Sunday night chit chat

• 
  http://halfdozendaily.typepad.com/my-half-dozen-daily/
• Reading: notorious Nineteen by evanovich. So funny! Trying to read Vince Flynns  
• Watching: I'll be watching Castle in a little while.
• Listening to:nothing but my son is listening to Irish music.
• Baking/Cooking:let's see, we had southern fried tofu, a tiny ham, macaroni salad, beans, and I did make a cheese cake.
• Happy you accomplished this week:paid some big bills, our property tax!
• Looking forward to next week:pay week!
• Thankful for today: just to feel good! 
• Bonus Question: Do you wear slippers around the house?actually I always wear a slip on shoe, I can't go barefoot at all anymore, so I always have some sort of shoe on.
• Thanks to. Carla's 1/2 dozen daily!

Weekend to do list

So, the vw  battery was not working right, so it's figured out for now. I made a deal with my daughter, I'll pay for the battery, BUT CLEAN YOUR CAR!!!!!
So to do this weekend
*work Saturday
* grocery shop for Easter dinner, I've been putting it off
* tidy  house, it's not too bad
* 1 or 2 loads of laundry
* walk if not to tired
* figure out a reasonable budget for April . Money has been flying out the door since our stock money was deposited. I knew this was going to happen , so initially I'm ok. Bought hiking boots for my son to the tune of $137. But he actually needs shoes , and when he went backpacking last weekend, ended up with really bad blisters.
* cook Easter dinner, Sunday
* menu for week, is almost done.
* work on mini goals for April


 Menu for week so far:
Sunday Easter , ham, southern fried tofu, macaroni salad, some sort of dessert .
Monday, sloppy joes, and griller joes( vegetarian )
Tuesday: chicken pot pies
Wednesday: large salad, pasta
Thursday: crock pot tri tip
Friday: tacos or pizza
Saturday: sandwich Saturday 


Mini goals

Go on our camping vacation alone, to Malibu
Walk more on weekend, push to an hour, hour and a half
Museum, ( didn't do last month)
New restaurant ( didn't do last month)

Thinks that it for now, I see my oncologist Wednesday, never fun, and get a zometa treatment, never fun.

Tahoe, I love it!

Lake Tahoe is my favorite place on earth . Just spent the last 2 days with my wonderful husband there. This is part of his work territory so the room is essentially free and then we add meals.
It was nice to just get away from it all. Came home to the house pretty cleaned up ...
Made a tentative menu for the week
Thursday: grilled chicken/ tofu. And salad
Friday : sloppy joes / tofu griller sloppy joes
Saturday: caprese paninis
Sunday: Easter , ham, southern fried tofu , macaroni salad, cheese cake
Monday: left overs
Tuesday: ?

So I need a few more days ,
My daughters vw continues to be a pain in the ass,with not starting . She doesn't seem to care and expects us to figure it out.  I'm thinking sell the damn thing. Right now it looks trashed on the inside , so she doesn't seem t o care about it.

The budget is out of whack still with food , but I plan on getting it straight this weekend.

March wrap up!

Weekly Money Mash Up 3/25.  Hosted by simply stacia.

1.  The most money I’ve spent last week was for _____.propane at $300.

2.  A low-cost or free thing I did this past week was _____.walking in the park.

3.  The one thing I did for another was _____.cook, and drive my son and his friend to go backpacking, before I had to go to work.

4.  Something I really need to accomplish this week is _____.keep walking, update my blog, organize budget stuff, go away with my husband over night for work .

5.  Do you celebrate Easter?i am an atheist,humanitarian, and from way back , a woman who always has celebrated the seasons. Easter is an old pagan celebration, way before it was the Christian one. I love to celebrate new spring.

Above is from Stacia's blog. I like her down to earth approach.

So, we finally recieved the stock money my husband sold, but not after waiting 14 days. He finally had to call and have them overnight a new check. So one more thing on my bucket list is accomplished. Also, now we can pay our IRS tax, which is really what started this whole ball rolling. 

Because I live with an incurable cancer, although in remission, I still feel there's certain things I need to get in order. The student loan mess is one of those. I know they will keep mine in discharge but I wanted all of them in discharge. I'm sure they will separate out my husbands and well have to deferments on those. We have no extra money every month, my 18 is in junior college , lives at home and we give him a monthly allowance. Hopefully he's getting a job. 

