I am market daft. I can't say financially daft, because I am savy in the simple sense. Budget, general register, simple interest and payments in the credit card worlds...I am savy; I can manoevre and manipulate. My dad has taken to sending me e-news letters from a financial advisor person. Like a dutiful daughter, I muddle thru the lingo, boredom (for me) and charts. I have to admit, this WWII veteran old geezer does make the stock market interesting as he is kind of the Andy Rooney(60 Minutes) of the stock world. What I have derived today is that our lives are like the stock market and our personalities are the types of commodities. Are you the majority - a stock with value that will drop or gain, going thru the roller coaster of life with possible splits, buyouts or dividends? Are you a more steady person -- a savings bond -- slow & steady gain and ever dependable? Are you a precious metal stock or commodity -- little known, rarely touted but of utmost importance and dependability when times are hard? Whatever personality, we're all in the roller coaster park. We'll all go up, and go down. We may be on different roller coasters, or the same one in different cars. We all got on at some point and we'll all get off someday and exit the park. Let's just hope the ride is worth it and we all want to come back.
Enough entertainment reading. Birthday was good. I'm still not quite used to the "quietness" as my party G-ma is having her own party in heaven. My KelKat treated me to some good raw fishies and some superb cold pear sake. I may never go back to the hot stuff after this! (My pocketbook may beg to differ...) My house has been given a new piercing in the form of a twist doorbell. (Thanks Dad!) Mama's got a new pin-up girl shirt and a beauteous card from the hubby.
Financial --I think we're on a little downhill slope before the big fall. I feel good. Not anywhere near paying stuff off and by what I can calculate...we still have 5 years, assuming nothing changes. Not my ideal, but not bad either. However, that can be accellerated by the hubby's job prospect(s) which at the moment, is cream worthy. Take that how you may...
I started walking last week after a long winter of stagnancy. True, I did do a jump-start of super yoga in March (which I have yet to return to because an oil change turned into a $700 brake repair. My yoga funds were re-allocated) I have to admit; I am a fair-weather walker. I really need to pump it up before this walk though or I may be dyin' in the first quarter. I'll probably have some 80 year old grandma passing me - cackling!
A -- how's the critter cookin'?
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Mother's Day Run/Walk
So - your walking every day huh? Your running every other day right?
I give you credit.
I have done nothing for months.
I have pictures that were taken yesterday and I am shocked. I do not like how I look and it is adding to the frustrations/stress that are mounting.
I have so much pent up anxiety and frustration that I should be out running every day! I truly believe that this would help my outlook on life right now. I was going to try and stay off the whole blog world for a bit, however, I need this site and the support that goes along with it. Work has been very hard lately - very busy but they are now cutting back my working days. Kind of. I have the option to work Fridays if I need to...but if I do - are they going to run out of money to pay me prior to my contract end date? If I don't work - how do I pay my bills AND save money. If I do work - how do I only work for what I am getting paid for? without feeling like I need to put the overtime in that I typically have to do? How do I just relax about the whole thing and enjoy my non-working life more?
So Lido and I are going to go for a nice long walk today. I will be getting up earlier tomorrow morning and working out. I will continue to do this...I also need a big bottle of Prozac. I need to relax. I need a vacation.
I'll get the vacation soon enough - right now I'm really looking forward to seeing all of you at the walk! http://www.mothersdayrun.com/
How is everyone else doing these days...I miss you all writing on here and telling me how life is - your perspective - or just gabbing.
Love to all of you!
I give you credit.
I have done nothing for months.
I have pictures that were taken yesterday and I am shocked. I do not like how I look and it is adding to the frustrations/stress that are mounting.
I have so much pent up anxiety and frustration that I should be out running every day! I truly believe that this would help my outlook on life right now. I was going to try and stay off the whole blog world for a bit, however, I need this site and the support that goes along with it. Work has been very hard lately - very busy but they are now cutting back my working days. Kind of. I have the option to work Fridays if I need to...but if I do - are they going to run out of money to pay me prior to my contract end date? If I don't work - how do I pay my bills AND save money. If I do work - how do I only work for what I am getting paid for? without feeling like I need to put the overtime in that I typically have to do? How do I just relax about the whole thing and enjoy my non-working life more?
