Keeping It Frugal

This weekend I went to my mom's place. I'd been planning on going next weekend, but when I found out she was going to have gall bladder surgery on Wednesday, I figured it'd be better to go this weekend.

Anyway... mom came with me today to an international food festival fundraiser being held at my local church. Then after that, we took the dogs for a walk. During the walk, we came across a $5 and a $1 bill!!!

I hardly ever find money on the ground, so this was pretty darn awesome!!

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I also stopped by Walmart and picked up a 50 ft Ethernet cord. Thankfully that seemed to do the trick. I may even be able to view Netflix (streaming) on it (watched a couple youtube vids and they worked really well.)

Where I live they have time Warner cable for Internet. I connect to it via a netgear wireless device. The best signal strength I get is 60%.

I can't play netflix on it, nor can I watch most YouTube videos. That's annoying, but I can live with it.

What I can't live with anymore is the connection constantly going down. Wednesday night I was trying to finish up my reference list for my research paper. There were some items I had a question on and needed my desktop - the iPhone wasn't easily able to do the needed search. The net kept going down. Finally got fed up and called my dad and walked him through finding the info for me.

Tonight it stopped working at 6:15 and still isn't working at 7:20.

Considering that I'm only here till May, I really hate to spend much money on getting the Internet working.

They have a modem I could plug into, but it is Far away.

Any ideas???

This morning the woman who works out at the gym every morning told me that there is a receptionist job open at her company. She said I could use her as a reference. We talk a lot and are sort of Quasi friends.

Although being a receptionist doesn't excite me, having health insurance again and more income defintely does!

If I were to get this, I'd probably have to slow down on school - maybe take an extra semester or two. But if I'm making enough to live on, go to school, AND save .... I think the extra time would be ok.

Tonight I need to get my resume polished and put together a cover letter. Then tomorrow I'll stop at the library, print them out, and fax them in. (she told me to fax it. )

So if it works out, then sometime next year I'll have insurance again!

I've kind of gotten spoiled though, only working 4 days a week and pretty much having nothing to do at work. It sounds like the phones are pretty busy, and there might be some typing letters and other projects to keep a person busy. Their current person is being promoted in the company.

Today after work I headed over to Micheal's to check out their cross stitch supplies. Since I wasn't sure how to get there, I put in the address into my iPhone map function.

Here are part of the instructions:

Take 121 S 11.5 miles
Take the exit
Go on the road for .8 miles
Turn right on McCrumber Street
....

Yes, it actually said "Take the exit" and nothing more. Luckily I could see that I had to pass 35, and as I was about to pass 35, I saw a sign for the McCrumber Street exit, and was able to find it easily.

Gave me a good laugh though.

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I was hunting for those cross stitch kits that included the pattern, thread, needle and a frame. They were ones I could almost always finish in 4 or 5 hours, and usually cost around $3 or $4.

Micheal's did not have any. All they had were kits starting around $10 and up that take 50 hours+ to make - ones I have the tendency (if I even open the package, that is) to start, put in maybe 10 hours worth of work, miss a row and/or add a row, get frustrated and give up on. I have finished maybe one or two of that size.

So I decided to try and find the other store which my landlady had mentioned to me. She wasn't sure if it was still in business or not.

I found it, and it was still in business. However, they do not sell ANY kits. The ladies also told me that they think that the little oval all in one frame kits that I was looking for aren't even made anymore!!

They showed me a large bin of cross stitch pattern magazines and books in the back that were all on sale for $1 each. I looked through them, and realized that I was going to have to change my plan of action. I hadn't wanted to do anything Christmas themed, but to find seperate patterns that fit into four or five different themes, would mean buying four or five different pattern books - plus of course all the ensuing thread.

So, I picked out a Christmas Mini Pattern book which had a pattern for a Bible with candles. Sort of Christmassy, but not too much. Then one of the ladies helped me pick out a good cloth for it, and she serged it for me. Then I picked up the thread. What I'm going to do is make 4 of them and put each of them into a coaster.

I have a project I'm already working on that I can give my mom and stepdad. When all is said and done, all of these items will end up costing right around $25.

Now it's just a matter of actually getting them all done in time!!

If they turn out good, maybe I'll post pictures on here of them.

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who responded to my post yesterday. And to others who've responded to previous posts. You all are awesome!

I found out that there is a no kill shelter not too far from me called Operation Kindness. I have to pass a background check, an interview and send two references. Then I do an orientation session. I think this will be a good way to spend my Saturday afternoons, at least twice a month, maybe more.

My landlady also suggested to me the hospital nursery which is really nearby. I'm going to check into that and see what it'd take to be a "hold babies a lot" volunteer. I'm sure there'd be an extensive background check for that one!! (At least I'd sure hope so!)

Oh, I also finished the first draft of my mid-term research paper. The final draft is due Wednesday. It came together pretty nicely once I started typing it out.

I celebrated by going out to IHOP for a late lunch.

I stopped by Wal-mart to see what cross stitch patterns they had. (I've decided I'm going to make a bunch of those small oval patterns as a type of ornament for gifts this year - take about 4 or 5 hours to make and usually cost under $5.) But Wal-mart had NO Cross Stitch materials!!

So, after work tomorrow I plan on either finding a local needlework store my landlady mentioned, or a Micheal's.

If no luck there, then I'm going to see if I can find patterns small enough to work - I need one sports related, one antique car, one garden related, one for my grandma (maybe something teachery???)and one for my aunt (she's a nurse admin, not really sure what she's into).

Oh, I think I haven't mentioned this. But ... for Christmas I'm going to CA again!! This time it will be even better though - because guess who'll be picking me up from the airport in San Jose???? My brother!!!!!!! He'll be able to stay until the morning of Christmas Eve, then will have to leave for work. But that gives us nearly two days together.

After Christmas we're going to visit Reagan's Presidential Library and also go to Solvang - maybe take in Hearst Castle too.

It'll be nice to get out of Texas for a while, but even better to get to see my brother in person again! (It'll be good to see my dad and grandma and aunt and uncle too ..)

Ambituous Saver's dad dying recently got me thinking. My parent's aren't very old, and I don't think I'm in any danger of losing either of them anytime soon ... but my grandma is 88 .. and you just really never know. So, I'm thinking that over Thanksgiving when I'm at my mom's, I'm going to take my camera and buy a memory card for it, especially to record her telling stories about her life, memories of her parents, stories of others in her family, stories of me when I was little, etc. Maybe I could bring the photo albums my mom gave me from her first marriage/college age and video her telling who all the people are.

Then when I'm out in California, I'll do the same thing with all my relatives out there. (may have to get a couple memory cards!) You just never really know .. and if my brother or I ever have kids someday, these videos would be a great way to share vividly with them who we came from.

