Gramma Ray's Blog

My airline ticket for my vaca was free because of my mileage account. Well, then again, I have paid a fee for the mileage card for the past two years, so in that sense, the ticket cost $100. (normally I pay $600-700 for the hubs tickets so I am still ahead.) I am able to log in 24 hours before the flight and upgrade seats for free- which I did this morning.

I am enjoying this extra day off. I slept in a little, have read several blogs and had some coffee...and next I will start loading the suitcase.

I will miss my son-in-law and grandsons birthdays while I am gone, so we are going to dinner tonight to celebrate. Its one of those restaurants where you sit around a grill and the chef chops and cooks while telling extremely corny jokes -(adds to the fun IMO). I love going there, but save it for only special events. I will digress for a minute to add that it is also always bittersweet to go there... Before my dad passed, he had been pretty sick and spent about three weeks in the hospital and assisted living. When he was released, he said he wanted to go to this restaurant- because he had thought while he was really sick that hed never get to go there again...sadly, he was released and within a day his health again deteriorated and he never got to go.
The night he passed, we all went to the restaurant for him...and go each year on either his or my moms birthdays. But we have a good time when we go and always toast nana and papa. THe young ones LOVE it when they light the 'volcano' (stacked onion rings with oil poured inside.)

My tomato plants look MUCH happier this morning than they did last night. No sign of the black widow..which isnt all that reassuring. :/ So long as I can water safely, I am not too worried...but will still get the yards sprayed as there are constantly youngsters here and I dont want to risk a bite. And I know that when there is one black widow, there are others.

I cant wait to start harvesting from the plants and putting some of my fellow blogger ideas to use!!

Ok, time to get serious about this trip. YEEHAW>

I am officially on vacation for the next TWELVE DAYS!!! Wahoo.

I was going to work tomorrow, but I have plenty of days saved up and knew my productivity tomorrow would be nil....so, I took it off. I get to sleep in and then take my time packing and getting ready.

It feels great to know I have some time off.

I called the hotel that we will be staying on night one to find out if there was shuttle service from the airport...NO. drats. However, the hotel is walking distance to the train depot, so it made sense to stay there. When I got the cash out for the trip, I got some $5s and $1s to pay for cabs and tips.

My newly planted tomato plants are not as happy as Id like tonight, so I made sure DD3 understand that she HAS to water them this week. ALso, there was a HUGE black widow by the plants with a big egg nest. I think I got both, but have a mental note to call a pest service tomorrow. I saw a black widow web in the front yard too...I definately dont want to get an infestation.

Black widow webs are easy to spot. They are big, dont break easily , and have NO PATTERN...as a matter of fact, they are one of the sloppiest webs you will ever see. Not the nice spiral webs at all. My son once told me that haphazard webs and tunnel webs are the ones you want to stay away from. THe nice rounded webs are usually garden variety. The others are more often poisonous.

I dont know about you...but no spider web looks friendly to me. But I do stay clear of the ones my son cautioned me about.

My spending today was $5 for a subway sandwich and $20 to DD3 for watering the tomatoes while I am gone.

Looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow and then taking the day to get ready to go...

LIFE IS SO GOOD tonight!!

Remember all that laundry I did today? Well, I went to hang all the hang up laundry in the closet and tripped over the hubs free weight...and fell onto a pile of metal things..since my hands were full, I hit on my side...and now I have a narly bruise all down my side...from armpit to hip. Dumb free weight.

No broken bones...just bruised. Argh.

Oh well, good news is the laundry is done, bags are nearly packed and I didnt need a trip to the ER lol

Hopefully it wont hurt too bad come morning. Ugh. Dumb free weights....

I spent today finishing laundry, including bedding, and getting all the clothes that I am taking to Alaska ready to pack.

I found all the airplane sized bottles that we have on hand and have them ready to fill with shampoo, etc.

I had been taking care of the tomato plants that I was given last month, but had not planted them yet...but DD2 and I did so today.

I have started a list of to-dos for DD3, who will be house-sitting for me. #1 on the list, WATER THE TOMATO PLANTS. I sure hope she does as they will not make it in this heat if she forgets. I am looking forward to some fresh off the vine tomatoes when we get back.

I have the suitcase out and am packing the things I dont need this week.

I am enjoying a break to watch the womens gymnastics part of the olympics. How those young ladies do those balance beams, vaults and uneven bars is beyond me. But I love watching.

My to do list this week is to buy dog food and refill my meds. Otherwise, everything is about done for this exciting adventure!! (I leave Thursday...cant wait!!)

