We're still moving but it's going to be a few days yet. Poor little gal, she just didn't believe me when I said things technical seem to break whenever I'm involved. After the weekend she's had - she's a believer now!
Remember when I said I'd done an interview on behalf of LiveOps? Well that article was published in Business Week last week! It's the August 20th issues and there's a blurp towards the end about me. I thought the reporter's angle was really interesting and enjoyed the story. You can still read it here if you're interested http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_34/b4047426.htm?chan=search
Jennifer came up today and we rode for several hours this morning. Oh my, is there anything better than just getting on your horse and taking off? I can't think of it, if there is. Silver did just wonderful for me and even gave a good gallop through the neighbor's pear orchard. The mornings are cool now and it was simply wonderful. Well, not for my butt. Holy toledo they don't make comfortable saddles do they?! I'm thinking of getting one of those huge gel pads to put on mine, although that would probably look rather stupid.
But the best news of late is that while we were having a pool party with Ed's sister's family we laid out plans for a Labor Day get-together out here at the farm. Ed's thrilled because he knows the house will get cleaned. And to make it even better, his youngest daughter stopped by his shop today and said all three of my stepkids are coming! With their kids!! Oh my goodness, family, in-laws, kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews - it's going to be just wonderful! I'll try to remember to take the lensecap off the camera and get some great pictures of everyone. I said I'll try but with my luck, you just never know what can go wrong. I do have some great pictures and stories to go along but I just hate to upload anything and cause any problems when we move.
Well keep checking in - hopefully we'll be moved in a couple more days.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
We're moving!
I've had all of blogger I can take and a wonderful dear poor unsuspecting soul has agreed to help us move to a new webhost at less than 1/10 our current rate - which being the cheapskate I am, made me happy happy. So I'll be working behind the scenes for the next week or year trying to copy and download stuff (like I know what the hell I'm doing) and that poor lady will be answering my "how long would it take to do this?" "is it possible to change that thingy?" emails. When we return we'll look basically the same but slightly different and I'll be back in the arms of my one true love - Wordpress. Ahhh, it will be wonderful to use Wordpress again. Blogger makes me want to drink. Heavily. Or kill something.
I've had all of blogger I can take and a wonderful dear poor unsuspecting soul has agreed to help us move to a new webhost at less than 1/10 our current rate - which being the cheapskate I am, made me happy happy. So I'll be working behind the scenes for the next week or year trying to copy and download stuff (like I know what the hell I'm doing) and that poor lady will be answering my "how long would it take to do this?" "is it possible to change that thingy?" emails. When we return we'll look basically the same but slightly different and I'll be back in the arms of my one true love - Wordpress. Ahhh, it will be wonderful to use Wordpress again. Blogger makes me want to drink. Heavily. Or kill something.
Monday, August 20, 2007
I really can screw up a two car parade. Totally.
The other day I made a comment online to a friend that I was going to make gravy over the weekend and she promptly asked me why the hell I was making a stockpot full of brown gravy and just how many potatoes would I need to use up all that gravy. I explained that I was making graaaaaaaavvvvvy, as in, Italian style. That's what real Italians call red sauce, you know, like over pasta. Granted, I'm not Italian but rather I'm Indian. Now, to the best of my knowledge, Indians weren't known for their gravy making, but this little Indian learned from a pro and I can make a mean gravy. Anyway, I keep seeing all these blogs with tutorials and cooking sessions, lots of pics, and as you know, I aspire to be a cool blogger so I decided to grab the camera and picture the entire process.
I began by completely cleaning theentire only part of the kitchen that would be in the picture. I tried to be all artsy with the photos but I was getting hungry and Ed was seriously making fun of me the entire time. Seven hours, two sinkfuls of dishes, thousands of "it'll be ready this evening, GET OUT of the pot," and 47 pictures later, I had a masterpiece - in my camera as well as on the dinner table. It was so good that Ed even said he'd consider putting another clothesline for me. It's that good. So Sunday morning I finish working and start uploading the pics when Blogger took a nap. Again. I tried everything, shrank them, uploaded them another site and linked, you name it, every time I got more than two in the dang post it totally went dead. I was going to just upload them to the Picasa web albums but I have to thoroughly explain each picture and the captions just aren't big enough. So here I sit, waiting to bring you the most fabulous recipe you've ever had and I can't. I'll keep working on it. I will post it. I will! {think Daniel Day Lewis in "Last of the Mohicans"}
In the meantime, Jennifer came out today bright and early this morning so we could visit and ride. Oh my goodness, Jennifer was so right when she said that part of my issues with Silver was that she needed a buddy along. She was just the most well-mannered girl the entire ride! Never once questioned my request and was such a lady! Well except for when she tried to sniff Cartman's butt, but I think they just do that you know. We rode around the section, over a bridge, through the ditches, and even had a farmer drive by in his huge tractor - they both did fantastic and it was so great to have someone along. We've decided to ride several times a week and I'd like to work up to riding with Vincent behind me so we could pick him up from school. The kids would just love that! The only problem with learning to ride is, uh, well, are there any exercises I can do? My 40 yr. old parts are definitely not in riding condition!
And I did my shopping yesterday rather than today so I could spend the day with Jennifer. I usually go when the store is the least crowded like late Sunday afternoon or early weekday mornings because I know it's inconvenient to make people wait behind me when I have an inch high stack of coupons. So Ed insists I buy a whole $10 of stuff that's not on the List which just irritated the crap outta me, but I love him and he built me a clothesline so I did it, anyway I fill the cart and even splurged on steaks for this evening because they were 50% plus I had a coupon for $3.00 off the meat department. As the cashier finishes I give her my plus cart and a lady comes behind me with like four items and she's totally in a hurry. Well on these registers you can't start scanning the coupons until the card discounts are taken so it takes like forever for the first $75 to come off and the woman starts getting pissed. She complains to the cashier and asks me what in the world have I done to cause this holdup. I just smiled and said that the computer was giving me the discounts. And then I hand the cashier the coupons and this woman literally rolls her eyes and says, "You're kidding me? NOW I have to wait for all those coupons? I'm in a hurry here!" The poor cashier apologized but there's really no way to speed it up. Naturally three coupons beeped and that required a key turn which pissed the lady off even more. Finally the cashier finished, gave me the total, printed my receipt (which was nearly 3' long!) and says very loudly, "You did great this week Mrs. Hammond - you saved $130 which was over 50%!" I'm telling you this woman's eyes lit up and she says, "HOW much did she just save?" So the cashier tells her again and then this woman is all smiles to me telling me how amazing that is and asked if I could show her how on earth I did that. And typical, she said that my List was just based off the regular sales ad so she wondered why a membership at The Grocery Game would be any better but seemed quite surprised when I told her that of the nearly 100 items on my List that week, only about 30 were advertised sales from the flyer - the rest were unadvertised sales which I wouldn't have known about with the List! Wonder if she'll sign up for the $1 trial?
The other day I made a comment online to a friend that I was going to make gravy over the weekend and she promptly asked me why the hell I was making a stockpot full of brown gravy and just how many potatoes would I need to use up all that gravy. I explained that I was making graaaaaaaavvvvvy, as in, Italian style. That's what real Italians call red sauce, you know, like over pasta. Granted, I'm not Italian but rather I'm Indian. Now, to the best of my knowledge, Indians weren't known for their gravy making, but this little Indian learned from a pro and I can make a mean gravy. Anyway, I keep seeing all these blogs with tutorials and cooking sessions, lots of pics, and as you know, I aspire to be a cool blogger so I decided to grab the camera and picture the entire process.
I began by completely cleaning the
In the meantime, Jennifer came out today bright and early this morning so we could visit and ride. Oh my goodness, Jennifer was so right when she said that part of my issues with Silver was that she needed a buddy along. She was just the most well-mannered girl the entire ride! Never once questioned my request and was such a lady! Well except for when she tried to sniff Cartman's butt, but I think they just do that you know. We rode around the section, over a bridge, through the ditches, and even had a farmer drive by in his huge tractor - they both did fantastic and it was so great to have someone along. We've decided to ride several times a week and I'd like to work up to riding with Vincent behind me so we could pick him up from school. The kids would just love that! The only problem with learning to ride is, uh, well, are there any exercises I can do? My 40 yr. old parts are definitely not in riding condition!
