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New dog toy

Out younger chihuahua, Lil' Bit, loves the bad cuz toys. She got her first one about five years ago and as of today is on her fourth. She plays with them until they no longer squeak and have all kinds of "war" wounds. Even then she will still carry it with her everywhere, literally. She takes it to bed, to go potty, anywhere we may go be it a trip out of state or just down the road. She has to have it with her at all times, so no matter how much I try to keep them clean they always end up smelly. It's like her safety blanket. So today I finally got her another new one, one that squeaks and is, of course, squeaky clean. What does this mean for us? Well, it means that not only will she NOT play with the new one, she's going to search for her old one for weeks and weeks before finally giving in. lol.

Word-Filled Wednesday #3

picture credit=?; edited by me.

Word-Filled Wednesday #2

picture credit=?; edited by me.

My Tuesday Truth: Coupons

I'm going coupon crazy lately! Coupons are awesome at saving you a little here and there and who doesn't need that!?! Last year I started hearing about all these people doing this "coupon" crazy thing where people would buy like 200 bucks worth of groceries and get out with only spending 68 bucks or such. I'm finally trying to jump on the bandwagon. Who knew there would be things to learn about couponing!! That's right, I'm going to what some would call the extreme with couponing. I'll keep everyone updated on the ins and outs and how it goes - if it's worth it, ect. I've also been doing paid to click sites again. I've found that if you redeem coupons that you get at InboxDollars you can also get cash from there. It's only ten cents a coupon, but hey, that will definitely add up!

My Tuesday Truth = Coupons are great!

What wood for my guitar?

I think you'll get responses that are going to be all over the map. There are extremes where the wood choice really matters based on the guitar construction as well as the pickups and bridge... strings.... I think if the pickups are on the sensitive side and the mid-range of the pickups is not too overpowering - assuming the setup is not a problem: Then woods matter more IMO on a Tele.

Most of the wood choice would generally have to be for looks, but (assuming that the woods are straight grained and clear) Mahogany is going to give a little less attack, so the decay of the notes is a little more noticeable IMO and more low-mid response with softer high end; and spruce will give you a lot more attack and have a really flat response (a little sharper high end and a fairly deep sounding lowend - kind of a 'scooped' tone with pickups that have a flat response) IMO having made/played Teles made out of similar softwoods.

Television, although I rarely watch it....

I've started watching The Office on Netflix. I'm on the third season and I'm totally addicted.It's not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I'm completely sucked into the Pam/Jim love thing going on. Last week was the end of the second season of the Vampire Diaries, so I'm glad I've found something to watch in the meantime... now as to what I'm going to watch once I'm done with The Office.... no clue!

Between love and madness, lies xenophobia

Jumping Rooftops

So you’re being pursued by spies/and or ninjas who want you dead. They’ve chased you through a building and onto the rooftop. You sprint towards the edge of the building and look down at the tiny cars passing below. There’s nowhere to go…except the roof of the adjacent building. You’re going to have to jump.

You’ve developed the power and strength you need to make this leap, but do you know how to do it in a way that maximizes your chances for survival?

Here’s how to jump from rooftop to rooftop like Jason Bourne.

Wear your heart for all to see.

On April 25th, 2011, there will be a day dedicated to people who are battling depression and suicide and to advocate a lifestyle of unconditional love, on this day, draw a heart on your wrist (to symbolize that you are wearing your heart on your sleeve). Ask someone how they’re doing. Tell someone you love them. Nobody should have to feel so bad about themselves that they take their own life. Take this challenge. Save someone’s life.

my heart; mine & two co-worker's hearts

chris' heart

Memory Monday #2

August 18th, 2001

The best is yet to be.

Tomorrow is the three week marker for mine and Chris' trip to New York. A few weeks shy of a year since my trip with Jenna. It seems like it was years ago. I came home to a life falling apart. Little did I know, I had to fall and hit bottom before I could become a better person and find who I once was.

Looking back, I know that the events that took place when I got back home had been set in motion years before. It was something that was silently waiting to explode, as things of that nature often do. I fought so very hard not to become a statistic, but over time I've realized that I was looking at it in all the wrong ways.

Here I am, three months shy of turning 28. I had a 7 1/2 year marriage - that was a 10 year relationship - that has been placed behind me, in my tote of "past" baggage. Nearly eight months ago I married a wonderful, loving man with an amazing soul and all I can do is wait in anticipation for the rest of my life with him to unfold. My divorce didn't make me a statistic, it gave me a story. It gave me wisdom. It gave me a whole new outlook on EVERYthing.

