Today at work one of the things I was doing was hole punching a bunch of articles my manager had pulled out of various oil and gas magazines. Some of the pages needed to be turned so that the articles title would be facing up.

For some reason an article about a well in Kentucky caught my eye. The article was from 1991. A long time oil man had drilled over 7,000 wells over a period of 39 years. But none of them had been really great ones. He always had the dream to find an amazing discovery.

By a fluke of luck, he happened to acquire the mineral rights to a patch of land near the Kansas and Tennessee border. On it were a couple wells already that were producing, but not very much.

He chose one of them to deepen.

Several days after the redrilling began, his drilling foreman ran over to him with a worried look on his face. The well, which had previously been producing only 5 barrels of oil (BO) a day, was now GUSHING oil.

There just so happened to be a man at a nearby gas station with a couple backhoes on his way to another job. They got this man to come to their well and start digging pits to put the oil in - because otherwise it was going to go into a nearby creek.

The man with the backhoes stayed for 3 1/2 days and dug 10 pits for the oil. All of which filled up as fast as the pumpers they hired could drain them.

The well was now producing upwards of 300 BO per HOUR!

Needless to say, this was the fulfillment of a lifetime long dream of the oilman. He never gave up, even after drilling over 7,000 wells all over the world and 39 years.

I was just completely riveted by this story. I really wish I had a link to it so you could all read it for yourself.

It just spoke to me. I have dreams that I sometimes wonder if it's even worth it anymore to even keep dreaming about. Dreams I've had since I was little. But here's this man who never gave up after 39 years - and he finally made it!

If he could keep his dream alive, then so can I!

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There is this Cat/Dog blog which I check on a daily basis. There is this amazing story of how a dog helped an old man and how God works in our lives.

Dog Story . Have a kleenex nearby when you read it. Seriously.

*link fixed - sorry about that!

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I have new posts on my blog. Today I talked about a really special gift that my mom made me.

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I shopped at Walmart tonight. $29.02 for 3 bags of groceries. Ugh. And . .I forgot to get bananas.

* Watched the Ben Carson story "Gifted Hands' on TNT at my mom's house Saturday night. I'd read the book years ago, and always thought it was a very amazing story.

* My mom and step-dad's dog Millie who I dog sat for a number of times is really failing. She's been pretty much deaf for a few months now, has cataracts, and just this past week her back legs are not supporting her very well. She is such a sweet dog. I'm afraid my mom and stepdad are going to have to make a hard decision soon.

* Coke Rewards program seems to be attempting to lessen the amount of points possible to earn. Starting soon, you'll only be able to enter 120 points per week. It used to be a limit of 10 codes per day with no point limit. I have the feeling the program is going to be eliminated completely soon.

* I had an ING referral bonus. First one of 2009.

* A man who I had a major crush on from Kindergarten till 5th grade friended me on Facebook. He was always so nice to me, even though he was a few years older. When my family moved away when I was in the 3rd grade, he and I exchanged letters and cards all the way till I went to college. His wife and I even graduated in the same class from college.

* I treated my mom and stepdad today to a matinee of "He's Just Not That Into You." We were going to see "New In Town" but we missed the early showing for it, so went with the other one instead. It was pretty funny and sweet.

* One week from today is my 3-year anniversary at work. Time really flies.

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Yesterday's post:

Simple Pleasures: Postcards from Malaysia

Todays Post: Sunday Sustenance: Danish Oatmeal Pancakes

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Yesterday I stopped by my apartment's management's office to pay my rent and also to check about my lease.

I mentioned to the lady working there that I was trying to figure out what the best thing was to do, go month-to-month, or do a 6-month term.

She told me that whether I go month-to-month or 6 month, I still would have to give a 60-day notice, or pay the reletting fee. If I go with the 6-month term, and leave before it's up, I would be charged the reletting fee, plus probably the remainder of the lease.

I mentioned to her that I had been surprised that the price variation between the month-to-month and the 6 month term was so little - just $45. And that was part of what was making it hard for me to decide.

She then tells me, "Just stop having your nails done, and that will give you the extra $45/month."

She didn't know this of course, but the last time I had my nails 'done' was over two-years ago - and that was a gift from a friend. Of course, even that wasn't really what I think she was talking about. I think she thought I had those fake nails - those would definitely cost in the $45 range.

Nope, just have naturally long nails. I usually don't even notice their length until one of them breaks - then I chop them all off.

It was good advice really, just not anything that helped me much! LOL

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This month I am doing a series of posts called: Twenty Days and Ways To Show Someone You Care Without Breaking The Budget.

Todays post:

Day 1: An Indoor Picnic

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I stopped at Albertson's tonight on my way to the library. While there I picked up a couple of the individual portion ice creams, along with some other grocery items.

When I got to the self-checkout and scanned them, the disembodied voice of the scanner told me that the item was recalled and couldn't be purchased.

So I guess you could say that the recall saved me from myself!

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Oh, I almost forgot! I updated my sidebar last night. And . . .

My Car Fund is Fully Funded!!! Woo Hoo! Now I can concentrate on my House Downpayment fund.

I will still continue adding to the Car Fund with HSBC interest, because of course there will be car repairs here and there, so better to have a bit more than a bit less.

This weekend I received a letter from Chase alerting me that as of February 15, my WAMU provided MyPoints Visa card would no longer be participating in the Mypoints program. Instead, it will be converted to the Chase Flexible Points program.

They mention several times in the letter that 'you will receive a Chase card if you meet our requirements.' That line has made me somewhat curious. If you are a long time MyPoints Visa cardholder in good standing, but your credit history isn't up to snuff according to Chase, would they deny you a card?

Things that make you go hmmm....

I also receive an email from MyPoints. It also mentioned the fact that the WAMU Visa program was terminating as of Feb. 14. But it also stated that they are in the process of finding an even better alternative.

I'll be very interested to see what that alternative is.

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My post today:

Sunday Sustenance: Chocolate Quinoa Oatmeal Pancakes

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Something weird is going on with my keyboard. I have a wireless. I'm thinking the batteries may be going dead?

Here's an example of myyyyyyy typig without constantly going backto fix typosbecause of the darn keyboooooardddd!

As I was reading through various blogs today, I came across this post. Since so many of you are into Ebay and participating in DisneySteve's challenge, I thought you may be interested in this post.

Free Book On Selling On Ebay

The post provides you with a link to download the book. Enjoy!

