So I ran across this site that lists all kinds of challenges related to reading and I think I'm going to do the 101 books in 1,001 days one. So if I start this tomorrow that gives me until October 10th, 2009 to read 101 books. I think I can do this. I hate it when people do these contests and count 20 page books like Green Eggs and Ham as a book so I will not count anything under 200 pages. Right now I'm in the middle of a book that is 800 pages so I will be counting that one :)
In other news I have spent the last week making up a budget for the family to get us debt free except for our mortgages in 1 years time. It is entirely feasible BUT it means we have to stick strictly to the budget and not go off it at all and since there is no room for bad things that cost money to happen I am really hoping something doesn't go wrong. Then next years fundage will be devoted to house repairs that must be made (electrical, furnace, roof etc...) and socking away three months worth of expenses for that emergency fund everyone is supposed to have. Unfortunately, although I was planning on starting my 401(k) this year, I will have to put it off until next year because I cannot find room in the budget. So heres hoping the book thing and the budget go well. I did manage to budget for the Vegas and DC trip so at least this year won't be a total bust. Time for bed.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Taking a cue from Oprah....
This is my things I love episode! Since I have taken another 6 week break from school due to the new blackboard upgrade they did over winter break sucking big smelly balls and me not being able to deal with pages not loading or taking forever, I have decided that I will get in all that reading I've been missing out on since I started college. And whats better than reading? Reading books that are free! I have rediscovered my love of the library and visited one for the first time in almost a decade (the one in Grand Haven). I don't remember it being that small. Also although I signed up for it way back in June, I just recently posted my nine required books to www.paperbackswap.com and have since spent my three initial credits and am currently waiting for the arrival of three books and have mailed out eight of my own in the past week. What a great way to get books without paying full price. However, most of the books I would really like to read have wish lists that are miles long which is the whole reason for my trip to the library. I am currently reading Anna Karenina which should keep me busy til at least the end of the week but after that I had nothing to read and I didn't want to wait until one of my wishlisted books got mailed to me so I moseyed on over to the library and picked up Mary Queen of Scots by Margaret George and Excalibur by Bernard Cornwell (Historical Fiction being my favorite genre). What I didn't realize, stupid me, was that this was the 3rd book in the series so now I have to go back and get the other two so I'm not reading them out of order. Oh well. At least I will have plenty to read and be saving a ton of money by not buying them for full price at Barnes and Noble (which I still love but I'm really trying to cut spending this year). I even got Chris on the bandwagon so now we can order his forgotten realms books at paperbackswap instead of paying $8 a pop for them at B&N.
Also on my list of things I love is the charity that I have decided I am going to invest heavily in and that is www.kiva.org. Kiva is a non-profit that lists loans that are needed by people in poorer (almost typed "pooper" there) countries to get their businesses off the ground and help them lift themselves out of poverty. You can donate as little as $25 or fund the whole loan if you're feeling extra generous. It is not a donation. It is a loan because the person you're loaning it to pays it back gradually over time and once you get back the money you loaned them you can either loan it to someone else or draw it back out and put it back in your own piggy bank. They have a very low rate of default as most of the people pay the loans back. My goal is to give $25 every month if I can. Its not a lot considering I spend at least that much on Starbucks in any given month. So far I have helped a young woman in Samoa with her ice cake business and a man in nigeria who is selling phone accessories.
And finally the last thing I love is..........SNOW TIRES! We put them on the rear of my car before we left for NY and since we've had the blizzard from hell this past weekend and its still snowing, I can really tell the difference with them on there. I know for a fact that if I had driven through that mess this morning with regular tires I would never have made it to GR with me and my car in one piece. There were six people off the road on the way there and thanks to my spiffy new tires I was NOT one of them.
