Keeping up with the Jones

The problem with keeping up with the Jones ....

Items, things, junk, clutter ....
These are material things that we cannot take with us when we die. In one life time (let alone one year) It is surprising the amount of crap that can build up.

I am cleaning out the desk area and a dresser that we are getting rid of and I have 1 and 1/2 bags filled with crap that has piled up and that I do not use.

It is hard for me to have anything nice between my daughter and my husband. Either Boo is being her curious, climbing, unintentional destructive self or hubby gets into one of his moods that things are to cluttered or have to change and this, that and what ever else goes or gets moved. I have no personal space of my own that I can claim - because either one is into my things.

So I am decluttering my life ... the less stuff that I have then the less I will miss if anything happens.

Also money - money that buys stuff, food, etc - is the root of evil. People get stressed if there is not enough to pay bills or buy food. Nations fight over money or oil or gold or diamonds etc.

That is the problem with trying to keep up with the Jones ... people do not appreciate what they currently have and want more and more and better things. Look at the world around us .... the housing market crash, the economy, losing jobs, etc. If we were all just happy with what we have currently and stop trying to reach for the material stars and save for that proverbial rainy day ... things might be better off. SO that is what I am trying to do....

School Shopping

Boo was too funny yesterday! We took her to pick out "panties" for school. We went to Kmart and we passed threw the ladies underwear section. Well you know those open displays that have the underwear piled up - Boo ran over to that all wide eyed and in wonder at the amount and colors of the underwear. She had a big old smile on her face and said "panties" just as she was getting ready to dive in with her hands to pull out a few pairs. We redirected her to the children' s clothing section so she could pick out panties in her size. lol ...

We also got her new shoes for school - light up sneakers with the Disney princesses on then that both she and Hubby liked. Also go her a pair of dress shoes/sandal with the Disney princesses on them - they too also light up. I got veto on the sneakers and dress shoes that were in sale and cute... the black sneakers with the pink edging and embroidered pink flower on the side and a pair of silver slip on dress shoes with black flowers on them.

Boo is pretty much ready for school - we got her school supplies 1 week ago. Just looking for a lunch box for her. The ones I have seen are just the lunch pail container with out the themo. What ever happened to old style lunch boxes that included the themo? Oh well, a brown bag works just as good.

REVIEW: Balloon Bounce From Pogo

Balloon Bounce From Pogo

First, Pogo (www.pogo.com) is an online gaming site with free games - word, board, puzzle, casino etc. It can be free with interruptions for commercials or you can pay a $6.00 (approximately) fee each month or a yearly membership fee to play without commercials and some other bonus like few member only games and badges.

I have played as member and it was great - but I sometimes did not play it enough to warrant paying a monthly fee or did not have the funds to afford the membership fee (like now). But I do go on to play to pass the time with such games as yatzee, battle ship, risk, scrabble, etc. I love to play card games and board games but have no one to play them with. Pogo is the next best option for me.

Anyhow, Pogo has come out with a new game called Balloon Bounce. The idea of the game is to inflate a bounch of balloons shaped like dogs, flower, butterflies, etc as big as you can inorder to trap and disable and kill aliens that are zooming around the screen. It is a game that young kids can play and mindless fun that all ages can enjoy.

I like that I can pause it and come back to it as needed. That is one high light to it :)

Overall - it is a good game!!!

Favorite Things

Some of my favorite things ....

• Hubby/Lil Boo
• Coffee
• Reading
• Watching movies
• A nice cool day - no humidity, in the 70's
• Interesting birds
  
• Frogs
• Laughter
• Mocha coffee
• Strawberries
  

Armadillos, puffer fish and scrub pines

I have decided not to complain about my life in this blog for a week - Hey I may even post a list called "what I like about life" or may be not.

So I was driving lil boo to summer school this morning and when I was stopped at a light. This woman in an SUV in the next lane over asked if she could get in front of me. Sure no problem I let the woman and her husband jump in front of me. Well any way, this woman must of had botox recently injected into her lips. She reminded me of a puffer fish wearing sunglasses - the Jackie O sort of sunglasses.

