Did I get gouged?

The other day I pulled up to a pump that was advertising a good price - $3.64 per gallon. After pumping $99.50 into the tank and getting the receipt I noticed that I pumped silver instead of regular, the midgrade, and it cost me $4.29/gallon! I feel like I got gouged, all the other stations in town are a bit higher on regular, but none have mid grade over $4. I'm not saying that they switched it on me, it probably was my fault for picking the wrong lever, but that big of a price differential? Come on...bet that station owner is making up for selling regular at such a low price, just takes a few dumbies like me to make a mistake and he makes it up - $.50/gallon (guessing the fair price is probably 3.79/gallon) times 20 gallons times number of dumbies...hmmmm...This station was even on the news for having low prices. Do you feel like you have gotten gouged?

Is the sky really falling?

Listening to the president tonight has got me thinking...is this the beginning of the next depression? We all know that we are in a recession, even though we aren't calling it that yet for some reason. It seems it's the governments' new role to keep us scared for some reason, it used to be to reassure us -"there is nothing to fear but fear itself"

I just feel like it shouldn't be the American Taxpayers that bail out these huge organizations who made this mess.

I don't know what the answer is but I do know that my friends and family for the most part are having a really hard time right now. I hope we can bring about some kind of positive change in about 41 days.

3 computers down

My desktop computer or what my husband calls 'the server' or 'The Gateway' went down a few weeks back. As he invested in a print server a couple months ago, this didn't affect us so we let it slide. It left us with 3 laptops, his from school and my personal Toshiba and his personal Acer. My Toshiba's power cord went down Thursday (for the fourth time - good thing we invested in the 3 yr warranty!) and his Acer crashed hard on Saturday and may not be revivable. So Sunday I opened the Best Buy flyer and they had a 3 different laptops for around $500. I am typing this on Mike's new Toshiba with 180 gb harddrive and 17" wide screen. It's crazy how computers have become so integral in our lives. I guess we need to get the Gateway and Mike's Acer looked at to as backups. In the meantime we will just add a little to the debt load, the darn 3 yr warranty was almost as much as the laptop - $300 - but if we had it on the Acer the repair would be free (or replacement!) The warranty on my laptop ends in January, may want to extend that as well. Someday we will get out of debt, but it's hard when toys are so expensive and hard to live without.

Going and not going

Poor Jamie wants to be go - go - going and lately we have been stay- stay - staying, mainly because I was just not feeling up to anything adventurous. Since I felt a bit better today we went to Toddler Art at the library. We used to go every week, but don't go so much anymore. Summer time on Saturdays we want to be near our pool is one reason and the other more recent reason is my health.

Anyway we went today and couldn't find our usual on street parking so we circled the block and parked in the Parking Garage which the library validates for free usage on Saturdays. After we finished at the library we went back to the van and tried to leave the garage and the machine took my ticket but didn't raise the arm to let me out. What the heck?!

First I called the number on the sign by the exit. You know the one that says "this parking garage is run by ACME corp - if you need assistance you may call 555-1212'. Upon calling it I discover the mailbox was full. (Don't you just hate that?!)
So then I tried following another car closely to get out, but no go. The arm came right down and I couldn't get through. So I got out of thevan and tried to get a nother ticket but they only give tickets to cars, not to people. Hmmmm what else, I got on the cell and called my husband to get the non-emergency Police number. (What did we do before cell phones!?) After explaining my story to the police dispatcher I got a very bored robotic 'I'll send somebody out'. When I called Mike back he was all hopped up. "if they don't get someone there in 15 minutes I am going to call 911!" I calmed him down "Honey we have 5 Princess Books and 6 Witches books and a Dee Vee Dee (spelling this part); and we stopped
at the coffeeshop and got an iced coffee for me and a cookie for Jamie so we will be fine. Don't call the police back specially on the emergency number,this isn't an emergency and we will be fine".

