The Buzz on ‘A Day In My Life
Thursday, August 19th, 2010 |
I guess as could be expected, moving from a large home to a smaller one, it’s difficult finding space for our “stuff.” I really had thought I eliminated a lot and the garage sale we held this past weekend was a big help in doing just that. Actually, rather than put the leftover items back in the house, we brought them to Goodwill…..they take anything! Regardless, I have organized about all that I can and there are things there just isn’t any room for. We don’t have a garage at our new home and I didn’t realize how much we would miss it. Apparently, it had become a wonderful storage facility. Actually, we do have a wood shed on our property, but two dirt bikes, a Harley and our Ninja take up most of the space. Friends of ours had put up a steel building and it just might be the next thing we’ll have to buy. In the meantime, we’ll keep trying to eliminate “stuff.” The biggest problem with this is that I’m a creative person and I find a use for everything…eventually. Perhaps, if I close my eyes and take things out to the trash we’ll manage to have room for everything.
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Wednesday, July 28th, 2010 |
It’s been funny for me dealing with Mike lately. He’s a service tech and just got a new job. This new job requires the use of a laptop which provides him with all the information about the job. It also requires him to enter all pertinent information. Of course, for most people this wouldn’t be an issue, but up until now Mike had decided he was going to go through life without the use of a computer. Now imagine this man, who has never as much as turned a computer on, having to use it as a tool for his job. When I watch him “hunt and peck” and refer to the term, he was surprised that there was actually a term for what he was doing.
Amazingly, this very patient man has not gotten frustrated yet and will sit and practice over and over again, the typing program, I found for him online. On top of that, when I taught him how to search for information, he initially spent two hours going from web site to website and researching what interested him. The good thing for me is that now he actually understands how time consuming the computer can be and how invaluable it is for record keeping, data and research.
Do I dare introduce him to the iPod, http://www.apple.com/iphone/ or the addicting Xbox 360? I think not!
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Wednesday, July 28th, 2010 |
What a change, living in Hastings! Coming from a home that was on a zero lot 
line, where there are cars lined up and down the street, where there’s a constant hum of vehicles in the background the difference is incredible. In the early morning you hear the birds and the sun shines through the trees enabling you to see the intricate makings of a spider web. There is the occasion sound of a rooster in the background which is never drowned out by the traffic of people on their way to work.
In the evenings, sitting in the blackness of night on our swing or patio chairs on our deck we look up through the trees and witness more stars than we ever seen before. We wish on shooting stars and listen to the crickets and frogs and the owls that have a multitude of sounds.
Never have we enjoyed such peace. This is what life should be about.
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Tuesday, July 6th, 2010 |
Well, finally moved in to our home in the country, which is the reason I’ve been so remiss in writing. They do say moving is one of the most stressful things that you experience in your life and I agree with first hand experience.
The move itself was relatively smooth as we moved over an expanded period of time in several trips. It was the unpacking and finding room in a home that is half the size that we came from. I happen to be a relatively organized person, though, so with the help of bins and drawers and shelves, I’ve made our house a home.
With our belongings put away now it’s time, on a limited budget to address the decorating expenses. Lights, fans, window coverings and wall decorations are now on my to do list.
Being that our intention is to live here forever, I guess I have a lifetime to take care of those things. And so, now I’ll take a few minutes to relax and listen to the chirps of the birds and breathe some country air.
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Tuesday, June 8th, 2010 |
It’s funny that some of our possessions are just that “possessions” and that some things that we possess have an unexpected connection that makes it difficult to part with. I have been packing up our house now for about 3 months. 
Since we already have a home we are going to and this one has yet to sell, there is no rush to be in one or out of the other. The timing of our move is actually pending on two things; when either Mike obtains a job where we are moving to or when this house sells.
I had actually, when this process began, thought that it would be a somewhat easy process: packing here, unpacking there and then packing here and unpacking there, again and again. It did begin somewhat easy as there were definitely things hidden away (and not) that I haven’t used in years, but knew I wouldn’t part with. Those things went first. Of course, there was the hesitation to pack anything of value as it would be left unattended two weeks at a time. At this point, because it is a 4 hour car ride each way, we go up every other weekend. I also have spent most nights falling asleep; figuring out in my head, where to put things that I wouldn’t have to move again to make room for other things that I bring up at a later time.
The next grouping of our “stuff” to go was the things more commonly used, but that I could do without for a period of time. Any duplicate items, some pieces of furniture, photo albums and office supplies fell into this category.
As I was categorizing, I was also separating things to give to various people. During this process, I also divvied out furniture that we are no longer in need of. Parting with all of these items had no affect on me what-so-ever. In fact, I was glad to see them go.
Until……I gave up our bar.
