11 days late and $500 short

It has been a little while since my last blog so I am going to catch up as best as possible:

11/22 - left Texas for Ohio. We were so excited to see my parents. It has been a while since we have seen them and it was good to see them. We had the chance to be bumped from the flight coming from Cincinnati to Cleveland but we chose to pass it in our attempt to get to Cleveland. Flights were smooth and my boys behaved. Mom was overjoyed to see us. She and B immediately went to hug each other. It was sweet.

11/23 - Lounged a bit in the morning and then went for family pictures. Thanks to Flexigirl, we had our sitting fee taken care of with her Photo Card. She is awesome!! I think I will keep her. Got some great pictures and we will get them back on the 5th. Mom will send us ours. Got some individual pics of the kids and got one very specal one of my parents with their grandchildren. A good Christmas gift if you ask me.

11/24 - Thanksgiving Day and my niece's 4th birthday. Picked up one more gift for her and wrapped everything up. Had my aunt and uncle come over. Dinner was nice. Only a little bit of tension this year with my brother. Who could blame him? It was close to a year since the Jobless Wonder walked out on him and took his kid. I wouldn't be that hot to deal with either. Celebrated our niece's birthday and let the kids run random. Not bad for a day of turkey and family.

11/25 - Ever infamous Happy Shopping Day took place. We were up and out of the house by 5:30 AM (4:30 AM our time, ugh!!) and out to get the deals. We snapped up a great one on a Portable DVD player for my parents. Then on to Kohl's for some bra shopping. Got hooked up with new bras at discounted prices. Heck yeah!!! Continued on to the mall for more shopping and pictures with Santa in the line that was very short. Good for us. B loved telling Santa what he wanted and we got a great picture out of the deal. Came home and rested before Faux Christmas began. We had steak and lobster for our dinner (YUM!!) and had the kids open their gifts. My parents opened the Portable DVD player and the Pizzazz that we picked up for them and they were beyond thrilled. Dad is in a massive hunt to find a DVD case now.

11/26 - Up early again to get to the airport and head out. Tears and farewells were exchanged along with the irritation that I had with E for taking a job in Texas. That lasted 5 minutes. Found out that the airplane was overbooked and needed someone to bump to another flight. After much debate, $400 voucher, first-class ticket and meal ticket, we bumped E and he came in about 4 hours after we did. That worked too. Went to dinner and then headed back.

11/27 - Went to JoAnn for some craft shopping and a nice drive around. Came home to dinner and decorating the front of the house with Chrsitmas lights. B loved it as he got to help this year. He was ecstatic and wanted me to take lots of pictures of him helping out. We only got halfway through and we will pick up this weekend. Got too dark too fast. Had a cozy night of Despreate Housewives and card making. Got 7 more done.

11/28 - Returned to work refreshed and ready to go. Got a disturbing call from E. He was signing off on payroll and noticed that they did not pay him for half of Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Said all of his vacation was used. Now you would think that with all of the extra time that he has put in over several weekend, me coming in to help out and staying late on several nights that they would take good care of him and just pay him. NOPE!! I am pissed. So we will have a tight few weeks until next pay. Not looking forward to that at all.

11/29 - I am worried about work. We are nearing the end of the year and we are no where near where we need to be. I want all of us to travel so badly. We all deserve a break. I have been doing some serious praying and putting it in God's hands. It is all I can do at this point.

Today is payday. E read the disappointing news of what his paycheck is early this morning. And I got sass from B about wanting to go to school this morning. He wanted to stay home in his dinosaur pajamas. We were each not getting what we wanted. I wanted to do the same too. Maybe tonight will be a stay home PJ night.

Life Lesson: When you feel at the top of your game, do something nice for someone else.

I know the great joys of giving and receiving. Especially when it is at the most unexpected time.

These past few weeks I have totally felt on top of my game. I have adjusted better to my job, we have had a solution to the health insurance crisis and our bills are almost completely caught up. I felt so good that I wanted to do something nice for someone else.

I thought of my brother. He has had a rough time with the divorce. Especially financially since part of his check is going for child support. Which I do not understand since he has her about 50% of the time. I do not feel that is fair. And knowing that the Jobless Wonder is most likely using it for her own gain I am really not happy. We decided to do something nice for him.

On payday, we went out for Family Date Night. After a good dinner, we went to Big Lots where they have brand name food for a fraction of the cost of grocery stores. We stocked up. Not only for us but for my brother too. We bought some stuff we thought that he would like and stuff we knew our niece would like.

