The Best Gifts of 2011...

"A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for."
-Author Unknown

As we approach the end of 2011, it’s fun to reflect on the events of the passing year. We like to consider ourselves family here and are closely connected with many of the events in each other’s lives. We’ve had an amazing year and added 3 new members to the ReSource family, the best gifts under our Christmas tree!

Easton Wayne Bynum

The first born in our line-up is Easton, born to Bryan and Tiffany Bynum on 5/29/11. He weighed in at 9 lbs. 3 oz. and was 19 inches long! He’s the second baby to join their family and big brother Cody (4) has taken on his protective duties with pride. The normal crying routine most babies go through hasn’t been an issue with him since he is happy all the time, always smiling and laughing! Bryan reports that Easton sometimes wakes them up in the middle of the night because he is laughing in his sleep… wouldn’t that be nice! 

  

 

Easton Joe Cremeans

The second baby born this year was Easton (yes we’ve got two of ‘em!), born to Racheal and David on 6/16/11. He was 3 months premature and weighed in at only 1 lb. 12 oz. and was 13 inches long! After a long 94 day stay in NICU, where he fought hard and grew like a weed, mom and dad finally got to bring him home to start their lives together. Everything was well worth it in the end, nothing lights up Rach’s face like talking about Easton. She brings him up to work to show him off sometimes and he is happily passed around to all the cooing women. 

 

Clara Gail Champagne

The most recent addition this year is Clara, born to Stephen and Monica on 12/1/11. She weighed in at 7 lbs. 1 oz. and was 20.5 inches long. She is the third addition to their family with older brothers Carson (15) and Cameron (12) standing by to fend off the boys! A fun tradition developing is for the boys to run in from school exclaiming “Clara!” for dibs on who gets to hold her first (in the “shotgun” style of calling for the front seat of the car). Grandma is also in on the excitement, having lots of fun playing dress up with the first girl grandbaby!  Vote for them on the Million Moms Challenge!

What is a diamond?

Before we delve too deep into all the various aspects of diamonds (the four C’s, how they are measured, how we chose replacements, etc.), I thought we should start out with a little bit of history. What exactly is a diamond? 

Physically:

A diamond is a precious stone formed from an essentially colorless crystalline form of pure carbon. Interestingly, diamond and graphite are both pure forms of carbon. They are allotropes, or pure forms of the same element that differ in structure. Graphite is very soft, opaque and metallic black in color while diamond is transparent and the hardest substance known today. It’s interesting how the crystal structure of a mineral can change the properties so drastically!

Example of a Mine Entrance

Diamonds are originally formed at depths of 140 to 190 kilometers in the Earth’s mantle. These depths provide the high-pressure and high-temperature conditions needed to maintain the growth of the carbon minerals, which will take over 1 billion years. They are brought to the surface in a type of igneous rock known as kimberlite which is found in former spheres of volcanic activity. The most common place to find kimberlite is near mountain ranges, in vertical shafts that extend deep into the earth. This is why you find so many mines near mountains! If you’ve ever visited the Rocky Mountains in Colorado you will have seen plenty!

Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness

Diamonds are thought to have been originally discovered in riverbeds in India over 6000 years ago and were traded across countries during the medieval times. The Chinese were the first to recognize the amazing strength of the diamond and began using it to cut other stones.

The Mohs scale is a hardness rating system developed in 1822 by Austrian Friedreich Mohs as a standard for mineral identification. It compares different minerals ability to resist scratches. On this scale, harder minerals with a higher number can scratch those with a lower number. Based on this, diamond is 4 times stronger than corundum, the next strongest mineral listed!  

Symbolically:

Well now we know a little more about the history of a diamond, but what about its presence in society? The word ‘diamond’ stems from the Greek word adámas, which has translations of ‘unbreakable’, ‘invincible’ or ‘unconquerable’ and is a variant of Latin adamans, from the base of the English word ‘adamant’.