An hour later and the police weren't there so I called them back. This dispatcher told me there were alot of calls downtown today (oh yeah Obama is in town, no wonder there wasn't any parking on the street!) so it may be quite a while. We parked the van back in the garage so we could go to the library to see if someone could help. As we were walking out a woman was pulling into the garage. I asked her if she would mind backing up and pulling back in so it would pop out another ticket, but she has a monthly pass which she had just swiped to get in. Oh well, on to the library...On the way the museum security guard was on the street, but he couldn't help me. As I was about to turn the corner I hear "Ma'am!" It was the lady with the garage pass. She said she would let me use my card to pull out. As she did that the policeman pulled up. I talked to him and he said he wouldn't have been able to do
anything anyway...But I said he needed to know so this company could be contacted. This was ridiculous! He agreed, so I used her card, gave it back to her, and she was unable to reswipe it as I was leaving. Hope she figured it out, at least Johnny Law was there to help.

As Jamie and I got on the road heading towards home we got stuck in a traffic jam, I have never seen so many Obama bumper stickers! It was kind of fun, we rolled our windows down and me and Jamie started chanting "Obama! OBAMA! OBAMA!" and others
joined in. Making a memory.

Well this was my 100th post- woohoo. Omigolly, and although this is an adoption or mommy blog so to speak, I feel like I can blog about whatever is going on with me. I do stay away from blogging about work as this is about me, not what I do for a living. Mike has posted twice, so it isn't really 'our' blog, face it this blog is all mine!

I think I have a few regular readers and it's nice that you come and visit me in my little corner of the blogospere. Thanks for reading and as always comments are always appreciated!

She Called me on it

When talking to a friend this week about still being sick after 2 weeks, she suggested I may want to go to the Dr. and said to me "Didnt you just say last week how much it bugs you when your husband won't go to the Doctor?"

Ahem...Hmmm guess she is right. She called me on my own stuff! I got off the phone with her and called the Dr. Office and got an appointment for the next day. I think I am so smart that I am going to get myself better - every time I think, I will just drink lots of water and take Mucinex and I will get it all flushed out. Well there should be a time that I just get a cold and actually can 'heal' myself, or ride it out. It just doesn't seem to happen anymore! I get sick and stay sick until I finally go to the Doctor. It had been 2 weeks and I was getting worse not better, so off to the Doctor I went on Wednesday.

I have an ear infection. Get that, I just didn't know adults got ear infections, but there you have it. Of course the sinuses are probably also infected so the high powered antibiotic oughta take care of both. So I am on the road to recovery at last. Or so it seems, I still feel a bit tired, but it's getting better I think. I hope so - the Google ads at the top of this blog have something to do with sickness and sinus problems every time I come here now!

Puzzle me timbers

I just love having a girl. Jamie amuses her self with puzzles, books and dolls so much of the time. I know boys do these things too, but God knew what he was doing when he sent me my Jamie. I have been exhausted lately fighting off a cold or sinus infection all week, so on the weekends I just want to rest. Rest! Yes - I do cook and do the dishes and laundry, but Mike is helping me with all that this weekend, plus he straightened and vacuumed the living room. He is just the husband for me and Jamie is just the daughter for me. I love my family.

I wish I could be a community organizer

My husband and I belong(ed) to a church that we really enjoyed going to. One of the main themes at that church was to get involved in your community and try to make the world a better place. I admire those who can do it. I think about getting involved to make a difference but it seems so overwhelming. How do they have the time!? Even to become a Guardian Ad Litem takes alot of time and effort that I just don't think I could do. Not now anyway. My life is exhaustingly busy. When I get done with work and putting Jamie to bed I just collapse on the couch. I no longer want to go anywhere wild and crazy, well once in a while I go to Walmart after 8. Heehee. A couple of my favorite bands are coming up in the next couple of months - Buckethead and Shiny Toy Guns. Both are playing on Monday nights which is typical for my smaller city. I just know I won't end up going to either show. In years gone by (even 3 years ago!) I wouldn't let the day of the week stop me from going out. *sigh* Anyway I really admire those who can do everything it takes to work, have a family and get involved in community. It's just not something to turn your nose up at.