The next day I packed everything together in a good size box and mailed it to him. I knew that it would be there by today so I waited to hear the response.

I got a call about 15 minutes ago. It was my brother. He said there was a box and he was waiting for the bomb squad to get there to diffuse it. Very funny. He wanted to know what was in it. I told him that if he wants to know open the box and find out. So he went ahead and did it. And he was thrilled. I have never heard him thank me so much in one phone call.

As Phoebe would say on Friends "There is no such thing as a selfless good deed". And I know what she means. I feel wonderful that we were able to help. It makes it so worth it to hear him say thank you.

"I can't go to school today, I am sick"

These words came out of my son's mouth this morning.

I thought that this excuse was used by seven or eight-year-olds. Maybe six-year-olds. But not a three year old. I could not believe that it even came out of his mouth.

What next? Will he be ready to drive at the age of seven.

He is growing up too fast!!!!

And The Muffins Have It!!!

I know, crazy title but I know that you will understand as I go through this.

Every week, E is responsible for bringing breakfast tacos to the service meeting he is to conduct on Thursday mornings. When it was just E down here it was no problem. He had his money and our moneys did not touch. Now that we are here and the cost of living is WAY higher (thanks to no state tax) and our money is combined again I have an issue with it.

I have made the point to E a few times that we cannot afford to pay for the breakfast tacos. Granted, that is reimbursed but the check that it is reimbursed into is not one that we touch. So technically we are paying for the breakfast tacos out of our own money.

Here is the mathematical breakdown. $35 per week for breakfast tacos x 50 weeks (a couple of weeks off for vacation, travel, etc.) = $1,750 a year for breakfast tacos for his meetings. Money I cannot count on. Money that goes to his mileage reimbursement check. This will not fly.

He has had two weeks that he has not brought the breakfast tacos. The first one he brought nothing in return. The second one was last week. To make up for it, I made banana muffins. They must have been good because they all went.

This week posed the question again. To purchase breakfast tacos or not purchase them. I immediately voted it down. That is our money that we are talking about and I will not tolerate it anymore. To make up for it I sent E in with two dozen blueberry muffins. When I contacted him, they were gone.

Mathematical breakdown of muffins made by me. $5 per week x 50 weeks = $250 per year. That is a saving of $1,500 that we can use and is not being funneled around.

The company has several choices:

1) Every service member can contribute money to the breakfast taco cause.
2) Give E a company credit card to accomodate for the cost of the breakfast tacos and other things that they ask him to pick up.
3) Don't give him a credit card but be stuck with muffins from the wife du jour.

I will let you know if there is an answer that comes from this.

The Calm Before The Storm......

It is very quiet today. A little TOO quiet.

There are only two of us in the office today. BossLady is out for a follow up on her surgery from a few weeks ago. No news on how things are going. RS is out. She has been having IV therapy and it is causing other health problems. HB and I have been holding down the fort and the phones have been pretty quiet.

At the beginning of the quarter we needed to get 35 life applications in. We have 12 to date. I have been trying to increase production and have submitted three of the 12 on my own. My pride is there but I want more. We all need the apps to travel. And I NEED a vacation.

So 23 more apps to go. I am just afraid that it will get insane for the month of December. I cannot afford to have any additional pressure on me. My body cannot take it. I already have more than enough on my plate.

On a positive note, I got paid today. And the surprise. I GOT A BONUS!!! I thought I was getting one at the end of the month and I got it in this pay. That will help with Christmas shopping for Faux Christmas.

Oh, and I need 3-5 more loan applications for another bonus. That is the one that I need to get. As long as all of the apps are in for the life promotion, I need the bank bonus to fly my parents here to watch B while E and I are on the cruise.

Support the "Texas Queen Needs A Vacation" cause today. Get a Life Needs Analysis done today. You would be surprised at what you see!!!!

One more week!!!

In one more week we will be on an airplane going back to Ohio to see my family!! I am excited. I have missed them and look forward to seeing them.

We are in the midst of planning our week back. It is not a full week and I know that it will fly by incredibly fast. Here is a pre-agenda:

Tuesday night - arrive in Cleveland
Wednesday - Possibly see E's grandparents and meet them for breakfast, go for family pictures at JC Penney, and if there is enough time, meet Flexigirl and her family in Mansfield for dinner.
Thursday - Thanksgiving. Have family over for dinner and dessert. Celebrate my niece's 4th birthday. Return her back to the Jobless Wonder (AKA - her mother who was fired from Wendy's).
Friday - Early Bird shopping for Faux Christmas. Go with Dad to Meals on Wheels to volunteer for the morning. Continue shopping. Have Faux Christmas dinner and exchange Christmas gifts.
Saturday morning - to the airport and return to Texas.