The diamond has long been a fascinating presence in the world and when first discovered was thought to be magical. Because they were so rare, it became common superstition that the diamond lent its wearer special powers. Diamonds would be worn to battle to ensure victory, used as medical antidotes, placed in mouths to bring on loss of teeth and ground into powder to use as a poison. 

 

The diamond has historically been used as the gem of choice for engagement rings though. In medieval times the Italians called it the Pietra della Reconciliazone or ‘stone of reconciliation’ because it symbolized the upheld agreement between husband and wife.

Today we approach diamonds with a little less superstition but no less reverence! There are many uses for diamonds in current society. Although normally of a lower grade than the traditional gemstone market, diamonds can be found in many industries today. Diamond tools last much longer than those made from other sources and offer a nearly unmatched precision in cutting other substances. Automobile and aircraft manufacturers have long used diamond-based tools as well as the mirror and optical fields. Oil and gas drilling, textile and construction industries and the medical field are also all in on the durability of the diamond as a tool. They were also used to make needles for record players!

As you can see, diamonds have a much more versatile history than we generally take into consideration as we admire them.  They’ve been a fascination to society for centuries and continue to be a symbol of love and commitment throughout the world. 

You can find out more about diamonds or buy some of your own by
browsing our jewelry website
www.replaceonline.com

Television Measurements and Aspect Ratios

Determining the correct replacement television on a claim can be an adventure in itself. There are many aspects to consider when speaking to an insured about their television. One of the hurdles ReSource faces with determining like kind and quality product is explaining the difference between older cathode-ray tube (CRT) or “tube” television’s and newer widescreen versions. Here are the basics to get us started!

Television Measurements (diagonal dimensions)

Most television’s are sized in terms of the diagonal measurement of the screen. A “60 inch Television” would have a measurement of 60 inches from one corner to its opposite diagonal corner. Measuring in this format allows for consistent comparison of screen area regardless of the screen shape.

On new widescreen televisions (such as LCD, Plasma, and LED models) the measurement is taken from the corners of the screen’s display area. This gives the size of what you are actually able to see, the viewable part of the screen. 

Older CRT televisions or “tube” televisions are generally measured diagonally from the corners of the tube. This can be misleading due to the fact that the tube is usually larger than the actual viewable area of the screen. So your 40” tube television may only have a 36” viewable screen.

Aspect Ratio

Aspect ratio of an image is the ratio of the width of the image to its height. This is expressed as two numbers separated by a colon (for example x:y) and pronounced "x-to-y” or “x-by-y.”

Traditional CRT televisions have an aspect ratio of 4:3 which has been around since the inception of television. The image is 3/4ths as tall as it is wide. This denotes a “standard” screen and it is almost square in shape.

LCD, Plasma, and LED televisions are considered “widescreen.” Widescreens usually have an aspect ratio of 16:9; they are much wider than they are tall.  

4:3 Aspect Ratio (old broadcast format)

16:9 Aspect Ratio (new broadcast format)

When viewing wide-screen HDTV content (the broadcasting standard as of 9/9/2009) on a 4:3 television the material will often be “letterboxed.” You might recognize this format from buying “widescreen” movies which show the mattes (black bars) above and below the image while viewing. Letterboxing reduces larger ratio images to fit smaller ratio screens; the visual height of the content is reduced to show the entire image on screen.

 

Example of Letterboxing

These are a couple of the aspects considered when looking at moving someone from a CRT television to a newer model. In essence, when viewing the new HDTV broadcast signal on your television, a 29.37” widescreen television would give you the same viewing height as a 32” CRT television, but with 1.04” more viewing width!

The correct replacement screen size can also be determined by using a Screen Size Comparison Calculator found online.

 

What exactly do y’all do at ReSource?

What is the million dollar question that makes each ReSource employee pause? “What do you do?” In hindsight, once you understand what we do, it doesn’t seem that it should be difficult to explain. But when faced with those 4 little words, we each find ourselves reflecting for a moment.