Coming back I noticed on the road a dead armadillo. Now I originally thought armadillos were out west and down in TX. I never realized that they were in my state too. I am a transplant from up north and moved down south. So the first time I every saw an armadillo was about 7 years ago. We were at a friend's apartment for dinner. I went out side to smoke (yes I smoke) and saw one. I was sooo excited to get to see a real live armadillo in the "wild". Not that the town/city I live in is know for being a rural area - it is very urban.

But now, I think an armadillo is more of a rat - a rat with body armor. Not a warrior ninja style fierce New York rat (no I am not from NY), but a distance cousin of this creature. They are more cowardly creatures... (Yes I am aware they are not related to rats.)

Also while I am on this North and South comparison ... the pine trees. Up North the pine trees are full and luscious and big. The pines trees here are more like Charlie Brown's Christmas in a taller skinnier style.

standing still

I look at the facebook posts and gauge my life to those who are on my friends list ...

These same people are:

going to weddings ...

traveling...

going to school...

having babies...

going to parties...

hanging out with friends and family...

going to concerts...

going to the beach...

and I am standing still waiting ....

WAITING!

Money issues ...

Another week goes by and we are broke ... this time literally! Payday loans are evil monsters that prey on poor people - we are poor people!

Waiting on the extension from unemployment ... called them today only for them to tell me I will get a letter in about 10 day regarding the any money....grrr! But that is my lovely state ...

Waiting on my job to give me the thumbs up to work ...

Waiting on SSD for my daughter who has autism ....

Waiting is the story of my life ....

I am just waiting for things to get better, to get worse, to get somewhere....

Super Powers....

When I was younger, I always wondered if my mother had super powers. I would be in the next room or 3 rooms away doing something that I quite wasn't suppose to be doing ... and she would KNOW that I was up to no good. I always wondered how she knew ...

Well it came to me yesterday, it is super human mommy powers!

Yes that is right, super powers! Not the exiting kind like Superman or some other comic hero.

Just the super sensitive abilities of smell, hearing, and intuition.

I was in the living room with my hubby and lil boo was in the kitchen. I told lil boo "Get down and close the stove". Hubby got up and lil boo was closing the oven door. I knew this all by the creaking of the door, I know the sound of the fridge and the dishwasher.

Hubby was amazed that I knew the sound of the oven door. I told him that I have super powers. I can also smell disturbances in the air ... like when boo gets a hold of the body soap and decides to dump it down the toilet. When I told him this he laughed and walked away.

But it is true!!!

So yes I know how my mother did it - she had the super mommy powers!

Random Random thoughts of todays doings

1) I am all done cleaning - Yay!

2) I still have to clean my apartment. I did sleep well last night in my daughter's room. I fell asleep while putting her to sleep.

3) We did some school supply shopping yesterday for lil boo. We got markers, crayons, glue bottle/sticks, pencil box, pencils, scissors, and hand sanitizer. We still have to get soap, disinfecting spray and wipes, baby wipes, some sort of candy, gold fish, cereal, paper plates, cups and tissues and art supplies.

4) I am done cleaning the living room. Next I am moving on to the dining room then kitchen, hall bath, lil boo's room and our bedroom. Maybe later today one load of laundry ...

5) I have been watching "Locked up aboard" and cleaning and checking facebook. I have no life :(

6) Hubby's belt went on his truck last night. $48 dollars to replace it. Still owe LuLu $350 for the 2 batteries and starter that he replaced in his truck.

7) Have not enough money to pay car payments, insurance, phone or for the tv and the money back to LuLu. This sucks!!!

8) My older sis is in Wyoming for a wedding of an old co-workers of ours. She is there with another old co-worker and cousin.

9) I never got around to the kitchen or the rest of the house - that will be for tomorrow after church.

10) Paid the tv payment. Trying to figure how we will make it through the rest of the week.

11) Still waiting for the phone call for my job ... I got a call last week saying that they were processing my paper work and that I would get a call this week. I called the location that I am to work for and left message for the manager. She called me back and said that she is still waiting for the email to say that they have my processed paper work. I will call again next week.

12) Hahaha Hubby is doing dishes before I clean the kitchen - YAY!

Pigs flew and I became a monopoly millionaire :P

Today was my very last day of ever having to clean vacant apartments EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Celebrate the good times!!!

