Number Crunching 124

May 13th: Monday was bad. No cash, no food (thankfully I work with wonderfully generous people ) and running out of gasoline.

So I was es tactic pulling out my mail when I got home. The mail carrier had rubberbanded the five envelopes for me togeth, but the one on top was from Cashe. I had it open before I got back into my car to finish driving down the driveway.

It was the disclosure statement.

I think I had tears in my eyes as I sat back in the car to finish looking through the stack of envelopes.

The last one was a check from Chase.

So I got Quicken updated last night, did my math, made deposit before work, have to make the second deposit before lunch.

• Paid off overdraft in Capital One account, and left most blowing money in the account.
• Moved the rest to credit union checking account to pay off overdraft and pay bills.
• Paid tuition, paid off dental bill for the bridgework, paid off physical therapy bill, and paid off Waste Management from last year.
• Will move this month’s budgeted amount for gasoline purchases to the Gas Account.
• Will divide the remaining cash between all three savings accounts.
• Will create a SmartyPig savings account (the new third one) to save the STEF money away from my hands.

It’s been a busy day for me. Now I need to concentrate on the ethnography.

1:15pm: Argh! The credit union wants to hold my check from Capital One for five days but will still charge me NSF fees if anything comes through.

Capital One can’t cash my personal check ‘cause ATM deposits don’t post until midnight.

What sucks the worse? After buying lunch, I only had $5 to put in the gas tank. I passed the Chase branch this morning to make the ATM deposit and dismissed waiting until they opened to deal with cash. I needed to get to work on time.

Please just let me get to a closer to home gas station before having to borrow money from my mother and getting her to drive it to me.

May 14th: I made it home on the $5 of gas, a little over a gallon. And woke up this morning to the bad news that according to the online Capital One account stuff the ATM deposit had not posted.

Called work to tell them I had to handle business. Borrowed gas money from Mom. Went to Capital One. Scared the teller by not losing my cool and using my pissed-off vibe. Maybe it was leaking. The check had a hold on it until May 23rd and no she couldn’t cash a personal check for the account.

“Why the hell is the industry still using checks if you don’t trust them? My checks are cashed and gone out of my account as soon as I write them. A check from another bank on the deposit I need now, and I have to wait.”

“Could you please speak to my manager?”

Didn’t because what the hell good that was going to do. Went and spent Lagniappe account money that I can’t get back at the campus bookstore, and groceries with the last of my food account money. Calmed down enough to go by a credit union and deposited the Capital One check into my account. This teller was nice enough to explain the hold that I already knew they were going to put on the account, so I asked her the same question I asked the Capital One teller. She only laughed at me.

I fail to see anything funny or angry about the observation.

Luckily, it ended up that my credit union forwarded me a balance of $200 to spend while waiting for the check to clear. I borrowed money from Dad to make sure nothing else bounced.

The rest of the week I held my breath that nothing would bounce and give me an NSF fee.

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The BookWorm

Movies I want to see Updated

At this rate, I think I'll be booked every weekend until September.

2008

• April 4 - Nim's Island (sounded cute)
• April 18 - The Forbidden Kingdom (Jackie Chan love)
• May 2 - Iron Man (Black Sabbath better be in the soundtrack and the trailers don't count)
• May 9 - Speed Racer (trailer surprised the hell out of me)
• May 16 - Prince Caspian (agnostic Pagan that I am I could totally worship Aslan, he hangs out with Harry Potter and Bacchus (it's in the book))
• May 22 - INDIANA JONES!
• July 11 - Hellboy II (otherwise known as Hellboy vs. the Drow)
• July 18 - BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT (o hell yeah)
• July 25 - X-Files: I Want to Believe (that this will be a good movie. But I can be won over by Mulder and Scully damnit, I love those characters even if the show went downhill for me)
• Nov. 21 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2009

• Watchman
• May 8 - Star Trek
• August 7 - G.I. Joe (I can be won over by Chris Eccleston and Ray Parks)

Don't Know yet

• In the Electric Mist with the Confederate Dead (don't care what they shorten the movie title too, this is the book title and damnit! I want to see it!)

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The BookWorm

My Weekend? What Weekend?

May 8th: All my progress, my schedule, and my decreased stress levels have gone the way of the dodo. Poor dodo. And all because the ethnography must be finished by the 14th and I'm still in the hazy middle.

Just because I'm curious about it, the ethnography's word counts.
April: 595 + 253 + 165 + 2196 = 3209
May: 499 + 1065 + 449 + 604 + 653 + 1456 + 917 + 694 + 1573 + 413 = 8323

And I'm still stuck somewhere in the unending middle of the damn thing, worried about organization. I keep telling my brain there will be enough time to pretty it up after the text is done, but my brain doesn't believe me and keeps poking at it and bringing it up. Hence the eventually running after sexy vampires fighting undead Nazis. Hence why I'm jonesing to spend $10 to get blasted from a theater seat with an action blockbuster.

Damn budget. Damn schedule too. I was doing so well! If the school money situation isn't taken care of now, I'm really gonna go nuts.

Note to future self, next time when needing to cut and paste from notes, keep two files open--one with the notes and one with the official text. Less math that way.

This is getting hard. I want to stop looking at the train wreck, especially the meetings that I don't have great notes for. the meetings should be the dynamic focus of the this ethnography and I'm afraid I'm gonna flub it.

May 9th: At some point, I will have to make my Daily MITs for the weekend. Just so I have something else to go to for a break.

I like to think most of my pain is from fear of flubbing it as well as being tired of examining this portion of my life. It feels like rubbernecking at a car wreck.

May 10th: I have errands to run. Most important is to get the car services and inspection sticker updated. Now when I had a working laptop, I could do the writing I needed to do while waiting for the oil change. No laptop, so I don't leave the house until the ethnography is finished.

Yeah, today is gonna be fun.

5:30 p.m. now and I'm finally past the dreaded March 16th. Here's hoping everything flows smoothly to the conclusion. Taking a break to eat supper and probably play a game. I've wrote over 3000 words today, which is fairly damn impressive but I'm not close to being done. And the Internet is acting funny.

May 11th:
3:00pm Finished the rough draft of the ethnography.


Progress Bar from Writertopia

May 8: 153 + 304 + 615 = 1072
May 9: 857
May 10: 2568 + 302 + 173 = 3043
May 11: 96 + 773 + 1005 + 819 = 2693

April grand total = 3209
May grand total = 15988

*Whimper* No wonder I've been feeling like Alucard chewed me up and spit me back out. No wonder I've been ignoring every other project listed. And I still have to edit and get the text hammered into a final shape. And possibly add more to the conclusion because I don't want to discourage anyone who would like to try it as a business. *TWITCH*

I'm not worrying 'bout it now. Have a family outing to get ready for.

7:00pm: Back from Cracker Barrel and a good time was had by all. And some point I have to figure out next week's schedule, but right now all I want to do is not think for a while, especially what needs doing. I'm gonna play a game, then go to bed early and plan things out in the morning. That sounds like the best plan.

May 12th: And it was a good plan but I got distracted with the game freezing up on me, went to bed late, got up late, didn't pack breakfast or lunch thinking I still had money in the checking account. Had to take an indirect route into work because of a wreck and 18-wheeler fire on the Interstate, but still made it on time. And discovered I have nothing in the checking account.

Shit.

A coworker has fed me blueberry bagels, so at least I'm not starving. I need to create a pantry stash at my desk too. I have stuff in the pantry that isn't doing any good at home. I'm more worried about gas though, I'm at half a tank now. The account info at the Chase private education loans don't tell you when it was dispersed, so I have no idea if it's really coming this week or not. I may have to take some time off because I have no gas to get to work.

Finish off the ethnography today. At least I have the option of emailing it to the professor, but I need to go to campus and spend the last of my meal plan money.

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The BookWorm

Iron Experiment Redux 18

May 10th: Yeap, same day, but not the full workout all at once. I did one exercise like the squats, and then went back for another session at the computer. I decided on this program after I spent a couple of hours sitting at the computer between writing the ethnography and cleaning out the email inbox.

May 11th: 18 is taking place over two days.

Week 47 = 189.1
Week 46 = 188.9
Week 45 = 186.2
Week 44 = 185.7
Week 43 = 187.5
Week 42 = 186.1
Week 41 = 184.2
Week 40 = 181.7
Week 39 = 181.6
Week 38 = 181.2
Week 37 = 180.7
Week 36 = 179.3
Week 24 = 188
Week 12 = 187.6
Week 1 = 205

I can’t decide if my legs hurt from doing fifty squats yesterday or if it was the fifty squats plus the InStrider Walker. It’s not too painful, but I don’t think I’ll be doing either of those today.

I need a bigger porch. Actually, I think I’m glad I’m not in a gym right now. I just did my bicep curls. Moving the barbell off the weight bench, I hit the wall of my house. The barbell hit the ab ball in my first pose, so I changed positions. Finish the exercises, and then hit the post with the barbell as I go to put it back on the weight bench.

Yeah, finished off Session A workout with 50 Breaststroke Level 1! Time for a new exercise! Woot! I decided on this one Exercise Ball Prone Leg Raises. I’ve been waiting to try it out for a while now, and I only have a week before the twelve weeks is up. Damn that time went by quickly.