So, here it is: ReSource is a service that handles insurance claim content evaluations and replacements. Did you get that?

The simplest way to describe it is that we replace items which have been lost, stolen or damaged on insurance claims. Say a house burns down; imagine just how many items are in a house! Instead of getting a depreciated check from the insurance company, we send out new product from the distributor or manufacturer directly to the insured. Insureds get to skip the hassle of paying out of pocket, receipt management and waiting for reimbursement. Adjusters get to close their claims faster. Everybody wins!

Of course we can’t (and don’t want to) replace ALL of the items on a claim. There are some things that are just better off in your own hands. I may wear a size 8 pants… but if anyone asks lets go with a 4 ;-) You can see the problem right away! It wouldn’t be worthwhile for us or for an insured to replace items like clothing, toiletries, furniture, food, etc. These items are too personal and taste oriented.

Our Online Jewelry Catalog - www.replaceonline.com

Items that we can replace include: jewelry, diamonds, silver, china, electronics (such as computers, TV’s, gaming units, DVD’s, CD’s, etc), sporting goods, tools, firearms, heavy machinery, lawn equipment and much more!

  

Entire content lists are evaluated for like kind and quality (LKQ) replacements in today’s market. This guarantees that the insured is getting an accurate allocation to replace the items either on their own or through ReSource. A 5 year old TV is not worth what it was when it was originally purchased. Our job is to compare the old TV with new models to determine LKQ today.  

So you can see why “what do you do” may cause some hesitation on our end! The answer of “content evaluation and replacement” is short but in general, not very informative.

In the end, we are here to help, in whatever way we can. Making jobs and lives easier is what we’ve done for the past 21 years, and that’s just the way we like it! 

Houston...We DON'T have a problem!

We enjoy each opportunity to make an insured feel whole again. The best part about it is that we match the contents of each claim to the appropriate product specialist, so at the end of the day it’s really just two people sharing their favorite hobbies. For instance, if you walk by Bryan Bynum's desk when he has a firearm claim you would think he is just talking to one of his old hunting buddies.

Stephen Champagne recently handled a claim where the insured had all of their high-end camera equipment stolen. I know this sounds like something that we handle all of the time, but this claim needed extra special attention. The insured had been invited by NASA to attend the final launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis in Cape Canaveral, FL. The insured, a lifelong photographer, couldn’t imagine attending the event and not being able to capture the moment. Stephen, a photography enthusiast himself, understood just how important this was to his insured.

Stephen worked closely with the insured and delivered his replacement equipment within a matter of days. Everyone at ReSource was excited to have this opportunity to do what we do best! We were thrilled when the insured was generous enough to share some of the pictures he captured at the launch.

With the pictures, he also included these kind words:

Hi Steve:

Here's a few we looked at real quickly to send out as e-mails..........along with some critters we got at Merritt Island National Wildlife Reserve. You guys along with our adjuster got us up and running again and we're very grateful to not miss the chance to shoot the launch as a NASA guest.

JK

 To see all of the phenomenal pictures, visit our Facebook page.

Take me out to the ball game...

- Post by Megan Webb, Marketing

For those who know me, it is no secret that I am a baseball fanatic. I was brainwashed (by my father) at a very young age to love the sport. One of my favorite movies is “The Sandlot” and I probably use the phrase “You’re killing me, Smalls!” a little too much. So when my co-workers, Chris and Amanda, invited me to a Texas Rangers game I was absolutely thrilled.

Chris, Amanda, and I all attended Texas A&M University where we started our tradition of going to sporting events together. We were really excited to head out to the ballpark in Arlington for our first game of the season and watch our reigning American League champs take on the Los Angeles Angels. We got there early enough to tailgate for a bit. It was fun to watch all the kids run anxiously into the stadium in hopes of getting the free Neftali Feliz jerseys they were handing out that day.