Here is one of the things we get to do while we are there:


I made oatmeal tonight for breakfast Mon- Wed.

It is five short months to Christmas. Are you ready?

I have a hub, four kids, three kid significant others, six grandbabies, 1 foster grandbaby, 3 close friends, 5 co-workers, 1 father in law and a donation to save for each year.

I set a certain amount for each person that I want to save and divide that by 12 each year. Then, each month, I deposit that amount to the Christmas club account that I have set up at ING.

Then, during the year, I look for bargains...but it also has to be the 'right' bargain. I dont buy just because its on sale...it has to be something meaningful for the recipient. Having the savings allows me to take advantage of sales during the year...like when stores put clothes and toys on clearance during the year..

As the Holiday approaches, I am ready for it. I know what I can spend and when I have to say no.

I keep my eyes open for opportunities..I look for bargains and keep lists.

When Christmas is here, I have a stockpile of gifts that I have found during the year. Some are purchased on vacations...others, during clearance sales, others still, when I find the right gift when it comes along.

Because of my big family, I love Christmas. I am itching to find those great gifts. The money is saved...and ready for the deal on the right gift.

I do the same for birthdays..

And I save for the miscellaneous bills.

Initially, it was very hard to budget for these expenses.

But after the first year, it has gotten easier.

I keep these budgets on an excel spreadsheet and update it weekly. Like anything in life, maintaining it on a daily or weekly budget is much easier than scrambling at the last minute.

If you havent started your budget yet, this might be a good time to start. Five months will go by quickly. No time like the present to start a plan and get ready.

Today was such an awesome day. I woke up to a strong urge for coffee, but didnt have any creamer...however before I made it to the kitchen, DD3 knocked on the door with creamer in hand. My little angel! We enjoyed a couple of cups of coffee and she needed to head off to kenpo. (She has some narly bruises on her legs to prove it...lol)

I had decided this weekend would be catch up since I have been gone the last few weekends. SO I did some laundry, cleaned the kitchen, made a shopping list and then decided a pedicure sounded good.

I was almost ready to call and see if there was an appointment available when I decided to just do the pedi myself. I have enough supplies to do this...

So I got out a little plastic tub and some lavendar epsom salt that I got for free a while back. That felt so nice..then scraped, scrubbed, filed, moisturized and put the polish on. It was actually fun and was totally free. and now I have pretty toes for vacation!!...and an extra $35 in my pocket!!

DD3 came back over and picked out a really bad B rated scyfi movie. (I took a little nap at the beginning and woke up for the really dark, depressing ending.) DD3 even admitted it was bad.

I ran to the store and picked up the things on the list for the week, got home, cooked a quick steak sandwich dinner for us (about $5 for both of us...and I have leftovers for tomorrow) and now we are relaxing watching another dumb scyfi movie. (she seems entertained, so Im finding other things to do.)

I loved the last couple of weekends and getting to go places, but I have missed my home time and was greatful to catch up some today.

Tomorrow I am packing and getting ready for the trip...only 4 days til I leave!!

I belong to an organization that works to combat financial fraud and crime in our community. We met this week and discussed current trends. Unfortunately, several folks have recently been victimized by the "Heres a big check, keep $X and send me back the rest via western union" scam.

It is hard to see this being pulled over and over again - and no matter how hard we try to get the message out, people still fall victim to it.

We even have the western union reps watching out for it...but some people are so {desperate, naive, greedy, etc} that they insist on sending the $$ anyway. The scammers even tell the victims "dont talk about the details of this transaction to the bank or with western union"..aich.

Another scam that is still active is on the elderly. "Gramma, Im stuck in another country with no money, can you send me some"...or..."I just noticed your roof looks bad and needs to be repaired".. I detest people who prey on our elderly.

My advice- be cautious when dealing with strangers. No matter how good the story sounds, proceed with caution when western union is involved. ASK the bank teller, the western union rep, or your local police.

Unsolicited repairmen should raise red flags. Dont allow any work until you have gotten a second opionion from a trusted company.

And finally, if it sounds too good to be true, no matter how tempting, it probably is.

Actually, that should read a mocha today. Anymore, I so get the annual math on designer coffees, so it is a once in a while treat. Otherwise, coffee is free at work and I just get creamer at about $2.50 per week. Today, I had to go to one of our outlying branches and decided to splurge on a designer coffee...and then I remembered I had a full punch card....so it was FREE.