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My post for Saturday probably wouldn't be terribly interesting to any of you here - kind of a link love / advertiser love type post. Feel free to check it out anyway if you want.

This morning when I did my usual check-in of my various financial places, I noticed that Yodlee wasn't able to log in to my MyPoints Visa account.

I wanted to figure out why, so I went to the actual site. MyPoints Visa is a WAMU branded card, so Chase is taking over it. The problem was that they were forcing me to change my username! I couldn't use the same one I was using - I HAD to change it!

I tried about 6 different variations, and they wouldn't accept any of them. So I finally had to go and make a really long that will be a PAIN to type in.

Once I got on to my account, I noticed a big button saying something about learning about the changes. After reading that, I came to the realization that my easy way of earning lots of points will soon be a way of the past.

After March 1, I'll only be able to earn points by reading emails or buying stuff from linked websites. Le sigh.

It wss good while it lasted.

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My post today:

Friday Funnies: Men At The Office.

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I'm looking forward to tomorrow night. I'm going to be attending a meetup at a vegetarian restaurant. They have quite a good selection. Their prices are pretty good too.

Yes, this is another post about the gym saga. I talked to E today and asked him what was up with the $35 NSF fees, and told him I'd be willing to work tomorrow afternoon.

He didn't really answer me about the NSF fees (we 'communicated' via voicemail tag) but did say that 'they' were going to pad my next check with an extra $25 - 50. He didn't say if that was including the NSF fees or not.

Personally, I would rather just get the fees refunded ASAP and know for sure that when I'm given a check or other form of payment, that I can feel confident in depositing it into my bank account.

I'd prefer not to get 'padding,' because quite obviously, they really can't afford it!

What do you all think? Should I tell him to not give me any extra? That I wasn't making the fuss because I wanted more money, I just wanted what I had earned?

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My post today is:

A Meme . In case you don't know what a Meme is, it is another word for an interview. Another blogger sent me five questions after reading through my blog.

It was fun!

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The weather started out really bad this morning. Really, really THICK fog. When I got to my office building's grounds, there was even some leftover ice which my car of course found. It likes to do the slide apparently.

By the afternoon though, things had warmed up quite nicely. That's Texas weather for you.

Those of you who live in places that have been getting hit hard this winter will probably laugh at me. But that's okay.

This morning, for the second time since I've lived in Texas, my car doors were frozen shut!

The first time I experienced frozen car doors was my Junior year of college (1996!) I was supposed to go home that weekend, but between my car doors being frozen shut and the main highways near where my parent lived being shut down - I didn't go anywhere.

Today though, I did manage to get my door open with a lot of chipping at the edges using my car key. Yes. My car key. Bright thinker that I am, I left both of my ice scrapers inside my car.

After about 30 minutes, I had my car defrosted and deiced, and headed off to work.

There is a slight incline from my complex's parking lot to the street. I didn't drive down it - oh no - I SLID sideways down it! That probably should have been a good clue that I needed to wait a bit longer to go to work.

Of course, I didn't wait. I wasn't sure I'd be able to make it back UP to my apartment - so figured I should go on ahead. My usual 20 minute morning commute took a little more than an hour, but at least I made it safely.

Unfortunately, at least 5 people in Texas died due to the icy conditions and driving. One of them was a 22 year old teacher.

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My post today is:

Do You Want To Meet People Who Are Like You?. You may recognize some of the things I mention.

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I don't remember if I mentioned that along with the lost Toll Tag, I also had a missing glove.

I've searched through everything I took to CA with me, and it still hasn't turned up. So, tonight I stopped at the Family Dollar and picked up a new pair of gloves for $2.

They had quite the interesting selection of gloves. I had to really dig to find any that were .... er.. normal looking.

Of course you know what's going to happen now that I've bought myself a new pair of gloves, right? Today will be the last cold day of the season! (I can dream right?)

Yay! We were let out of work an hour early today due to ice storm warnings.

Traffic and weather weren't bad at all on my way home, so hopefully it remains that way for other people today.

We had a birthday party for our company's owner today. The most delicious ($40) chocolate cake and ice cream.

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Thanks to dmontgrey, I realized that my today.com blog wasn't letting non today'ers leave comments. That's all fixed now.

My post today is probably pretty funny considering just how much I'm into sports and all.

How To Celebrate Superbowl 43 Inexpensively.

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When I got home tonight I had a note on my door from the apartment management. It told me that if I signed a new long-term lease, my rent would go up by $5/month. Or, I could go month to month and have my rent increase $50/month.

Somehow, I had thought that the month to month rent was much higher than the long-term lease.

I'm having a lot of debate in my mind over whether to keep the question/possibility of CA alive or not. Given the state of the economy right now, and the utter lack of job availability I've seen so far in the area I'm wanting to go to . . . plus the fact that I have a job that in a few weeks I'll have been at for 3 years . . ????

I'm just not sure if I should go for the 6 mo lease for only $5/mo more than now, and then less flexibility if a job should miraculously turn up that fits my criteria, or bite the bullet and go for the month to month lease for the extra $50/mo.

Right now I'm really leaning towards telling my dad I've decided NOT to pursue the idea of moving out to CA. I just am not firm enough on that to make the step of signing on the dotted line of a long-term lease.

Those of you who have been reading my blog for awhile will probably be able to guess what I am talking about. I can't be specific in naming what I'm talking about for a number of reasons.

*I just deleted a couple paragraphs after thinking better about it.

To sum it up: Got an email telling me I was no longer wanted at a company (not gym.) Am royally ticked off. Supposedly will have a chance to be wanted again in a few days. Am supposed to 'review' materials. Funny thing though, I can't log into my account?!

-Although it's probably a good thing I can't log in, because then I might say something in the forum there and *really* be locked out.

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Deep breath here. On to other subjects.

I went to the dentist today. She told me I need to floss more. (sheepish grin) But otherwise my teeth look fine. Whew!

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It's rainy and cold here. In the morning it's supposed to be rainy and freezing -- icy roads. Fun.

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My main post today:

Do You Have a Grocery Store Rewards Card?.

I also posted a youtube video of a *really* funny cat video set to a rap type song called Mean Kitty. (I don't like rap much, but I liked this song . . your mileage may vary.)

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After the dentist visit today, I was just famished, and could not resist the siren call of fast food. My first idea was Taco Bell, but then I changed my mind to Burger King.

