I heard something interesting last night from Son#1 at college.
Seems as though my Ex's "ship is coming in." Again.
I can't begin to tell how many times that proverbial ship has been going to dock. Only to sink, and with it take a bit of our married life down each time. This time he sees the ship and he's told the kids about it.
I've heard the ship is bringing Son #1 a chance to study abroad this summer.
It's bringing Son #3 a Jeep (used).
I haven't heard what is in the hold for Son #2. I'm afraid to ask.
It is supposedly bringing me the 4 months of overdue child support.I pray it does come in. And not just because it will bring all this stuff.
I pray it comes in because I don't think I can take the look of disappointment in my children's eyes, again........... and I don't want them to ever lose faith in or respect for their Father.... regardless that I los tmy respect for him years ago.
So if it does come in..... I'll be the first one to offer to start a new tradition and crack a bottle of champagne over his head .... err....... It's bow. ... nothing would give me more pleasure. Believe me.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Saturday, March 26, 2005
One Year and Still Smiling
I know everyone is very bored hearing about the DPOD (damn pool of doom) but it's not really about the pool. It's really about finally having a house, and something I've always wanted and have worked a lot of years to see happen.
It was one year ago around this time last year that I had the bright idea that I wanted a pool. Well, I've always wanted a pool, so the bright idea was more like I'd check into having one built. At the time, I didn't even own the house I was living in. Ummm yea.. real Bright idea there, huh?
We (my parents and I) bought this house so that we all could live together. My father put down a deposit large enough so that I could afford the mortgage, even though it was in their name. In exchange for taking care of them until they died, and paying all the household bills, when they passed I would 'get' the house.
After they had passed away, I couldn't qualify for the mortgage, so I left it in their name and continued on as usual. Then one year, the IRS no longer kept my tax refund. Seems my hubby, while we were married, didn't actually pay the taxes we owed and now divorced, I was still 1/2 of the responsible party. So they kept my refunds.. For 6 Liens. .. and at 6 figures. Then one year, I got a refund. I also got a substantial raise at work and a second job. And I got the bright idea about a pool.....which lead to the bright idea to see if I could qualify for a mortgage. So on line I went to a site that said something like "see if you can qualify for a mortgage." So I figured what the heck.
I was actually terrified the mortgage company would find out that the 'account holders' had passed away, and that the company would take the house. But this had been hanging over my head for 5 years and I needed it resolved.The credit report wasn't good. And I was told I needed to call the IRS and get letters stating the liens were paid. Calling the IRS was like telling me I needed to sleep with a cobra. There had been 6 liens. Make that 6 cobras. And I'm deathly afraid of snakes.
Surprisingly enough, the IRS was, for the most part, very cooperative. I spent weeks on the phone tracking down the right people, asking for faxes and letters to show the liens were lifted. I applied to 5 lending companies, and then a bank. I figured I would try everyone. I got 3 offers for a mortgage. It took 2 months. Interest rates were now 1/2 of what I was paying.
I called pool companies and had them come give me quotes. Then back to the lending companies to see what that added cost would do to my mortgage. I also wanted to pay off my Jeep and some credit cards if possible. I checked out mortgages, home equity loans, interest only loans, every option I could think of. I was trying to be smart about how to do this.
I found out there was a lot of equity in the house (and there still is) and that I would actually decrease my monthly bills even with a pool financed into the mortgage. Spread out over 30 years, the pool cost became 'small'. That and the $500.00 car payment would be gone. I could actually do this... IF I stuck to a strict budget. IF I did that, I could actually own my house, and have a pool. Believe me, after 13years of financial hell, nobody was more surprised than I was. So now here I am. A year later after beginning this. It may be a pool of doom at the moment......... but still, there's a huge smile on my face.
It was one year ago around this time last year that I had the bright idea that I wanted a pool. Well, I've always wanted a pool, so the bright idea was more like I'd check into having one built. At the time, I didn't even own the house I was living in. Ummm yea.. real Bright idea there, huh?
We (my parents and I) bought this house so that we all could live together. My father put down a deposit large enough so that I could afford the mortgage, even though it was in their name. In exchange for taking care of them until they died, and paying all the household bills, when they passed I would 'get' the house.
