My chances to actually do some sewing/quilting are so limited now. Even when I have a day off that DH is not here, I still have so many things to do that I'm lucky to have an hour or two to sew. So when I DO sit down, I want to have everything I need right there.
Today I ran out of my dark purple fabric for my Eureka Log Cabin. I can cut or sew no more until I replace it. So to the stash closet I went in perfect confidence that another dark purple would shortly be forthcoming. HA!!!
I, I'm ashamed to admit, got so frustrated and angry that I pulled 3/4ths of my stash down on the floor in wild disarray. And no, I didn't find another dark purple. I found several lighter shades to use when I run out of them in other blocks, but definitely NO DARK PURPLE. Shall I switch to black or dark blue or what? If I don't switch, I am stuck until another payday, a week away, when I can buy a yard at Bearly Stitchin. By the way, I went into JoAnn to buy a zipper last Friday, and I did look at their fabrics. But they charge nearly as much as a real quilt shop for really cheesey fabric. I am spoiled, I guess, from buying so much quality fabric over the years. I just don't want to even sew with that nasty cheap but expensive JoANn stuff.
And yes, I am still paying for all my quilt shop fabrics with my credit card debt which is the reason I can't even buy one yard of fabric without waiting for payday.
I give half of whatever I gross to DH and he applies it to one big credit card bill or medical insurance premiums. I use whats left to pay another cc bill and my line of credit payment and if there is anything left I buy whatever I want. Could be anything but isn't much of anything, as there isn't much money.
Things will improve if I can get on full-time at work. My paycheck last week was the first one with full-time hours (since somebody quit and I filled in) and I recklessly spent my share on candy and pop. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
DH is right to insist that he take care of the bills and that I give him most of the money, but I do hate to admit it. I don't think I would do it again, get myself in trouble financially, I mean, but you never know. I was on Zoloft when I was running up those bills and I just thought everything would work out somehow. Now I am not on Zoloft and I just don't see how it can ever come out all right.
I do a lot of crying but it is probably still better to not be on Zoloft.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Migraines
I have one right now so bad I had to call in sick to work, and the weather map says the pressure is 30.18. I want to keep track to see if I can predict these a bit better.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Fewer chickens
The chickens just lay too many eggs. Theoretically this is a good thing, and I did enjoy taking the extras to the Tolleson Food Bank when I was working at Manheim's. But now there isn't a convenient charity to deliver them to, and I really can't afford to keep feeding so many chickens with no recompense in the form of produce anyway. The Tolleson Food Bank gave me lots of stuff leftover from their distribution days whenever I delivered the eggs.
So, my 7 hens have been reduced to 5 but they are still giving 4-5 eggs per day. Bill's 8 hens are still giving 2-5 per day. Looks pretty lopsided, doesn't it? It was really a stretch for me to understand why we would butcher MY hens, who lay every day, and keep HIS hens who lay about a third of the time.
The reason is that HIS hens will go broody and maybe raise chicks for us to eat or add to the laying flock. But we need to keep at least some of mine so that we can eat their eggs and keep HIS eggs to be sat on. I don't know why his hens can't just set on my eggs, but NOOOOOOO!
Oh well, I have brought myself around to it by reflecting that he can just buy the chicken feed since he now owns most of the chickens.
Monday, February 09, 2009
I do love my job
I finally went online and signed up for the part-timer's medical insurance at my work, and it is a good thing. You are required to sign up within 45 days of your hire date or else wait until open enrollment, and I would have missed the deadline if I hadn't started asking questions and not getting answers when I did.
When I got to work the next day I did fill in the new manager about this, and he made sure that packets were printed out and given to all the other part-timers that very day. I am the second newest employee though, so everyone else will have to wait until open enrollment if they want the insurance. That is only till May for this plan, but it would have been too long for me. My COBRA benefits run out only a few days after my new plan takes effect.
So my assertiveness (a nice way to say pushy) paid off in this instance.
When I got to work the next day I did fill in the new manager about this, and he made sure that packets were printed out and given to all the other part-timers that very day. I am the second newest employee though, so everyone else will have to wait until open enrollment if they want the insurance. That is only till May for this plan, but it would have been too long for me. My COBRA benefits run out only a few days after my new plan takes effect.
