The Hubs said we'll be buying me a new vehicle in the next couple of weeks.
This means I'm going to need YOUR help getting ideas on which cars are good quality. What you LIKE and DISLIKE about the car you own.
Remember, I've got two kiddos (one in a carseat and one in a booster) so keep that in mind. I don't know if I want a sedan or not. I know regular cars are better on fuel (I drive a mid-size SUV right now). I don't know if I want a wagon or not either. You can see that I need LOTS of help to narrow down my list.
Here are the things I need:
1. Good gas mileage
2. Side curtain airbags
3. Quiet interior
4. Spend less than $25k
Stuff that I'd like:
1. DVD player
2. The ability to seat 6 people
3. Keyless entry
Vehicles I'm contemplating:
1. Honda Accord
2. Toyota Camry
3. Nissan Altima
4. Kia Optima
5. Ford Freestyle
6. Mazda 5
7. Chrysler Pacifica
8. Chrysler 300
9. VW Jetta or Jetta Wagon
So HELP! Please also add the particular model # of your vehicle so I know which specific one you're referring to (since the manufacturers have like 5 different levels for each type of vehicle).
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Monday, August 29, 2005
Bak in the grind
I'm better now!
The cause for all the angst? Money.
Turns out my husband has been reviewing our finances this week. His conclusion? I need to go back to work. At least part-time.
I haven't worked outside the home since August 2000! I feel so weird. I don't want to go back to work. I want to have one-on-one time with my Bear. The kind of time that the Princess had with me. But alas. I need to find a job.
Today? I cancelled (withdrew) from the two parks & recs courses I had the Bear signed up for. I also sent my resume to 5 places. I'm also in the process of investigating daycare facilities.
To top it all off? My car started making funny sounds this morning. I do believe it's the transmission. I put a call into our regular mechanic and he recommended a transmission repair shop. Our mechanic's shop is not equiped with all the computer equipment and software needed for my vehicle (my car is a 1998 so it's not new).
So hopefully the car can get fixed tomorrow morning. And not for a bundle of money. The Hubs said that we'll start to check out cars. I'm actually going to let HIM pick it out. I don't want him complaining anymore about MY vehicle.
That's the gist of what's been going on. What's been causing the stress. Thanks for the well wishes and positive thoughts!
The cause for all the angst? Money.
Turns out my husband has been reviewing our finances this week. His conclusion? I need to go back to work. At least part-time.
I haven't worked outside the home since August 2000! I feel so weird. I don't want to go back to work. I want to have one-on-one time with my Bear. The kind of time that the Princess had with me. But alas. I need to find a job.
Today? I cancelled (withdrew) from the two parks & recs courses I had the Bear signed up for. I also sent my resume to 5 places. I'm also in the process of investigating daycare facilities.
To top it all off? My car started making funny sounds this morning. I do believe it's the transmission. I put a call into our regular mechanic and he recommended a transmission repair shop. Our mechanic's shop is not equiped with all the computer equipment and software needed for my vehicle (my car is a 1998 so it's not new).
So hopefully the car can get fixed tomorrow morning. And not for a bundle of money. The Hubs said that we'll start to check out cars. I'm actually going to let HIM pick it out. I don't want him complaining anymore about MY vehicle.
That's the gist of what's been going on. What's been causing the stress. Thanks for the well wishes and positive thoughts!
Friday, August 26, 2005
Hollow shell
Do you have moments in your life where you feel like a hollow shell?
I'm at that state of being right now.
I feel worthless.
I feel empty.
I feel like a servant.
I feel limp.
My head feels numb.
My eyes on the verge of tears.
I feel like an old dish rag that's been used all day and then thrown in the trash.
If I don't rely on anyone, I feel like I can accomplish more. But life is about being WITH people, isn't it?
How can a look or one sentence from another make a person feel less than they are?
Don't worry about me though. I'm sure my attitude will be better tomorrow. I've got to buck up. Keep a stiff upper lip. Continue on my journey through life with a smile.