Yes, pigs flew and I became a millionaire of monopoly money - dear husband helped me clean the vacant apartment today :)

I am still tired as all heck because stupid people who don't know how to text and text people at 12 am while trying to sleep. Then I tried to stay up all night so I could get the lil one to school, but I fell asleep and never heard the alarm. ***Sigh***

But boo was good today ... maybe I will take her swimming tomorrow.

woken up on the verge of falling asleep

Dear Friend of My Little Sister (who is not so little age 21):

I did not like being woken up on the verge of falling asleep! At 12:30 am with an "accidental text" while proceeding to use my sister's phone. I explained in my text back to you while I thought you were my sister that I have to be up early to get lil boo ready for school and not to text me back or to text me again this late every again unless it is a weekend. Well I get a text back saying sorry - hey understand it was a mistake ... but you do not mess with my sleep!!!! Then I get the message - "da message was a mistake and in drafts. this is da alex".

So "Alex" (male? female? at the house the my sister is house sitting for) why don't you kindly get your own phone so you don't have to text using my sister's phone or some one else's?

I called my sister - thinking that she was still up. Called her once with no answer and called her again ... well she answered an was a sleep and I woke her up. I told her about her friend waking me up with the text and had to ask about the phone.

SO NOW, I can not go to sleep because if I sleep now I will never wake up at 5:44 am to get lunch made, get boo ready for school, dress myself, take boo to the bus - because I do not have the gas money to cover the cost of the gas to drive 20 miles away which takes 40 minutes to get boo to her summer school program. Now I will be dragging my behind all day tomorrow :0<

Thanks Alex ... I owe you one! I think I will have to hire someone to find you and sucker punch you in the stomach after falling asleep for at least 2 hours and see how you like it ... or at the very least to throw a cell phone at your head while sleep. Hmmmmm, it may have to be like 10 cell phone at the very least!

So Alex, you have made me into a mean tired bitch for tomorrow ... maybe you should fly down so you can finish the vacant apartment and deal with lil boo tomorrow when she gets off the bus all cranky from sleeping on the bus - then you can make dinner, clean the apartment that we live in and deal with my husband!!! And the list goes on ...

Or you can avoid the physical bodily harm and the cleaning and other chores by paying a huge stiff fine for your actions.

The choice is your, but I prefer the huge stuff fine made out on a money order or certified bank check payable to me.

At least you can enjoy a peaceful night of sleep -GGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

SIGNED -
A Sleepless Me

Random thoughts ...

1) Waiting for my darling lil boo to get home from school. Her bus will be here sometime between 4:20 and 4:30 ish unless there is traffic, rain or something.

2) Fellow coworkers will get to see me looking like trash or a homeless person... I am in shoes with holes in them, a shirt and pants that are covered in bleach stains .... and I reek of bleach!!! Why? Because I am cleaning my last vacant apartment!!!!YAY ME!

3) Will have to try to convince hubby that it is in his favor to help me finish this apartment .... the chance that will happen is zip to zero. There is more of a chance that pigs will fly and I will become buku rich in the next 1/2 hour.

4) Once I get done with the apartment - my bedroom needs an over hall. I will be lost in a sea of laundry .... and more lovely cleaning to be done.

5) Friends are going to Florida in August :) So dear hubby is fixing things in the apartment that he has put off, like:
1) fix the master bath
2) replacing the vent fan in both bathrooms
3) fixing the tile in the hall bath
4) painting previous repair job in the hall bath
5) putting in new rug
6) fixing sink in hall bath

The list is not that long - but when you do maintenance repairs all day, you don't really feel like coming home and doing the same thing.

6)Called my new place of employement and they still have not processed my paperwork. So I will call the hiring manager next week to follow up.

