Had a couple of those unexpected little life lemons recently.
The water heater went out in my house last week. I've been suspicious of it for a while because I ran out of hot water when showering and it's just me in the house. I even had the thermostats cranked waaaaayyyy up to try and make it last longer which worked a little, but I still ran out. That sucks when it's freezing outside. Brrrrrrrrr...
So, that little adventure cost $575 - $300 for the new tank and $275 in labor for the emergency plumbing services. We had to turn the water off to the whole house because the knob to shut it off just to the tank was frozen shut, so we had no water for a while. We were carrying buckets over from the neighbor's house to flush the toilets and bought out the whole supply of gallons of bottled water from the neighborhood convenience store. lol...
Tuesday night I got a flat tire - like all the way down flat. Grumble grumble... Of course I was an hour from home. Grumble grumble... One positive note - Fix-A-Flat is the BEST STUFF EVER. Go out right now and buy a can to keep in your trunk. It is a miracle product. A lifesaver. Absolutely amazing.
So took the car in to get that tire fixed and found out it couldn't be because there was too much wear. It was a 30,000 mile tire and I got 50,000 miles out of it so I'm not complaining. But my car is all-wheel drive and you have to replace all four tires at the same time or it messes up the computer that controls the all-wheel drive stuff. AND... while they were poking around in there they also noticed that my rear brakes were worn basically down and needed to be replaced too. Ha. Of course.
So $100 for one tire turned into $450 for tires and $150 brake pads leading to $620 with tax.
Sigh...
Me poor. Me no want pay lots of money. Me want save for future.
The silver lining is that I won't have to pay for these repairs when I am in school for the next three years making next to nothing. I'd rather pay for this kind of thing now then face it when I'm REALLY poor. And I do have to say I take pride in the quality of house that some lucky person is going to buy. It's a nice house with lots and lots of quality improvements. That makes me happy.
But... then I read my horoscope for today and realized everything is going to be ok. Read and marvel and how the world knows things in a spooky way sometimes:
Scorpio - Someone may have a good money-making plan but it doesn't necessarily mean it will work for you. A change in plans will probably cost a little more but, in the end, you will be better off not scrimping. Ooooooooooo.... Ahhhhhhhhhhhh...
Slow but steady progress...
Yesterday...
Today...
Mischief is your middle name, but your first is friend. You are quite the prankster that loves to make other people laugh.
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My brother made bee-u-ti-ful salads for dinner. Isn't it purrty? I took it before the shrimp and avocado got added... oops.
After delay after delay after delay because of rain, the staining has FINALLY begun on my house. My little brown cabin will still be a little brown cabin, so it won't appeal to someone looking for a Cape Cod or Ranch house. But my oh my, it will look sooooooooooooooo much better.
Newly Stained Section
Cross View of Stained & Unstained Sections
My brother gets confused when I tell him stories from my neighbors' blogs because he thinks I'm talking about my actual neighbors. I tell stories about them too.
So we decided you all needed a new name. It was either blends (BLog friENDS) or frogs (FRiends in blOGS). We like frogs. You are all now frogs.
That is all.
Ribbit.
After a tumultuous three weeks, I have officially lost 10 pounds! Yaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyy!
It has been the smörgåsbord season at JMU. End of the year banquets, receptions, graduation parties... that ends up equaling eating, eating, and more eating. Being on a weight loss plan in the midst is very difficult because the food is SO GOOD and very tempting
I am proud to say I only gained weight one week and then only one pound. One of my friends who is on the same plan gained 3 pounds after one fateful weekend - yikes! It has been most difficult to balance moderation and low salt options. Several times I felt shriveled up like a prune because I ate something really salty. I don't ever cook with salt so I tend to be very sensitive to it.
I started this plan because I had outgrown my FAT clothes. Yes, my fat clothes. The ones I went and bought at Goodwill because I couldn't wear any of my regular clothes. I am happy to say I have started getting back into my regular clothes now. I can't wear them all yet, but I can wear some, and that is GREAT motivation to keep up the momentum. Woohoo.
Having my brother here has helped too because he is super healthy in his eating habits which helps me stay on track. I've had a few moments when I've been exhausted or emotionally spent. Those are the days I would have come home and fixed comfort food. But with Ryan here, I've eaten salads, grilled chicken, fish, and veggies just about every night. Yum.