Unfortunately, when it got to lunch time, I realized I didnt have lettuce for my sandwich. When the sandwich consists of bread, meat, lettuce and mustard, the lettuce is kinda important. I just couldnt do meat and bread...so I spent $6 at Arbys for a combo meal.

The lettuce is all ready to go in the morning, so I will be back on track. Dinner, if I get hungry, will be leftovers.

The hub got his phone, but is having trouble activating it. :/ So still no talk. He mentioned in an email that he wants to change phone providers when he is home next....WTH? We just paid $100 for that darn phone. I am not sure if this branc new phone can be used with a new provider...but if it cant, I will be a hard sell on the idea.

I am down to 5 work days until vacation....so excited for the time off. I just hit the next level for days off each year. I now earn 29 days per year, so I will take at least two week long vacas next year.

I have been so bummed the last couple of days because I couldnt find my glasses. I thought I lost them during our trip this past weekend. Tonight I got home and decided to go back through everything again...and low and behold, I found them in my backpack that I checked three times already. I am scratching my head at how I missed them...but I am SOOOO glad I found them. They were about $600...after insurance about #250...that was not money I wanted to spend again.

Plus, with Alaska coming up in a week, I was worried that I wouldnt enjoy the scenery, since my distance site is so bad anymore.

BUT...problem solved!!

THe hub still has not received his replacement phone, so it has been almost a week since we talked last.

I had a meeting at 10 today at a restaurant...so I combined breakfast and lunch into one meal and ate for free. Tonight I made chicken and taters...I have enough leftovers from last nights soup, and todays dinner for the rest of the week. Leftovers are my friend.

Enjoying a quiet nite and looking forward to a low key weekend ahead before the vacation. Life is good!

This weekend, I went with DD2 and GS to a retreat. It was up near a lake, within walking distance of the ocean. It was no cost to attend. The camp was really nice. The grounds were beautiful, and the rooms had beds and a private bath. (Some had kitchens, ours did not)

The food was all provided- and it was wonderful. GS got to meet new friends, play on and in a HUGe jump house with a slide, swin in the lake, canoe, paddle boat, play basketball, ping pong...and just have fun. One night we even made smores in the fire pit.

Dd3 and I enjoed watching him have fun and we enjoyed each other and the others at the camp. The services were perfect for a mixed aged group. It was just a fun, relaxing weekend.

The only downside is I think I lost my glasses. I am going to have DD2 check with the camp to see if the found them, but I have a feeling they are not gonna turn up.

We got home tonight, I am a little sun/wind burned, a little tired, but very happy to have gone. Ive never attended anything like this, and wasnt sure what to expect...but am so glad I went. I spent about $40 on gas, and took DD2 and GS to lunch on the way to camp and lunch on the way home ($35 for both meals)...$75 was not too bad for a great weekend filled with wonderful memories.

I stopped at the store and picked up lunch meat, chicken and fruit...so with the other supplies I have on hand, I should be set for the week. $24.

10 more days until I leave for Alaska. Next weekend I plan to stay home and get everything ready to go.
What a fun, busy summer this is turning out to be!

My position is exempt. At my job, that means that I dont get overtime, but I also dont have to use PTO for partial days. I love that. I have had to take a few early leaves from work lately, so this week, knowing I need to get off early tomorrow, I opted to make up the time by working longer days. Technically, I dont have to make it up...but for my own conscience, I wanted to...so three days this week I came in an hour early - which meant waking up an hour early. Today was day three...(thank goodness) So tomorrow, I dont have to get up early AND...I GET TO LEAVE AT 3!!

Today was a crazy day...I am in risk management and it is clear the economy is taking its toll on folks (even though it seems to be improving here)...I am busy with dumb choices people are making. I am empathetic, but cmon. Dont jeopardize your job to fix a financial problem. Sad. Thankfully, I hand it over to HR once I am done investigating and they do the tough stuff.

So glad tomorrow is a short day. I have meals planned and ready, but I will need to get gas to head to the coast, so it wont be a no spender...but the offset is a great weekend ahead with DD2 and GS.

Life is good.

Ugh. I guess this is one time I am glad ? I had insurance. The hub broke his phone- talked to the phone folks and because of the insurance, it will only cost *cough* $100 to replace it. I guess the good news is that they will also ship it straight to him in Alaska. It should get there Saturday or Monday. He was hoping for overnight delivery, but no such luck.

He even had one of those protection covers that cost a small fortune on the darn phone...oh well.

DD3 was kind enough to do the leg work to get it replaced quickly..which saved me having to run around on my lunch hour.