So Lido and I are going to go for a nice long walk today. I will be getting up earlier tomorrow morning and working out. I will continue to do this...I also need a big bottle of Prozac. I need to relax. I need a vacation.
I'll get the vacation soon enough - right now I'm really looking forward to seeing all of you at the walk! http://www.mothersdayrun.com/
How is everyone else doing these days...I miss you all writing on here and telling me how life is - your perspective - or just gabbing.
Love to all of you!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
What's Up
So...just because I said I wouldn't be posting for a bit doesn't mean that all of you have to stay off...hopefully you are all busy with good things!
Wanted to remind everyone that there are only 4 weeks left before the Mother's Day walk/run!!! If you haven't got your butts in gear yet (me) I suggest you do so soon!
Speaking of getting butts in gear - they significantly screwed all the consultants at my job and we have to take mandatory days off during the month (2 days a month) and we don't get overtime anymore...which puts me out about 38 hours a month...we shall see how great my job is in a while...anyway...this made us rethink some of our spending habits (again) and I'm now making baby food and holding my breath that Lido eats it! And we are making food in bulk for ourselves - so frozen turkey burgers, chicken with all the fixin's frozen...I hope it will cut down. I'm going to track it this time. I think I spent almost $200 on groceries (out of some spices) and I'll see how long this lasts us...and of course fill you in.
Happy Easter!
Wanted to remind everyone that there are only 4 weeks left before the Mother's Day walk/run!!! If you haven't got your butts in gear yet (me) I suggest you do so soon!
Speaking of getting butts in gear - they significantly screwed all the consultants at my job and we have to take mandatory days off during the month (2 days a month) and we don't get overtime anymore...which puts me out about 38 hours a month...we shall see how great my job is in a while...anyway...this made us rethink some of our spending habits (again) and I'm now making baby food and holding my breath that Lido eats it! And we are making food in bulk for ourselves - so frozen turkey burgers, chicken with all the fixin's frozen...I hope it will cut down. I'm going to track it this time. I think I spent almost $200 on groceries (out of some spices) and I'll see how long this lasts us...and of course fill you in.
Happy Easter!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Wow
So it seems that all of us have been a bit busy lately! First - CONGRATULATIONS - we have a new baby to look forward to pretty soon from A and her family!!! That is great. I know you've been wanting to add to the brood - I can officially call you a brood now since you will have more than 2 kids right??
Mo - congrats on the weight challenge and the organization, etc! I envy you right now. We just redid our living room layout so LiDo can crawl around uninterrupted by us or pillows or blankets...we shall see how that goes tomorrow night...I'm sure we have missed several items that can topple over or be yanked...
Ter - hang in there. It will all get better.
I'm not sure if any of you realize that our Mother's Day walk/run is coming up in oh about 6 weeks. I realized this a couple of weeks ago but have done nothing except the thinking part. I have been fighting one sickness after another for the past month and have been in no shape to start walking or running. I think I am over the worst of it all and have a bit of energy left so this is the week that I will start. We have new daycare that is in a neighborhood across the street from us so it will be easy enough to grab him, run home and run back out again. Hopefully the weather cooperates. I HATE March/beginning of April in Portland...it will be sunny all week and then right when you drive home it starts raining or is completely crappy on the weekends. It is really hit or miss but definitely a teaser. Plus - I just need sunlight right now. Sun Sun Sun Sun...that is all I think about. Did anyone ever see that old movie (70's) that was based of the Ray Bradbury short story of people living on a planet where the sun shown only 1 day out of the year and for only a short period of time and there was a group of school children that were getting ready to enjoy the 1 day of sun and locked another child in a room with a tiny window? The child could only catch a glimpse of the sun but couldn't go out and enjoy it? I think of that movie constantly about this time of year. I feel like the school kid locked in a room with only a glimpse of sunlight. How depressing is that?
We have been doing pretty well on keeping our act together. Good thing to as we would like to move out of the place we are currently in. We've decided that we will definitely be out here for another full year and we may as well be somewhere we will enjoy...maybe a place that has a yard? We've looked at a couple of places in this great neighborhood and even though the bedrooms are a bit small and we may end up with more of a romper room than a bedroom with a king-size bed shoved in there...well, I'll take it. It is 1 block from a park. It has different walking paths that end up connecting to Washington Park (largest city park in the US). It is close to the highway which will be very convenient for us...Drawbacks - well, I have to go the opposite way to drop LiDo off at daycare...but hey - I'll have a yard.