So... onward and upward. I currently weigh 152. I am most comfortable and happy when I am 135-140. Twelve pounds to go... I can do it! You can do it! We can do it!
We got our mugs back and they turned out GREAT! We are both very happy with them and are talking about going again soon. If any of you are considering doing this, here are some things we learned that might help:
1) The stain color looks really light when you put it on but dries ten times darker in the kiln. So pale pale pink actually might be red after it's done (see the Phoenix).
2) The raw pottery feels really rough and scratchy. Think of the feeling you get when you scratch your nails on a chalkboard. That's kinda how it feels to touch the raw pottery.
3) Intricate designs look great but can be very time consuming and frustrating. Bring your steady hand and patience.
4) You layer the darker colors over lighter colors when painting, so it's better to have a design thought out before you go unless you will be going free-for-all (which is fun too).
5) Think a few steps ahead if you have to hold the pottery in order to paint it so you don't end up putting finger prints in the paint. We ran into this trying to paint the handles, interior and bottom of the mugs. Tricky...
Sigh... I can't figure out how to get rid of the giant space between the mugs. Dang formatting options. If I try to backspace or delete the spaces, it just deletes the photos. Ah well. Just pretend there is cheesy music playing during an intermission.
Before After
Cheesy music and Intermission. Talk amongst yourselves.
Hello folks. My brother, Ryan, has been in town visiting since last weekend - hence the lack of Voxing... We've been having fun doing stuff.
Here's Ryan while we were at lunch one day...
We went to the Arboretum one afternoon. Just gorgeous. Beautiful weather, baby ducks, pretty trees... A perfect day.
Take Two... Ok, I'm back. Comcast problem turned out to be a caption setting turned on... Weird...
So, it looks like Ryan might be staying here for two months, ergo the title of the post. He is transitioning between living in Washington, DC and moving to New York to pursue his passion of working in the music industry. I am transitioning between working at JMU and going to Penn State to pursue my passion of a PhD in Communications. We decided to celebrate our transitions by making special mugs at the pottery place. New beginnings... for both of us...
Ryan's mug. Symbolism includes a Phoenix - rising from the ashes - and skulls - in Native American tradition, death is celebrated as a new life.
My theme was Spring... bright happy colors, flowers blooming, and my personal motto - Follow Your Bliss as a secret message to myself inside.
Copying BA who was copying Arbed...
Will Smith
Leading Man
A fresh prince in the pursuit of happiness, dunkin is megastar Will Smith!
Putting the jazz back in jazzy, dunkin is always moving and grooving to the beat of his own internal drum. Not one to settle for second best, dunkin only takes on projects that are sure to draw attention and improve his pawpularity in the pack. dunkin's broad appeal across breed, age and gender lines means that his actions often lead to his being named best in show. Smooth, suave and debonair... he's the perfect pet to take home to Mommy. Not lacking in the looks department, dunkin‘s toothy grin would send even the most furrocious group of alien invaders spinning helplessly back into space.
Isabel's quirky little act get laughs whenever she's out and about... Hey! She's Ellen DeGeneres!
Turning on the charm wherever she may be, Isabel can ham it up with the best of the best. She's not afraid to stand up and be the center of attention, even if it means getting egg on her fur. Isabel will do her shtick in any size venue, from small clubs and coffee houses to large parks with huge audiences. A true lover of animalkind, Isabel generously shares what she has with her fellow furry friends. Isabel's highly recognizable vocal style is known throughout the ‘hood, and her many fans gather ‘round to hear her snuzzy tails, sure that every episode will be unlike the rest.
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Recent Comments
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AuntieMameDennisBurnside said:
Ouch! I just spent $1,500 fixing the air conditioning in my car (the whole car probably isn't worth that much),... read more
on My wallet hurts... -
SweetMisery said:
The fix a flat is a very cool thing to have in the car. My whole wheel fell off once... read more
on My wallet hurts... -
Tammie said:
Sorry about the expenses, but at least now- you're great to go on tires and brakes for a long while!!!!... read more
on My wallet hurts... -
Free! said:
When I first glanced at what kind of "flower" I would be I thought it said cannabinoid and I like... read more
on Monkey See, Monkey Do
Bummer...sounds like my last weekend. I lost 300.00 cash that my sister gave me. read more
on My wallet hurts...