Tonight I need to get laundry done and packed for the camp trip this weekend. I am excited to spend the weekend with DD2 and my GS (8). It sounds like the camp/retreat is really nice. Its walking distance from the ocean, but also on a lake. I love that it will be much cooler there than it is here!!

And since I have leftovers from last night, dinner is all but ready when I get home. Love leftovers!

I was hoping for a no-spend day..and it would have been, if not for that phone. :0

I saw quinoa at costco recently and thought it looked interesting. I decided to try it tonight for dinner. I made Rachel Ray's roasted garlic, rosemary lemon chicken and made a small batch of the quinoa. I added a little butter and chopped green onion to it and then spooned some of the sauce from the chicken dish onto it. Wow..the two complimented each other so nicely.

I like that quinoa is nutritionally a full protien..so my next attempt will be to make it for a breakfast with a little honey or brown sugar.

I enjoyed the nutty taste of it.

I spent $26 today to restock perishables like fruit, milk, etc. I have ample left overs for a meal tomorrow. I still have a bowl of oatmeal left and sandwich makings at work...so tomorrow is all set.

I am very ready for vacation...it is two weeks away. I went waaay too long from my last week off (June 2011)...I wont do that again next year. Im feeling burned out. No bueno. A day here and there just doesnt do it.

Life is good, but Im tired. :/

Today I stuck to my meal plan and had oatmeal for breakfast, a sandwich and fruit for lunch and a hot dog for dinner. So, no spending for food.

Dd1 and DD3 and I have been discussing the girls trip this year. (DD2 cant go this year). I found airline tickets for real cheap to go to So Cali to see my BFF in Sept...so the three of us agreed that should be our girls trip this year. I booked the tickets. We normally drive to portland and stay in a hotel. The airfare and a rental car were cheaper than our normal expenses...so we will save $$ by going to SO Calif this year. AND I get to see my friend. (The girls consider her their aunt) We have been friends since we were 12. I am SOOOO excited. We will stay with my friend and spend the trip with her. We enjoy Portland, but it just seems to be getting worse and worse for gang activity and violence...so I am somewhat relieved to be making a change this year.

I did spend $$ to book the tickets. I save a little each week to pay for my part of the girls trip- so the money was already banked for this. It is so frustrating to book tickets anymore...the original cost looks great...but if you are taking a sutcase, want to pick a seat, want any fluff whatsoever, the cost goes up quikly. We opted for no frills, and will share one suitcase. Its just a two hour flight, so we will deal with assigned seating for the flight.

Otherwise, I did not spend on anything else today.

Tomorrow, I already have oatmeal cooked, a sandwich and friut are ready for lunch and I plan to make chikcen for dinner...so it should be another no spender tomorrow!

I am just two weeks away from the trip to Alaska with the hub. Getting excited!!

Life is good!

Today was a no spend day. The one thing I DID do Sunday was go grocery shopping. I bought a big thing of chicken breast, some lunch meat and a few other items so that I could cook meals at home and eat frugally this week.

Last night I made some lemon,rosemary, garlic chicken breasts and red potatoes. Enough to feed DD3 and I dinner and lunch today. I made a good batch of oatmeal- which will be breakfast this week.

Tonight I grilled asian chicken and had corn on the cob.

Tomorrow I will have a sandwich for lunch and soup for dinner...
And I have enough for the week. So it should be a no spend week, if I stick to the plan.

DD2 is taking her son (my 8 yo grandson) to a church camp this weekend and she and he have a large dorm type cabin to themselves...so she invited me to go too. There is no cost for going, so I am going to join them. It will be fun to have time with them, as usually they are busy and I have lots of others around when I see them...I think this will give me some quality time with them...and it is up by a gorgeous lake.

All in all, this should be a fairly inexpensive week ahead.

Im still smiling about the meet up this past weekend. Baselle, if you are reading this, we all agreed we would love to meet you someday!! (As well as many others of you!!!) What fun that was!!

What an adventure this past week was. DD3 and I left Thursday morning and spent that night with my son and dil...which means I got to see grandbabies there. I actually was invited to sleep with the kids...which always makes for an interesting, but totally special nights sleep.

DD3 and I got up early and headed to Napa to meet up with keeping it frugal, Swimgirl, Monkey Mama, and Looking Forward. We were the first to arrive, so we got a coffee and we enjoyed wondering if any of the female customers were our new friends...very fun to not know what the others looked like...