And I did my shopping yesterday rather than today so I could spend the day with Jennifer. I usually go when the store is the least crowded like late Sunday afternoon or early weekday mornings because I know it's inconvenient to make people wait behind me when I have an inch high stack of coupons. So Ed insists I buy a whole $10 of stuff that's not on the List which just irritated the crap outta me, but I love him and he built me a clothesline so I did it, anyway I fill the cart and even splurged on steaks for this evening because they were 50% plus I had a coupon for $3.00 off the meat department. As the cashier finishes I give her my plus cart and a lady comes behind me with like four items and she's totally in a hurry. Well on these registers you can't start scanning the coupons until the card discounts are taken so it takes like forever for the first $75 to come off and the woman starts getting pissed. She complains to the cashier and asks me what in the world have I done to cause this holdup. I just smiled and said that the computer was giving me the discounts. And then I hand the cashier the coupons and this woman literally rolls her eyes and says, "You're kidding me? NOW I have to wait for all those coupons? I'm in a hurry here!" The poor cashier apologized but there's really no way to speed it up. Naturally three coupons beeped and that required a key turn which pissed the lady off even more. Finally the cashier finished, gave me the total, printed my receipt (which was nearly 3' long!) and says very loudly, "You did great this week Mrs. Hammond - you saved $130 which was over 50%!" I'm telling you this woman's eyes lit up and she says, "HOW much did she just save?" So the cashier tells her again and then this woman is all smiles to me telling me how amazing that is and asked if I could show her how on earth I did that. And typical, she said that my List was just based off the regular sales ad so she wondered why a membership at The Grocery Game would be any better but seemed quite surprised when I told her that of the nearly 100 items on my List that week, only about 30 were advertised sales from the flyer - the rest were unadvertised sales which I wouldn't have known about with the List! Wonder if she'll sign up for the $1 trial?
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Almost time to go!
Moo and Sparky came down to see them off.
He's devasted to be leaving me. You can see that right?
Jim had to grab him and hold him back so I could get this one.
Good riddance. You getting my grain now?
Can you find the hook with Vincent on it?
Got it!
Are you almost done taking my picture?
Seriously are you done? And I'm so NOT talking to that girl.
See ya mom!
I can still go in Kenny's room without embarassing him. Darren hardly waived at me through the classroom door so no picture of him. He's too old for that stuff - so he says.Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Yesterday was torture the kids day housecleaning, er, rather toyroom cleaning day. I swear how can three boys literally destroy a room like that? I called Ed to tell him that I'm an absolute failure as a wife and mother for letting their designated room become such a disaster but he pointed out that you kind of have to turn to get into that room and I am really very good at not turning but simply averting my eyes so that I can say, "Huh? Nope, haven't been in there. The boys tell me it's clean though." Listening to your three young boys, most definitely NOT a good thing.
Cleaning a toyroom is not for the faint of heart. You must be heartless or at least cover your heart in a thick coating of steel. Send the children away so they're not witness to your cruelty. I locked mine in the barn and handcuffed them to a stall. I wanted them far, far away because I just knew they'd be able to distinguish the individual sounds of their favorite broken toy and would attempt a mutiny. I braced them for the inevitable, "This has to be done guys. Be brave little ones. Be brave." I withstood their screams and insults, "Mom's throwing away ALL our stuff including the TV, couch, and EVERYTHING!" "Let's call the police. I'll bet it's against the law to throw away your kids' stuff!" That one kinda scared me because I could totally see Kenny dialing 911 and after having the police show up on our doorstep because a neighbor said when we mowed we got GRASS on his DRIVEWAY, I am deathly afraid of the police showing up. Not only that but I'm reserving my "Honey the police are here" for when Kenny turns teenager.
I began.
Armed with three trash bags I started the sorting process - burnable, keep, dumpster (Ed takes a bag into work sometimes containing glass, cans, or non burnable items) (Crap, his boss probably just read that. Hope that's OK Jeff!) I quickly realized that if I sorted every item this was going to take several days so I gave that up on favor of the swooshing/dump method - I swooshed it all in the center and dumped it into bags. Seriously, I did this. I removed all the tables, couch cushions (there's my tape dispenser!), quickly grabbed a few of the game boy games and good books, then dumped every last bit of it. I think I counted several hundred broken Happy Meal Toys, enough gum wrappers to supply a gang of high school girls, and many unknown substances that were quite frightening.
Seven bags later (no, you read that right) I was ready to start cleaning. A gallon of cleaner later and the room just sparkles. The walls were washed, cowebs removed, gum scraped up, all that really fun stuff. I even dusted the little vent thingy's on the back of the TV. I mean, I was rocking! I unlocked the boys and gave in to their demands for bread and water then let them in, prepared for the onslaught. They loved it. They thanked me profusely and were pleased to see that their very favorite toys of all time were saved. And they promised me they will keep it clean. Forever. Yeah, right.
Cleaning a toyroom is not for the faint of heart. You must be heartless or at least cover your heart in a thick coating of steel. Send the children away so they're not witness to your cruelty. I locked mine in the barn and handcuffed them to a stall. I wanted them far, far away because I just knew they'd be able to distinguish the individual sounds of their favorite broken toy and would attempt a mutiny. I braced them for the inevitable, "This has to be done guys. Be brave little ones. Be brave." I withstood their screams and insults, "Mom's throwing away ALL our stuff including the TV, couch, and EVERYTHING!" "Let's call the police. I'll bet it's against the law to throw away your kids' stuff!" That one kinda scared me because I could totally see Kenny dialing 911 and after having the police show up on our doorstep because a neighbor said when we mowed we got GRASS on his DRIVEWAY, I am deathly afraid of the police showing up. Not only that but I'm reserving my "Honey the police are here" for when Kenny turns teenager.
I began.
Armed with three trash bags I started the sorting process - burnable, keep, dumpster (Ed takes a bag into work sometimes containing glass, cans, or non burnable items) (Crap, his boss probably just read that. Hope that's OK Jeff!) I quickly realized that if I sorted every item this was going to take several days so I gave that up on favor of the swooshing/dump method - I swooshed it all in the center and dumped it into bags. Seriously, I did this. I removed all the tables, couch cushions (there's my tape dispenser!), quickly grabbed a few of the game boy games and good books, then dumped every last bit of it. I think I counted several hundred broken Happy Meal Toys, enough gum wrappers to supply a gang of high school girls, and many unknown substances that were quite frightening.
Seven bags later (no, you read that right) I was ready to start cleaning. A gallon of cleaner later and the room just sparkles. The walls were washed, cowebs removed, gum scraped up, all that really fun stuff. I even dusted the little vent thingy's on the back of the TV. I mean, I was rocking! I unlocked the boys and gave in to their demands for bread and water then let them in, prepared for the onslaught. They loved it. They thanked me profusely and were pleased to see that their very favorite toys of all time were saved. And they promised me they will keep it clean. Forever. Yeah, right.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
I have an excuse for everything.
Since today is shopping day,I got all gussied up put in my contacts and realized yet again that Ed's right about something - the state of our house, namely cobwebs. See, for 11 (or 12?) years I've been telling him that because I see poorly with my glasses I just simply don't see those nasty little suckers and believe me, this is fundamentally true. I still have nightmares about the time Ed got out a big huge light and took me over to a normally dark corner. Oh the horror! I swear you'd think the Munster's live here. So this morning I ran upstairs to grab something and the light was shining just right..... oh. my. God. Somebody really needs to clean these cobwebs out. Then I realized that it is really part of my job since I'm home.
I went and to my contacts out.
