The Joys of Subbing, sometimes there are some.

My boss called yesterday to see if I could sub for Amanda Monday and Tuesday next week but, I start doing taxes on Monday for H & R Block in Albert Lea so I said NO. She called back ten minutes later to ask me to go to Sumner 3rd grade as soon as possible to take over for a teacher that had to leave. As many of you know Sumner is not my favorite school to teach in, but I went. It was a great day. There was a student teacher in the classroom that pretty much ran to show not to mention lunch started twenty minutes after I got there and then they had 50 mins for Art and 30 minutes of computer. I read a chapter in the book they are reading and we watched a weather video. All and all it was one of the best days yet.

Science Fair Time Again

Ezekiel is required to participate this year. Last year was optional and we helped him quite a lot to get the whole idea of the scientific process and the design of the display board. This year he is on his own. He is looking into the effects of acid rain on buildings and structures. He set up the test and I just bought the items needed, we will see. Last year he won an award and was very excited. Go ZEKE!!!!

These are glasses filled with either water or a mixture of water and vinegar. Chalk is the material he is watching get eaten away. I have had these in my kitchen counter since Saturday in various stages of decay and some are gross looking. Getting my counters back will be nice.

Annual Share Holders Meeting, YEA!!!!!

We attended the annual meeting last night at the high school, so we walked of course(no parking for at least that many blocks.) The information is always interesting and PETA was there again as was the man who was fired for his actions during the strike 20 plus years ago. It is always entertaining to hear what those two have to say and Hinker(the man fired) had new material this year, I do admire this tenacity.
The boxes contained(every share holder attending receives a gift box as they exit the meeting) one bottle Chili Masters, one summer sausage, one package Natural Choice pepperoni, the worlds best pizza cutter, one green label Completes, the Spam Book, one dipping ChiChi salsa, 3 coupons for $5 off certain products. A great haul for one night of interesting commercials and comical comments. Go HORMEL!!!! All the kids have stock from Grandpa for their birthdays, so they all get to go every year and get a box also. We get to times the items in the box by seven. Food wonderful food I do not have to pay for. YEA!!!! Check out David's blog for a give away from the box.

Gunnar the dancer

Gunnar performed in the Austin Packer Varsity Dance Team Winter Show yesterday. He was asked my one of the dancers to dance with her for the Grease numbers. I was surprised by the number of boys who agreed to dance, but it was cute and I laughed myself into tears.

I missed my neighbors daughter dance because of the zillions of other things scheduled for Saturday like usual. I dream of a day with little or nothing to do. I think I will stay in bed reading tomorrow while the kids kill each other form the having another day off from school.

School is out again. WHY? Do they hate me?

School is at the end of the quarter again and so they have only a half day today and Monday off completely. I am beginning to think the school district hates me. Luckily it is not as cold as it was so I hope they can go play outside this weekend. Summer does not bother me because everyone can be outside yea.

Outside I dream about being outside in the sun again.

Tax season is here YEA!!!

I went into the office today to practice on the new software program and they had a walk-in so I took her and did her taxes, 1st one this year. YEA!!!! Good day.

There are some changes this year so watch out if you are doing your own. I will try to answer any questions you may have. This is the year to get new energy saving appliances and things. 2008 year the credit was discontinued, but it should be continued in 2009. Alternative minimum tax has a higher cut off this year then it will next year. Teachers still receive a $250 subtraction for non-refunded purchases this year, but not so far next year but maybe.

Cost of children.

I think no one tells you how much your life will change or how much it will cost you to have kids, but it is HIGH. (I have had mine stuck in the house for over four days and my sanity is hanging. Too cold to go out so friends came over here too. ) Responsible for them forever!!!! They nickel and dime you to death and then they complain you do not do enough for them and that you are so mean because you wont give them everything they want or feel they deserve. Kids pretty much strip you of everything you were leaving you wondering what happened to your dreams. Yes, I am glad it is warmer and they are going back to school. I need a break(if you can't tell).

Done with number 2!!