I turned around at one point and there was Laura..I recognized her smile instantly. Next was Monkey Mama and big monkey..and then Swimgirl and finally Looking Forward. We sat and visited for a while. We had such fun getting personally acquanted with friends we knew so well online. That was so amazing.

I felt like I was sitting and visiting with dear old friends. LoookingForward had to depart for a very busy day, but the rest of us headed over to San Fran to spend an incredibly fun day - I thoroughly enjoyed getting to spend the day with everyone.

The day ended all too quickly and Keeping it Frugal, DD3 and I headed over to San Jose for the night. We got to the hotel at 11pm and all crashed. The next morning we got up and went to a great little cafe called stacks for some breakfast (yummy!) and then went to the Winchester Mystery house for the tour. THat was interesting and fun. Then we stopped by Lauras aunts house for a quick visit and then back off to Napa to, sadly, drop Laura back off to her brothers house.

It was about 7pm...and DD3 and I decided that sleeping in our own beds sounded best...but it also meant a very long drive...but we arrived home shortly after midnight.

This morning I am reflecting on the weekend, feeling so blessed to have joined SA 6 years ago and made friends with such WONDERFUL ladies...I cant tell you how neat it was to meet each of them.

FUN TIMES.

Today will be busy playing catch up and getting ready to go back to work. It was a crazy busy whirlwind of a few days, but a trip I will forever cherish.

Hugs to all of you. Cant wait to meet up again!!

I am up to $92 in cash rebates on my loyalty visa. I put most of our purchases on that card now and pay it off before any finance charges are incurred. The card will pay 1% cash back up to $500 per year. If I hit the $500, I will switch over to the mileage card - which I earned enough points for my flight to Alaska in August. In addition to the 1% cash back, I get about 10% off everywhere I shop because of the relationship the credit union has with the merchant.

The store I usually shop at offers $ off on gas for points. I usually save at least 10 cents off per gallon at each fill up. THEN, they send a rebate for purchases. Today I used two of the loyalty coupons...$2 off meat and $2 off veggies...plus $8.62 off any purchase as a loyalty rebate to my purchases last month.

My job gives me 10% of all interest earned/paid each year as a loyalty rebate...which was about $300 last year.

I love being paid for my loyalty to places.

Alaska airlines rewards the hub with free upgrades and flights because of his loyalty.

Kohls rewards me with 30% off occasionally coupled with Kohls cash.

Of course, I try to always balance loyalty with the best deal. Sometimes, being loyal doesnt make sense if there is a killer deal somewhere else. However, when all things are equal, I go with loyalty.

Loyalty pays...and I love reaping the rewards.

Is it really Sunday night already? This weekend flew by...Im not so sure I am ready to go back to work tomorrow!

The hub and I are pooped, so we ordered a delivery pizza for dinner tonight. Not cheap, ($30) but certainly easy. He still is mixed up on days and nights, he has been up since 2am. I hope he catches up tonight now that we are home alone.

This is going to be a busy week at work. Lots of early meetings all week. The good thing is when the hub is home, dinner is taken care of and I can take leftovers for lunch.

I mentioned that we went to Kohls yesterday and used the Kohls cash...our portion was $4 after sales, etc...when we finished checking out the associate said, "You saved $76 dollars today"...for a pair of shorts and a shirt...Markup on clothes is ridiculous. Thank goodness for sales, coupons, and Kohls cash.

We almost have the meetup next month finalized. I am really looking forward to it. I am eager to meet my cyber buddies...

I had $30 in Kohls cash from last week. The hubs ears perked up when I mentioned it...so one of the errands we ran this afternoon was to Kohls since the cash was expiring today. He found sales on a nice shirt for work and a new pair of shorts. The total for both was $34 or $4 out of pocket. Besides carhart pants and cold weather gear, he rarely gets new clothes, so it was great to see him interested in getting something. (especially since it deviated from jeans and tshirts like he normally wears!!)

The hub is safely home and the kids are wrapping up a fun week with us. I am so blessed.

The hub has his days and nights completely mixed up. He woke up at 3 this morning and went to the gym and then did some grocery shopping. Now he is asleep. The grandbabies are snacking on watermelon while I heat dinner (some chicken nuggets, mini-corn-dogs and veggies. I have loved having them here, but the hub is ready for a quiet house tomorrow. That is bittersweet to me. But I will see them again next month when we head down for the SA Meetup.