Last weekend's slide show

Last Saturday was fun at Anders house, then coming home and doing the Playdoh frame which Ander got for her (which she loved!) but the next day she was sick with a cold. (Which daddy got Tuesday and Mommy got today)

We are watching the Weather channel daily, all hurricanes all day is still the mantra.

I heard from my dad today, he had an Anuerism in his leg which they discovered during tests (thank god) and is in a rehab center following his operation 2 wks ago. I didn't hear from any of my four step brothers and sisters who are up there in Michigan with him, which upsets me a bit...For some reason we just don't communicate anymore. I guess I need to start calling them regularly so the door of communication is more open. I hate to think that they wouldn't let me know if something really horrid happens with dad. Need to swollow that pride and make some calls I guess....

Warning: TMI about my sinus problems below. If you don't relate, skip this part!

Well I am hoping to stave off the effects of this cold. I took some Halls Early defense and also some Mucinex (Not the 'D' just the straight Muccinex) which for me is the wonder drug off all wonder drugs. I also use my homemade salt water sinus solution to irrigate often (1 gallon of non tap water, 1 tbl sea salt 1 tsp of baking soda; then use one cup of solution heated slightly in microwave) I find it's best to thin out those secretions and loosen the clogged up sinus chambers and get it out before infection sets in. I used to have sinus infections 3-4 times every year, I had sinus surgery in 1996 and I have only had about 1 infection per year lately with my new proactive health regime. Here's to hoping I can head it off again this time!

I just love this picture!

My beautiful 'all princess' all the time baby girl (Note the slipper purse and she also has on princess shoes) and my handsome 'all gator' all the time husband.

Jamie isn't feeling well

Glad we have a 3 day weekend. Jamie has a bad cold, and is content sitting and doing puzzles and looking at books and tv. She keeps coming up on the couch to lie back on pillow and snuggle with me or her dolly. Last night my mom came for dinner and got to snuggle with her too. She is only snuggly when she is tired, sick or has a fresh boo boo lately so we are all loving the snuggles.

We went to Aunt Cinda and Anders yesterday for a fun play date. They used apples to paint with and played with Anders toys inside and outside. Ander has such a nice backyard playground. Jamie calls it 'Ander's park'. Poor girl, we don't have much of a backyard playground, just the pool and one little tykes climber and a small sandbox. I will download photos soon and post some pics.

How is your Labor day weekend going? Don't forget to get some relaxing in!

Cone of Concern: Fay has left now here comes Hannah, and then Ike?

Yes I know I didn't mention Gustav but that storm is currently heading to New Orleans, and Fay is still causing storms and rain across the country but both are outside of our 'cone of concern'. This term is apparently only used by my favorite local Weather man Tim Deagan. I thought everyone knew what the 'cone of concern' was, but last week I queried several people here in my town and hardly anyone knew what it was, and it had me in hysterics. I know what's so funny about that? I guess you had to be there.

All Fay All Day and Day and Day

I think she may be gone...but wait was that a wind gust?! Fay has been with us all week, our power was out yesterday most of the day, the wind was gusting, the torrential downpours many...Mike tried to get our 2k+ generator going that we bought for the last F word storm that took out our power - Frances in 2004. The gas was still in there from 04 and gummed it up so it wouldnt work....Anyway after plenty of trys as it was getting dark, we hightailed out of here and got a motel room. We just cant sleept without air conditioning. I just don't want to do it. When we got home this morning we saw a few neighbors windows opened so we were crabbing and moaning and hoping we weren't about to be without power for 5 days again like in 2004 when Mike tried the garage door opener. Hurray!! We were never so happy to see that door raise. We came running in and started cleaning feverishly. Nothing like not being able to vacuum to put you in the mood for it!

Fay Go Away!