Not healthy food at all.

I asked for a BK Veggie Whopper w/cheese. What I got was a bun with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, mayo?, and a slice of cheese - no gardenburger!

I asked for a small onion rings. Got that.

I asked for a small shake. Got the shake, didn't get a straw.

I'd held out for six weeks on eating fast food -- and breaking that tonight just wasn't worth it.

Before my dad moved to CA, he enjoyed going to Panera's for a drink or a small sandwich and then using their Wi-Fi since he didn't have access where he was living.

I ran across this info about Panera's on another frugal forum I visit, and thought some of you may be interested.

Panera's is serving free coffee on Wednesday, January 28, along with free samples of their breakfast foods.

Free Coffee at Panera's

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Today has been a pretty slow day for me overall. My allergies really are bugging me, so maybe that's why I'm feeling so tired.

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My dad gave me a list of websites of places that supposedly are hiring in CA. I went through all of them, and the only thing I found was a head start teacher, but that would pay about what I'm getting now.

I passed along an email I got from ChaCha looking for sales reps in Texas to my mom. I think she'd do a really good job of it, once she caught on to how great ChaCha is. She's applied already, and is now waiting to hear back.

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My post today is: Sunday Sustenance: Jan 25 - 31

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It's hard to believe that there is only a week left of the first month of 2009.

Time waits for no man (or woman.)

Without what you may ask?

A. Credit Card
B. House Keys
C. Camera

Well, both A and B are very good things to have with you, the answer today is C.

Until this Christmas I had been without a good working camera of any kind for, oh I'd say at least 4 years. I had a camera on my phone of course, but eh..., easy to take the pictures but not so easy to transfer them somewhere useful. So, I got out of the habit of picture taking.

Now though, I have been taking more and more pictures of various things.

So, this afternoon I headed over to the library to pick up a book that was on hold, and drop off a couple other books.

As I headed into the library, I passed by this car and had to do a double take. In the car there were not just one, but TWO large dogs. One dog was sitting in the drivers seat, and the other was sitting in the passenger seat.

It would have made for such a funny picture - but alas! my camera was still at home.

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My post today is:

Simple Pleasures - A Birthday To Remember .

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So E never called me today like he was supposed to do. This doesn't really surprise me too much. Now I guess we'll have to see if he actually remembers to come up with a plan. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give the chance of it happening a 3, and that's being optimistic.

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Did you read about the model who had a UTI that got into her bloodstream? The doctors had to cut off her hands and feet, but the infection still ended up killing her. She was only 20. So very sad.

She probably thought she had it all.

Life is so precious. We really need to treasure each and every day we are given.

Work was good today - kept pretty busy throughout the day. Got the letter sent off to the RRC to fix my mistake.

I went to the deli for lunch. They have two selections that I can eat - Egg Salad or Spinach & Swiss in a Pita. I very much prefer the Spinach & Swiss, but they don't have much demand for it, so don't have it very often.

I hadn't been to the deli since probably sometime in November.

Today I walked in and got in line. As I checked out what they had laid out, a "YES" escaped my lips because I spied the Spinach mixture. One of the men behind the counter smiled at me and asked "You want the Spinach and Swiss right?"

The other ladies behind the counter also knew what I wanted. Then I got to the register, and the manager saw me, smiled, and said, "Spinach and Swiss, right?"

I chose a good day to treat myself to the Deli.

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After work I stopped by the gym to talk to E. I basically told him that I couldn't continue working for the gym when I never knew whether my check would bounce or not. Then I handed him my key that opens the other gym.

He pretty much apologized and said that he understands where I'm coming from. Then he told me that he really hopes I would change my mind because my few hours a week is pretty important - not many are willing to do a 3 hr shift once a week.

After talking for a bit more, I told him that I would be willing to keep working for the gym, IF I could be 110% sure that whenever I am paid, that there are NO chances of a bounced check.

He said that he will work on a plan for that to happen. Since my pay is roughly $45 or so every two-weeks, he may just make an exception and give me cash.

I felt much better after talking with him, but time will tell whether I am in the gym next Friday afternoon or not.

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My post today:

Friday Funny - Did You Forget Something At The Office?.

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My poor grandma. She was scheduled to have a colonoscpy (sp?) yesterday. She stopped eating the night before and -cleaned- herself out. Then yesterday her appt was for 2 p.m. Her and my dad were still waiting at 3:30 p.m.

Finally Dad got the attention of someone, and the doctor saw her. She was told she didn't need it because they don't usually give them to people over 80. Polyps take 7 years to grow, then another 7 years to develop into cancer -- plus if they did any kind of surgery in that area, it would be much more difficult -- and really not worth it.

So, after nearly 24 hours of not eating, she and my dad went to the local Souplantation and ATE!

Eta: Speaking of cats, I saw this *hilarious* post on another blog and just had to share it!

Sunday Comics With Daisy The whole blog is pretty cute and funny really, and is written by Daisy the cat.

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Today at work my former carpool rider told me that the kitty she took in to her home about 8 months ago, needs a new home. The kitty had a litter of kittens, which carpooler found good homes for, but kept Mama Cat.

The problem is that carpooler has a much older cat (16 yo) and Mama Cat is a youngster and likes to play and bugs older cat a lot.

Carpooler wanted to give Mama Cat to me (spayed, all shots, declawed, a sweetheart) because she knows I'd be a good home, and because I'm in the same complex, so she could visit Mama Cat.

My heart wanted to say yes. Many of my reservations about getting a new pet - all the vet costs, neutralized. But, I had to say no.

The timing just isn't right. If I knew that I was for sure going to be staying here for another year or more, then it would be different. But, right now I don't know if I'll be here a month from now.

It just wouldn't be fair to the Mama Cat or to the carpooler.

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On a lighter note . . . check out what the Absentminded Technician did tonight . . . How To NOT Check Your Smoke Detector!

Although I stayed up WAY too late last night (err.. this morning?) I still managed to accomplish some things that I had put off.

Don't laugh . . . I got all my stuff put away from my CA trip!

One of the bad things about having a king sized bed is that more than half of it can be covered with a suitcase, clothes, etc., and it can still be slept on quite comfortably. (I really should have taken a before picture .. err no.)

I also did a major trash run (bags in front of my door ready to go out in the morning.)

Then of course did a dish run and a load of dishes in the dishwasher. I also cleared my kitchen table off of all the accumulated mail, advertisements, etc which had been building up.