We had GREAT seats on the third base line, right in foul ball territory. We sat through the first four innings and then decided to take a quick trip around Arlington Ballpark. Like any ballpark, the stadium is filled with stands of merchandise and food. We were stuffed after eating bratwursts, sunflower seeds, corn dogs, French fries, and ice cream. We almost got our hands on a funnel cake, but by the time Amanda got to the front of the line, they had just sold out. (She was very disappointed.)

We returned back to our seats with plenty of time to enjoy the rest of the game, but would you believe someone caught a foul ball right where I was sitting! That will be the last time I ever miss part of a game!

There is so much about baseball that I love, but I would have to say my favorite part of going to games is the 7^th inning stretch when everyone stands up to sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”

The Rangers came out on top that day with 10 hits and a 5-4 victory over the Angels. Currently, they are the #1 team in the American League West and we hope to make it out to several more games.

New York City

- Post by Adina  Murphy, Office Representative

One of my favorite pastimes is hanging out with my Uncle. We have fun no matter what we are doing, but our best time is spent going on trips. I am originally from New York, so when we decided to take a trip back up there I wasn’t expecting much. Now looking back, I have to say you never really see or experience the surroundings your city has to offer until you move away and go back for a visit. I had been to New York City countless times, but never as a tourist. This trip opened my eyes to a whole new world. The most exciting thing I saw was a very old church in Manhattan with a history worth sharing.

St. Paul’s Chapel, completed in 1766, is the oldest surviving public building in Manhattan. During the Revolutionary War, Alexander Hamilton held drill practice in the chapel’s yard with his militia unit. It survived the Great New York City Fire of 1776 when the British captured the city during the war. George Washington worshipped there on the day of his inauguration in 1789. On September 11, 2001, the chapel kept its doors open and took in the firefighters to give them a place to rest, eat, and pray. They still have the actual bench on display where the fireman rested. As much as I wanted to capture all the history, they don’t allow pictures to be taken inside the chapel.

 

Another fun site we visited in Manhattan was The Port Authority Bus Terminal. The terminal was created as a result of the growing bi-state region of New York and New Jersey. It consolidated the bus routes and takes you around New York and into New Jersey. One thing that particularly caught my attention was a statue in front of the building of Ralph Kramden. For those of you who ever watched the TV show “The Honeymooners,” you know who I am talking about and will appreciate this.

New York was a wonderful place to spend my vacation after all. If you are ever out that way, make sure to stop by these landmarks and don’t forget your slice of pizza!

Family

- Post by Bryan Bynum, Tool and Firearm Expert

Once you’ve settled into your career and the “real world,” it’s hard to think that life can get any better. You’re on your own, living life to the fullest, and making your own rules, but then you get to a point where you feel like there is something missing. At first, you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know the void is there. This was how I felt until I met my beautiful wife Tiffany.

All of that free time I spent doing what I wanted like fishing, hunting, and wrenching, suddenly became a thing of the past. After we met, all I could think about was the next time I would see her and get to be by her side. The rest they say is history. We fell in love, I proposed, and rushed to get married as soon as I could. (I didn’t want anyone else to steal her away.)

 

It didn’t take long before we wanted a child to share all of this love with and on June 11^th, 2007 our son, Cody, was born. He was a little miracle from God and a blessing to the whole family. Cody is the kind of kid that loves to light up the room, whether he is singing, dancing, or just giving you a wet Willie! Being his father has made me a better man and I love that kid more than life itself.

 

The funny thing is now I get to go fishing, hunting, and work on the hot rod wrenching again. Except this time around, I have two little extra hands to help me and share the fun with. I could not imagine waking up without either of them to greet me or a cute little “I wuv you Daddy.”

 As you can see, family is the most important thing to me in the world. We have another little one on the way who is expected to arrive ANY day now. It is hard to imagine I have any more love to share but with each addition to my family my heart just continues to grow.