I may even ask my mom's brother and sister if they'd do something similar (they live in TN and OH) - I'd have to send them question starters and find out what kind of memory cards their cameras use ... but it would be great to get all those memory cards and somehow transfer them onto a DVD. Could be good Christmas gifts for next year.

Like I said in the title - this may be kind of a rant and not really financial. You may want to skip to a different one.

So, you've been warned.

00000000

Ever get the feeling that no matter what you do, you're still standing still and going nowhere fast?

Ever attend some group function where you don't know anyone and have no idea how to break into any of the clusters of people to meet anyone?

Ever hear yourself talking to people (when you finally muster up the courage to actually talk to someone in one of those clusters) and hearing what's coming out of your mouth and think you sound like a bitter, negative and just plain sad person?

Ever find yourself wondering if life is ever going to really change, or if its gonna just stay the same status quo forever?

Ever wonder how you lost the ability to make connections with new people and how you seem to have lost connections with all your friends?

Ever wonder how you're going to get through yet another Saturday night all alone?

Ever wonder how in the world you can get away from someone (like, let's say, your landlady) who doesn't get the hint to stop talking via body language (or still doesn't get the hint when you verbally say you have to get going)?

Yeah, that's me alright.

I attended my local church for the third time today. It was a service in the park. The service part was fine - it was just the standing around feeling like an idiot while all these people who knew each other already formed little clusters everywhere that wasn't so great.

Then once one of those little clusters finally pulled me in, for lack of things to say, I hear myself being a little too brutally honest about why I left teaching and the fishbowl of pastoral/teacher life in the church. And then saw people trying to get away from me as fast as possible as I'm kicking myself in the rear.

I stink at small talk.

Then of course there's having nothing to do on a Saturday night other than surf the internet or watch a movie with my landlady. When what I'd really love to do is go find someone to play card or board games with - or just get out of the house. (If this was a once or twice a month occurrence, that'd be one thing. It's when it is 90% of the time ... and then the other 10% is usually a weekend spent with mom and stepdad .... well...)

Not to mention I had to go and read one of those insightful articles about singles that tell you not to stay home - but get out there and be seen! Ok if you're single, have money to spend, drink, and oh, actually have someplace to go! But lets just say that you're single, broke, don't drink, and better yet, have no place to go - what then?!

Oh yeah, lets talk about the connections thing. It appears that pretty much all of my friends have gotten way too busy in their lives to keep a connection with me. Even my one nearby friend T seems to have pretty much dropped me - haven't seen her in six weeks, and hadn't heard from her in a month before that. And yes, I did attempt to contact her several times.

Other people I've met through various functions - and seem to have made some kind of a connection with - simply vanish.

I'd like to have a life. Really, I would. My life right now consists of working 4 days a week at the gym where I see a few people throughout the day - some of whom don't even bother acknowledging me; coming home and walking the dogs; sitting in front of the computer for hours and hours either doing school work, or more likely, just surfing; and of course the scintillating brief chats with family.

Then of course there is the weekend.

I'm attempting to get back into regularly attending church. For many reasons, one of which is to try to meet new people, and sadly, another partial reason is to fill hours. (more reasons than those two, but they are sadly two of them)

But that still leaves Friday night, Saturday afternoon and evening, and Sunday to fill. In my faith Friday sundown to Saturday sundown is supposed to be "set apart" from the rest of the week. So things like watching TV, doing schoolwork or shopping aren't generally done. (not Jewish)

I want to change my life. I want to figure out how to be that elusive single person who has a life and is perfectly content.

I wish I could figure out the answer.

I've tried meet-ups (meetup.com -site where people of similar interests in local areas can arrange get togethers). Had no luck in making any connections that made it out of the meetings.

I'm trying at church - have tried before as well. Somehow everyone is already part of a couple, or if not, already well stocked with people in the church, so makes it difficult to add myself in. But, I keep hoping that somehow, somewhere, I'll find someone who actually has time and space to add me to their life once in a while.

I would just so love to find one person to go walking with, or several people who like to play games, someone I can connect with like I did with T, but maybe without kids or hubby - and preferably live close enough to actually spend time together, even a couple times a month!

In SO many ways I am blessed. I have a job. I have a roof over my head, and plenty of food to eat. I have plenty of clothes to wear. I have a great family who loves me. I'm having the opportunity to return to school and pursue something that might actually be an enjoyable career.

But is that all there is to life? Work, shelter, and non-husband/children family?

And then of course I take a look at myself in one of the 15 deleted video clips of a message I made for my brother. Do I really look like that? Forget the slow, steady and sensible weight loss, and bring on the speedy as a silver bullet loss! (No, I won't really go that route. I just feel like doing it when I think of my image in those deleted clips.)

.... I was looking at my sidebar and noticed my 3 personal goals. #3 is "Give of myself to others, and enrich my life with friendships old and new."

This entire post is all about me, isn't? How crappy I feel about my life. How I can't seem to make any new connections or maintain old ones. There is nothing about how I'm giving of myself to others.

Maybe that's a large part of my problem. I'm so focused on myself that I've become myopic.

***Warning - Religious talk ahead***

Even though I'm attempting to attend church regularly again, it's not really for the right reasons. First and foremost it should be about improving my walk with Jesus, and in so doing, being a light to others. Not about meeting other people to fulfill *my* needs of friendship/companionship.

I call myself a Christian, but I'm not so sure I can really claim that. A Christian is a follower of Christ. Christ was someone who cared about others so much that he sacrificed his own needs to make sure others were taken care of. He forgave people who were unimaginably evil towards him - he didn't become bitter or continually rehash old hurts.

I've made my sacrifices for others (one person in particular.) But I didn't do it particularly cheerfully, nor leave that time without somewhat of a bitter taste in my mouth for time and resources lost. I say I've forgiven and moved on, but then I hear myself talking (like today at the outdoor church) and realize that I really haven't.

I need to change my focus. It may be the only way to change my life for the better.

Now, just to figure out how to do that.

So this morning I got up earlier than usual for a Wednesday (day off) and drove over to the Brakes Plus shop. There was one car who had arrived ahead of me. The person I talked to said they only had one technician on staff today, so it might be a bit before they could give me an estimate.

I told him that was fine, because I could walk home and get stuff done.

So, I walked back home. The past week we've had wet and cold weather. Today, we had clear skies, but *muggy* weather. I was soaked by the time I got back. (about 8:20 a.m.)

So, I piddle around doing various things until finally I get the call about 10:30. I'm told my rotors are shot and need to be replaced. To have the front brakes done + the rotors would be $310. They also suggested a brake flush and some toolkit thingy which would have added another $90.

I went ahead and did the $310 work.

Was told it'd be a few hours. So, I decided to walk over to the library so I could get a card, and use a computer to print out the journal articles for my research paper. (The question was released last night for our mid-semester paper - due one week from today.)

