Cutting Back On Expenses

This is personal, I know, but I'm looking for ideas and, well, camaraderie. Looking over my household expenses, I see what I can cut back on or do without.

I had been automatically picking up a prescription each month that I thought I could do without. After a doctor consultation, I stopped this medicine altogether, which saved $28.00 a month.

My television bill is outrageous so I cut back the premium services and lowered that bill by $25.00 a month.

Still not smoking after 2 months has saved a ton of money AND other benefits.

Onto the telephones. I just pay the phone bills each month, never paying it much attention. But I looked at it in a new light and realized that I am paying for 4 PHONE LINES A MONTH. Four different phone numbers; 4 different payments a month. All are essential, but I did manage to cut the fat somewhat.

Mickey Rourke's New Film

"The Wrestler" stars Mickey Rourke as Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a giant in the ring who played Madison Square Garden 20 years earlier but now scrabbles by on matches in high school gyms.

Doing twice-a-day weightlifting sessions and eating six meals daily for six months, Rourke packed on 40 pounds of muscle for the role.

His mental regimen has been a marathon by comparison: 13 years seeing a therapist, which he had resisted for a long time.

"I didn't think anything was wrong with me. I thought it was everybody else," Rourke said. "And there was a lot wrong with me..." .

I've always liked him. His best performance will be maintaining his walk on a path of discovery. What a phenomenal actor. I wish him tons of blessings as he gets his life together.

link

New York Times Machine

TIMES MACHINE

Touch Base

Just a quick hello and return post. I've had the computer in the shop after lightning struck in our yard last week.

Now I have an evil cold or flu virus and feel yucky. What else... Skyler is still chugging along at 35 weeks. She is so ready for the baby to arrive. Like yesterday. I spoke to her yesterday and she was sitting in the baby's room in her rocking chair. Everything is ready except him! Both great grandmothers are asking, "are you sure you want to call him Phoenix, sweetie?" She does.

Can't wait to blog visit and see what is new with everyone.

Smoochies all around xoxo

Oscar the Cat Predicts Patients' Deaths

Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours. His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. It usually means they have less than four hours to live.

A little bit creepy, but the advance warnings could be helpful, too. I've seen where dogs have been taught to smell for cancer before so we should not discount the kitty!

link

The Name Game

Skye was so set on the name Oliver and I kept teasing her that she'd probably change her mind a few times throughout the pregnancy. Now she likes the name Sebastian. By the time September rolls around she may toss these names out altogether and come up with something completely different. I'm embroidering something for him but I'm not putting anything in for the name yet.

Mother told me that she would have named me Mike if I had been a boy. And she wanted to name me Michelle but thought that people would think it was too different. Michelle is used pretty often now, but way back then it wasn't a name that you heard very often at all. I don't know any 50ish Michelle's, but there has to be some of them out there.

It's interesting how Mommies and others come up with names. And you hope everyone likes the name as much as you do. Tell me a name story.

Greetings!

I just finished a lovely slice of watermelon. Yum-ness. I cracked it open last night and Mother and I had a piece before bedtime. I don't remember paying $7.00 for a watermelon before, but it was worth it. Strawberries are sky-high also. What's a fruit loving gal to do? Buy sparingly and treat it as a special event? Take out a freaking loan? And lemons are 2 for $1.38. I've got to make some fresh lemonade soon and it doesn't look like the price is waning.

Do you eat a lot of fruit? Are your fruit prices higher this year? I hear that the orchards were affected by the drought and an earlier freeze. Bananas and apples and oranges are fairly prices, but grapefruits are higher than I've ever seen them.

I try to buy local when possible. $1.00 a pound for tomatos is fair at a roadside stand. The pole beans looked anemic though.

I'm through.

Happy 4th of July!

Hello dear ones. I hope you are enjoying a well deserved day off, all you worker bees out there.

I've not been up that long. The excitement in the neighborhood woke me up. First of all the fireworks were going on late and I'm cool with that-- up until midnight. After that and you're just being disrespectful neighbors. Around 1:15 I hear one more loud band next door and lie there cussing the audacity of the people. Then I hear fire trucks and sirens and they sound very close. That last bang I hear was a young girl from the neighborhood who after partying too hard, missed the curve and drove straight into the brick house next door. And she got out and ran.

The occupants went after her and brought her back and the police were there. I still don't know why they had 2 firetrucks, an emergency vehicle and 2 police cars, but they did.

TRUE CONFESSIONS

"My name is Susan and I am a post-a-holic."

The chorus of post-it addicts rings out, "Hi, Susan!"

So you find yourself using lots of post-it notes. That's normal, right? You can have several around your work space or at the home message center or even in your car.

Many people enjoy the helpful post-it notes and use them quite frequently, but, dare I say, no one has every slapped one across their breast before. Until today.

I just slapped a post-it note onto my shirt with a written reminder on it. I can't deny it any longer. I am a bonefide post-it addict.

Got Them NavBar Blues?

Anyone using Blogger that is anoyed by the navigator bar at the top? Enough to want to make it go away? Some people would rather have it on the template and that's fine, too. But it you want, you can type in this little bit of code near the top of the template, (go to "Edit template" in the new Blogger) just above the [body] tag or right below the Blogger Template Style info and you're all set. No more navbar.


#navbar-iframe {
display: none;
}

Diets, Old Men, and Bubbles

Did I mention that I've been trying to diet? So far, so good. But it's only been going on for a week. ha! If I can discipline myself for about 30 days I'll be successful. It's not all that hard to follow a diet for a week. Nothing specific. Just cutting out sugar and flour, more lemon water, salads and fruits. Strictly Monday - Friday. Saturdays and Sundays I'm on my own.

