11.30.08
Bidders remorse
I hardly bid on ebay anymore, don’t know why but I just don’t. Last night I was having a glass of wine and went on looking for inexpensive Nintendo DS cases for my girls gifts. While on I stumbled on an item at a RIDICULOUSLY low price and placed a bid. Ever since then I’ve been nervous about it. I’ve read and reread the auction several times. I even woke up several times thinking about it but resisted getting up and checking my email in the middle of the night.
I was outbid so I placed another bid. Still RIDICULOUSLY low for what its going for in the stores. I don’t even need it, I’ve got the same thing at home already, but with the bid price so low I figured I could put it right back on ebay and make some Christmas shopping money by charging half of what the stores charge. Or I can see if my friend wants to buy it off me for her son. Then of course I can’t put the auction here for you to see and verify that I’m reading it correctly because I don’t want you to steal it from me, either! Oh the stress of ebay!
I want to win this acution because its an awesome deal, but because of the stress I secretly hope someone outbids me. I almost always have bidders remorse when playing around on ebay. And its worse than buyers remorse because at least in the mall you can return your stuff if you really have a change of heart, you know? Oh the stress. I’ll let you know how it turns out for me.
ETA: The bastard canceled the auction and our bids! I was bidding on a new in box, w/receipt, Nintendo Wii w/extra games and controllers for almost $100! I hate it when that crap happens.
11.27.08
I love this time of year
Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! I hope you have a wonderful day full of laughter and love.
Last night we watched a movie, Fred Claus, and it got me in the Christmas mood! I can’t wait to help Mister put up our Christmas lights tomorrow afternoon, then we’ll get our tree next Friday. I’m going to start shopping for the tamale ingredients this week and of course Black Friday I HOPE to have 99% of my shopping completed.
I’m lucky enough to not only have a large, close family but we all get along as well. So it makes the next four weeks not only enjoyable but something to look forward to, we all end up at Grandpa’s house. Then Craze will be here three weeks from today, also!
I’ve got to say that even though I lost my job, last month, I now view it as a blessing in disguise. I’ve been given the time home with my family that I’ve never had before. I’m starting school and changing careers. I’m spending more time with not only my husband and kids but my sister and new nephew. I get to watch my nephew when my sister goes back to work. And I finally get to spend time doing something good for myself, exercising. I’m really going to make the most out of this holiday season because I may not have another chance like this in a very long time.
Happy Holidays!
11.25.08
Something to look forward to
I just got a flight confirmation for my girl Craze! She’s coming to L.A. to spend a few pre holiday days with us! It was a last minute plan that we threw together just yesterday, thank goodness for low fare emails from Southwest. So she’ll be here in three weeks!
So what’s our plan while she’s visiting? Thursday we’ll kick it and run errands. Friday after I drop the girls off at school its over to my mom’s house for a day of tamale making. We’ll spend the day laughing, talking, snacking on munchies and making burritos out of the cooked meat and chili. We’ll have a few drinks and just enjoy the family time together. Then Saturday is Mister’s birthday and I’m having a dinner/party for him at our house with close family and friends. Sunday we’ll *hopefully* get up on time to take Craze to our FAVORITE Mexican restaurant for brunch then head over to the swapmeet to walk off breakfast, grab a beer and listen to live music. Most likely we’ll end our visit with a balls out night of Art Laboe and kicking it, again. Monday morning she’s headed back to Idaho bright and early. I just might go back to bed when she leaves. lol
I haven’t seen any of my girlfriends since this past March when we went to Vegas together so its going to be good to visit again. Then I hope to still make it out to Idaho next summer for my birthday. It sucks that we all live so far from each other, then again it makes the visits that much more rememberable. Yay can’t wait!
11.24.08
Receipt envelope 2008
If you know me you know I’m a VERY organized person, mostly. So it should come to no surprise that when Christmas rolls around I’ve got an envelope for that years spending. This morning I just started the envelope for 2008, so it means shopping has officially began!