The walk to the library wasn't bad at all - except for the mugginess, and crossing two pretty busy roads. (with stoplights thankfully.)

After getting my library card, I managed to find a free computer and sat down to get to work. Unfortunately, the computer wouldn't let me set cookies, so I couldn't access the articles I needed to print.

Luckily the person working the information desk was very accommodating and let me work off one of her computers - she even went and fetched my papers for me!! Turned out that she also is a library science student at my uni, but is almost finished. She didn't know about RefWorks, so I told her about it. (great site where you can export document citation info to, and then it will format your references for your research papers.)

The 9 documents I printed out cost me $14.55, but I think it was worth it to have hardcopies to work off of.

When I was done at the library, of course I walked back home. I managed to read through all my documents, and even write an introduction to my paper, when I got the call that my car was ready.

So, I walked over to the brake place and picked up my car. When I got home, I started a load of laundry.

Then I took the dogs for a walk. Because it was so muggy, both dog walks were shortened. (I take both for a walk together, then go out again with Nikki for a longer/faster walk.) In my second walk with Nikki, we came across a lady with her dog who somehow didn't understand about picking up after your dog's #2's. Ick! The lady herself was pretty nice, and I didn't say anything to her about it ... Maybe I should've.

Well, by the time I got back from the 2nd dog walk, I was completely soaked and parched. Finished up my laundry .. and since then have been procrastinating about doing any more work on my paper!!

Tomorrow is a long day at the gym, so I'll take my netbook and all the documents tomorrow. I'm sure I'll be bored enough to actually get some more work done on it.

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I'm thinking I really need to get a copy of MS Word. For me to have the full functionality of RefWorks, I have to have Word. So far I've gotten by just using Open Office. Maybe if I could find a copy of MS Office that predates the 2007 version? I *detest* the 2007 version! (I'll have to have MS Access for a class I'll be taking this summer .. so one way or the other I'm going to have to get it.)

@ My mom had an outpatient procedure on Friday - they injected something into her back to calm a swollen nerve -- seems to be helping so far, but she may need the injection a couple more times

@ I spent all day Saturday at a library science seminar, and then met with classmates. It was really funny - one lady I had a lot in common with - we were chatting away and I mentioned about my barefoot running - she reacted like she'd met a celebrity! Lol! I'd mentioned it in my intro and she'd remembered it ever since - said her husband would be jazzed. Too bad she lives in Houston , I think we'd have fun together.

@ my dad sent me a check for the monthly iPhone charges + a little extra -for clothes! I thought that was really sweet and hood timing since I had just bought some new pants!

@ Saturday morning I did my official monthly no- s weigh in. Since July 23 when I started ( including two weeks where I wasn't doing great) I have lost 8 pounds!!

@ I don't get what's going on with E ( gym manager). When I went to the south gym on wednesday there were no clean, dry towels. There was a load washed - luckily I arrived 40 minutes earlier than I was supposed to ( wasn't sure about traffic) and barely managed to have a dry towel ready for the first gym visitor. I off handily said something about it to E, and he was like "I don't know why you guys complain about doing the laundry" I wasn't complaining about doing the laundry - I was annoyed that HE hadn't done any the day(s) before, which left me with no clean towels to start the day. According to the person who normally is there on Wed's this is a normal occurrence.

Then on Friday I went to the south gym again after E had supposedly opened it - I found out when I was closing for the day that he hadn't turned on any of the machines!!! Seriously , how does he wonder why people aren't renewing?? Not to mention all 3 locations constantly running out of one supply or another. (like the ladies bathroom on wed having no papertowels!)

I think he's as bored as I am with doing this but he is rebelling against his parents (owners of gym) by doing the bare minimum - and even less!

I worked an extra shift at the gym today. So, that will be a nice little boost on the 15th.

But ... the real reason for this post.

When I got home from work, I had a letter from my old apartment complex. It was kind of thick, so I was wondering what in the world it could be. Were they charging me for things in the apartment??

Well, I opened it up and was shocked to see a check for $314!!!

When I moved in, I paid a $300 pet deposit and a $99 Security Deposit. I am pretty sure that half of the pet deposit was non-refundable.

When I moved out, I didn't put too much effort into cleaning ... so basically wasn't expecting much, if anything back.

They charged me $85 for cleaning, etc, and gave me the remainder!! I'm sure not going to argue with them about it.

That money will come in handy next week when I get my brakes worked on.

I just got back home from work to find a note on my door from my landlady. Essentially it said that the longest that I can stay here is till Oct 2010.

Apparently there was a huge misunderstanding.

When I was looking at this place as a possibility, I remember stating several times that I was looking for something for several *years* because the program I'm in will *take* several years. I guess she didn't hear me say that, or it didn't register or something.

The soonest I'll be finished with my degree program is May 2011.

The thought of having to move again, even a year from now, makes me sick to my stomach.

I *think* Spring classes end in April, and then May you can take a 3-week short class before the regular summer classes begin. So ... probably the best time for me to move somewhere else would be in May.
August wouldn't be a good month, because I think there'd only be a two-week break between the end of summer classes and Fall classes.

I just feel like screaming myself hoarse right now!!!!!

I don't know about any of you, but over the years I have tried many different things to lose weight. I've tried Weight Watcher's several times - both doing actual meetings and doing online only. I've tried ediets, WeighDown, and just simply counting calories through Sparkpeople or Fitday. A few times I tried taking some of those "miracle pills" that just left me jittery and sleep deprived.

All those diets and plans have several things in common: 1. They are complicated with lots of rules to remember or time spent entering information. 2. You develop the mentality of "Well I slipped up today, may as well totally fall off and start again Monday." 3. Most of them cost a lot of money. 4. They're not truly sustainable.

And .... although I lost weight on all of the various plans ... I eventually have always regained it.

So, what does all this have to do with anything?

This past July I was reading a blog on Sparkpeople of a person who has attempted more diet plans and styles than I have. In the post I was reading, she had just discovered the No-S Diet. I was completely intrigued, and so went looking to find out more about it.

It is simple. Not complicated. And completely free. And ... it saves me money on my groceries!!!

Here is the No-S Diet plan: No snacks, no sweets and no seconds, except for (sometimes) on days that begin with S.

So, that means that Monday through Friday I have three meals. Each meal fits on a plate. If a Special event comes up, such as my birthday or a family member's birthday, I can choose to make that day an S day.

S days can also occur when you are sick.

But usually, S days are only Saturdays and Sundays. No rules apply on S days except ... You can't mess up!

Do you see why I love the weekend now?

This is NOT a plan that will help you lose 20 pounds in 8 weeks. You're more likely to lose 4 or 5 pounds in those 8 weeks. But ..... you also are more likely to KEEP those 4 or 5 pounds OFF Forever!

This is truly a plan which can be easily followed for life. It is essentially learning how to maintain an appropriate weight, while working on losing weight.