I know that extra weight hurts my osteoarthritis joints much more. Besides, I have loved ones that I want to be around for a long, long time.

Today is my sweet husband's 60th birthday. Yes, 6-0. I think he's embracing it quite well. Dear daughter has been having pains in her vee-jay and inner leg area so we called the doctor and were told to take Tylenol, (do NOT take Advil they said), and to hang in there until her next appointment in 2 weeks. It's painful enough that she's just taking baby steps to move around. It's enough to keep me worried and afraid because I don't know what's going on exactly. One of her friends had the very same pain, so that helped to validate it somewhat. Skyler's baby is still very active. Maybe he's just a little too active and is causing her the pain.

And she went swimming yesterday. Be still my beating heart. If I could I'd keep her enclosed in a bubble until September.

Good Morning!

I tumble out of bed to the dogs delight. Bouncing around, they immediately go for their favorite toys and a squeaking serenade begins. I let them out for their morning break and pick up the newspaper and notice all the birds in the yard so I fill up the bird feeders. Mornings are feeding time for the birds. Sunday mornings are always very quiet and one of the best times of the whole week.

What to have for breakfast... all out of grapefruit, make note to pick up more pink grapefruits when I go out today and settle for cereal and juice.

Darling daughter is 6 months along now. I text her to gently say good morning. No response. I fill my coffee cup, sit down and begin my day.

Good morning, world.

Nutrition Facts

On AOL today:

Which One Has Fewest Calories?
Don't Dare Hit the Drive-Thru Before Taking This Quiz: 10 Big Surprises

I didn't do so well...! I only scored 2 out of 10.

THE NEW MIDDLE AGES

Today in the New York Times Magazine section are many good articles geared to the middle aged people. Anybody know of any? ha!

A film, Naked, is where ten women and men discuss what sex is like when you're old enough to know better.

Former President Bill Clinton creates the clues for an exclusively online crossword puzzle.

TV's Silver Age - Can Viacom sell America on television for and about 50-year-olds?

Boomer Babes - Five women who defined — and defied — a generation's standards of beauty.

New York Times
login: bozetta6
password:bigrednose
use this info if needed

Rachael's Donut Salad

Rachael Ray is a Donut Pusher. Gallery of the Absurd has fun parodies of her and various pop culture personalities.

Go Away!

I know there are much more dire problems in the world and everything, but damnit, this is my blog and I wanna sound off so I don't explode one day.

I am so sick of all the solicitors ringing my doorbell for every single cause, product, service and vote you can imagine. There is hardly a day that goes by that we aren't besieged by some children hoofing it while Mom cruises the block along behind them while they try to collect for every ailment and affliction in Merck's Manual. Or the working guy who wants to get your lawn, paint, roof or gardening business. Or the political shifts that roll in and interrupt you during every single city, county, state, and national election. And let's don't forget the white shirted, skinny tied, bicyclists who want to know if you've been saved or not.

I could handle it fine if it was an occasional visitor. But it's the never-ending parade of them that has my blood boiling.

Nevermind that long ago I posted a sign that says:

Solicitors will be shot
Survivors will be prosecuted

And yes, I ripped it off from the rednecks, but nobody pays any attention to it.

I know better than to sweat the small stuff, but it feels good to sound off once in a while. =)

Subject: Why Parents Drink

A Chuckle For You...

A father passing by his son's bedroom was astonished to see that his bed was nicely made and everything was picked up. Then he saw an envelope, propped up prominently on the pillow that was addressed to "Dad." With the Worst premonition he opened the envelope with trembling hands and read the letter.

Dear Dad:

It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you. I had to elope with my new girlfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with Mom and you. I have been finding real passion with Stacy and she is so nice. But I knew you would not approve of her because of all her piercings, tattoos, tight motorcycle clothes and the fact that she is much older than I am. But it's not only the passion...Dad she's pregnant. Stacy said that we will be very happy. She owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. We share a dream of having many more children. Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone. We'll be growing it for ourselves and trading it with the other people that live nearby for cocaine and ecstasy. In the meantime we will pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so Stacy can get better. She deserves it. Don't worry Dad. I'm 15 and I know how to take care of myself. Someday I'm sure that we will be back to visit so that you can get to know your grandchildren.

Love,

Your Son John

PS. Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at Tommy's house. I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than that report card that's in my center desk drawer.

Easter Decorations

Looking for fun Easter wallpaper, screensavers, themes, any of that good stuff. This one, Easter Whimsy, got lost when the last pc crashed. And now I can't locate it anyplace. I just happened to have this small graphic saved.

Are you using a nice Spring or Easter screensaver? Let me know in the comments or by email. Special love goes to anyone who can find this particular one. I had called it Easter Whimsy, but I think that's MY name for it, not the official one. Thanks, lovies!

Girl Talk

Staying in a lot with my Mother leaves me hungry for 'girl talk'. I wouldn't call myself a girly girl, but I really like being a girl and talking with other girls. About work and spouses or partners, taking care of ourselves, bargains, our hobbies, and more. I get together with my girlfriends once a week or so, so my social life isn't nonexistent but close to it. I'm having breakfast with Pam and Julie Thursday and Thursday can't get here fast enough.

Seconds, Brackets, Shopping

Does anybody here use Second Life? I downloaded it last night and haven't had time to look into it very well yet but I can see how it can draw you in-- in a good way.

Gotta get my brackets together and meet up with Shirl on Yahoo. Anyone else out there wanna play along on the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament?

I always thought the phrase "retail therapy" sounded a little corny until I was honestly sick and a purchase helped me feel a little better. That seems almost sinful to get joy from spending money. What the hell-- call me a sinner because I just bought the most beautiful handbag at sale price and I'm feeling mighty fine.