Yard Sale Failure

Junior's ex mother-in-law, Jean, asked me last week to do a yard sale with her this morning. Even though I had nothing to sell, I agreed to help her out. Junior got together a few old power tools, and I brought all of my signs, you know, the "welcome" and "keys" signs that I make?

We spoke to her last night, and she asked us to be at her house by 7. Well, I don't do mornings well, so we got there around 8.

She wasn't there.

Since I brought my own table, Junior and I set up, and waited.

And waited.

Not one car stopped all morning.

Jean finally came out of the house around 9, and said she had too much to do, and wouldn't be able to do the yard sale with us.

By 11, we were ready to call it quits.

As we were getting ready to pack up, she came over and asked what we would take for everything we were selling. Junior told her $45 for his stuff, and $40 for my signs.

She bought it all. I wish I had sold my signs individually, I would have made more money, but now she has Christmas gifts for her family, and I have some cash, which is much needed around here. Of course, it is going right to bills, but they were bills we couldn't pay yesterday, so that's good.

It just sucks having no "play" money, although I did spend a little of my paid posting money to get Kasi a Christmas gift for all of $4.

I wish it was February...we really need that tax refund right now.

Can This Be Right?

I got on the scale this morning, and was convinced it was broken.

Since Kasi was weighed at the doctors office two weeks ago, I knew what she would weigh, so I had her get on the scale when she got home.

My scale says she is four pounds heavier than the doctors scale.

Okay, so my scale is off, but in the wrong direction.

I thought it was weighing lighter, not heavier.

So, according to my scale, not the doctors, I have lost about 25 pounds, give or take a few ounces.

I guess there is a good side to stress and not having money to have junk food in the house. Since it's not here, I don't eat it, and apparently, that was a big issue for me.

I hope this trend continues....

Tuesday

How's that for a title?

So, it's Tuesday. We still don't have a solution to our monetary problem, and the check places refuse to work with us right now. They are going to try and cash the checks, and then get into contact with us. That means about $100 in NSF fees, but what can we do?

It is what it is.

Free milkshakes from Zaxby's helped today. We have been so broke, eating out has not been an option, so going to a restaurant, even though it was just for milkshakes, was fun. The first one we went to, we waited about 45 minutes for them to tell us they ran out of shakes, so they gave us coupons for free shakes. As we were leaving, Ryan ran up to the counter and asked for his coupons, and got three more free coupons, and two strawberry shakes.

I really wanted my shake, so we went to another Zaxby's, and saw that they had signs on the doors saying they were out of shakes, too. We went in anyway, figuring we would get more coupons, but when we went to the register, the cashier said they did have shakes. Seems kind of wrong to put up signs saying you don't when you do, but whatever. In the end, we all ended up with our chocolate shakes, and I have 8 coupons for free shakes.

On another note, Junior and I got the kids back on their medicaid...thanks God...and we are going to reapply for food stamps. I used the online calculator, and it says we should get about $185 a month, which isn't too much, but will definitely help out a bunch. I also got the letter saying they qualified for free breakfast/lunch...have I mentioned that already???...which is a huge burden lifted. I am also going to reapply online for some jobs, but am not very hopeful. My friend Nicole has been looking for months, and says no one is hiring, not even minimum wage jobs.

I guess we will just continue to take it one day at a time, and see what happens.

All Cried Out

We went fishing this morning with my mom. I was so on edge, ready to break down at any moment, and after about five minutes in my moms car, I lost it. I think she asked if Junior was in a bad mood, and I just started bawling.

Then I spent most of the rest of the day crying.

But, I feel better being able to talk things over with my mom. She offered to try and help us, but I can't let her. She has enough going on right now, she doesn't need to worry about my problems. That was why I didn't want her to know in the first place.

I am still not sure what tomorrow will bring.

I still don't know how we are going to get through this.

But I know we WILL get through it.

And I KNOW that I have so many things to be thankful for, because there are so many people who have less than we do.

I am blessed to have family, and friends, who listen and offer words of wisdom.

I have my health, and my kids are healthy, and Junior is healthy, and employed.

I am contributing, and there should be a google update soon, and hopefully I will make more money after that...I have my fingers crossed for 3's on my blogs...not this one, though. This is where I vent, and I don't network this one like I do the others.

I know there is a brighter day on the horizon...I just need to get there.

Less Stressed

If you happened to have visited last night or early this morning, you got to read a post I wrote that, looking at this morning, was too"woe is me" and whiny, so I took it down. I felt like sharing my current situation sounded like I was asking for money, and that was totally not my intention. I was just really down, and needed to get things off my chest, and because my sisters don't really understand money issues, and would think I was asking for money, I don't talk to them. It was nice, though, to vent a little.

That's what this blog is all about.

Oh, and thanks to Sabrina and Miss Donna for their kind words...I love you guys!