Mind you, we have three, but this one Mike and I had bought around eight years ago. It lived in our game room, which used to be a useless living room and dining room. I can not even begin to count on how many occasions we used the bar. So many parties, so many nights spent sitting at the bar enjoying the company of anyone that joined us or just the two of us. As I watched the bar leaving, it actually brought tears to my eyes. I find it odd for me, not that I am not an emotional person, but I am in fact not a materialistic person.
A huge concern of mine, in this case was the consideration of who was taking possession of our bar. I gave it to my sister who promised to take good care of it and assured me that she would enjoy it as we had. This brought some relief.
As I continue to pack, both Mike and I feel like we are neither here nor there. 
While this house is emptying out, our destination is becoming a home, yet we are only there every other weekend. When we are there, we can’t wait to be settled for good. For the past three years we have anxiously been looking forward to beginning a new life in the country. We have grown tired of this town and the congestion and the bills. We’ve come to a place in our lives where we want to breathe fresh air, enjoy a little peace and become closer to nature.
Yet, after 18 years in this house, I wonder when we shut the door behind us for the final time, will the house have been a possession or will it be something that we’ve possessed that will be difficult to part with. Time will tell.
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Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 |
Despite that fact that there are a zillion products on the market for any given thing, I find it virtually impossible to know which ones to trust and what really works. I have to say that in keeping with my rejuvenating regimen, the Oil of Olay Pro-X Anti-Aging starter kit that my kids bought me is already making somewhat of a difference. Of course, one can imagine anything they like, but my son, Scott actually told me that my skin looks better, so maybe my imagination is not overactive.
As far as reducing acne, a product that really works is still a mystery. I have found products for facial acne, back acne treatment, acne scar treatments and www.natural-homeremedies.com/homeremedies_acne.htm.
Wouldn’t it be nice if soap and water were our solution to everything! Ah, I’m dreaming!
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Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 |
Is it still considered job hunting if you’re just searching online for a job? I almost feel that if you’re not knocking on doors and making calls then it’s only half-hearted. Actually, if anyone has read my previous post “Contemplative,” I am very ambivalent about getting a “Real” job. We’re in the process of moving. I need to pack. And, because of my last ridiculously insane boss I had, I’m in no rush to work for someone else again any time soon.
Everyday, however, I tediously go through all the ads on Craigslist and any and all work at home sites I have found. I’m looking for any kind of work really, as long as it can be done from home. Being in-particular, of course makes the time I spend surfing the web very time consuming. I look at every ad for data entry work, jobs in administration, clerical, research and anything else that catches my eye that doesn’t look like a scam. What I am finding quite frequently is the requirement of submitting a credit score. I skip over those because I have yet to figure out what that has to do with my qualifications. I am assuming it actually has nothing to do with my skills and think it is more than likely that the companies hiring are in cahoots with the companies that handle our credit scores.
Another qualification that I come across all too often is the requirement to use specific fax/phone/email software. I currently use and am happy with MyFax and have no intention of changing. I skip over those ads as well.
All in all, at the end of a lengthy search, I find that most times I did not find one viable possibility for a job and more often than not, I end my search not only unsuccessfully, but frustrated as well. The sad part is that tomorrow and the next day and the next day, I will do the same thing. I believe in perseverance and I don’t like to quit. Although…there’s always a first time! 
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Thursday, April 8th, 2010 |
This weekend was a big picture weekend for me and my family. We were celebrating my son’s graduation as a Specialist in Psychology, as well as Easter, Greek Easter and my brother and sister-in-laws anniversary.
If I tell you that a picture was being taken every few minutes that is by far, not an exaggeration. Four of us had cameras and none of us are any less snap happy than the other. It has actually taken me until this morning to sift through all the pictures and put them in some kind of order and label them.
The point of this post, however is not the quantity of pictures that were taken, but the quality or might I say the quality of one such subject, Me!
I have never liked to be photographed not because I don’t want the memories, but because I truly do not photograph well. I do know how many people say that, yet I promise you, I do not lie.
It has always been that my nose looks too big when in reality it’s kind of tiny, but has a bit of roundness on the end. This was a result of falling flat on my face on cement when I was six. Of course and apparently, the doctors hadn’t thought that two black eyes might have been an indication that I had a broken nose. Doctors!!!! (Another post)
My smile although it’s a happy one, reveals rather big teeth. Not horse teeth, not sticking out or crooked teeth, but big and they seem to magnify in pictures. Other than those two things which are definitely enough to distort a picture, I hadn’t had much else to complain about until now.
To clarify, I am, actually just turned, 51. This is not really a big deal to me considering I do now more physically than I ever did before. And, it’s not the fact that I do more, but that I still CAN do more! So, as they say age is just a number. This clarification serves to explain that when I look at pictures of myself smiling, I see wrinkles. These are new and I don’t like them. Yes, I’m a smoker which doesn’t help, but wrinkles are flipping me out a bit. What is bugging me is that now when someone goes to take a picture, I don’t want to smile and I’m making odd expressions. I made reference to this more than a few times while everyone was snapping pictures.
