Woohoo!

I've lost 9 pounds in 3 weeks. I haven't been trying at all but I've been eating on a more regular basis. This eating thing is working. Yeah me!

Whew!

Sweet relief. I finally got Chris to agree to go and renew our title loan. I hated doing it but there was nothing else we could do. At least we have that option. Some people don't. We're not too far behind and as long as I can stay on top of things we should be able to stay caught up. I feel so relieved. He still doesn't get that working 40 hours a week doesn't pay the bills and thinks I'll be able to save some of the money we got today but I really doubt it since 1/4 of the money is going for 4 new tires, an all wheel alignment and an oil change.

Happy Anniversary

to us! We made it 13 years. Woohoo! Chris didn't even remember. He's out on the road though is why. I know he would have remembered if he'd have been home. Too bad we couldn't celebrate it this year. :( Oh well. Maybe next year.

Better

After venting about our money woes I thought I needed to count my blessings. I'm going to try to list 10.

1. I have a very loving husband. He doesn't always tell me what I want to hear but most definitely tells me what I need to hear.

2. Two very healthy and happy children.

3. A loving extended family.

4. Health insurance with affordable copays.

5. A roof over our heads.

6. Food.

7. A car that runs.

8. Utilities that we're not behind on.

9. Clothes to wear.

and

10. No sick extended family members at this time.

I'm going to try to count my blessings at least once a week. I get so worried about the here and now that I sometimes forget what makes that here and now so important.

Money Sucks!

or should I say not having money sucks! I've paid everything I could. We have food. Yet, I'm still worrying about what I couldn't pay. I need to be worrying cause Chris just says don't worry. Yeah, right. He's the one that went on and on last payday about how we have to get new tires, an all wheel alignment and an oil change this payday. It did't happen and its not going to happen this next payday either. When I mentioned getting more on our title loan that we almost have paid off he went off on me how we don't need it. His driving partner might be back on May 17th but I really doubt it and even if he does make it back that doesn't take care of the struggles we're going through right now. It's not his bills that aren't getting paid either. Its my little ones for the book club and fingerhut that are behind. Stuff I ordered back when I thought we'd be having the paydays we were having. I don't care what Chris says I really think his driving partner is just stretching out his ear condition. A little kid who ruptures his ear wouldn't miss 6 weeks of school. I hate men who are big babies. Okay, through whining. I needed to get it off my chest and not hear don't worry about it. Off to cry.......

First Line Friday

I'm following my friend Kathy and trying my hand at this so here go the rules. (Swiped from Kathy's blog)
FIRST LINE FRIDAY...First lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel. The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or cause the book to be tossed aside.So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book.Also, share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought provoking...scary...funny?

Today's book from my TBR pile is Vegas Rich by Fern Michaels. It's an oldie. It was first published in 1996. I think I read that Zebra books is republishing these this year. Anyway, here's the first line.

The old attorney stared out his grimy windows and winced.

Hmm.....who died and who's getting something good out of it are my first thoughts from reading this line. Vegas Rich is the first book in a 3 book series about a rich family in Las Vegas. If these are as good as her Texas series I'll be a happy camper. I love family sagas.

Worried - Edited

My niece is 23. She's living a town over from me with a boyfriend. She's been living with so many people in the past year. She went from my Mom's house, to a good friends house and then this boyfriends place. Before she was at my Mom's house she was in a relationship with a 38 year old man and was basically a stay at home girlfriend. I think that's what she thought she'd have at this boyfriends house but he's telling her she has to work.

She emailed me on Monday saying she had a warrant and could I drive her to Waco if I go there this week. I checked the warrant list and she's not on there. I emailed her back, giving her the link, and told her she wasn't on it. Told her to call and check on it because maybe she got lucky and it got dismissed.

The ticket was for selling cigarettes to a minor. She's always worked at convenience stores and this is her first mess up ever. She said the undercover cop was a lady and that she kept distracting her during the sale but still she sold to a minor and has to pay the consequences of not following through on all the steps. She said she did ask him for his ID but then the lady kept butting in. Maybe the judge decided it was entrapment from seeing the video on it. Who knows? She won't know if she doesn't call and find out about it. So anyway, never heard back from her on that. Next email says I've been looking for a job and can't find one anywhere. Next email is can you send me a recipe for aunt Cheryl's cornbread casserole. So I sent that and some recipe links. Next email, can I come stay with you til Friday. I'm arguing too much with CJ (boyfriend). I'm moving in with Sherri when she gets back in town on Friday. My reply. I can't afford to come and get you. Can you get here? Are you sure you'll be able to leave on Friday because its not a big enough house to have two extra? It's not that I don't want to help you. I just can't afford any extra stuff right now. I hated sending this reply to her but there's no way I can do it. I got such a hinky feeling from her emails. It was like she was trying to feel me up for some money. Maybe not but that's the feeling I got from them. I know they smoke pot where she's living. I definitely can't have that in my home. I have kids. No way will I jeopardize them for her bad habit. My big fear is she would get here and have no where to go and then I'll be stuck with her wanting to find a job here too. We only have a 3 bedroom house so its definitely not big enough for too many extra. The only reason my nephew is here is because my son has a bunk bed in his room.

Edit on my niece. Finally got an email reply that she's staying at boyfriends house. He doesn't want her to go. @@ She's trying to find a job she says so she can get her own place so when he acts this way she can leave. She shouldn't have been there in the first place is my opinion. I sent her the link to the workforce (unemployment) so hopefully she'll go there and get some help to find a job. We'll see.

I just found out what Chris's paycheck is and I can't afford all the bills this week much less food. I get to finagle bills. Oh joy! We were having such a good financial year til the end of March when Chris's driving partner got sick. I hate this crap!