How does this save me money on my groceries? Well, that's pretty easy. I'm eating less! When it is a weekday (or what we call N days) I can drive home from work without stopping to get a snack.

Before, I would fight and fight with myself about stopping to get something, and would lose the fight more often than not. Now, it's not a question. If it's an N day, I just don't stop!

Believe me, I didn't think I would be able to manage 5 days in a row without chocolate. But so far, I have managed 6 sets of 5 days with NO Chocolate!!! The awesome part is, is that after making it through the 5 days, I can treat myself to a cookie or even a small Dairy Queen Blizzard with No Guilt!

I will have to warn you though -- you may find your tolerance level for sweets diminishing. A few weeks ago I bought a Peanut Buster Parfait and only managed to get 3/4 of the way through it. The chocolate was making me feel sick!!

I haven't followed it perfectly. There have been days where I backed my car into the wall (and a few times even drove over the cliff.) But when that happens, I am learning to say "Mark it* and move on."

*Mark It -- Reinhardt, an engineer and librarian, who developed this system, also developed something called "Habitcal." This is a simple way of marking your S days and your N days to show Success, Failure, or Exempt.

So, if you're looking for a simple (free) way to lose weight and keep it off for life, and probably save on your grocery bill too, check out No-S!

http://www.nosdiet.com

Let me know if you have any questions, I'd be more than happy to answer them.

I finally managed to get a picture of the two dogs I've been taking for walks most nights. (We didn't go today because when I got home from church it was too hot, and then later it's been raining and they don't like the rain.)

So .... here's Nikki (the one full of energy):




And here's .... Kayla (who is starting to walk a bit faster and further!):



And here's Sierra, one of the two cats - I rarely see Max (the other cat) so haven't been able to capture a picture of him yet:

Note: I'm writing this while at the gym and on my iPhone, so please forgive any typos.

On Wednesday when I got a new tire for my car and bought a bike, I also was given a strong suggestion.

Get new brakes --- Soon!

The mechanic told me I have about 20% left.

Oooops!

I'd known that it had to be coming soon. After all, it has been at least six years since I last had my brakes done. But I'd been hoping to hold out till November so I'd have a couple months of lower expenses before messing with them.

I considered going back to the mechanic I used during my Murphy month. But then I realized that he'd told me my tires were fine and made no mention of my brakes. ( this was after me specifically asking him to tell me if he noticed anything else) Not to mention that he's way out of my way now.

This doesn't seem like something I can put off for very long. I hate to put more money in the car if I'm just going to be trading it in soon. But I was really hoping to wait for a car sales crunch time - esp end of qtr and end of month when they're desperate to make a sale.

The last time I got brakes, I think it was around 100. But I don't think they were as far gone. I'm worried it's going to be a $$$$ job.

I probably just need to take it to a mechanic ( maybe my stepdad can suggest one - he used to live in my new area) and get an estimate.

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I ordered a cashback reward from Chase before moving for $100. It came on Tuesday, so last night I deposited it and my paycheck. Guess all my car troubles and tuition bills are good for something.

It will add up much more slowly now because I can't put my rent on it anymore. Cheaper rent is worth it.

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I checked into a local bike club. There is only one ride for novice bikers, and it is on Saturday mornings when I'm in church. So that won't work.

I found a book on bike care at my library which I put a hold on. It's written for kids, but I bet the info will still be useful. There was one book for adults, but there were no copies. ( I've asked why they have books in their catalog if they don't actually have any copies. I was told that it means they did have a copy at one time, but it was lost or irreparrably damaged.)

Lux, I checked out the bike tutor site. Lots of good info. The main thing I was looking for though was how to know if your chain is on correctly. My chain had come off the gears when I took it home. I put it on the lowest gear and was able to ride it, but there is a clicking type noise once every revolution.

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I'm really looking forward to this weekend. Nowhere to go, just relax and see if I can work ahead in some of my classes.

There's another reason I love weekends, but I'll have to save it for another post.

Yesterday I took the bike I'd gotten for free off of freecycle about six-years ago to a bike shop to get tuned up. For the past 3 1/2 years it had been locked up on the balcony outside my apartment, and exposed to all the elements. The bike guy took a look at it, and told me that it needed a lot more than just a tune up, and that he'd suggest starting over with a different bike. (rusted chain, rotted/dried out tires/tubes, etc.)

So, this morning while I was at Wal-mart getting a new tire on my car, I checked out the bikes. I ended up getting an 18-speed trail bike for about the same cost as revamping my old bike (10 speed cruiser.) (I also purchased a helmet and a little carry all bag that attaches to the handlebars.)

I took it out for a short spin this morning, and started to get my bike balance back, but not quite all the way yet.

I will definitely need to get a better bike seat soon, if I want to do anything more than a short bike ride.

*I am planning on looking for a place/someone to teach me basic bike care and maintenance. Now that I have a new/nice bike, I'd like to know how to keep it nice for as long as possible.

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This move is benefiting me financially, emotionally (related to not having to worry so much about stretching min wage dollars + going to school), and also physically since I have two good excuses to be active every single day.

At my new home I have been taking the landlady's two dogs out for a walk everyday. One of the dogs is quite overweight, and only goes for a short bit. The other one though, I can't seem to tire her out!

So, once I get a bit more steady/confident on my bike, I'll take her out on a short bike ride and see if I can manage to finally tire her out.

In fact, the dogs have come to expect it. Tonight I got caught up watching a television program on TLC that my landlady was watching. Both of the dogs kept paying attention to me - wagging tails, etc. Finally, when the program was over, I stood there talking with* (not really with, more like nodding head and being polite) the landlady.

The larger dog kept staring up at me with her big Beagle eyes, and the hyper one started jumping up on me while wagging her tail. Finally, I managed to get away to the restroom. When I came out, both dogs were laying in front of the door waiting for me. LOL!

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*In case I don't have a chance to read and comment on others blogs until this weekend - I'm working two long days in a row, so may not be able to catch up on blog reading till Saturday afternoon.

So yesterday I was heading to my mom and stepdad's. We were going to go see "The Promise." I was hungry, so halfway there decided to stop at Sonic and get a grilled cheese. (I love grilled cheese.)

I pulled up a bit too far and managed to hit the cement stop - not hard, but a good bump.

When I finished eating, I started back on my way. I heard a scraping sound. At first I thought it was just the scraping sound you hear sometimes when the bottom of your car somehow manages to get too close to the ground. But, it continued as I began to accelerate onto the highway.

So, I pulled off onto the shoulder and got out to take a look and see if I could figure out what was going on.

Here's what I saw:


I tried putting it back into the wheel well. At first I couldn't figure out how to get it back in at all. Finally, I did manage to get it back in (sort of.) Then I drove slowly along the shoulder - still heard the scraping sound.