Out of curiosity I dug out 2007’s envelope & added it all up and can I say OMG! The total I have in receipts, which I’m SURE I’m missing some, came out to $1025.54 spent last year. Yeah, my jaw dropped, too. Thankfully this year I’ve cut out A LOT of gifts due to me being unemployeed. I’m buying for Mister, my girls, stepdaughter, mom, sis, niece, nephew, my secret santa ho, my girlfriend and her boy. That’s it. That seems like a lot, but its not compared to what my list usually consists of.
I need to get creative like my girlfriend, Craze, and start making gifts for the family! Thankfully I’ve been saving my $1’s and change so I’m ready to hit the mall and Target at 5am on Friday.
**ETA** I hit one too many 2’s it was $1025 & not 10,225! lol
11.21.08
Pass me the pipe because I MUST be smoking crack!
What did you get us into?was what my sister asked me. She and I just signed up for a cardio kick boxing class at a karate studio down the street from my house!
I’ve seen the poster advertising $25 a month on cardio kick boxing classes for women then saw he has a 4-5pm & 7:30-8:30pm class. I spoke w/the owner yesterday and he gave me info and sent me in to speak with the manager. Joe, the manager, has taken sis and I on to train us three days a week, Mon/Wed/Fri, at 11am! Personal trainer for $25 a month! He said we’re going to start with deep stretches, running, boxing and a lot of cardio work for the butt and mid section, which is exactly what I need. And when I told him come January I’d have to reevaluate my coming there or not because sis is going back to work he said to let him know what time works for us that he’d make arrangements to train, even if it needs to be at 10pm! How fricken awesome is that? And come January the price’ll go up to $50 a month but still that is WAY cheaper than a trainer at the gym! We totally scored I tell you. I’m down nearly 20 lbs and with 40 more to go this is exactly what I needed to get over the hum-drum of working out and push my weight loss to the next stage.
So we hit Walmart and bought our boxing gloves and hand wraps, sports bras and work out clothes, we’re ready. Next Tuesday when I’m crying and complaining remind me how excited I am today, ok?
11.19.08
Learning to let go an inch at a time
Being a mother is hard enough of a job, being a mother of two girls is harder but being the mother of a “pre-teen” is the hardest because they’re not quite old enough to do what everyone else is doing, yet not young enough to sit and snuggle on the couch watching the Wizard of Oz with you.
I’ve recently began letting Drama Queen get on the computer for more than school work related things. She’s all into disneychannel.com and the games/features it has keeps her occupied (safely) for hours if I let her. She also has a BFF (our neighbor girl who is the sweetest thing ever) that is a couple of years older and has began guiding her into “cool” stuff like the right book bag for school and how to straighten her hair (because if you’ve ever seen me I have NO clue when it comes to straight hair! lol).
Last night I set Drama Queen up with her own email account so she can email with family and a couple of friends. You should’ve seen the giddiness in that child, you would’ve thought someone told her she didn’t ever have to go back to school! lol There were rules set, of course, no changing her password and I let her know that Mister and I would be checking her account randomly. Oh and before she asked I told her NO Myspace! 
Sometimes its hard for me to let go of total control and allow her to make her own decisions but she’s ten years old and I know its a matter of time before she asks to go to the mall with her friends (NO!) or starts getting phone calls. It doesn’t get easier with time, does it?
11.18.08
10 more days!! WOOHOO!! 10 more days!!!!!
In ten days I’ll get up at 4am, shower, gather my shopping bags, sales ads and cash, dressed in shorts and flip flops, and head out to pick up my mom and sister so we can hit Starbucks then get our asses in line at Target to open at 6am!! People, its almost Black Friday. *AHHHHHH* Can you hear the sound of Christmas music and cash registers?
