Monday, June 30, 2008
How About Some Pictures?
Coolest Story about this picture, a very good friend of mine that I met while stationed overseas actually got to come and visit for two days last week!!! We became great friends while working together, and haven't seen each other in 5 years. She, her husband, and their two sons came to visit, and we went to a hot spring about 100 miles from my house.
We found this place which was recommended by another friend of mine, and headed up there and had a very nice time. The view? Stunning. The camera, a cheapy kodak disposable one did nice, but nothing could do that view justice except seeing it with your own eyes.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
What's Been Going On
A Lot.
I know I've been absent quite often lately, but I honestly have been really busy. First, to be honest, I've had to increase my hours at work, to be even more truthful, it's because of gas prices. Yep, gas prices are officially kicking us in the rumps. Hubby drives Oh, I don't know, about 8 hours to work and 8 hours back. Of course he doesn't make that journey every day, but he does do it approximately 4 times a month, at say 100-150 dollars each way, well that takes it's toll on the old pocketbook dontcha know.
Gas has always been an expense that we endured because he was making so much money, it was still worth it, but now, now things are different somehow. We just can't get a handle on things. My car, it costs almost 15 dollars more to fill up now than it did the day I bought it 2 years ago. And as we all know it's not just gas that is rising, there are groceries, and our health care costs add up quickly, with several hundred dollar bills for things as simple as an ultra sound.
We've discussed at length that perhaps we should move closer to his work, but that would mean losing my income. Income we've come to rely on, that would not necessarily be as easily replaced in the market we would be moving to, and besides, there is that little issue of being unemployed which I'm not too crazy about. Plus there is that sticky issue of buying this house, and the prospects of selling it are not all that great right now. We're not in the position to become landlords by renting out the property, it doesn't seem feasible right now.
We've discussed that perhaps he should move to a job closer to home, but that would mean leaving a crew he's really really happy with, and frankly, good crews are hard to come by. Those guys put their lives in each other's hands every day, and it is a comfort knowing he works with competent people out there, and not a bunch of drug addled drunks. Besides there is not really a job close to home that would provide equal compensation, or even close for that matter.
No easy solution to our problem, though we have thought and thought about it. We just don't know what to do, but the bottom line is we've decided to ride this thing out as long as we can. That seems the most secure choice at the moment. That means toughing up on a lot of spending.
Speaking of spending, I'd like to know just where exactly our stimulus check is. The letter said it would arrive May 2, and we still haven't received a darn penny. The letter said, if you don't get it, then call, well I called, and was redirected to an office somewhere on Mars or something because the chance of speaking to a human was nil to zero. I would love to stimulate the economy if we could just get our check please! Don't worry, we paid in way more than what they are sending us, so it's not like I'm being greedy here. It's just some of our money back.
That in a nutshell is what has been going on around here. I know it seems a silly reason not to have even a few minutes to blog, but I've practically gone full-time to work, and I'm pretty much useless when I get done with working all day at that job.
The thing that gets me is I'm not even sure if putting money into my 401k is even a wise choice right now, but I see every check I am contributing to it. I hope it is not in vain.
It's amazing really what a few more dollars at the pump has done to our finances. I'm really in awe at the effect. All in all, I guess we're better off than a lot of people, and I'm not complaining about our situation, just noting the effect these prices are having on us. We'll be all right come what may. We're grateful for what we have. Just have to hang in there I guess.
I know I've been absent quite often lately, but I honestly have been really busy. First, to be honest, I've had to increase my hours at work, to be even more truthful, it's because of gas prices. Yep, gas prices are officially kicking us in the rumps. Hubby drives Oh, I don't know, about 8 hours to work and 8 hours back. Of course he doesn't make that journey every day, but he does do it approximately 4 times a month, at say 100-150 dollars each way, well that takes it's toll on the old pocketbook dontcha know.
Gas has always been an expense that we endured because he was making so much money, it was still worth it, but now, now things are different somehow. We just can't get a handle on things. My car, it costs almost 15 dollars more to fill up now than it did the day I bought it 2 years ago. And as we all know it's not just gas that is rising, there are groceries, and our health care costs add up quickly, with several hundred dollar bills for things as simple as an ultra sound.
We've discussed at length that perhaps we should move closer to his work, but that would mean losing my income. Income we've come to rely on, that would not necessarily be as easily replaced in the market we would be moving to, and besides, there is that little issue of being unemployed which I'm not too crazy about. Plus there is that sticky issue of buying this house, and the prospects of selling it are not all that great right now. We're not in the position to become landlords by renting out the property, it doesn't seem feasible right now.