After they had passed away, I couldn't qualify for the mortgage, so I left it in their name and continued on as usual. Then one year, the IRS no longer kept my tax refund. Seems my hubby, while we were married, didn't actually pay the taxes we owed and now divorced, I was still 1/2 of the responsible party. So they kept my refunds.. For 6 Liens. .. and at 6 figures. Then one year, I got a refund. I also got a substantial raise at work and a second job. And I got the bright idea about a pool.....which lead to the bright idea to see if I could qualify for a mortgage. So on line I went to a site that said something like "see if you can qualify for a mortgage." So I figured what the heck.
I was actually terrified the mortgage company would find out that the 'account holders' had passed away, and that the company would take the house. But this had been hanging over my head for 5 years and I needed it resolved.The credit report wasn't good. And I was told I needed to call the IRS and get letters stating the liens were paid. Calling the IRS was like telling me I needed to sleep with a cobra. There had been 6 liens. Make that 6 cobras. And I'm deathly afraid of snakes.
Surprisingly enough, the IRS was, for the most part, very cooperative. I spent weeks on the phone tracking down the right people, asking for faxes and letters to show the liens were lifted. I applied to 5 lending companies, and then a bank. I figured I would try everyone. I got 3 offers for a mortgage. It took 2 months. Interest rates were now 1/2 of what I was paying.
I called pool companies and had them come give me quotes. Then back to the lending companies to see what that added cost would do to my mortgage. I also wanted to pay off my Jeep and some credit cards if possible. I checked out mortgages, home equity loans, interest only loans, every option I could think of. I was trying to be smart about how to do this.
I found out there was a lot of equity in the house (and there still is) and that I would actually decrease my monthly bills even with a pool financed into the mortgage. Spread out over 30 years, the pool cost became 'small'. That and the $500.00 car payment would be gone. I could actually do this... IF I stuck to a strict budget. IF I did that, I could actually own my house, and have a pool. Believe me, after 13years of financial hell, nobody was more surprised than I was. So now here I am. A year later after beginning this. It may be a pool of doom at the moment......... but still, there's a huge smile on my face.
Friday, March 25, 2005
Babbles, Baubles, no Bubbles
Sometimes I wonder, WTF are some people thinking.
Then there are the days, I wonder WTF was I thinking.
I signed up on a dating site. What was I thinking?
I'm having a pool built........
............which will then necessitate having to put on a bathing suit. hmmm.. yea.
My ex sent a child support check... for December.........and I said thank you. Thank you for making me go through months of hell and finally providing some funds.
On second thought, he deserved the thank you. He wrote a short note saying he appreciated me taking on the burden for the last few months. At lease he acknowledges that it has been tough... and I have some cash.
The girl child has gotten her own apartment. I'm glad. She fought with my sons like a real sister..... But, it was a good lesson for my kids. Pick your friends wisely. It was an up and down situation.
The decking guy called to tell me he hasn't done my deck (duh). He's backed up. And he also hit on me.
............I'm not sure if I'm flattered or creeped out.
But if I get a discount on the concrete, he can tell me I'm pretty and compliment my hair.
'Course it was 1/2 Spanish and 1/2 English... so I think it was a compliment he was handing out.
It's been an odd week.
Then there are the days, I wonder WTF was I thinking.
I signed up on a dating site. What was I thinking?
I'm having a pool built........
............which will then necessitate having to put on a bathing suit. hmmm.. yea.
My ex sent a child support check... for December.........and I said thank you. Thank you for making me go through months of hell and finally providing some funds.
On second thought, he deserved the thank you. He wrote a short note saying he appreciated me taking on the burden for the last few months. At lease he acknowledges that it has been tough... and I have some cash.
The girl child has gotten her own apartment. I'm glad. She fought with my sons like a real sister..... But, it was a good lesson for my kids. Pick your friends wisely. It was an up and down situation.
The decking guy called to tell me he hasn't done my deck (duh). He's backed up. And he also hit on me.
............I'm not sure if I'm flattered or creeped out.
But if I get a discount on the concrete, he can tell me I'm pretty and compliment my hair.
'Course it was 1/2 Spanish and 1/2 English... so I think it was a compliment he was handing out.
It's been an odd week.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Just Plain Envy
I know people out there have a life. I know after work they actually go do things. I however, don't.