7) I spoke to my friend today and her boyfriend needs to grow the @*&@ up! She is coming down to Florida with her mother and sister for her sister's 16th birthday. Her boyfriend told her that he may not be there at the apartment when she comes back. They are engaged. Her boyfriend is a nice guy ... but not nice enough for her to marry. He has some serious issues that were caused from an accident that he was in almost 20 years ago. He is 37 and she is 31. Anyway, he is on SSD and doesn't work. He takes medication to manage anger issues that resulted from his head injury. Now when he is on his medication he is fine, when he is off his meds he is a jerk. He has never hit her or anything like that. But with times being the way they are and everyone is on a tight budget ... he is not being spoiled like he was when she was working. She is an unemployed teacher who is looking for work. Right now she gets whatever from unemployment and combined with his SSD. They live in a 1 bedroom apartment up north were the rent is like $1,ooo a month. Then they have other bills they need to pay. He has an allowance of $20 a month to buy what ever - cds, dvds, smokes, and he is not liking that. But he has to realize that some people don't even have that!!! Some people are losing there homes, cars, have to sell what they own because they no longer have a job - some of these people have kids they have to feed or health issues. He could be worse off then what he is now. He has to grow up and realize that life is not all sugar and sweetness -I know that he knows this, but it some times ticks me off how he treats her. She deserve better, but she is shy because of her size and settled for this guy.

8) Lil Boo just came home ... so I need to wake her and get myself back to work :P

Some more random thoughts

1. Waiting and waiting and waiting for that phone call to say "Hey come on in and work and get paid"

2. Need to buy paper towels so I can finish my last dreaded cleaning job of vacant apartments. I am looking forward to getting it done so I can be done with it. But not looking forward to it because I hate cleaning vacant apartments. (I hate cleaning in general, but would much rather clean my apartment because I have to live in it.)

3. Plotting some time future trip to Ireland ... that is of course when all the bills are paid, when I start receiving steady check, when hubby has tires for his truck and all what he calls "necessaries" for his truck and tools for work (which some are not falling into that category.)

YEAH TO CLEAN NO MORE...

Ok I had to post the last post on cleaning supplies because I am now cleaning mostly w/ white vinegar and water because Lil Boo likes to play with cleaning supplies :(

I have one last apartment to clean~!

Recipes for Homemade Cleaning Products

Pantry Cleaners: Recipes for Homemade Cleaning Products

By Cynthia Ewer
Editor, Organized Home
Author, Houseworks: How to Live Clean, Green and Organized at Home

Taken a trip down the cleaning aisle at the supermarket lately? If you believe the ad hype, you can't keep a clean house without loading your shopping cart with a different cleaner for each surface, floor and sink in the house.

Hogwash! Simple recipes using products from your pantry make effective household cleaning solutions. An added plus: these natural products are more environmentally friendly than commercial alternatives.

Stock your cleaning tool tote with these homemade cleaning sprays and solutions to make short work of household grime--without harsh chemicals or irritating fumes.

Try these easy recipes to clean your organized home faster, better and cheaper:

White Vinegar

Mildly acidic white vinegar dissolves dirt, soap scum, and hard water deposits from smooth surfaces, yet is gentle enough to use in solution to clean hardwood flooring.

White vinegar is a natural deodorizer, absorbing odors instead of covering them up. (And no, your bathroom won't smell like a salad! Any vinegar aroma disappears when dry.)

With no coloring agents, white vinegar won't stain grout on tiled surfaces. Because it cuts detergent residue, white vinegar makes a great fabric softener substitute for families with sensitive skin.

Try these recipes to harness the cleaning power of white vinegar:

Homemade Spray Cleaner Recipe

Mix in a sprayer bottle:

• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup water

In the kitchen, use vinegar-and-water spray to clean countertops, lightly soiled range surfaces and backsplash areas.

In the bathroom, use vinegar spray cleaner to clean countertops, floors, and exterior surfaces of the toilet.

For really tough bathroom surfaces such as shower walls, pump up the cleaning power by removing the sprayer element and heating the solution in the microwave until barely hot. Spray shower walls with the warmed generously, allow to stand for 10 to 15 minutes, then scrub and rinse. The heat helps soften stubborn soap scum and loosens hard water deposits.

Undiluted White Vinegar

Undiluted white vinegar--straight from the jug--makes quick work of tougher cleaning problems involving hard water deposits or soap scum.

Use undiluted white vinegar to scrub the inside of the toilet bowl. Before you begin, dump a bucket of water into the toilet to force water out of the bowl and allow access to the sides. Pour undiluted white vinegar around the bowl and scrub with a toilet brush to remove stains and odor. Use a pumice stone to remove any remaining hard water rings.