Wow, now that was a good aerobic break. I don’t remember the last time I had done something like that; probably been a few years. I put on the Mortal Kombat soundtrack and did a funky dance mix with TaeBo punches and kicks along with using Downward Dog, Plank, and Cobra poses to go down to the floor and come back up. Heart rate really accelerated with that and no triping over my own feet trying to keep up with cheorgraphed moves. Doing that a few more times today.

Just had another go. My left side weakness does go down to my feet. I can’t kick as high with my left leg as my right. Oh well, I’m not doing it to look pretty, I’m doing it to get my heart rate up. One song on the CD at a time.

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The BookWorm

Iron Experiment Redux 17

Week 46 = 188.9
Week 45 = 186.2
Week 44 = 185.7
Week 43 = 187.5
Week 42 = 186.1
Week 41 = 184.2
Week 40 = 181.7
Week 39 = 181.6
Week 38 = 181.2
Week 37 = 180.7
Week 36 = 179.3
Week 24 = 188
Week 12 = 187.6
Week 1 = 205

It’s been nine days between workouts. I’ve been stressing over the ethnography and forgetting exercise and maintaining a normal sleeping pattern, thus making sure I can’t wake up with enough time in the morning to workout. Then I feel so beaten up by the time I get home, I skip an early evening workout. And the stress from the ethnography getting worse as I reach the day I don’t want to relive in my mind and put on paper for everyone to see. I get fidgety and I don’t want to face the words.

So I decided to use all that nervous energy to good use. I spend 15 minutes on the ethnography and then get up from the computer. After cooking brunch and eating, now those breaks between 15-minute writing session are free for exercise. This will either break me or get me off of the weight slump I have been on.

So I completed a Session B workout. I still need breaks between rep sets especially on the squats and bicep curls. I still can’t get past 30 crunches on the ab ball. And since we didn’t get to have the garage sale last weekend, I spent 5 minutes on the InStrider and concluded I still hate using it. Next cardio session will have to be something different.

Considering the humidity, I didn’t break into enough sweat for me to feel it was an effective workout. My arm tremors beg to differ with me. Maybe I’m a little dehydrated, so I’m sucking down water instead of tea.

Next workout session will be yoga.

Okay, I did my yoga hip routine with pretty good results. It had been too long since I had done it though, my range of motion has decreased. Also from the state of my workout pants, I need to vacuum my living room rug.

Also all the measurements are updated, just in time for me to do it again tomorrow. :p

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The BookWorm

Number Crunching 123

Crap, May sucks beyond the Spaceballs' giant robot maid.

First: I took $30 out in cash from my paycheck Thursday and spent it all by Friday. I need to start doing some relative cost analysis. Some people may be wired not to spend cash, but I'm not one of those people. Especially when stressed and the chocolate in the vending machines is calling me.

Second: Sallie Mae denied the fourth loan because the tuition wasn't high enough. Tuesday morning, I called Chase Private Education Loans departments and asked for the tuitiion amount plus the full STEF plus some to pay off debts. (I'm well aware this is just debt shuffling at this point, but it gives me breathing room.) It was approved, I downloaded the paperwork, signed and faxed it that day. I'm supposed to get a check in the mail next week.

Third: Credit union rejected my credit card application. I was offered a payday loan to take care of my negative balance. "And I'll be in worse shape after my paycheck comes, no thanks." The only other suggestion she had was to take out a second mortgage. Not ready to do that yet.

As far as using any of the credit card offers in the mail goes, I want to see how my bill paying goes after I get the student loan transfusion. I'd love to be bale to set up living on last month's income scenario and not worrying about getting a credit card.

Fourth: Most of my paycheck was spent on bank charges that I so don't have in my budget. I hate to have to wait on a loan and get further in debt, but nothing else is happening right now to help the situation.

Fifth: The garage sale was washed out. We're going to reschedule once Mom had finished cleaning out her house, aiming for the end of the month.

Sixth: I haven't heard back from the hospital, so I guess that for a weekend job is a washout. I've been concentrating on school work before delving back into the job hunt.

Seventh: Internet income stream has also been on hiatus as I finish the ethnography. But it shouldn't take me too long to get it finished once I have the time.

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The BookWorm

Universe clue stick

Yesterday, ran across this post from Wil Wheaton that sparked that "I need to remember this" vibe in my brain as I skimmed it: yet another post about writing . . . and stuff

Today, I find this one at Elastic Waist doing the same thing: finding a community of writers

I'm terrified of my financial situation, I'm doggedly working at the ethnography less for the grade than for the "I promised people an explanation of things" and this is the explanation, I go to bed feeling like Alucard chewed me up and then spit me out and wake up not feeling much improved from that.

I think I'm latching onto the posts in hope that will get better in about a week. At least writing and schedule wise, finances still make me bite my lip.


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The BookWorm

Hellsing Yummy

I'm on a Hellsing kick. I'm sure it has more to do with me about to start a story with vampires and nearly nothing to do with my wanting a nearly seven-foot-tall, bad-boy-sexy vampire who could scary the bejesus out of anyone I ordered him to. You believe me, right? Of course, there's a health dose of escaping the damn ethnography. I doubt you can get much further than Alucard fighting un-dead Nazis.

So I've been gathering AMVs, which has a bonus that I'm getting introduced to new songs and bands to inspire the Strix stuff. This one is currently one of my favorites.



I've been comparing the anime (which I have the whole box set) to the OVAs (which I only have volumes I and II). I've been coveting getting the complete manga set (it's not finished yet, and I only have volume 8). I've been lapping up And Shine Heaven Now (Erin Ptah keeps the characters very in character but gives them funny. And her crossovers are the bomb). And I've been reading fanfiction.

Here's another vid before the ranting part of the post. Warning: it's a gory cut.


I do have one issue with the canon that sort of bleeds into what I have issues with in the fanfiction. It's not bad enough to spoil my enjoyment and it may be a translation issue. I can cut slack on translation issues. But my brain picks at it.

The setting is 1999. Sir Integra Hellsing is 22 years old, so that means she was born in 1977. Her father Arthur dies and she wakes up Alucard in 1989. Alucard was imprisoned 20 years before in 1969. Arthur was leading Hellsing in 1944 in his twenties, so that means he would have been born in the 1920s.

Integra Hellsing is the last descendant of Abraham Van Helsing, who is often enough called her grandfather to make me gnaw. The math doesn't work, and my brain will seize upon it and not let go.

The setting for Dracula is commonly pinpointed to 1887. Abraham Van Helsing is described physically:

"a man of medium weight, strongly built, with his shoulders set back over a broad, deep chest and a neck well balanced on the trunk as the head is on the neck. The poise of the head strikes me at once as indicative of thought and power. The head is noble, well-sized, broad, and large behind the ears. The face, clean-shaven, shows a hard, square chin, a large resolute, mobile mouth, a good-sized nose, rather straight, but with quick, sensitive nostrils, that seem to broaden as the big bushy brows come down and the mouth tightens. The forehead is broad and fine, rising at first almost straight and then sloping back above two bumps or ridges wide apart, such a forehead that the reddish hair cannot possibly tumble over it, but falls naturally back and to the sides. Big, dark blue eyes are set widely apart, and are quick and tender or stern with the man's moods."

He is a medical doctor, and a doctor of philosophy and literature. He taught Dr. Seward. We're not talking about a wunderkid here; he is a paternal figure for the rest of the crew of vampire hunters, and even says Arthur Holmwood reminds him of his dead son.

I always want to cast him in his sixties, but it could be the fifties. Even if Abraham is 50 in 1887, that means he would be 83 in 1920, which would be the earliest for Arthur to be born. DOES NOT COMPUTE! There must be a missing generation between Abraham and Arthur. Maybe the Japanese term for male ancestor translates to "grandfather" no matter where on the actual family tree the guy falls.

And this is enough of a break in suspension of disbelief that whenever I see Abraham is grandfather, I get the DOES NOT COMPUTE! and have to remind myself of the missing generation. Cause either it's a missing generation, or Abraham had a slew of sons and control of the Hellsing Organization bounced around brothers for a while. I'm glad it doesn't come up THAT often.

But other than having to deal with the DOES NOT COMPUTE! message, it doesn't bother me when I see it in fanfiction. After all, they are only copying what has been said in the manga (I think the anime and OVA are a little more murky with the family tree). No what drives me batty in the fanfics are when they haven't bothered to read Dracula at all! Kouta Hirano doesn't follow it slavishly, but he uses enough of it that if you fanfic writer are going to use the characters, you should go see the source material. None of the film adaptations even get you close, NONE.

Yes, I got thrown out of a okay fanfic describing Abraham and Alucard's relationship by the author having Dr. Seward call Van Helsing "boy." Ignoring the appalling lack of knowledge on Victorian manners, Seward would not call his old friend and former master "boy." And you would know this if you read the bloody book.

I know I need to leave in the review to the actual guilty author. But I've been wanting to rant about the bad math for a while now, so you get to have both. Sorry. Here's another vid if you made it this far. I like this one, combining the anime footage with the music video footage.


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The BookWorm

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Too bad I can't celebrate. I have to go to the bank today.