We've discussed that perhaps he should move to a job closer to home, but that would mean leaving a crew he's really really happy with, and frankly, good crews are hard to come by. Those guys put their lives in each other's hands every day, and it is a comfort knowing he works with competent people out there, and not a bunch of drug addled drunks. Besides there is not really a job close to home that would provide equal compensation, or even close for that matter.
No easy solution to our problem, though we have thought and thought about it. We just don't know what to do, but the bottom line is we've decided to ride this thing out as long as we can. That seems the most secure choice at the moment. That means toughing up on a lot of spending.
Speaking of spending, I'd like to know just where exactly our stimulus check is. The letter said it would arrive May 2, and we still haven't received a darn penny. The letter said, if you don't get it, then call, well I called, and was redirected to an office somewhere on Mars or something because the chance of speaking to a human was nil to zero. I would love to stimulate the economy if we could just get our check please! Don't worry, we paid in way more than what they are sending us, so it's not like I'm being greedy here. It's just some of our money back.
That in a nutshell is what has been going on around here. I know it seems a silly reason not to have even a few minutes to blog, but I've practically gone full-time to work, and I'm pretty much useless when I get done with working all day at that job.
The thing that gets me is I'm not even sure if putting money into my 401k is even a wise choice right now, but I see every check I am contributing to it. I hope it is not in vain.
It's amazing really what a few more dollars at the pump has done to our finances. I'm really in awe at the effect. All in all, I guess we're better off than a lot of people, and I'm not complaining about our situation, just noting the effect these prices are having on us. We'll be all right come what may. We're grateful for what we have. Just have to hang in there I guess.
Monday, June 23, 2008
What Part of Bug off Do You Not Understand
Tired.
People, I'm tired of it. T.I.R.E.D. The last few days it seems like everywhere I go there are people waiting around just to bug me into getting involved in their pet causes, or buy something. Seriously, I can't walk in a store without getting "ma'am, would you like to sign our petitions?" or "ma'am can I talk to you for a minute?" or "ma'am, are you registered to vote?" Now, most of these people have been satisfied with a one or two word response, but not the boob lady. Oh no.
The boob lady was as determined to talk to me, as I was to get our pizza. I ordered the family a pizza, and when I went to pick it up low and behold boob ladies were staking out the frickin' entrance. As I pulled into the parking lot and saw them there in their pink shirts, I sighed to myself and thought, "oh great, what are they selling?"
Luckily, a hapless couple leaving the pizza place provided what I thought might be a nice diversion so that I could jot past them and get right in without being accosted. I glanced over before I started to make my bee line towards the door, and could see the older couple in the 60's slowly backing away from the boob lady that was so intent on their attention, but she kept talking. I jump out of the car and start walking briskly, not making eye contact, not making eye contact, oh my gosh, I might just make it, reaching for handle of door, going to make it, then, I hear, "Ma'am, Ma'am!" Busted.
I look over and see boob lady staring right at me, "Ma'am" she says again, "Can I talk to you?"
"No thank you." I reply. Which in a civilized world should be enough. Shouldn't it? "Oh ma'am, we're not selling anything."
"No thank you." I say again much more firmly.
Then I open the door and duck inside. I could feel the hate. I get to the counter and find that our pizza is not quite ready so I take a seat, and sit around nervously thinking the boob lady might just persist enough to come inside to talk with me about whatever it is she's not selling. I notice on the counter there is a big plastic bin that says something like "walk for breast cancer" or something. I know the boob ladies have been here. I had surmised from their signs outside they were doing something to a) raise funds for breast cancer or b) recruiting people for their walk i.e. raising funds for breast cancer.
It doesn't matter, I was not particularly interested in knowing. I just wanted to pick up my pizza, and not be bothered. Which I did, and then took a deep sigh and opened the door to head to my car, luckily another woman was walking up right when I headed out, and I heard, "Ma'am, can I talk to you for a minute." Whew, off the hook.
I imagine the boob ladies thought I was uncaring for not stopping to discuss breast cancer with them, but sometimes I just don't want to talk to strangers. I'm sure they have good intentions, but that doesn't mean I'm obligated to get involved.
It's not just the boob ladies though. Yesterday afternoon when I was leaving Wal-Mart, there were people outside gathering signatures for about 5 different petitions. The guy told me briefly about each one, and after he was done I said, "Hmm, I don't think I want to sign off on those." and walked away.
