Monday, December 28, 2009

Butter vs. Margarine







I once knew a woman who was always in debt. She couldn’t afford to pay her monthly bills, had horrible credit, constantly asked relatives and friends for small loans that never got paid back along with any number of other monetary atrocities. She expected that everyone would and did feel sorry for her and her financial state. This same woman made a valiant attempt to appear to the world as though her bank accounts were overflowing. While cooking she would lament on about her recipes and how there were certain things that she simply could not replace. One such item: the purchase of butter. She simply HAD to have butter. She could NOT lower herself to use even the finest of margarines.

Listening to her ramblings and knowing her financial state one would assume that the utility bill had been paid before addressing the need for such extravagancies as butter, this assumption would be incorrect.

It seems that butter and margarine can play a large role in ones financial health. When in dire straits, whether the taste of butter is preferable or not, one must choose margarine for the overall sake of quality of life. Should a better life be desired, the sacrifice must be made until such time that butter can be afforded.

This theory applies to nearly all financial decisions. When attempting to get ahead instead of simply spinning your wheels, corners must be cut. If severely in debt or unable to pay bills do not expect to have the latest and greatest while attempting to be financially fit. If the newest cell phone is a requirement, do not expect a sympathetic ear when asking, yet again, for financial assistance. Please do not carry on about being unable to secure a loan and then brag about a new laptop.

For these reasons, my husband and I are margarine people. We too enjoy the taste of butter. We are working hard to ensure that our future includes all the butter we can handle. For now, we barely notice the substitution.

Friday, December 4, 2009

December Monthy Goal Meet-Up

There is soo much going on this month. So hectic and yet fun! I'm already running behind! Here’s what I’m going to do this month:

1. Spend 30 minutes (at least) every other day on the Wii fit.
This should be easy since it’s so crazy fun to play on the Wii.

2. Blog about my new Wii fit.
I gotta tell you guys about this thing. Maybe the best invention EVER!

3. Do not break the bank for Christmas.
This shouldn’t be hard since there isn’t much bank to break.

4. Finish up the CAD installation.
Next to last test is Tuesday the 8th of December. That should leave me plenty of time for the implementation before Christmas break.

5. Get paperwork together to look into taking advantage of this tax credit for buying our first home.
We have an appointment to see about pre-approval Monday the 7th.

6. Finish The Blindfold Test.
I don't think I could be more behind on this. I am really getting into the book but I've only been making time to read just before bed and I inevitibly fall asleep after a paragraph or two. I have to get caught up! I'm anxious to find out what happens in this book and also to move onto the next! Christie and Angie's Literature and Blogging Project.
.
7. Enjoy the season.
I tend to get so stressed out this time of year that I forget to celebrate. That won’t be the case this year.

To participate in the meet-up:Post a list of your career/life related goals for Oct, along with your checked off Sept goals if you’d like, on your own blog.Visit Rebecca on Modite and leave a link to your post in the comments (*If you don’t have your own blog, feel free to share your list there in the comments to join in!)Then, check out everyone else’s lists as they leave comments – click their links, visit their blogs, say hello, meet, greet and support each other because that’s what it’s all about!

November Goal Report

I am so behind this month! I may have to make a goal of getting to my goals on time. Pretty bad, huh? Here’s my report for November. Not too shabby!

1. Exercise at least once a week. –FAIL. Not just regular fail. EPIC FAIL.
*sigh* I’ll get this one down. I will!

2. Put 5% of my monthly salary in savings. –FAIL.
This is WAY harder than I thought. We’ve managed a little bit, but not the 5% I was hoping for.

3. Finish reading new Symantec implementation documentation for work. – SUCCESS
Thank god that’s over! Now I have to start implementation after the first of the year.

4. Test new CAD software and be ready for deployment ahead of schedule. – SUCCESS
I’m ahead of schedule with this, got to take all my Thanksgiving time off and looking like only one day of Christmas break will be used up.

5. Improve customer service scores. – SUCCESS
All 9’s two months in a row! The customers might not see me all that often, but they like the work I’m doing.

6. Enjoy the holidays. – SUCCESS
Thanksgiving was fantastic! We didn't have to travel on Thanksgiving day (just the weekend before AND after) I cooked a turkey for the first time and it was actually good! Friends came over and we all enjoyed way too much food, hung out, played Spades and relaxed. Christmas might not be as enjoyable.

Monday, November 23, 2009

25 Things I Am Thankful For

In no particular order:

1. My girls.
2. Fat free-sugar free chocolate pudding.
3. My ridiculous family. Even some of my drama-ridden in-laws.
4. Having a dishwasher.
5. My husband. He encourages me to do things that scare me. He wants me to be a better person.
6. Christie.
7. The smiles on my kids faces when I took them to the midnight showing of New Moon—on a school night.
8. The internet.
9. Non computer savvy people. Their existence ensures that I will always have a job.
10. The game of Spades.
11. My boss. Sometimes he sucks. But most of the time not. He always allows me to put my family first. Even the aforementioned in-laws.
12. My hamsters. No matter how bad my day is, their unearthly cuteness can always make me smile.
13. Sonic Drive In ice.
14. Text messaging.
15. My friends. The know me, and love me anyway.
16. Lonnie.
17. Catching the pharmacy when there is no line AND they remembered to run my insurance.
18. Granny Smith apples from the farmer’s market.
19. Kurt. If he didn’t tell me to get off my ass, it would be much, much larger.
20. Fuzzy Slippers.
21. 80’s music. The kind that everyone belts out in the car when alone.
22. My sisters. If they didn’t make fun of me offer constructive criticism, I would have very unruly eyebrows.
23. The inventors of wine and of Twix bars.
24. Picking up my camera and finding that the batteries are not dead.
25. Good books and time to read them.