So my assertiveness (a nice way to say pushy) paid off in this instance.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Speeding ticket
Well, I finally got my first-ever speeding ticket. My SECOND ticket for anything at all in my entire life, since I got a parking ticket on sale day at Manheims a couple of months ago. That place has been trouble for me, and I am glad to be leaving it for something better. Now I have to sign up for traffic school and GO to traffic school, on top of everything else that costs time and money. But I WAS speeding, not unreasonably so, but speeding.
There is a new bridged river crossing at Cotton Lane, which hooks up to Estrella Parkway in Estrella Mountain Ranch. It seems like an ideal way to get to work at Petsmart, since I can stop at the Elliot Market for a diet Coke on the way. That is, it DID seem like an ideal way. It doesn't anymore.
The speed limit, as it turns out, is 35 miles per hour headed north from Estrella Parkway to the bridge, where it changes to 45. The stretch where is 35 is coming down a hill, open land on both sides, and you can see all the way to Hwy 85. No reason in the world for the limit to be so low.
So I was COASTING down the hill and a motorcycle cop put a radar gun on me from about a mile away, next to the bridge. He said I was going 54 miles per hour, and I am sure I probably was. That is 19 miles per hour over the limit. I could have been going a LOT faster, as there is perfect visibility and NO traffic. I had previously wondered off and on why nobody uses that road, and now I know. Duh, why wasn't I watching for cops? Just fat, dumb, and happy, I guess. No more.
I have gone back to using Hwy 85 and making a left on to Cotton Lane. I will just have to stoke up my caffeine on tea before I leave home and have a diet Coke on break at work. That will be better for me anyway.
I start on the cash register at Petsmart tomorrow, 9-3. Then I will work at Manheims Monday, Petsmart Tuesday, Manheims Wednesday, Petsmart Thursday, Manheims Friday, and Petsmart Saturday and Sunday. Its not as bad as it looks. No shift at Petsmart is over 6 hours, and Saturday is only 3 hours. Plus I will only do it for one week. Even if I go back to Manheims to help out for a little while, I will never tax myself over it again. This next week is the second week on my notice, and I am working as many hours for them as I can manage.
AJ
Friday, January 02, 2009
Finally, a good job
Last weekend I filled out an online application for the new Petsmart at Cotton Lane and Yuma Rd, by far the closest place to work I could ever find. On Monday at work I got a cellphone call asking me to come in for an interview on Tuesday. Yay, yay, yay. I couldn't sleep that night, even though I REALLY didn't want to look even older at the interview.
TO shorten the long story, I spend over 2 hours there, interviewed with 2 different people, and GOT A JOB as a cashier, starting as part-time but with 3o, 60, and 90 day reviews for raises and more hours. ANd get this!!! Petsmart part-time employees get the exact same benefits as full-timers, including health insurance, dental, vision, 401k plan, etc. This is after 90 days, and I have just about 90 days remaining on my COBRA insurance from Manheim's.
I speculate that they must need somebody old on the staff, as everyone is under 25 except the manager, and the store is supposed to be a model environment. It has been chosen to train management people for Petsmart from all over. Whatever the reason, I am just glad about it. I have at least 10 more good years in me, and can't think of a better place to spend them. AND I get an employee discount on anything I buy. That alone will save money, as my pets do seem to get along much better with the most premium foods. Even the cat has been moping since she ate all her Christmas canned food and had to go back to Friskies.
I already took my pee test, on Tuesday after the interview, and am just waiting for the results to be delivered to the Petsmart manager so we can set up my training and schedule. I can't wait.
He offered me cashier or pet associate in the small animal/bird dept. I took cashier because I get to pet everybody's dog that way, and I think he liked that answer.
I told Marj on Wednesday about my new job and gave 2 weeks notice, but said I would be more than willing to come in a couple of days a week as long as my Petsmart schedule was part time. Her reaction was very strange, to me. She said that she had no problem with it but would have to check with upper management, as they might prefer me to just get out of there right away. I couldn't believe it!! Here I was trying to avoid leaving them in the lurch, and she has to ask if I can even work out 2 weeks notice. What kind of world is this? I would say I am lucky to be leaving that world, huh?
