In a slump

Those of you who read this and also see my Facebook snips will notice that I have been having issues with stupid the last week or so. Just feeling very bitter towards stupid people and how they insist on coming in to my personal space and being stupid near me.

I really wish I could hear something on that job I applied for, something to shake things up, maybe make me get excited about getting up in the morning.

Going back to the gym for the month of May has helped me get up in the morning, so that's one little thing.

We got our mortgage refinanced last week, other than the immense stupidity that I faced dealing with those people, it was a good thing... good now that it's over, and my mortgage payment has gone down. The savings will be thrown at the truck payment to knock that down... gotta put that on the fast track for a few months, get us out of being upside down on it, so we can refi the loan, and get it out of my mom's name. After we do that, it's back to the plan.

Speaking of the plan, it's one step forward, two steps back. Remember (not that long ago!) I was all happy because the first one bit the dust... our anytime credit account attached to our checking was paid off... well, with the refi and the remodeling, it's back to damn near maxed out... as of today. SONOFABIATCH...

So I've been in the dumps lately about finances, but I am trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel...

The pups will be ready to leave us in about 10 days... seems like just yesterday they were born, and now they're so big, and eating puppy food soaked in milk, and their mommy is no longer needed for nourishment... they're big kids now!

So all I need is to finish the bedrooms downstairs, pay off the bill I JUST HAD PAID OFF, (little bitter there, too!) get a new job, and get caught up on the bill paying plan, then maybe I will be a little more cheerful...

Hey, a girl can dream!

Does Michael Vick deserve a second chance?

I saw a story on him this morning on the TV at the gym... they're discussing whether he deserves a second chance... in the NFL.

I believe that he does deserve a second chance... at being a human being.
Not in the NFL. Why? Because kids look up to NFL players, hell, ANY sports figures. I practically have to wrestle my 11 year old son down to remove his Adrian Peterson Vikings jersey once a week to wash it!

Michael Vick deserves a chance, yes... but go be an insurance salesman, work in a factory... not in the public eye where someone might think you're a great guy. Because you're not.

I watch the show "Dog Town" on NatGeo. They got some of the Vick dogs, trying to rehabilitate them, trying to save them. It rips my heart out every time I see one of them, scarred and scared, damaged beyond what we can imagine. And my heart leaps when I see one of them come back from such a dark place to become what they were meant to be... dogs. Not warriors, not disposable commodities used for income.

Michael Vick makes my stomach turn, I believe that serving time in prison is a mere pittance. I will not go so far as to say some of the things I have heard, what kind of punishment would be fitting the crime... I don't agree that two wrongs make a right. But I don't believe that he deserves to be put on a pedestal EVER again.

Go sell insurance Michael... leave the limelight to those who deserve it.

Rockin' robin

I had a battle this weekend with a robin... you know, tweet, tweet, bird.

Bitch decided that the light under my awning, right by my back door was the PERFECT spot for her to build a nest. Not.

I wouldn't mind if she was just going to have the little robin eggs and sweet little baby birds... THAT would be fine.

But she would sit on the edge of the nest and poo off the side. Right onto my back steps.

So I put a pop can up there on Friday, trying to block her constant efforts to create the nest.

She kept trying to work around the can, and I kept knocking it down... using a hockey stick.

By Sunday afternoon, the silly bitch gave it up and moved it to the pine tree in the back yard.

I win.

Battle Royale

That's what my kids called what I photographed this morning... see for yourself! They were 3 weeks old on Friday... just a few more weeks and they'll be gone!

puppy update

They opened their eyes over the weekend... and they're learning to growl and bark (It's so cute when they start... they look like they actually startle/scare themselves when they let out a big bark!)

I have to go back to work today, haven't been there since last Thursday! I had Friday off, it was our 16th anniversary, and I had Monday off, then Tuesday and Wednesday I had to go to Fargo for work related training. The two longest most boring days of my life... I'll never get those back.

Thanks.