Clean shower heads that have been clogged with mineral deposits with undiluted white vinegar. Place 1/4 to 1/2 cup vinegar in a plastic food storage bag, and secure the bag to the shower head with a rubber band. Let stand for 2 hours to overnight, then rinse and buff the fixture to a shiny finish.

Add one cup of undiluted white vinegar to the laundry rinse cycle instead of commercial fabric softener. White vinegar softens clothes and cuts detergent residue--a plus for family members with sensitive skin.

Baking Soda

Baking soda's mild abrasive action and natural deodorizing properties make it a powerful replacement for harsh commercial scouring powders. Put baking soda to work in your organized home:

Sprinkle baking soda onto a damp sponge to tackle grimy bathtub rings, scour vanities, or remove food deposits from the kitchen sink.

For tougher grime, make a paste of baking soda and water, apply to the tub or sink, and allow to stand for 10 to 20 minutes. Dirt, soap scum and deposits soften and are easier to remove.

Slow-running drains? Keep bathroom drains running freely by pouring 1/2 to 3/4 cup baking soda into the drain, and dribbling just enough hot water to wash the solution down. Let stand for 2 hours to overnight, then flush thoroughly with hot water. The deodorizing effect is an added bonus! [Do not use this method on blocked drains.]

Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol provides the base for an evaporating cleaner to rival commercial window and glass cleaning solutions. Use this glass cleaning spray recipe for windows, mirrors, chrome fixtures and for a shiny finish on hard-surface ceramic tiles:

Homemade Glass Cleaner Recipe

Mix in a sprayer bottle:

• 1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Ammonia

A strong alkaline solution, clear, non-sudsing ammonia creates stronger window and all-purpose cleaning recipes than acidic vinegar. Choose non-sudsing varieties of household ammonia for these cleaning recipes. Suds may make it appear like the cleaner is working, but they're tough to rinse and remove. Try these ammonia recipes for spring cleaning or tough chores:

Strong Glass Cleaner Recipe

Mix in a sprayer bottle:

• 1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon clear, non-sudsing ammonia

Strong All-Purpose Cleaner Recipe

Mix in a sprayer bottle:

• 1 T clear, non-sudsing ammonia
• 1 T clear laundry detergent
• 2 cups water

Furniture Polish

Most of us no longer use hard-to-apply furniture wax, but rely on oil-based polish to keep furniture protected and shiny.

This "salad dressing" recipe for furniture polish avoids the danger of silicone oil, found in most commercial polishes and sprays. Silicone oil can penetrate tiny cracks in furniture finish and enter the wood, causing problems in the event refinishing is needed.

Lemon juice dissolves dirt and smudges, while olive oil shines and protects the wood:

Furniture Polish Recipe

Mix in a sprayer bottle:

• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup lemon juice

Shake well and apply a small amount to a flannel cleaning rag or cleaning cloth. Spread evenly over furniture surface. Turn cloth to a dry side and polish dry.

Slacking and wet

Rain...ah lovely rain...
How you fog up my glasses when I go outside,
how wet you make me,
and how much I want to slack off from cleaning,

HI HO HI HO

HI HO HI HO OFF TO WORK I GO!

Ok, I have one apartment to finish clean and it is not mine. After that I have one 2 bedroom apartment to clean and I AM DONE CLEANING VACANT APARTMENTS FOREVER!!!!!!!!

But I have to clean the ones I have ... then tackle the dreaded bedroom ...

I should hire a search party for that - if I do not post in like 4 days after starting the bedroom (and I will post) then someone should call the cops and send someone to look for me! LMAO

So I called SS yesterday to follow up on the claim for my daughter ... I was told that it will probably be sometime in September that a decison will be made.

I hate this waiting game...

WELL OFF TO CLEAN

DEMANDS...HAHAHAHA... when I get time - thanks!

This morning hubby demanded that I clean up the bedroom today ... HAHAHAHAHA!

Little does he know that it will get cleaned some time in the near future, BUT not today!!!!

Funny thought on that ... is I have not slept in the bedroom in 2 weeks. Not that I don't want too, but lil boo's bus come at 7 am and I wake up between 5:44 and 6:30 to get her ready. He doesn't want to be woken up that early. So because I am doing that and conditioning my body for my the earlier hours of lil boo's school schedule and my work hours ... I am banished to the couch.