As a result, my son, Jason and his girlfriend, Lindsey bought me a gift, Oil of Olay Pro-X Anti-Aging Starter Kit. Although a lot of women would have been insulted, I was thrilled at the thoughtful gift. They know that I would never spend that kind of money on myself and felt bad that I’ve been less than happy about the effects of aging on me. So, now I will be on a new regimen. Hmm, and now that I’m at it I think I’ll search for the best eye cream for around my eyes. I’m more than psyched to start looking as young as I feel.
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Wednesday, April 7th, 2010 |
I just had a very long conversation with Jason, my son and his girlfriend, Lindsey. What prompted the conversation was the little jiggle under my forearm and the slight protrusion at my belly. I have always and forever been on the thin side. Even after children people used to asked me if I work out because within a month I was back to my original weight and more importantly everything was actually in the right place. I have never worked out and would respond that I’m very lucky to be blessed with an incredible metabolism and that through no help of my own I maintain a fit body. Well, umpteen years later, I just might actually have to work out, but just a little.
Over the years, we have acquired a fair amount of fitness equipment. A treadmill, Total Gym and actually an weight set including bars, pulleys and so forth. I tried to get myself to walk a little on the treadmill everyday. I gave the Total Gym a shot. I even dabbled a bit with the weight set. All of this lasted no more than a couple weeks at a time. My attempts were in an effort to be more fit. All attempts failed as I lack the motivation to commit to that type of exercise.
I did also try, at one point to follow a workout tape on a daily basis. It was a 20 minute regimen that I did each morning. I think I remember enjoying doing it, but apparently not that much, that lasted about a month. A couple years ago I decided to seriously do something to tighten things up a bit. I bought wrist and ankle weights and every morning I would do leg lifts, work my arms and do sit ups. I believe that went on for a two week stretch.
I guess what I’m getting at is that I have an adversity to working out. Now, I need to get passed that and I’m clueless how to motivate myself. Lindsey suggested committing to a set number of push-ups and sit-ups every day. Sounds good, right? It would definitely help with the jiggles and with the summer coming what better time to tighten things up so everything fits right in my bikini?! I think….I’ll start….tomorrow….I think!
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Tuesday, March 30th, 2010 |
I guess I feel the necessity to apologize for the lack of posts with any kind of substance. I’m feeling overwhelmed and a lose of time. I have been also been putting up posts in the category “Reviews to Peruse,” because being still unemployed I’m finding it necessary to bring in any and all income that I can. I apologize to all for that, posting “ads” was something I never intended to do with my blog.
For anyone that is interested, “PayU2Blog” pays $5 for each review you do post and they can be short and sweet and they pay on time. There isn’t an affiliate program that I can tell, so I’m not trying to get anyone to sign up under me. It’s just income.
With a very busy weekend coming up I don’t suppose I’ll be finding the time to post much, but I appreciate your understanding and that you visit my blog. If anyone has any suggestions how to extend each day by at least 10 more hours, I’d greatly appreciate it. Good day to all, don’t give up on me and thank you for visiting.
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Monday, March 22nd, 2010 |
I’m still trying to figure out where today went. I always wake up with the intention of writing a post and then get distracted by “life.” I’m a list person and if it’s not actually written down then it’s most definitely in my head. Although, I do have to admit that writing it down keeps me more on track. Writing it down, however, while laying in bed is a bit inconvenient and that seems to be the only time I have to plan my ventures for the following day.
So my plan for today was to shop for party supplies because my son Jason will be graduating with his Specialist Degree in Psychology and he’s coming down to Florida in two weeks. It just so happens to also be Easter and my sister just informed me Greek Easter as well (her husbands Greek and celebrates.) So, the celebration is planned. I absolutely love to entertain, but complicate things far more than I need to. In the same token, I enjoy thoroughly everything I do.
For instance, I made a huge banner for Jason to congratulate him, I’ve planned an Easter egg hunt for our kids and one also for our nieces and nephews and have also made Easter gifts for the families that are coming. To clarify, the hunts are not just “go find the eggs hunt,” for years I’ve written complicated clues and made “the hunt” a challenge for all involved and it’s extremely time consuming on my part.
Back to my day…I shopped for party supplies, food shopped and supplied shopped for the gifts I was making. I hate to shop so I was relatively quick. Unpacked, made a cup of coffee, finished the gifts and then looked at the time. Five o’clock!!!
Now it’s time to make dinner which left me just enough time to post this meaningless post. I firmly believe that sleep is over-rated yet an unnecessary evil or else I’d be up posting through the night. Hopefully tonight while laying in bed, I can come up with a plan for tomorrow that includes a more meaningful post. Til then, thanks for reading.
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Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 |
I thought I’d share my new adventure.