Last, but not least, I entered 10 codes for the Coke Rewards points. (I have a shoebox full of the cardboard codes and cap codes still to enter - 99% of them given to me by my mom and stepdad who drink lots of Coke -mostly diet Coke.) I don't know why I'd been procrastinating so long on doing that. Every time I go to my mom's I get loaded up with more . .

If I would've entered these when I first got them, I would've had enough for the first movie ticket - back when they were only 330 points. But now it looks like they don't even have them anymore! Yikes! I guess I can try for the 1-day pass to Universal Studios for 1000 pts. ... just wouldn't be the same purpose. Ack. Procrastination hurts!
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Saturday and Sunday were NSD's. So, I think that means I have 12 NSD's so far for January. (I don't count things such as paying tolls or paying monthly bills as spending. Gas, groceries, etc count.)

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I'm listening to Pandora.com right now and one of my favorite songs is playing - Bubbly by Colbie Calliat. Whenever I hear it, it puts a smile on my face.

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My post today is my meal plan for the week if you're interested.

Sunday Sustenance: Week of Jan 18 - 24

4 years ago I posted my very first blog entry for Keeping It Frugal in Texas. At that time I was going through my last year of teaching, and trying to figure out just what I wanted to do when I grew up.

Eventually the school year came to a close, and life took several interesting turns. By February of 2006 I wasn't sure if I was going to find another full-time job, but my fellow bloggers sent me the good job vibes, and I found my current job.

Not very long ago, I had someone ask me what is it that makes it worthwhile to keep a blog here at Saving Advice.

This was my answer:

Thanks for the memories.

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Now for a bit of laughter, my post today
Laughter, the Best Medicine . It includes my first ever video uploaded to Youtube!

Personal Goals:

* Find a balance between making more money and having a life.

--What this means:
-----Limit myself to 10 hrs a week doing anything related to ChaCha.
-----Accept only one extra gym shift per week.

Well... I have kind of been on a ChaCha hiatus since a bit before Dec. 15. But instead I've added my today.com blog which is taking a lot more time than ChaCha ever did. BUT I have kept to just one morning a week at the gym.

* Build existing friendships
----Contact at least one friend each week via email or telephone.
----Invite a friend(s) to my place at least once a month.

I have contacted a friend at least once a week. However, I haven't invited anyone over just yet. My excuse is that I was in CA for two weeks!

* Build new friendships
----Attend at least one Vegetarian meet up per month
----Join and attend bookclub once a month

Um . .. moving on.

* Give Back to Others
-----Participate in at least one volunteer activity each month

I did sign up for something this past weekend, but then overslept and missed it. Ooops.

* Have home be able to be company ready in 15 minutes (similar to flylady w/o the emails)

Nope - not even close.

---Do an initial cleanup run - trash, dishes, etc.

Did do that before CA. Need to do again.

---Divide apartment into cleaning and decluttering zones. Focus on each zone for one week.
Not Yet.

Financial:

Car Fund: Finish funding to $4,000.00

DONE! (After this month's interest from HSBC at least.)

House Downpayment: Save $5,000.00 towards it.

Cruise 2010: Save $500 towards it

Vacation(s): 2, possibly 3. I'm estimating needing roughly $1,000.00.

Okay, definitely a case of progress but not perfection.

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Today was a SPEND day!

Gas: $17.27
Walmart Groceries: $26.25
Target Groceries: $16.90

I made it out of Target without picking up any junkfood! All I got were Amy's Burrito's for my work lunches (10 @ $1.69 each!)

Today was also a good day at work. A coworker and I went out to lunch at a mall (she treated) because she needed to exchange something. That was fun.

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My today.com post today is about

How to Get Healthy Without Spending A Lot

It was pretty busy today at work. I was the Queen of the Copier for a large part of the day, which made me very glad I wore my flats!

Today marked my 6th No Spending Day for this week, and a total of 10 for January. This really is remarkable for me. I've had some uber stressful days this past week, and my coping mechanism has usually been to get something to eat on the way home from work (i.e. junkfood.)

Tomorrow also marks one-month of no soda.

I've only made it to the gym to workout once since getting back to TX. Mainly I have slacked on going because I haven't been feeling 100%, and of course, jet lag. I'm hoping that by next Monday I'll be feeling more back to normal and get my routine going again.

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I had my first comment on my today.com blog last night! Woo hoo!

Tonight I wrote a follow up post of sorts to yesterday's called:

How a Pocket Notebook can Save You Hundred's of Dollar's a Y...

I'm so happy with the camera I got for Christmas from my mom and stepdad. It is SO easy to transfer pictures from my camera to the computer - just need the memory card and then plug it in. Voila!

I've been without a good camera for so long, it's going to take me awhile to get into the habit of taking pictures again.

I'm also trying to figure out what I could do videos of . . . .hmmm??

Looking on the bright side:

1. No spend day
2. Didn't eat any office goodies
3. Made it back to the gym this morning
4. Had library books to pick up
5. Was really busy at work

The eh . . part -- some things at work really got to me. Probably more so because I didn't get much sleep due to going to bed at 1 a.m. I was working on my other blog, figuring out advertising, etc.

I did make a surprising discovery though in the process of writing my post today

}MyPoints Visa vs Chase Rewards Visa There ended a preconceived notion for me.

Today is going to be a no spend day. It's also a day that I didn't get out of the house at all. Let's not even mention what time I finally got OUT of bed. The jet lag really hit me I guess on a day I didn't *have* to be up at a certain time.

I wrote a post for my today.com blog. I had to edit it a lot to make it a bit shorter. I'm really going to have to discipline myself to be more brief.

While I was writing my post, I got an email from Facebook telling me someone had requested that I add them as a friend. It just so happened to be the first guy I had dated my freshman year of high-school in Minnesota! Wow, that really brought me back a few years. He was a Senior, and I was a 13 yr old freshman. (Don't worry - there was no hanky panky going on - I didn't have my first kiss till I was 17! LOL!) He's married and has a couple cute boys now.

I keep wondering who is the next person I'm going to run across on Facebook???

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I'm off to watch CSI:Vegas now, then am going to finish putting away my stuff from the CA trip.

Updated sidebar. I'm within $400 of fully funding my Car Fund! Woo hoo!
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I pulled into my parking space around 7 p.m. last night. It was so good to be home. I had a really good trip, and was really really spoiled . . but it was so good to be home.