Well we spent the evening scouring the stores for batteries and bottled water. We came home triumphant with lots of D batteries (which were not easy to find!) gallons of water and smaller bottles of water, other batteries, and munchy type foods. Our mayor declared that this was serious at 6:14 pm, when he said school would be closed both tomorrow and Thursday. It's good that Mike is a teacher as Jamie's school is closed as well. I will go to work, but may take off a bit early and work from home. (if we have power) Mike will stay home with Jamie and stow the garbage cans, umbrellas and outside furniture. Also fill the tub, get chlorine for the pool,and wash some towels...Poor guy the list is getting longer as I think about it. Last time a hurricane came up the state and came through this area was Frances and she caused a power outage in our home for 5.5 days. It seriously sucked. How can anyone live without air conditining, not to mention internet, expresso makers etc. When we did leave the house it was treacherous as the traffic lights were out and we saw 5 accidents at the intersections...This time we will either stay in and stay safe (and hot!) or we will run for the hills. Or it could turn away from us in the night. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the latter.

Mike is back to school so our vacation is over

Gosh it's been nice having a house-wife I mean husband. LOL - Mike had 8-9 weeks off this summer between last year and this year as he teaches High School and our district does not do year round classes. Though he did get hired at one of those learning centers, they couldn't seem to get it together to get him trained so Mike only worked about 3 days for a couple hours each time. Although it would have been nice to have the extra money it was also nice having him home. He took Jamie to daycare and picked her up every day, and in the mornings he was here while I was getting ready to get Jamie ready. He also got some things done around the house that didn't seem to be gotten to when he was working, like paint the spa cabinet, pressure wash the outside steps and sidewalks.

Now I am on my own in the morning as he leaves before 7am. How do you people do this!?! What do you do with a toddler while you are getting ready? I tiptoe around and hope she doesnt wake until I am almost ready but she wakes up most of the time about 30 or 40 minutes before I am ready to leave, in other words I am not ready when she wakes up. She doesn't want to be left alone on the potty even for five or ten minutes to do her business. I am trying to retrain her that this is the way we have to do things but there are fights and struggles every morning.

Any suggestions?!

Lantana gone mad

Wow we had fun today and got a lot accomplished inside and in the yard. I got several things tagged for the childrens consignment sale coming up the beginning of October, and the other night my mom helped me put some iron-on name tags on some of Jamie's clothes for her new school next week so I have about 20 items ready for her to wear. I still don't have the label maker I ordered for Walmart, the labels I used were in a kit with tape, stencils and a pen for $3.

I have a small garden back behind the pool that I have let languish since we got Jamie just over 2 years ago. I had it all spiffed up with zinnias and sunflowers alot of summers, but this year I let a Lantana take over most of it. If you don't live in the south you may not know, but a Lantana is a bit like a weed/bush that has a very cool flower. It starts off yellow and turns orange and than pink...or starts off pink and turns yellow then orange...hmmmm not sure which way it turns. I remember the first year I lived in Florida finding it out in a field blooming away, like free landscaping! The problem is it is invasive so a small 2 ft bush can spread 8 ft across and 6 ft tall in 2 years if you don't have a good frost to kill it back. Not only that but it has been raining here almost every day in July and lantana doesn't bloom when it gets too much water. Not to mention it's poisonous and the hairy leaves hurt your hands and they stink if you crush them (like cat pee!) So it had to go. I pruned it way back first and starting cutting the roots around it...The main trunk was as thick as my upper arm, and I left a good bit of it so Mike could grasp it, and now it is gone!

I planted some tomato plants that had gotten leggy and some purslane which needed to go in to the ground. Then we snuck next door to the neighbors back yard and cut back some lantana bushes and some thorny vines that were starting to creep over and under our fence. Our 73 yr old neighbor Lou, died 2 weeks ago and it doesn't look like anyone is in a hurry to get his backyard in order. Weeds are hip high and he has dozens of bins with crap in them, and empty soda bottles all over his yard not to mention his porch and garage are crammed full with crap. (And his house, I know, we are nosy, we looked through the window on the front door!)

