Last night was lovely. Youngest daughter decided she wanted to invite the other grandparents and their daughter for dinner. She cleaned and shopped and cooked. We gathered near the kitchen table laden with a vegetable tray, a cheese tray, a chip and cracker tray and several dips. While we nibbled she slipped salmon, catfish, and cod into the oven. (She wanted to accommodate every ones tastes.) It was very sweet. Dessert was a three layer chocolate and strawberry checkerboard cake decorated with fresh strawberries that she baked that morning. It was fun. We almost never entertain. Work schedules and laziness get in the way. She did a wonderful job, the conversation flowed, and it was just a perfect evening.
We did enjoy our last rv trip. These trips are sort of learning expeditions for us. We still do not know how to work everything. We don't know the proper terminology or the right way to hook things up. The first time we went out we explained to the workers at the park that we had no idea what we were doing. They very kindly helped us hook up everything. We learned that we had too short a water hose to hook up to most rv sites, and we did not have the right end to our sewer hose to set up at a camp properly. We bought the new items we needed so could use the water on this second trip. On the second trip I discovered that our hot water heater does not work.
We have also known from using the rv at home as well as the park that when running the air conditioner on high it flips a circuit both in the rv as well as the house or other energy source. The circuit breaker box also heats up. I don't think it is supposed to do that.
It started raining last night and has continued all day. The sky is grey, there are puddles forming in the back yard, and the dog is refusing to go out in it unless absolutely necessary. My husband brought me to the living room to show me the wet spot all along the front of the couch where she dried herself off after using the restroom very quickly this morning. Clever dog. I normally love grey skies and rain. Especially when the rare moment strikes when I have the house to myself and can listen to the rain fall in peace with no other sounds.
As I said I normally love rain and grey skies. Today I opened the door to the rv, walked the short length from the cab to the bed in the back. I surveyed the drips from the skylight and air conditioner in the front. I saw the light fixture filled with water and dripping. I felt the puddle of water on the rug between the table and the couch and noticed that it trailed back to the front of the bed. I have to admit I dropped my head to the dogs shoulder and cried. We sat on the couch for a few stunned moments before getting buckets to catch the drips and try to save what we could. I only have the basic insurance for the tag. I have just started to rebuild my savings. I used everything to purchase this rv. I have no idea how much this is going to cost. I'm crying again.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Singing Naked in the Church Choir...An Introduction to my Sister
No big news today. We have the RV out for a short weekend getaway at a campground. I'm relaxing in my quiet RV enjoying the silence and taking the chance to write while my husband catches a swim.
We have to take advantage of these weekends when they present themselves because my husband works every weekend and now that I work at a bank I get every weekend off. I work days and he works nights. We communicate through a notebook chore list on the kitchen table. He managed to get this weekend off because they are playing the cut your hours down to nothing game where he works. For a long time he had 50 hours, when the new owners took over there was no more over time so it dropped to 38 to 40. Then there was a pay cut and now he has 23 hours. It's lucky I found full time employment when I did. Oh well, enough grumbling, something will turn up. Things always fall into place.
I decided to veer off the frugal path and do something completely different today. I'd like to introduce my sister. I won't give away her age because she is sensitive about that but our ages are so separated that she could have been the mother. ;) She claims she likes to be described as a woman of indeterminate age. My parents raised four children in one state and then moved and accidentally had me. When they describe their childhood it is completely different than the one I had. They had a different environment and lifestyle. It's strange how that turned out.
My sister is definitely a people person. She has a huge bright smile and wherever she goes strangers gather around to hear her stories. She gets invited to all sorts of gatherings, churches, red hat society luncheons, amputee support groups. Several individuals have told her she is inspirational but she doesn't believe so herself.
She has had her share of problems, diabetes, car wreck, amputation, heart bypass surgery... Throughout it all she gathers her mishaps and failings and oddities and shares her stories. She even managed to have a group of friends and family laughing at our nephews funeral. I do not have the same gifts she has.
My sister was very active in her church and she loved singing in the choir. One day she was rehearsing with the choir on a hot and muggy day. It was terribly hot combined with an air conditioner that was on the fritz and my sisters poor health. She kept wiping at the sweat and complaining of feeling faint. Someone in the group suggested that she go to the restroom and remove her clothes and put the full length long sleeved choir robe back on. After wiping at her sweat a few more minutes she decided to try it.
The church filled and they were half way through with their service when the minister said, "You know what, it's unbearably hot. You guys don't have to keep those heavy robes on. Go ahead and take them off."
Everyone refused and suffered through the rest of the service. You see, the entire choir knew my sister was naked under her robe.