The hub and I did get out a little while this afternoon by ourselves. Dd3 came over to see the kids..so we went to grab a quiet bite to eat. We discussed finances. While he is working 3/3 (three weeks on/three weeks off) we need to cut his monthly allowance back a little. He is fine with that. The 4/2 allowance is $300 more...but 3/3 doesnt really allow that much extra. I was worried he wouldnt agree, but he is fine with it. He still gets money for gas, house repairs for the 2nd house, allowance and $100 towards his goal of saving $1000. Once he goes back on 4/2 we will bump him back up for added savings towards his toys (or whatever)

Once dinner is done, its bath time, book time, and then bed time. I will miss our routine and all the sweet smiles that go along with it.

Life is sweet.

What working woman doesnt LOVE to come home to a house cleaned by someone else? Today, my daughters cleaned the house while I was at work. What a wonderful surprise to come home to!!! DD1 wanted the Sac babies to spend one more night at her house with the cousins tonight...and DD3 wants to pick her dad up at the airport at midnight. SO...I am home, no one to take care of, clean house and dont have to get up at midnight...and I have a three day weekend ahead. Uh, OH YEAH....This is one happy gramma.

The Sac babies will be here an extra day, so letting them go tonight was not too hard. :/

The hub asked to hang out at home this rotation and not plan any trips. Primarily because he has about 5 firewood orders he needs to fill, one of them is for 6 cords. So, we dont have any plans. The extra money from the wood business will be extra savings. He is partnering with a friend that owns a log truck, so the log loads are really inexpensive...alot of it just a barter for work on the log truck. He will probably earn an extra $2000 in the next 3 weeks. The hub is a hard worker..thats for sure.

Not much else happening tonight. Life is good!

After a night with FIVE grandbabies last night, I am home alone tonight. Wowza. I am too old to work a long, stressful day, come home to 5 kiddos (8, 4,3,2,1) and then get up and go to work again the next morning...I totally get why we have our babies young.

I had my mid year eval this week. This is the first by my new boss. The news was good - things are going above expectations in all areas..even exceptional in a few. They have really had to ponder my request to be moved to mid-point on the salary scale..but after 6 months of observation, she is willing to go to bat for me. If it is approved, this will be an awesome increase for me. I wont know for a few weeks, but I am more hopeful now than ever. It is always nice to hear you are doing a good job though.

I am focusing on paying for the Alaska trip without dipping into savings. I have shaved everywhere I can on the budget, and it looks like we will be successful on this goal. However, between now and August, we have to watch extra spending. The trip itself is paid for. Because of our mileage plan, my flight was only $10. I just want to make sure to save enough for fun and food.

I am really looking forward to planning the San Fran meetup next month. DD3 and I will head out...and spend the night with my son and DIL...then leave Friday morning, swing by and pick up Laura (FrugalTexan) and meetup with some SA friends in San Fran...have a blast...then maybe head over to San Jose to visit the Winchester House..heading back we will drop Laura back off... and then head home...This trip might require a little dip into savings..but it is something I really want to do. DD3 is looking forward to it too.

Tomorrow is my Friday. Tomorrow night the hub gets home (midnight)and on Friday, we are taking my Sacramento grandbabies and spending the day enjoying them. Sadly, they go back home on Sat. I have really enjoyed having them here. They are so precious.

I feel so blessed. Life, is very very good!

We got back from Sac safely with my grandkids. They are so fun. Saturday night all the cousins were here to play. They have missed each other so much. Sunday, I dropped them off with their other grandparents to go camping and they are still there. They should be back tomorrow for a night...and then off to another gramma on Wed and Thur. Busy, busy babies.

Between the gas to and from, pizza for all the cousins, aunts and uncles, and food for the week...Ive busted the budget for the week. But it is money more than well spent.

The hub is home on Thursday for three weeks and then I leave for San Fran to meet up with some of our SA buddies! I am excited to know that our meetup is still happening.

While we are there, we hope to see some San Francisco sites and maybe? make it down to the Winchester House in San Jose. A little mini vaca for DD3 and me.

If we plan it right, we will only have to pay for a hotel one night. The other nights we can spend with my son and DIL.

This is turning out to be a fun, busy summer.

I am driving down to Sac to pick up my grandkids (4 and 2) tomorrow. Their parents, my son and dil are going to Vegas to celebrate their 7 year anniversary this weekend. I get to bring the babies back with me to spend a week here. I am not looking forward to 10 hours in the car, but I am really looking forward to the week ahead with the kids!!

DD3 and I will drive down tomorrow and home on Sat morning.