My Tuesday Truth #1

One of my favorite songs growing up was Paula Abdul's "Opposites Attract". However being a young impressionable female it left me feeling that I needed someone completely different from me, someone that wasn't so typical.

"In Western society, humans use neither an 'opposites-attract' nor a 'reproductive-potentials-attract' rule in their choice of long-term partners, but rather a 'likes-attract' rule based on a preference for partners who are similar to themselves across a number of characteristics."

Memory Monday #1

Anyone is invited to join in! I've searched and searched for a good Monday Meme for sometime and decided just to start doing this on Mondays. Memories are things that we can never run out of, so it should keep me busy on Mondays, right? Let's hope so. I really need to be making more posts and while I do have a craft entry in mind I'm currently at work and don't have access to the things on my own computer, so this will have to do. Memory Mondays can include stories, pictures, ext and be about any memeory at all that you would like to share.

You Need a Budget part DOS!

So I've actually started doing this 2 months prior to me posting it. Just didn't post it until March. Shame on me I know. I must say this works GREAT! So far I have paid $1700 dollars in credit card debt and stashed $1200 in savings. It feels SOOOOO good not to have that debt hanging over my head. By over budgeting my bills and under budgeting my paycheck, then taking the extra right to savings, I have saved a ton of money. Plus it helps to have an awesome Wife who doesn't mind helping with the bills! :)

Please try this just for one month and I promise you it will change your life. If it doesn't I will give you a dollar! What do you have to lose besides debt?

http://lifeinprogression.blogspot.com/2011/03/you-need-budget-and-so-do-i.html

I think I'll move to Australia.

Today is one of those days that have me thinking of "Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day." It's been raining for four days straight now and the children are stir crazy - and I'm in the worst of moods. They are just as tired of being cramped up in that room as I am! We're all so cranky and the day isn't even half over yet. Ugh.

I woke up so many times last night that I stopped keeping count. Then I had the most horrible dream and it kept coming back every single time I'd go back to sleep. The dream itself I don't really remember much of, but it's had a lasting affect on my mood. To say I woke up on the wrong side of the bed is a serious understatement. Ugh. Can this day just be over with already? I'll be so glad when I can go to bed!!!

Wedding post soon.

Until then :

love.

You need a budget! ...and so do I

I look at my life and bills and wonder what the crap HAPPEN!! Unfortunately I'm sure most of you can relate. After trying to use programs like MS Money, Quicken, MINT, and a tone of others I found out that those programs are for people of actually have there financial life under control. But we are different! We live on the edge! Which while being exciting at times... I'm sure it's not to best way to live. So I made a plan and using this plan I hope to pay off all my credit cards, build OSM (oh shoot money), retirement plan, and truly becoming financially independent. What better time to do that then on my birthday! :)

Heres the plan!

I get paid every two weeks, and I have found it easier to budget by breaking it down by pay period.
For the purpose of this example, let's say I make net $1500 every two weeks, and I'll use the first pay period as an example.

1. Always pay yourself (savings account) first.
I try to save $100 every two weeks. So $1500-$100= $1400

2. Divide mortgage/rent by 2.
If $1355/2=$677.50, then $1400-$677.50 = $722.50

3. Divide your recurring bills for the month into similar amounts.
If $723.79/2 = $361.89, then $722.50-$361.89 = 360.61

So now, we're at 360.61

4. Now, I get paid on the 1st and the 16th. So my $360.61 needs to cover me from the 1st until the 15th.
So, $360.61/15=$24, so I have $24 allowed to spend for every single day until the next pay period (this is for groceries, gas, etc…).

5. If I go “over” on any given day, then I just re-compute based on the balance I have left. For example, if I spend $100 on Groceries and gas on the 1st, then I just re-calculate for the other 14 days ($360.61-$100=$260.61/14= $18.61 a day).

Screwing up at the beginning (going over), isn't that painful, since the overage is spread out over a (relatively) long period of time. (I very rarely get an “overage”, it's hard to spend $24 a day on just daily expenses) Towards the end, you'll notice that the times you could only really spend maybe $10 or less, will boost your daily “allowance” significantly.