I have more to say but I think I may save it for a couple days. I'm in the midst of some self-reflection and I just read a blog describing exactly what I am thinking about So I'll post something once I get a bit more sorted out in my head. It will be interesting to hear if any of the rest of you are going through the same thing....
Mo - congrats on the weight challenge and the organization, etc! I envy you right now. We just redid our living room layout so LiDo can crawl around uninterrupted by us or pillows or blankets...we shall see how that goes tomorrow night...I'm sure we have missed several items that can topple over or be yanked...
Ter - hang in there. It will all get better.
I'm not sure if any of you realize that our Mother's Day walk/run is coming up in oh about 6 weeks. I realized this a couple of weeks ago but have done nothing except the thinking part. I have been fighting one sickness after another for the past month and have been in no shape to start walking or running. I think I am over the worst of it all and have a bit of energy left so this is the week that I will start. We have new daycare that is in a neighborhood across the street from us so it will be easy enough to grab him, run home and run back out again. Hopefully the weather cooperates. I HATE March/beginning of April in Portland...it will be sunny all week and then right when you drive home it starts raining or is completely crappy on the weekends. It is really hit or miss but definitely a teaser. Plus - I just need sunlight right now. Sun Sun Sun Sun...that is all I think about. Did anyone ever see that old movie (70's) that was based of the Ray Bradbury short story of people living on a planet where the sun shown only 1 day out of the year and for only a short period of time and there was a group of school children that were getting ready to enjoy the 1 day of sun and locked another child in a room with a tiny window? The child could only catch a glimpse of the sun but couldn't go out and enjoy it? I think of that movie constantly about this time of year. I feel like the school kid locked in a room with only a glimpse of sunlight. How depressing is that?
We have been doing pretty well on keeping our act together. Good thing to as we would like to move out of the place we are currently in. We've decided that we will definitely be out here for another full year and we may as well be somewhere we will enjoy...maybe a place that has a yard? We've looked at a couple of places in this great neighborhood and even though the bedrooms are a bit small and we may end up with more of a romper room than a bedroom with a king-size bed shoved in there...well, I'll take it. It is 1 block from a park. It has different walking paths that end up connecting to Washington Park (largest city park in the US). It is close to the highway which will be very convenient for us...Drawbacks - well, I have to go the opposite way to drop LiDo off at daycare...but hey - I'll have a yard.
I have more to say but I think I may save it for a couple days. I'm in the midst of some self-reflection and I just read a blog describing exactly what I am thinking about So I'll post something once I get a bit more sorted out in my head. It will be interesting to hear if any of the rest of you are going through the same thing....
Time Flies
I just realized that I haven't posted in awhile, so thought I would check in. Yesterday marked 6 months since I filed for divorce. In some ways it seems like 6 years ago, but in others just like yesterday.
Since that day I have lost 38 lbs, paid off some bills, completely remodeled one room, partially remodeled another and completely organized my entire house (except for the garage). It feels pretty good to see that here - I feel like I have actually accomplished something in the last 6 months. I have achieved forward momentum!
I only have 2 weeks and a day left until the final weigh in for my contest at work. My goal is to lose another 8-10 lbs in that time in an effort to take the prize. However, I will no longer be getting the Kindle if I do because too many bills have materialized in the last few weeks. My car insurance is due for another 6 months, car tags and my accountant is working on my taxes as we speak. I am crossing my fingers that I won't owe again this year - I still haven't recovered from giving them all of my savings last year! I am having them review last year's return just in case my last preparer made a mistake, but I think it was just CA. To my dismay I found out that I have to file in CA again for '08 because even though I didn't live there at all I did get my bonus and vacation payout from Sprint in Jan '08 and they paid it out of CA since that was the last state I worked in for them.
I am also still waiting to see if my extension gets signed. If not, my last day will be 4/3. My client says that she is pretty sure it will get signed, which will give me until 6/30. But I am not holding my breath, just in case.
Here's wishing each of you a little forward momentum this week!