After work, I usually come home and start to work again. I'm not complaining. But.....
One of the guys I work with, is building an airplane. From Scratch. In his garage.
So... hmmm.... After work, this guy goes home and starts building an airplane.
A real airplane. Exactly like this.....
After work, I'm lucky if I have the energy or desire to unload the dishwasher .
After work, I usually come home and start to work again. I'm not complaining. But.....
One of the guys I work with, is building an airplane. From Scratch. In his garage.
So... hmmm.... After work, this guy goes home and starts building an airplane.
A real airplane. Exactly like this.....
After work, I'm lucky if I have the energy or desire to unload the dishwasher .
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Story Time
A Fractured Fairy Tale:
My Homage to A.J. Jacobs and My Entry to Judi's March Art Essay Contest (with my sincere apologies to both).
Once upon a time.... (only because all good fairy tales start out this way and March 16, 860 ad just doesn't sound all that fabulous)...There was a fair maiden who lived in a tower.
She wasn't beautiful fair... she was fair because she lived in a tower with no parapet to sun on and the only window was facing South....but fair sounds better than pale... but alas... I digress.
The tower sat on a hill, as so many towers are wont to do, causing the occasional curious onlooker to stop as they passed by to onlook and wonder where the rest of the castle was that should go with the tower.
Upon seeing the onlookers...The fair maiden would wave from her southern window, hoping that just once one of these onlookers would become an ondoer and rescue her from the blasted tower. Years passed, and although the pale, err fair maiden had made a lot of acquaintances; the onlookers being a nice group o' folks and everything... not one had tried to scale the walls of the tower and try to rescue her. They were northern and neighborly.... but alas, not much of a do'er group.
Finally one evening, a new onlooker came to onlook. Attracted by the light from his burning torch below her window, the fair maiden leaned over to look below and wave customarily to the onlooker as always. He however, was the first onlooker to ever stop and actually come close enought to speak to the fair maiden.
"Hello fair maiden. I'm come from the South." the voice cried up from down below.
"Hello onlooker," yelled the fair maiden. "Do you think you can get me down from here?" she queried?
"Have you a ladder?" the voice queried back up to her.
They queried a lot back then.
"NO. Of course not you dolt. I should have been down years before, had I a ladder," the perturbed maiden replied.
"How about bedsheets? How about your hair? Anything long enough to reach the ground?" the southern gentleman offered.
"Yes," cried the maiden. "My hair is quite long, perhaps it will work."
"Great then fair Maiden! Let down your fair hair," said the ondoer.
And so the fair maiden did...right onto his torch, which promptly sent her hair up in flames.
....and the moral of the story is...........
Never look down on a gift torch from the South.
The end.
My Homage to A.J. Jacobs and My Entry to Judi's March Art Essay Contest (with my sincere apologies to both).
Once upon a time.... (only because all good fairy tales start out this way and March 16, 860 ad just doesn't sound all that fabulous)...There was a fair maiden who lived in a tower.
She wasn't beautiful fair... she was fair because she lived in a tower with no parapet to sun on and the only window was facing South....but fair sounds better than pale... but alas... I digress.
The tower sat on a hill, as so many towers are wont to do, causing the occasional curious onlooker to stop as they passed by to onlook and wonder where the rest of the castle was that should go with the tower.
Upon seeing the onlookers...The fair maiden would wave from her southern window, hoping that just once one of these onlookers would become an ondoer and rescue her from the blasted tower. Years passed, and although the pale, err fair maiden had made a lot of acquaintances; the onlookers being a nice group o' folks and everything... not one had tried to scale the walls of the tower and try to rescue her. They were northern and neighborly.... but alas, not much of a do'er group.
Finally one evening, a new onlooker came to onlook. Attracted by the light from his burning torch below her window, the fair maiden leaned over to look below and wave customarily to the onlooker as always. He however, was the first onlooker to ever stop and actually come close enought to speak to the fair maiden.
"Hello fair maiden. I'm come from the South." the voice cried up from down below.
"Hello onlooker," yelled the fair maiden. "Do you think you can get me down from here?" she queried?
"Have you a ladder?" the voice queried back up to her.
They queried a lot back then.
