Thursday, February 26, 2004

 

Oh, an update about the below mentioned financial situation:
We were set back this week. I had a meeting for the library in Montgomery. (Side note: I started getting sick Sunday, had little sleep that night, went to school sick all day Monday and got home at about 10. Then left that same night for Montgomery, only to get up early the next morning for the meeting, so I was already tired.) We stayed with reletives there that were so nice to let us stay. The plan was to stay Tuesday night to be able to visit with them some. Tuesday morning, James dropped me off at my meeting. He was planning to take Xander to the park, have a picnic and feed the ducks. They went to the store to get peanut butter and when they came out, a woman said, "What's that coming out of your van?" Needless to say, he made it to the Ford (never again will we have another) dealer for them to say, "There' s too much pressure in the water pump. You've likely got a cracked head gasket. We've had problems with this model before and I'd recommend a whole new engine." WHAT!?
So, we called a friend of ours who is a mechanic and he said that he could replace the gasket and check the water pump. He said he could probably do it for $1500. We're hoping that we won't have any more problems until our bills are paid off. Then we'll save up a few months and pay cash for a nearly new van.
We've had this van for 2 years and every 4-6 months we've had to put money into it. It is very frustrating! We have a second car, a Nissan Pulsar (tiny, but good). James has had that car for about 13 years and we've put a lot less money on it than we have put into the van in 2 years!
So, we got a rental car ($40 a day) for a day and drove home in it Tuesday night. But it was not one-way and it was due back in Montgomery by 12. So, I got mom to baby-sit and we headed back up there before 8 AM Wednesday morning. Mom had a fibromyalgia exersise class at 1:30 that we needed to be back to relieve her. So we dropped the rental car off, squeezed into the Pulsar and headed home to make it around 1:15.
Well, anyway that was our adventure! We'll have to work harder, but I think we could still do it. ;) TTFN!

Dawn posted this at 10:52 AM.

 

So, I was reading Erin's new blog (welcome back Erin!) and realized it had been a while since I posted myself. I didn't realize just how long until I logged in. I can't believe it's been since Thanksgiving!

Had a great Christmas! I got a computer game, Baldur's Gate. Awesome game. Although since school hit full swing this month, I get to play it less and less.

School is going great. It keeps me really busy. Between that, chasing a two year old and work at the library I have little time for much else. I'm getting ready for the summer program at the library. This year, I'm hoping to take a second job (why do I do these things to myself?!?) teaching summer school. So, I'm trying to be more prepared for the library stuff.

It never fails that when I'm the most busy, my brain would rather churn around the cauldron of writing ideas I have rather than focusing on school work. So, I've been developing a Sci-Fi/Fan story that I call Saurian Chronicles. It's coming along pretty well, but I want to flesh out the outline better before I actually start writing. I've been burned too badly by beginning writing too soon and having things fizzle out.

Also, the hubby and I are collaborating an awesome crime story. So far, it seems it will be funny, intriquing and a bit romantic. We have thrown around a bunch of ideas from making it YA to adult and back again. But I think last night we finalized what we want to do with it. I told him that we could always re-write it as YA, if we wanted to later.

The other thing that's going on is our finances. We are working hard this year to pay off our debt. We have less than $15 thousand. Last year we paid off about $10 thou and we weren't trying too hard. So, this year we want to knuckle down and get it done. Hence, the second job and, oh, I'm substitute teaching now every time I'm able.

Also, I won a free trial week to a gym here. I went 4 times last week and loved it! The last time, however, I overdid the sit ups (it's so easy on that special bench) with 5 pound weights. I didn't keep track of how many times I did it, but I alternated with arm exercises and I've estamated that I did at least 80. Plus, I've been working on hanging from my arms (I was always embarrassed every year because I could not do the arm hang for girls). I realized that it was pulling my stomach muscles too.

So, I've decided that I will take one day's worth of substituting to pay for a month at the gym. It's time that I get this weight off and keep it off...but it won't be long before I'll be adding pounds of baby weight.

Anyway, I'll try not to take so long to get back here. ;) TTFN!

Dawn posted this at 10:35 AM.