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Archive for May, 2008

Enjoyed a freebie today!!

June 1st, 2008 at 05:18 am

About eight months ago, my job gave me a gift certificate for a little pampering at a local spa. ($150 value with all sorts of fancy stuff tacked on to a massage.)

I sat on it for all these months for several reasons...most high on the list was fear of the unknown...Not one to venture into spas very often ( ok, never)....So I decided I would use this certificate as a birthday treat (my birthday is June 3)...and when I called, I asked if I could trade in all the "extras" for a side by side massage with the hub. (They said sure and it was $10 cheaper)...

So my hurdle, was convincing Mr. Macho-lumberjack-man that he would enjoy the experience...lol. NOt an easy feat.

But, because of the birthday thing, he begrudgingly went...wearing his suspenders and steel toed boots. (good grief)...

Would you like a foot soak while you wait??? we were asked...Me: Absolutely...him: "Im good thanks"...

We had our necks swaddled in warm wraps...I had a yummy foot soak, we filled our a few papers and closed our eyes as we chose the massage oils. Funny, the hub said yes to the first one..he said it smelled just like sawdust..(I bet they did that on purpose)....I chose a mix of sandalwood and orange...

Then I was offered a nice pair for slippers as we walked to the room...the hub just clomped up in the steel toes...

We were asked to put all our clothes (to our comfort level)into these beautiful baskets and climb on the tables between sheets.. candles, comforting music, and such a cozy atmosphere...thankfully the hub discarded the suspenders and relaxed a little...

And an amazing 1 hour massage followed...

wow.WOW. Even the hub loved it.

THEN, we were provided yummy robes, cold water and were led downstairs to the sauna...where we sat and sweated feeling quite pampered for about 15 minutes...then a nice candlelight shower...and we left having enjoyed a very relaxing, pampered afternoon for FREE as a thank you for something I did at work about a year ago....WOW.

The rest of the day....from 7am until massage and even now as I type...has been a marathon babysitting day with all 3 of the grandbabies...#3 will be picked up in about an hour...What a full, blessed day.
And the price was so right!!!

sigh...wow.

Starting the week off right...

May 27th, 2008 at 05:36 am

Thank goodness for an extra day to the weekend.

I am ready to go back tomorrow. My laundry is all ready to go-

My lunch is packed..Turkey sandwich, mustard and lettuce on oatnut bread + low fat string cheese.

I have a cup of oatmeal (steel cut..good quality) ready for each day + fruit.

So week one is ready to go- and if all goes well, my first week on a good eating/spending plan is off to a good start.

I made a roast in the crockpot today, which I sliced thin and we then made French Dip sandwiches with...they were yummy. There is enough left for taco's this week...which is what we are having on Wednesday.

I also made breakfast at home yesterday and today..hashbrowns, sausage, eggs and cheddar (tomatoes and green onions for flavor)..one skillet meal...with some toast....very yummy and tied us over to dinner.

We have a menu plan for all meals this week.

I will post our results on Friday or Saturday next week... so far, it feels great!!

It was time to redo the do...

May 23rd, 2008 at 06:44 am

I made it 8 weeks...but I was in dire need if I wanted to keep up the new do. I have to say, it looks way better now...but is it worth it?? I really do love the cut, the color and the shapely brows...but it is so expensive. I am still struggling with the whole cost/benefit analysis...8 weeks...that would be just about $2 per day...hmm...

I told you all the good news from the doc yesterday...but there was a part 2....(darned doc, couldn't just leave it at that)

The whole weight thing got hammered home big time. It is so frustrating. I was thin most of my life...and the last 10 years I have had weight creeping up that I have just not paid that much attention to. I would say I am heavy, but not fat...that is until they were talking on the radio a couple of mornings ago about a size "10" being PLUS SIZE...huh?

Bottom line, I need to lose 40 pounds. that is like five 8 lb babies!! ugh.

so...I am going to spend this 3 day weekend putting my plan of attack together...

Looking very forward to the long weekend...how bout you??

All's Well!!

May 22nd, 2008 at 03:10 am

Thumbs up guys. I appreciate all the positive thoughts, and all of the prayers. I am relieved!!

I spent this afternoon moving into my new office. I went to Ross yesterday and found all of the pictures and accessories that I needed to decorate it...and I have to say, for $160 I was able to turn it into a very warm, inviting space to spend a great deal of my time in.

Passers-by all commented how much they liked it. I am excitited to finish moving in to it tomorrow..and then I am home for good.

Again, thank you all for your kind words...I did not tell anyone besides the hub...so, you were my support--and I very much appreciated it!!

I am NOT worrying...

May 19th, 2008 at 05:33 am

There is NOTHING to worry about. So I am not worrying. I am simply waiting...until Wednesday...when my doctor shares the results.