Oh, but I'm not done. We have out of town visitors coming, so we spent most of the day tidying up the house. Ha, that sounds to simple, in actuality, we spent the whole day sweating our asses off cleaning up this pig stye. After scrubbing the toilets, the kitchen floor, vaccuming, and generally busting butt all day, I went out on the front porch to have a smoke and cool off. I sat and watched as two young men on bikes wearing identical uniforms of black pants and white button up shirts park their bikes and chain them to the street sign in the corner of my yard.
"Mormons" I thought to myself, and of course, I was right. "Hmm, guess they won't bother me after seeing me out here smoking." Phone rang, I went back in, and the Mormon kids started up my street. Some time later the door bell rings, I'm gathering laundry. I hear my husband say, "who the heck is that?" I yell back from the laundry room, "Oh it's Mormons, don't worry, I'll go answer it."
I run to the front door with laundry basket in tow, "Hello ma'am, how are you today?" The nice kid asks. "I'm fine, but we already have a church" the mean fat lady with little patience replied. (that would be me by the way) "Oh ma'am, we just want to talk with you about getting closer to Jesus" and then I give it, my pat response, "No, thank you" and I walk away from the door. Leaving them looking sorta disappointed.
Geez Louise, yes, I am actually a person who uses this term on a regular basis, that's not all though. Last night about oh, 7:30pm ish, some young fresh faced kid comes to the door, all I'm thinking is that I want to put a sign on my door that says, "Lay off my door bell." I go to the door, kid starts in on his speel about my roof, and all the hail damage from all the storms we've had lately, I'm thinking, "Umm, you've got to be kidding me".
We've barely had a drop of rain in months, let alone hail for goodness sakes, I want to blurt out, "Yeah, I think you're about a 1000 miles away from the actual places getting a lot of hail storms lately" but I don't, I just cut him off and say, "You know, I think it would be better for you to talk to my husband about this roof stuff, I'm a lady and don't even know what a roof or a tool is." Well, that last part I didn't say, but I assume it was implied. Hubby dealt with that one.
But all this left me thinking, when is enough enough. It's simple, you approach me, and if I feel like selling you my time, or interest, I will, if I say, "no thank you" then kindly bug off. I'm not rude or hateful about it, but if you continue after the first time, I will say it much more firmly, and maybe even rudely. I don't owe you my time, I don't owe you anything.
What I really hate are the people who send kids around selling stale candy bars for like $2.00 a piece, and they always have some line like, "I'm part of a program to keep me from becoming a thug and a thief, if you buy my candies, I basically will not come back 5 years from now and steal your hub caps, or your barbeque grill" I've actual seen these kids get dropped off in the neighborhood by this big burly man with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth driving some big passenger van with a hand painted sign on the side, I mean, by gosh, he looked like a criminal himself. They always tell you they are trying to earn money for a special trip or something, like going to an amusement park is going to keep them from a life of crime. You either become a criminal or you don't, I don't think Six Flags has much to do with it, and no I don't want any candy bars, sorry, and like most children when told no, they basically get to the "oh but please", and then skulk away if told no again.
Gosh I sound so mean, what a heartless bitch. But that's just the thing, that's what these folks want me to think. They want me to feel bad, and guilty, but I don't anymore. I just say "no thank you" and walk away.
People, I'm tired of it. T.I.R.E.D. The last few days it seems like everywhere I go there are people waiting around just to bug me into getting involved in their pet causes, or buy something. Seriously, I can't walk in a store without getting "ma'am, would you like to sign our petitions?" or "ma'am can I talk to you for a minute?" or "ma'am, are you registered to vote?" Now, most of these people have been satisfied with a one or two word response, but not the boob lady. Oh no.
The boob lady was as determined to talk to me, as I was to get our pizza. I ordered the family a pizza, and when I went to pick it up low and behold boob ladies were staking out the frickin' entrance. As I pulled into the parking lot and saw them there in their pink shirts, I sighed to myself and thought, "oh great, what are they selling?"
Luckily, a hapless couple leaving the pizza place provided what I thought might be a nice diversion so that I could jot past them and get right in without being accosted. I glanced over before I started to make my bee line towards the door, and could see the older couple in the 60's slowly backing away from the boob lady that was so intent on their attention, but she kept talking. I jump out of the car and start walking briskly, not making eye contact, not making eye contact, oh my gosh, I might just make it, reaching for handle of door, going to make it, then, I hear, "Ma'am, Ma'am!" Busted.
I look over and see boob lady staring right at me, "Ma'am" she says again, "Can I talk to you?"
"No thank you." I reply. Which in a civilized world should be enough. Shouldn't it? "Oh ma'am, we're not selling anything."