And then I went shopping where I learned along the way that I have single handedly changed the agriculture community in this area. No really, I have. I am a force to be reckoned with. Those of you who know me probably already knew that, but now so do many others. You've seen me complain about the hay situation 'round these parts now since early spring. Well, I've been calling around to all the farmers on my list constantly asking for hay updates. "Have you got it cut?" "Did you plant more?" "Are you going to have anymore this year at all?" I do this frequently. So imagine my delight when I noticed seven, that's SEVEN, newly planted hay fields sprouting up along the 10 mile stretch of road into town. Wow! I had no idea the power of my persuassion! Even Ed joined in the adulation. "Hey hon, did you notice that field just the other side of the S-curve has hay coming up? That's new this year too!" I am sooo good! I mean, half those farmers I probably never even called but they just heard about the nagging woman at the crazy farm who calls all the time fussing about no hay and that alone was enough to spur them into action. At least that's my story. And I'm sticking to it.
Since today is shopping day,
I went and to my contacts out.
And then I went shopping where I learned along the way that I have single handedly changed the agriculture community in this area. No really, I have. I am a force to be reckoned with. Those of you who know me probably already knew that, but now so do many others. You've seen me complain about the hay situation 'round these parts now since early spring. Well, I've been calling around to all the farmers on my list constantly asking for hay updates. "Have you got it cut?" "Did you plant more?" "Are you going to have anymore this year at all?" I do this frequently. So imagine my delight when I noticed seven, that's SEVEN, newly planted hay fields sprouting up along the 10 mile stretch of road into town. Wow! I had no idea the power of my persuassion! Even Ed joined in the adulation. "Hey hon, did you notice that field just the other side of the S-curve has hay coming up? That's new this year too!" I am sooo good! I mean, half those farmers I probably never even called but they just heard about the nagging woman at the crazy farm who calls all the time fussing about no hay and that alone was enough to spur them into action. At least that's my story. And I'm sticking to it.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
You know how I just bragged how wonderful my husband is? Scratch that. Here's a snipit from an actual conversation.
Him: I had to by a tool today.
Me: Oh? What'd you have to get?
Him: A compression gauge.
Me: What's that?
Him: It's a gauge.
Me: I understand that dear, but what does it do?
Him: It checks the compression. On the engine.
Me: Oh. And it's important?
Him: Well only if you want the compression checked! (And I'm going to ASSume we do.)
Now I realize you're totally thinking, that's not that bad. But let me just share this with you. Today, just a short time ago, I innocently asked how the work on the mower was coming and I mean to tell you. There was something about differentials, adjustments, belts, and all I know is there's freaking nasty thick black grease all over the dang garage. And another I know is that the dang thing aint working. The saddest part is that he looks at me in earnest like he thinks I understand what he's saying. People we've been married for 11 years (or 12?) and I've learned to just nod and say, "Oh my" with my own look of earnest. All the while I'm thinking, give me a timeframe baby, that's all I want from you right now. But I can't SAY that, no ladies, you know I'm right.
Poor guy, this after he spent the entire morning (well, about 2 hours) trimming horses hooves and getting stepped on. I should go make him some brownies.
Him: I had to by a tool today.
Me: Oh? What'd you have to get?
Him: A compression gauge.
Me: What's that?
Him: It's a gauge.
Me: I understand that dear, but what does it do?
Him: It checks the compression. On the engine.
Me: Oh. And it's important?
Him: Well only if you want the compression checked! (And I'm going to ASSume we do.)
Now I realize you're totally thinking, that's not that bad. But let me just share this with you. Today, just a short time ago, I innocently asked how the work on the mower was coming and I mean to tell you. There was something about differentials, adjustments, belts, and all I know is there's freaking nasty thick black grease all over the dang garage. And another I know is that the dang thing aint working. The saddest part is that he looks at me in earnest like he thinks I understand what he's saying. People we've been married for 11 years (or 12?) and I've learned to just nod and say, "Oh my" with my own look of earnest. All the while I'm thinking, give me a timeframe baby, that's all I want from you right now. But I can't SAY that, no ladies, you know I'm right.
Poor guy, this after he spent the entire morning (well, about 2 hours) trimming horses hooves and getting stepped on. I should go make him some brownies.
OK people, poor Peggy is trying to help me out here but I just keep coming up against one obstacle after another. Apparently my site designer gal has my blog custom designed and using the blogging inerds from blogger but hosted on my own domain but pointed... well frankly I don't understand the pointing thing.
I don't like blogger, but I'd like to.
I want to separate out my links like Peggy over at Hidden Haven did. It looks neat and I want to be in the neato blogger club.
I don't like blogger, but I'd like to.
I want to separate out my links like Peggy over at Hidden Haven did. It looks neat and I want to be in the neato blogger club.
Have you ever used an indoor grill? I know the George Foreman grills are popular but I'm here to tell you that the Hamilton Beach Indoor Grill is fantabulous. You simply must get one. The top and bottom are both removable and nonstick so you just give a quick wash to clean. Would you believe we're on our second one? The other one survived about 6 years of near daily use and finally went to the grave. We do chicken breasts, burgers, brats, pork chops, you name it and it works just wonderfully. At about $45 you can't go wrong. Go. Grill. Be happy.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Forget diamonds or flowers, Ed knows the real way to my heart - he built me a clothesline. Now that may not sounds like a big deal to most people, but trust me, it's major 'round here. You see, there are few things Ed hates worse than to see clothes hanging on a clothesline and we lived in our previous home for nearly four years with nary a post in the ground to even attempt a start at one - he's simply turned a deaf ear to my nagging. Three years of living here on the farm and I wasn't making much progress with him here either. I totally gave up hope of getting the traditional line - you know, two tree-like posts with several lines strung between them - but he finally conceded to use a wasted area between several trees that formed kind of a triangle. Because of the trees the boys don't play there, we can't drive there, and it's not really a walkthrough space to get anywhere. So he used fencing wire that we already had and a little gear looking thing so I can tighten up. He just went around the triangle of trees and viola! A really handy line where I can set my table up in the center of the triangle and hang at least three loads of laundry.
Be still my heart. He's so good isn't he?
Be still my heart. He's so good isn't he?
Thursday, August 09, 2007
This is Chocolate (boarder horse leaving us soon) and Silver, our new horse.
Here's Smoke and Fire, our two young'uns. No matter how many piles of hay I put out, they always eat together. You can see their wonderful summer bloom right now.
This is Cartman, the horse Jennifer boards with us. He's a mustang and built so different than the quarterhorses. All the other horses have mates they'll share food with, except Cartman. He must have his own pile and everyone respects this.
Here's a great picture of Jennifer riding Silver from last weekend.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Yes, that's dirt. And no, it's not mine. Some people {cough, cough, Ed, cough, cough} thought it was mine even though they'd already been told the story of Vincent grabbing the camera for MANY self-portraits.
I just made a web album of the kids. Go check it out. The link is at the right under A Family Album or click here since Blogrolling is taking a nap http://picasaweb.google.com/CrazyCowCountryFarm
An apology of sorts. It seems my email has been screwed up the past few weeks. I guess some of what I sent was put into spam folders on the receiving end - not sure why, that's never happened before. And some emails that were sent to me just plain never got here. I know they upgraded or something about a week ago and I was without email for a couple days but they told me it was fixed. I do know that my MIL said a relative sent me an email through the site last week I think and I never received that so there may be others as well. I tell ya, I'm this close to biting the bullet and using yahoomail. And I'm even closer to switching from a blogger blog back to Wordpress. I absolutely detest these blogger things, even though I've got my own stylesheet, I'm just so spoiled with Wordpress. My only problem is I haven't a clue how to turn this formated style into a Wordpress format. So if anyone's looking for something to do and you know how, please for the love of all that's holy, EMAIL ME! I can pay you with eggs, manure wonderful garden compost, or perhaps even money.
I did add a ton of links over in the blogrolling section (another gripe I have about blogger - I need sections over there) and you'll notice LiveOps is there. I get a lot of emails and questions about signing up to work at home and that's where I'd advise you start. I had another blog that I was going to use as kind of a "work at home resource" page and I may pull some posts from there over to here so I don't have to retype them.
I did add a ton of links over in the blogrolling section (another gripe I have about blogger - I need sections over there) and you'll notice LiveOps is there. I get a lot of emails and questions about signing up to work at home and that's where I'd advise you start. I had another blog that I was going to use as kind of a "work at home resource" page and I may pull some posts from there over to here so I don't have to retype them.
To every season, turn, turn, turn. There is a reason, ......