T'Lania is on her way to recovery! She's breathing on her own and responding to questions with hand squeezes. All the doctors are waiting for now is for her to open her eyes.

Now, I have to cut this update short because while I have been meeting all the daily word counts for the ethnography, hell exceeding it most days, I'm no where close to the end of it. So how did my word count estimation get so badly off?

Later: Thanks to having to stay late at work and road construction, I missed my credit union's hours. have to go tomorrow.

However the time in the car is time to think what went wrong with my word count. It didn't, I underestimated the needed verbiage. Roughly estimating, what I should turn in should be at least 25 pages times 250 words a page equals 6250 words total divided by the number of days to work on it equaled 375 words a day. the problem is I'm up to over 4000 words total and still haven't covered the shitstorm that was March. It's not a problem running out of material, I may run out of time. And for once, not because of my procrastination streak. I've been good!

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The BookWorm

Number Crunching 122

April Budget Meeting

Quicken Cash Flow = -371.34

Reconciling Quicken with bank statements: I consider this reconciliation a rough draft until I will be able to verify it when I get home and can double check Quicken. I had issues with the checking account, no surprise. But I think it’s a case of something clearing this month from last month and I don’t have it on the Quicken printout with me.

Reconciling last month’s budget: Okay, this will take some time. I have to reconstruct the digital file from the printouts. And then when I go home make sure I only have ONE copy of the file on the harddrive.

Crap, this isn’t good. Problem categories:

• Bank charges - *swearing of your choice here
• STEF – spent everything I had saved. I so have to get that out of my hands.
• Eating Out – I have no idea what happened here.
• Phone – I know what happened here, first cellphone bill is always an oucher. I just didn’t budget well for that.
• Computer – I think this was the toner cartridge, and it was a necessary purchase if I wanted to read printouts.
• Grocery – I got possessed by Betty Crocker and cooked 5 meals. This probably would have been under budget if I had only cooked 2 or 3.
• Medical – two different doctor visits, and my medication went up.
• Insurance – they were a month slow on actually process my first payment, so I didn’t think I would be charged in April.
• Entertainment – I bought a book and two CDs on the trip to Festival International that were unbudgeted.
• Personal Care: Vitamins – I ran out and had to replace. Now I’m out again and will need to replace.
• Auto fuel – Oh no real surprise there. I need to do my math better for how much I’m putting aside for that category.
• Citifinancial – another late fee
• Writing Expense – bought needed computer paper
• Household – must have needed it, but I went over the budget.
• Natural Gas bill – went over budget by a smidge.

Verdict: I can’t stay on budget, I can’t avoid the bank fees, I can’t save, I’m a total FUCKING FAILURE WITH MONEY!

*Deep breath I’m alright, I’m okay. No beating myself up. But the bank charges are coming because of the bill timing and my paycheck deposit schedule. And here’s more good news, I upped the amount in my FSA account, so pretty soon there will be less take home check. I think that takes effect in June so we can start using it in July. I have the economic stimulus check coming, but I ain’t counting on it until I see it plus I need to save it in case of a worse disaster.

Creating next month’s budget: Wow, May is really not looking pretty. I have to pay state taxes and I can’t put enough gasoline in the car with what I have to budget it to that category. And this is without considering the bank fees that I WILL get unless I do something drastic.

I guess after my earlier outburst, I should define “drastic.” Drastic means putting the reoccurring bills—especially the ones with due dates I can’t get changed—onto a credit card. Lord and Lady, I don’t want to go this route, but I have to do something to stem the flow of cash out until I can get some more income in.

By my calculations, a credit limit of $1200 to $1500 will cover the bills that are on autopay through my checking account. Then I pay off the card each time I get paid. I can get a credit card with rewards at my credit union, the percentage rate could be better, but I think the trade off is I will pay them off in a timely fashion, instead of getting stupid (as I have with every other credit card). It’s easy to see why I don’t like this step, regardless of what the personal finance gurus say about it.

There may be something else besides a credit card, though I can’t see what it is. I will find somebody to talk to about it at the credit union on Monday. Saturday is already planned. Friday too really, since Mom wants me home to help set up for Saturday. Credit union closed on Sunday.

This is always why I hate doing this money stuff. I never feel like I’m progressing and when I come up with a plan of action, I have to wait to implement it.

Determining how much cash to withdraw for the pay periods in next month: What’s left after bills = $331.77. Divided between savings, medical, gasoline, and state taxes; there is no blowing money.

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

DAMNIT! I have movies to watch! *Whimper* And I have to take my mother to a movie for Mother’s Day. 5 movies in May, budget $10 each because I won’t always be able to get the matinee showtime, then add $20 to take Mom out equals $70. *Blinks, blinks* All my shit better sell for big bucks at the garage sale tomorrow. I could squeeze a couple of movies out of the gasoline budget, and treat myself to one show when I get the stimulus check (safety release, I will save the rest if I can blow some of it).

Frell, May sucks.

Ensuring all automatic payments with through: I don’t know if Liberty Mutual went through, I need to check on that one when I get home.

Ensuring all automatic payments for the next month are set up: This will actually be a step if I get the credit card.

Review short-term saving goals:

1. STEF = $2202.00 Current total = $10.00
2. Dishwasher fund = $500.00 Current total = $0.00
3. Reenacting Hobby Fund = $200.00 Current total = $0.00

Update NetWorth IQ statement:



That would look better if I didn’t start adding some outstanding bills to the debt column.

Update NCN Savings Chart:



Damn that just sucks. But I think I have a better plan. I’m going to start a Smarty Pig account and get the savings out of my hands.

Overview and plans: Okay, I have gone over the overview as we covered stuff. Now is the time to concentrate on the next action steps.

Financial Projects

• Reconcile the Quicken accounts and bank statements.
• Fix the interest on the January Loan in Quicken.
• Check on the Liberty Mutual payment.
• File paperwork in the binder and folders.
• Put in payments from paycheck in the FSA Account in Quicken.
• Clean out the inbox of other financial paperwork.
• Talk to the credit union about the situation on Monday and sign up for a credit card unless they have a better idea. Credit limit of $1200 to $1500.
• Sign up for an account at SmartyPig May 9th with next paycheck.
• Cut out the bank charges!

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The BookWorm

Iron Experiment Redux 16

Yeah, I missed a workout while trying to get the sleep schedule straightened back out, so today is the 16th. Wow, I've been consistent for 16 workouts. I got 40 reps of breaststroke level 1 done, and added five minutes on the InStride Walker. I figured out if I bend my knees a little, the movement does feel more like walking. I also found out after five minutes, I need to do my hip opening yoga routine on a more regular basis.

I know 5 minutes is not enough aerobic activity, but it was time to go get dressed. I'm going to squeeze in a full thirty minute tomorrow.

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The BookWorm

Little Things I've Noticed

This is going to be a schizo post. I've jotted down a few things over the week, had a weekend trip to talk about, then BAM! when I got to work this morning. A former student worker's sister, who also worked at the Department of Insurance in another office) had gotten into a bad wreck at 1am this morning. She was on top of an Interstate overpass, was ejected from the car, and fell thirty feet to the street below. She's in critical care and I know I don't have the full list of everything that is wrong, but the medics are saying her chances are good because she is young and strong without previous medical conditions.

It hits some of my coworkers harder. Their mother worked for the Department until she died, so both girls have been raised by the working village.

So on that note, here comes my notes on the previous week.

April 22: The albatross is off my neck and the words are flowing a little more free. Only it's not official yet. But apparantly telling myself I'm going to quit is enough to get creative juices flowing again. I finally came up with credible motivation for the villain in Strix, a character trait that had elude me for months. The ethnography is pulling teeth to make the daily word count. I'm going to outline how I want to cover the details tonight and maybe that will help.

April 23: Damn, I guess Amazon doesn't worry too much about stealing identities on their accounts, I just spent ten minutes changing my email address from Hotmail to GMail. It should never take that long to do that.

Also I didn't sell any of the books I put up for sixty days. Which means I'm free to put them out at the garage sale first and see if any of them will go. So in the next two week I'll have to purge my shelves.

I just did a Big Rocks tally. Out of nine items for this week that I have to do, I have finished five including the biggest and most involved: writing out my plans for FanFiction Garret on paper. Holy crap! And I was impressed I'm keeping up with my daily word count for the ethnography. I'm downloading and reading some books from WOWIO tonight. I deserve it. Okay, I just finished all the daily MITs for today! *Happy dance*

Have I not told anybody about WOWIO? Free ebooks and free ecomic books. There is a limit to what you can download and you have advertisement in the files, but that pays the creator of the book. A lot of the webcomics I read have switched to using WOWIO.

April 27: Went to Festival Internationale in Lafayette Saturday and discovered I don't play well in herds and I feel like I'm being a total grump when my schedule is disrupted. I'll never be invited back to anything because I'm turning into a grumpy old man who yells at kids on my grass.

Then on the other hand I introduced them to Pink Five. They'll love me forever.

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The BookWorm

Iron Experiment Redux 15

Week 45 = 186.2
Week 44 = 185.7
Week 43 = 187.5
Week 42 = 186.1
Week 41 = 184.2
Week 40 = 181.7
Week 39 = 181.6
Week 38 = 181.2
Week 37 = 180.7
Week 36 = 179.3
Week 24 = 188
Week 12 = 187.6
Week 1 = 205

I had my fun weekend. Now it's time to seriously cut out the carbs again; go to Phase One and stay there for two weeks.