Seems I just have one lumpy pancake...and whatever is causing the lump showed on the ultrasound...and so, lucky me, "got" to go back for a second round of the mammogram machine...first time, piece of cake compared to the follow up...aich.

But apparently they have all the pictures they need to diagnose..whatever it is. But there is an 'IT'---my instructions- "don't worry"...yeah right.

So I find out on Wednesday when I see my doc for all of the blood test and other tests.

Because it may be nothing, I have not told anyone besides the hub. No need to cause concern with any of the family at this point. Hopefully, this blip in the radar will not be anything...and I can get back to taking life for granted again. (For those of you who don't know me...Im exaggerating of course...I really do try to treasure each and every day)

In other news, we bought DD3 a new bed this weekend. She has lived with the hand-me-down twin bed for long enough. (It has been through 2 other kids...and was not very expensive to begin with.- I think we got it for $189 about 10 years ago) So we bought her a queen. When we bought, I asked if they ever went on sale...and the salesman said no...but I was able to finaggle the price down from $699 to $424 by simply asking for the best cash deal....so I was happy. It is a nice pillow top. DD3 is thrilled. I guess it never hurts to ask for a discount..

The hub gets an extra paycheck this month, so that will more than cover the price of the bed.

I am sure we are running up a nice electric bill here with the record breaking heatwave we are having...thank goodness for air-conditioning! I will pay the higher electric for a good nights rest.

Havve a good week friends!

What is a vacation of a lifetime? And when do you take it???

May 14th, 2008 at 05:17 am

I have been keeping an eye on a house that I want to vacation in...it is finally done being built and the price is now posted. I just have to find 4 other couples to feel the same way about it...which I don't think will be a problem.

I have never taken a really special vacation. The hub and I married the night before he shipped off to Kuwait in 1990...and we have been raising kids ever since. I have taken a long weekend to Vegas...and a week off here and there to camp...but as far as a "WOW" vacation...it just has never been in the cards for us.

So, is it time to take that vacation of a lifetime...or do I recarpet the house, or save the money for retirement???

When do you know if it is worth it and if the time is right??? Or is the whole extravagant vacation thing something foolish and a waste of money...

Text is http://www.bluepacificvacationrentals.com/villaazul/index.htm and Link is
http://www.bluepacificvacationrentals.com/villaazul/index.htm

I am thinking of putting my Stimulus check in a savings account and adding to it until we have the cash saved to go..(about a year from now).

And in the intent of full disclosure..I am taking a week in Jan (New Years) with the family to a home in the mountains not far from where we live...and will also have an expense paid trip (because I will be working) next Feb to Washington DC...

I want to go really badly...this is a DREAM trip...
Does anyone else takes trips like this??? I would be interested in opinions...


Wow...am I blessed!! (hint= another grandbaby on the way!!)

May 12th, 2008 at 02:13 am

What a fantastic Mothers Day weekend.

Yesterday, my mom, DD1 GD and I all spent the day together. We went to a small town festival where people were dressed in civil war clothes..there was a Saturday market...and a dutch oven cookoff...and all the tastings were FREE. We walked around, litened to fiddlers, ate some great food out from the cookoff, let the little ones play in the bubbles from a bubble machine and enjoyed some cotton candy.

After, we went to a new Goodwill that has just been built...I found a Princess House vase for $4 and a couple of books that I had wanted to read. Spent $9.97.

Today, we got to go over to DD2's boyfriends parents house for a bbq. They were very sweet and invited all of the kids, grandbabies and my mom to come to... We have met them before and they are really nice people...during dinner, a surprise announcement...I am going to be a gramma AGAIN. Now I have TWO gradbabies coming this year...which will bring me to FIVE!! by Christmas. DD1 is due in August and now DD2 is due at Thanksgiving...

I wished the kids had gotten married before this..but I know they will both be good parents...and I think they have a good shot at a happy life.

Wow...I do not know how we could have squeezed anything else into this full and happy weekend...I did get two batches of roses...and some wonderful pictures and cards...thank goodness Ive driven home the point with the kids that I dont want or need things...but just really want to spend time with them....and that we did.

I am a happy, blessed mom indeed!

Form letters and lumpy pancakes don't mix

May 9th, 2008 at 06:08 am

I received a form letter today...very generic and short...1 paragraph and two more sentences letting me know that one of the pancakes needs a closer look...

Don't worry...but call as soon as I can and make a second appointment.

I am not too concerned about it--I knew that some old scar tissue might make for a confusing first look..so I will go back and have the second look- thankfully this test will have no crank. Smile

But a form letter?? I guess thats a sign that these modern tests aren't very diagnostic the first time around.