Work has been crazy the past two weeks because we have had the federal examiners on site doing the annual exam. Today we learned the preliminary results...we improved significantly from last year!! Yay. This was my first exam as a the risk manager over compliance, so it it a huge relief that it went as well as it did. I feel like I can breathe again!
Tomorrow is my mid year review...so the timing is good for this news. I am eager to see how my new boss thinks things are going.

Tomorrow is payday for both the hub and I. I actually have the budget figured out through December, so I know exactly where it is going. This month, we get extra pay...but next month we have too few payday Fridays.... Budgeting for three weeks on, three weeks off is tricky if youre not careful. Just to be sure I budget correctly, I budget at least 3-4 months in advance. I get paid every other Friday..which helps with budgeting. But it really is tricky with three on, three off.

I am reading a new book on the kindle - a book called On the Island. It got good reviews on Amazon. So far it is really good. I hope on the drive this weekend, I will have some time to read.

Not much else...life is good!!!

I took advantage of my 30% off Kohls coupon today. I finally broke down and bought 3 new pair of slacks for work. (I have worn the same pair for years, just washed and wore day after day...they looked nice, and were black- went with everything...) But they were looking tired..so it was time. I also picked up two new camp shirts for the hub. Plus I got a new top. Everything was on sale already, but the bill came to over $200 (before sales it came to $325) and then I got the 30% off....ended up paying $142. AND I got $30 in Kohls cash to use next week. Gotta love Kohls deals.

I am going to my daughters tonight for a belated birthday dinner. She and my SIL are making me chicken picatta!! I am such a lucky mom.

Aside from shopping, I have been home today catching up on laundry and housework. You would think there wouldnt be so much with just me..but with a lab, a cat and lots of grandkid visits...I had plenty to stay busy with. But, now the house looks pretty good to start the week off with!!

This has been a fun, relaxing weekend. Life is GOOD.

This weekend I am home alone. The hub is in Alaska..and the kids have been in and out to visit, but no one has stayed. So, I am taking advantage of the quiet.

Earlier, I cooked a batch of pasta and tossed it with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, capers and italian dressing. I made a big batch so there would be plenty of leftovers. I might pick up some salami to toss into it tomorrow...but it is actually very good as is. THis was lunch and dinner today...and I will have plenty for a few more meals.

I just finished scrubbing the kitchen floor. I got a floor steamer on sale ($79) and it cleans using only water/steam..which I like. It cleans quick and easy- so a good purchase for me. Normally, I mop with hot soapy water, rinse and dry....takes forever. This did a better job in a fraction of the time and not near the effort. The older I get, the more my back complained.....Why did I hold out so long on doing this???

I have a 30% off coupon at Kohls and they have the nice 'camp' shirts that the hub wears once in a while. Normally $49 on sale for $23 plus an extra 30% off...so I will go pick 2-3 up for him tomorrow. The last time we bought him any was before we went to Puerta Vallarta in 2009...so, its time.

Next weekend I am heading down to Sacramento to pick up my grandbabies. They will spend a week up here with gramma Ray. Their mom and dad (my son and DIL), are going to Vegas for their wedding anniversary. This is is their 7 year anniversary and they havent done a trip since they got married, so I am happy to help so they can go.

DD1 and her hub are making me dinner tomorrow night (belated birthday)..chicken picatta. I am really looking forward to it. When the hub is gone, I tend to eat light and easy...so I appreciate an opportunity for a nice meal!! And Chicken picatta is my fav!! I think I will take my old ipod over and have my SIL load some music onto it for me. I used to have some on it, but it got erased over a year ago and has just sat since. He is a DJ, so he has a huge collection to pull from. Hopefully, he will be willing to do it. I would love to use the ipod again. The ipod was purchased by my job to listen to books on...and is no longer used at work...so it was free to me. Might as well use it!!

Last week, we had fed examiners in at my job. Fairly stressful week...and they are back this next week. So far, everything has gone great...I hope next week is more of the same. I will be ready for the weekned next Friday!!

Life is good.

I had a wonderful birthday today. It didnt turn out as I had planned, but sometimes the detours are what life is all about.

DD2 is struggling financially, and had an opportunity to pick up some extra hours at work...but she needed a sitter for our little foster guy. So, he came and spent the morning with me. He is almost 17 months now and has been part of the family for over a year. He is such a happy toddler. He isnt walking well yet- he is scheduled for an MRI on Tuesday to determine whats up...the Dr suspects some brain damage...but he can toddle a little 5-6 steps at a time. He hardly ever fusses...he has these huge blue eyes and his smile melts my heart. He doesnt smile or laugh easily, but when he does...it is beautiful. So he and I played this morning. Im not sure how long we will have him..or whether or not he will remember Gramma Ray when he grows up....but I will certainly remember him.