I finished editing my last book down to under 500 pages and then I printed it double space to allow some friends and family members to critique it for me. While I am waiting for them I started my next book on Monday. I finished it yesterday and this time I have the opposite problem. It is only 149 pages long, oh well now I need to edit things in instead of things out. It is all a learning process. I figure I should be writing the right length in about ten more books and then I may be ready for a publisher to read one of them.

NO SCHOOL AGAIN TOO COLD

It is too cold so school has been cancelled again. Two days in a row and it is cold 25 below zero and with the wind chill it gets ridiculous.

Go global warming!! I wish global warming was a truth, but it is not obviously. We will be staying in hibernating again today. I hope you are warm. I did have the time to sleep in today. YEA!!!

David and I have a party at the country club tonight so I guess I will have to go out, but it is suppose to be 2 degrees by then. A huge warming trend is coming, 32 by Wednesday and if you think about it that is a 70 plus degree raise from yesterdays low.

Cold Cold Cold

We had no heat this morning when we got up. It took me about 45 mins to realize it.(I keep my house at about 64degrees anyway.) I went to turn up the heat because it was so cold, but it was only 54degrees and then I touched the radiator feeling it was cold. Dang!!!!

I called the utility company and they showed up a few hours later relighting the pilot light and replacing the thermo cuppling. I am now worried about the boiler since I think we had the thermo cuppling changed a few month ago. The house is slowly warming up. Hot water heat is slow to get warmed, but stays warm longer.

Not feeling great. Detoxing.

I think the migraine yesterday and Saturday night was normal for me, but the stomach up set that followed was not.(My stomach is always upset during the migraine but gets better when it is over.) I decided to eat healthier as a New Years Resolution and man I think it is killing me. The more fruit and vegs I eat the sicker I feel. If we are suppose to eat healthy then it should make us feel better, right? The peanut butter and jelly sandwich I decided to eat before bed last night made me feel better, but I bet if I had gone for a piece of fruit or a veg. I would have been sick again. I will keep trying, but I better feel better soon or it is back to chocolate for every meal. I must just be detoxing, and I hope it is over soon.

Porn industry Bailout

Porn bailout sounds ridiculous, but then so was the auto industry bailout. I think if the government keeps giving OUR money away they should be giving it to me. Who is going to be asking for money next? Write your officials and tell them enough is enough. NO MORE BAILOUTS!!! We cannot spend ourselves out of a recession. This country and most of us our living way beyond our means and we need to get back to the basics. Get out of debt, live on a budget, save for a rainy day and stop mortgaging your future. Everytime you spend money you do not have you put a lien on your future earnings. Stop keeping up with the Jones, they are as broke as you are!

Big mistake.

We were sitting at Qatar's basketball game yesterday and Cenneidigh was annoying me so I asked her to sit down and be quiet. I said, "Heidi will you sit down and be quiet." Yes, I said Heidi and the more I looked at Cenneidigh after that the more I realized she does look alot like my sister Heidi. It would be nice if one of my kids looked like me. Qatar is always being told he looks like my brother Steven and Gunnar and Zeke look just like David. JT looks like my brother in-law Karl. Strange but true. Maybe Parker looks like me, what do you think?

New Years Resolution Continues

I will be making my own this year. I was reading Dave Ramsey yesterday and I know I need a written down goal for this year or I will never achieve it, so here it goes.

1. I want to add $3000 to my emergency fund. (Emergencies are getting more expensive.)
2. I want to keep up with family and friends better then I did this year.
3. Sky dive this summer.
4. Eat better. Healthy meals. Veg. and fruits every day.
5. Yearly check-up at the dermatologist, gynecologist, 2 X's at the dentist, blood tests for all major items for my age, flu shot, all other health issues to stay healthy and live longer.
6. Pay cash for a trip to Iceland.
7. Read Little House in the Prairie to the kids and take them to Walnut Creek this summer.
8. Exercise 3-5 times per week in the winter weather. Summer is not a problem.
9. Put myself back on my To -Do List. (Oprah)
10.Increase my personal worship.

I am sure there are many more that I could list, but I want to get some of them done so I will not push it.