I am glad to see Friday rolling around..this week has been a very busy, hectic week and a nice quiet weekend sounds WONDERFUL.




Get to use a great perk!!

May 8th, 2008 at 03:37 am

I didn't think about a great perk we have at my job when I was dealing with the $400 repair to my laptop...

But my job, in an effort to keep staff up to speed with computers, offers an interest free loan for up to three years. My puter loan was low enough that I was able to add the cost of the repairs to my loan interest free!! and it doesnt change my payment amount!! Woo-hoo...so I was able to put the $400 back into my emergency fund today. Gotta love those work perks!

I am so thrilled to have my EF back up...I have been working really hard to build that account and am remotivated to stay the course.





I called 911 ...Would you do the same??

May 7th, 2008 at 05:28 am

For the first time ever, I had to use my cell phone to dial 911 today.

I was on my way home from work and was taking the fwy offramp when the car ahead of me started doing odd stuff...a passenger had a door open and it just didnt look right...then, the car quickly b-lined it for the opposite side of the offramp and parked on the side in the dirt...and three guys hop out and start walking towards the fwy...holding their hands in the air with a "you want some of this" look...

I look in my rearview mirror and there is a pickup STOPPED in the middle of the offramp...and it starts backing up and suddenly spins around a speeds THE WRONG WAY back down the offramp heading for the freeway...

The guys all turn around and run back to the car laughing...and get in the car.

So, I called 911 and reported it. I hope they cite someone for reckless behavior...

What would you have done??? I definately was in reaction mode when I called, but I still think I did the right thing...but I am curious what others would have done???

I took a mental health day from work yesterday...I can't tell you how amazingly refreshing it was to get up thinking I was going to work and then be able to stay home and recharge the batteries...A WHOLE DAY of guiltless indulgence...I really needed it. I have to say, I had to do double duty today to catch back up (11 hours, with a 15 minute lunch) but I definately feel the unplanned day off was worth it!!

I did things like wash my curtains, sort clothes, sort old mail, read....THANK GOODNESS there are days like that in the craziness of life!!

The next week and a half are going to be very hectic and then things will slow down a little. My next time off is at the beginning of June...so I need to pace things between now and then.

What would YOU have said???

May 5th, 2008 at 05:03 am

I got a doozy of a phone call this weekend..from a friend of a friend.

She recently remarried after several years as a single mom. While she was a single mom, she had managed to rent a small home for her and her daughter- who recently graduated from high school.. and mom had earned her MASTERS degree in social services.

When she called me, she was quite upset and wanted some answers.

Her new husband (bless his frugal heart) did not want to start their new marriage out full of debt...which she had accumulated plenty of during her graduate years as a single mom...to the tune of $30k in just credit card debt.

So, he took his savings and paid that credit card debt in full...

soon as he did, SHE received a notice from her CC company (BofA) to call right away. Seems BofA wanted to know HOW IN THE WORLD she was able to pay off her debt so quickly....


So she explained her recent MBA graduation and subsequent job...and her new marriage...and how they had come to the decision to pay off the debt...

BofA's response...after putting her on hold to talk to "the supervisor" the rep came back with "well, we have no choice but to CLOSE your credit account with us"..

Poor girl was all upset at this...wanted me to explain WHY they would do this...she had been a LOYAL customer all during her single years when she didnt have squat...and now that she was married and had a good income they do this to her.....and WHAT SHE COULD DO ABOUT IT.

So I told her my thoughts...but before I share them here, I thought I would see what everyone else would have said...

What would you have said to her???

I will post my response to her tomorrow night...

For goodness sake...get your name OFF the title mom!

May 3rd, 2008 at 04:28 am

My friend is living a financial nightmare right now.

A few months ago, her son was in a horrible car accident. He was using his vehicle for work...and was transporting two disabled patients for his job. Both cars were totalled and there are some very substantial medical bills..

Long story short, sons job is refusing to pay anything, the sons insurance is pointing to the job and saying they wont cover it...and the son has nothing. (He is the one who I blogged about that just married)

So, the other party is coming after my friend because her name was on the title...Her home, which is very expensive, is paid off...and so there are definite tongues wagging at the prospect of socking it to her...so today she retained a laywer for $2500/215 per hour...and the ticker is now ticking away...money that she is having to toss at an attorney because she did not think about taking her name off the title of the car. Her only crime was procrastination...I sure hope the attorney can sort through this tangled web and come up with a better answer for my friend than anything she has heard so far..

I have double checked all of our kids car records tonight and we are off everything...how about you???

EGADS.

Ok...but the twins are not SUPPOSED to look like pancakes...

May 2nd, 2008 at 02:46 am

Guys, if you are male, you may want to skip this post...if you want a good laugh...cmon in, sit down and enjoy! HOWEVER, this has NOTHING to do with finances...