Poor guy had a heart attack about a month ago, (he mentioned it to Mike in the front yard, so he was released from the hospital), then we didn't see him again. His car showed up with a dented front bumper, but he never came back. We saw some people coming into his house one day last weekend with bags, and alot of trash bags at the curb one day. So we looked him up in the online obits from our local paper, and sure enough, he died suddenly it said. We wonder if he had another heart attack while driving. We didn't have a very good relationship with him as he called the city on us for backwashing the pool when some water came into his yard. The weeds have been hip high for months, but we never called the city on him. As much as we wanted to - and we are glad we didn't now. Sometimes it's good to be nice, or not be mean anyway.

Mike is also working on our lights that encircle the pool and the spa has been wonderful, now that it is in working order. We just need to paint the cabinet again and it will look all right back there. Maybe we can have some people over for a nighttime spa and pool get together. It's hard to do in the daytime, not only because of the extreme heat but the every day rain showers. We get out there when we can. I love our yard.

$60 for some Name clothing labels!

Jamie will be moving to a new daycare a week from next Monday. It's a larger church run daycare with many more rules and regs, but will allow Jamie to be with her peers (other 2.5 yr olds who aren't potty trained yet) and also allow her to go outside twice daily. WHere she is now is a home daycare who has one other child Jamie's age, one a year younger and the other 3 or 4 are babies. So it is time, and Jamie is looking forward to it. We took her there and showed her the playground and she calls it 'My Park!'

They require that all of Jamies clothes have her name in them. As I hope to sell her clothes at a twice annual consignment sale I don't want to use magic marker on the labels. I think its tacky for the next person who may want the clothes.

So I went in search for some name labels, Walmart didn't have them, which surprised me. I found some options online after checking with Hobby Lobb* and Office *epot. Walmart has a Brother label maker that can use either plastic labels or labels made from material.


Their label maker was marked down from $39 to $19.99 - the same label maker from Office Depot was $40 - neither place has the material tape though. So I found it online - $20 for a roll of it - I will wait to order this until I recieve the label maker from Walmart.

I also found a site where they do sew in labels and stickers so I ordered 200 labels and 80 stickers - the roll for the label maker is iron on and I wanted both, plus you need stickers for the sippy cups and stuff right? Also these labels should last us a long time, maybe throughout Jamie's childhood! And the label maker will come in handy for other things - Mike is a teacher and he should label up all his stuff in his classroom.

Like how I rationalize this $60 worth of stuff just so I follow the rules at the new daycare?!

New toys

I remember when my proudest possessions were my 1970 Cougar, and my newly installed cassette deck with tapes of the Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, Siouxsie and the Banshees. Now its my MP3 player (I refuse to pay the price for an Ipod) and my Laptop. That's it - two toys I use on a regular basis and couldn't be without.

But lately the tools of old age are creeping into my repertoire. Know what these two items are? I didn't - not the first one anyway. I never really needed to know what a foot rasp was. I have nice feet, they look great in sandals for the most part. Until now, as a result of my age and of wearing open backed shoes for years (even in the winter) my heels have come to need the aid of a rasp. Of course I have always known what an cold pack is, but now I have intimate knowledge of applying it daily. Although the chiropractor has helped I am still having issues with muscle spasms on a daily basis. *sigh*

Blogging at the pool

I feel so lucky, Mike is in making salads and me and Jamie are poolside. We just got our spa fixed and the 3 of us have been in and out of it and the pool all day. We only have the spa up to 97 degrees so the water isn't too hot. Jamie's cheeks got a little flushed earlier - guess we better not let her be in there more than a few minutes or so.

