I think I have a job... I went to the Humane Society this morning to work for an hour to see if it would be something I would like/could handle... and after two hours (because it went by fast and I wanted to finish what I was doing), I went up front to tell Lori that I was enjoying myself... well Lori wasn't there so I told Heather, and she said that Lori would be giving me a call and probably putting me on the schedule right away...
So I think I have a job, but I won't really know until Lori calls...

So that job (which will probably be 15-20 hours a week) and my babysitting job of 13 hours a week, will bring in some extra money... which is always good. Then we can get our savings up again and pay more towards the student loans.

And the mail just came with my first mystery shopping check... Woohoo... the money's rolling
in : )

Thought of the Day: Let someone know how much you love them... be it a kiss, a touch on the hands or a telephone call.

I tried to blog yesterday to Thank Gerry for the cool site he let me know about, but Blogger wouldn't let me...

The site is for misspellings of titles for eBay auctions... this is cool because you can find auctions that no one else has bid on due to not being able to find them.

Check it out

I got a call from the animal shelter yesterday to do an interview... she wanted to do it yesterday at 3, but I had to babysit, so we're doing it today at 3pm instead.
I'm excited and hope I get it...

While I was there the other day to get an application, I was standing in the front area with three other people because the doors hadn't been unlocked yet, and there was a dog (I think she may have had puppies...) who had growled at all of us... so one moron after standing there for awhile decided to reach down to pet the dog.... needless to say she snapped at him....
I wished for a moment she had actually bit, to show him what a moron he was... but then they probably would have had to put her down....
Duh.... if a dog is growling it doesn't want you to touch it.

I worked for four hours the other day, while DH was at the pet shoot, and got the garage almost completely finished. There's about five boxes that Spyros needs to bring in (stuff that I still have to put away), two bookcases, and a table (that has to go downstairs). And we have to hang his bike up on some hooks we bought... then we'll be able to park in the garage....

Frugal/Simple Thought of the Day: If a dog is growling at you, don't go to pet it.... you'll save yourself money on medical bills and won't look like a jackass.

Job search is still going... I applied at the animal shelter today... part time 10-15 hours a week... mainly cleaning cages and feeding... but I've always been good with animals... being a Virgo and all...

I'm still waiting to hear from the library, it will be a couple of weeks since they are revamping the library and along with it people's jobs... So if I got the library job and the animal shelter it would be about 25-25 hours a week, and I would probably quit the babysitting job since I would be making more money with the other two...

We finally put up curtains in the porch (courtesy of my Mom and her ever changing tastes...) we needed five sets of curtains and that's exactly how many she had, so it worked out perfect! They're white with a pattern of yellow, red, and blue flowers with green stems and leaves. They match the porch because it's painted light green on three walls and stripped with three different colored greens on the other wall.
It's helps tremendously with the glare on the computer screens and it's not as hot in the porch, plus it looks much better then the two blankets we had hung up....

DH is going to his first pet shoot today... should be there in about 15 minutes. He's excited and so am I... I really hope this works out for him/us.

Hmmm.... not too much else.... put some stuff on eBay, and have to write up some more descriptions this week... and the house needs some picking up... and I really want to tackle washing the walls and cabinets in the kitchen...
Oh and the garage... how many times have I mentioned that!

Simple/Frugal Thought of the Day: Keep Trying... with frugality if something doesn't work, try a different way and you never know what kind of amazing results you may get... of course you're trying to be frugal, so if it's too much of a money pig.... you may need to seek out a different avenue.

Tuesday's babysitting went well... we went fishing... and I have never put a worm on a hook or taken a fish off of one before Tuesday (I always made my Dad do it).... I felt so bad for the fish as they gasped for life and I tried my hardest/fastest to unhook them...

The other babysitting job is pending... on a court hearing the end of the month... the dad is trying for main custody... so we'll see....

I really haven't been in a blogging mood lately....

Frugal/Simple Thought of the Day: Flossing does wonders for your teeth, gums and breath... and helps to keep those dentist bills down... and this from a child who hated to brush her teeth and had 13 cavitites once when she went to the dentist....
Since the experience with a popcorn kernel getting stuck in my teeth late Spring, I've been flossing every day, and have seen a great improvement on my teeth, gums and breath....

I have another job interview for babsitting today... and I start my Tuesday and Thursday babysitting job tonight at 4...

