
3. Incentives really matter
4. Persistence counts
5. A deal is a deal (consistency = credibility)

We are concluding the day with a wonderful dinner prepared by, Yeoh, Bentley, & Bobby. After which several of the students came to Bobby's house where they are watching television and playing poker.

I believe I may call it an early night... we will see.

Happy Birthday DENISE!

Day 3 - Snowmobiling in West Yellowstone

Today I rose at 5:00 AM Mountain time. When Yeoh and I went to the car, it was covered in snow. We then proceeded to ride down the streets, not seeing lines anywhere. Along a main highway we met a snow plow. After a little snow off road excursion we united with the young men that we were meeting and were headed the 80+ miles to West Yellowstone on roads that were covered in snow, and looked to have been plowed and sanded.... Today was a snow expereince.


Today...
- saw a Bison on the way to West Yellowstone
- saw three states from the top of Two Top Mountain (WY, ID, & MT)
- went snow mobiling from 8:30AM to 1ish with the company Yellowstone Aventures - saw beautiful snow capped trees
- ate at the Meadow Lodge in snow gear in Island City Idaho
- drove the snow mobile only to play around (by CHOICE)
- enjoyed such beautiful scenery that it was just amazing

Potery Line 3
From the rising of the morning light to the twinkling of the stary sky God's snow has fallen so softly.

Poetery Line 4
How beautiful it was to see the tops of trees and snow as far as the eye can see. How beautiful it was to have moments that one could feel so peaceful and free

Day 2 - Exploring Bozeman - Shopping

Today Yeoh and I decided not to go skiing, instead to sleep late and do a little Bozeman shopping exploration.

Today...
- Yeoh prepared breakfast (I helped a little)
- we visited a nice little shop called Benjie's where everything is 1/2 off of the price marked
- MT has NO SALES TAX... so everything is at least 5% cheaper than South Carolina :)
- walked some of main street Bozeman visiting the shops
- a nice young lady that worked at one of the shops helped me to exchange dollar bills for Denver Minted State Quarters to add to the collections of my parents, mine, and Edric's
- we stopped at a quaint little coffee shop, had a coffee and wrote postcards
- checked out a local grocery store, Target, and Ross's


Poetry Line 2
People walking briskly, snow falling ever so quickly. Enjoying the town of so few frowns.

Day 1 - We're in Montana

Hi All... I have arrived safe and sound in Bozeman, Montana. The mountains are absolutely beautiful! We arrived in Billings and drove to Bozeman. It is certainly a place that I would hope to return.

Today...
-my wonderful parents brought Yeoh and me to the airport to make our 6:00AM flight
-we had two flight layovers Atlanta GA and Salt Lake City UT
-we had a group trip to the Bozeman Costco (I am quickly finding out it is one of Bobby's Favorite stores)
-Yeoh and Bobby STRONGLY discussed individual property rights
-Bobby took us on a McCormick Quick Automobile tour of Bozeman
-Bobby prepared dinner for all (umm umm good!) THANKS BOBBY!


Poetry Line 1
Flying overhead as the snow capped mountains peaked through the clouds the simplicity of life became more apparent with the decent into the beautiful "Big Sky" country of Montana.

Let me help YOU find $$!

As promised ... my unclaimed property blog!

Many people never realize it but... you may have unclaimed money somewhere. One of my hobbies is helping friends, family, and anyone who will let me help them search for unclaimed property. Just last month I helped friends find over $4,000. I would be willing to instruct you on how to do so… Simply …

 leave me a comment stating that you would like help
 give me the state which you reside

I will then shoot you a comment or email back telling you how to claim and search from your specific state.

I am often asked “Why would I have unclaimed money?” I have found a good answer provided by The National Unclaimed Property Database. “While state laws very in periods of dormancy, a wide rage of reportable property but is not limited to dormant checking and savings accounts, uncashed money orders, cashiers checks, unclaimed insurance benefits, mineral royalty payments, safe deposit box contents, unused gift certificates, unclaimed security deposits, cash dividends, stock, court deposits, and utility deposits.”
And why let the government have money of you or your loved ones simply because you forgot it was out there.

Here are some of the sites that I use to get you started…

NAUPA | The National Unclaimed Property Database | Missing Money

So far these are some of the people I have helped, approximately how much I have helped them find, and where they found it…

[AWARDED]
Don B - $90 – Alabama
Greg A – $300 – Michigan
Frank K - $300 – New York
Stuart K – $70 – New York
Sean M - $1,400 - North Carolina

[PENDING]
John W - ? – Virginia
Jean H - ? – Kentucky
Jon H - ? – Kentucky
Rhoda W - ? – Virginia
Ruth M - $190 – South Carolina
Ellen C - ? – South Carolina
Joel W - $60 – South Carolina
Lorenzo K - $800 – South Carolina
Lorenzo K - $4,400 – Pennsylvania