I don't know about you but my seasons don't jive with the turn of the earth but rather I just one day realize that, it's changed, somethings changed and we've begun a new season. The anxiety and anticipation make me all tingly with a little bit of nervousness too. And that's where I'm at today.
Last night Ed mentioned that it was dusk about 30 minutes earlier than usual. It's happening, summer's ending and fall will be here. At even the thought of fall my heart starts palpitating. Cool weather will soon be here, leaves will turn into jewels and fall, Ed will clear brush and start many bonfires, livestock will begin fluffing out, jackets and blankets need washed, and the windows can open once again. Fall is my favorite season and the one where I feel most alive. All the holiday preparations and family gatherings are just so exciting. It's a logistical nightmare for Ed's family to drive the hour out to the farm but usually a smoked ham, fine spread, and cheesecake entices them. I throw a little whining in there as well for good measure - it usually works to get them all out here at least once through the season. I can't wait.
A year ago I thought I was losing my husband. He's still here with us and he's healthy, sometimes I can't believe it. I remember those feelings and tears like it was yesterday and I'm so grateful each day to see Ed getting better, feeling stronger, and working around the farm. Although he is back to annoying the crap out of me often. Guess I'll live with it. :)
The kids start school next week. Next. Week. My babies, what will I do without my babies? I know I keep whining about it, but it's just SUCH a life-changing experience! I've decided to quit focusing on "losing my babies" and focus on "Wow! I've got hours in the day to work and not be interrupted." I'll keep you posted on how well that works for me.
Winter's coming and Ed's healthy. It's time to plan the winter indoor projects. Ed's always worked inside during the winter and that's when floors get replaced, painting is done, and all those home maintenance projects on the back burner move to the front. The last two winters he spent so very ill and I was working anyway so this year will be the first that we're both up to the task. I've got paint to pick out, vinyl for the bathroom floor, and lists to make.
Halloween is just over two months away. Halloween always start the season. It's time to plan baking, soup making, any canning for the winter, and look for holiday ideas. Costumes, straw men, spider webs strung across the porch - it's all right around the corner.
Next spring we'll have our first garden on the farm. We have to till, mix, and prepare the soil for overwintering so it's ready in the spring. Every year I say we'll have a garden and every year we don't get around to it. This year Ed has promised to get the sides built (we use raised beds) and fence the sucker (no animals allowed - our biggest obstacle out here). I will hold him to that promise even if I have to scare the life out of him by making a move to use his big saw table, or table saw, whatever that really big blade thingy is. All I know is anytime I make like I'm going to fire it up, he jumps right into action.
Most people probably don't start thinking of Christmas or having enough wood for the winter during the month of August, but I've always been just a tad "off" so this is exactly what I'm thinking about right now. Summer holds no excitement for me whatsoever. It's simply a dull lifeless season that I must endure to get the center of the cinnamon roll that is...... fall.
I don't know about you but my seasons don't jive with the turn of the earth but rather I just one day realize that, it's changed, somethings changed and we've begun a new season. The anxiety and anticipation make me all tingly with a little bit of nervousness too. And that's where I'm at today.
Last night Ed mentioned that it was dusk about 30 minutes earlier than usual. It's happening, summer's ending and fall will be here. At even the thought of fall my heart starts palpitating. Cool weather will soon be here, leaves will turn into jewels and fall, Ed will clear brush and start many bonfires, livestock will begin fluffing out, jackets and blankets need washed, and the windows can open once again. Fall is my favorite season and the one where I feel most alive. All the holiday preparations and family gatherings are just so exciting. It's a logistical nightmare for Ed's family to drive the hour out to the farm but usually a smoked ham, fine spread, and cheesecake entices them. I throw a little whining in there as well for good measure - it usually works to get them all out here at least once through the season. I can't wait.
A year ago I thought I was losing my husband. He's still here with us and he's healthy, sometimes I can't believe it. I remember those feelings and tears like it was yesterday and I'm so grateful each day to see Ed getting better, feeling stronger, and working around the farm. Although he is back to annoying the crap out of me often. Guess I'll live with it. :)
The kids start school next week. Next. Week. My babies, what will I do without my babies? I know I keep whining about it, but it's just SUCH a life-changing experience! I've decided to quit focusing on "losing my babies" and focus on "Wow! I've got hours in the day to work and not be interrupted." I'll keep you posted on how well that works for me.
Winter's coming and Ed's healthy. It's time to plan the winter indoor projects. Ed's always worked inside during the winter and that's when floors get replaced, painting is done, and all those home maintenance projects on the back burner move to the front. The last two winters he spent so very ill and I was working anyway so this year will be the first that we're both up to the task. I've got paint to pick out, vinyl for the bathroom floor, and lists to make.
Halloween is just over two months away. Halloween always start the season. It's time to plan baking, soup making, any canning for the winter, and look for holiday ideas. Costumes, straw men, spider webs strung across the porch - it's all right around the corner.
Next spring we'll have our first garden on the farm. We have to till, mix, and prepare the soil for overwintering so it's ready in the spring. Every year I say we'll have a garden and every year we don't get around to it. This year Ed has promised to get the sides built (we use raised beds) and fence the sucker (no animals allowed - our biggest obstacle out here). I will hold him to that promise even if I have to scare the life out of him by making a move to use his big saw table, or table saw, whatever that really big blade thingy is. All I know is anytime I make like I'm going to fire it up, he jumps right into action.
Most people probably don't start thinking of Christmas or having enough wood for the winter during the month of August, but I've always been just a tad "off" so this is exactly what I'm thinking about right now. Summer holds no excitement for me whatsoever. It's simply a dull lifeless season that I must endure to get the center of the cinnamon roll that is...... fall.
OK, it looks like I've been really busy today, but trust me, I haven't. I had another blog last year where I posted recipes, work at home tips, and other such tidbits but it's hosting bill is coming due and I think I'm going to let it go. So I grabbed some of the posts then added them here. If you notice "Loopy" in them it's because that's kind of my online nickname - those of you who know me aren't a bit surprised. I noticed they're formatting with weird punctuation so I'm trying to go through them to correct it. And the order is messed up, the timing of the posts, so I need to re-order them. Oh good gravy, I need a drink!
I'm just about finished going through the archives so there may be more changes yet today.
I'm just about finished going through the archives so there may be more changes yet today.
Go Iron All The Way
My dear friend on the west coast has never learned about iron skillets. I won't tell you her name because that would be an indescretion, but I will tell you that it starts with an R and we've known each other for years. Yes, that's her. Anyway, the poor dear needs some help so I’ve compiled a fantabulous post explaining it all to her so she can be more like me.
The first thing to know is that basically any heavy iron skillet will do - they're pretty much all the same wherever you buy them. I'm confident R will be buying hers at Target. They sell "pre-seasoned" skillets now but chances are, you'll end up with a gray one and that's what you want. There's several methods to doing this - the correct, by-the-book way and then The Loopy Way. You choose. Here's what Loopy would do.
Pre-heat your oven to 500' for about 15 minutes so that it's hot. Use the hottest tap water you have (only water!) and scrub the entire skillet, inside and out, with a steel wool pad or green scratchie. You need to remove the protective coating the factory applied. Pour about 1 tabl. of vegetable oil in the center of the skill and spread it all over with a paper towel. Be sure to get the handle, bottom, and the inside. Add more oil if needed. Put the skillet in the oven and cook it for about 1/2 hour. Yes, it will probably smoke. Turn off the oven after 1/2 hour and leave the skillet in there overnight. In the morning, do it all again. The following day, do it again. After three or four times it will start to turn black and you'll need less oil. After that, you can wipe it thoroughly with a towel and use. If it's seasoned correctly, it will be practically non-stick and you could even make pancakes in it - I do it all the time.
Use mostly high heat when cooking with these skillets to preheat them and turn it down once you add the food if you need to. NEVER wash them with soap! If something does stick in them, scrape it out the best you can, put it on a burner turned to high and add 1/2 cup of water. Once the water boils, scrape the bottom clean (it will come up instantly, clean all your pans this way) and then rinse under the hottest water WITHOUT soap. Dry the skillet thoroughly, put it over a burner on high for a few minutes, add a few drops of oil, rub them into the skillet with a paper towel, let it cool right on the burner. You can treat grill pans, dutch ovens, and all cast iron like this for years of enjoyment.