The house is getting messy and I want to clear out the garage before winter so we can park the other van...
Must write up my list and then do it...

We had a nice time visiting with my dad and Penny. They recently traded their Jeep (which saddens me greatly since we love Jeeps...) in for a older motorcoach, so when they came to visit they spent the night out in it.
Which was kind of nice because I didn't have to make up the guest room... The coach is nice and perfectly for traveling wherever, whenever....

We went out to lunch with them for DH's birthday. And they brought a bunch of my step-brother's original art down, so Spyros could begin tweaking it on the computer to make prints.

Then today we went yard saling. We found some healthy cookbooks (using honey and more natural ingredients), a light fixture (for free) to replace our not so pretty one in the porch, and a flat water jug (the kind you can put in the space under the meat/veggie crisper), so the other two water jugs we have we can get rid of and have more space.
Actually DH is going to use the waters jugs with a rope as a type of arm exerciser...

We stopped at a Chinese Buffett for lunch (all you can eat $3.99... although I only had one helping...) It was very good and we had been craving crab ragoon for awhile now.

Tomorrow I met with the lady for the possible baby-sitting job. I'm excited and nervous! The other lady whose child called, didn't pan out... very weird situation there... I called back the next day and the daughter answered... I told her who I was and asked to speak with her mother... the girl paused and said "My mom said she's been laid off so we don't need a babysitter now."
Hmmm... I said okay and have a good day, then hung up...
I wonder if the daughter was sick of looking after her younger sister and was trying to get a sitter, or what???

I may have a babysitting job soon... I meet with them on Sunday, and if they decide to hire me I would be working Tuesday and Thursday from around 4pm to 10:30pm. It is for a boy who is 8, so hopefully not to chaotic...
The pay is ridiculously low ( I feel like I have a highschool job again...) but after checking around it seems to be the going price.
The great thing is she's less then a mile away, so I could walk or ride a bike.

I have another lead that I have to call back this afternoon for a 4 year old girl. From the information that I gathered from the 14 year old sister it would be second shift, which is what I was looking for since DH works second...

The whole conversation with the 14 year old was bizarre... I found out she was calling for her mom, and when I asked how old she was, I was confused because I didn't think I would be sitting for her. Then I asked why her parents hadn't called, and she said that her mom works nights and sleeps days... so I guess that makes sense, but the mom could have called right before work, or something.... Strange.

I also specifically put in the ad the towns I would babysit, and I've gotten a call for a place much farther away, and someone looking to babysit my children.... Please read the ad people. It is very specfic and well written....

We watched Radio last night (borrowed from the library). It was very sweet... and we watched Adaptation with Nicholas Cage (there is somehthing about that man that I rather like...). It was good, but different... not something I would watch again.

My Dad and Penny (step-mom) are coming down today, and spending the night in their camper. We've (mainly Spyros and Penny) been trying to get something set up with my step-brother's (Norman) artwork, so we can find an avenue for sales opportunities. Spyros has been working with the originals to make prints, and Penny's trying to get the originals from my step-sister who doesn't want to give them up... she feels like she's the keeper of the art... which is sad because she started this project many years ago (and hasn't gotten far) with the idea to make money for Norman, but somehow it's been twisted in her brain to the perverted form that it is now....
Gotta love family... well not really, but....

Simple/Frugal Thought of the Day: When company comes you don't always have to do a five course meal... soup and sandwiches are just as tasty when eaten in the presence of pleasant conversation and beautiful music....

I did my first online focus group last night, very cool, easy, and fun... Plus $50 to boot, not too shabby for an hour and a half sitting in my own home and typing!

Plus I'm doing a snack food survey where I keep track of all the snack foods I eat for two weeks, on a palm pilot they supplied me. Then after the two weeks I return the palm in a pre-stamped envelope.... for $70.

And I've gotten two free samples to try out and then take a survey on. The one I'm doing right now if for some wonderful smelling body wash...

The Mystery Shopping isn't going as well because there are not many jobs in the area... But with DH's new part-time job (and hopefully full-time eventually) where he goes to daycares and pet stores to take pictures of kids and pets, he'll be traveling to the Wausau area where there are more jobs.
So I could go with, help with the shoot (being a handler for the pets or writing down information), and then afterwards we could head over to the mystery shop for me to complete. And then I would be getting more jobs....