Luckily I was very near an exit, so kept my emergency blinkers on and slowly drove towards the exit. With all the car troubles I've had in the past few months, I was worried that the scraping sound was BAD NEWS.

I managed to get off the freeway and parked onto a shoulder on the frontage road. At this point I called my roadside service. (Thankfully, my year began again on September 23.)

During this time I had also called my mom and stepdad. Not knowing how long all of this would take, they went ahead and released our tickets for the program. My mom was planning on coming to pick me up in case my car had to be towed.

Finally the tow truck driver/roadside assistance person showed up. I showed him what the problem was.

He told me that it was the inner fender that had broken out of its proper place, and that there were two options. One, take it to repair shop and have them rebolt it into place, or Two, take a knife and just cut the hanging part off.

I opted for option number two. So, he took a knife and cut it off. I asked if I needed to sign anything, but he told me I didn't. So .. I am thinking that this may not count toward my 4 calls for the year.

So ... thanks Murphy for just teasing me a bit. I guess even he's got a sense of humor.

During the time I was doing my packing on Friday, I made sure to put a change of work clothes and a pair of workout clothes in my gym bag. That way I would be ready and raring to go Monday morning no matter how much had or hadn't been unpacked.

Unfortunately, that bag has not shown up anywhere yet. It may be in the garage - but I just haven't come across it.

In it, is the only pair of non-jeans pants that fit me right now. It is getting cooler here in Texas, and so I am probably going to be wanting long pants sooner rather than later.

Also, the pair of jean capris that I wear to work a lot are starting to wear out. I've had them 3 or 4 years I think.

So, probably this weekend, I ought to look for a new pair of pants - but I don't think I'll replace the capris just yet.

I hate shopping for pants. It is SO hard to find ones that fit me. I might just start off at Lane Bryant (where my lost pair came from) and hope they have some great sale going on right now. Ugh!

Of course, as soon as I buy the new pair, the bag is going to show up. That's how it works. :roll eyes:

I have been quite busy the past few days, and am just now having a few moments to sit down and check in with ya'll.

Midnight Parties:

Friday night about 12:15 p.m. my downstairs neighbors decided that was a perfect time to have a party. Music with a steady beat vibrating my floor, and of course, the best place to congregate was in the foyer. The foyer which is tiled. And in which sound carries easily up the stairs.

After about 20 minutes of this, I finally called the police. About 40 minutes later the music was somewhat turned down, but of course they continued their constant drunken chatter in the foyer. (I could hear the lids of of their bottles clink on the floor.) I finally managed to get to sleep, and was able to sleep in.

Saturday I spent from about 6 pm till midnight packing. I realized I still needed at least a few more hours to be ready, so set my alarm for 5:45 a.m.

At 12:15 p.m. the music started again, although at a lower volume, and the chit chat group began again. About 1:30 I had enough, so I went out and said, "Senors, por favor, ustedes hablamos en el apartmento." (Sirs, please talk in the apartment.) They looked at me like I was loony. Then they responded in rapid fire Spanish. Uh... yeah. Didn't get that, sorry. Pretty much exhausted my knowledge of Spanish just now.

So, I went back to my apartment and had the pleasure of listening to them continue to talk loudly in the foyer until 3 a.m. Then I finally was able to go to sleep.

Needless to say when I woke up Sunday morning, I was dead tired. So, of course I needed some good music with a loud beat to wake me up. :snerk: (I made sure my music could not be heard outside my door - but I do have a subwoofer - so lets just hope the downstairs neighbors weren't light sleepers.)

---
The Move:

Somehow, even with all the stuff I gave away recently, I still have WAY TOO MUCH stuff! It took me way longer to pack then I thought it would - and I even had to ask my mom and stepdad to help me - and we still didn't get everything before the movers arrived. (And the movers arrived an hour late!!)

I've gotta say, it was really, really, nice to not have to carry any boxes down or load up the truck. The three guys got everything taken care of boom, boom, boom!

On the way to my new home, I got us lost. I knew exactly how to go, but somehow I managed to get this idea in my head that we had to take the left exit instead of the right exit!! Luckily I figured it out right away, so it only added maybe 15 minutes (by the time we got turned around.)

My mom and stepdad arrived at the destination well before we did. Mom told me she likes my landlady, and is satisfied with the neighborhood. (She *hated* the apartment complex where I'd been living.)

The movers got everything moved in pretty quickly. The one that I paid at the end was extremely honest. I accidentally gave him an extra $100. He came back and asked me if I'd meant to give him that much. Whooh! I'd meant to give him a $40 tip (they really did a great job.)

I just love the dogs and cats. They are so sweet. Maybe tomorrow I can get pictures of them. (My landlady keeps the lights off pretty much all the time - and doesn't seem to use the a/c either.)

Here is a picture of my room. What you can't see in the picture is my dresser. But I think this gives a pretty good idea of the size of the room.



My drive to work is virtually the same distance and time as before. So, that is good news to me.

Tomorrow I don't work, so I'll be going back to my apartment to try and get the remainder of my stuff and start working on cleaning it. I still need a box large enough for my pictures, so will have to go back again probably on Friday after work. Hopefully at that time, I will be able to turn my keys in.

Ok, I better get going. I still have classwork I need to get done before tomorrow night.

Remember when BK had the slogan "We Do It Your Way"? Well, apparently they don't adhere to that anymore.

Tonight I stopped by BK because I was wanting a veggieburger, but since I'm moving in a few days, I didn't want to add to my freezer contents. (by buying a box of them)

Well, they have the Mushroom and Swiss steakburger. I LOVE Mushroom and Swiss. When I was in highschool in Minnesota at a boarding academy I would walk into town twice a month to Hardee's and get their Mushroom and Swiss - hold the burger. Texas doesn't have Hardee's.

Anyway. I ordered a BK Veggie Burger and asked them to put mushrooms and swiss on it. I was told they couldn't do that. So I said, well then, could you give me the steakburger, but just switch out the veggieburger for the steakburger? Nope, can't do that.

Arghh!!! Seriously, how hard is it to add mushrooms and swiss to a different sandwich??

So at any rate, I've made some progress on my getting ready for Sunday's move. My freezer is completely defrosted, and all my books are packed up. I've tossed some clothing that needed badly to be tossed. Next I need to get my kitchen all packed up.

Tomorrow I'll be working from 6 to 11, and then I have to do a library observation from 3 to 5 (for one of my classes) so I'm going to have to pack fast. Most likely I'll end up leaving some of it to be packed Saturday night and early Sunday morning before the movers get here.

A great man and talented actor has lost his battle with pancreatic cancer tonight.

Tomorrow night I will be watching "Dirty Dancing" in his honor.

Tonight, however I will watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RajNvJ3bCU

Patrick Swayzee and Chris Farley on SNL doing their Chippendale skit. Laughing through the sadness.

