Losing folk left and right

I guess it's a sign I've been on here for a good long while. Ebb and flow of life seem to have caught up and a lot of the people I used to lurk read back in my early days, are changing their focus.

The first loss I experienced was a PF blogger named Twiggers. I think she was the first person I found and I devoured her site. She was gone a few months later.

There have been quite a few over the years that just disappeared or said goodbye as they moved on to other things.

Recently Beks left (who had replaced Tricia) at Blogging Away Debt.

Money Rabbit moved on out of the blue.

It was a huge blow (to me) when Asian Pear decided last week that it just wasn't in her at the moment to continue and she (rightly) needed to focus on other things.

And sadly this morning I read that FB has sold her sites and will be slowing fading out.

I don't begrudge any of them their choices. Nothing is forever and people need to give their time to what they feel passionate about.....and passions change over time.

For all of them who gave so much to my world, without even knowing me, thank you.  I am so pleased your ship passed mine, in the night.

The "I'm crusty" blues

If you are looking for rainbows and sunshines, I'm probably not your go to blog tonight. just one of those nights and moods.

I have been singing 'if I'm crusty and you know it clap your hands' and DS2 has been quite obliging to clap, which makes me smile. Now if DH clapped, it wouldn't go over quite as well.

I'm just tired of net troubles that I am too stupid to fix.
I'm tired of feeling like chit.
I'm tired of the meds making me bloat up like a Macy's thanksgiving floaty balloon of Underdog.
I'm tired of my neck being out and a headache up the left side of my head.
I'm tired of bleeding $10 here and $20 for more little expenses than I can count, or anticipate.
I'm tired of feeling like I am the only one who grocery shops or makes sure there are groceries for the boys' lunches or laundry done.
I'm tired of a house that doesn't feel or look clean.

you get the idea.

I tried candles today because they always perk me up.
I tried opening up the windows and screen door for wonderful fresh air.
I tried a nap.
I tried reading a book.
I tried playing with my cats.
I tried not going to the school this weekend at all.

just not the right recipe today.

I appreciate many things.
I appreciate that there was still money in my account to take out my week's $ for the jars.
I appreciate my sister made it safely home from her MS liberation surgery in the states and she is very upbeat and positive right now.
I appreciate that DS2 knows how to hook up all the router chit so I didn't have to do it alone.
I appreciate the awards ceremony where DS1 was given MVP
I appreciate having blogs to read and readers to read mine.

We'll give positivity a try tomorrow  :-)

back in action, i hope (with an update)

We are coming to you live from the laptop. There appears to be internet in the house again.

Service call guy #2 arrived shortly after 9 and tested more wires and did this and that and I still don't really understand what he did that was different than service call guy #1 from last week. He got the new router to work though what he did that was different than I did, I do not know.

"It should work now" he said.

"respectfully," says I, "that is what the gentleman last week said too, and it did, for a bit....off and on"

He apologized. I said "why? it wasn't your fault it wasn't working" and I chuckled.

We shall see how this all goes.

I miss normalcy and I miss reading everyone's blogs.

( So after I got home this afternoon, in 20 minutes the internet cut out and back in four times for myself and my son's xbox live line etc I called customer support. The guy was ok. I just said I wanted it on my information that it wasn't all better. I currently had wireless but that it had been cutting out. I said if I didn't phone all the little times then they would have no information about the problems when it really craps out, again. the techie suggested that it was interference and perhaps I might wish to explore buying a dlink router that operates on a different frequency than the ones from my provider. It might cut down on the interference. Cost to me...about $30 he thought. Where might the interference come from? cordless phones, other wireless networks etc) sigh

Adventures at the Dentist

So with all this 'no net' at home, I forgot to fill you in on my adventures at the dentist.

Monday morning DS2 and I headed over to the dentist to be there promptly at 8 AM when the doors opened. I knew going there in person was the best thing to do. It is easy to say 'sorry we have no openings' over the phone. Less easy to say when the child is stsanding right in front of you. Not impossible, but still less easy.

AS we headed in the door, the receptionist was on the phone chanting that same message over and over to the folks who were calling

The second receptionist came over and asked how she could help. DS2 showed her  his broken tooth. She "oh lordy we are busy today. We were on holidays last week and everyone is busy trying to get in."

I smiled and nodded saying I understood and asked when this week there might be a spot. They got him in for that afternoon at 2:30. I wouldn't be able to get it off but he's almost 15 so I was hoping he could do it on his own.  I thanked her, sent DS2 off to school and told him to go to the dentist after 4th period. Thank goodness it is in walking distance and nice out.

I told the receptionist I would come over after school and pay the bill. She checked to be sure my info was correct and I made sure they had that DH still does not yet have insurance with his new job so it would have to go through mine first. I offered to leave my CC number with them since I couldn't be there to pay it before he left the building but she said I didn't have to.

I told DS if they couldn't attach it again and we had to do something different, to phone my cell at school and we would try to figure out a game plan.

DS2 showed up at my school just before 3 and it was done. No needles (thank goodness) and they rebonded it. I left right after school to go pay for it but apparently they closed at 3. (early, I thought).

I headed off early Tuesday to go pay before work. I took them a case of Scout popcorn as an extra thank you for squeezing me in.

The bill came to $145.87. The dentist office sends the claim in to insurance immediately, which is very nice of them. I hate having to fill out those forms. She said 85% of it will be covered, so that will leave me with a balance of about $24 ish to pay out of pocket. Not bad. It would have been 100% covered between our two accounts if we had both had insurance.

So  hopefully soon my cheque will come as the amount is currently sitting on mr mastercard.

Thus ends my adventures at the dentist.....for now :-)

February Wrap up

It wasn't a stellar month in the Money Tree household, for goal accompishments.  More things are popping up and the yearly bills are making their appearances as well.

I was not able to write DONE beside any of my goals this month. I knew that going in, though, as I decided to tackle the vehicle loan. I have it down to just under $4500, with a regular payment coming out on Monday, March 5th. Once that payment comes out, I will have 6 payments plus a slightly smaller 7th payment left. That means I would now be done with this loan by October 5th. Not good enough IMHO, so I shall continue to attack this loan. I gave myself a window until May 15th to keep throwing money at this and then I will need to go after other, more time pressing goals.

Nothing else really got tackled. I put down $50 plus paid the interest on the LOC and that was all. I can't visciously attack every goal so I either take little bits from each one and feel like I never get anything off the list, or I go hard after one.

I snowflaked $350 in February, a part of which came from the rolled change.

I have bills coming up this month

• filing income tax
• DS2's summer bible camp $300 ish
• DS1 will have a few more outgoing expenses as he gets ready to head off to Italy. I will find out at our group meeting next week
• My package policy for insurance is due on my vehicle
• A couple birthdays forthcoming
• more will pop up that I can't remember

As I listen to my washing machine, I know that those items' days are numbered. I need to be aware of that and know that new ones/new to me ones will throw off my plans

Anxiously awaiting my tech guy on Saturday so I can find out the status of my internet at home. I am really realizing how much time I spend on there. bad jolie!!