The only thing I am worried about at this time is seeing E's grandparents. I do not want them to tip his mother off that we are in town and for her to sneak to see us. That would not bode well for me at this time. I have a feeling that she knows we will be in town then. That is the only thing on this trip that is making me a basket case. Otherwise I am looking forward ot it.

Hope that Mom and I will have time to scrapbook. We may shove everyone off early and just sit down and go to work. I know that if we start scrapbooking while B is around he will want to join in on the fun. I will have to have some spare paper on the side for him to play with.

Only 7 more days!!!!

One Flaw in Women

I received this e-mail and it was wonderful. Therefore I chose to share it with all.

One Flaw In Women

By the time the Lord made woman,
He was into his sixth day of working overtime..
An angel appeared and said,
"Why are you spending so much time on this one?"
And the Lord answered, "Have you seen my spec sheet on her?
She has to be completely washable, but not plastic,
have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable
and able to run on diet coke and leftovers,
have a lap that can hold four children at one time,
have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart
-and she will do everything with only two hands."

The angel was astounded at the requirements.
"Only two hands!? No way!
And that's just on the standard model?
That's too much work for one day.
Wait until tomorrow to finish."

But I won't," the Lord protested.
"I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own
heart.
She already heals herself when she is sick
AND can work 18 hour days."

The angel moved closer and touched the woman.
"But you have made her so soft, Lord."

"She is soft," the Lord agreed,
"but I have also made her tough.
You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."

"Will she be able to think?", asked the angel.

The Lord replied,
"Not only will she be able to think,
she will be able to reason and negotiate."

The angel then noticed something,
and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek.
"Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model.
I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."

"That's not a leak,"
the Lord corrected,
"that's a tear!"
"What's the tear for?" the angel asked.

The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy,
her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love,
her loneliness, her grief and her pride."
The angel was impressed.
"You are a genius, Lord.
You thought of everything!
Woman is truly amazing."

And she is!
Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness,
love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.
They don't take "no" for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideals.
They give moral support to their family and friends.
Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,
IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Top Ten Ways to be Fired From Wendy's

Okay. In the spirit of David Letterman AND our own sick sense of humor, here are the top ten ways to be fired from Wendy's:

10) "Do you want Onion Rings with that?"
9) "What kind of sauce do you want with your McNuggets?"
8) "Any hot, mild or fire sauce with that?"
7) "Yes, you can have it your way."
6) "Would you like that Original or Extra Crispy?"
5) "Would you like to King Size your order?"
4) "Do you want a six inch or a footlong?" (sandwich you dirty minded people)
3) Putting the cheese on the bottom of the hamburger patty
2) Putting the hamburger in between the wrong "buns"

and Number 1

1) Coming to work in a red clown wig, face paint and a bright yellow jumpsuit

How Do You Get Fired From Wendy's?!?!?!?!

This is a serious question. And a reality.

My brothers hopefully soon to be ex-wife got fired from Wendy's. She has been working there since high school. At least since she was 15 years of age. She is 24 years of age. So almost 10 years employed there under her mommy. Her mommy went to another branch of the lovely fast food chain and now her daughter has been fired.

I have been saying forever that she needs a big girl job but has never gotten one. I know that she enrolled in cosmotology school thinking that it would be as easy as dyeing your own hair with a kit. Guess again sweetheart. She went for the test. This is the test that you take after 300 hours of class. If you fail it, you must repeat those 300 hours over again. She took the test a few weeks ago and then told my brother that she has decided to hold off going back to school for awhile. It does not take a genius to figure out that she failed the exam.

So now she is without a job. I hope that she is not doing this to try to get more money out of my brother. Can't bleed a turnip dry if there is nothing in there to begin with.

And she is still living in her parents home. This must be very interesting for them.

So now she can get a job at McDonald's or Burger King. They might hire her. Or she can go to Subway. But she may pull a Martini's boyfriends Ex-Wife deal and get fired from there too.

Can we say, WELFARE CASE!!! Bring on the food stamps.

It's All About the S'mores

Last night was a really good night!!

After a long day at work for me and a rather draining one, we decided to do something very fun last night. We all got into our PJ's and made S'mores in the fireplace. B was in his flip flops (footie pajamas) and E and I got into our warm flannels. Not that we actually needed them as it was 88 degrees here yesterday but we did it for sentimental purpose.