Here's a link to Lodge, a great cast iron cookware company.
http://www.lodgemfg.com/
My dear friend on the west coast has never learned about iron skillets. I won't tell you her name because that would be an indescretion, but I will tell you that it starts with an R and we've known each other for years. Yes, that's her. Anyway, the poor dear needs some help so I’ve compiled a fantabulous post explaining it all to her so she can be more like me.
The first thing to know is that basically any heavy iron skillet will do - they're pretty much all the same wherever you buy them. I'm confident R will be buying hers at Target. They sell "pre-seasoned" skillets now but chances are, you'll end up with a gray one and that's what you want. There's several methods to doing this - the correct, by-the-book way and then The Loopy Way. You choose. Here's what Loopy would do.
Pre-heat your oven to 500' for about 15 minutes so that it's hot. Use the hottest tap water you have (only water!) and scrub the entire skillet, inside and out, with a steel wool pad or green scratchie. You need to remove the protective coating the factory applied. Pour about 1 tabl. of vegetable oil in the center of the skill and spread it all over with a paper towel. Be sure to get the handle, bottom, and the inside. Add more oil if needed. Put the skillet in the oven and cook it for about 1/2 hour. Yes, it will probably smoke. Turn off the oven after 1/2 hour and leave the skillet in there overnight. In the morning, do it all again. The following day, do it again. After three or four times it will start to turn black and you'll need less oil. After that, you can wipe it thoroughly with a towel and use. If it's seasoned correctly, it will be practically non-stick and you could even make pancakes in it - I do it all the time.
Use mostly high heat when cooking with these skillets to preheat them and turn it down once you add the food if you need to. NEVER wash them with soap! If something does stick in them, scrape it out the best you can, put it on a burner turned to high and add 1/2 cup of water. Once the water boils, scrape the bottom clean (it will come up instantly, clean all your pans this way) and then rinse under the hottest water WITHOUT soap. Dry the skillet thoroughly, put it over a burner on high for a few minutes, add a few drops of oil, rub them into the skillet with a paper towel, let it cool right on the burner. You can treat grill pans, dutch ovens, and all cast iron like this for years of enjoyment.
Here's a link to Lodge, a great cast iron cookware company.
http://www.lodgemfg.com/
Nacho Cassarole
It just doesn't get better than this. After eating this you will lay around unable to move for several hours and the following morning, you'll regret it. However, it's fantabulous and you’ll thank me.
Two cans FF refried beans
Yellow corn tortilla chips (the only time I don't recommend On The Border Chips)
1 jar hot salsa (preferably homemade, I'll teach you how next summer)
Cheddar (sharp and mild) and mozz. cheese
Jalepenos, chopped
Heat the beans and salsa in a non-stick pan over low heat. While this is warming up, add about a half inch layer of chips into the bottom of your largest casserole dish - mine's a 12" x 15" and about 2.5" deep, like an oversized cake pan. Spread the chips out and then use your hands to flatten and crush them. You don't want them whole, you want them crushed and leveled out so they act as a crust. Pour the bean mixture over the chips evenly and then begin adding the cheese. I'm warning you now, it's a LOT of cheese. You want to put the mild first and we're talking a LAYER of cheese. Then the sharp. Sprinkle the chopped jalepenos. Add the mozz. last and by this time you should be at the very top edge of your dish. Put this in the oven at 350' for about 30 minutes or until the sides are bubbly. At this point you can continue baking for another 20 minutes or so or you can pop it under the broiler for 5 minutes until that mozz. begins to brown. You've got to let this set for about 10 minutes like lasagne or you'll end up with a mess. Well, it's kind of a mess anyway, but whatever. Cut it into large pieces and carefully lift out with a spatula.
Sing my praises and sing them loudly so I can hear.
It just doesn't get better than this. After eating this you will lay around unable to move for several hours and the following morning, you'll regret it. However, it's fantabulous and you’ll thank me.
Two cans FF refried beans
Yellow corn tortilla chips (the only time I don't recommend On The Border Chips)
1 jar hot salsa (preferably homemade, I'll teach you how next summer)
Cheddar (sharp and mild) and mozz. cheese
Jalepenos, chopped
Heat the beans and salsa in a non-stick pan over low heat. While this is warming up, add about a half inch layer of chips into the bottom of your largest casserole dish - mine's a 12" x 15" and about 2.5" deep, like an oversized cake pan. Spread the chips out and then use your hands to flatten and crush them. You don't want them whole, you want them crushed and leveled out so they act as a crust. Pour the bean mixture over the chips evenly and then begin adding the cheese. I'm warning you now, it's a LOT of cheese. You want to put the mild first and we're talking a LAYER of cheese. Then the sharp. Sprinkle the chopped jalepenos. Add the mozz. last and by this time you should be at the very top edge of your dish. Put this in the oven at 350' for about 30 minutes or until the sides are bubbly. At this point you can continue baking for another 20 minutes or so or you can pop it under the broiler for 5 minutes until that mozz. begins to brown. You've got to let this set for about 10 minutes like lasagne or you'll end up with a mess. Well, it's kind of a mess anyway, but whatever. Cut it into large pieces and carefully lift out with a spatula.
Sing my praises and sing them loudly so I can hear.
Loaded Brownies
I told my friend that I'd made loaded brownies for dessert this evening and she wondered what in the world I was talking about. I let her know that those recipes on the back of the box (cakes and brownies are way better from mixes - never have figured out a good scratch recipe) are simply guidelines to be tossed to the side all willy nilly. So here's what I do:
1 box of the basic fudgey brownie mix
Mix the batter according to the box, adding just a touch more water
Toss in a couple handfuls of instant oats
Stir in the last 1/3 of the jar of crunchy peanut butter
Add a handful of chocolate chips
Bake as directed
If you really want to indulge, which I think I will this evening, put a slice of the brownie on a plate while it's still warm, top it with ice cream, and then pour over some warmed up coconut pecan frosting from a can. It'll put 10 lbs directly on your thighs, but you can make it up with salads for lunch the rest of the week.
I told my friend that I'd made loaded brownies for dessert this evening and she wondered what in the world I was talking about. I let her know that those recipes on the back of the box (cakes and brownies are way better from mixes - never have figured out a good scratch recipe) are simply guidelines to be tossed to the side all willy nilly. So here's what I do:
1 box of the basic fudgey brownie mix
Mix the batter according to the box, adding just a touch more water
Toss in a couple handfuls of instant oats
Stir in the last 1/3 of the jar of crunchy peanut butter
Add a handful of chocolate chips
Bake as directed
If you really want to indulge, which I think I will this evening, put a slice of the brownie on a plate while it's still warm, top it with ice cream, and then pour over some warmed up coconut pecan frosting from a can. It'll put 10 lbs directly on your thighs, but you can make it up with salads for lunch the rest of the week.
On Planning
If you're patient enough to make your own custom planner, well nothing purchased will ever top that because you know what you need. But if you're looking for a good planner to pick up, I highly recommend this one. It retails for $14.99 but I think I snagged it at Walmart (note to self: add this to Target list) for around $12.00.
Please tell me you faithfully keep your planner up-to-date? The fundamental rule for staying at home, working from home, and maintaining an orderly household is a foundation of organization. Me? I love planners and organizers so much that I've tried about 20-30 during the past 12 years, including making my own. I've got different covers, different tabs, 3 ring, 7 ring, spiral, purchased pages, spreadsheet created pages, you name it, I've BTDT. Without a doubt the most all-inclusive purchased planner I've come across is The Family Organizer by Amy Knapp.