Hands Down Family Camp

- Post by Megan Webb, Marketing

Every year Scottish Rite Hospital hosts a Hand Camp and this year I was given the opportunity to volunteer as a counselor. Now, this isn’t just any old camp, it is the most amazing camp in the entire world. Hand Camp is a camp for children, ages 4-9, with upper limb differences and their immediate family members. An upper limb difference can be congenital (present at birth) or an outcome of an unfortunate accident. The most common congenital hand conditions include extra, webbed, or missing fingers. Camp is held in Meridian, TX at Camp John Marc and this year we had 56 families!

My group of counselors was in charge of the seven year olds. Keeping up with 23 seven year olds can be a challenge so we had a lot of fun things planned. The day is broken out into “sessions” such as sports and games, self help, cooking, how-tos, arts and crafts…you get the idea. We went on a nature hike, fished, played soccer, and even cooked squid dogs and astronaut food (delicious).

Saturday night we had a carnival for all of the families. We danced, had a hoola-hoop contest, ate WAY too much cotton candy, and one of our counselors put on a slam dunk show!

Parents and family members are encouraged to come to camp with their kids. This is not only fun for the whole family but also a great opportunity for parents to get together and discuss any questions and/or fears they may have with parents in similar situations. They group together in "breakout sessions" where they have the opportunity to discuss parenting challenges that have come up with their children, and most of the challenges have nothing to do with having a limb difference! For me personally, the most rewarding thing about camp is what I can learn from all of these amazing children. They look at life as if nothing is out of reach and they are determined to overcome any obstacle life throws at them.

Golfers Anonymous

- Post by Brandon Frame, Pricing Specialist 

My name is Brandon Frame and I am addicted to golf. They don’t have an official support group for people like me, but I know I’m not alone. When I am not at work, chances are I am probably swinging a golf club. For my 8th birthday my grandfather gave me a set of golf clubs and I've been hooked ever since! It gets me away from the fast pace of the Dallas/Ft. Worth area for a few hours. Golf is a game that tests you physically and mentally. There are many things that have to take place to execute a good golf shot, but you'll never hit the same shot twice. It seems that every time I play there is one part of my game that is suffering. Whether it’s my driver slicing to the right all day, my 6 iron continually finding the green side bunkers, or my putter not seeming to work right. Hey, even Tiger has bad days. You have to know your strengths to try to compensate for whatever is lacking in your game. Also, living in Texas does not help, the sudden weather changes and random wind gusts can change your shot in no time. 

 

I try to play golf more than once a week during golf season. My buddies and I play every Sunday at Firewheel Golf Course for weekly bragging rights and competitive trash talking via text message until the next time we meet. I also take a trip every year to New Braunfels, TX to play golf with my grandfather for a few days at my favorite golf course, The Bandit.

I love golf. It's an individual's sport that will always keep you guessing; a game that people of all ages have fun excelling at, and a place where I can relax while enjoying time with those I care for. There is nothing else that I would rather be doing on a nice summer day than walking the fairways.

Meet the Garcias

-Post by Krista Garcia, Jewelry Expert

My husband Mike and I both have the pleasure of working here at ReSource. We met over 11 years ago at work, and have never left each other's side. So you might ask, what do we do together in our free time?   

We spend our time with friends, family, and our animals. Our animals include our dog, Lady, who is a German Sheppard-Husky mix that we rescued from a bad home. Precious is our cat and she is constantly talking, although I’m not quite sure what about, and they both follow us around like they think they are humans!

The weekends are packed with Church and lots of food! We pick up the family and off we go to the early services, followed by a wonderful brunch. We love to start the day off inspired and with full bellies ready to tackle whatever the day has to hold. 