The person who was supposed to come pick up my bed this morning never showed - and never responded to my email asking exactly when they'd be here.

So, at 2 pm today I posted an ad on Craigslist stating I had a free King size bed, etc. The first person to respond to my ad who told me their name, a phone number AND an exact time they could come pick it up - would get the bed. Any responses without all that info would be deleted.

I ended up getting about 20 responses. Of them, I deleted 10 due to not including all the information. The first person who responded actually hadn't included all the info in their first email, then I guess they must have reread the ad.

They just now left with it.

My place is really, really empty now.

I have my couch/futon, my stereo, my elliptical, my freezer, my computer desk/computer, a stand up pantry, two dressers, two nightstands, 4 bookshelves, treadle sewing machine and of course my clothes and kitchen stuff. I could easily fit in a 500 sq ft or smaller apartment now.

Wow, when I list it that way, it still sounds like a lot of stuff doesn't?

So now I guess I can really start packing my stuff up in earnest. Although, I think I may try to pare down my kitchen stuff a good bit (maybe give a couple boxes of it to Family Place). Any kitchen stuff I keep will be in boxes for the next two years or so - so I need to decide how much is really worth keeping for two years in boxes.

One week from today I will be living with two cats and two dogs. YAY! No vet bills or food bills for them - just all the loving and scritches they'll put up with from me.

I'll also have cable - I wonder if I'm going to get rehooked on Army Wives. (****whistling***) That reminds me, I need to call and cancel my dsl service.

*So far, so good with the car. My iPhone came in real handy on the way home Friday. I had to get off the highway to get gas, and ended up missing my connection. So, instead of turning around and hoping I'd get back going the right way, I used the Maps function. It gave me a new route from my then current location. It took me through some areas I normally would have tried to avoid, but it was mid-afternoon, so not too bad.

So today I was updating someone on my whole car situation. They asked me why I had a big smile on my face. I asked them what was my alternative? Cry? Stomp my feet? Throw things?

Later on in the day after having yet another update on my car, I resorted to maniacal laughter.

My car's fixed and ready to be picked up. (Will be picking it up tomorrow after work.) My radio however is fried.

The mechanic told me I should think about getting a less expensive radio. The radio that fried is the factory radio. (I had a different one in there years ago which got ripped out of the dashboard by some people who needed it more than I did - so lived without a radio for two years until I found someone who could fix the broken wiring and reinstall the factory radio.)

I think, with my iPhone, I will just do without a radio for now.

Very generous offer today. My dad and grandma have picked up on the fact that it more than likely would be very difficult for me to find a bank who'd be willing to give me a car loan. So, they've offered to pay for a car (2 -3 yr old) and then once I'm graduated and have a job, we'd work out a payment schedule.

I can't do another week like this. I think I am going to start seriously looking at possible car options.

Until you are without a car, you don't truly realize just how much freedom and mobility a car gives you.

Maybe get back with Hyundai's? My first car was a Hyundai - it was a good little car. I drove it for three years, then sold it to my parents and they drove it for another two years. (I put on about 20k miles in 3 years - my dad put on about 60k miles in 2 years. He was a pastor at that time. It started with 33k miles.)

Here are pictures of what I let go of today (taken with my iPhone camera.)

I haven't gone through my kitchen items yet. Today though the main thing was to get the furniture/big items out while their driver was someone capable of handling furniture.

Box of various items - makeup bags, box of notecards, etc.



Tivo (Dual Tuner, 80 Hr)



Entertainment Center, TV, Bean bag



Recliner, Corner shelf



2 laundry bags of clothes, a box of clothes, a box of various items (2.4 ghz answering phone + extra phone, stuffed bears, photo frames, alarm/radio clock, plug in night light, iron, etc.)



Table & chairs (ironing board not in picture)



Video and CD shelves, Bed recliner

Today I got a phone call from the place I'm going to be donating a bunch of stuff to. I'd wanted them to come next Wednesday so it'd be closer to my actual move date. But the lady told me that their driver (male) who could handle furniture would be on vacation as of the 11th.

So .. he's coming over tomorrow afternoon to pick up the furniture and whatever else I have ready to go. (I can have their other driver come again next week to pick up non-furniture items I don't have ready.)

Today Mr B who was my teacher's assistant years ago drove me home from work - the second time this week. (He's probably going to pick me up on Thursday night as well.) I wanted to do something for him to thank him. So I asked if he'd be interested in my vcr/dvd combo or my rolling office chair. He was very interested in both - so they are now gone!

Tomorrow evening my apartment is really going to start looking empty.

Sunday afternoon after my bed is removed, it will look even more emptier.

It really hit me today that a week from this Sunday I will no longer live in an apartment, nor will I be living alone anymore. Weird feeling.

----
So, a car update. Le sigh. Screaming my head off and throwing random objects. (Okay, okay. Not reality - just a fantasy.)

Anyway. S, the original mechanic, checked out my car today. After being told over and over and over again that it is NOT the alternator --- it IS the alternator.
Oy vey!

I expressed to him my great frustration with everything car related and money outgo. I asked him if there was anyway to tell what damage was done by Saturday's explosion. Nope - not until the alternator is fixed.

So ... I told him to go ahead and fix it. He's also going to keep the car for a few days for testing - make sure it is running right before handing it back to me.

Thankfully I don't work tomorrow, so I don't have to come up with rides to and from work. Thursday, E has said he'll pick me up again (6 a.m.) and Mr. B will bring me back home. Friday morning ... I'm not sure yet how I'll get there - maybe E again (5:40 am.) Then hopefully after work my mom or stepdad can take me to get my car.

One thing I can be very thankful for right now is that I'm taking my classes all online. Otherwise I'd have to worry about how to get to and from classes as well as work.

Well ... Friday afternoon I got a ride home from work. Called the tow truck people at 2:40 p.m. Tow truck finally showed up about 4:45 pm. Mechanic shop was closing at 6 - I was starting to panic.

Even with a few traffic snarls, we made it to the mechanics by 5:30. Mom and stepdad picked me up from the mechanics.

Saturday I called at noon to find out what was happening. Was told they'd call me when they knew more - but that it def. wasn't the starter or alternator.

I knew they were closing at 3 - so I called them again at 2:50. Was told to go ahead and come to get the car - it should be ready to go in 30 minutes. They said there'd been an electrical short in the front and back, and my 3 week old battery was burnt out. So, I'd have to take my car to Firestone to get a replacement battery.

Mom and I got there about 3:30. They pulled my car up to the garage with a car starter thingy hanging off the battery. After taking it off, they shut the hood and told me it was fine to go to Firestone. (Paid $85.)

Got in and gave it a little gas. Weird clicking noise. Gave it a little more gas. POP! BANG! Smoke starts pouring out my middle console.

I immediately turn around and take it back to the garage - they've already closed up tight. So I beep my horn and they come out.