Then my soon to be 28 year old daughter also lives at home and only works a part time job. She gives us money for her cell phone and car insurance and a little food money. 

So I know there no way we can afford another payment .the government does not mess around with student loans so, you just have to play by the book. If he can't get a deferment, which I hope is NOT the case we a screwed.

Well, enough of that, I feel good, my blood works stable and I'm here to appreciate life every is single  day

Just a little less: Minimalist Monday: The Path to Minimalism

Just a little less: Minimalist Monday: The Path to Minimalism

Monday, Monday!

Weekly Money Mash Up 3/18.  Hosted by simply stacia.

1.  The most money I’ve spent last week was for ___food, food, food.

2.  A low-cost or free thing I did this past week was ____went for a great 2 hour hike with my sweetie!_.

3.  The one thing I did for another was ___cook!__.

4.  Something I really need to accomplish this week is ___great my food budget straightened out!__.

5.  Do you “spring clean” your house or apartment?  

Yes, I follow Flylady.com  and do a weekly zone. I have done this now for 2 years I think, maybe 3, and it's the best thing ever.
Planning  menus for the week, and. Playing with budget numbers.
I'm disappointed I'm not losing any weight. I'm doing WW on line and keeping track of food, but I seemed stalled. I have a long way to go so I need to just hang in there.

Budget and weekly update

Its been another frustrating week.
No news on the student loan mess, but I'm still so nervous about it. I've googled everything about my discharge being changed and can't find anything. I've decided I will see an attorney if necessary.

So , were still waiting on the stock sale money. How long does a piece of mail need, we're now going on 8 days, wtf!

It was not a good week money wise . I didn't really spend anything but on food, food food!
Maybe it's having an 18 year old who need lots of food, and I'm not really being realistic with my food budget. I had to move over another $100 for food, so I have a whopping almost no savings.
That sure is depressing.

This next week is a pay week and a bonus( we think), never sure if he's getting one. So well be able to replenish the savings, and my 52 week  savings thing.

On an up note, the weather is glorious, 70 degrees. I'm walking not every day but at least every other day and I'm up to 2 miles. On a down note, not weight loss. I'm just stuck, but that maybe because I had an in an out burger last night. So, that explains it.... Ugh! Always something!

Friday wrap up of the week

It's been an up an down week.
I walked 2 miles 3x this week which for me is a first. I've lost a couple of pounds( over the last 3 weeks). It's so slow when you're trying to lose weight. 
Had a good oncologist meeting. He thinks my arm pain is neuralgia from the shingles. Blood work all good, but haven't gotten my m protein yet. That's my cancer marker so  overall good.

Payday was as expected, with upping our 401 we are getting more taken out, but they are matching the 8% so we really need to. Be proactive about retirement money. I may not be around but it's important it's there.

Some very unsettling news about my student loan total disability discharge. I was granted this  after my  doctor filled in the necessary forms. But now they're saying it was a joint consolidation loan and what I'm not sure. I spoke with them this morning and I've been so upset all day. This is a big bucket list thing for me, so my husband doesn't have to worry about this.
I asked my lawyer fried if I should get a lawyer and she said wait till I hear back. Some specialist is suppose to talk with some other specialist....WTF

 So, I'm hoping this week end is better and I'm not stressing so much.

Sunday night chit chat with Carla

Ok, it's your turn! :)

• Reading:
• Just finished 2 Nora Ephram books, I feel bad about my neck, and I remember nothing. Both are very funny. And so true....

• Watching:
• Still watching the mentalist, a good thriller. And we're watching the extended version of the girl with the dragon tattoo  trilogy.  If you haven't read the books by Stieg Larson , they are superb.
• Listening to:
• I'm not listening to anything.
• Baking/Cooking:
• I made penne alla vodka, for the first time, interesting....
• Happy you accomplished this week:
• Worked my 3 shifts at the library, shopped at Costco Wednesday. Kept up with my Flylady stuff,even with my arm still bothering me.

• Looking forward to next week:
• Well, it's pay week so that's good. Not looking forward to my appointment with my oncologist.but it is necessary .
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• Thankful for today:
• I'm always grateful to feel pretty good , and I walked  2 miles, albeit, slow, but I did it.
• BONUS QUESTION: Have you ever left the house in your pj's?
• No, not ever!