But without fail, in the past I clean the bedroom, then the tornado also know as hubby, but not to be confused with tornado boo, the room is a disaster within the same day or a day later. So why am I to be the one to clean the room and do the laundry always!?!?!? I mean if you are looking for something - don't just throw the crap around - PUT IT BACK!!!! If you need to look in the pile of laundry for what ever - don't toss the laundry on the floor and not put it back. If there are clean clothes on the bed, don't knock them on to the floor. If you shave clean up the whiskers and mess from the sink! If you sit at your desk to play a game on the pc and decided to chain smoke, use an astray for your damn ashes - lets not have the ashes fall where they may and leave the butts any old place. If you eat or drink at your desk - throw the wrappers away, put the dishes in the sink! FOR THE LOVE OF THE LITTLE SANITY I HAVE LEFT CLEAN THE F**K UP AFTER YOUR SELF!!!!

I love you dear hubby, but when I married you, this was to be a partnership - a 50%/50% split. I did not sign on to be your mother, house keeper, nanny, cook, personal assistant (ie handle your phone calls, pay your bills, do internet stuff, handle misc BS, etc - anything not handled by the listed titles), personal dresser or lady of wardrobes, sex slave (hey the need for sex works on both accounts - not just when ever you feel like it) to be on call when ever and where ever 24/7/365.

I am just S*I*C*K of cleaning - not only do I clean after you, lil boo and myself, BUT i have to clean other people's crap too! (The apartments that I clean :( which I hate with a bright burning passion!!!! - but soon never to be done again!!!)

Ok thanks for listening to the rants!

homeless or naked ... or both?!?!?!?

If a turtle doesn't have a shell is he homeless or naked?
From funny things to ponder

My answer is that the turtle is both homeless and naked!!!

I had to post this - I love turtles :)

updates...

OK... so we got an xbox 360 s0 hubby can play his favorite computer game on the big screen - YAY HIM!

But, in the process, screwed ourselves with the bills. Have to pay the electric by tomorrow - great can do. Also have to pay the payment for the tv - can do 1/2 week. It is a two week payment. :(

Next pay period, have to pay BOTH car/truck payments, car insurance, and tv, and phone. SOOO who is going to get the short end of the stick? I can make partial payments on the car and truck, must pay the car insurance in full and tv payments. Then that leaves the phone out to dry as well as food shopping.

Next month, we must get lil boo school supplies, shoes, and new underwear. I start working next month ... yeah pay check.

So trying to follow up on social security application. Her school and doctor sent records - trying follow up with this other place and call social security to get answer.

Now lil boo's window needs to be fixed - the wood around is dry rotted. Waiting on the work men to get here.

Well that is all for now. I must clean an apartment. Wait for the room to be repaired then clean the apartment.

in the mean time I must find some form of entertainment that does not involve cleaning the house (mainly laundry and our bedroom/closet - arrrrrgghhhh).

Training is over and I have my cdl - which means next month I will be driving a bus. :)

It is NOT a good idea to search for jobs online when you are in your company office. Your employer might find out and you might lose your job before y

"It is NOT a good idea to search for jobs online when you are in your company office. Your employer might find out and you might lose your job before you get hired by another company."

from job hunting tips

I know the people are not the brightest bulbs in the box... but do that many people lack the basic common sense to know not to do this at work? I guess that answer would be yes, because this would not be listed as a tip for job hunting if no one ever did this.

That is the same principal as not to list your job in a blog or on myspace or facebook or using your real name if you are going to complain about your job or boss or do something stupid that will jeopardize your job.

see article below:
http://www.nowpublic.com/how_facebook_can_get_you_fired

"Of course this is fine when your friends see it, but what about current or prospective employers? Take these Ottawa grocery store employees as an example. By starting a club and commenting on their workplace, these dudes were out of work and out of luck.

Think it's just in the lower end of the job market? Think again. This time it was for slightly different reasons, but the outcome was still the same. Charlie Barrow was a trader for Goldman Sachs who spent far too much time on Facebook until the IT department ratted him out and he was out of a job as well.

What about calling in sick to work and going to a party or concert? Make sure to avoid digital cameras. Facebook isn't just for students anymore and there's a good chance that you've got co-workers as "friends". Get tagged shotgunning a Lucky Lager while you were "home with the flu" and you could be on some thin employment ice. The combination of your work life and your social life can come crashing together quite quickly.