Our neighbor stopped by the other night before he headed out to the casino. I found myself particularly interested in the fact that he plays the penny slots and actually wins, on occasion. Still being unemployed and having no income. I started thinking maybe this was an avenue I should pursue. I actually became excited at the prospect of a new adventure and winning some money. Even if it was minimal, it’d be more than I’m taking in now.
The first time I had ever gone to a casino was in Las Vegas with my ex. The only thing I remember about that experience was that I played the “one arm bandits” and every time I won a little, he would take my winnings and go lose it somewhere. Not a good experience for me.
The second time I was with Mike and we went down to the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, FL. By the time we parked the car, we were both aggravated. The casino was packed and I basically watched Mike play the slots for a little while and we left. No great thrills there.
For my new adventure I was slightly hesitant to 
go by myself so I try to enlist my parents and my sister-in-law. Neither of them were available. Determined to get the ball rolling, I decided to go it alone. The Seminole Casino Coconut Creek is approximately fifteen minutes from my house, so I planned to head over there bright and early Monday morning. Well, early turned out to be around 10:00 and as I approached the casino there were buses pulling in and out. I noticed the names on the buses were from a variety of senior citizen communities. I quickly made the assumption that my timing was off, but I continued on my adventure.
As I walked in the door the lights and sounds were blaring. The sounds of the machines added to my anticipation as I wandered around. Although I’m not overly superstitious I thought I would find a slot machine with a name that had some meaning to me. Now my quest was to find “that” machine which was also a penny slot. On my first round I spotted one called “Night Sky” and no one was playing it. Reminiscent of the skies at our place up north, I thought that would be the one I would play. Yet, I was still a bit apprehensive and I was aware of the fact that I had no idea how the slots worked, I decided to make the rounds. I walked throughout the casino in circles three times, never seeing another “Night Sky,” but observing (not grasping) the way the slots worked.
Finally, I ventured back to my machine and there was a woman playing although she was actually sitting half hanging off the chair as if she was going to jump off her seat any minute. I watched her as she eyed a slot machine across the way. Apparently people have their favorites and she was waiting for “hers” to be free. In a matter of minutes, it was. This was my chance. I hesitantly sat down, made myself comfortable and looked at the “Night Sky” machine in front of me hoping that all of the symbols and numbers would make some sort of sense. They didn’t. I’m big on reading instructions, yet found none. It was time to put my money in and take my chances.
I had decided before I entered the casino that I would take a $20 bill, put it into one slot machine and play until it was gone. Of course, my full thought was that I would put the twenty in and when I won I would pocket everything above $20 and keep playing the same $20.
Finally, I put my twenty in the slot and determined to get the most out of my money I continued to push the button that said “1 line,” which I did figure out, only deducted 1 cent from my money on every turn. I found that if I continued to do this I would win a few pennies. My tactics were to play one line for one penny until the dollar amount was, for instance, $19.80. At that point I would get brazen and play the “10 line” button for .10 cents. I even played the 20, 30 and 40 line buttons, a few times. Playing this way and winning and losing I hovered around $16.00 for about 45 minutes.
All the while, there was a woman sitting next to me that I made small talk with. I told her it was my first time to which she replied that she’s seen a lot of people with beginners luck. (A renewal of my faith that I would win.” During the time I was playing the women took the time to explain all the buttons to me and continually tried to stress the fact to me that I should be playing 40 lines and playing more than a penny. I probably should have listened. Although, watching her clad in diamonds and feeding her slot machine with $20′s on a regular basis, I wasn’t too anxious to follow her technique.
By the time my $20 had deteriorated to $4, I decided it was time to really gamble. I played the 10, 20, 30, 40 line buttons consecutively until my money was gone. I’d said all in all the $4 was gone in less than a minute. I was done. I guess “Night Sky” wasn’t my slot machine after all.
I turned to the women thanked her for her assistance, wished her luck and gathered my things. I took note of her expression as I said goodbye. It was as if she couldn’t believe I put in a $20 bill, lost it and didn’t feed the slot machine another one. I have a fair amount of will-power, I kept walking.
As I left the casino I made the decision to go back again, Thursday, tomorrow. I do believe I’ll play a different slot machine or maybe not. I may follow my dads advice and play more lines to begin with. Whatever the case may be, I’m hoping I’ll be carrying just a little luck on my shoulder.
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Friday, March 5th, 2010 |
As I had previously written in my post “Our Return to South Florida,” we had returned home and I had received a letter from an attorney that was offering his help in retrieve money that had been turned over to the state of Florida. I had done my own research at The National Associations of State Treasurers and found that stock that had been in mine and my ex’s name were turned over. This, by the way, I take full responsibility for.
For the first year after my divorce I was able to cash the dividend checks. I’m not sure what changed, but after a year Washington Mutual wanted my ex to endorse the check as well. Mind you the checks were a whopping $23 a quarter. What it actually came down to was that my ex and I were not on good terms and I had no way to acquire his signature that would not entail having to see him. I ultimately filed each and every check uncashed for nine years.