We have to take advantage of these weekends when they present themselves because my husband works every weekend and now that I work at a bank I get every weekend off. I work days and he works nights. We communicate through a notebook chore list on the kitchen table. He managed to get this weekend off because they are playing the cut your hours down to nothing game where he works. For a long time he had 50 hours, when the new owners took over there was no more over time so it dropped to 38 to 40. Then there was a pay cut and now he has 23 hours. It's lucky I found full time employment when I did. Oh well, enough grumbling, something will turn up. Things always fall into place.
I decided to veer off the frugal path and do something completely different today. I'd like to introduce my sister. I won't give away her age because she is sensitive about that but our ages are so separated that she could have been the mother. ;) She claims she likes to be described as a woman of indeterminate age. My parents raised four children in one state and then moved and accidentally had me. When they describe their childhood it is completely different than the one I had. They had a different environment and lifestyle. It's strange how that turned out.
My sister is definitely a people person. She has a huge bright smile and wherever she goes strangers gather around to hear her stories. She gets invited to all sorts of gatherings, churches, red hat society luncheons, amputee support groups. Several individuals have told her she is inspirational but she doesn't believe so herself.
She has had her share of problems, diabetes, car wreck, amputation, heart bypass surgery... Throughout it all she gathers her mishaps and failings and oddities and shares her stories. She even managed to have a group of friends and family laughing at our nephews funeral. I do not have the same gifts she has.
My sister was very active in her church and she loved singing in the choir. One day she was rehearsing with the choir on a hot and muggy day. It was terribly hot combined with an air conditioner that was on the fritz and my sisters poor health. She kept wiping at the sweat and complaining of feeling faint. Someone in the group suggested that she go to the restroom and remove her clothes and put the full length long sleeved choir robe back on. After wiping at her sweat a few more minutes she decided to try it.
The church filled and they were half way through with their service when the minister said, "You know what, it's unbearably hot. You guys don't have to keep those heavy robes on. Go ahead and take them off."
Everyone refused and suffered through the rest of the service. You see, the entire choir knew my sister was naked under her robe.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Regal Savings
I've recently reorganized my coupon system. I had tried just keeping the inserts and clipping them as I used them. I stopped when I noticed I wasn't really saving as much as I used to when I used the envelope system. I bought new envelopes, new organizers, and little tab things so I could mega-organize into even more categories. This saves me time because after I make my shopping list I can grab what I want quickly without wading through too big a stack to get the coupons I need. Now I spend less time and save more.
My first big shopping trip after the reorganization was amazing. I was out of a lot of items around the house and there was a big sale at a local grocery store. I saved an even hundred dollars off the regular price, almost half my bill. Of this total saved, $71.85 was the sale price discount and a whopping $28.15 was my coupon savings. I paid $114.82 for a trunk load of food and household items and had to place some of my order on the backseat of the car when I ran out of room. To top it off this grocery store also has a fuel program and many of the items had extra fuel savings as well so I earned enough points to be able to bring two vehicles to the gas station and fill them up for thirty seven cents. No, not thirty seven cents per gallon, thirty seven cents period! My gas was free I just paid a small amount for tax.
It wasn't enough to earn me a spot on Extreme Couponing, not that I would want to, but the cashier clapped her hands when she saw the savings and the couple behind me in line gave me an appreciative "Wow!" It was a nice change from grumbling and eye rolling. We can thank the economy for that. I'm still Rodney Dangerfield with the younger set though. When I told the kids they just said, "That's great mom." in a monotone and kept their gaze on the computer or the cell phone. I get no respect. :)
My first big shopping trip after the reorganization was amazing. I was out of a lot of items around the house and there was a big sale at a local grocery store. I saved an even hundred dollars off the regular price, almost half my bill. Of this total saved, $71.85 was the sale price discount and a whopping $28.15 was my coupon savings. I paid $114.82 for a trunk load of food and household items and had to place some of my order on the backseat of the car when I ran out of room. To top it off this grocery store also has a fuel program and many of the items had extra fuel savings as well so I earned enough points to be able to bring two vehicles to the gas station and fill them up for thirty seven cents. No, not thirty seven cents per gallon, thirty seven cents period! My gas was free I just paid a small amount for tax.
It wasn't enough to earn me a spot on Extreme Couponing, not that I would want to, but the cashier clapped her hands when she saw the savings and the couple behind me in line gave me an appreciative "Wow!" It was a nice change from grumbling and eye rolling. We can thank the economy for that. I'm still Rodney Dangerfield with the younger set though. When I told the kids they just said, "That's great mom." in a monotone and kept their gaze on the computer or the cell phone. I get no respect. :)
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