I can’t believe the holidays are just about here, can you? I’ve already started shopping for a couple of friends and our girls. Due to my lay off I decided not to buy for all the little cousin kids like I have in the past, that’ll save me about $100-$150 right there. The biggest expense is Mister, but thankfully he’s dropping weight left and right so he’s getting clothes clothes and more clothes for Christmas! lol Ok, I may splurge and hit Sears to buy him something from the Craftsman catalog that he not only circled, like the kids do with the Toys R Us book, but flagged! lol Me in a tool department is like him shopping for my bras, don’t know what I’m doing so I take the catalog, grab a salesman and say I need this, this and that I’ll meet you at the register. lol That’s how I shop for tools. 
I’m looking forward to also being home with the kids for their school breaks. They drive me nuts but I enjoy the time…mostly. lol I think this year I’m going to hit the craft store and buy ornament making kits/paints to keep them busy a day or two, maybe invite my sister and niece over, too.
Yay! The holiday’s are here! I LOVE this time of year! Now if only the temperatures would get out of the 80’s and 90’s and show us some holiday weather it’d be perfect! lol
11.16.08
Needing the hair of the dog today
Damn I feel like crap today! I haven’t had a hangover in awhile and today sucks. Good thing my only plans are to sit in bed and watch movies on TNT all day long.
Yesterday my cousin baptized her two boys and naturally we partied after church. lol They hired a taco guy and man that food was the bomb! We cracked our first beer at 2pm, becase as my sister said After sitting in church for an hour you need a beer! lol Then later my cousin’s brother-in-law busted out the Patron. Oh heaven. I love tequila and I love Patron. I know my limit so I took it slow and chilled. Later in the evening her husband sparked up the outside fire place and we chilled some more. I remember inviting all the ladies to our house in two weeks for a girls night in! lol Wonder how many of those drunk ho’s will remember. lol Mister was in San Diego with his son all day so I rode with my sister so I didn’t have to drive home and had Mister come for me when he got back to L.A. I feel like shit today and I’m drinking a red beer. I need the hair of the dog to fix me up and maybe, just maybe, I’ll shower before 5pm today. Maybe.
We woke up to an orange and gray sky along with ashes and smoke in the air. We’re having some really bad fires right now, its terrible. The air is so thick and smokey right now and our cars are covered in ash. I’ve got the house closed up and the ceiling fans whirling and the only reason my kids are stepping out today is to take the dog out and come back in. Its that time of year for S. CA to burn, and like I’ve said before come the winter we’ll get rain and mudslides because of these fires. Ugh.
I’m going to pour myself another red beer and climb back into bed. See ya.
11.13.08
Have I told you how much I enjoy being home now?
I enjoy being home with the kids and Mister and still getting paid! Woohoo! lol Tomorrow is payday so when I wake up my checking account will be replenished, I’ll pay a couple of bills, take the kids to school, come home to work out then get ready to hit the streets with my sister. Remember, she’s at home on maternity leave. Niiice.
Our local Mervyns is closing so she and I have plans to hit it with a vengeance of two sisters who haven’t been shopping in a LONG time. From there its to Macy’s to raid the MAC counter. Off to Target to pick up baptism gifts then off to Casa’s for a Mexican lunch and the BEST Margarita’s in town! And if I’m in the mood while we’re out I might swing back by Trader Joes to pick up another bottle of wine for tomorrow night when Mister is home with me (the only damn night all fricken weekend but we won’t go there right now) and if he’s nice he might get lucky.
*Note to self: Buy C batteries Friday*
11.11.08
I don’t care what you say, 68 IS cold!
It was a nice enough day that I headed out shopping in shorts, a t-shirt and flip flops. When I came out of the store, at 3:00, it was COLD! Holy crap! I put up the windows and shut down the car’s AC and headed home. Once there I shut the house up and grabbed a pair of knee socks to warm up. That was 1.5 hours ago and my toes are still a little chilled. BRR!
But don’t feel too sorry for me (yeah right) because come Thursday it’ll be a glorious 98 degrees here. Ahhhh…now that’s what I’m talking about. Two weeks before Thanksgiving and we could spend the day at the beach. Hey, that’s not a bad idea actually. Hmmm… This is why my flip flops never get put away, or dusty.