"No thank you." I say again much more firmly.
Then I open the door and duck inside. I could feel the hate. I get to the counter and find that our pizza is not quite ready so I take a seat, and sit around nervously thinking the boob lady might just persist enough to come inside to talk with me about whatever it is she's not selling. I notice on the counter there is a big plastic bin that says something like "walk for breast cancer" or something. I know the boob ladies have been here. I had surmised from their signs outside they were doing something to a) raise funds for breast cancer or b) recruiting people for their walk i.e. raising funds for breast cancer.
It doesn't matter, I was not particularly interested in knowing. I just wanted to pick up my pizza, and not be bothered. Which I did, and then took a deep sigh and opened the door to head to my car, luckily another woman was walking up right when I headed out, and I heard, "Ma'am, can I talk to you for a minute." Whew, off the hook.
I imagine the boob ladies thought I was uncaring for not stopping to discuss breast cancer with them, but sometimes I just don't want to talk to strangers. I'm sure they have good intentions, but that doesn't mean I'm obligated to get involved.
It's not just the boob ladies though. Yesterday afternoon when I was leaving Wal-Mart, there were people outside gathering signatures for about 5 different petitions. The guy told me briefly about each one, and after he was done I said, "Hmm, I don't think I want to sign off on those." and walked away.
Oh, but I'm not done. We have out of town visitors coming, so we spent most of the day tidying up the house. Ha, that sounds to simple, in actuality, we spent the whole day sweating our asses off cleaning up this pig stye. After scrubbing the toilets, the kitchen floor, vaccuming, and generally busting butt all day, I went out on the front porch to have a smoke and cool off. I sat and watched as two young men on bikes wearing identical uniforms of black pants and white button up shirts park their bikes and chain them to the street sign in the corner of my yard.
"Mormons" I thought to myself, and of course, I was right. "Hmm, guess they won't bother me after seeing me out here smoking." Phone rang, I went back in, and the Mormon kids started up my street. Some time later the door bell rings, I'm gathering laundry. I hear my husband say, "who the heck is that?" I yell back from the laundry room, "Oh it's Mormons, don't worry, I'll go answer it."
I run to the front door with laundry basket in tow, "Hello ma'am, how are you today?" The nice kid asks. "I'm fine, but we already have a church" the mean fat lady with little patience replied. (that would be me by the way) "Oh ma'am, we just want to talk with you about getting closer to Jesus" and then I give it, my pat response, "No, thank you" and I walk away from the door. Leaving them looking sorta disappointed.
Geez Louise, yes, I am actually a person who uses this term on a regular basis, that's not all though. Last night about oh, 7:30pm ish, some young fresh faced kid comes to the door, all I'm thinking is that I want to put a sign on my door that says, "Lay off my door bell." I go to the door, kid starts in on his speel about my roof, and all the hail damage from all the storms we've had lately, I'm thinking, "Umm, you've got to be kidding me".
We've barely had a drop of rain in months, let alone hail for goodness sakes, I want to blurt out, "Yeah, I think you're about a 1000 miles away from the actual places getting a lot of hail storms lately" but I don't, I just cut him off and say, "You know, I think it would be better for you to talk to my husband about this roof stuff, I'm a lady and don't even know what a roof or a tool is." Well, that last part I didn't say, but I assume it was implied. Hubby dealt with that one.
But all this left me thinking, when is enough enough. It's simple, you approach me, and if I feel like selling you my time, or interest, I will, if I say, "no thank you" then kindly bug off. I'm not rude or hateful about it, but if you continue after the first time, I will say it much more firmly, and maybe even rudely. I don't owe you my time, I don't owe you anything.
What I really hate are the people who send kids around selling stale candy bars for like $2.00 a piece, and they always have some line like, "I'm part of a program to keep me from becoming a thug and a thief, if you buy my candies, I basically will not come back 5 years from now and steal your hub caps, or your barbeque grill" I've actual seen these kids get dropped off in the neighborhood by this big burly man with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth driving some big passenger van with a hand painted sign on the side, I mean, by gosh, he looked like a criminal himself. They always tell you they are trying to earn money for a special trip or something, like going to an amusement park is going to keep them from a life of crime. You either become a criminal or you don't, I don't think Six Flags has much to do with it, and no I don't want any candy bars, sorry, and like most children when told no, they basically get to the "oh but please", and then skulk away if told no again.
Gosh I sound so mean, what a heartless bitch. But that's just the thing, that's what these folks want me to think. They want me to feel bad, and guilty, but I don't anymore. I just say "no thank you" and walk away.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)