We are also homebodies, we enjoy renting movies and hanging out with the neighbors. They see the grill and come running. I think they are always over for the fajitas, and playing poker in the dining room. There is no satisfaction like taking their money! :-)  

  

Mike is a huge Green Bay Packer fan. He even made the trek to the freezing cold north to see them in Green Bay last year to play our hometown Cowboys! I bought him the tickets for our 10 year anniversary and he had an absolute ball. You would think he would root for the Cowboys, being from Texas, and unfortunately we get tons of grief on that one.  He is constantly wearing his gold and green gear out, even to the grocery store. It is so embarrassing when he wears his Cheese Head in Public!

Who knows what our future will bring, but for now we know that we are truly blessed in our lives. I hope you have enjoyed getting to know us, and stay tuned to the blog for our future adventures!

Texas Bluebonnets

 - Post by Amanda Brown, Purchasing Dept

Springtime in Texas brings a variety of elements to the state; thunder storms, crazy winds, temperatures all over the spectrum of hot and cold, and of course, bluebonnets! The bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas and during spring you can find them littered all over our highway embankments and fields.

 

Taking family portraits in the bluebonnets is a long running tradition for many families in Texas, and mine is no exception! Last weekend Chris and I took Kayla, our 14 month old daughter, to sit in the bluebonnets near our home and get some pictures of her. I love taking pictures, and for the most part, Kayla tolerates it being directed at her pretty well (even if she chooses to make silly faces instead of smile most of the time).

 

The ground of the field we took her too was very uneven, and as a fairly new walker she found the terrain very hard to navigate. She isn’t much of one for getting her hands dirty and especially doesn’t like to touch grass or plants unless it’s on her terms. The tripping and subsequent touching of the ground was a little traumatic at times but, with a little help from mom and dad, she made it through the experience unscathed.

 

After searching the small field for the perfect spot we ended up settling on a nice little patch that already had an open spot (other picture takers had ventured here before). We were able to get a few snap shots in before the outreached hands and whimpering got the best of us and Kayla got picked up!

When we got home Kayla took a long nap, apparently she had an exhausting experience that afternoon, and I got to look through all my pictures and take them to get printed. Now my desk is decorated with Kayla and bluebonnets and I couldn’t be happier! :)

Wheeling with the Brown's: Canyon's Offroad Park

In pursuit of following the Fun Side of ReSource, our blog comes back around to the Brown's, a husband and wife combination working here at ReSource and their off road adventures.  On the weekend of Feb. 26 Amanda and Chris decided to go on an uncharted adventure to a previously unexplored (by them) park here in Texas known as Canyons Off Road Park.  Canyons is nestled just outside of a small tourist town in the Hill Country known as Fredericksburg, Texas, a hot spot for many around Texas wanting to visit the early German culture that originally settled Central Texas.  The park itself is actually located 10 miles to the north of town on private land.  The weekend held the largest turn out Canyons Off Road Park has ever had with 53 vehicles coming out to explore the property.

Dairy Queen is the Texas Stop Sign and a sure stop on any road trip!

The drive from Dallas to Fredericksburg is no short one and Amanda and Chris took off fully loaded on Friday evening after work and pulled into camp just after 10 PM.  After setting up camp and sitting down for a few beverages they turned in for the night, electing to sleep in the Trailer with the heater running!  After a very cold night, they woke up early and loaded up the buggy for what was sure to be a very promising day.  They rounded up their good wheeling buddy John and his Bronco and hit the trails.  The pictures below show just a few of the obstacles we saw.

Looking down on a little grade in the trail!

John and his Mighty Bronco.

"If you just rock it a little..."

After a full day's worth of wheeling, dinner was had on the main street of Fredericksburg, Tx at Wheeler's Cafe chosen aptly for the name and how it related to the day's events.  Once back at camp, a fire was had and many frosty adult beverages were consumed.  It was a good time had by all and once again to escape the cold of night they elected to sleep in the trailer.  On Sunday it was time to pack up and head to the house, a successful weekend of wheeling was concluded.  Stay tuned for Chris and Amanda's March trip to Katemcy Rocks in Mason, Tx.

The Little buggy that could climbing a dirt wall.

Vaya Con Dios!  All loaded up and headed home!