As I sit here looking out the window at the snow falling, I'm thinking about the crocuses and tulips my mother said are coming up at her house.
Early Thankful Thursday:
At least some of the 120 flower bulbs Renae and I planted at my parents house in November are now not just coming up but blooming!!!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Thankful Thursday 02/24/11
It's been a couple of weeks, but I'm back. . .
1. Four wheel drive to get to work on Monday! Without my new vehicle I would have had to take 2 days off this winter as vacation or unpaid as I would not have made it to work in the Fit.
2. Work is good right now.
3. I got two things crossed off my list at home last night. I'm not always very good about getting stuff done in the evenings when I'm tired, but last night was productive.
4. Two February birthdays, and I got both cards off for them to arrive in time if the Post Office does it's job well.
1. Four wheel drive to get to work on Monday! Without my new vehicle I would have had to take 2 days off this winter as vacation or unpaid as I would not have made it to work in the Fit.
2. Work is good right now.
3. I got two things crossed off my list at home last night. I'm not always very good about getting stuff done in the evenings when I'm tired, but last night was productive.
4. Two February birthdays, and I got both cards off for them to arrive in time if the Post Office does it's job well.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Home Invasion
My home has been invaded by balloons--big, big balloons.
Why? My friend is having a party this weekend. On Saturday we stopped at a furniture store that was having a special sale. She saw all these huge (2 1/2 feet diameter?) balloons and asked what they were going to do with them. The clerk said they just pop them so Renae offered to buy them. The clerk said she could come the next day to get them. We showed up in two vehicles to get them just before the store closed and the sale ended. 7 in her car and 10 in mine!!! Now hopefully they will stay nice enough for Saturday. Meanwhile it's a bit scary when I walk by my back room as they completely cover the ceiling!
Why? My friend is having a party this weekend. On Saturday we stopped at a furniture store that was having a special sale. She saw all these huge (2 1/2 feet diameter?) balloons and asked what they were going to do with them. The clerk said they just pop them so Renae offered to buy them. The clerk said she could come the next day to get them. We showed up in two vehicles to get them just before the store closed and the sale ended. 7 in her car and 10 in mine!!! Now hopefully they will stay nice enough for Saturday. Meanwhile it's a bit scary when I walk by my back room as they completely cover the ceiling!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Financially (Ir)-responsibility
First, this morning on the news as I was slowly trying to wake up the local channel reported that last year Pres. Obama asked for $300 million for cleanup of the Great Lakes. Congress returned with $475 million for the initiative but only about $225 million has been funded. For 2012 Obama is requesting $350 million and calling it a spending cut because it is less than $475 million.
I don't get it. If only $225 million has been spent than only budgeting less than that can be a "spending cut".
Second, if spending has increased exponentially for two years and now we freeze spending at that level, how does that help us?
If I make $1000/month but increase my spending to $2000 a month and then say I'll freeze my spending at that level, I'm not helping myself.
Am I oversimplifying this?
I don't get it. If only $225 million has been spent than only budgeting less than that can be a "spending cut".
Second, if spending has increased exponentially for two years and now we freeze spending at that level, how does that help us?
If I make $1000/month but increase my spending to $2000 a month and then say I'll freeze my spending at that level, I'm not helping myself.
Am I oversimplifying this?
Monday, February 14, 2011
Miscellaneous of the past week
1. This morning I turned on a tv that was tuned to HGTV from yesterday afternoon. Cash in the Attic, a show I've never seen before, was showing. An couple in the late 50 or early 60s with a daughter in her early 20s (I'm guessing on all the ages) wanted to raise $3000 for a hot tub. The show came in and went through their stuff to see if they could probably get the money at auction. It's probably my personality, but I was surprised to see people visibly upset about selling something that had meaning to them for a HOT TUB!!!
It certainly seemed ridiculous to me to sacrifice what you value for something so temporal. Their house was average to nice which means they had to have had some money so I thought, "Save the money for a few months and then just buy a hot tub."
Then at the end of the show the family is circled around the hot tub. The mother puts her hands in the water and says, "It has jets." That explained it all why they did the show!
2. Friday night a man down the street rang my doorbell. A friend had parked in the elderly lady next door's driveway which is shared with mine. My friend got to my house before I did and she wanted to leave the way open for me to go in the garage. I should have had her move her vehicle or called my neighbor to explain but I did neither. My neighbor tried calling me to ask about the car in her driveway as she was afraid to go to bed, but my phone was on vibrate in another room so I never heard it. Totally agreed that a car in the driveway would be unnerving no matter how old you are when you are ready to go to bed. She called the neighbor man who came and asked me about it. I called the neighbor and explained everything.
