What a tool!

I overheard a couple of the ladies I work with today talking about the tools they own. I rolled my eyes and of course, they noticed.

When pressed for a reason for the eye rolling, of course, I had to open my mouth.
J. was talking about her wonderful tool set, it comes in a cute little PINK tool box, the handles of the hammer and wrench are pink, and it's just cute.

So then S. pipes up that she's got a great one, too, the hammer is about half sized, and just adorable...

WTF? Really?

Pink tools?
It' s like ALLOWING men to pat you on the head and say "it's OK little lady, here's a set of tools that maybe you can handle" Like we aren't capable of using "real" tools...

When I explained this to J. and S., their big comeback was stunning.
J.-"Well, they're not really "pink", more of a mauve... "
S.-"Kind of a dusty rose color?"
J.-"Yeah, that's it, exactly, they're really pretty"

Silly little women just proved my point.

Also greed, sloth, lust, pride... um... what are the others?

confession:
I did something bad today. Well, not BAD bad, but not great.
Envy.
Yeah, I know, I am not exactly what you think of when you consider the 7 deadly sins... some of you may be in shock that I even know that envy is one of them!
Well, chalk that up to a great movie starring Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt.
ANYWAY... yeah, me and that envy thing.
I know, or I guess you could say I 'found out' how much someone gets paid today. Someone that I THOUGHT I was not envious of anymore. Someone that I thought had a life I would never really be comfortable in, were it my life. Does that really change now that I know that she makes A TON more money than I do? Shouldn't.

Does.
dammit.

Expensive weekend

Well, shit.
I go blabbing about how we need to 'fix' our finances, and buckle down and behave ourselves.
It's SO HARD to do that when we cannot be a united front, when one of the "adults" is just as bad, IF NOT WORSE, than the kids. Worse in the aspect that it's easy to tell my kids NO, but it's tougher to say it to my husband. After all, he makes the majority of the money that gets spent willy-nilly around here.

Friday night there was a retirement party for a guy that JP works with. Fine, that didn't have to hurt as much as it did. JP didn't (read: couldn't) drink too much, he had to get up at 6 am Saturday for Guards. I got there late, had to work late. So the bar tab wasn't exactly what killed us. What did, you may ask? Meat raffle. What's that, you say? You've never heard of a meat raffle? Well, let me tell you, you are really missing out if you've never experienced a meat raffle. Of course I am being sarcastic and obnoxious.

A meat raffle is exactly what it sounds like. You buy raffle tickets, they draw a number, if your number is called, you get to go up and choose a package of meat. It's not mystery meat, they're all labeled, you KNOW what you're getting. JP decided that since one of the packages was prime rib, and he really LOVES prime rib, he should spend some money to "win" some "free" prime rib. Well, the first drawing came along, and JP did not win (surprise) but his buddy Adam did. Adam is also a fan of prime rib. First win gets first pick.

Now, you'd think that since the prime rib was literally off the table, that JP would stop. But no, that would have been the responsible thing to do. JP kept buying tickets for each subsequent raffle. In the end, he did get a package of pork chops. And yes, they were good. But just how many tickets did he buy before he "won" the "free" pork chops? It's like asking how many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop... the world may never know.

My entire night cost me about $20. I know this because that's how much I walked in to the VFW with, and JP bought me ONE drink, and at $3.50 each, it was not much over $20 that went down MY gullet.

Saturday JP got up and did his Guards thing. It was a one day deal, he was home by early afternoon. Then he proceeds to bully me in to taking Emma and Eric to the county fair. It's about 6 blocks from our house. He had already given Alex permission to go down there with a friend... and unbeknownst to me, he gave the boy $25 cash.

JP's argument for taking the younger two to the fair, was twofold. One, Alex was already there, and Two, it's a once a year thing. I gave in. Dammit. I have GOT TO STOP DOING THAT WITH HIM!

So we get there, and we are looking around the midway. Of course, Em and Eric were begging to go on this ride and that ride. So we go to the ticket booth. Each ride costs between 3 and 5 coupons. Coupons are $1 each. Or, here's the bargain (sarcasm again!) you could just buy a wristband for unlimited riding for $25.

NO, YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT A FRIGGIN BARGAIN IS??? STAYING HOME!!

So, $75 for wristbands (Alex spent the $25 that JP gave him on that) plus we took Em and Eric to see the Demolition Derby, and it was $24 for the four of us. PLUS the food, because, as JP says "You have to eat at the fair, when else are you going to get funnel cakes and foot long hot dogs and cheese curds and cotton candy?"

So I figure between the two nights, we spent about $250. Yeah, that's right, and that's about the same as we spent total on the pool and filters and chlorine tablets etc a couple of weekends ago, when I originally had this rant.

FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK!

JP leaves for Guard camp on the 9th. Maybe, just maybe, I can have 2 weeks of no blowout spending while he's gone.

No more swimming pools, from now on, we live like we got nothing!

JP and I had a quick conversation tonight before he left for his ballgames.