There's a two-page spread of the entire month in calender format and then pages that follow for each week during that month. With the book open on a weekly section you’ve got a running grocery list, meal list for the entire week, about two inches for each day of the week to post more detail of activities, and then a To-Do list for the week. The back has the necessary phone number section, blank pages, and a number of other preprinted pages. There's also a couple pages full of stickers to place on your dates for "no school" days, "half day", "doctor visit", and a number of other categories. I thought they were a little cheesey to start with but after using them, I really like them. Since it's a nice wide spiral binding you can open it completely flat and then even wrap it around itself so you just have 1/2 page to work with. Wow, that came across complicated and I'm not sure why. It's a spiral, you know what I mean. LOL
There's a two-page spread of the entire month in calender format and then pages that follow for each week during that month. With the book open on a weekly section you’ve got a running grocery list, meal list for the entire week, about two inches for each day of the week to post more detail of activities, and then a To-Do list for the week. The back has the necessary phone number section, blank pages, and a number of other preprinted pages. There's also a couple pages full of stickers to place on your dates for "no school" days, "half day", "doctor visit", and a number of other categories. I thought they were a little cheesey to start with but after using them, I really like them. Since it's a nice wide spiral binding you can open it completely flat and then even wrap it around itself so you just have 1/2 page to work with. Wow, that came across complicated and I'm not sure why. It's a spiral, you know what I mean. LOL
If you're patient enough to make your own custom planner, well nothing purchased will ever top that because you know what you need. But if you're looking for a good planner to pick up, I highly recommend this one. It retails for $14.99 but I think I snagged it at Walmart (note to self: add this to Target list) for around $12.00.
Working at Home
If you'd told me six months ago that I would be able to quit Walmart and make not only enough to cover my part time job there but actually MORE than I was making as an assistant manager (minus daycare and fuel) well I would have put you in contact with my broker to buy my swampland in Arizona. If you're like me, you like real figures and since I'm all about real-ness, here's mine.
I grossed $38,000 per year at Walmart and I paid for family coverage health insurance ($2,000 deductible and a bunch of other $1,000 add on charges for a bunch of stuff with a 20% co-pay on Rx — totally NOT great insurance) while claiming zero on income withholding. Bi-weekly I brought home $1,007.69 so we'll call that $2,000. I realize there's two extra checks per year in there but there's also a proportionate amount of my two largest payments coming out of them, namely daycare and fuel, so they weren't really extra. Here's what it looked like:
$2,000 each month
- 440.00 Vincent daycare
- 250.00 After school program for Darren and Kenny
- 300.00 My fuel
$1010.00 Net after just daycare and fuel during school
The after school program for the boys would be significantly higher during holidays and school in-service days when they attended all day so that figure is conservative and more likely to be closer to $300.00 each month. And that's just during the school months. During summer it gets even better:
$2,000 each month
- 440.00 Vincent daycare
- 600.00 Summer program Darren and Kenny
- 200.00 Activity fees, field trips, simming lessons, etc
- 300.00 My fuel
$460.00 Net PER MONTH after daycare and fuel
Yeah that's right, I was working 50-65 hours each week and suffering through a two hour commute each day for a whopping hundred something a week. When I look at the cold hard truth of the matter, now that I've had a decent night's sleep, well to be honest my head hurts. Granted, there's some other factors here - Vincent will be in half day kindy next year, Darren will be able to stay home in a few years, and my salary would have gone up each spring. But bottom line ... aint that sad? And that's not even counting all the extra expenses of me working like my lunches out because of no time to make something at home. Even at $3.00 or less those add up quickly and when I worked 18-20 hr days I'd have two or even three meals at the store. Ed did all the cooking (if you could call it that) which consisted of primarily processed ready meals, frozen pizza, and chicken nuggets. You can only imagine the state of our food budget, not to mention our health. If I really had the time and several bottles of wine along with a good friend to hold the tissue I'll bet I could go through the previous year's checks and find that not only did I not make any money, I'm willing to place a $20 that in fact it COST me to work. Hell in the stress level alone I paid dearly.
Now you can imagine why going to part-time evening cashiering wasn't much of a step down for me. I basically didn't lose any money but got to have much less stress - although I still thought the company was evil and wanted to find another job. When I heard of at home agents running their own business with a call center in a home office I figured it was a scam. After researching and hanging out at several sites I learned that it had possibilities. I signed up with http://www.liveops.com/ and several weeks later began to take my certification quizes. LiveOps routes incoming calls for infommerials so this isn't telemarketing or cold-calling.
My first checks were small as I was only spending a few hours on the weekends taking calls - the busiest time for agents, even busier than the prime time of third shift. After a weekend off from Walmart I wondered just what kind of potential there was for weekend income and bumped up my hours to about six that Saturday and Sunday. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that with bonuses I made $70 Saturday and $97 Sunday. Not only that, I was sitting in my pj's having lunch with my family on my breaks and kept up with the laundry those days as well. I never had to leave the house and I nearly doubled my pay from Walmart. This was a Good Thing.
After a few months I realized that there's no limit to the potential of earning money with LiveOps or a number of other WAH companies so I quit Walmart (for a lot of reasons, obviously). Ed obtained insurance from his employer which actually provides a normal policy for less money than Walmarts (our monthly Rx bill alone went from $360 to $20). You can see why my goal of $800 each month is set because if I made that I would be averaging my salary from Walmart. I've tried several different strategies for my scheduling to maintain a high call volume while meeting the needs of my family, home, and farm. I cannot believe how amazing this is and I thank my stars I found LiveOps every morning - as I'm making my 20 second commute in my robe with my cup of coffee preparing to work.
Now there are issues at ANY place you work, and LiveOps is not immune. First and foremost I'm not an employee, I'm a contractor and will be provided with a 1099 which means I need to file self-employment taxes. In addition, I had to accept these facts:
- We had to install and maintain a completely separate phone line for LiveOps work
- I paid $30.00 for my own background check
- There are no paid benefits at all like vacation or sick time
- If I don't work, I don't get paid - even if I lose electricity
- There can be absolutely no background noise at all - kids, dogs, doorbells, nothing
- My call volume is determined by my ranking which means attendance, sales, and a host of other factors. If I don't perform I won't get call volume and will have few calls.
On the other hand:
- I am totally 100% in charge of my schedule - third shift this week, a week off, early morning hours next week, 20 this week, 50 next week, all that is up to ME
- No daycare whatsoever, I'm home for my family
- I work one hour before everyone wakes up then get them off to work and school. Vincent watches a movie or cartoons while I work another two hours and bing, bang I'm done for the day.
- I work 4-5 hours each Saturday and 6-7 each Sunday because of bonuses and call volume. I've doubled my Walmart net as an assistant doing this, even after self-employment taxes.
Increasing just a small amount each day and a couple hours on the weekends brought me nearly $900 this pay period. That's for TWO WEEKS, not four. Christmas is paid for, with cash and some to spare.
- I get to say "I'm a secret agent" and it’s pretty much true. How totally cool is that?
During low call volume I surf, play games, or figure bills so I'm not wasting my time
The lowest I made was $9.00 once. Once. I average $13/hr and often make $18/hr.
If this sounds like something you might be interested in, go to LiveOps and click the "become an agent" link on the homepage. Although I totally recommend LiveOps, there are other at home agent opportunties out there. Here's a few:
http://www.workathomeagent.com/
http://alpineaccess.com/external/index.html
If you do some searches, chances are you'll find others. Good luck!
If you'd told me six months ago that I would be able to quit Walmart and make not only enough to cover my part time job there but actually MORE than I was making as an assistant manager (minus daycare and fuel) well I would have put you in contact with my broker to buy my swampland in Arizona. If you're like me, you like real figures and since I'm all about real-ness, here's mine.