Also on my list of things I love is the charity that I have decided I am going to invest heavily in and that is www.kiva.org. Kiva is a non-profit that lists loans that are needed by people in poorer (almost typed "pooper" there) countries to get their businesses off the ground and help them lift themselves out of poverty. You can donate as little as $25 or fund the whole loan if you're feeling extra generous. It is not a donation. It is a loan because the person you're loaning it to pays it back gradually over time and once you get back the money you loaned them you can either loan it to someone else or draw it back out and put it back in your own piggy bank. They have a very low rate of default as most of the people pay the loans back. My goal is to give $25 every month if I can. Its not a lot considering I spend at least that much on Starbucks in any given month. So far I have helped a young woman in Samoa with her ice cake business and a man in nigeria who is selling phone accessories.
And finally the last thing I love is..........SNOW TIRES! We put them on the rear of my car before we left for NY and since we've had the blizzard from hell this past weekend and its still snowing, I can really tell the difference with them on there. I know for a fact that if I had driven through that mess this morning with regular tires I would never have made it to GR with me and my car in one piece. There were six people off the road on the way there and thanks to my spiffy new tires I was NOT one of them.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
RANTEDY RANT RANT
Ok, so I think the whole idea of getting a new President within the next year and the ability to play a part in that is fan-freaking-tastic. What I don't like is how certain members of my family think they have the right to influence my vote and to keep on my ass when I tell them firmly and repeatedly that I will vote for whomever the hell I want to regardless of what they think because it is my decision based on my beliefs and since I was willing to fight and die to protect my rights, one of them being to vote and live in a free democratic society, I should be able to vote for the person of my choice without being harassed about it.
I should NOT have to repeatedly defend myself about not having made a set in stone decision about who I voted for in the primaries tonight and who I will vote for in November.
So here is what the issue boils down too. The member of my family that is badgering me to death does not want me to vote for Barack Obama. Mind you, I never committed to or said I was voting for him. I said I was considering it as an option. I consider myself fortunate to be a young person in this country who can see past the racial issues and decide whether someone would make a good President based on the merit (or lack therof) of their ideas. Unfortunately, there are some members of my family who have just not made it to that point and probably won't before they go to their graves. Today I was sent that stupid email circulating about how Sen. Obama is a radical muslim and we shouldn't vote for him because he will help to destroy the US from within. It is all a big load of malarky and can be debunked simply by logging onto www.snopes.com. This person made it a point to call my place of employment and insist I take time out of my workday to read that email. In response I found the correct info on the above mentioned website and mass emailed it to everyone on that list so that they could at least make an informed decision and not one based on the pack of lies in that email.
Ya know what the kicker is? I DID NOT vote for Barack Obama this evening. Please if anyone does read this do not ask me who I did vote for because I will not tell you. Its my business. I did not even tell my husband who I voted for. The whole thing is it just makes me extremely angry that someone thinks I should cast my vote based on their ideals and their biased opinions and not recognize that I have my own set of beliefs and my own ideas about what direction this country should head in and who would be the best person to get it there. I am not anyones puppet but a free thinking human being. Secondly, the whole thing makes me sad that race is still an issue here. I don't care if the person is purple with pink polka dots. If I think they would make a good president they will get my vote. All through my life if I had an issue with someone I have never attributed their actions to their race. If I don't like you, its not because you're black or hispanic or whatever. Its because your actions (NOT race) make me think that you are a colossal asshole. Anyway, come this November, I will vote my conscience and do what I think is right and NO ONE will intimidate me or harass me to the point where I change that. Thank you ladies and gentlemen and goodnight.
I should NOT have to repeatedly defend myself about not having made a set in stone decision about who I voted for in the primaries tonight and who I will vote for in November.
So here is what the issue boils down too. The member of my family that is badgering me to death does not want me to vote for Barack Obama. Mind you, I never committed to or said I was voting for him. I said I was considering it as an option. I consider myself fortunate to be a young person in this country who can see past the racial issues and decide whether someone would make a good President based on the merit (or lack therof) of their ideas. Unfortunately, there are some members of my family who have just not made it to that point and probably won't before they go to their graves. Today I was sent that stupid email circulating about how Sen. Obama is a radical muslim and we shouldn't vote for him because he will help to destroy the US from within. It is all a big load of malarky and can be debunked simply by logging onto www.snopes.com. This person made it a point to call my place of employment and insist I take time out of my workday to read that email. In response I found the correct info on the above mentioned website and mass emailed it to everyone on that list so that they could at least make an informed decision and not one based on the pack of lies in that email.