We made a plan, and I fixed the budget to accommodate our new plan. It will include saving in several forms. One saving for the trip to England, one savings just because we have so many plans that we cannot afford to do within one paycheck. Of course we will not go hog wild on the savings until certain things are paid off.

My first 'target' is our Menards credit card. Thanks to JP having Guard camp in the beginning of August, that will be gone by mid to late August. He will get his regular City paycheck AND a Guard check. The $200 that we had been sending to Menards will be lumped with the $100 that was already going to the Target card. That will then become my second 'target'. Everything else will receive the minimum payment amount rounded up only slightly. Once Target is gone, I will hit the AAFES card, which is the military credit card.

Not only is this plan killing the ones with the lowest balances first, but also the ones with the highest interest rates first. It just works out nice that way. Quick results, kicking the lowest balances, but also getting rid of the high interest rates right away.

And of course, in December, I will have to start paying back my student loans. Luckily, that total is not nearly as high as it could be, and with student loan rates being so low, it won't take much rounding up to make pretty short work of it.

JP and I just have to try very hard and watch each other and ourselves to keep on track.

In the greater plan, once the credit cards are gone, I would like to pay off JP's truck early. As long as our savings can be built as we go, we should never have 'need' of credit again. There are several things we want to do, remodeling and such. If we save as we pay things off, hopefully we can use that for the projects in the future instead of going in to debt again.

This is a post I will need to come back to, visit often, to keep myself on track...

Religion and Politics

these are two things that have so much in common.

One, they should not, EVER, under any circumstance, be mixed with each other.
Two, they are things that should not be discussed with coworkers.
Three, they are both subjects that I LOVE to debate.

The bad thing is, the only people I am around, to talk with (read:debate) are my mom, and my husband who feel roughly the same as me, and my co-workers, who most decidedly do NOT agree with me. I have found this out with subtle little partial conversations, and reactions to emails that we pass around amongst ourselves.

I would LOVE to talk politics with some of those women... but I can't.
And THAT pisses me off.

I would LOVE to debate religious beliefs with a couple in particular... but I can't.
Again, pissed off.

That's what I've been thinking about today. I miss a good debate.

We Fest Advice

For those googling "we fest" and such, I have some valuable advice for you, being a local and all.

You're going to want to go in to town to get booze, hit the local liquor store at one point (or several points) over the weekend. Well, that's easier said than done this year, since we have renamed the town "Detour Lakes" for the summer road construction season.

Here's my advice: As you're driving North, on Hwy 59, as you people do every year, instead of taking Hwy 10 East INTO D.L., take a left turn, head West. There's a little town just down the road with a helluva liquor store. The prices are better, and the total lack of road construction makes it worth the extra 5 miles.

Have fun, be safe, and say "Hello" to the manager of said liquor store, tell her Nik sent you.

I have four children, or "think you're in control? You're not!"

JP and I just got back from Menard's.

We bought something.
Because (these are JP's words, NOT mine!)
"I just feel like we get so much stuff for ourselves, and the kids just don't get much"

WTFFF?

Let's see, last thing we got for the kids? Wii
Last thing I bought JUST FOR ME? hmmm, this may take a minute... oh, yeah, now I remember: WRINKLE CREAM!

It's a pool. Above ground, 15 foot in diameter, 42 inches deep.
(can you hear that? Listen... it's the sound of me rolling my eyes)

We Fest lineup

as requested by Flat, here's who we are going to see!

Now, for those who are googling this, for those who will be traveling to our lovely area in the next couple of weeks to see this lineup, I have some advice:

Planning on coming to town to stock your coolers? If you've been here before, you know where the liquor store is... but this year, it will not be an easy trek to get to it. You see, we have renamed our town Detour Lakes this summer. Travel within the city limits is... limited, and basically, a real pain in the ass.

So here's my advice: Take Hwy 59 North to the intersection with Hwy 10. Instead of taking a right (East) in to D.L., TAKE A LEFT, head West. There's a town just 6 miles down the road, Audubon. They have a great liquor store, better prices, and NO CONSTRUCTION to struggle through. You're going to go West to go to Walmart anyway, just keep going and get your coolers filled in Audubon... you'll thank me! Plus, the D.L. cops are expecting you here... haha.

My WeFest plans

So, y'all remember me chatting about WeFest last year, right?

Last year, I had just gotten my husband back, and I didn't have a job to worry about getting out of for the long weekend.

This year, JP will be able to come out on the Thursday night only, because he has his two week Guard camp starting that Friday.
So my mom is coming out with us Friday and Saturday. BTW, this happens the second weekend in August... so it's coming up.

The best part is (and I just found this out today!) I am off work that THURSDAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY!!! And, not only do I NOT have to go to work.... I'm getting PAID to not go to work. I'm getting PAID to hang out and get drunk for THREE FRICKIN' DAYS!!

And our seats this year? Yeah baby, 10th row of reserved. That's still behind the "box" seats, but it's even better than we had last year... and thanks to my BF Gina and her wonderful folks, they are also FREE seats!