Lost

I have been looking forward to the kids starting school for a few weeks now, but now that they have, I don't know what to do with myself. Sure, I have my housework, but in an apartment this small, it doesn't take very long to get everything done. The quiet was nice the first day, but now I kind of miss the chaos.

I need to get over myself and find something to do.

I sit here at the computer a good part of the day, waiting for opps and stuff, but that gets boring really quickly. I was going to make some meatballs today to freeze for later use (I got a huge things of meat on sale yesterday) but I don't have breadcrumbs. Hopefully I will still be motivated to do that tomorrow...if I can talk Junior into going out later for some breadcrumbs. I made a turkey a couple of days ago, so we have been eating the leftovers of that. Last night, Kasi sat and pulled the meat apart, then I simmered it with barbecue sauce..it tasted just like a pulled pork sandwich, but better for you, since it was turkey breast. Man, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

I have been trying to come up with cheap meals, since we are low on grocery money. (we're low on ALL money, but that's another post) It's expensive feeding a family of 5. Luckily, according to the paperwork we filled out, the kids should qualify for free lunch. That will be a big relief.

Remember a few months ago I applied online for a job? I never heard from ANYONE! I can not believe that the grocery stores aren't even hiring. Even fast food places are getting more applications than they know what to do with. I could probably go back to McDonald's, but I just can't do it. I didn't exactly leave on good terms, and the store I worked at, and the store closest to me have the same owners. I don't want to come off sounding racist, but both stores now have more Mexican workers than white workers, and all the do is speak Spanish to each other. I wouldn't even understand them! I have my fingers crossed that when the next google update happens, I will get my pr3 back, so I can make better money online, so I can continue to work from home. It would be hard for the kids if I wasn't here in the evenings. Junior can do a lot of things, but homework help and baths are kind of my territory. I don't think he would have the patience for it. (I don't bathe the kids myself anymore...that would be weird...but I do have to have some type of schedule to get everyone done...and Junior isn't a schedule kind of guy...and I would probably end up with stinky kids who hadn't bathed in weeks)

Anyway, I am getting excited about all my new nieces or nephews who are going to be born soon. My older sister Tami is scheduled to have Jake on Sept. 18, and I can not wait! I know she is more than ready to have him. Colleen, my youngest sister, should have her little one the end of October...she is due around Ryan's birthday...the beginning of November...but will have a scheduled section, so they will do that a week or so before her due date. My brother and his wife just found out recently that they are having twins...she is due the end of March. I don't think she will make it that far, because she has delivered all four other kids early. That's four babies in the next seven months! I need to get crocheting! lol!

I got the bill the other day from the hospital we took Kasi to when she burned her arm...almost $1000. I think it was around $960. I think that is a little excessive for cleaning a burn and slapping some cream on it. I am hoping once we get them reinstated on their Medicaid, they will cover it. I was told they go back three months, so it shouldn't be a problem. I just hope it doesn't take too long for them to push the paperwork through, because Ryan needs his medicine every month, and it is expensive if I have to pay out of pocket. We are already trying to figure out how we are going to pay the current bills...I don't need another one added in.

I think I have done enough rambling...if you made it to the end of this, congrats. I know it's a lot of dribble, but it makes me feel better to get everything off my chest.

Where Does The Time Go?

Tomorrow is the last morning I get to sleep in. Tuesday it is back to getting up at 5:20 am and helping the kiddos get off to school.

Where did the summer go?

In fact, where did this last year go?

It seems like only yesterday that we moved into this apartment. Heck, it seems like only yesterday that Ryan was born. It doesn't seem right that I am 37 years old, and that next year is my 2o year HS reunion. I have no intentions of going, but it's just crazy thinking that I have been out of school for so long.

When did I get so old????

On a different note, I got on the scale the other day...and was pleasantly surprised. Seems I have lost about 21 pounds in the last couple of months. I blame losing our food stamps...no money to buy food means there is no food in the house to eat. The sucky thing is that I am so heavy, people don't notice the loss. But that's okay. I tend to do better when people don't know I am losing. I am hoping I can keep this up, which shouldn't be too hard with the kids back in school. I may even break out the old Richard Simmons tapes.

We went to the movie in the park the other night, and I was kind of disappointed when we left early. It's times like that when I hate being depended on other people for transportation. Sure, the kids weren't watching the movie...they were playing frisbee. I wasn't watching either...I was too busy gossiping with Missy. I hated that they left because we left...it felt like I ruined the whole night. But, the time we were there was great! Kasi won something this time, a crock pot cook book. I was looking through it before, and there are a few recipes I would like to try. I also came home with the breakfast cookbook Missy won last time...she knew I was drooling over it, and let me have it...she has such a huge heart!...and there are tons of recipes in that one that are calling my name.

Other than that, it has been a quiet, boring weekend, which is what I enjoy.

I hope you had a good one, too.