But right now? My heart is sad.
I'm at that state of being right now.
I feel worthless.
I feel empty.
I feel like a servant.
I feel limp.
My head feels numb.
My eyes on the verge of tears.
I feel like an old dish rag that's been used all day and then thrown in the trash.
If I don't rely on anyone, I feel like I can accomplish more. But life is about being WITH people, isn't it?
How can a look or one sentence from another make a person feel less than they are?
Don't worry about me though. I'm sure my attitude will be better tomorrow. I've got to buck up. Keep a stiff upper lip. Continue on my journey through life with a smile.
But right now? My heart is sad.
Maybe next week
People. People!
The latest is that SHE should be able to close by the end of next week.
That's right. She still hasn't closed on the place. At dinner last night, the Hubs said that emails were blasting back and forth between his immediate family regarding the townhouse. Turns out the person (I don't know a name or job title or this person) who was in charge of getting all the paperwork together didn't START this task until Tuesday -- August 23rd. Yes! That's a full EIGHT days after she was told she was going to close.
I don't know about you. But someone's ASS would be up shit creek if I was the one delayed. But the lesson here? Don't use a boyfriend of a friend. A boyfriend who is just starting in this business.
As for my SIL? She got an extension on her lease from her landlord. They don't have another person lined up for the house yet so it's not going to put anyone out. It'll just be a couple more days to pay for on a rental.
Oh the drama of it all!
The latest is that SHE should be able to close by the end of next week.
That's right. She still hasn't closed on the place. At dinner last night, the Hubs said that emails were blasting back and forth between his immediate family regarding the townhouse. Turns out the person (I don't know a name or job title or this person) who was in charge of getting all the paperwork together didn't START this task until Tuesday -- August 23rd. Yes! That's a full EIGHT days after she was told she was going to close.
I don't know about you. But someone's ASS would be up shit creek if I was the one delayed. But the lesson here? Don't use a boyfriend of a friend. A boyfriend who is just starting in this business.
As for my SIL? She got an extension on her lease from her landlord. They don't have another person lined up for the house yet so it's not going to put anyone out. It'll just be a couple more days to pay for on a rental.
Oh the drama of it all!
Another thing goes wrong
I don't know what it is but my neighbor? The Guy Across The Street (GATS)?
The man who is notorious (ALREADY) for making bad decisions? The one who made fun of my yahoo email? The one who had his water turned off because of a leak? The one who had a bunch errors to get fixed?
About 1 1/2 weeks ago, he told me that his TV (a huge 40 inch one) wouldn't turn on. He said that he tried it one morning and it wouldn't work. He talked to his wife when she came home and she said that she'd found him past out on the couch and everything but the TV was on. We had a huge storm that night. He figured that his TV shorted out when a bolt of lightening came too close to his house. But I digress...
GATS had been telling people about a month ago that he was using a particular internet service. He kind of smirk-smirked when a couple of us said we were using the local cable company for our television and internet service. You know the look I'm talking about. The expression where you know the person is thinking "What a dork!" He told us that once the subdivision was filled up and the two other subdivisions next to us were built up that our internet service would slow down because of all the traffic. "Fine and dandy Mister Know-it-All" was what was ringing in my head.
Anyhow, imagine my surprise when I received an email from him last night. An email that had an extension from our LOCAL CABLE company.
I guess the other service didn't end up working out for him, eh?
The man who is notorious (ALREADY) for making bad decisions? The one who made fun of my yahoo email? The one who had his water turned off because of a leak? The one who had a bunch errors to get fixed?
About 1 1/2 weeks ago, he told me that his TV (a huge 40 inch one) wouldn't turn on. He said that he tried it one morning and it wouldn't work. He talked to his wife when she came home and she said that she'd found him past out on the couch and everything but the TV was on. We had a huge storm that night. He figured that his TV shorted out when a bolt of lightening came too close to his house. But I digress...