I've done two workouts with the warm-up weight five-pounds under the workout weight. This workout kept both warm-up and workout weights the same. I think I will have to stay here for the next three workouts.

InStride Walker is what the exercise machine on my porch is. I meant to start using it this workout, but I ended up having to end the workout after the crunches. I did get on it to make sure it still works. Well, the parts move but I feel weird doing a walking motion with my legs that doesn't bend my knees. Convinced I was doing it wrong, I Googled about it looking for exercises. Everything relevant that came up were websites selling the used machines. It's not even listed on the company-who-made-it's page anymore. So since, I can't figure out anyway to bend the knees using it, I guess I don't bend the knees.

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Number Crunching 121

Quicken Cash Flow = 119.01

I don't have anything else to say about this week. Financially, it's rather a blur. A blur that will be cleared up next week when I do April's budget review.

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The BookWorm

Iron Experiment Redux 14

The next two workouts will be copies of this one with separate warm-up and workout weights rather than move to the same weight for both. I managed 35 reps of Breaststroke Level 1. I think in four more workouts I will be at 50 reps and can move to the Level 2 version.

My scale measurements are still hovering at 186.5 pounds. Should I add in more cardio? I know I need more than what I get, but I don’t know where to add it. Thanks to gas costs, I haven’t been to the gym. It’s getting warm enough to go swimming, but that means extra driving too. Mom put her glider machine on my porch (right in the way to the weight bench, which I didn’t discover until I went out in the dark to workout and had to move it) but I’m dubious over how useful it can be. At least, it doesn’t cost any gasoline to get to it.

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The BookWorm

Revolution Money Exchange

Breaking the silence to tell you guys about Revolution Money Exchange. From their website because I'm tired and can't phrase it better:

Easily exchange money online.
MoneyExchange is the new way to send and receive money online between MoneyExchange accountholders. It’s a great way to exchange money with friends, colleagues, or online sellers. Share restaurant, travel, or household expenses. It’s easy, secure and, best of all, it’s FREE to register and FREE to send and receive money between MoneyExchange accountholders.

Secure transfers.
With so many leading-edge security features built right in, security comes second nature to MoneyExchange. A PIN is required when you send money from your MoneyExchange account and transfers are processed safely and securely. Click here to learn more about our security features.

Your wallet will thank you.
Best of all – it’s FREE

* FREE to register for an account
* FREE to add money to your bank account
* FREE to send money
* FREE to receive money
* FREE to request money
* FREE to transfer money to your bank account
* A transaction fee applies for check withdrawals, check stop payments, paper statements, ACH returns, and overdrafts. See Schedule of Fees and Accountholder Agreement for more information.

For every referal, I get $10. If you sign up before May 15th, you get $25. I already have mine and I'm planning on adding this payment method to Alt. BM Site and the new site I'm working on.

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The BookWorm

Iron Experiment Redux 13

I went up on the workout weight today, and I think I may have to plateau here a while with the rests I had to take. Humidity is up, and one rest was me going back into the house for water. I used the second barbell for the warm-up weight again, and it worked much better this time. I put my hands outside the iron plates instead of trying to keep them on the inside. So now all I’m left with is having to change the iron plates on my dumbbells. I need to buy another pair of 2.5 plates; I never have enough of those to use.

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The BookWorm

Perhaps Introspection Will Pay Off This Time

I have no doubt that I will slip into an old habit, or just don’t feel like keeping up with a hard won truth, and I’ll have to go through the whole process again. I’m deliberately not reading through the archives to see if I’ve had these particular revelations before.

Aggravations

I hate checking email.
Why?

• I get in trouble at work.
• I’m overwhelmed by all the junk mail.
• I don’t want to deal with any more AMF shit.
• Microsoft Outlook develops issues at home and doesn’t want to run right.
• There’s too much of it and no time to answer the ones I want to answer.
• I feel obligated and then guilty because I can keep up the obligations.

Real annoyance or minor nuisance?

• Mild annoyance except when I give into the avoidance strategy.

What can be done about it?

• Set a schedule and a time limit to check email. Before leaving for work but after at least one daily MIT, lunch time for personal Gmail, and when I get home before winding down for the day.
• Always delete the junk mail folder at the end of the day, everyday. Do not let it build up for a few months.
• Switch the website emails to filter through a Gmail account before coming into Outlook to cut down on the amount of junk mail.
• Once during the weekend, take thirty minutes and perform a task on the Reconfiguring Outlook project list or read through the DWL folder.
• Try this for the next month (May 18) before switching to another program.

I hate oversleeping.
Why?

• Throws off the whole day, and puts me in a foul mood.
• I usually don’t get to writing or exercising.

Real annoyance or minor nuisance?

• Minor nuisance.

What can be done about it?

• No caffeine after noon! And keep morning caffeine to under two cans, averaging one a day.
• Go to bed and get up at the same time everyday.
• Write regardless. Exercise can be moved to the afternoon when I get home.
• Set up a bedtime routine and stick to it.
• Turn the bedtime alarm clock back on.

I hate the commute.
Why?

• I get sleepy in the car.
• It’s time I could be spending doing something else.
• The price of gas and wear and tear on my car.
• Possibility of accidents goes up because I’m on the road so much.

Real annoyance or minor nuisance?

• Major nuisance.

What can be done about it?

• Be sure I’m awake fully before driving.
• Drive more carefully.
• Buy the cheapest gas I can find.

I hate having a dirty kitchen that expands to the rest of the house.
Why?

• Mess just multiplies and you can’t ever stay ahead of it.
• I’m not poor white trash that lives in a sty!
• I waste time in cleaning frenzies that could be spent on other things.

Real annoyance or minor nuisance?

• Nuisance

What can be done about it?

• Follow the chore schedule that works beautifully.
• Stop taking housekeeping so seriously. It’s not bad until it’s a health hazard.

I hate feeling obligated.
Why?

• Because I must fulfill my obligations before I Can do anything for myself.

Real annoyance or minor nuisance?

• Annoyance

What can be done about it?

• Start saying no or quantify time promises and stop feeling guilty about it!
• Explore this feeling more.

I hate having no time to write.
Why?

• If I can’t write, why live?
• Writing should always come first and I can’t be selfish and put it first.
• I’m not a writer is I don’t write.
• Everything has to be done and I’m the only one here to do it.
• Writing only serves me.
• Until I get paid, it’s only a hobby. And I don’t deserve hobbies that cost money and time.
• I go foamy at the mouth if I don’t get to write.

Real annoyance or minor nuisance?

• Major annoyance and wondering what the hell is wrong with me.

What can be done about it?

• Quit other obligations.
• Make writing time one of the daily MITs.
• Get my fucking priorities straight.

I hate running out of money every month and racking up overdraft fees.
Why?

• I’m a fucking financial ruin until I get it straight.
• The credit union has taken enough of my money that could have paid some of my debts off, or added to savings and not bounce payments anymore.

Real annoyance or minor nuisance?

• Major annoyance.

What can be done about it?

• Follow the budget.
• Save money so I can live on last month’s income.
• Stop beating myself up when I fall down.

I hate doing all the work on AMF.
Why?

• No one is really communicating with me anymore.
• I’m being used by just about everyone (and having it pointed out by impartial bystanders).
• People are going to make me the fall guy.
• I don’t know who to trust anymore.
• It’s not my dream, and it’s stealing time to work on my dreams.

Real annoyance or minor nuisance?

• Major annoyance.

What can be done about it?

• QUIT!

I hate hiding stuff because I don’t want to upset people.
Why?

• I get stressed because I don’t want to upset people.
• I feel like I’m living a lie.
• I don’t want to be hated, so I avoid telling people anything.

Real annoyance or minor nuisance?

• Major nuisance, it’s a personal quirk effecting everything.

What can be done about it?

• Stop avoiding what makes me uncomfortable.

I hate hurting people.
Why?

• I shouldn’t press myself onto people.
• I’m tired of dealing with people, just leave me alone.
• I’m going to hurt them with what I’m asking for or what I have to tell them.
• They’re going to hate me.

Real annoyance or minor nuisance?

• Major nuisance, it’s a personal quirk effecting everything.

What can be done about it?

• Stop avoiding what makes me uncomfortable.

I hate my bathroom.
Why?

• No shower.
• No sink.
• No real storage.
• Ugly sheetrock walls painted a hideous color.

Real annoyance or minor nuisance?

• Annoyance

What can be done about it?

• Remodel.

I hate being afraid.
Why?

• Honestly, I don’t know why I’m afraid of people hating me, being obligated to people, giving people bad news.

Real annoyance or minor nuisance?

• Nuisance.

What can be done about it?

• Stop avoiding things that make me uncomfortable.

I hate wasting time on the Internet.
Why?

• It’s time I could be spending on writing or anything else.
• Bad for my health. I should sit in front of the computer for hours.

Real annoyance or minor nuisance?

• Major nuisance.

What can be done about it?

• Set time limits on Internet reading.
• Write first then play.
• Schedule get up breaks.