I grossed $38,000 per year at Walmart and I paid for family coverage health insurance ($2,000 deductible and a bunch of other $1,000 add on charges for a bunch of stuff with a 20% co-pay on Rx — totally NOT great insurance) while claiming zero on income withholding. Bi-weekly I brought home $1,007.69 so we'll call that $2,000. I realize there's two extra checks per year in there but there's also a proportionate amount of my two largest payments coming out of them, namely daycare and fuel, so they weren't really extra. Here's what it looked like:
$2,000 each month
- 440.00 Vincent daycare
- 250.00 After school program for Darren and Kenny
- 300.00 My fuel
$1010.00 Net after just daycare and fuel during school
The after school program for the boys would be significantly higher during holidays and school in-service days when they attended all day so that figure is conservative and more likely to be closer to $300.00 each month. And that's just during the school months. During summer it gets even better:
$2,000 each month
- 440.00 Vincent daycare
- 600.00 Summer program Darren and Kenny
- 200.00 Activity fees, field trips, simming lessons, etc
- 300.00 My fuel
$460.00 Net PER MONTH after daycare and fuel
Yeah that's right, I was working 50-65 hours each week and suffering through a two hour commute each day for a whopping hundred something a week. When I look at the cold hard truth of the matter, now that I've had a decent night's sleep, well to be honest my head hurts. Granted, there's some other factors here - Vincent will be in half day kindy next year, Darren will be able to stay home in a few years, and my salary would have gone up each spring. But bottom line ... aint that sad? And that's not even counting all the extra expenses of me working like my lunches out because of no time to make something at home. Even at $3.00 or less those add up quickly and when I worked 18-20 hr days I'd have two or even three meals at the store. Ed did all the cooking (if you could call it that) which consisted of primarily processed ready meals, frozen pizza, and chicken nuggets. You can only imagine the state of our food budget, not to mention our health. If I really had the time and several bottles of wine along with a good friend to hold the tissue I'll bet I could go through the previous year's checks and find that not only did I not make any money, I'm willing to place a $20 that in fact it COST me to work. Hell in the stress level alone I paid dearly.
Now you can imagine why going to part-time evening cashiering wasn't much of a step down for me. I basically didn't lose any money but got to have much less stress - although I still thought the company was evil and wanted to find another job. When I heard of at home agents running their own business with a call center in a home office I figured it was a scam. After researching and hanging out at several sites I learned that it had possibilities. I signed up with http://www.liveops.com/ and several weeks later began to take my certification quizes. LiveOps routes incoming calls for infommerials so this isn't telemarketing or cold-calling.
My first checks were small as I was only spending a few hours on the weekends taking calls - the busiest time for agents, even busier than the prime time of third shift. After a weekend off from Walmart I wondered just what kind of potential there was for weekend income and bumped up my hours to about six that Saturday and Sunday. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that with bonuses I made $70 Saturday and $97 Sunday. Not only that, I was sitting in my pj's having lunch with my family on my breaks and kept up with the laundry those days as well. I never had to leave the house and I nearly doubled my pay from Walmart. This was a Good Thing.
After a few months I realized that there's no limit to the potential of earning money with LiveOps or a number of other WAH companies so I quit Walmart (for a lot of reasons, obviously). Ed obtained insurance from his employer which actually provides a normal policy for less money than Walmarts (our monthly Rx bill alone went from $360 to $20). You can see why my goal of $800 each month is set because if I made that I would be averaging my salary from Walmart. I've tried several different strategies for my scheduling to maintain a high call volume while meeting the needs of my family, home, and farm. I cannot believe how amazing this is and I thank my stars I found LiveOps every morning - as I'm making my 20 second commute in my robe with my cup of coffee preparing to work.
Now there are issues at ANY place you work, and LiveOps is not immune. First and foremost I'm not an employee, I'm a contractor and will be provided with a 1099 which means I need to file self-employment taxes. In addition, I had to accept these facts:
- We had to install and maintain a completely separate phone line for LiveOps work
- I paid $30.00 for my own background check
- There are no paid benefits at all like vacation or sick time
- If I don't work, I don't get paid - even if I lose electricity
- There can be absolutely no background noise at all - kids, dogs, doorbells, nothing
- My call volume is determined by my ranking which means attendance, sales, and a host of other factors. If I don't perform I won't get call volume and will have few calls.
On the other hand:
- I am totally 100% in charge of my schedule - third shift this week, a week off, early morning hours next week, 20 this week, 50 next week, all that is up to ME
- No daycare whatsoever, I'm home for my family
- I work one hour before everyone wakes up then get them off to work and school. Vincent watches a movie or cartoons while I work another two hours and bing, bang I'm done for the day.
- I work 4-5 hours each Saturday and 6-7 each Sunday because of bonuses and call volume. I've doubled my Walmart net as an assistant doing this, even after self-employment taxes.
Increasing just a small amount each day and a couple hours on the weekends brought me nearly $900 this pay period. That's for TWO WEEKS, not four. Christmas is paid for, with cash and some to spare.
- I get to say "I'm a secret agent" and it’s pretty much true. How totally cool is that?
During low call volume I surf, play games, or figure bills so I'm not wasting my time
The lowest I made was $9.00 once. Once. I average $13/hr and often make $18/hr.
If this sounds like something you might be interested in, go to LiveOps and click the "become an agent" link on the homepage. Although I totally recommend LiveOps, there are other at home agent opportunties out there. Here's a few:
http://www.workathomeagent.com/
http://alpineaccess.com/external/index.html
If you do some searches, chances are you'll find others. Good luck!
All Purpose Meat Mix
I LOOOOOVE once a month cooking and can't wait to get back into it. Since I'm working extra hours right now and have a few other projects I'm in the middle of I decided to build my frozen assets slowly this month and start a full OAMC in January. I emptied the deep freeze last week since it was nearly empty anyway, did the defrost, and cleaned it. From that point on I've tripled every meal we've made and also cooked up 20 pounds of mashed potatoes (Ed's absolute favorite - he totally worships me when I make these). Anyway, I went to make a taco meat and didn't have the right ingredients so I just made one up as I went along and had the foresight to write it down. This was hands down the best mix I've ever had and honey, I’ve tried them from all the OAMC books.
Mexican Meat Mix
4 lbs hamburger
3 onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 cans fat free refried beans (I used 3)
2 cans Rotel
1 can enchilada sauce
1 small can tomatoe sauce
Hefty shakes of chili powder, paprika, oregano, S&P, and a little cayenne
Cook the hamburger, onion, and garlic in a large stock pot. Add everything else and cook for about 30 minutes.
I used it for mexican casserole, burritos, taco filling, and even a dip as a snack. It was absolutely awesome!
I LOOOOOVE once a month cooking and can't wait to get back into it. Since I'm working extra hours right now and have a few other projects I'm in the middle of I decided to build my frozen assets slowly this month and start a full OAMC in January. I emptied the deep freeze last week since it was nearly empty anyway, did the defrost, and cleaned it. From that point on I've tripled every meal we've made and also cooked up 20 pounds of mashed potatoes (Ed's absolute favorite - he totally worships me when I make these). Anyway, I went to make a taco meat and didn't have the right ingredients so I just made one up as I went along and had the foresight to write it down. This was hands down the best mix I've ever had and honey, I’ve tried them from all the OAMC books.
Mexican Meat Mix
4 lbs hamburger
3 onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 cans fat free refried beans (I used 3)
2 cans Rotel
1 can enchilada sauce
1 small can tomatoe sauce
Hefty shakes of chili powder, paprika, oregano, S&P, and a little cayenne
Cook the hamburger, onion, and garlic in a large stock pot. Add everything else and cook for about 30 minutes.
I used it for mexican casserole, burritos, taco filling, and even a dip as a snack. It was absolutely awesome!
I don't do pork chops very often because they are to be eaten battered, fried, and smothered in gravy. This does not bode well for one's thighs. Or ass. There are times, however, when a fine pork chop can be heavenly - mainly when cooked correctly and the package was on sale for $1.18/lb. A Good Thing indeed.
Pork Chops
6 Bone in lean chops, salt and peppered
6 C white sauce (use lowfat if you must) made with 1/2 water and 1/2 milk
Worcestershire
Dash of cajun or other spicy seasoning
Couple shakes of garlic
Tabl. or so of dried, minced onion
Brown the chops in a heavy skillet with just enough oil to keep them from sticking. You're not cooking them, just browning. And you’re using high heat. For this recipe the smoke alarm shouldn’t go off - that’s when we blacken something (another day). Put the chops into a large baking dish and cover with the white sauce (you've added the remaining ingredients to the sauce in the pan already because you read my mind - YOU'RE GOOD!). Cover with foil and bake 1.5 hrs at 350'. If these are thick chops add another 30-45 minutes.
If you serve potatoes you've got a fantabulous gravy and if not then you've got the beginnings of a great soup. As I do, for tomorrow. Try it. You'll love it. And you'll thank me. Well, except for R. She never thanks me.