MO
Since that day I have lost 38 lbs, paid off some bills, completely remodeled one room, partially remodeled another and completely organized my entire house (except for the garage). It feels pretty good to see that here - I feel like I have actually accomplished something in the last 6 months. I have achieved forward momentum!
I only have 2 weeks and a day left until the final weigh in for my contest at work. My goal is to lose another 8-10 lbs in that time in an effort to take the prize. However, I will no longer be getting the Kindle if I do because too many bills have materialized in the last few weeks. My car insurance is due for another 6 months, car tags and my accountant is working on my taxes as we speak. I am crossing my fingers that I won't owe again this year - I still haven't recovered from giving them all of my savings last year! I am having them review last year's return just in case my last preparer made a mistake, but I think it was just CA. To my dismay I found out that I have to file in CA again for '08 because even though I didn't live there at all I did get my bonus and vacation payout from Sprint in Jan '08 and they paid it out of CA since that was the last state I worked in for them.
I am also still waiting to see if my extension gets signed. If not, my last day will be 4/3. My client says that she is pretty sure it will get signed, which will give me until 6/30. But I am not holding my breath, just in case.
Here's wishing each of you a little forward momentum this week!
MO
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Sorry for the absence...
...but good news to follow...I am no longer trying to loose weight...in fact I am ready to gain several pounds b/c I am expecting 9/9/09!! Getting past this first 14 weeks has been rough, but I am seeing (feeling) the light at the end of the tunnel. Starting to get a little more energy. We are excited and AJK (5yr girl) is driving us nuts w/ her impatience about the whole thing! :) Very cute though. She so badly wants to have a little sister that I am afraid of what may happen if we end up finding out it is a boy. KJK (2yr boy) is oblivious and asked me the other day "Mommy, where is the baby." I told him "in mommy's tummy" and he promptly said..."Mommy, that's funny." and went about his business like it was no big deal. Ahhh the innocence. Otherwise...the house is a pit b/c I haven't had the energy to clean. BK (hubby) has been understanding, but somehow he hasn't had the motivation to clean either. I suppose the dust will have to wait for us. The clutter is catching up to me, so I hope I have more energy soon so it doesn't start to swallow the children. All in all...things are well. Can't complain too much b/c with the economy the way it is...someone always has it worse than any of us. The way BK and I see it w/ our jobs in the grocery industry and the healthcare industry people are always going to buy groceries to eat and always need healthcare for their kids...so we feel pretty lucky.
Javagirl--I am still planning on walking in the 5K...how do we sign up??
Javagirl--I am still planning on walking in the 5K...how do we sign up??
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Melancholy - "I can't complain"
I think I am the opposite of the norm. I must be. I am calmest at the full moon while all the other crazies are rip-roaring hyped. Go figure. Work is a little crazy today -- people are stressed, kiddos are upset and our favorite little basket case is in the counselor's office hyper-ventilating and wailing. Full moon, yeah.
I started yoga last night. It's been 5 years (yikes) and courtesy of a local studio, I now have 2 whole weeks of unlimited classes for $25. Spring break is coming up which means I can do 2 classes a day if I so desire. Full moon, right? Maybe I am crazy, considering I can't use my arms today after doing 80 million vinyasas last night. But damn, it feels good. Binge exercise anyone?
Everything else in my little bubble... I really can't complain. And shouldn't. We are managing. I have no self control to get the good habits in place and the rough stuff (financial) isn't going as fast as I want it to go (as usual) but it's all going. Clutter is still there, love handles are still there, hubby is getting in his busy time and I'm feeling a little neglected, but in all reality, I can't complain. So I won't.
I started yoga last night. It's been 5 years (yikes) and courtesy of a local studio, I now have 2 whole weeks of unlimited classes for $25. Spring break is coming up which means I can do 2 classes a day if I so desire. Full moon, right? Maybe I am crazy, considering I can't use my arms today after doing 80 million vinyasas last night. But damn, it feels good. Binge exercise anyone?
Everything else in my little bubble... I really can't complain. And shouldn't. We are managing. I have no self control to get the good habits in place and the rough stuff (financial) isn't going as fast as I want it to go (as usual) but it's all going. Clutter is still there, love handles are still there, hubby is getting in his busy time and I'm feeling a little neglected, but in all reality, I can't complain. So I won't.
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