I hate having no free time.
Why?

• I can never be spontaneous.
• I always feel guilty about taking time off. I have too much to do.

Real annoyance or minor nuisance?

• Annoyance.

What can be done about it?

• Recognize that I need free time every day and every week to stay healthy and sane.
• Schedule the obligations and the free time and keep the schedule.
• Get together with people once a month for dinner or an event.

I hate not sticking to any resolutions I make for myself.
Why?

• It means I’m a failure. I have so much to fix and I just stop trying to fix anything.

Real annoyance or minor nuisance?

• Major nuiscance.

What can be done about it?

• Stop trying to fix everything that’s wrong at once.
• Concentrate on fixing one thing in a three month period instead of a month. Evidently, a month is not long enough to force a new habit.

I hate having to depend on the undependable.
Why?

• Because it means I have to do everything.

Real annoyance or minor nuisance?

• Annoyance.

What can be done about it?

• QUIT depending on them.

I hate school.
Why?

• Financial stress.
• Loops I had no idea about jumping through with the school and Sallie Mae.
• This class is making me spend extra time on AMF and that stresses me out.
• I can’t find time to handle school business so I can graduate.

Real annoyance or minor nuisance?

• Annoyance.

What can be done about it?

• Stop avoiding what has to be done.
• Make deadlines for the paper project.

Once that list was done, I pulled fifteen strategies to relief the stress out of it.

Strategies to Relieve Stress

1. Set deadlines for projects.
2. Use weekly Big Rocks and daily MITs.
3. Set a daily schedule for chores, email, and other things that pile up quickly.
4. No extra caffeine, and no late nights.
5. Write every morning for at least thirty minutes.
6. Use the bedtime alarm clock and set up a bedtime routine.
7. Use the chore checklist.
8. Start telling people no or be honest with what free time I have.
9. Quit AMF.
10. Follow the budget.
11. Stop beating myself up when I fall down.
12. Stop avoiding what makes me uncomfortable.
13. Set time limits on Internet reading and schedule get up breaks.
14. Concentrate on fixing one thing in a three-month period instead of a month. April – June is to fix writing priority.
15. Exercise on schedule. No skipping

Some are easier accomplished than others. Then I started scheduling. It was like doing a mind sweep and a calender at the same time. Then I transferred that list to the calender. Next I’ll need to update the chores checklist and SimpleGTD. I’m undecided whether to keep Joe’s Goals or not. I’m not very good at keeping it updated, and most of what I have to do will be established by Big Rocks and daily MITs.

It doesn’t sound like I’m concentrating on just one thing for the next three months, but really everything that is scheduled is writing related. My goal is to get my writing back into priority level one in my life. I’m optomistic that this hard look at my life will help me do that.

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The BookWorm

Iron Experiment Redux 12

Week 44 = 185.7
Week 43 = 187.5
Week 42 = 186.1
Week 41 = 184.2
Week 40 = 181.7
Week 39 = 181.6
Week 38 = 181.2
Week 37 = 180.7
Week 36 = 179.3
Week 24 = 188
Week 12 = 187.6
Week 1 = 205

Okay, I put the full 44 week weight loss record, and took up a whole page in Word on just the list. So I cut it down to the 12 week highlights and what I’m currently working with. The previous weeks’ records are archived in the blog and on an Excel file I’m keeping, so if it’s available if you’re that curious.

This week was period, which explains where two pounds suddenly went. I’ve been working out consistantly and watch the food but I haven’t gone real strict. But I’m happy to see the numbers go down.

I took a two day break between workout sessions because I was nice and did something stupid. I have two coworkers who are walking the stairs at least once a day, though often they manage twice a day. Well, one of them was out last Wednesday, and her partner asked me to walk with her. Our office has already had one accident in the stairwell (her sugar went off and she blacked out while making deliveries), so I said sure. I survived the stairwell. Then Thursday morning I did my Iron Experiment workout.

By the time I arrived at work, my thighs and calves were pulled taunt. It was teeth-gritting to get up and down out of chairs. Friday morning I put on Biofreeze and it helped loosen them up. I decided to do weights Sunday morning to give the legs a rest on Saturday. That strategy worked, I completed my whole workout with no pain, but I had a bath with Epson salt right after just in case.

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The BookWorm

There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/

I needed to hear this

The Day My Son Almost Died is a great article analyzing how women need to deal with ambition.

I'm still working on the introspection. I think I took detour into unhelpful self-loathing territory. I'll be back when it's more concrete.

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The BookWorm


Progress Bar from Writertopia





There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/

Number Crunching 120

Quicken Cash Flow = -213.08

Well, I knew it was going to be bad. Especially after going shopping. *Sigh and I didn’t get anything I didn’t need!

It’s going to keep happening until I get a cash cushion. And I can’t get a cash cushion until it stops happening.

Good news: I think I have progress on my last student loan. If Sallie Mae is jerking my chain again, I have a solicitation from Chase for a student loan from them.

I complained about a beauty product that didn’t work, and got my money back. I’m waiting until payday so the deposit isn’t completely lost. Hollywood Casino is also luring me back with $5, something I earned while playing slots with Mom. So I guess that means I actually broke even with what I put in and got out of the machines.

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The BookWorm

There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/

Random thoughts

Looks like it's another unexplainable slow day at work again. At least I get to catch up on checking in.

Finished "For Worse" and need to find beta readers. But I have been silent in the community for a while, I don't know if that will have an effect. And I feel guilty because I can't promise a trade situation with anyone because my time schedule sucks and will probably get worse.

I haven't heard back from North Oaks yet. I think I interviewed well, and the job would be a good fit, but if they would rather have someone who doesn't have to go through hoops to get trained, I understand. Just let me know something so I can put an application in somewhere else. It'll be a week on Friday. I think protocol says wait two weeks before bugging them.

I have heard from my car insurance company's attorney on the lawsuit. Waiting for a call back because I don't know if I was personally served or not. His letter said I shouldn't be, but my mother signed for my suit papers because I wasn't home. The whole thing is a little disconcerting, especially since I got my paperwork done before the year deadline. From what the insurance company told me, they settled the property damage part and will settle the medical once they get the paperwork. So don't worry about it. So I'm trying not to worry about it, but it is on my mind anyway.

My sleep schedule is kinda getting better. Meaning now I am waking up with the alarm clock, but I can't pull myself out of bed so I listen to the last hour of Coast to Coast AM in the dark. Unfortunately, the topics haven't been inductive to driving me out of bed. Whitley Stribner is on tonight. I think worrying about trying to see abducting greys with probes might get me to the light switch faster.

When I get the house's electricity rewired, I'm having an alarm times put on the light switch to my bedroom. Alarms should have lights. I'm a heavy sleeping and when tired enough can sleep through any noise. But I can't sleep with the lights on.

My grandmother has finally been moved. Her report is "You have put me in the crazy house." Because they are two paitents who screamed and moaned all the time "just like Hammond State School." (Since renamed and changed mission, but it was the long-term care institution for the mentally disabled ran by the state started back when they thought the best thing was to take them from their family and hide them from the world.)

Mom's reply: "Well, you worked there for thirty years, you should be used to it." My response to Mom: "She complains about everywhere. She even complained about being at your house. Don't take it personally." I need to go see her, but my schedule hasn't been open.

The schedule, ugh. How's that for a segue? I have to start planning it better. Starting with deadlines. The ethnography is due for a grade May 14, so I have to get cracking on that. I have the website project with writing tutorials, Strix, other website tweaks in the project que. And the amorphous paper due next semester to get me out of school that I haven't started even looking for it. And then there's the Faire, and improving health, and improving finances, and keeping the house clean enough.

Small wonder I'm getting those ack attacks. As in "ACK! TOO MUCH SHIT TO DO! NO TIME TO DO IT!"

While I'm no where at the levels Funny About Money was in, I think I'm going to work through her strategies to pinpoint what I can and cannot do anything about. Most of it is an anxiety that I'm wasting my time without addressing my dreams and goals. I have the introspection to look closer at it on schedule for tonight and probably tomorrow night on commercial breaks.

Course the easiest damn thing to do is quit the biggest aggravation. It's not my dream, I don't technically owe it anything and definitely not at my personal expense. For now, that option is off the table with the understanding that I can come back to it once certain conditions have been met. *Sigh*

One other note to myself before wrapping up: reroute all the website emails through GMail accounts to get rid of the spam. I'm really tired of Outlook not catching everything it should catch, and this seems like the easiest tweak. If it doesn't work, I have to rethink my whole email strategy.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/

Iron Experiment Redux 11

I bumped the warm-up weight to the same as the workout weight. The way I think it should work: two workout sessions with the warm-up weight five pounds less than the workout weight, then two workout sessions with the warm-up weight the same as the workout weight, then bump the workout weight up by five pounds. I don't really know if this is going to work, considering I just spent five sessions at the same weights.

I got both the ab balls aired up yesterday, and it is true, crunches are harder the firmer the ball is. I could only do thirty crunches this morning. Fatigue is also noticeable in the shoulders, especially the left one. I go through the full number of reps and there's no pain, just a little tightness. Course I also wonder if its my body being a little pissed at my budget brain. I called for massage rates and realize I probably can't afford it this month. My car always tends to make me spend money I had earmarked on something else, so why not my body?