I didn't sleep very well at all last night, even though I was really tired. Even so, I managed to make it to work this morning on time.

Most people seemed happy to see me back, and I was happy to see most of them.

There was a good stack of work waiting for me on my desk, and more was added to it through the day. Yay!

I seem to be missing my toll tag. I noticed it this morning just after I breezed through the first toll station. Ugh. It's not in my car - it has a habit of dropping off the sticky tape and falling on the floor. I need to do a through search of my apartment in case I for some reason decided to put it in here for 'safe' keeping.

After work today I stopped by the library and dropped off about 10 items, and picked up 7 new ones. Most of the new items are part of a series I started reading out in CA and wanted to finish, the others are by the same author.

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Of the 5 applications I submitted in CA, 3 of them have already been filled, and the two others I have not heard about yet.

My dad and grandma *really* want me out there in CA with them.

While I was out there we stumbled across a really great deal on a mobile home. It was in the same mobile home park as another home they really wanted me to see. (I think they get that I'm not too excited about sharing living space with them.)

The Mobile Home park itself is *very* nice and very well kept. They are in the process of remodeling their Social Club building and swimming pool area.

The lot fees are $600/mo (may possibly be less). (For comparison sake -- a cheap/very trashy mobile home park in the same city has a $350/mo lot fee -- another slightly more upscale mh park w/smaller lot spaces has a $1200/mo lot fee.) The lot fee includes sewer, water and garbage, plus community upkeep.

I fell in love with this home. The land around it is mostly covered with gravel = minimal outside upkeep. There is a fully grown and producing orange tree. There is a roomy covered porch (where I could place a porch swing!) There are two good-sized storage sheds, plus a covered parking area on one side of the house. In the backyard, behind the storage sheds, there is enough space where I could put in a veggie garden if I wanted to.

The house is over 1500sq. It has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The dining room/family area has a gas powered fireplace. The kitchen has a really good sized pantry. The laundry area is more spacious than at my mom's house! The master bath has a double sink with a curved counter (very pretty) and a spa tub. The appliances (fridge, stove, washer/dryer, dishwasher, etc) go with the house. They would also be willing to sell me their dining set (mine is falling apart.)

The roof is less than 4 years old. The AC unit is less than 4 years old. The flooring is parquet (sp?) throughout, and ceramic tile in the bathrooms, less than six-months old.

It is very well kept inside and out.

The family who is living there right now, is wanting to move back to Argentina to be near the husbands mother. They are an SDA family (I'm SDA as well.) The house is mortgage free. My dad broached the idea of them possibly carrying the note . . . they sounded very willing to discuss that idea.

My grandma has stated that she'd be happy to help me out with a loan. I'm not sure if that means she'd match the loan she gave my brother (which he's already paid back) or possibly more.

I haven't totally played with the numbers . . . but here's what's kind of running in my head.

Homeowner is asking 55k.

I would offer 53K (including dining set) with a down payment of 30k. The remaining 23k would be paid in monthly installments plus 5% interest for 7 years. (I'll ask for 10, but be willing to settle for 7.)

The 30k down payment would break down like this:

$7500 - First time Homeowner Credit (have to check if I could get this for a mobile home where it is not a bank mortgage)

$5500 - From my savings - would have to use part of my emergency fund, plus housefund - but would still be left with at least 3 months expenses (with house).

$13,000 - I would borrow from my grandma with a payment term of 10 years at 5%.
(Depending on how the First Time Buyer Credit works, may have to initially borrow 20,500k.)

---
Property taxes are $300/year. Average utilities for a family of 4 running a home based catering business $180/mo.

---
I'm guessing it will run me around $1300 - 1400/mo for the first 7 years.

On what I make right now, that would not make ANY sense at all. (Be roughly 80% of my take home!)

BUT, the only way I'll even move out to CA is if I find a job where I make a good bit more than I make right now (and has comparable or better benefits.) So . . if I could get that amount to be more like, oh . . 60% or less . . I might bite.

Yes, I do know the wisdom of keeping housing to 30% or so of salary (is that take home or gross though?) *Remember, I have no debt - no car payments.*

I'm also aware that Mobile Homes aren't known for their appreciability. I'm willing to take the chance that in another 5 years if I wanted to sell, I'd be able to at least get my money back, plus possibly some more -- or at least get most of it back. To have a place of my own . . .

Needless to say, this all really is probably a huge pipe dream - because in order for it to have an iota of a possibility --- I have to find a job in CA while living in TX!

----
You may have gathered that I don't have a strong belief that I will be able to find a job in CA. My dad on the other hand strongly believes that I will. LOL

I have to tell my apartment management by January 30 whether or not I will be signing a new lease. My actual lease isn't up until March 30 - but they require a 60 day notice.

If I don't sign a new lease, and am still here, I would have to go month to month. That would mean an increase of at least $120/mo (maybe more).

However, if a miracle were to happen, and I *did* find THE job in CA, then having the flexibility to move within a few weeks time would be very handy.

--
Seriously, I wish I hadn't seen this place. I told my dad I thought it was really silly to go looking at housing (especially to be talking to homeowners!) before even having a job lined up! Talk about putting the cart before the horse.

Le sigh.

The damage is done though. I am besotted with the idea. Maybe though I'm so besotted with the idea that the reality of that much money going to housing isn't hitting as hard as it should.

Sure, I'd be more than doubling my living space (including yard/storage areas) -- but I'd also be nearly doubling my housing costs.

I'm writing from sunny Loma Linda, CA (well, it was sunny and warm today - lets not mention the previous few days!)

My dad and grandma have been spoiling me with way too much food ever since I've arrived and neither one of them will let me pay for anything!

I really hope I still can fit in my clothes by the time I head back to Dallas!

Friday we hit the after-Christmas sales and got some good deals on clothes and a few other items.

My mom and stepdad gave me a digital camera/camcorder which can also be used for a webcam. I was in shock! It didn't come with a memory card, so my stepdad loaned me a 2gb card so I could take pictures and video. I've been having fun with it. Today I found a 4gb card for $15 at Circuit City, so I'll be able to give him his card back.

When I get home I'm going to transfer all my pictures and videos, and maybe share a few.

If you've ever played the "I Love Lucy" board game --- we (dad, grandma and I) took videos of everyone who got an "Ai Yi Yi!" card. It was fun.