My car gets put back in the garage and I'm told they'll look at it on Tuesday.

---
Nearly 4 days spent at my mom's reminded me why it would NOT work for us to ever share space for more than a few short days.

--
So, tomorrow E is picking me up in the am so I can be at work. Then depending on the car verdict, my stepdad or my mom will pick me up and take me home, or take me to the car mechanic to pick up my car.

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. This was NOT how I wanted to spend my long weekend.

---
Oh, both my mom and stepdad hated Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. They just didn't get the humor - thought it was the stupidest movie they'd ever seen. Oh well. To each their own, right?

We did see The Librarian: Quest for the Spear of Destiny with Noah Wyle (sp?) of ER fame. It was really good/funny. Sort of similar to Indiana Jones, but a lot less intense.

So, this morning I go out to my car to head to work. The car doesn't start.

I'm waiting on a cab right now. $32 one way + tip.

When is this going to end???

I hate to say it, but taking my dad and grandma up on their offer is sounding more and more appealing - though I don't know that I could even qualify for a car loan right now.

Ugh and double ugh!!!!

I thought about it and thought about it. I took everyone's thoughts and opinions into consideration. Then, I made the decision.

I upgraded to an iPhone.

It made me almost faint seeing the total bill for the phone + a protective case I got for it (will be reimbursed by dad and grandma - put it on my cc so I get reward points.)

I am in lurve.

The GPS function I haven't really used very much yet - and so far I'm holding off on doing the $10 extra feature GPS. (You have GPS functioning w/turn by turn directions for free - the fee is for spoken out loud directions.)

The internet though, and a bunch of apps, I am making a lot of use of.

One of the first apps I bought ($2) was iTreadmill. Basically it is a pedometer. You stick the iPhone in your pocket as you walk or run. The app counts your steps and measures your distance/time/speed/calories burnt. When you're finished, you can then save the results into a history log. Then you can see your progress (or lack thereof.)

Next I got the free Pandora app. I love Pandora.com and have really missed it working at the gym w/no internet access. For those of you who don't know what Pandora is, it is a website where you can pretty much create your own music stations, based on names of songs you input and then the website finding similar songs and your giving thumbs up or thumbs down.

Tonight as I was driving home I was getting annoyed by the endless chatter on every radio station I listen to - so, I pushed on my Pandora app, and listened to music all the way home.

I have some other free apps too that I really like - one for Facebook, another one called Yelp! which helps you find stores, etc that are close to you, etc.

It took me some trial and error, but I have figured out how to get into and use the Blackboard site where all of my classes are located. I am able to open and read the discussion boards, open and read the powerpoint lectures, as well as other needed functions.

That is probably the most valuable aspect.

Right now I'm still in the infatuated phase and am probably spending way too much time on it (using up a full charge 2 x in a day --- )

Today I spent way too much time watching youtube videos. Got my fill of cute kitties.

I have experienced a few annoyances with it though - such as I bought one song from the itunes store (Colbie Calliat - Bubbly) and then when I synced it with my computer today, the song was taken off my iPhone and put on my computer only. The other thing I haven't been able to get to work yet is the voice activated calling system.

If I get off at 3 tomorrow, I'm going to stop by the store and see if someone can help me figure out what's going on.

What can I say? I'm hook, line and sinker - hooked!

--------
The Dallas libraries are closing on Friday for a furlough day. (There's a second one later, can't remember when.)

While that makes me sad that the libraries are having to do this, I am also a bit confused as to their reasoning.

What do I mean? Well the branch that I go to most often is always closed on Thursdays. All the other branches, except for the Central location, have always had at least one day where they are closed each week on a rotating basis.

So guess what they're doing? All the branches except for two, are going to be open on Thursday. That just means that my branch will be closed this week on Friday instead of Thursday. Huh? It doesn't make a lot of sense to me - but, I guess that is government for you, right?

--
I stopped at the library today and picked up a copy of Hitchhiker's Guide. My mom has never seen it, so this weekend she's in for a treat.

Soon she'll know why I grin like mad when I say: "So long and thanks for all the fish." And won't look at me like I'm losing it when I tell her, "Today is towel day! Where's your towel?"


42 everybody!

It's fixed!

I went to the mechanics house this morning. As soon as he put in the other computer, it started shifting perfectly.

So he must have been right - that the computer D found for me was for a stickshift instead of an automatic.

He took the old computer as partial trade for the new one, and just asked for $100.

So, when all was said and done the idjit who decided they needed my car's computer more than I did, ended up costing me $140 in actual cash, 4 hours lost work time, and an extra 60 miles of driving time.

Please, please, please Murphy stay away from me! You've spent enough time messing with me and my car!

My brother recently purchased an Iphone. Last week he spent some time at our Aunts house in San Jose, while our grandma also happened to be there. He espoused the wonders of it (iphone) to our aunt and grandma, and even got our uncle majorly intrigued.

Our Aunt was considering switching everybody from Sprint to AT&T and getting iphones (1 for her and uncle, and 1 for my dad and grandma.) In the end she decided not to because the company she works for gives an 18% discount for using Sprint.

But ... my grandma really thought the iphone was really neat. Especially the gps function and the internet browser function.

She knows how I am majorly directionally challenged, as well as how I am without internet at work.

So ... she and my dad have made me the following offer:

1. They'd buy me an iphone
2. They'd pay for any charges over the $50/month ($39.99 + taxes/fees) I currently pay for my plan.

At first I told them I really appreciated the offer, but I'm really okay with my cheapy phone that just makes and takes calls. They kept pushing for me to think it about it more.

I *am* really, really interested in the GPS turn by turn directions capability, because I do have a great tendency to get royally lost quite easily.

Also, the internet capability at work - even if it was just enough to be able to find the articles I have to read for my classes, would be a huge time saver.

Looking at At&T's site, it looks like these are the basic costs (above the voice plan):
$30/mo - data plan
$10/mo - GPS service
$5/mo - 200 text/picture messages

With a bit of trepidation, I mentioned this to my mom. She thinks I should take advantage of their offer.

Oh, I don't think I've mentioned this before, but they also have offered to pay up to $300/mo towards a new to me car payment. (Which so far I have politely declined.)

I guess I'm feeling really torn about this - making roughly $850/month, and then going around carrying a phone that costs %12+ of monthly gross income?

Am I looking a gift horse in the mouth? Being ungrateful?

It would be really hard to give up the iphone once I got used to it -- I know how much I love technology and gadgets. And I do think it would be a really beneficial tool for me. I just have a hard time wrapping my mind around a $200+ phone with a $100/mo price tag.

If you were single, looking at two years of school, probably continuing to make under $900/mo for those two years, and had an offer like this, what would you do? Oh yeah, also think of this as though you are someone who has gotten majorly lost, more than once, coming home from the mom's house - a route you've done a million times.