My doctor has been after me for 7 years to have a mammogram. Each year, I say "oops, that's right I was supposed to do that"...

Ok, lets stop the story to add a disclaimer here...I support routine care and preventative tests...I just have this fear of pancakes when it is in reference to my body (kidding guys, I have no good reason)

Anyways...today was the day...bright and early I am sitting in a waiting room full of nervous nellies...

and they call my name. I look at the woman next to me and ask if she would like to take cuts...and it relieves some tension as the room fills with nervous laughter...

The testing starts and I am lifted, rolled and manuevered until everything looks right..and this big glass comes down from the sky ans starts flattening....the tech says" I need you to lift your chin"...um I can't lift my chin and watch at the same time...and I am mesmerized (or terrified) by the shape I am taking on....thinking to myself, ok it can stop now, which thankfully it does...then, the tech quickly turns this crank....ok, you girls know what Im talking about here...WTF???...a little tighter just to make sure??? and she says, don't move...LIKE IM GOING ANYWHERE WITHOUT MY BOOB! and then she says hold still and don't breath...LIKE I COULD IF I WANTED TO...I am afraid even a breath of air in my lungs will make things worse...

And then, relief as we prepare for the next side....and part two starts...but for some reason, this time I get TWO FLIPPING CRANKS....(wait till I get my hands on her...if I can ever move again)I think to myself...

She comes back and says, ok now we need a side view...WHAT??????????? Surely you flattened them out enough to see anything thats lurking in there...and if there is anything lurking SURELY you just killed it....???

But to no avail...she smiles and says "Were almost done."...um yeah, In my dictionary it says HALFWAY....

This time I get to hold this bar and twist around and stand up on my toes (ok, the toe part was after the crank)...and what is it about when they say "Ok don't breathe, you suddenly have to breathe???

And finally, the exam is over and although she now knows "the twins" better than my spouse, she doesnt even look up when she says I can go....(whatever! I didnt ask her name so I guess we are even)

I get dressed and head back through the lobby...I look at the ladies and say it's not so bad afterall...just watch out for that crank...

And I head to work, surprisingly relieved that I have taken the right steps for my health.

Ladies, it is not so bad...and it really can save your life...If you haven't had one lately, make your appointment...JUST WATCH OUT FOR THE CRANK!



A day in the life...

May 1st, 2008 at 06:01 am

In no way am I complaining about my job...I am just speculating on a day in the life...

The assistant the day before a big meeting:

Create an Agenda so that those who will be facilitating the meeting will know the order to discuss important stuff with staff...

Forsee topics that need to be discussed that may have been overlooked and add them to the agenda...

Anticipate the value of a supporting powerpoint presentation and create it so that those who will be facilitating the meeting can provide a cool visual...be sure to compile supporting information and values..find great pictures to add a punch to the presentation...add humor, staff will be trying to wake up and will appreciate a chuckle or two...

Make a list of food to serve to staff...they will be hungry since they are coming in an hour early to work tomorrow...send support assistant to the store to buy food...

Make sure the room is set up properly and that all conferencing equipment is set up and ready to go...

Remember things that the boss wanted to insure were discussed and add those to the Agenda...prioritize and organize discussions...rewrite agenda anticipating bosses priorities...add a few notes of things for the presenters to say...

Email staff and remind them about meeting.

Show boss the finished powerpoint presentations when he gets out of his meeting (yes, it is an hour past your normal time to go home, but his meeting went unexpectedly over)..

Take last minute edits to the presentation home to work on and get to boss before bedtime...yes, working on the finished product is slower at home, but the fam is waiting for dinner...

Finish presentation by bedtime and email to boss...uh oh, it takes WAY longer than could ever have been expected to transmit..stay up until the message has been fully transmitted.get to bed over an hour later than expected...set alarm clock and wake up many time during the night worrying that you have not set the alarm properly...or that you have forgotten something...

On the way to work the next morning, determine that assistant may not have bought enough food and stop at 6:30am (thank goodness for 24 hr stores) and buy a few more containers of goodies...

Get to work and start coffee...then make another pot... set out food, print agendas and make sure all presenters are versed in what needs to be discussed...

Answer staff questions...and make sure boss remembers to discuss key items...

print copies of all last minute information to be distributed to staff...

set up phone for conference calls...make sure all have dialed in successfully...

remind boss that his team is there to greet staff...locate his staff and remind them to greet staff...

wipe sweat from brow and colapse into chair while the meeting runs flawlessly...boy can the boss run a meeting!!!

...congratulate boss on such a great meeting...start clean up...and make a mental note that the extra food was a good idea - since there are very few leftovers...be grateful these meetings are only once per quarter...

When the day is over...head home and colapse again...ready for a good nights rest...