-
We visited the local gym today (finally).
I was dissapointed because the inside track I was looking forward to using is closed for rennovations until Jan 5.

I can purchase a "One-month" membership for $15 instead of daily guess passes. Although I'm not sure if I'll even be able to get there more than 3 times .. . we'll see.

---
My dad took me by the library yesterday, and I checked out 6 books. I finished one last night a bit after mid-night.

---
Tomorrow we are going to go visit President Nixon's Library. It should be interesting. We may go to President Regan's Library as well while I am here.

----
I haven't heard anything back from the applications I put in yet. It probablly is due to the holidays.

My dad and grandma have this idea that maybe I could buy a mobile home in the local mobile home park here. They took me through it on Saturday and it does look like a nice place to live. It may be a way for me to get into a home of my own - even if it's not a "house" like I'd been thinking about.

---
I'm not sure why, but my Asus laptop has a lot of trouble connecting to the city-wide WiFi here in Loma Linda. If I did come out here to live, I'm not sure I could be content with not having easy access and probably would be willing to pay for my own personal access.

But of course the whole thing of moving here to Loma Linda or not has one big obstacle (other than me being 100% sure this is the way to go) and that is me finding a job here.

---
Yesterday my dad and I were doing some engineering work. We needed to cover the top of the back porch lattice roof with two tarps. The covers needed to go into the middle of it. My dad was talking about getting up on the roof and throwing the tarps out. I didn't want him getting on the roof, so I came up with the idea of tieing a rope through the holes on the ends of the tarp and throwing them across, then pulling the rope through, and the tarp across. It worked. Although in the end he still did have to get up on the roof to do the final straightening.

--
Since Dec 24 I have spent:

$15 -- Checked one bag on flight
$1.50 - library fee (dad's - checked out a video - have to pay a rental fee at the library here)
$2 - 2 packs of Eclipse gum

Yep, that's all I've spent - and the checked bag money will probably be reimbursed to me - although I'm not going to say word one about it considering how much I'm being treated to already.

---
One week till I have to go back to work.

Didn't really do much today so far. Guess you could say I'm catching up on rest?

Got a call from E asking me to open G2 tomorrow morning. Said I would. An extra $13 before going away for 2 weeks doesn't hurt.

Finally about 4:15 I made myself get dressed all nice and warm (27 degrees) to go pay my rent and check the mail. All there was was junk mail. Oh well.

When I got back I made myself a cup of hot chocolate with the second packet of specialty mint chocolate mix. Yummy!

There's still a good number of hours left in the day - somewhere here I'll get motivated to actually do something productive.

Tomorrow after work I'm going to stop by Half-Price books, see what they'll give me for my Spanish language materials, and see if they have any train calendars. My mom says stepdad would like something like that.

(I give my mom and stepdad the turkey that I get from my company for Christmas, and a gift card for an expensive steak and crab place that one of the three honcho's gives us (they used it the last two years for their anniversary dinner.) Then I give them something I actually bought for each of them.

--I could use the gift card for myself - just buy 3 or 4 of their desserts and take it home. But that would kind of defeat the whole thing of trying to live healthy.


ETA: Yay me! I did manage to get busy (sort of) and got all the clothes picked up and put away from around my apartment. Also got all the dirty dishes from various places to the kitchen. Progress!

Let's see here . .

* Found out today that I more than likely will be keeping my Friday morning gig opening the gym. I thought it would only be through today, but apparently the person who used to do it isn't available anymore. So, that means a continued 5 hrs a week at the gym in the new year.

* Gulp. Submitted an application and resume to two places in CA today. The first one was ALL online.

It was quite aggravating because after I completed the application, pasted in my resume, pasted in a cover letter and submitted - it then had a background check form asking for drivers license, car license, places lived for last 10 years . . . You had to do it right then - no way to save it and go back later. I finally managed to finish the last bit of it at 8:29 a.m. I'm supposed to be at my Real job at 8:30. Argh!

* Updated my sidebar totals, and added an Extra Monies tracking page for Dec.

* Today was a No Spend Day
(Not for lack of thinking about things I would like to go buy - mainly food items.)

* A good friend of mine from college friended me on Facebook today! Hi DJ!

* I got paid for an unused sick day today in my paycheck. After taxes, ~$74 going to Extra Monies! Yay!

* I contacted an old friend today via email! -- I'd received an email from an address I thought I recognized saying something about "I have a prayer for you". But when I opened it, I saw it was from fanbox something or other site, and recalled getting strange emails with that website before. So, decided not to open it. SO glad I didn't open it, because about 30 minutes later I got an email from my friend telling me that it was a virus! Ack!

* The Beck Diet Solution is being held for me at the library. This is the book that has a bunch of ideas on how to fight negative thinking with positive thinking. I'd sparkmailed the person who had blogged about it to find out the name of the book, and she got back to me right away. So, I'll pick it up tomorrow and start making my keychain cards!

* A funny at work today. {Backstory} We have a 'consultant' doing some auditing for us. Yesterday he'd asked me for 5 paperclips. So, I reach into my side drawer and pull out the DW created 'paper clip pocket made out a notebook paper and staples'. He gave me a funny look, and I explained to him that I tend to give DW a lot of paperclips in the various things I do for him, so he likes to give them back to me at various times and in various modes of container.

{Today} Consultant guy comes by my desk again, and asks to use my stapler. Then he says he needs more paperclips. So, I pull out a second, more full 'notebook/staple packet' and give it to him. He then puts it down on the filing cabinet next to my desk which holds the letterhead and envelopes, and is about 6 inches or so higher than the top of my desk. He tells me he'll be back for it, but needs to go meet with head honcho.

About 30 minutes later I notice J, our CFO walking by my desk casting strange glances towards my area. Then about the same time, A, who's desk is next to mine also starts casting strange glances my way. I figured out what they were staring at.

After explaining what it was, D, our shipping manager (deal with brokers person), says "It's like you're at an airport and you see a strange package."

(After all that, I just went ahead and took it to the office the consultant was working out of!)

Maybe not so funny in the retelling - but it was pretty funny when it happened.

I'll be in California! Yay!

-----
Now to the mundane.

I ran 2.1 miles in 30 minutes at the gym.

I spent money today:

$20 to Office Manager towards 3 honcho's gifts

$5.64 at Walmart (bananas, sweet potato, microwavable soup, can of sweet corn, 2 packets specialty hot chocolate, and a bottle of chocolate syrup.)