TO shorten the long story, I spend over 2 hours there, interviewed with 2 different people, and GOT A JOB as a cashier, starting as part-time but with 3o, 60, and 90 day reviews for raises and more hours. ANd get this!!! Petsmart part-time employees get the exact same benefits as full-timers, including health insurance, dental, vision, 401k plan, etc. This is after 90 days, and I have just about 90 days remaining on my COBRA insurance from Manheim's.
I speculate that they must need somebody old on the staff, as everyone is under 25 except the manager, and the store is supposed to be a model environment. It has been chosen to train management people for Petsmart from all over. Whatever the reason, I am just glad about it. I have at least 10 more good years in me, and can't think of a better place to spend them. AND I get an employee discount on anything I buy. That alone will save money, as my pets do seem to get along much better with the most premium foods. Even the cat has been moping since she ate all her Christmas canned food and had to go back to Friskies.
I already took my pee test, on Tuesday after the interview, and am just waiting for the results to be delivered to the Petsmart manager so we can set up my training and schedule. I can't wait.
He offered me cashier or pet associate in the small animal/bird dept. I took cashier because I get to pet everybody's dog that way, and I think he liked that answer.
I told Marj on Wednesday about my new job and gave 2 weeks notice, but said I would be more than willing to come in a couple of days a week as long as my Petsmart schedule was part time. Her reaction was very strange, to me. She said that she had no problem with it but would have to check with upper management, as they might prefer me to just get out of there right away. I couldn't believe it!! Here I was trying to avoid leaving them in the lurch, and she has to ask if I can even work out 2 weeks notice. What kind of world is this? I would say I am lucky to be leaving that world, huh?
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Fw: Fun Critter Photos
Subject: FW: Fun Critter Photos
These photos are just too special not to pass them along to everyone.
Tolerance
Acceptance
Compassion
Kindness
Joy
Take these five words and scramble the letters around to see how many other POSITIVE words and emotions you can create.
Merry Christmas
Karen
Ever have one of those days, when something seems a bit 'off' but you just can't put your finger on it...
Or it seemed like all the people around you just wanted to butt heads...
Or just get into some kind of weird tug of war? (They're hoping Vick's sentence is in dog years :)
Sometimes you just need to take a fresh new look and get a different perspective on things.
Remember to try your best to show kindness to others...
(sometimes looking at things from their perspective might help....)
So, when life gets you down...
Remember to just keep going, and keep your head above water...
And you'll get by with a little help from your friends!
Its cold in AZ
Sam likes to sleep on the couch when its cold. Can't blame him, the brick floor is cold by morning, even if we had a good fire going in the evening.I am a lousy fire-starter, but former Boy Scout and his dog make quick work of it. Sam doesn't always want to give up the wood he carries down from the woodpile right away, but will happily trade it for a ball if you ask.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Not the job
Well, the job I have been anxiously waiting to be hired for has gone to someone else. I already cried about it, a couple of weeks ago, so today's news is somewhat anticlimactic. I hadn't really stopped hoping, though, as long as the winter hadn't been announced. Now she has.
So, next stop, I filled out an application for the part-time payroll coordinator. I didn't apply for it in the first place because of it being parttime, but I guess if I could have accepted the clerk'coordinator in Fleet Lease as a parttime job, I can surely accept the payroll job as parttime. It is a long shot, though, as I have no experience at computerized payroll, just many and varied experiences at life. It has been posted for weeks, though, and no one has been hired yet, so I might as well take my chance. Wish me luck.
So, next stop, I filled out an application for the part-time payroll coordinator. I didn't apply for it in the first place because of it being parttime, but I guess if I could have accepted the clerk'coordinator in Fleet Lease as a parttime job, I can surely accept the payroll job as parttime. It is a long shot, though, as I have no experience at computerized payroll, just many and varied experiences at life. It has been posted for weeks, though, and no one has been hired yet, so I might as well take my chance. Wish me luck.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
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