I got lots of photos for B's scrapbook, which I really need to work on. Maybe I will in 2 weeks when I am back in Ohio visiting my family for the holidays!!!! I am looking forward to seeing them as I have missed them. Sorry, tangent!

This was the first time we ever let B make S'mores. I was nervous letting him that close to the fireplace but he did much better than I thought he would do. He was extremely careful and thought that it was so much fun. Even the cat got in on the action. She kept sniffing around the melted marshmallow so I took some on the tip of my finger and let her lick a little bit off. Now that was funny.

When I figure out how to post photos I will be more than happy to share them. They are very sweet.

Little Victories and Big Savings

Last night was fun in more ways than one!!

I picked up B from school and they informed me that he had not had a nap. That was good for me as he would go to bed early for me. YEAH!!!

Came home from work and E had told me that Enjon came into his office. Asked him about work and home life then dug into the meat of the subject. He wanted to know about the medical insurance. I am not sure if he asked Hollaback Girl if we got off the plan or if he took a hunch but he asked E about what we did. E informed him that we switched all of us to UHC. He then hemmed and hawed about how he hoped that I understood where they were coming from and what an "ass"et the guy was that they have their current medical insurance through. E said to not worry about it, we got off and we are saving $250 a month by doing this. Enjon went and asked if it was through where I work. E went on to tell him that it was not. We got it from another provider (ours does not offer maternity) and I was not making a dime off of it. I was just doing it to save money and help the company. I think that blew him away as he thought I was in it for the money and the business. Guess again. I was just trying to help save money. You would think that they would want to listen to someone who knows what the heck they are talking about. Oh well, their loss not mine.

Came home to a letter from the Witch-In-Law. The day before she had the nerve to send my son a Halloween card from her and her husband, Drunk Boy. For those of you who do not know, she is not allowed to send anything or address anything that has anything to do with her drunk husband. And she did. I passed the card to E for him to make the decision on what to do with it. He tore it up and threw it away. Then her letter came today addressed to E. Not high on the guilt factor but was funny. She has no clue that we are in Texas. That is what we know. The only family members of his that knows are his maternal grandparents. We think they told her but did not give our information to her. This letter she hinted that driving a long distance does not bother her and in the last letter she hinted that if she ever had to fly, she wanted this one pilot who took care of an emergency with grace. Whatever. My name is still "and your family" and she asked how her beautiful grandson was. She has not seen him since March of 2004 and if all goes well she will never see him. She has hurt all of us too much to be exposed to our son. That may sound evil but it is the truth. And the truth shall set you free.

And our big savings? We have a grocery store here called H-E-B. They have these amazing sales. Like buy two, get six free. We did the remainder of our grocery shopping there and after all coupons went through we walked out saving 11% of our total bill and we were still under $100. I was tickled!! That is awesome to get as much as we did and save as much as we did. Since we have to be a little more careful this time with spending it helped tremendously.

On to a good weekend. We want to take B to see Chicken Little in the theatre but it has had some low reviews. We shall see....

Catching Up

I am so far behind. I need to catch up.

Will start with Monday. Halloween. It was a blast. After work, E picked up B and came home to a creative dinner of Macaroni & Cheese. Then it was out to the streets for some Halloween goodies. B made out like a bandit and brought home a bunch of candy. We were out for only an hour but B was exhausted by the end of it. He then had a blast handing out candy to the kids that came to the door. We finished the video we made for my parents and I shipped it out today. They will enjoy it.

Tuesday was an average day. After cussing out the State of Texas and their highway system and those who cannot drive, I arrived to a CE course that I needed for my licenses. They were fabulous classes and I am glad that I went. I learned a lot and I am usually bored at these things. We went after work to deposit my paycheck and grab some Sonic. 1/2 off burger night. Way to save some money. We went to Big Lots after that to do our cupboard filling grocey shopping. They have a bunch of name brand food at 1/4 of the cost at the regular grocery store. We walked out with a bunch of food for under $37.

Wednesday, not so hot. I have been getting sick and it hit me hard yesterday. I was dizzy most of the day and just wanted to rest. I got home from work and did not move from the couch. I asked E to take B to the store and pick up some frozen pizzas. He thought I meant that we will all go. So no one went. We ended up with PB&J sandwiches for dinner. BORING!!!

Tonight, we will see how B is feeling. He was not feeling well this morning and if he is still out of sorts we may be at home tonight also. Otherwise, we are going grocery shopping for a bunch of BOGO deals.

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY FLEXIGIRL!!!! Hope that you enjoy your day. I miss you!!!