"NO. Of course not you dolt. I should have been down years before, had I a ladder," the perturbed maiden replied.
"How about bedsheets? How about your hair? Anything long enough to reach the ground?" the southern gentleman offered.
"Yes," cried the maiden. "My hair is quite long, perhaps it will work."
"Great then fair Maiden! Let down your fair hair," said the ondoer.
And so the fair maiden did...right onto his torch, which promptly sent her hair up in flames.
....and the moral of the story is...........
Never look down on a gift torch from the South.
The end.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Think sherman Think!
Judi is having her Monthly Art Essay Contest...And I'm brain dead again.
This month you're supposed to write An Outrageous Fairy Tale.
My favorite Fairy Tales were Fractured Fairy Tales, usually seen on the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon tv show.
Fractured Fairy Tales, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Boris & Natasha, Dudley Do Right, Aesop's Fables.Anyone else *cough*old*cough* to remember them?
This month you're supposed to write An Outrageous Fairy Tale.
My favorite Fairy Tales were Fractured Fairy Tales, usually seen on the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon tv show.
Fractured Fairy Tales, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Boris & Natasha, Dudley Do Right, Aesop's Fables.Anyone else *cough*old*cough* to remember them?
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Uber Redhead
It's cold. It's rainy. I'm tired of it. And, just plain tired. All in all, NOT a good combo.
I also have a temper. A big one that I keep well under control.
Usually.
Today I broke my office phone. I slammed the receiver into the set and broke it.
Twice.
Sometimes it just really feels good to be Uber biotch....
and today was my day......
.........and tomorrow's looking really good for it too.
Sunday, March 13, 2005
WTF
Rhetorical Question of the Month.
Why after 30 minutes chatting on line to a man, is he saying things to me that only a paid hooker would need or want to know?
Why after 30 minutes chatting on line to a man, is he saying things to me that only a paid hooker would need or want to know?
Friday, March 11, 2005
Framed! We're Framed!
YAY! Progress!!! Next step is pouring the concrete. It's going to be stamped concrete.... let's hope it was worth the wait. Hopefully next week I'll have a real pool deck. (fingers , toes, eyes crossed hoping the rain stays away)
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Bring An "A" Game
He's a cutie....And he's local.... And he's tall.......... And apparently he's just not that into me cuz he's not asked me to lunch, coffee or anything.
Talk is cheap. So PFFT.
I don't like men that don't go for what they want. One thing I've learned... if a man wants something.... he'll pretty much find a way to get it. He won't have excuses or jack around.
My ex was a 'do nothing'. And I'm not fallin for that a second time...
I'm not that bored.
Talk is cheap. So PFFT.
I don't like men that don't go for what they want. One thing I've learned... if a man wants something.... he'll pretty much find a way to get it. He won't have excuses or jack around.
My ex was a 'do nothing'. And I'm not fallin for that a second time...
I'm not that bored.
Monday, March 07, 2005
Payback Costs Everyone
I knew something was wrong when I came home from work Wednesday night.
I can always tell when something is up with Son #3.
Seems while I was in Puerto Rico on business, he was busy getting a speeding ticket. And a ticket for an expired tag.
He told his dad. Uh... Oh yea, like that's productive.
I found out about it because Son#3 seems to also have gotten the court date wrong. It was last night. Seems Dad didn't remember either. Big surprise.
So, off to the police station we go Thursday afternoon for court at 6pm. it also seems you get a 24 hour grace period before they come haul your ass to jail for missing traffic court.
Oh.....and they only accept cash you know. They were willing to accept $330 cash or he could go to jail.
Good thing somebody in this house plans ahead and hit the ATM before she took her little delinquent to his court appointment. Good thing she had not paid the household bills either.
When they asked if I wanted to pay the fine. I hesitated. I admit it. I was soooo tempted to keep my cash and go shopping.
......Instead, I gave in and bought $300 worth of slave labor.
Yes son. Payback is a biotch....
And her name is Mom.
I can always tell when something is up with Son #3.
Seems while I was in Puerto Rico on business, he was busy getting a speeding ticket. And a ticket for an expired tag.
He told his dad. Uh... Oh yea, like that's productive.
I found out about it because Son#3 seems to also have gotten the court date wrong. It was last night. Seems Dad didn't remember either. Big surprise.