I probably could have stuck with just the first 3 items . . but this is the list of what I got AFTER talking myself out of some of my more 'usual' purchases. I'm counting it as a win!

---
I talked to my dad last night. He told me about the gym at the local university. Among other things, it has an outdoor pool and an INSIDE running track!

My grandma can get a free membership since she is over 80 years old. That means I can use a guest pass ($5/day - but I asked my dad to see if there was any kind of 2 week pass deal instead.)

So . . any guesses as to where I'll be at some point on December 26? LOL!

---
I talked to my mom tonight. She wanted to have some specefic ideas for what I wanted for Christmas. I'd told her that if she felt she HAD to give me something, that cash really would do. She wanted to have something I could open. So I told her that some things I'd like to get (which I probably would use some of the cash for anyways) is a new pair of running shoes, a Runner's ID (she really liked that idea, because she gets so worried about me whenever I go running outside), and a low-end digital camera.

The Runner's ID is the least expensive (~$20), the shoes would run roughly $100, and the camera - I've seen some in the $90-100 range that I liked. So, what I imagine will happen is that I'll get the ID, then cash towards the shoes or camera.

Honestly, it really doesn't matter to me whether I get anything or not - to me the best thing is just spending time with family. You never know when the last moment is you'll have with a loved one, nor the last words you may speak with them.

One thing our family has always practiced is at the end of phone calls or before leaving someplace or other, is to say some form of I Love You, and or give a hug. That way if something horrible were to happen, we'd be able to have a good memory of the last contact.

Today we had a meeting where we learned about the new HR company that will be administrating payroll and healthcare benefits for us.

My insurance will be going from United Health Care to Aetna Std. It will still be fully covered by my employer.

We still have the FSA option. Unfortunately, this new company has not gone into the realm of the debit style FSA card but are stuck in the realm of faxing in receipts and getting reimbursed. Yuck. I've been very spoiled.

We were told that we can not enter any of our information on the website until December 29. There will be an email sent to our work email with the link and password info.

A coworker of mine is going to forward that email to my personal address, so that I can fill out the info even though I'll be out in CA at that time.

Unfortunately, even if I get the info all filled out on Monday, the 29th, it is highly unlikely that the direct deposit will be functional by Friday the 2nd (payday.)

So, that means I will receive a hardcopy check. I will still be in CA on the 2nd. I won't get my paycheck for the 2nd, until the 7th - almost in time for my next paycheck!

This is why I'm so glad I don't live paycheck to paycheck. For me, this whole matter is just a small annoyance - a loss of a bit of interest. It would be so much worse if I was counting on that money to be IN my checking account to cover a rent check or some other expenses.

---
Today was a NSD.
30 minutes on bike at gym this AM.
Did a trash run.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I've been doing some thinking and reflecting on what I would like my goals to be for this, my now 33rd year.

The goals fall under personal, health, financial and spiritual.

Personal Goals:

* Find a balance between making more money and having a life.

--What this means:
-----Limit myself to 10 hrs a week doing anything related to ChaCha.
-----Accept only one extra gym shift per week.

* Build existing friendships
----Contact at least one friend each week via email or telephone.
----Invite a friend(s) to my place at least once a month.

* Build new friendships
----Attend at least one Vegetarian meet up per month
----Join and attend bookclub once a month

* Give Back to Others
-----Participate in at least one volunteer activity each month

* Have home be able to be company ready in 15 minutes (similar to flylady w/o the emails)

---Do an initial cleanup run - trash, dishes, etc.

---Divide apartment into cleaning and decluttering zones. Focus on each zone for one week.

Financial:

Car Fund: Finish funding to $4,000.00

House Downpayment: Save $5,000.00 towards it.

Cruise 2010: Save $500 towards it

Vacation(s): 2, possibly 3. I'm estimating needing roughly $1,000.00.

--If I move out to CA, I've promised my mom that I would come back to visit her at least twice a year. If I stay here, then I will want to go visit my dad/brother out in CA.

--The third possible vacation would be this June. The highschool I graduated from was closed several years ago. Many of us have found each other on Facebook the past few months, and are discussing the possibility of a school reunion.

Change my work situation:
--1. Find a way to make my current job feel as though I am contributing to the company's good on a consistent basis. Also, be able to show why I am worthy of a raise (due to being productive, etc.)

--2. Find a job in CA. It may just be a starter job (i.e. not more money) but may find a good lead in to something later.

--3. Do 1 or 2, but in the meantime take coursework to go into another field - perhaps medical - which would eventually lead to a better paying job.

Health:

Diet --
---Eliminate soda from diet
---Limit cheese and ice cream
---Limit soy products
---Avoid fast food
---Limit processed foods (i.e. frozen meals, etc.)
---Create a meal plan for the month, including treats -shop only from that list
---Create a set of cards with sayings or buzzwords I can laminate and keep on my keyring for when the 'Beat Laura Up Monster' (BLUM)appears and urges me to eat junk beyond the realms of normalcy (i.e. normal - 2 or 3 Hershey kisses -- me, a bag of kisses.)

*Note - I am not saying one word about wanting to lose weight. My diet focus is solely going to be on eating healthier and on learning to control the BLUM.

Fitness:

Cardio: Consistently do 30 minutes of cardio at least 4 x a week.

Strength: Consistently complete at least 2 35+ minute weight training sessions a week.

Stretching/Flexibility: Consistently do a 20 minute Pilates session at least 2x a week.

Participate in a 5k race at least once a month. Improve running time to 38 minutes or less.

Possibly participate in a 10k by November.

Spiritual:

Renew relationship with God
---set and keep prayer time appt daily (beyond blessing food at meals)
---set and keep daily bible study time
---attend church at least 3 x a month

---look into seeing if anyone would be interested in some kind of a bible-based book group study

---look into possibility of being a greeter at church

--- Resolve tithe issue (I give to the local church with no problem - its sending money to the 'head' church that I have not resolved with myself. In SDA denomination, tithes go to the local conference (i.e. leaders of all area churches, such as Texas.) and is then distributed for pastor salaries, missions, etc.)

-- This is long. It is a bit scattered. If you don't feel like reading all the way to the end, maybe just watch the videos and tell me what you think of them.

The other day I clicked on a blog I hadn't read in a while - Angry Fat Girlz. In the most recent posting, the author mentioned a youtube video called

A Fat Rant by Joy Nash. In her video she declares that is not too proud to claim all 224 lbs of herself and her size 18 and sometimes size 20 body.