GATS had been telling people about a month ago that he was using a particular internet service. He kind of smirk-smirked when a couple of us said we were using the local cable company for our television and internet service. You know the look I'm talking about. The expression where you know the person is thinking "What a dork!" He told us that once the subdivision was filled up and the two other subdivisions next to us were built up that our internet service would slow down because of all the traffic. "Fine and dandy Mister Know-it-All" was what was ringing in my head.
Anyhow, imagine my surprise when I received an email from him last night. An email that had an extension from our LOCAL CABLE company.
I guess the other service didn't end up working out for him, eh?
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Light up the night
My Dad (the only male in the house) had this thing about safety.
Here are a few things he stamped into our brains:
1. To check all doors, windows, and sliding doors before going to bed.
2. To park near a lamp post if you are out at night (so we can see under and into the vehicle).
3. To carry keys in our hands when we walk to our vehicle or to our house (to be used as a weapon or to get IN quickly).
4. To lock our doors as soon as we get into a vehicle (as both a passenger and as a driver). This was WAY before carjacking became an issue.
He also taught us to always have a flashlight (with extra batteries) in the house.
And you know what? I have FIVE of them in my house. One miniature one in the top drawer of my bedstand in the event the lights go out in the middle of the night and I need to get to the kids. The other four are in a kitchen cabinet next to half a dozen candles and matches. I've got 2 regular sized ones and 2 jumbo sized ones (the kind that can light up a room).
The Hubs laughed at me once when he saw my stash of flashlights. He laughed until we had a couple blackouts at night. The time when he was in the shower. Yeah...he stopped laughing at me after that. I took one of the big lights into the bathroom and stood it up so that it shined on the ceiling. It cast a nice glow into the room as it reflected off the ceiling and the walls. The Hubs was able to finish his shower in leisure, while I had the other big flashlight in the family room.
And now thinking of flashlights. I do have to restock this house with safety gear. I've got my handy first aid kit in that same cabinet with the flashlights. I do need to get a couple new fire extinguishers (one for upstairs and one for downstairs).
Now do you have your safety gear all in one spot? What have you got?
Here are a few things he stamped into our brains:
1. To check all doors, windows, and sliding doors before going to bed.
2. To park near a lamp post if you are out at night (so we can see under and into the vehicle).
3. To carry keys in our hands when we walk to our vehicle or to our house (to be used as a weapon or to get IN quickly).
4. To lock our doors as soon as we get into a vehicle (as both a passenger and as a driver). This was WAY before carjacking became an issue.
He also taught us to always have a flashlight (with extra batteries) in the house.
And you know what? I have FIVE of them in my house. One miniature one in the top drawer of my bedstand in the event the lights go out in the middle of the night and I need to get to the kids. The other four are in a kitchen cabinet next to half a dozen candles and matches. I've got 2 regular sized ones and 2 jumbo sized ones (the kind that can light up a room).
The Hubs laughed at me once when he saw my stash of flashlights. He laughed until we had a couple blackouts at night. The time when he was in the shower. Yeah...he stopped laughing at me after that. I took one of the big lights into the bathroom and stood it up so that it shined on the ceiling. It cast a nice glow into the room as it reflected off the ceiling and the walls. The Hubs was able to finish his shower in leisure, while I had the other big flashlight in the family room.
And now thinking of flashlights. I do have to restock this house with safety gear. I've got my handy first aid kit in that same cabinet with the flashlights. I do need to get a couple new fire extinguishers (one for upstairs and one for downstairs).
Now do you have your safety gear all in one spot? What have you got?
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Eat it up!
Last night I made some steamed veggies. You know the typical blend of carrots, green beans, corn, and peas?
What amazed me is that BOTH my kids ate their veggies.
Okay. My kids don't generally eat their vegetables. They only relish in dark green lettuces when we have salad.
Anyway, last night I tried a silly tactic. I picked up a pea and held it between my thumb and pointer finger.
"Bear? Look!"
As he turned to look at me, I showed him the pea. And then I popped it into my mouth.
"Ummm! Yummy!"