It's also worthwhile to think about cleaning out your social networking accounts or changing your privacy settings before sending in an application for a new job - if you're coming out of a four year program, that's a lot of party pictures that your new boss probably doesn't need to see. That's pretty questionable on their part, but it happens. Here's a Stanford Daily article on it.

While your accounts keep you connected to the world, you might want to monitor how connected you actually are."

OR:

Former Teacher Sues For Being Fired For Facebook Pics

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/21586641/detail
.html

Posted: 3:41 pm EST November 11, 2009Updated: 6:49 pm EST November 11, 2009

BARROW COUNTY, Ga. -- A former Barrow County teacher is suing the North Georgia school district, alleging she was forced to step down after photos and an expletive were shown on her Facebook profile.Ashley Payne claimed the Barrow County school district violated state labor law because she was never told she was entitled to a hearing. Her attorney, Richard Storrs, said the 24-year-old former Apalachee High School teacher was "not made aware of her rights" and should be granted the hearingShe claimed her principal said because her profile page had of pictures of her with beer mugs and glasses of wine from when she went on vacation to Europe, she had to go.“I visited the Guinness Brewery, I went to Italy and had wine. I went to the Temple Bar District of Dublin and drank some alcohol there like any normal adult would,” said Payne.Payne and her friends took pictures at various places across Europe. A few pictures showed her with a glass of beer or wine.“They’re not even of me drinking the drinks and I don’t look like I’m intoxicated in any way or doing anything provocative or inappropriate,” Payne said.Payne, an English Teacher at Appalachee High, said she was called into the principal’s office where she was told that because of her pictures and an expletive used on one of her posts that she should immediately resign.“The principal said that he’d talked to the superintendent so he represented that the decision had already been made and that the only way to avoid the suspension on my record would be to resign,” said Payne.Payne’s Facebook page is private and she doesn’t allow students or strangers to become her friends on the social networking site. Several fellow teachers are included in her pictures including one who was with her on the European vacation.But Payne is the only one out of a job.“I did not think that any of this could jeopardize my job because I was just doing what adults do and have drinks on vacation and being responsible about it,” said Payne.Barrow County school Superintendent Ron Saunders declined comment on the lawsuit because it is a personnel issue.Payne resigned from her position Aug. 27. She had worked at the school for two years.

Copyright 2009 by WSBTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Fireworks and Fun

Fireworks and Fun!

Ok, so I thought that yesterday we were not going to see fireworks or do anything fun. I guess I was feeling a little bit of self pity and all that...

But I went to church and the service was interesting. After that I went to a meeting for a community service project and the little one was a perfect princess while there for 2 hours.

I came home and a friend called and invited us to go out for the fireworks. So we went... the traffic was mad crazy, but we found parking. We all walked to the beach with 6 grown up and 3 kids (ages 2-5). Got on to the beach after toting a cooler behind me and falling down the stairs to the beach...lol!

But the little one saw her first fireworks show - she was sooo excited! She was in awe! Pointing at at the sky, jumping up and down, clapping, saying "pop pop" "oh ah" and cheering. She was hugging her daddy and gave him a random kiss (which is unlike her). The kiss was almost like a thank you to her daddy because he made the sky so pretty with sparkling lights for her!!!

The other 2 boys enjoyed themselves. The oldest was so funny on the way back to the cars. He kept yelling at the girls on the bikes, walking, and in cars (it was funny because they could not hear him in the cars) and saying "Hey, baby! I'm the pimp!". Then his little brother would say "what am I?". I wanted to reply too him (but didn't - better parenting skills kept me from saying it) "your the pimp jr.". LMAO

Also the oldest boy was just eating up the watermelon like it was going out of style. Of all the food I packed, all the kids ate and myself. Hubby had some tea and so did the boys' mother, and the boys' father had on of the juice boxes. The other 2 adults did not want anything.

It was fun!!! One of my better 4th of July!!!

A Brief History of the 4th of July

A Brief History of the 4th of July

Have you ever wondered why we celebrate the Fourth of July or how the Fourth of July holiday came about? Many people tend to think that we celebrate the Fourth of July because that is the day we received our Independence from England. While those people are thinking along the right track that is not the entire reason that we celebrate the Fourth of July, nor is it the reason that the Fourth of July holiday came about.