Now nine years later the stocks were in the state’s possession. Being that the stock was actually a wedding present from my parents, I wrote my ex explaining the situation and requesting that he sign them over to me because they were in both our names. He agreed. Nine years is a long time and taking the necessary steps to claim the stocks by having my ex sign the appropriate forms was not in itself a big deal. We did also need a gold medallion seal, which I had to meet him at the bank for, but it actually was uneventful. I submitted all the paperwork in August 2009 and knew it would be a long wait before I received a check. I did not, however realize how long.
Five months later in January, I received a check. If you’ve read any of my posts, you know that nothing in my life goes on without a hitch…the check was for half the amount. I really wasn’t sure what to think. I went back over the numbers and checked the amount. I thought for some stupid reason that maybe the other half would come separately. I was right. However, the other half was issued and sent to my ex despite the fact that we filled out all the paperwork to the contrary. Actually, he was amiable about it, probably because he has more money than he knows what to do with. He signed the check over to me. I’m not talking mega bucks, the check was for $2400 and I intended to cash it, although I anticipated some resistance at the bank.
I have not previously mentioned this, but my ex and my current husband are both named Mike. As you can imagine, it’s been a little bit of a pain in the ass in certain situations when both or either of them come up in conversations. I didn’t ever imagine that both of them having the same name could ever be beneficial. When I went to the bank to cash the check the teller quickly looked at it, saw the name Mike, claimed he was on my account and cashed the check; no questions asked. For the first time ever the name similarity paid off and it made my day! I guess Murphy was on someone else’s shoulder that day!!
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Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 |
I’ve been unemployed since January 6th. I’m one of those creative people which generally is a good thing, but it does have it’s downside. I always have something to do. I have no less than ten projects going at one time; whether it be painting, working on transferring or formatting my pictures, looking for a job, writing articles or posts and of course the every day things like cleaning. Cleaning by the way is as written, my last priority. Essentially being unemployed and always having something to do presents a problem. I enjoy being unemployed which obviously is something that my mortgage, electric and phone companies won’t accept to kindly.
The other unfortunate thing about having so much on my plate is that I find myself extremely contemplative. It difficult at times to decide what to do first. Of course, the job search should be a priority yet I find that I do that halfheartedly. I need a job to help pay the bills. I feel extremely guilty that Mike is the sole provider and that he is working as hard as he is to make ends meet. It’s that guilt that keeps me looking for a job, yet when I find a potential position I apply without enthusiasm.
The other downside to working is that it will hinder the sale of this house that we desperately want to sell. I need to fix things up and maintain it and be available to show it. And, why get a job if we’re leaving?
I am a believer. I know somewhere online I will find my niche and draw the income that we need to survive. As I continue my search, I contemplate!
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Monday, December 7th, 2009 |
Are you wondering what Murphy is up to? The same Murphy whose law seems to affect us all at one time or another. I’m starting to think he has more siblings than we can count. I don’t remember a time when I’ve spoken to so many people that have one thing or another going wrong.
The end of September, I wrote a post, “Our Return to South Florida,” in which I recounted the less than usual events of our return. I could have sworn Murphy was just hanging around on our shoulders and that soon he’d be leaving. This was not the case.
With Christmas coming right around the corner we’ve planned to celebrate at our house and we are also preparing to put the house up for sale. Now wouldn’t it be a perfect time after 17 years for the dishwasher to decide to start leaking? A non-fixable repair, according to Mike, my serviceman husband. Thank you Murphy!
Saturday, I was looking forward to a whole day to catch up on blogging and commenting and responding to messages. I turned on my computer, went into a friend’s blog and enjoyed the delightful sound of my virus alert telling me that I had a Trojan. It was that wonderful bankerfox.a virus in conjunction with the win32/nugel.e. I did finally clear it up with a solution at Geekpolice.net , but it took me all day! Murphy struck again!
I guess I wasn’t thinking because if I was I probably would have remembered that “things happen in 3′s.” On Tuesday, I left work, came to the corner of a busy intersection where I needed to cross traffic and when I hit my brakes I heard a pssssssssssss! As my brakes were serenading me they all of a sudden became very difficult to push. Being that I’m so versed in the workings of a car, I panicked and called Mike, still sitting at the intersection and afraid to move. He offered to drive the car home for me, but I told him I’d take it slow and keep testing the brakes. I drove in the right lane anticipating jumping the curb and hitting a tree to stop if my brakes failed. I drove really slow and made it home incident free. After some inspection and a phone call to a mechanic friend, Mike found that the problem is my brake booster. It turns out that the brake booster gives more braking power with minimal pressure on the brake pedal. If the brake booster is not functioning properly, the brake pedal will be very hard to push, but you will still have brakes. Good to know! It’s also a good thing I have strong legs, but needless to say it needs to be replaced. Murphy strikes again!