In A Fant Rant pt 2 she talks about compulsiveness. It actually is a pretty neat video - if you watch closely, you'll notice that all the characters are played by one person.

Then in A Fat Rant pt 3 she talks about some of the rude things people say and some of the comebacks she wished she could think of right away.

Then in the shortest, yet even more profound video, Totally Awesome she shows the ol' proverb of 'grass is greener on the other side.'

On the other end of the spectrum is this video, A Thin Rant. This is a video of a very thin girl talking about the things people say to her about her weight/appearance.

I identify with Joy. I have no problem admitting that I am fat. I too can relate to having used the excuse of "I'm fat" to let myself not really examine the reason(s) behind some event happening or not happening.

In fact, that same night I watched these videos I had gone to the gym after work and ran 2.1 miles in 30 minutes. Was I happy with myself? Yes, of course, because that was my goal. But what was my self talk as I was leaving? I was telling myself "yep, if you were just 70lbs lighter, maybe that guy would've given you a second glance." 'That guy' was the gym staff member on duty - young and good looking but total lack of personality - in other words, someone 'I' wouldn't look at twice. Yet, because there was another woman there who was in a normal weight range and he was spending a huge amount of time with her while virtually ignoring me - I of course took that as a prime excuse to beat myself up. WHATEVER LAURA!

I'm going to be 33 here in a few short days. I'm not getting any younger. There is no room for excuse making or beating myself up.

So what if other people who don't know me look at me and *assume* that I've never seen the inside of a gym? That's their problem - it's not my truth.

My truth is that I weighed in this morning at 239 lbs. The dress I bought for the Christmas party is a *closely* fitting in the waist size 18. Those are just numbers - they aren't who I am.

My truth is that I workout at least 4 days a week, sometimes twice in a day. As long as I don't let the Beat Laura Up Monster loose -whereby junk food finds its way into my home and into my mouth - I usually eat sensible and well balanced meals.

My truth is that I *know* the HOW's of healthy living and eating - I just don't always do the Follow Through.

*Really. Ask pretty much *any* overweight+ person out there about the rules of good nutrition or healthy eating or healthy ways to lose weight - I betcha (heh heh!) that they could probably quote article after article and book after book, and or mention nutrition class after nutrition class that they've taken. Healthy living/eating isn't just a matter of knowledge - it's a matter of Action.

My truth is that I may NEVER be in the so called 'Normal' weight category and I'm okay with that.

My truth is that I am a child of God, and God loves his children no matter what shape, size or color they are. So if God loves me, then I should love myself too, no matter what shape or size I am!

--- You may be wondering what brought all this on. It really is probably a combination of watching Joy Nash's videos, the gym incident and my approaching birthday.

For some people the 0 birthday years or the 5's are big deals and scary. For me though, for some reason, 33 is a number that is causing me to pause for much reflection.

I'm looking at where I am in life right now, and remembering where I thought I'd be by this point. I'm looking at the options I have going forward from here, and am not sure that I really like any of them, but have no idea how to make other options possible. I'm staring into the reality that I probably will never have a flesh and blood child of my own.

I'm beginning to see how unrealistic my dream of owning a house of my own really is. Even if I somehow manage to save the 18k + for a downpayment, on my income I still don't think I'd be able to really afford all that home ownership involves.

I am finding that the older I get, the less friends I have. Mainly because they are married and have kids, so have very little time to maintain a friendship, or the ones who aren't married are caught up in a relationship and life.

I am finding that striking a balance between making the extra income with my two side jobs and doing things that get me out and about (generally costing money) is very difficult.

In fact, I canceled my membership with the outdoor club - mainly because I just couldn't stomach paying the $25/mo fee, then having to pay for whatever events I attended on top of it. But then I also haven't been attending any of the meetups for the Vege group or the Volunteer group - I used the cost of gas as an excuse at first, but obviously that is pretty lame right now. So then my excuse is that if I'm going to make money from my side jobs, I can't be going out all the time. Or my excuse is that I'm embarrassed to go back to either of the groups after such a long absence.

So really, the point of all this is mostly me doing some pre-thinking and rambling and processing before coming up with what I think I'll call my Year 33 goals and plans.

Saturday night I went over to my mom and stepdad's. We had grilled PB&J sandwiches (my request) and watched the movie "The Holiday".

I tried on my dress for the Christmas party to show my mom. She was going to go with me, but the date changed to the 13th, so she wouldn't be able to come. (My stepdad is going to go with me.) She lent me a very pretty necklace to go with my dress - works much better than the necklace I'd planned on wearing with it.

I absolutely LOVE the dress I got. It is again from Ross (like last years was), and was $23. I'll be sure to post pictures once I have them.

I'm wondering what SK has come up with for the party this year. Austin Powers is going to be hard to beat!

Then today my mom and I went and saw the Nicole Kidman movie, "Australia". I really liked it, even though it was a bit long (nearly 3 hours!). After that we went to Olive Garden and had lupper. I got my favorite meal there - manicotti formagio, a virgin strawberry margarita and then we had their 'celebration cake'. Yummy!

All in all, this was a good way to celebrate (early) my birthday.

Today I enjoyed the luxury of being able to sleep in as late as I like.

When I finally deigned to get up and dressed, I headed out to get my car inspected.

I seriously thought that I was going to need to replace my windshield wipers in order to pass inspection. In fact, I was planning on buying new ones before getting inspected.

But instead I stopped at the first place I saw that had the state inspection.

I told the mechanic that I needed my oil changed, my car inspected and most likely new windshield wiper blades.

Roughly 40 minutes later, my car passed inspection and my oil was changed. But I still had the same wipers! The mechanic told me that they were still fine and didn't need to be changed.

I was very happy about that of course - but more so happy that he didn't just say that I needed new ones to make the extra sale.

--

This weekend I really need to finish up my defensive driving course. I've one hour completed and 5 more to go. I'd been planning on doing them during my lunch breaks, but then kept getting pulled up front to give the receptionist her lunch break. So . . just need to go ahead and get 'r dun this weekend.

I think when I get the 10% discount back, I'll put it in my extra monies accounting as a rebate - since I've already paid my 6 month premium without the discount.

--
I got another ING referral bonus today. Now I need to do some legwork (i.e. typing) so I can send out more referrals.