Way back in the 18th century the United States was not considered the United States. In fact, what we now call states were actually called colonies. The United States was actually an extension of England. People traveled from England aboard ships to settle in America, but eventually differences in life, thought, and interests began to develop which caused a rift between Britain and America.

When the colonies were first settled they were allowed to pretty much develop freely without hardly any interface from Britain, but things abruptly changed in 1763. Britain suddenly decided that they needed to take more control over the colonies. Britain decided that the colonies needed to return revenue to the mother country and they needed to pay for the colonies defense, which was being provided by Britain. But the colonies did not agree with these new rules at all. They felt that since they were not represented in Parliament that they shouldn’t have to pay any kinds of taxes to the mother country, hence the saying “no taxation without representation�?. When Britain continued to tax, the colonies formed the First Continental Congress to persuade the British government to recognize their rights. When this didn’t work a war was declared, which is known as the American Revolution.

After the First Continental Congress failed to persuade Britain to recognize the colonies’ rights, and war was declared, things began to heat up. Many people who were both considered moderates and radicals had decided that enough was enough and that any kind of taxation without representation was considered tyranny. People such as John Adams, Samuel Adams, and Ben Franklin, as well as a group called the Sons of Liberty decided that it was time to unite all of the colonies and to stand together against Britain.

During the course of the American Revolution a second Continental Congress was formed. It is this group that adopted the final draft of the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence was drafted by John Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman. After the first draft was written by Thomas Jefferson, it was revised by Ben Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson before it was sent to Congress for approval. All thirteen colonies stood behind the Declaration of Independence and adopted it in full on July 4, 1776.

This is where the Fourth of July holiday comes in. The Fourth of July is known as Independence Day because that is the day that the Second Continental Congress adopted the full and formal Declaration of Independence. Even though we had declared that we were independent, the American Revolution was still being fought, which meant that we were still not independent. Regardless of the ongoing war the following year, people in Philadelphia celebrated a muted Fourth of July.

While celebrations on July 4th during the American Revolution were modest, after the war ended in 1783 the Fourth of July became a holiday in many places. The celebrations included speeches, military events, parades, and fireworks. To this day the Fourth of July is the most patriotic holiday celebrated in the United States.

http://www.independencedayfun.com/a_brief_history_of_the_4th_of_july-16570.php

4th of July

Ahhh, Fourth of July, the celebration of freedom for the USA ...

Today it is fun, fireworks, family, and food.

What are we doing?

No fun.
No fireworks.

Yes family and food.

We are here as a family and have food.

But there is no money for fireworks or fun.

I wanted to take the little one to see fireworks at the beach and do the whole celebration thing that they are doing....

but atlas there is no money to do any of that. We would have to pay for parking at the beach and any actives that we might do. We could bring food but there is no travel size cool for the food ... and it is from 4-9 pm and the fireworks are at 9:30 pm. We would there for at least 6-7 hours out in the heat and the sun and that cannot be done with out the funds :(

So I can take the little one to church at least ... then come back and clean the apartment then tomorrow I get to have fun and clean the other apartment :P

So much for fun...

Ahhh, also I wish I could have been up north for the family 4th of july cook out with every. The photos seemed that everyone was having a great time. The kids were in bathing suits playing with water guns and a slip and slide. The adults were playing badminton, relaxing having a good time and enjoying being with family and eating cook out. Also family from the surrounding states joined in the fun... however being that we are the least thought about family and poor and live far away, we were not even extended an invitation.

But that is how the cookie crumbles which extends from my family to hubby's family and even to friends that I once thought were good friends.

That is all for now...

accident prone - lady gaga parady of telephone

HAHAHAHA.... to funny!

Life life life

I have not posted in what a week or more? I am not MIA -- just tired. I have been in training to drive a bus ... interesting to say the least.

So this weekend is the forth of july :) Yay, most people have a three day weekend to enjoy. Tomorrow I am taking the little one to church and then maybe fireworks (that all depends on the money issue).

Dear hubby is getting scrap today that he may be able to cash in on. If he can then we will go and have a good time tomorrow.

Well that is it...