Ya know what the kicker is? I DID NOT vote for Barack Obama this evening. Please if anyone does read this do not ask me who I did vote for because I will not tell you. Its my business. I did not even tell my husband who I voted for. The whole thing is it just makes me extremely angry that someone thinks I should cast my vote based on their ideals and their biased opinions and not recognize that I have my own set of beliefs and my own ideas about what direction this country should head in and who would be the best person to get it there. I am not anyones puppet but a free thinking human being. Secondly, the whole thing makes me sad that race is still an issue here. I don't care if the person is purple with pink polka dots. If I think they would make a good president they will get my vote. All through my life if I had an issue with someone I have never attributed their actions to their race. If I don't like you, its not because you're black or hispanic or whatever. Its because your actions (NOT race) make me think that you are a colossal asshole. Anyway, come this November, I will vote my conscience and do what I think is right and NO ONE will intimidate me or harass me to the point where I change that. Thank you ladies and gentlemen and goodnight.
Friday, January 11, 2008
No resolutions
I absolutely hate making new years resolutions because I never ever stick to them. Sure, there is a whole bunch of stuff in 2008 that I want to accomplish. Finishing college and getting our finances in order is on the top of that list. Beyond that though I make no promises to myself other than for this year to be a better year than last year.
So we went to NY over christmas which turned out to be the worst vacation ever (if you don't count that year long one in Iraq). My boy got sick and was sick for pretty much the whole time we were there. So much so that we had to delay our return by 4 days and take extra time off from work so he would be well enough to travel. Poor kid was running a fever and broke out in a rash all over his body and just did not want to eat or do anything but sleep. Turns out he had Epstein Bar virus (the one that causes mono) and a double ear infection. Besides that the visit was ok but this is one of those vacations that makes you feel like you need a vacation from your vacation. He is doing much better now though except he has a nasty cough.
At least I get to make up for the sucky vacation with a nice little trip to Las Vegas in April. I finally found someone that will be willing to sit through the timeshare presentation if it means they get their room free so yay for that. We are staying at Bally's which I've heard is smack in the middle of the strip and across from the Bellagio. Should be a fun time. Also in September I get to travel to our nations capital to hang out with my awesome friends and maybe do a bit of sightseeing. We've been meaning to do something like this for awhile only this time I actually went ahead and reserved us a condo so we're going. So far everyone is on board. Well as usual I'd like to say more but I'm exhausted. Here's hoping everyone has a stellar year :)
So we went to NY over christmas which turned out to be the worst vacation ever (if you don't count that year long one in Iraq). My boy got sick and was sick for pretty much the whole time we were there. So much so that we had to delay our return by 4 days and take extra time off from work so he would be well enough to travel. Poor kid was running a fever and broke out in a rash all over his body and just did not want to eat or do anything but sleep. Turns out he had Epstein Bar virus (the one that causes mono) and a double ear infection. Besides that the visit was ok but this is one of those vacations that makes you feel like you need a vacation from your vacation. He is doing much better now though except he has a nasty cough.
At least I get to make up for the sucky vacation with a nice little trip to Las Vegas in April. I finally found someone that will be willing to sit through the timeshare presentation if it means they get their room free so yay for that. We are staying at Bally's which I've heard is smack in the middle of the strip and across from the Bellagio. Should be a fun time. Also in September I get to travel to our nations capital to hang out with my awesome friends and maybe do a bit of sightseeing. We've been meaning to do something like this for awhile only this time I actually went ahead and reserved us a condo so we're going. So far everyone is on board. Well as usual I'd like to say more but I'm exhausted. Here's hoping everyone has a stellar year :)
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