Thursday, August 26, 2010

Money, Money, Money, its all about money!

Why does everything have to be revolved around money! I HATE MONEY! Of anything in my life, I stress about Money!! I just want to be happy! Have a happy family and be able to enjoy life but we can't seem to do that without spending MONEY that we don't have! UGH!

Figuring up bills doesn't usually bother me but now that we are going to only one income it's killing me! If/when I have to switch jobs (yes, I'm having a very negitive moment again about my job not continuing) I am most likely not going to be making the same amount I am now and that is going to SUCK!!!! Right this very moment, without figuring in gas for our cars I have an extra $1000 a month to "play" with each month and living in New York, that isn't much and if/when I have to take another job (I am figuring on a salary of a GS5) that will give us a whole whopping 160 extra a month! UGH! A long time ago, I swore I would never make myself Choose between which bill to pay and which one would have to wait and I don't want to get back there! :(

I guess I might just have to get another job again. I have done it before, I know I can but the timing just sucks! I just started school again but at least thank goodness I'm doing part time and only have 1 class right now (will be two in Oct for about a month while they overlap)!

I hate that everything we want to do for FUN costs so much money! At least when we lived in Hawaii we could go to the beach for free anytime we wanted! Here the weather isn't also good enough to do outdoor activites and inside ones usually cost money!

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY! It's Everything and we can't live without but most of us sure don't have enough of it to really be happy! UGH!

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Empire State Being

First I just have a short story before I talk about our trip into NYC. Since when I did become a total Klutz? Since I moved to New York is the answer!! OMFG I have falled down and injured myself THREE times since I lived here! I can't remember that last time I fell down before now! What is the deal? First I fell outside the airport and busted up my ankle (which btw is still not normal :( ) and then while on crutches from that I fall down outside the house and now yesterday I'm out back playing with the silly dog and I fall down again! The whole left side of my body totally wiped out on the cement! I'm scrapped up on my hand, elbow, leg and go figure, my bad ankle! UGH! I don't have any scratches on my hip but I'm developing a HUGE bruise there! That is what hurt the most was my hip, thought I broke it at one point!
I LOVE New York but I'm thinking for some crazy reason New York doesn't love me!!! LOL I think I'll have to stay inside or have someone walking with me at all times this winter otherwise I might really end up Breaking a Hip! LOL

Okay so now onto more fun things! We headed into NYC (via the train @ Garrison again). Once in at Grand Central we stopped for breakfast (which was okay with okay service) and then heading out walking to the Empire State Building. We got our tickets and headed up! The Elevator was COOL and shot right up without making any stops from the Second Floor to the 80th Floor! It was neat because it didn't show each floor on the numbers as it went up or down, it went by every 10 floors! LOL Once at 80 we had to exit to another elevator to the 86th floor which is the Obseratory! That was really neat walking around outside seeing all of that! We then went up to the 102nd floor! That was SUPER Cool! You are completely inside and looking through glass up there though! We could see the "tiny" Statue of Liberty from there! LOL Got to view a lot of Jersey from up there as well but I still don't like Jersey and their crazy detors and tolls! LOL

When we were done we headed off to FAO Swarz! Well we ended up talking the LONG way there (okay, I got us turned around, TWICE) but we finally found it! Of course we were all complaining at this point about feets, knees, ankle hurting! LOL Went through FAO and had a good time checking out all the cool toys but alas, Miss Paxton just couldn't decide on a toy so we left :( Ended up in a cab this time (which btw was a GREAT driver!!! I wasn't scared at all like last time!) and went into Times Square. We walked a little bit and stopped for lunch across from the M&M Place!

OMG We had the WORST service!! Walk in, they say, 3? Yes we say and then tell us, Go Sit Upstairs. Okay, no taking us up, nothing. When we get up stairs we go towards a back booth so we can see outside and we walk past a waiter who says, Yeah sit anywhere! So we sit and we wait, and we wait and we wait! Finally almost (I swear it was this long, but Shanes says it wasn't) 20 minutes later we get menus. Then it was at least another 15 before he comes back to take our drink order. Finally we get drinks and order our food. We wait another 20 minutes (mind you without the waiter ever checking on us) and finally get our food which my burger was bleeding :( We finally get his attention and send my food back and OMG it comes back out in like 3 mintues!! WOOHOO Faster service! YAY! FINALLY! Oh and how can I forget, this place was OUTRAGOUSLY priced!!! I'm talking $20 for a freaking Cheese Pizza for the kid!!! It was NUTS!

So then we head over to the M&M place and let Shane check it all out! It was neat to go in there again!

Then it's back to the train for us! Which, btw I found Grand Central with NO PROBLEM at all! YAY ME! Of course we stop and get cupcakes before getting on the train! hehe

We get home, let the dog out and change clothes and head out to dinner. I say I want Mexican food and Shane remembers seeing a place in Monroe. We go, it's not Mexican, go figure we're in NY, it's Italian! Okay, I can deal. It's a neat place! Its a house thats been turned into a resturant! Go figure, we sit and wait and wait and wait! I know it's busy but I'm watching people get sat after us, order and GET their food before we order??? WTF?? Finally our waiter takes our order and seriously looks annoyed that I'm asking him questions? Isn't that your JOB dude! Other bring out our food (which was Good, I ate it!!) and yet others clear our food. Didn't see the waiter again until he gave us the bill! RUDE!

It was just a crazy day for service! I have always expected a lot out of people who work in some form of Customer Service and yesterday didn't!! I have had moments here in NY but most places have been pretty good! Shoot, out of all the places we went yesterday I think the best Customer Service we got was at WalMart at the end of the night in Monroe! LOL

Friday, August 13, 2010

Paying Off Bills

Always feels so Good!! We just paid off the STAR card (AGAIN) and we are going to shred it! YAY!!! I just wish I could say this about EVERY credit card we own but alas, we will have some CC debt for some time to go :( At least I can say that we really are working on it! I know so many people have CC debt now that it seems like it's normal but it really shouldn't be that way! I remember when Shane was deployed and I was working full time, if I wanted to buy something I used my regular account and if I didn't have enough money, I didn't buy it! Too simple right? Well then life throws a curve ball at ya and you have to pick up and leave your "home" and start a new job in a new state with nowhere to live. Yep, there goes that dang CC bill again :( But alas, I will get back into if I can't afford it with "my" money, then I won't be buying it at all!

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Time In and out of School

What is the deal? So my child will start school on a Thursday and go for two days and then have a 3 day weekend (because of Labor day) and then she does to school for two days again and then has Thur-Sun off!?!?!?!?! WHAT? Okay, fine, Shane is at home so I don't have to deal with childcare or anything at least! So then we start talking about heading back to Nebraska for Christmas since it's been YEARS since we were there for Christmas. Looking at the Calendar, she gets out of school on the 22nd (Wed) and has the next full week off and then has to be back the following Monday. It just doesn't seem like much time, 1 week and two days? I swear I remember that our Christmas breaks were MUCH Longer growing up! So if we want to drive, we spend at least 3 to 3 1/2 days traveling. Doesn't leave much QT with family :( If we fly, we spend A LOT more! LOL Then for whatever reason, in Feb. she has a another week off of school?? WHY?? I don't know! Because then another week in April for Spring Break! I guess maybe I just got used to Hawaii and them NEVER being in School at all! LOL