He then checked out his plate. Grabbed a pea and popped it into his mouth. The expression on his face was priceless. He wrinkled his brow as he chewed that one pea. Then he did that open mouth mashing like he was trying to savor it. Then he turned to me and smiled.
"Ummm!"
I then did the same tactic with a piece of corn.
"Ummm! Yummy!"
He mirrored my movements. He stopped midway. The Princess turned to him with a piece of corn in her hand. She popped it in.
"See Bear? Yummy!"
He then threw his one piece of corn into his mouth.
After that? It was all about the veggies. He ate a ton of them. The Princess ate the 15 pieces or so that were on her plate (a feat unto itself).
Hopefully the two will continue to relish in the flavor of simple vegetables. [crossing fingers & toes]
What amazed me is that BOTH my kids ate their veggies.
Okay. My kids don't generally eat their vegetables. They only relish in dark green lettuces when we have salad.
Anyway, last night I tried a silly tactic. I picked up a pea and held it between my thumb and pointer finger.
"Bear? Look!"
As he turned to look at me, I showed him the pea. And then I popped it into my mouth.
"Ummm! Yummy!"
He then checked out his plate. Grabbed a pea and popped it into his mouth. The expression on his face was priceless. He wrinkled his brow as he chewed that one pea. Then he did that open mouth mashing like he was trying to savor it. Then he turned to me and smiled.
"Ummm!"
I then did the same tactic with a piece of corn.
"Ummm! Yummy!"
He mirrored my movements. He stopped midway. The Princess turned to him with a piece of corn in her hand. She popped it in.
"See Bear? Yummy!"
He then threw his one piece of corn into his mouth.
After that? It was all about the veggies. He ate a ton of them. The Princess ate the 15 pieces or so that were on her plate (a feat unto itself).
Hopefully the two will continue to relish in the flavor of simple vegetables. [crossing fingers & toes]
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
My snacks got busted
The Princess school tries to stress good eating habits. They talk to them about healthy foods. Fruits. Vegetables. Protein.
Good, right?
I pack a couple things plus her sandwich in her lunch bag. She gets to choose which item she wants for her morning and her afternoon snack.
I was very surprised at this because she loves them.
Okay. Okay. I packed chocolate flavored Teddy Grahams into her bag. And she got BUSTED for having them. Dang it all!
Today? I stopped by the grocery store and picked up some HEALTHY snacks. I bought nectarines (which I'll cut up for her) and grapes (which I'll slice in half) and baby carrots. I also bought stuff for blueberry and banana-nut muffins.
I've washed all the fruit and they're ready to eat. The carrots are separated into little snack size bags. I'll throw in a little container of ranch dressing for dipping. The muffins are all baked and cooling off. I'll be putting each into a baggie and freezing them until the night before I need them.
Healthy snacks? Okay! Got the message!
Good, right?
I pack a couple things plus her sandwich in her lunch bag. She gets to choose which item she wants for her morning and her afternoon snack.
Me: "What did you decide to eat for your morning snack today?"
Princess: "I ate my tortilla chips."
Me: "Then you ate your Teddy Grahams for your afternoon snack?"
Princess: "No. They're still in my lunch bag."
I was very surprised at this because she loves them.
Princess: "Ms. J told me that I should put the Teddy Grahams back in my bag and eat my chips."
Me: "Why honey?"
Princess: "Because we're not allowed to have any chocolate-y stuff at school."
Okay. Okay. I packed chocolate flavored Teddy Grahams into her bag. And she got BUSTED for having them. Dang it all!
Today? I stopped by the grocery store and picked up some HEALTHY snacks. I bought nectarines (which I'll cut up for her) and grapes (which I'll slice in half) and baby carrots. I also bought stuff for blueberry and banana-nut muffins.
I've washed all the fruit and they're ready to eat. The carrots are separated into little snack size bags. I'll throw in a little container of ranch dressing for dipping. The muffins are all baked and cooling off. I'll be putting each into a baggie and freezing them until the night before I need them.
Healthy snacks? Okay! Got the message!
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