It’s almost become comical waiting to see when we’ll have our next encounter with Murphy. And, I am so thankful that these problems are minimal. Our family is blessed with its health and although things are difficult we have it easy compared to others.
I’m pretty sure, though, that Murphy must have siblings that we didn’t know about. Almost everyone I speak to has one mishap or another going on. What’s funny is that people keep saying it “Murphy’s Law” that affecting us all. Another thought I wonder, is if we might be bringing negativity on ourselves because of the stress we are dealing with in regards to the state our society is in. Regardless, we trudge on with a smile getting ready to hurdle the next bump in the road.
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Thursday, November 12th, 2009 |
Go straight to survey
As I sit and contemplate my next post I wonder how many people are doing the same thing I am. I have been feverishly manning my blog for months, trying to come up with posts that will interest people, trying to find the best way to monetize my blog. Day after day I’m trying to keep up with commenting and responding and following and joining! I don’t mind any of this although it’s not all that easy to keep up when you’re working a full time job as well. I find that by the time I get home, settle in and spend some time with my husband there is little time left in the day. The answer, work into the next day!! With laptop on my lap I am generally poised on the couch until 2:00 to 3:00 in the morning, as I click away. The only break I take is when the computer apparently overloads and locks up and I have to restart it.
My point in all this is I often wonder how many people are actually making an income online that truly supports working at home. In all honesty, my goal is a measly $500 a week. In reality and in comparison to the claims online, this is very little to ask. I find myself surfing through blog after blog where there are posts on how to make money online. When visiting the users’ web pages on Twitter, I find that ninety-nine point nine percent are sales pages or pitches with everyone claiming to generate mass amounts of income.
I have been using the internet almost since its inception. I have searched and researched every online scam that is out there and I admit that I have even fallen victim to a few. The dream of having financial freedom is just so enticing that it’s worth some risks, right? I learned the hard way that you can’t always believe what you read and that there are way too many websites that are mass produced with different people promoting them. A big selling point for me was always the testimonials. Call me naive, but I thought for sure that these people were making tons of money. Then it dawned on me that very infrequently did I actually come across dollar amounts in the testimonials. In fact I even went as far, a couple of times, to search for these people by name and state. Their existence is still questionable. In conjunction with that I have become pretty adept at manipulating graphics and I’ve come to realize that any screenshot of a check or of a list of checks could be so easily fabricated that it’s gotten to the point that I pay them no mind.
All of this leads me to one conclusion. Most of the people promoting these websites and blogs are just like me; striving to find a better way to actually make an income. More than likely, I’m willing to bet that most of them have actually made such a minimal amount that they will eventually walk away and move on to another misadventure. Of course, as anything else, I can’t be sure of this. Maybe, just maybe,
I’m going down all the wrong paths.
Never-the-less, I find myself getting frustrated. Not in the fact that I spend an exorbitant amount of hours trying to generate an income, but in the fact that I don’t know if what I’m doing will actually produce one. There are so many MLM’s and then you read you can only make money with a “niche” blog, or selling an “Ebook” or selling “something.” Too much info, so little time.
My husband and I are looking to downsize, A LOT, and if knew that I could meet my eventual goal of $500 a week then I could have unsurpassed enthusiasm. For this reason, I’ve created a
survey.
Considering that I am more than likely not the only one having these thoughts, I think the
survey will benefit many if it is completed honestly. It is anonymous; no names attached, but will give US, the striving entrepreneurs something to gauge our efforts on. Hopefully, a boost of encouragement, hopefully a “light at the end of the tunnel.”
All of you money making entrepreneurs, please respond to my
survey and give us a gleam of hope!
PLEASE TAKE THE SURVEY HERE
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Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 |
It was Monday, which in itself is not a good thing. I got up in a pretty pissy mood because of issues over the weekend; step-parenting leaves a lot to be desired, but that would be another post altogether.
Anyway, our son, Scott called me this morning. He is a very bright, intelligent and caring person. He’s in his last semester at FSU (Florida State University) from which he’ll be graduating with a degree in Biological Science. He’s been working in a lab for the past six months and had finally come to the conclusion that he wants to go into Neuro Science. I felt that this was a wonderful thing because it seems like it would be a interesting and satisfying field to go into. More importantly than that, Scott finally felt that he had some direction. He had been in limbo for a while which had become increasingly frustrating and stressful to him. I was glad that he seemed to have found his calling.
Well, this morning he called me which he often does, usually just to say hello. To my surprise and out of the blue, he just informed me that he is very strongly considering joining the Peace Corp! After my heart skipped a beat, we conversed. He’s not really ready to commit to grad school, he’s feeling like he needs a break from the “academic” world and he really wants to dedicate at least some time to helping people that are less fortunate than him. Now as a mother I’m as proud as I can be of him and his unselfishness. Also, as a mother my worries start about his safety and missing him but I assure him that what ever his decision, I’m behind him 150%. Of course, and understandably his only real hesitation is leaving his girlfriend, Liz. Will their relationship be able to withstand a 27 month separation? I told him that if it is strong enough it will.