Usually, by the end of the pay period (on Day 15), I'll have like a $100 “allowance” for the day. On the 15th, I transfer over (to savings) whatever I had left from the beginning-of-the-month paycheck.

To make things even simpler I have put together a spreadsheet.

NOTE: "Totals; Mortgage/Rent"  must be changed manually. Daily Allowance takes the "After Bills" and divides that by the "Allowance Days" number. Everything else is auto pilot for your enjoyment. I will be doing this method and I will report at then end of the month how it has changed my financial life. Care to join me?

share files free

If you don't have Microsoft Excel... do as I do and use LibreOffice. It's awesome and free!

Weddings = Work

Chris and I were married at the courthouse in September, but our ceremony is next month. Needless to say, our focus has been hugely on the wedding stuff!! Well, more my focus than his. lol. I knew there was a lot involved, but I never realized just HOW much!! Hopefully things will be back to normal soon and I'll be updating normally again.

I'm waiting until the end of the month to post the next giveaway.

Word-Filled Wednesday

As I was sitting at home last night I began to think about all the wonderful things that God has blessed me with in the past several months. This verse from Psalms popped into my head and I couldn't shake the feeling of absolute gratitude and unworthiness that I began to feel. I began searching around for the perfect picture since I knew that I didn't have one that would capture what I was looking for. I found it here in this picture. I feel that it not only captures the devastation that we sometimes go though in this life, but also the hope and beauty that the Lord gives us when we stay strong in our faith knowing that He will pull us out and beyond our circumstances and bless us more than we ever could have imagined.

I already feel so far removed from the pain and loss that I was feeling not nearly a year ago. I know that I wouldn't be where I am without Him. He has carried me when I was too weak to walk, comforted me when I felt I would never know hope again and He's given me amazing angels to light my way. My life was turned upside down, but in the midst of it He turned it into the greatest blessing ever! I am reminded of Job, although my loss could never measure up to that of his. How sad that sometimes it takes things of this measure to bring us back to Him, but how wonderful it is that he stretches His loving arms wide for us to run to!!!

Building Guitars for you!

I build guitars at cost. Seen above is my #1. My Pride and Joy as Mr SRV would put it. It is a Swamp Wood Ash Telecaster style with a Seymour Duncan 59 Humbucker in the Neck and a Seymour Duncan Jerry Donahue in the Bridge. It is routed for a Strat style Middle pickup but it's so sweet as it is I may not put one! All parts are 100% made in the US... apart from the pickups and tuners. I have no idea were they are made. Depending on parts, wood selection , and color will determine the price of the guitar but no labor will be charged. The above guitar cost me $500. Which is a lot less then some of the big names. And even then most of the guitars I bought I ended up switching the pickups to get that prefect tone. Not sure what will give you that tone in your head? No problem! Just give me a buzz and I will bring the tone in your head to life. If you are interested feel free to contact me on facebook, email, or leave a comment and we can make your dream guitar a reality! 

Sunday Showcase #1

New Dimensions Learning Center

Jacksonville, Florida

"New Dimensions Learning Center’s primary goal is to encourage your children to achieve their maximum capabilities in all aspects of personal growth at their own rate of individual development. We believe that children have a natural desire to learn and our role is to prepare them for greater achievement in school and to attain the skills necessary for success in life...."

I can personally vouch for all of the teachers and staff, this is after all, my place of employment! If you live or know anyone that lives in the area please don't forget to stop by the NDLC website and/or add NDLC on facebook!! 

If you would like to be showcased on Sunday Showcase please leave a comment on this entry. :)

Sunday Showcase

Every Sunday I'm going to choose a personal site/blog/business site to showcase. If you'd like to be selected please leave a comment describing the site that you would like showcased. In order to be chosen you must add a link to our site on your blogroll or links section.

I realize that tomorrow's showcase won't have many contestants, but there's always next Sunday!!

Fix-It Friday #83

Concealed Carry

I wanted to take a moment to talk about Concealed Carry. On the news the other day they were talking about how Concealed Carry is a bad idea. I beg to differ but you do have to be aware of a few things before you make that choice.

Looking for input!!

What are your thoughts on having large dogs inside? What about when you and your spouse are gone 8+ hrs. each day and the large dog is stuck inside and rarely gets to go out during the daytime unless it's on a weekend? How would you like to have that kind of life, only seeing the sunshine through a window for about five days a week. What if this large dog was/is high energy and needs more attention? What would you do?