News Years Resolution Time.

Top Ten Ways to Save Money
Saving money is never easy… It’s like you can never have enough. And when I attempt to put some money aside, I always find a way to use it. Maybe not today, but eventually I am back to where I started.
At least that’s how it used to be before I started to practice the following tips. You may not be able to buy your private charter plane with your ‘piggy bank’ money, but at least you’ll have a little something when in need.
1. PAY YOURSELF FIRST ON PAY DAY : One of the best things to do on pay day is to pay yourself. No, this doesn’t mean in the form of new shoes, or even a night out. It means, take a chunk of your check and deposit into your savings. If you run across unexpected money, or if you get a bonus at work…. put it into your savings. I know it’s tempting to spend it on a night out, or a ‘reward’ for your hard work …. but putting it away will result in more return. Putting away your money into a separate account will make it harder for you to use that money. (Try to deposit into an account you don’t have a debit card for.)
2.STOP BUYING MAGAZINES, NEWSPAPERS, MOVIES, BOOKS: I don’t know about you but the amount of money I spend on weekly tabloids is a bit excessive. Ok, so $4 doesn’t sound like a lot for a week’s worth of celebrity gossip…. but $4 per week adds up. Instead of buying magazines opt for the e-zine (check out the top ten Celebrity blog sites for more info). Rent movies, rather than purchasing them. Go to the library to borrow books rather buying a book you may or may not finish.
3.CUT DOWN ON EATING OUT AND ORDERING IN:It may be less convenient, but it’s a lot healthier, and money savvy. You’ll save lots of money on food, and drinks.
4.USE YOUR PIGGY BANK- SAVE YOUR COINS: The change in your purse may not seem like a lot… but if you put it all into a piggy bank, you’ll be surprised at how fast it can add up!
5.COUPONS ARE A MONEY SAVER’S BEST FRIEND:Whether it be groceries, shopping, restaurants there are coupons available every where! Look online for deals, sales, specials. You can definitely save a lot of money doing this one!
6.CHECK YOUR CELL PHONE PLAN: If you are like me and my friends land lines are a rarity. Ask around and see what carrier your friends, family have. If you notice a trend, see how much it would cost to get unlimited mobile to mobile calls / texts. You and your friends should have the same service provider, it save us a lot of money!
7.RECORD ALL YOUR EXPENSES: You may not be able to record all your expenses all the time. However, try to commit to expense recording for one week. This way you can see where your money goes, and see some ways to cut out or budget your luxury items.
8. ”SALE” DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN A GOOD DEAL:Make a list before you go shopping. Don’t buy unnecessary items. Yes, this sounds easy enough, but you’d be surprised at how many miscellaneous items I end up with. Just because something is on sale - don’t grab for it. Make sure it’s something you need. Honestly, if you don’t need it… wait …. it’ll most likely be on sale when you need it.
9. PAY YOUR BILLS ONLINE OR IN PERSON:41 cents doesn’t seem like a lot of money, but add up all those bills. Take some time to pay your bills online, or in person and you’ll be able to make sure you get your payment in on time.
10. TRY TO PAY WITH CASH: If you pay with cash, you’ll know when you are out of money. This is the best way to budget your expenses. Try to get rid of your credit cards, and pay with cash. You won’t have to worry about paying your bill on time, and / or interest. It’s the easiest way see how much you have to work with.
The above tips should help you save money — one penny at a time.
Any other tips on saving money? Let us know!

Dave Ramsey Fan also.

Busy Busy

Sorry for not blogging I am working on the second draft of my book and I am finding it tough to cut as much as I need out the the story. I am finding many repeated phrases and things that are out of order. I love it, but then I wrote it so it will be interesting if it is still understandable when I cut more stuff out to get it under four hundred pages. I have a new idea and I need my mom to write up all of her memories of how my grandparents met and all the fun stories about them and the war. Hey it worked for Nicolas Sparks!

Next book I will be careful to be sure I am not going over board. Sorry about my photo earlier I must have not sign out yesterday and David changed my profile photo again.

Congratulation Heidi, Roxy is beautiful.