As soon as we hung up the phone, I did what any mother would do, I went into the Peace Corp web site to find out as much information that I could.
The Peace Corp is an amazing organization that provides assistance 139 countries. As a volunteer there are a wide variety of areas that they might contribute such as education, health and agriculture.
Volunteers are provided with a living allowance that enables them to live in a manner similar to the local people in their community. The Peace Corps also provides complete medical and dental care and covers the cost of transportation to and from your country of service.
Peace Corp volunteers are committed to 27 months. They are entitled to a two day vacation per month and can utilize this however they wish. Some choose to visit other areas that are also in need, some have their family members visit and some volunteers take those two days to visit home.
After the volunteer serves their 27 months and return home they are provided with around $6000 to use as they like. It’s something to get their feet back on the ground whether they choose to use it for education, housing or other needs.
After reading as much as I could to educate myself as to what Scott’s new endeavor might entail I felt better. It would be a wonderful and educational experience that he would proudly carry with him through his life. I anxiously await his decision.
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Monday, October 5th, 2009 |
As a continuation of the week we had upon our return to South Florida, I am writing now.
As a habit and as a form of protection against Bank of America and the low lives perpetrating identity theft, the first thing I do when my eyes are open, is to turn on my computer to check our bank balances. To my surprise, one morning I found a $289 charge for golf clubs. We don’t play golf. On numerous occasions, I had woken up to find charges to my account that were mysteriously debited between 3:00 am and 7:00 am, causing one or more overdraft fees. To clarify, yes, sometimes my balance is dangerously close to zero, which in no way justifies the early morning practices of Bank of America. I do find that if I can catch the debit while it’s still pending I stand half a chance of having it reversed with a little less aggravation.
Back to my story. My eyes opened and I turned on my computer, well I thought I turned on my computer. I pushed the button, walked away and came back to a black screen. Even though it did sound like it was running, I did exactly what you’re not supposed to do and held the button until it shut down. I figured it was a glitch which happens sometimes. Why expect a $1500 piece of equipment to work all the time? I pushed the button again totally assuming that this time the screen would light up and I’d be up and running. No such luck! When I pushed the button it would say, “no connection” and then go black for good. I called my dad who fixes other people’s computers and he informed me that without an error message there was little he could help me with, but suggested I change the power supply. Late for work, I intended to pick one up on my way home. In all honesty, my thought process was that my computer just needed time to rest and it would be fine when I got home. With this thinking in mind, I decided against buying the power supply. My intention was to go home, fire up my computer, which by the way contains all my financial records, and then pay a couple bills. I hurried home, pushed the button, nothing!!! I guessed I’d buy a power supply and assumed that would resolve my problem.
Excitedly, I purchased the power supply from Office Max and slowly went through the matrix of wires to install it. I never saw so many connectors attached to nothing, so I maticulously disconnected one of the old and connected one of the new one by one. Then, I sat back, lit a cigarette and took a breath and waited five whole minutes before hitting the button. I pushed the button, took another deep breath, and looked at the black screen. Okay, now panic started to set in. I am very thorough with my finances yet like an idiot backed up everything to my desktop. Why? Because, I didn’t want to take the time to reach to my left and get the disc that my previous save from three months ago was on. Just stupid!
At this point and in desperation, I did what any computer savvy person would do, I turned on my lap top to search the forums for possible solutions. After a while, I found a possible solution and as far as I was concerned any possible solution was worth trying. Replace the video card. I returned the power supply to Office Max and purchased a video card and hurried home. Installation of the video card was really simple. I turned on the computer and my monitor lit up, what a wonderful feeling. I needed now to install the software and as I did it said something wasn’t compatible, but honestly I didn’t care. I continued the installation and everything worked fine. Mind you the first thing I did after that was to take the 1 TB backup I had bought months ago and I backed up everything. That little black box is now one of my most valuable possessions.
In conclusion, if you turn on your computer and it sounds like it’s running, fans and all, and it says “no connection” and then the screen goes black, it very well might be your video card. A $59.99 solution that was well worth it!!
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Friday, October 2nd, 2009 |
I do know that some people have lives that are wrought with misery. I understand that there are many, many people that are suffering everyday. I do not take what I have for granted. I, and those close to me (most of them) are healthy, somewhat happy and keeping there heads above water. When I write about my day to day stress it is a release for me. Everything each one of us faces is relative to what we are used to. Although there seems to be a black cloud lingering over my head right now, I know that because I am married to a wonderful man and happy in love that we’ll get by together. Sometimes it might be by the skin of our teeth, but repeating, “this too shall pass,” is often all I need. I try like hell to live each moment as if it’s my last and if it’s not a good one I am confident that those moments will come. My only wish would be, that those deserving of it, should have happy and fulfilling lives as well.