ETA - Oh yeah. I'm also really interested in some of the apps you can use with it -- like the Kindle app -- and it looks like there is an app that you can use to track your distance walked/ran ...

I haven't had a chance to catch up on everyone's blogs yet. Although I was supposed to have Wi Fi at my hotel during the web institute, my computer never managed a connection. So, I had very limited internet time.

The 4 day institute was pretty good - the best part was meeting other people who are wanting to be librarians, or are already librarians and just need the degree.

So, I got home on Tuesday afternoon around 2 p.m. Today (Wednesday) I went out to my car to head to the library and then to the gym where I was to work an extra shift.

My car wouldn't start. Again.

I noticed that the passenger side under glove box cover was laying on top of my passenger seat. I thought that was strange. Then I noticed several bundles of wires hanging loosely.

After consulting with several of my complexes maintenance men who were nearby, my fear was confirmed. Someone had broken into my car and stolen my ECM.

Yes - THAT ECM. The one which had just been replaced a week ago.

I called E and told him that I didn't think I'd be able to make it into work today. Maybe I could've taken a cab, but I needed to figure out how to deal with this, and couldn't very well do that while at work.

While the maintenance men were looking at my car, they called over one of the apartment complex residents - D. D is a little person with a big heart.

D offered to take me to a junk yard to get another ECM. I first told him I needed to make a couple phone calls. I called my stepdad who suggested that I call the mechanic I used last week and see if he'd come out and replace my ECM.

So I called that mechanic. He didn't sound too enthused about the idea - so my other option was to have my car towed out to his place, and he'd replace the part tomorrow. That would set me back roughly another $400 (longer towing distance + $300 for part and labor.)

I went back outside to find D, but he'd left. So I went to the apartment office to see if I could find out where D lived. R, the maintenance man who let me in to my apartment last week and made me the extra key was there and remembered me. They told me where D lived.

So, I went and found D. We took off in his car (the gas pedal and the brake were modified to be almost to the seat cushion. Very neat.) I realized I didn't have any cash, and was worried the junk yard would only take cash. D didn't think that would be a problem.

We got to the junk yard and D talked to someone he knew there and went out to locate the part. I sat out in the lobby and called my dad.

Not too long later D and his friend came out with the ECM! D jokingly said to the guy at the counter, "$25, right?" I think the guy at the counter must have overheard my story, because he let it go for $20!!!

On the way back, D stopped at a gas station where I could get some cash from an ATM. I planned on getting out $100. The ATM only gave me $40. It had run out of money!!!

So, we get back to my car. D and another maintenance man who stopped by managed to get it all hooked up and set back up. The car started - the air ran - the radio played.

I gave D the $40 and apologized - he told me that it was no problem.

He left. I went back up to my apartment to cool off a bit. Then I still needed to get to the library, and thought it would be a good idea to give my car a test run.

So, I got in my car. Everything started perfectly. Then I tried to back up. The gearshift was locked.

I tried everything I could think of and that my dad could think of (I called him) and could not get it unstuck. I went back to D's apartment. He finally figured out that if I put my extra car key in the shift lock release slot and hold it down while shifting, that it would work.

So ... the car drives ... but just barely. I don't think I'll be able to make it much over 40 miles an hour.

Plus, the dashboard lights are not working again.

So, tomorrow after work, I'm going to go back to the mechanic I was at last week and hope that he can figure out what is going on with my gear shift and get my dashboard lights to work again!

*The maintenance men think that someone that had a Honda Civic needed an ECM and rather than bothering with going to a junk yard and buying one, they saw my car and decided to just take what they wanted for free.

This morning around 10:30 I got a call from Sam (car mechanic) that my car would be ready by 3 p.m. He told me it needed an oil change (yep, knew that) an air filter (yep!) and a transmission tune up (yep, not surprised at all.) I gave him the go ahead to do all that.

Total cost when I picked it up today was $750. That includes the EMC, a fuse box, oil change, air filter, tune up, labor and something else I'm forgetting.

All of that would have run a LOT more at Firestone!

Before heading over to pick up my Honda, I went to drop off the rental car (sweet car - Mazda 3 -- loved it except it had a weird blind spot.) That was a bit of a frustrating experience because I was dropping it off at the airport. On the way there I wanted to stop and get gas, but didn't want to get it *too* soon. Unfortunately after passing up a couple stations near the beginning of my trip, there were not any more easily visible before entering the airport.

So, as I was driving to the rental car place, I saw a sign - Gas on the right. So, I went to the right .... and ended up exiting the airport! But ... as I was getting turned around, I found a gas station. Whew.

Then I turned in the car. And looked at the price tag. :big eyes:

$345.xx!!!

Whoa! I thought it would be a lot less because I was turning it in several days early. But apparently there is something called a "minimum charge." No matter if you have it out one day or five days, you will be charged at least $249.xx plus a bunch of taxes and fees represented by acronyms which are not explained.

I'm not sure if this is just for airport rental cars, or rental cars across the board. But one way or the other -- it stinks!

--
So total cost for my car adventures of the past few days:

1. New battery + diagnostics at Firestone: $155.xx

2. Towing from Firestone to Sams: $45

3. Rental Car (3 days 21 hours): $345.xx

4. Actual work on car: $750

5. Leaving work 1 1/2 hrs early (Monday): $10.xx

Total: $1,306

Having my car back? Priceless!

-----

I finally connected with one of the people who wanted my converter box and sold it for $10. There were at least a dozen people wanting it - the lady who actually bought it was one of the last ones who responded. I'd given the first three people several days to finalize a meeting time, so basically told her that if she wants it, and called me to set up a meeting time before 6 pm yesterday, and no one else had jumped in ahead, it was hers.

I think I am going to attempt to sell my entertainment center still via Craigslist, but other than that, I think I have decided that I'm just going to donate everything to the Family Place and be done with it.

The Family Place is a resale shop who sells the items at an 80% discount to women who are having to start over due to domestic violence, etc. They'll send someone to pick up everything - all I have to do is have it ready.

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I arranged for the same people who moved my mom and stepdad a year ago March to move me on September 20. It is $75 an hour for two men, with a two hour minimum charge. They don't charge extra for stairs, packing equipment, using a dolly, how much space the stuff takes up, setting up or taking down. (I've been reading some articles on how these moving companies scam people out of more money than agreed on. So, I asked a lot of questions.)

I found someone who wants my bed, and they'll pick it up on Sept 13. Then I'll get to sleep on my air mattress again for a week. That will remind me of the time I first moved to McAllen, TX. I lived with the Kindergarten teacher and her husband for about three weeks until I got my first paycheck and had found a place to rent. Then, about two weeks later my furniture arrived. 5 weeks sleeping on an air mattress. One week will be no problem, whatsoever (even with a body that's 9 years older!)