Driving Miss Nikky

That's what I got for Mother's Day.
My oldest son, Alex took me for a drive. My mom has been letting him practice in her truck, for the past month or so on Sundays. Today I got to ride along. Of course, I got the backseat. I felt about as old as Jessica Tandy in Driving Miss Daisy.

My SON was driving... you know, the one that just a mere short 15 Mother's Days ago was spewing rice cereal on me and shitting his pampers? Yeah, THAT son. DRIVING.

I had him drive to the local Dairy Queen and bought him a Blizzard. He did good. He's certainly not ready for real driving, but it's good practice until June when he takes Drivers Education.

We had a couple of Puppy Owner-wannabe's visit today, too. So that is always nice... they want to wait to see the 'kids' fully up and running around, see their personalities and how they interact with each other and with people.

JP and I got a ton done on the downstairs bedrooms this weekend, too. We are on schedule to drywall NEXT WEEKEND!! We even bought the flooring for Mom's bedroom. There was a sale, but there wasn't enough to do both bedrooms, so I decided to make the most of the sale price and get enough to do the bigger bedroom. We won't put down the laminate wood flooring until the walls are painted and all the trim (except the base molding) are done... less chance of damage or spills on the new floor! So for now, the new flooring will sit in the corner of the family room... a good price that was too good to pass up. It will probably be 2 to 3 weeks before it goes in, but at least when we're ready for it, we won't have to wait for the next payday to get it!

My Mother's Day was NOT relaxing, I was NOT pampered, but it was a very productive day, and I'm happy with that. Besides, I have tomorrow off work, so if I want to relax and pamper myself, I can do it then, when everyone else is at work and school... the house to myself... hell, that ALONE is relaxing!

Boys vs Girls

I had to take pictures (HAD TO! lol) of the pups tonight to send to JP's sister... she's got friends interested in buying some of them. I seperated the kids out and snapped a few.

Here are the 4 boys, one of them in spoken for, just not chosen yet...Jack, Bill & Ted and Thomas.

And there are the 3 girls... Daphne, Thelma & Louise... Chloe is not in the picture since she is already spoken for and therefor not in the "for sale" picture.

Another one bites the dust!

OK, so it's not ANOTHER one, it's the FIRST one. And it's gone. And it feels amazing!
Yesterday I made the FINAL payment to our credit line. Today it showed up on my online banking accts.

On January 1 the balance of this account was $1,268.48. The Balance is now ZERO!
So now the money that had been thrown at that...my pull tab paychecks and my "left over after the mortgage payment" extra from my regular paychecks can be pooled and added to the already $200 payment going to Menards. THAT balance is just under $600 after the payment made yesterday goes through. So I doubt it will take long to kill that one either.

So then after that's gone, I add: $200 (from Menards) to the pull tabs monthly checks: $140, with the "extra after Mortgage" amounts of roughly $180 for a total of $520... ADD THAT TO the already $200 payments to the military credit card... and I will be sending them $720 PER MONTH... nice.

Balance on that sucker is (hang on, lemme grab the last month's statement)....$4189.99... not counting the $200 I sent them yesterday... so figure roughly $4000.... won't take long for $720 per month to kick that one either... ( I grabbed a calculator, figure 6 or 7 months!) even with the 9.99% interest. And THAT is the highest interest rate we are paying on all things... mortgage, truck, Discover card, student loans... 9.99% is the worst interest we have... not bad considering...

Between that and the immense job of housecleaning I did today (with the kids' help) AND the fact that I got my butt into a size 4 jeans finally AND the phone call I got this morning, my SIL has (sight unseen, mind you!) SOLD 3 of our puppies! She's got someone who wants a male, and someone else who wants TWO girls... I am feeling fine and dandy today.

Oh, and later today I am going to print out my resume and prep it for sending off... so THAT helps, too!
It's just a good day to be ME!!

A 37 year old man

Tomorrow I will be married to a 37 year old man.

No, not getting married tomorrow, my husband of 15 years, 359 days will be turning 37 tomorrow. And he's not here. He's at Camp Ripley. He's got Guards. I think that's unfair. You shouldn't have to do yucky stuff on your birthday.

I just love him.