Wedding Bells

We went to a family friends wedding this afternoon. It was so beautiful and so much fun. I didn't get hardly any pictures of the wedding but I did get a few along the way at least. Here's a new one of Chris and I. I hated that I wore solid black but at least it was a comfortable dress. My sister Cheryl and I had to keep up with our nephew Phillip since Mom was the matron of honor and Dad was an usher. He slept through the entire wedding until the end when everyone clapped. Then we headed to the reception and had a really good time there too. My kids stayed with my Mom, Dad and brother Patrick so we really got to have some adult fun without the distraction of kids. It's been a long, long, long time since we've gotten out without them. I didn't get to dance with Chris but I got up with both of my sisters and did the YMCA and the bump. LOL, then I had to sit down of course. I shouldn't have danced because I pulled my book a little bit. Oh well, it was totally worth it. I'll keep reminding myself of that tomorrow when I have to pop some Ibuprofen. LOL.

First Line Friday

on Friday. Woohoo! I posted it on Friday. I'm following my friend Kathy and trying my hand at this so here go the rules. (Swiped from Kathy's blog)FIRST LINE FRIDAY...First lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel. The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or cause the book to be tossed aside.So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book.Also, share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought provoking...scary...funny?

I finally made it to the library today and picked up a couple of books that I had on hold. The one I'm going to read first is Before the Storm by Diane Chamberlain. She's highly recommended by my friend Lori (The Queen's New Throne). Here's the first line.

Laurel

They took my baby from me when he was only 10 hours old.

Wow! Makes you wonder why? Drugs? Alcohol? Mentally deficient? I can't wait to read and see what's going on with this story.

Grab It Graphics (Mother's Day)

Here's a few Mother's Day grabs to share.

Well then

Chris's team driver partner is going to be out another week. I understand he's sick. He's got an ear infection. He told Chris this morning that he can't get into the ear doctor til May 13th. I don't think so. It's all to convenient to me how this is working out for him. Weird how my kids only miss a couple of days from school when they'd have them. Funny how he just declared bankruptcy but is able to be out sick and its considered a work injury because right before his ear ruptured they had made a trip through the mountains. I really think he wanted to take off of work to be with his wife who just had surgery to put a stent in her heart a few weeks ago. Convenient for him also because she's having kidney stones removed this week too. I hate being shallow about it all but he pulls this kind of crap almost every year. It never ends up hurting his wallet but it sure plays with ours. I keep telling Chris we won't survive this time but he seems to think 10 hours a day will work out great. Every time we start to get ahead we get crap like this happening. It felt so good being able to pay all the bills and not finagle them around. Now I'm back to finagling again. Guess I'll have to find even cheaper stuff to eat too. That's about the only extra I've been spending lately is at the grocery store. The really bad thing is I have to take him back and forth to work because we only have one car. That's really going to cut into our money with all that gas we'll have to use. If I didn't have kids I'd just send him to work and not worry about having a car. Oh well......

Bummed! (updated)

The dryer we ordered on April 3 was just cancelled because they all of sudden ran out of them. I can't believe our luck. I guess we'll just go to the rent to own store because I just can't wait anymore to have a dryer back in our house. I just can't do the laundromat anymore. It wears me down too much. :(

Edited:
I feel much better now. We just went and rented to own a washer and dryer. I'll give my Mom my old washer and hopefully it'll last for a while for them. We should have done the rent to own earlier than now that's for sure.

Grab It Graphics

I'll be randomly posting graphics to share every once in a while. Anybody that wants them just needs to save them to their own computer and use as you wish. I don't mind. Really!

Happy Easter!

He is risen and all is right with the world! Happy Easter to everyone.

First Line Friday

on Saturday. One of these days I'll get to do this on Friday. I'm following my friend Kathy and trying my hand at this so here go the rules. (Swiped from Kathy's blog)

FIRST LINE FRIDAY...First lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel. The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or cause the book to be tossed aside.So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book.Also, share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought provoking...scary...funny?

I recently saw the movie Pay It Forward. I missed the first 30 minutes or so but really liked it. I found the book and its next on my book list to be read. Here's the first line of the book.

Maybe someday I'll have kids of my own.

~Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde~

Graphics

I play with making graphics to keep my mind occupied when things are making me be a worrywort. Recently my friend Kathy asked me to make her a graphic for First Line Friday. I had fun coming up with that one. Now I'm thinking of having a day where I post graphics I've made. For the life of me I can't come up with a zippy name. Anybody got any good ideas for me? All graphics I post can be saved by anybody that wants them. I love seeing my work float around the internet. I just gotta remember to mark them as made by me. LOL.

Worrywort

I'm the worlds worst worrywort when it comes to my family. I just worry away. I try not to bother people with it all but I usually ramble like I am now. My sister has some stuff going on with her. I hope it turns out to be nothing. She has to go to have an MRI and then hopefully I won't have to be the worrywort anymore. When I know more what is going on I'll update.

First Line Friday

on Monday. I'm following my friend Kathy and trying my hand at this so here go the rules. (Swiped from Kathy's blog)

FIRST LINE FRIDAY...First lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel. The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or cause the book to be tossed aside.So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book.Also, share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought provoking...scary...funny?

The last thing I wanted to do on my summer break was blow up another school.
~ The Battle of the Labyrinth Book 4 (Percy and the Olympians) by Rick Riordan

I love these tween aged books. My son read the first 3 really quick and then we found out that a 4th book was coming out and have been waiting two months to get it. He read it in two days and informed me that there'll be a 5th book also. Nows my chance to get it read finally. If its anything like the other 3 it'll be a fun ride of a read too.

Mammogram Update

Woohoo!!! Got the letter today. Everything is normal. Yeah! My back is still kinked from striking poses for the x-rays but yeah me!! Got the all clear really quick this year.