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Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 |
While it’s fresh in my mind, I’m going to write about our first day back from Hastings. I should fill you in that we actually live in Fort Lauderdale, but have a place, in Hastings that I’ll tell you about another time. We bought it 3 years ago with the intention of relocating and retiring there. Still our dream, but the economy has screwed us up. We do, however, drive up every other weekend, a four hour drive, but well worth the peace.
We are so done with South Florida and this is what awaited us when we returned.
Not even an hour after our arrival home, Mike received a voice mail. For the 3rd time in two months, and actually the 2nd time in two weeks, his company truck had been broken into. Just to clarify, it’s not “his” company truck, but the truck owned by the company he works for. The problem is that in this wonderful city we live in, associations rule the city. You are not allowed to park a vehicle with lettering on it in your driveway. The association also tell you when you need to clean your roof, or driveway or house. They even tell you to remove plants that they don’t like and they do all this for an astronomical fee. That’s another story in itself. So, anyway, Mike parks his truck in a parking lot on a main road in a lighted area. The braizen thieves break the back window of the truck, climb through and hand out their take. Being a air conditioning and appliance tech the truck is supplying the low-lives with multiple Freon tanks, guages and motors. Each time there’s a break-in Mike has to file a police report which entails waiting an hour for the police to show up and then filing the report. This takes a half hour to an hour depending on the officer and thorough he chooses to be. Of course, this is also on Mike’s time, not the company’s. The police department has no leads and no idea who might be doing these break-ins, but the hassle is no longer worth it and Mike will now have to leave the truck at the shop which is a half hour away, rather than five minutes from our house. Thank you, low-lives.
The following day I received 4 pieces of mail. The first of these was actually an $8.00 ticket for a toll violation in New York. Our son, Jason, just moved up to Albany and had his car shipped there. I called Jason and informed him about the ticket to which he replied that he didn’t run any tolls. A little while later he called me back. He had checked the date of the violation and realized it was the day the car was shipped. He hadn’t driven the car that day. As it turns out, the driver who hauled Jason’s car on an eighteen wheeler, did not want to drive the truck into New York City where we had scheduled the drop off. The truck driver drove Jason’s car into the city and blew the toll. Nice!!!
The second piece of mail was a letter that I received was from an attorney. He wanted to “help” me retrieve unclaimed property that the State of Florida has in it’s possession. And, he wanted a mere $200 to do this. The property that FL has now taken over is stock in Ashland Oil. My parents had given my ex and I stock when we got married and since our divorce in 1999 I hadn’t been able to cash the checks because they were in both our names. The checks were a whopping $21 a quarter so I ignored them. Not a good idea. Ultimately, the stock was turned over to the state as unclaimed property. Now this lawyer wants to cash in on getting me the money owed to me for the stocks. I suppose a lot of people would have signed the documents and allowed this lawyer to file for what is owed them, but $200 is $200. I threw out the letter and then proceeded to www.fltreasurehunt.org where you can search for unclaimed property in your name. Lo and behold, I found four items that I could claim. I printed the forms, signed where necessary, attached a copy of my license and mailed everything certified to the address specified. Within 60 days, I should have a check. I’m pretty sure that in this economy everyone would rather have every penny they own in their pockets and with a little effort I saved $200.
The final two pieces of mail were the largest cause of aggravation. Not because I couldn’t handle it, but because someone else should have handled it and now it wound up in my lap (again.) The story: Our daughter, Tara was in a car accident. (I’ll detail that story in another post.) The only thing that pertains to this story is that Tara’s girlfriend was driving her father’s company truck and is well insured. I point that out because the incredible state of Florida is a “no fault” state regarding auto insurance and although most drivers carry PIP (personal injury protection), it only covers $10,000. In Tara’s case the bills were to be much higher, but in this case with the insurance coverage that the driver’s father’s company carries the insurance company will be paying the bills. Now being that the insurance company will be paying all bills they gave us a claim number and instructions to submit the claim number for every medical facility, doctor and service. These instructions were reiterated to Tara’s biological mother along with the claim number on numerous occasions, but because of the nature of the “beast,” (also to be embellished upon in another post) she seems to conveniently give them Mike’s insurance info everytime. Not sure I’ve met anyone more dense. Subsequently, upon receipt of every bill I have to call, explain the situation and give them the claim number. I do have to comment though that when we received a $36,000 hospital bill, it was a phone call that I took great pleasure in making!
Well, that was day one of what would turn out to be a chain of events yet to follow. I’m sure “Murphy” has taken up residence with us, hopefully not for too long. It seems “anything that can go wrong will.” Such is life!!! More to follow…
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