Pork Chops
6 Bone in lean chops, salt and peppered
6 C white sauce (use lowfat if you must) made with 1/2 water and 1/2 milk
Worcestershire
Dash of cajun or other spicy seasoning
Couple shakes of garlic
Tabl. or so of dried, minced onion
Brown the chops in a heavy skillet with just enough oil to keep them from sticking. You're not cooking them, just browning. And you’re using high heat. For this recipe the smoke alarm shouldn’t go off - that’s when we blacken something (another day). Put the chops into a large baking dish and cover with the white sauce (you've added the remaining ingredients to the sauce in the pan already because you read my mind - YOU'RE GOOD!). Cover with foil and bake 1.5 hrs at 350'. If these are thick chops add another 30-45 minutes.
If you serve potatoes you've got a fantabulous gravy and if not then you've got the beginnings of a great soup. As I do, for tomorrow. Try it. You'll love it. And you'll thank me. Well, except for R. She never thanks me.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Ed had his 6 month checkup with Dr. Ewy on Friday and she couldn't have been more thrilled with his progress! He has some very minor and small spots on his legs which are only irritating, not painful so we'll work on those. But the best news is that his blood pressure is completely back to normal! So.... I was right! Happens so rarely. I just knew that the high blood pressure was a combination of outside/medical stresses and not a permanent condition - I'm so happy to learn the confirmation.
I worked on the chicken coop over the weekend and other than pouring the floor, it's ready. We rode Silver on Saturday and enjoyed an entire afternoon on the patio with Jennifer again. Her husband was out of town so she just hung out for the day which was wonderful. Sunday was spent mowing and cleaning up the house we still have in Newton and watching our second favorite show, Ice Road Truckers. We're just hooked on it.
I'm taking the boys and friends to the McPherson Water Park today. One of those really wonderful places that has shallow pools with sprinklers and cool stuff for the littles along with slides, lazy river, and deeper areas for the older ones. This time I'll remember my suit because it's going to be 100' today and I'm going in!
This morning we found two little kittens with their eyes already open. And then Kenny told me that the reason the halloween cat still looks pregnant is because they're not her's - they're Mama Ash's. Oh boy. Don't tell Ed but we're going to have more kittens in another week or so!
Enrollment is this evening or tomorrow morning. I can't believe it.
Boring, boring, boring.
I worked on the chicken coop over the weekend and other than pouring the floor, it's ready. We rode Silver on Saturday and enjoyed an entire afternoon on the patio with Jennifer again. Her husband was out of town so she just hung out for the day which was wonderful. Sunday was spent mowing and cleaning up the house we still have in Newton and watching our second favorite show, Ice Road Truckers. We're just hooked on it.
I'm taking the boys and friends to the McPherson Water Park today. One of those really wonderful places that has shallow pools with sprinklers and cool stuff for the littles along with slides, lazy river, and deeper areas for the older ones. This time I'll remember my suit because it's going to be 100' today and I'm going in!
This morning we found two little kittens with their eyes already open. And then Kenny told me that the reason the halloween cat still looks pregnant is because they're not her's - they're Mama Ash's. Oh boy. Don't tell Ed but we're going to have more kittens in another week or so!
Enrollment is this evening or tomorrow morning. I can't believe it.
Boring, boring, boring.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
The end is near.....
Summer's coming to an end. You know, I really hate summer. I shouldn't, but I do. We've had so much to do around here that I don't feel like I really enjoyed it much and trying to spread out my work shifts in 1/2 hour increments seems to take up the whole day so I can't do as much with the boys as I'd like. But I took note from some friends today and just did it. I woke up early and got the laundry going then organized a little of the downstairs and finished my chores so I could work the phones. No sooner had I finished working than Jennifer, our boarder, arrived and we sat on the patio drinking ice water and visited for about an hour - nothing better than chatting with a friend.
Now, since I ran into an old neighbor at the store last night I didn't finish my shopping gig and needed to get that done today. I made a quick deal with the boys that if they cooperated with me finishing the shopping check I would take them to the pool. Sounds like a plan right? Well leave it to me to screw up a two car parade - I left my suit at home. So we arrive at the free pool (which is no longer free, screw up number two - thank heavens I had some cash) and I figure I'll just sit on the side of the wade pool watching Vincent. But it was hot. And the water looked cool. And all the kids were smiling. And those little ones had the squishy water-filled sponge balls. So, yeah, I jumped in. Didn't soak myself or anything but I just figured, "So what?" I got wet, splashed with all the kids and had a soaking drive home. It was a blast!
I made BBQ beef sandwiches in the crockpot and didn't get much of a rise from Ed so I don't think he's too thrilled with that menu. I may sweeten the deal with brownies but I always end up eating half the pan which is so not good. I'll have to re-think.
The boys start school on the 16th which seems SO early! Don't you remember staring like after Labor Day? Well they are all excited and Vincent's finally stopped wearing his full backpack around the house. At least once a day he asks me, "So mom, what are you going to do without any Boogie's (his nick) at home to help you with chores?" I don't know, I really don't. I've had a child at my side for 11 years and I'm just freaking out about this! On the one hand I'm thrilled at the thought of working nonstop for several hours, getting errands done without 20 bathroom trips, and all that. But then. Well. What will I do? It will just be..... strange. Really, really strange. Now, he's only going half day for the first 9 weeks, maybe 18 and will be full day after that so we're only talking about 3 hours or so. I don't think it will really hit me until he goes all day. And I really really hope I'm not one of those mothers that cries the first day of schoo while at the school but somehow, I'm pretty sure I'll need some kleenex. If I can just stop myself from wailing I should be ok.
Ugh, that damn cow is mooing at the gate waiting for me. I swear, she's such a diva.
Summer's coming to an end. You know, I really hate summer. I shouldn't, but I do. We've had so much to do around here that I don't feel like I really enjoyed it much and trying to spread out my work shifts in 1/2 hour increments seems to take up the whole day so I can't do as much with the boys as I'd like. But I took note from some friends today and just did it. I woke up early and got the laundry going then organized a little of the downstairs and finished my chores so I could work the phones. No sooner had I finished working than Jennifer, our boarder, arrived and we sat on the patio drinking ice water and visited for about an hour - nothing better than chatting with a friend.
Now, since I ran into an old neighbor at the store last night I didn't finish my shopping gig and needed to get that done today. I made a quick deal with the boys that if they cooperated with me finishing the shopping check I would take them to the pool. Sounds like a plan right? Well leave it to me to screw up a two car parade - I left my suit at home. So we arrive at the free pool (which is no longer free, screw up number two - thank heavens I had some cash) and I figure I'll just sit on the side of the wade pool watching Vincent. But it was hot. And the water looked cool. And all the kids were smiling. And those little ones had the squishy water-filled sponge balls. So, yeah, I jumped in. Didn't soak myself or anything but I just figured, "So what?" I got wet, splashed with all the kids and had a soaking drive home. It was a blast!
I made BBQ beef sandwiches in the crockpot and didn't get much of a rise from Ed so I don't think he's too thrilled with that menu. I may sweeten the deal with brownies but I always end up eating half the pan which is so not good. I'll have to re-think.
The boys start school on the 16th which seems SO early! Don't you remember staring like after Labor Day? Well they are all excited and Vincent's finally stopped wearing his full backpack around the house. At least once a day he asks me, "So mom, what are you going to do without any Boogie's (his nick) at home to help you with chores?" I don't know, I really don't. I've had a child at my side for 11 years and I'm just freaking out about this! On the one hand I'm thrilled at the thought of working nonstop for several hours, getting errands done without 20 bathroom trips, and all that. But then. Well. What will I do? It will just be..... strange. Really, really strange. Now, he's only going half day for the first 9 weeks, maybe 18 and will be full day after that so we're only talking about 3 hours or so. I don't think it will really hit me until he goes all day. And I really really hope I'm not one of those mothers that cries the first day of schoo while at the school but somehow, I'm pretty sure I'll need some kleenex. If I can just stop myself from wailing I should be ok.
Ugh, that damn cow is mooing at the gate waiting for me. I swear, she's such a diva.
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