I had to tear myself away to go work a trade show for my job for a couple of hours this afternoon. My new job is better than my other one but does have some extra demands and responsibilities. Thats Ok, I like to talk to people, I just wish I didn't have to do things on the weekends or evenings but I guess that is why I get paid the big bucks. LOL

Vacation at home & Peepee in the potty

I have a few days off and we are sticking close to home. The high cost of gas does have something to do with it, as well as some back pain that I am finally getting a grip on. I have been going to a fantastic Chiropracter & Alternative health center and I can't recommend it enough. I went for the first time on Tuesday and again today and I feel better, after more than 2 weeks of constant pain under my right scapula. (shoulder blade). I tried 2 massages before going to Dr. Will and although they helped, the pain really dissipated after getting adjusted and manipulated. Plus I get a massage at Dr. Will's!! Enough about my pain, or lack thereof.

Today was my first day off and we had a bit of a pool party. My friend Chris and her granddaughter Shelby who is five came over first thing this morning and later my other friend Michelle and her two boys Danny who is 5 and Jordan who is four came for swimming.

Then we had marinated roast beef on the grill with potatoes, cauliflower and 5 bean salad for lunch and brownies for desert. Yum. That was our big meal of the day, Jamie went down for her nap afterwards and I went to see Dr. Will.

After my adjustment I visited a new day care center behind the Dr. office that is affiliated with the local Catholic church in this part of town. I have always thought it looked interesting and even called about it for Jamie before we put her in her first daycare situation (which turned out to be at my good friend Michelles'). Anyway Dr. Will and the massage tech use this daycare for their two year olds (isnt that funny; we all have 2 yr olds) and it is less than a mile from our house, and has a huge shaded playground. I went in and toured the center. Where Jamie is now is a home daycare which is nice as she has interactions with the whole family, loves it there and they love her; but she hardly ever goes outside and she is the oldest kid there now that her older girlfriend Sidney moved to a center. I think it's important for her to be around kids her own age and older some of the time, and I know my girl wants to be outside more.

There are only about 12 or 15 in the 2.5 year old class and there is one opening. I was impressed and I think that is where she will go. The rate is a bit more than we are paying - $125/week or $500/month; but it goes down to $110/week once she is potty trained. I was impressed with the kids there and Dr. Will says they love all the teachers there.

And that leads me to our big news~!!! For the first time ever Jamie went peepee in her potty right after her nap!!! We are so proud, I opened the bathroom window and yelled out to Daddy (guess who just went Peepee) I am sure the neighbors are very proud as well! (JK)

She got a peanut M & M and handed out kisses to both of us. We clapped and cheered, it was quite an occasion. If she goes poo she gets a sucker, and that will really be a big day.

Mike is outside pressure washing the spa, we just may get it working again soon. I am thrilled as I miss it so much.

Well that is all for now. Hope everyone is having a great day. I will add pictures later.

Ok I know I'm an older mommy & Swim lessons

Well it finally happened to me today. Mike has been called Jamies 'Grandpa' on more than one occasion and when he tells me about it, I say "Honey don't worry about it, we are older parents..." but when Jamie's swim teacher referred to me as the Grandma today it was weird. And not in a good way. Darn I wish it hadn't bothered me but it did despite her assurance that she is getting alot of grandmas taking their grandkids to lessons lately.

The swim lessons went ok I guess. What do they teach a 2 year old you may ask? Well Jamie learned how to get in the pool by crawling down the wall by twisting her body, she learned to wait to jump until I say "1, 2, 3, GO!" and she learned how to crawl out of the pool pulling herself up by her elbows and then crawling out. I am not sure she will be able to do it in our pool as we don't have the ledge like at the city pool but we will see. She did not learn to roll over, this maneuver where I have to get her to allow me to support her as she is floating on her back and rolling her over onto her stomach. She even got a little pissed with me for trying it again and again. But she did better than the little boy 'Nicholas' who sobbed the whole time and pleaded to get out. Jamie missed the first 2 lessons this week because of a private swim team meet and a nearly bad weather day on Monday, but she is almost caught up to the rest of the Aqua Tots. We will see if she will roll with it tomorrow.