Obviously I felt bad about the situation so yesterday I made oatmeal cookies to give to both neighbors. When I stopped at the man's house, I was talking with his wife. He walked in the room and she explained that I had brought cookies for his inconvenience coming over last Friday night.
His reply: "Hey, I can come over tonight too if it means more cookies!"
3. One of my responsibilities since last summer is ordering supplies for about 50 people. I decided there was too much junk in the drawers that needed to be cleaned out. Not knowing for sure what people do use I put anything I thought we no longer needed on a counter and gave people an opportunity to let me know if they still used any of the stuff.
I sent out an e-mail that began with, "If you need labels for your 3.5" floppy disks we have about 150 of them from the supply drawers." Now, in any other area I'm sure people would have responded with the joke of floppy disks since no one has used those in how many years??? But I work in finance and not only did no one comment about my joke, at least one person took me seriously!
It certainly seemed ridiculous to me to sacrifice what you value for something so temporal. Their house was average to nice which means they had to have had some money so I thought, "Save the money for a few months and then just buy a hot tub."
Then at the end of the show the family is circled around the hot tub. The mother puts her hands in the water and says, "It has jets." That explained it all why they did the show!
2. Friday night a man down the street rang my doorbell. A friend had parked in the elderly lady next door's driveway which is shared with mine. My friend got to my house before I did and she wanted to leave the way open for me to go in the garage. I should have had her move her vehicle or called my neighbor to explain but I did neither. My neighbor tried calling me to ask about the car in her driveway as she was afraid to go to bed, but my phone was on vibrate in another room so I never heard it. Totally agreed that a car in the driveway would be unnerving no matter how old you are when you are ready to go to bed. She called the neighbor man who came and asked me about it. I called the neighbor and explained everything.
Obviously I felt bad about the situation so yesterday I made oatmeal cookies to give to both neighbors. When I stopped at the man's house, I was talking with his wife. He walked in the room and she explained that I had brought cookies for his inconvenience coming over last Friday night.
His reply: "Hey, I can come over tonight too if it means more cookies!"
3. One of my responsibilities since last summer is ordering supplies for about 50 people. I decided there was too much junk in the drawers that needed to be cleaned out. Not knowing for sure what people do use I put anything I thought we no longer needed on a counter and gave people an opportunity to let me know if they still used any of the stuff.
I sent out an e-mail that began with, "If you need labels for your 3.5" floppy disks we have about 150 of them from the supply drawers." Now, in any other area I'm sure people would have responded with the joke of floppy disks since no one has used those in how many years??? But I work in finance and not only did no one comment about my joke, at least one person took me seriously!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Concert
Last night I spent a free evening with Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith. By the time Renae saw the concert advertised and was interested in going, it was sold out. We went hoping someone may turn back tickets or there would be no shows. About 10 minutes before the show started a ticket lady saw us waiting and gave us two tickets front row center balcony--basically some of the best seats!
The concert was good--lots of 80s music so I recognized most of the songs.
The concert was good--lots of 80s music so I recognized most of the songs.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
60 years at Olive Garden
A friend posted on Facebook a picture of her in-laws with the caption "Celebrating 60 years at Olive Garden".
Someone commented: 60 Years at Olive Garden! That's pretty slow service!
Someone commented: 60 Years at Olive Garden! That's pretty slow service!
Thankful Thursday 02/03/11
1. It was great to have 4-wheel drive yesterday to get to work!!! However, gas mileage goes way down when the vehicle goes into 4wd.
2. The other day I cleaned off my co-workers cars when I left work when they had a couple of inches of snow on them. When I got home someone had shoveled right in front of my porch which isn’t done as part of the snow removal in my condo fee. Mine was the only one done and I still have no idea who did it.
3. Yesterday morning the parking lot I use was just finished being plowed when I pulled in. How awful if I’d gotten out to get to work only to find the parking lot wasn’t plowed.
4. This morning I woke up to a phone call from my sister in the Philippines. That was nice.
5. Today is my Friday at work. Tomorrow I have a community service day to do volunteer work.
2. The other day I cleaned off my co-workers cars when I left work when they had a couple of inches of snow on them. When I got home someone had shoveled right in front of my porch which isn’t done as part of the snow removal in my condo fee. Mine was the only one done and I still have no idea who did it.
3. Yesterday morning the parking lot I use was just finished being plowed when I pulled in. How awful if I’d gotten out to get to work only to find the parking lot wasn’t plowed.
4. This morning I woke up to a phone call from my sister in the Philippines. That was nice.
5. Today is my Friday at work. Tomorrow I have a community service day to do volunteer work.
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