Read Free!
The BookWorm

There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/

Iron Experiment Redux 10

So much for getting up on time. I overslept this morning. But I got home at 5:15 pm, so I dressed and went out to the front porch and worked out.

Last week, Mom finally found her barbell. About three years ago, I had borrowed it to use while working out with Escape Your Shape but had returned it a few months later. Course about six months after that, Mom asked for the barbell back. "I already gave it back." Mom's answer, "Well, I can't find it." Repeat for two years. She found it finally and put it on my porch with the weight bench. So I decided that if my weights fitted on it, I would use it for my warm-up weight rather than trading weights on my barbell.

Mom freely admits that she bought a cheap-ass weight bench. The weights that came with it are plastic-covered concrete (I leave them on the bench to keep it weighted down). The barbell that came with it is hollow and only four-feet long. Mine is six-feet long and weighs at least 15 pounds. Mom's barbell worked for what I wanted it (my iron weights fitted on it) but it was hard to get it up on my shoulders for the squats. I'm undecided if working with it is less aggravating than changing the weights on mine and having to do math.

I also got up to thirty reps of Breaststroke level 1. I'm not going to switch to level 2 until after I reach fifty. But on today's, I noticed a strange pull in my shoulders I hadn't felt before. I don't know if my shoulders were just tired from the day at work or if I was doing something wrong. The ball needs airing up, along with my office ball. I have to remember to do that tomorrow.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/

It's Monday Already?

I'm not completely sure where this weekend went. I went shopping and hurt my budget. And then I cooked. I still have a pot of beef stew and a container of the whole pot roast that need to be divided up. Even though most of the cooking was done with crockpots, I don't know what possessed me to cook five meals. Tonight, I have to finish dividing and freezing meals, and washing dishes. No, the channeling Betty Crocker episode did not end in a spotless kitchen.

My grandmother should be checked out of the hospital and the only long-term care facility that handles IVs. She's going to be on drip antibiotics for the rest of the month because infection has set into her bone on her leg or maybe her foot (my memory is fuzzy), but it is responding to the treatment. Her mind is getting worse. Uncle Scott calls everyday, but by the time Mom talks to her in the evening, all she can do is complain about Uncle Scott never talks to her. I file this under her tendency to play manipulative games and determination to drive Mom crazy before she dies.

My sleep schedule maybe on the road to recovery. I cut back to only one can of caffeinated drink on Sunday. I had to take a Tylonel PM for the withdrawal headache be bedtime, but I woke up closer on time than I have for the past two weeks. Yeah!

Now to work out a schedule for projects, deadlines really. I don't do will with scheduling this day for this project carried through the week and I'm doing equally not well with just finish it when you finish it. Yeah this is what Big Rocks and daily MITs are supposed to cover; guess what I fell off the doing wagon with?

And to end with wild turkey. And not the whiskey either. My Friday April 11th workout ended up being done while the neighbor's offspring were out waiting for their school bus. Soon I heard one of them yell "wild turkey! Wild turkey!" Thinking "she's old enough to come up with worse insults than that," I continued my workout until I heard a gobble.

Sure enough, there was a turkey across the street strutting across the tree-studded lawn. I didn't really think much about it. The kids got on their bus. I figured the turkey was probably an escapee from someone's coop and wished him luck as I went on my day.

Sunday morning, Mom calls me. "Bring your camera quick. We gotta a turkey in the back yard!"

"Wow, he managed to cross the street." I didn't get a photo because my uncle's dog decided to bark the bird into the tree line. We did see its beard though and identified it as a male.

Monday evening, Uncle Scott caught a glimpse of a second one, a hen in my backyard. There has been a lot of construction and logging going on toward the river, and this is probably what has drove the turkeys to our yards. Because Pumpkin Center has never been prime turkey hunting country before. Mom's planning on putting out oatmeal for them, and hopefully they will nest nearby.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/

Iron Experiment Redux 09

Week 43 = 187.5
Week 42 = 186.1
Week 41 = 184.2
Week 40 = 181.7
Week 39 = 181.6
Week 38 = 181.2
Week 37 = 180.7
Week 36 = 179.3
Week 35 = 178.6
Week 34 = 179.4
Week 33 = 179.4
Week 32 = 178.8
Week 31 = 179.2
Week 30 = 181.7
Week 29 = 181.9
Week 28 = 182.8
Week 27 = 182.7
Week 26 = 185.3
Week 25 = 188.2
Week 24 = 188
Week 23 = 186.7
Week 22 = 187.4
Week 21 = 186.9
Week 20 = 186.2
Week 19 = 186.4
Week 18 = 186.3
Week 17 = 186.5
Week 16 = 187.2
Week 15 = 188.6
Week 14 = 188.8
Week 13 = 189
Week 12 = 187.6
Week 11 = 187.8
Week 10 = 189.6
Week 9 = 188.9
Week 8 = 193.4
Week 7 = 194.5
Week 6 = 194.5
Week 5 = 195.5
Week 2 = 199
Week 1 = 205

For the past few weeks, I've been laboring under an assumption that my left shoulder needed to stay at the weights I was lifting. Anything more would damage it.

This morning I said fuck it and up the workout weight by five pounds.

And executed the workout perfectly with no lasting damage. Plus 35 crunches. Now if only I could make this caffeine-withdrawal headache go away as easily.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/

Iron Experiment Redux 08

Wow, I did 25 reps of Breaststroke level 1! That's the ball pilates exercise I do for back extensions.

Now don't get me wrong. I love pumping iron compared to other exercises. I'm in this for my health, ultimately. However, the vain part of me wants some body sculpting results. It's also locked in with the impatient part of me who wants the results now!

My butt is the perkiest it has ever been. Buns of steel are probably not in my genetic makeup, so I will settle for glutes that will help me kick ass if I need to. My stomach, however, doesn't seem to understand the program. Yeah, I know the chocolate cravings and giving into them doesn't help, but it's hard to stay motivated looking down at the gut that is still out past the boobs. I don't see my butt, so it doesn't work as a motivating body part.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/

Number Crunching 119

Quicken Cash Flow = 253.05

Course this is before I went shopping. Next Friday's review will be brutal.

I ran a check on how much medical I spent so I can change my FSA amount. Since my teeth were an unexpected emergency, I took that amount out of the equation and came up with $1900.00. I finished that paperwork, and then used the IRS withholdings calculator to see if I needed to change my W4. It came back that I didn't because I should only overpay $100, unless I actually manage to make other deductions. I initially said no to putting anything in the IRA and whatever else the calculator asked for. If I have a miracle upswing during the year, that could change.

I'm also getting sued. My insurance company assures me they a) won't drop me because of it and b) this happens all the time in Louisiana because paperwork isn't finished by the time the year deadline rolls around and a suit keeps it open. I find it a little demoralizing and more stress I don't need.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/

Number Crunching 118

Quicken Cash Flow = -36.20
Cash = 66.49

Running late on posts again, so I'm trying to catch up.

The infusion from cash is from Mom insisting we stop at Hollywood Casino and her winning a decent jackpot and splitting it with me. I managed to only lose $5 out of $20.

I went for a second trading-my-time-for-a-paycheck job interview yesterday. the position I went in for turned out to have bad timing: 4:30 - 10:30 Thursday and Saturday, class night and not able to push it back an hour. But I ended up being able to interview for another position seven hours on Saturday and Sunday. Now I just have to wait for the next interview or the sorry-we're-not-interested call.

In the mean time, I have to catch up on homework, AMF work, and set up Internet revenue streams. Scheduling times to maintain these things is now crucial because with another time suck it gets worse.

Internet revenue streams: the surveys I don't think will work out for me as well as they have other people. I end up too many times not being in the target audience they want to survey. I'm not saying pocket change won't add up, but that it's going to take a few months to earn up the pocket change.

Surprisingly enough, I got thirteen votes in favor of see the Writing Tutorials in blog format. So I think that's a great place to start repackaging and selling ad space. With what I already have written, the editing and updating will be less time consuming as I work on other writing projects. Every thing's been knocking my writing schedule off-kilter. This will probably be my last free weekend, so I have to web changes done.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/

Iron Experiment Redux 07

Who says doctors can't motivate? Same day I have three month visit is the same day I got back to the weights after a fifteen day hiatus. Hadn't realizied it was that long. No wonder the body weight creeped up.

Week 42 = 186.1
Week 41 = 184.2
Week 40 = 181.7
Week 39 = 181.6
Week 38 = 181.2
Week 37 = 180.7
Week 36 = 179.3
Week 35 = 178.6
Week 34 = 179.4
Week 33 = 179.4
Week 32 = 178.8
Week 31 = 179.2
Week 30 = 181.7
Week 29 = 181.9
Week 28 = 182.8
Week 27 = 182.7
Week 26 = 185.3
Week 25 = 188.2
Week 24 = 188
Week 23 = 186.7
Week 22 = 187.4
Week 21 = 186.9
Week 20 = 186.2
Week 19 = 186.4
Week 18 = 186.3
Week 17 = 186.5
Week 16 = 187.2
Week 15 = 188.6
Week 14 = 188.8
Week 13 = 189
Week 12 = 187.6
Week 11 = 187.8
Week 10 = 189.6
Week 9 = 188.9
Week 8 = 193.4
Week 7 = 194.5
Week 6 = 194.5
Week 5 = 195.5
Week 2 = 199
Week 1 = 205

Now that the weather is evening out, I think I'm going to scale up my fitness schedule to every other day out at the weights. Until I notice bad effects. Hopefully the crap interfering with sleep has ended and I can get up on time.