I'm still looking for work otherwise, but still no luck. I put an ad in the paper yesterday for babysitting, so hopefully something turns up there.

Thought of the Day: No matter how depressing it may be, keep trying and think positive. I truely believe that if you send out positive energy, you receive it back to you... but not always in the way you were hoping...

Still no luck on the job front, and I've been making follow up calls... Today I think I'll be putting an ad in for babysitting.

Talking about the paper... we put a press release in about a week ago for Freecycle, since I started one up in Wisconsin Rapids, and I would like as many people in the area as possible to join... anyway Spyros ran into the lady who works directly below the guy who owns the paper, and she was very interested in the idea, and said she would check into why no one got back to us.
So hopefully they run an article and we get lots of new members!
Check out Freecycle for yourself. www.freecycle.org

I'm going to put some stuff up on eBay tomorrow, so I'll need to finish the descriptions and take some pictures today.

I watched The Time Machine last night... it wasn't bad if you didn't think too deeply about the unanswered questions.

Frugal/Simple Thought of the Day: Sometimes you just have to veg.

Still no luck on the job front. I think I'm going to put an ad in the paper: Babysitter for hire...

Not much else doing or done today...

Didn't hear back from any of the jobs today, hopefully tomorrow, but if not then I will be making a few phone calls on Friday.

We ordered 100 gallons of heating oil today. We have no idea how much we will use (since we've never had oil heat before), and since the money is tight, we decided to start with the smallest amount they would deliver....
Does anyone out there use oil? How many gallons do you use a winter? What do you keep your heat at? (I know it varies depending on size of house, insulation, etc.... but it could give us an idea...)

To warm up my chilled bones this morning, I took a bath... heavenly! I use to take baths a lot more but haven't really been in the mood, plus I know they use a lot more water!

When I took the kitties out for their daily kitty adventure, I was looking around trying to picture how the house and trees will look surrounded by snow. I'm a little excited to see and decorate for our first Christmas here.

Frugal Thought of the Day: When I first saw the showering habits of my husband, he would turn the water on, get wet, then turn it off to soap up... I thought he was very bizarre (and still do!!!), but this is a great way to save on water.
I know it can get cold during the winter, but during the hot months this could be something to try....

It's been a few days...

Sunday was enjoyable. Eric and Melanie came up and spent the night. We went to the first annual JazzFest in Stevens Point... two of the bands we heard were good... the third, not so much. But we will definately go back next year.

Monday we went over to Mom and Joe's for a delicious dinner of pot roast (in the slow cooker), zucchini and mushrooms, and dessert.

Today saw me applying for more jobs. I applied at the library as a shevling aid... it's only 10 hours a week, but it's a start. And if I got it I would see about doing some baby-sitting also.

I applied as a teacher's aide too, at the Montessori school.... I would absolutely love to get this job, but I don't know if they will think I'm qualified enough from my resume to condsider interviewing me.... But if I got an interview I know they would like what they see!!!

And I applied at Alltell, over the internet. I'm not sure if this is a job I would like, but at this point I am willing to try it.

Frugal, but not always Simple Thought of the Day: Start gathering up the supplies to winterize the home (or if your seasons are opposite, to do some spring cleaning.)
Weather stripping around enterways and putting plastic over the windows really does help. And don't forget to shift the blades on your fan to it keeps the hot air from floating up to the sealing.
There are many sites out there to give you a checklist or ideas, so just do a google search and see the many results.

Today saw us going to a few garage sales... since we knew we were moving and didn't want to have any extra stuff to move, I really haven't gone to many yard sales this summer.... and yes, I did miss it.

We found a projector screen (the kind you may have had in highschool that roles open and gets latched to a metal pole that moves up...) that Spyros can use as a back-drop when he takes pictures.
It was $10, so we went to buy it, and the gentleman said that it includes the 8mm projector, splicer and another projector... well we took it all but I'm not sure how often we'll use it.
My mom has some 8mm film of her and us, so it will be fun to watch those.

Spyros also found a hand clamp, squeezey thing that tightens your hand muscles, that he's been looking for... 75 cents.
I found a wonderful old, short chest with two drawers that sits perfectly in the living and holds the chess board on top with a blanket and sheets in one drawer and the rest of the sheets and all our MiniDiscs in the bottom drawer.... Absolutely Perfect for $10
There's also space on top to use as an impromptu seat.