Yes, there will be photos and there will be camping. This weekend though, I am making a HUGE beneficial purchase: air mattresses!! Last year JP and I were in the tent, and in sleeping bags, but we were still sleeping ON THE GROUND. Pain. Soreness.

Not this year. I wouldn't do that to my mommy... or my own aching ass!

Hey Zeus

Little funny to share:

JP told me about this and I couldn't stop giggling. He took Alex for a haircut about a month ago (Yeah, I know, I'm late in sharing, but it's still funny today). He took him to the "walk-ins welcome" place in our super WalMart. You go in, sign up on a clipboard, and when a stylist is available, she will call the next name on the list.

So JP takes Alex, and my boy goes up and puts his name on the list. There's a Spanish descent looking mom in there ahead of them, with her little son Jesus and the little 6 year old's name is right above Alex's on the list.

This little just-out-of-beauty-school girl walks up to the counter with an older woman, just finished doing her hair, gets her rung up, collects money and sends the lady on her way. Then she grabs the clipboard to call her next client.

In this mousy quiet little voice she questions "Jesus?" with a glance upward.
(She's imagining having to cut the big JC's sloppy mop... what if I screw it up? Will I go to hell?! LOL)

and of course, in this instance, I mean Jesus, as in the Christian head honcho... NOT pronounced as the Spanish do, which is, of course HEY, ZEUS.

Rough weekend

I had all these plans for my long weekend, was going to get so much done.

But instead, we went tubing down the Ottertail river yesterday. For about 5 hours we were lounging in innertubes floating down the river with coolers of booze, pulling over in "party spots" and drinking more, it was a really good time.

My mom gave us a ride out there, and then came to pick us up, too. It's about 5 or 6 miles out of town to the river spot, and on our way back in, we saw no less than 7 cops... just cruising around looking for drunk drivers. So we all appreciated mom giving us rides.

Got back to our house, Gina and Mike and Travis had rides arranged to pick them up from our place. We ordered pizza, around 6pm. I didn't get mine until almost 10. The amount of alcohol and the sun really did a number on me. I spent a bit of time in the bathroom, then went and crashed on the bed. JP was wonderful and came to get me to eat something.

Today is pretty much wasted with recovery. I have to get some laundry going to get ready for the week, but that's about it.

Happy 4th, wet dog day!

So far, so good. We took the dogs to the lake and then mom and I went to a flea market and walked around for a couple of hours (and I DID NOT buy anything! So proud of myself!) We are just hanging out this afternoon, then this evening we will head out down to the lake for the fireworks display. They set them off from a big boat on the lake.

Tomorrow JP and I are going tubing down the river with Gina and Mike. Of course there will be a tube just for the cooler of booze. And yes, I already have my mom on call for a driver to come get us when we get off the river. No driving while intoxicated, I promise!!

page 123 of MY book

I thought that post about page 123 was interesting, so I decided to try it with the book I'm working on writing...

Here it is:
The charred remains of a few things could be made out, mainly because Chad knew the layout of the house. He knew, for example, that the melted hulk in the far corner of the lot was probably the sectional sofa, simply because of it's location. Chad walked into the ash and rubble in the place where the front door would have been and began gingerly stepping through and over charred remains of furniture, flooring that had come down from the second story, bits of roof here and there; a mixture of everything that made up a house.

Now I have to go to bed, had a few UV lemonades and I'm feeling sleepy.

Nine pounds!!

This morning, after I got home from the gym, I decided to try the scale, since it's been ALMOST a month since I started going to the gym.

You may recall, I actually posted my REAL weight... 165 on June 6th.
This morning, I saw 156 on the scale. Yeah, I've lost 9 pounds in just under a month.

Just so frickin' happy about that! I feel like I'm actually accomplishing something, like it's actually been worth getting up at 5:40 AM a minimum of 3 days per week for the past month.

Add that to the whole thing about the pants, and it's been a great couple of days. The pants?
Oh, yeah, well, I found a pair of pants earlier this week in my closet that I tucked away at least 2 years ago when I couldn't get my fat arse in to them...but I love them, so I kept them instead of rummage sale-ing them, or donating them.

I tried them on earlier this week... fit! Now I have one more pair of pants to wear to work.

It's been a happy week for my shrinking behind.

nothing else to say but this

I was going through my list of blogs I read, visiting everyone else... and found an interesting idea, about the time I was thinking that tonight was going to be a read-only blogging night, no posting, because I had NOTHING! to say.

Here's the idea... grab the nearest book, turn to page 123. Find the 5th sentence and then post the next 3 sentences...

K, here goes:

"The sea oats belong, but the rest of that shit has no business growing without irrigation. Somebody better investigate, that's what I think" "My daughter and I went exploring one day. It looked like outright jungle south of here"

Sorry, with nothing much going on, it's a pretty dull post... but if you want to do this, page 123 etc, go ahead, comment so I can go check it out.
I'm in hopes that this weekend will bring about some finishing touches on several projects, it's a 3 day weekend for me, bank is closed on Friday, and I don't have to work on Saturday.

Btw, it's "Duma Key" by Stephen King.