For the health update, my numbers stayed the same since my last visit in November. I threw all conceot of sticking to the diet out the window for the last couple of months, so I'm fairly sure that didn't help. I think I'm going to pass Mom my South Beach Diet cookbooks and beg for meals conforming to the plan.

Since 500mg of metformin three times a day did not agree with my digestive track, the doctor switched me to Glumetza 500mg three times a day. I also got an Adpex refill and cosmetic treatment for the hair on my face. I haven't filled all of them yet; waiting for the paycheck.

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The BookWorm

There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/

So far, so good

No need to move any money out of savings last night. Now if only I could catch up my sleep bank as easily.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/

Movies I want to see

2008

• April 4 - Nim's Island (sounded cute)
• April 18 - The Forbidden Kingdom (Jackie Chan love)
• May 2 - Iron Man (Black Sabbath better be in the soundtrack and the trailers don't count)
• May 9 - Speed Racer (trailer surprised the hell out of me)
• May 16 - Prince Caspian (agnostic Pagan that I am I could totally worship Aslan, he hangs out with Harry Potter and Bacchus (it's in the book))
• May 22 - INDIANA JONES!
• July 11 - Hellboy II (otherwise known as Hellboy vs. the Drow)
• July 18 - BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT (o hell yeah)
• Nov. 21 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2009

• Watchman
• May 8 - Star Trek
• August 7 - G.I. Joe (I can be won over by Chris Eccleston and Ray Parks)

Read Free!
The BookWorm

There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/

Damn, damn, and triple damn

Phone calls less than productive. Too late to process paperwork to skip the car payments for April, but we could do it for May. Thanks, I'll see. Call up mortgage company. Oh the late fee was from last year and never paid off (now I think they have adjusted my automatic payment amounts at least once since incurring the late fee, because of escrow overpayment and they didn't address it then? Or take the late fee amount from the escrow account that had too much money in January?) Oh and the only way to get your due date change is to refinance the whole mortgage.

*Headdesk* *Headdesk* *Headdesk*

But work gave all employees a free state highway map today. I guess they don't want anyone to get lost during hurricane season.

The number one goal in April is to avoid the $25 overdraft fees and $5 we-did-the-transfer-for-you fees in the savings accounts. How to do that? I'm going to have to do budget reviews everyday, this week especially. I'm hoping by next paycheck I can go back to the weekly, but until I get past these first few auto payments I really can't breath easy.

Putting all bills on a credit card then paying the credit card off every two weeks when I get paid is looking really attractive again. The only thing stopping me is knowing I'm stupid with credit cards. Second consideration is would I even qualify for enough credit to cover the monthly bills? But to not have this nail biting every month is awfully attractive. But I said I would do the same thing with the gas-only credit card and all it took was forgetting to pay for two pay periods to knock away the support.

Okay, getting out of the damn circle thinking loop. I have a plan to implement.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/

Number Crunching 117

March Budget Meeting

Quicken Cash Flow = 562.16

Reconciling Quicken with Bank Statement: Everything reconciled.

Reconciling last month’s budget: I ended up with money left over, thanks to unexpected income. However, I can’t honestly say I stuck to the budget in March. Problem areas:

• Bank charges – because automatic payments went through with funds lacking
• Acadiana Medieval Faire – something has to change with this expense because I’m tired of it coming out of my pocket when it’s unbudgeted.
• Eating Out – I knew I blew the budget on this one, but I didn’t think I had gotten to third place of overspending with it.
• New Insurance – technically I’m not sure what type of insurance to file it under. It pays for disability and funeral expenses. I hadn’t budgetted for it, but it was a good deal.
• Mom – borrowed gas money and paid her back for that the same month
• Medical – prescriptions pushed me over the budgeted amount. I’ll be so thrilled when I can refuel the FSA and start using it again.
• Computer: software – I hadn’t planned on buying a registry scrubbing program, but the computer is running better since I used it.
• Household – I don’t remember what I bought for the house but it must have been something I really needed.
• Grocery – went over the budget amount, no real surprise with price increases.
• Entertainment – I bought a book today, not budgeted but my fun for getting my tax refund.
• Citifinancial payment – I had to pay a late fee which wasn’t budgeted.
• Categories that went over but stayed under $5.00:
  • TurboTax fees
  • Auto fuel
  • Atmos Energy
  • Tangi Water
  • Auto service

Where did I stay under budget?

• Telephone/cellphone: first new cellphone bill is due in April
• Mortgage: overestimated the budget amount

Verdict: Better than February but still falling down too much.

Creating April’s budget: I think I need to start budgeting by the week. Most of the bank charges are from auto payments going through without money to cover them fully (because I overspent the money, but you have to buy gas).

#Headdesk# Breaking down by the week, I end up with money leftover at the end of the month. But I run out of money in the first week and then in the third week. There’s also five weeks in April. #Headdesk#

So much for being able to move money from my tax refund into a high-yield savings account. So much for being able to keep money in savings for gasoline purchases. The $205.10 that AMF owes me plus $125.06 that I can draw from savings gets rid of only one of the overspent weeks. Crap.

Mom and I talked about doing a garage sale, but I can’t earn $300 from that (not with what I have to sell). #Headdesk# I have aluminum cans to sell for recycling. #Sigh# I still have books and DVDs to set up for sell on Amazon. I have some ideas for the website that could hopefully earn money, but when can I get them implemented? #Pulling hair out# I’m going for more chocolate.

Okay, more chocolate and having to explain to Mom that next month is April not May and no I don’t believe the government is going to give me $600 and if they do it has to go in my gas tank. So now I’m doing a second job search. #Whimper# I really didn’t want to get another time suck before getting the writing established. Damnit. Or finishing school. Damnit.

I had done the math earlier this week (to price what I should sell stuff online for) and figured that an hour of my time needs to be worth $10.77. I can always get more, but less than that won’t give me any headway on my financial goals. Also the point to figuring that out was to see what I lose by not writing. So at least I have a salary range to plug into job applications.

I’m applying for a part-time job at North Oaks. Next online stop will be Hammond Job Search, or whatever they call it. But what do I do while waiting to hear from them? I’m going to have to get the writing for pay off the ground. #Headdesk#

Yes, I have been avoiding it, I have to let stuff go, and I can’t. #Headdesk# Here’s my weekend, figuring out my budget all day. Sunday, AMF meeting hopefully not all day long but probably will be. Yes, I do waste a lot of time but how much time is in the day? #Headdesk#

Okay, I want to wave a magic wand and have my money issues fixed. That’s not going to happen anytime soon.

Determining how much cash to withdraw for the pay periods in April: I’m not drawing out cash in April. I think I fall into the category of people that have-cash-spend-it-like-water. And I spend most of it at work in the vending machines—so not healthy. So April will be an experiment with that.

Ensuring all automatic payments went through for March: Yeah, that’s good.

Ensuring all automatic payments are set up for the next month: Yeah, they are, biggest part of the problem. Maybe I can get the mortgage moved. But I honestly, don’t see a better date on the calendar to move it to.

Review savings goals:

1. STEF = $2202.00 Current total = $135.06
2. Dishwasher fund = $500.00 Current total = $0.00
3. Reenacting Hobby Fund = $200.00 Current total = $0.00

Update NetWorth IQ statement:


Update No Credit Needed Network Savings Chart:


Overview and Plans
Crap! It should not take five hours to fill out a job application. I’m done with it now. I can’t find the other one I was talking about and too tired to think about it. This took all damn day!

Sunday – I’m getting the writing shit together. After I get back from the store buying some munchies for the meeting. I hope the meeting doesn’t take all day, but I just can’t have people at my house without anything for them to eat.

Call mortgage company and see if I can get the payment date moved.

I’d love to get to the point where I live on last month’s money. I understood the principle as the blogger explained it. What I don’t understand is how they reached the point to jump start it.

3/30/08: Had a bright idea after I got some sleep. If I can get my car note on hold for April and move the mortgage to after my first paycheck for April, I’d only need to pull $20 out of savings. #Crossing fingers# I’ll start calling Monday.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/

Where Did I Put My D20?

Since I think me and ole Murphy are in a RPG roll-off, I'd like to actually see the numbers I keep coming up with and he keeps beating. If that's not possible, I'll settle for dousing AMF in Murphy repellant.

This morning not good, but it actually started last night. Last night, I needed to send three emails out concerning AMF. Turned on computer, decided to remove a program first before emails. Put on the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe while waiting on the computer. Try to open Outlook twice, get end program twice, get end program on Add/Remove software three times--all while going back and forth with the movie to keep me in a happy place. By the time Peter, Susan, and Lucy reach Aslan, I shut off the computer because end program wasn't working. I finished the movie and went to bed late.

Add to that coming home late and starving because of anemic bank account and wellness visit.