We also stopped at the grocery store and picked up some really good meat deals. They had a bundle of lunch bags for free with $15 purchase so we got those too... but after we were in the parking lot I noticed that the lunch bags were just a special thing and the real free item for $15 was a White Rain product....
It was just one of those busy days where I didn't want to go back in.... so I just complained all the way home about it!

DH looked over our internet bill yesterday and saw that we were being charged an extra $10. I had just thought that was the price, so I paid the bill last month. After calling we got the $10 credit from last month and $10 more dollars taken off for this month... so we only have to pay a third of the bill....
We thought we were getting this deal until January 2005, but the customer service rep. said it's good until October 2005, so I'll be keeping my eye on the bill each month to make sure.

Frugal/Simple Thought of the Day: If you've been reading for awhile, or have read the archives... I've said this before, but really take a look at each bill you get Every Month!!! Make a good effort at understanding the charges first, but if you can't figure them out or they are wrong, don't put off calling. (since there is always a chance you will forget and just pay it at the last minute....)

Yesterday was Spyros' day off, and it was a very pleasant one. Cleaned up a bit around the house, then went to Stevens Point to run some errands:
Returned some stuff to Menards (from when Spyros was doing the electrical in the bathroom), and got 2 packs of compact flourescent bulbs which will be free after rebate. Most of the house has these types of bulbs already, but we needed some for the dining room chandelier.

Went to Big Lots since we needed place mats for our table (it's old and needs to be refinished, so whenever we put a wet cup on the table it leaves rings...), and I got a runner for the other table so when the cats jump on it they won't scratch it up.

Then we went to my Mom and Joe's. They took us out to dinner at Applebee's... I had an Oreo milkshake and Chicken Alfredo.... yum.
Afterwards we went back to their place and watched The Passion of the Christ.... it really didn't do much for me... although I will say being someone who watches horror movies, I had to close my eyes a few time when they were whipping Jesus.... very graphic violence.

After the movie was cake and presents time. I got a cute PJ set and small statue of a cat sitting on a pumpkin... very cute. I have a small collection of pumpkins and I love cats, so it's a perfect gift.
Mom made the cake, double chocolate with made from scratch cream cheese frosting with chocolate and peanut butter drizzled on top.... it was delicious, but Mom and I both agreed next time to skip the cream cheese frosting and just drizzle the chocolate and peanut butter on top.

Frugal/Simple Thought of the Day: Make sure to check your credit report at least once a year. A good way to get a free one is to apply for a credit card that you know you won't get, and when they deny you (although no one does like to be denied...), you can send for a free one... or ususally go online to request one.

Make sure to go over it carefully and if anything is wrong, dispute it right away... don't leave it sitting on your desk!

If your name, date of birth, etc... is wrong that's easy to fix, but if there is something else... the best thing is to contact the company/store that says you have wronged them and start from there.

If you have copies of the bill being paid, or can get a cancelled check from the bank... that will definately help in getting the error taken off the report.
There are many sites on the internet that can help, just do a google search to find any information you need.

Although it may take time to get it straightned out, in today's world (unfortunately) a good, clean credit history is one of the best things you can have.

I applied at Goodwill today via email... they're looking for an assistant manager.... I know I could do the job, but I don't know if my pasts jobs on the resume let them know that.... hopefully.

I was grouchy today... there is still too much clutter for me, but no where to go with it until we get the upstairs more finished, and sell some of it on eBay.... Spyros helped me type up some description for eBay, so that will help, but we still have the floors to de-glue.... so that doesn't help!

I made BBQ chicken in the crockpot last night... delicious. I have some pork steaks that I'll be putting in soon... I love my slow cooker. I have a friend that doesn't like them because she (and her mom) feel as if they will burn down the house.... this saddens me that she doesn't know the joys of how easy they are (especially since she doesn't like to cook and this would help...), but I would rather have her feel comfortable when she leaves for work.

Must go type more eBay descriptions....

Frugal/Simple Thought of the Day: You guessed it, use your slow-cooker. This handy appliance keeps your house cooler in the summer (then the oven), can help the toughest piece of meat get more tender (so you can buy cheaper cuts and no one will know unless you tell them), and it's wonderful to smell dinner and know it's pretty much done when you walk in the door home from work!