So, off to the police station we go Thursday afternoon for court at 6pm. it also seems you get a 24 hour grace period before they come haul your ass to jail for missing traffic court.
Oh.....and they only accept cash you know. They were willing to accept $330 cash or he could go to jail.
Good thing somebody in this house plans ahead and hit the ATM before she took her little delinquent to his court appointment. Good thing she had not paid the household bills either.
When they asked if I wanted to pay the fine. I hesitated. I admit it. I was soooo tempted to keep my cash and go shopping.
......Instead, I gave in and bought $300 worth of slave labor.
Yes son. Payback is a biotch....
And her name is Mom.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Makeover Do over
I've been whining about my hair lately.
It's too long and I've been thinking about a new hairstyle.
I did not however intend the new hairstyle to be by fire.
I accidentally leaned over a candle that was lit on my desk. Flames were the first thing I noticed. Then came the smell. Tarzan would have been proud of the way I beat on my chest to put the fire out. The damage seems to be pretty minimal. The hair looks to be as normal as ever.
Two shampoo sessions for the hair and a can of air freshener for the room and you can't even tell it happened. Well unless you consider the now uneven hairline.
If I was smart, I'd have left it at that, with no one the wiser to my stupidity.
.... but nooooo, I have to blog about it.
It's too long and I've been thinking about a new hairstyle.
I did not however intend the new hairstyle to be by fire.
I accidentally leaned over a candle that was lit on my desk. Flames were the first thing I noticed. Then came the smell. Tarzan would have been proud of the way I beat on my chest to put the fire out. The damage seems to be pretty minimal. The hair looks to be as normal as ever.
Two shampoo sessions for the hair and a can of air freshener for the room and you can't even tell it happened. Well unless you consider the now uneven hairline.
If I was smart, I'd have left it at that, with no one the wiser to my stupidity.
.... but nooooo, I have to blog about it.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Snow is not for Geeks
If you haven't heard, it's snowing in the Atl today. It's that cute kinda snow.
For all you non southerners, cute snow is when it comes down like real honest to goodness snow, dusts the ground lightly then disappears when the sun comes out an hour later. We don't even rush to the grocery store for milk and bread or anything. and the snow amuses some of us to no end. I mean it's snow!
We really don't get much snow. If we do, it's accompanied by ice. And that's not cute at all.
So, the snow made me giddy...and I thought, gee let's do something funny for the office in Puerto Rico. I mean snow makes us .... (ok me) silly, imagine what it would do to the guys down there.
I wanted to get everybody (the whole 6 people in the office) to take their wireless lap tops outside and wander around in the snowy stuff... just wander around in a little circle with their lap tops while it came down. I'd take a little AVI and we'd send it down to the guys in PR to show them what the ATL office is up to on this 'beautiful' day. HEY! They send us pics of the beach and stuff....
Well it sounded funny in my brain. Geeks with headphones holding their lap tops, wandering around intently coding while the snow came down hard.
Sigh.... yea. My sense of humor is lost on the computer brain group. And for now the snow has stopped. Blah. What a waste of good snow.
Computer geeks are no fun.
For all you non southerners, cute snow is when it comes down like real honest to goodness snow, dusts the ground lightly then disappears when the sun comes out an hour later. We don't even rush to the grocery store for milk and bread or anything. and the snow amuses some of us to no end. I mean it's snow!
We really don't get much snow. If we do, it's accompanied by ice. And that's not cute at all.
So, the snow made me giddy...and I thought, gee let's do something funny for the office in Puerto Rico. I mean snow makes us .... (ok me) silly, imagine what it would do to the guys down there.
I wanted to get everybody (the whole 6 people in the office) to take their wireless lap tops outside and wander around in the snowy stuff... just wander around in a little circle with their lap tops while it came down. I'd take a little AVI and we'd send it down to the guys in PR to show them what the ATL office is up to on this 'beautiful' day. HEY! They send us pics of the beach and stuff....
Well it sounded funny in my brain. Geeks with headphones holding their lap tops, wandering around intently coding while the snow came down hard.
Sigh.... yea. My sense of humor is lost on the computer brain group. And for now the snow has stopped. Blah. What a waste of good snow.
Computer geeks are no fun.
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