This morning, I go straight to Outlook after turning on computer. It's cranky and slow, and wants me to find the installation CD to fix the new virus scanner plug-in. I ignore all this and eventually get to the Inbox. Massive purge on the Inbox and I send off two of the three emails.

The third email is sending files to another director on the board. We already tried burning a CD earlier this week, and that was a massive fail with negative hit points on my CD drive and ahead Nero program. Not sure if I need a new drive only or a new drive and a new burning program. *Sigh* Have to email them this morning before going to work.

First attempt with Outlook: attached the three files to the email. Outlook warns me a file is illegal and I shouldn't send it. Doesn't tell me which file. I send anyway and go brush my teeth. Outlook responds with a "undeliverable mail" message.

Second attempt with Outlook: zip the three files together and attach to email and go brush hair. Outlook responds with a "undeliverable mail" message. Shut down Outlook and open Firefox to go to GMail.

Third attempt with web application for GMail: attach zip file to email, completely dressed now, pack bag. 6am DJs are on the radio. GMail refuses to send email because one of the files is an executable one. I'm boggled: how the hell do virus scammers operate?

Fourth attempt on GMail: dropped the executable file (which is an innocent Flash installer), attach the other two files, and send. the browser remains in send for fifteen minutes. I go look for Mustard. Can't find Mustard. Can't send email. Start ranting at the computer. Stop the whole process, log out, and log back in. Nothing sent.

Fifth attempt on GMail: attach only one file to the email. Carefully don't mention Murphy in the email. Send the email. Still working ten minutes later. Start ranting at computer. Realize that I shut Outlook down and it was in the middle of its final send and receive. Cancel that in case it was interfering. Rant at the computer again. Still running send. Load bag into car. Mustard shows up and gets tossed into the house. Rant at computer again and realize the news at 6:30 is on. Rant at the computer for making me late. Leave it running as I go to work.

Make it to work right at 7:30am, my on-the-clock time. Check GMail and it says sent. Finally.

So seriously, Murphy repellant?

Personal note for weight loss: I'm a stress eater, I think. Not really an overeater. I have no money until paycheck is deposited. I still haven't gotten tax refund and really need it. I need to get the car serviced and me massaged. I want Mexican, Thai, a steak, and stuffed mushrooms. NOW! I'm not even hungry yet, and the tastebuds don't want all that at the same meal. But my whatever-side-of-me-that-has-latched-onto-this wants a trip to a Mexican restaurant, a Thai restaurant, and Chelsea's or Charlie's for the steak (I don't know why the best steak places I know are both named with C's). Saying no money in the budget is not budging the desire for this food. Bizarre.

3/28/08 Update: A quick aside to explain that I had more computer woes this morning. To the point that Mustard laid both front paws on my chest while I sat at the computer to stop me from yelling at it. He's never done a cute like that and I have to admit it worked.

Windows XP seems to run fine, I might be able to get a program started but the program soon freezes when I ask it to do something (Firefox and Outlook this morning). I tried opened an Excel file and it wanted to reinstall the Excel program. I tried removing Easy Tune (whatever the hell this program is that I have never used) and was told it was in use and I couldn't uninstall (further than I got before). I just set up Avast anti-virus and it's catching a whole lot of malware. Last time I looked at the vault, it had shut down 11.

Not to start any "Windows is stupid and evil" rants from anyone, but am I expecting too much to want my programs to keep running after I start them? What I don't know is if this is a performance issue with XP (though I don't remember it acting this way before) and I need to purge the computer of software I'm not currently using or if I need to dig deeper to find more malware?

Read Free!
The BookWorm

There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/

Spring, Sprang, Sprung

I have a new incantation location, the gas pump. The incantation goes as follows: "Please take the debit card, payday is Thursday. Please take the card, I won't drive any extra. Please take the card, payday is Thursday. Please take the card, the car is empty." So far it has worked every time I've had to use it, which is far too often lately. just get through this month, just get through this month.

And so much for getting my sleep schedule back inline during a holiday. So I'm sure why I feel so blah is due to sleeping poorly. One mystery solved, and I go to bed early tonight (or technically, on time).

It must be spring because I'm getting that undeniable nesting urge. Spring cleaning, redecorating, build furniture for the house, garden. I think it's a side effect of the pollen.

One thing I learned last week as I tried to restart the planning habit that flopped miserably, I such at limits. Here's the starting theory: Plan your big rocks for the week, plan the day's MITs to accomplish the big rocks first, and cross off items as you accomplish them. Keep the limit to what you can accomplish in a day and in a week.

So what do I do? I get a late start to the week last week, but Tuesday's schedule not too bad. Then on Wednesday I list as a Big Rock "finish Tuesday's MITs." That sounded like a good idea, and I continued it for the rest of the week's scheduling. Result was by Saturday I had twenty-two MITs to do.

Not doing that this week. This week I planned the big rocks, then scheduled them on different days. Hopefully, this way I'll get to touch the stuff I didn't get to last week.

Now, I'm off to get editing finished so I can go find betas.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/

Iron Experiement Redux 06

Week 40 = 181.7
Week 39 = 181.6
Week 38 = 181.2
Week 37 = 180.7
Week 36 = 179.3
Week 35 = 178.6
Week 34 = 179.4
Week 33 = 179.4
Week 32 = 178.8
Week 31 = 179.2
Week 30 = 181.7
Week 29 = 181.9
Week 28 = 182.8
Week 27 = 182.7
Week 26 = 185.3
Week 25 = 188.2
Week 24 = 188
Week 23 = 186.7
Week 22 = 187.4
Week 21 = 186.9
Week 20 = 186.2
Week 19 = 186.4
Week 18 = 186.3
Week 17 = 186.5
Week 16 = 187.2
Week 15 = 188.6
Week 14 = 188.8
Week 13 = 189
Week 12 = 187.6
Week 11 = 187.8
Week 10 = 189.6
Week 9 = 188.9
Week 8 = 193.4
Week 7 = 194.5
Week 6 = 194.5
Week 5 = 195.5
Week 2 = 199
Week 1 = 205



I'll spare you the full gist of it and I know I'm not supposed to get hung up on numbers. But I have to admit, it's a lot easier to do that when the numbers go down. I also haven't been keeping up with the Yoga and Yogalites either, which I need to change this week.

I'm still worried about the left shoulder. I haven't noticed any weakness in daily activities, and the fatigue is only noticeable after the dumbbell rows set. There's no pain with the movement, no swelling, no need to ice down, so I'm probably just being overly concerned.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/

Number Crunching 116

Quicken Cash Flow = -230.91

*Sigh* At least there's a paycheck deposit next week. And I need a secondary stream of income, nothing new with that. :p Sent off my taxes on March 17th and I really need to stop waiting so late. I should be getting my refund between March 26th and 31st. Once armed with my tax return numbers, I used this 2008 Economic Stimulus Package Tax Rebate Calculator. It swears I'm going to get the full $600.00 by May 16th. I still don't believe I'm getting it, been screwed too much by money I expected. Yeah, I'm still trying to get Sallie Mae straightened out so school is paid off. Me paying off Sallie Mae is a longer term position.

I got more clarifying on the difference between short-term, med-term, and long-term saving goals. I was basing my definitions on when I want to accomplish the goals.

• Short-term = purchases costing less than $300.00
• Med-term = purchases costing over $300.00
• Long-term = retirement, child's education, etc.

Given what I have listed on my lists to save for, the $300 limit doesn't work with my budget. I think $500 is a better cut off for me. So after tweaking, here's what I have now on my lists.

Short-term Saving Goals

• Dishwasher fund = $500.00
• Reenacting hobby fund = $200.00

Med-term Saving Goals

• Paying off Minor Debt Fund = $965.52
• Laptop fund = $1000.00
• Cosmetic treatments fund = $1000.00
• STEF = $2202.00
• European vacation = $5000.00
• Bathroom remodel = $6000.00

Long-term Saving Goals

• House remodel = $200,000.00
• Retirement fund = $292,547.00
• Atticus's college fund = $20,000.00

Currently, I'm only working on saving for the STEF badly.

I adjusted my Dfrd. Compensation plan to the Help-Me-Do-It section. I managed to avoid the "you must increase your payments in" recommendation, but I followed the allocation suggestions. It did get rid of my Stable Value Fixed Income Fund, i.e. bonds. But I'm willing to give the advice time to work.

Financial Projects

• Measure weekly budget reviews with Joe's Goals
• Find a Baton Rouge consignment shop
• Finish setting up the Amazon sales
• Do online surveys every night before bed.
• Print out taxes.
• Submit taxes electronically.
• Fill out rebate calculator
• Buy cat food
• Research disability insurance.
• Call Sallie Mae

Read Free!
The BookWorm





There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/

Iron Experiement Redux 05

I think I'm going to spend another week at these weights. I don't like how quickly my arms fatigue. My left shoulder is still weaker than the right. I hope this isn't a permanent feature of my body now.

I'm up to twenty-five crunches, even though the warm-up and work sets have remained the same. :p I'm not fully awake yet; they're supposed to stay the same and weight amounts change.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

There is a new renaissance festival in Louisiana! Check out the Acadiana Medieval Faire at: http://www.acadianafaire.org/