I did clean my car and washed the seats, etc. It always feels so nice to have a nice clean car to start the week. (did it myself, so it was free!)

My friend and her family invited me over to dinner. They made a special dinner for me...bbq brisket, corn on the cob, watermelon, yummy bread..it was really good..it was so sweet of them.

All in all, an awesome day...and weekend!

The mother of a girl I work with loves to garden. She starts LOTS of plants and then enjoys giving the extras away. She started over 10 varieties of tomato plants and gave away over 100 plants. I said I would like a variety, surprise me...and so she gave me one of each. So I have 10 tomato plants..I will share with my daughter and a friend and keep 3-4 myself. That is WAY more tomatoes than I can eat, so once fruit starts ripening, I will take to work and share. Ive never canned, but I might check into it to see if it is something I want to try. Canning has always looked intimidating to me.

A couple of years ago I got a mileage credit card and have used it to pay for the hubs airline tickets. After the trip to Boston, I have enough miles for a free ticket...so, I booked a flight to Alaska to meet up with hub and do some sight-seeing in August. The ticket was $10. We are going to go on a mini day cruise to see glaciers and take the train to see the country. Hopefully we can get lots in on a budget- he has had good luck getting discounts in AK because he is a slope worker, so I hope that works while we are there...if not, it will just wipe out the vacation budget for the rest of the year...but oh how fun.

A couple of my co-workers surprised me by whisking me out of the office this afternoon and going to a nail salon for a pedicure. My birthday is Sunday, so this was their gift to me. What a fun afternoon it was. I feel so pampered!!! I havent had a pedicure in over a year...so it was wonderful.

Now, I am enjoying a quiet night at home. Life is good!!

The hub left for Alaska yesterday. He will be gone for the next three weeks.

This past weekend we went to a local casino and spent the weekend. We are such big gamblers (not). I gambled $20 the whole weekend, him - $40. When I booked the reservation they had a deal to buy tickets to a wildlife park nearby...for $10 per person (normally $18 per person, so a nice savings!). So, we got to go there one of the days. It was such fun to drive through and see zebras, giraffes, wildebeasts, buffalo, hippos, etc...all roaming around. I loved watching the giraffes. They are such unique animals. I enjoyed the day and took a ton of pictures.




Honestly, we have both been working so much, we used a good portion of the weekend catching up on sleep. It felt so nice to sleep in. And, being it is a casino, we got meal deals like rib-eye dinner for $8.99. All in all it was a pretty inexpensive get away.

I signed up for a summer course (Business Ethics) and then a math class in the Fall. I stopped taking classes when I moved into this new position to allow time to get settled in. The bulk of the settling in is 90% done...I have finished writing the strategic plan and revising our security program, so I feel like I will have more free time now to get back to studies. Math is my weakest subject, so I am also working with a tutor this summer to refresh my math skills before diving into it next term.

I plan to use the next three weeks while the hub is gone, to focus on some frugal meal planning and to get some rooms re-organized. I seem to accumulate 'stuff' from grandkids and kids visits...Plus, my closet is overdo for an old clothes purge. This weekend I puposely did not make plans to get started.

Otherwise, all is well here. Life is good!

We found out today that the hub is sharing a room in Seattle next week, so I do not get to tag along. I am bummed. But it makes me more resolved to go there sometime so I can meet my SA friends there.

I rescheduled my vacation for August and booked a house with a fabulous ocean view and private beach access. I love the ocean- I grew up near it in Southern California and spent many young years enjoying those waves and bon fires and beach volleyball. The last time I was on the coast was last August, so a visit is long overdo. The house has an expansive grass yard that backs down to the beach. There is a HAMMOCK at the back of the lawn with a great view..



to keep costs down, we wont eat out. We will be cooking at the house...
We will be there 3 nights...and I cant wait!! Then, we will come home that Tuesday and I have the rest of the week off with the hub. SHould be relaxing and fun! This beach is about 2 hours away...so not too bad for travel time and cost. All in all the trip will cost about $800.

I budget each month for vacation, so the money is already allocated. And, it leaves a little still for the meet up in July (San Fran) and maybe one or two more mini trips this year somewhere local.

Im bummed about Seattle. But will look for another opportunity to meet my Washington SA friends.