It is the anniversary of the showing of the Witchblade movie.  Sometime tonight I will pull out the first disk and watch the movie and maybe a few other key episodes.  Other than that, here's what the date has relevant meaning around our world:

Rather coincidental, there is a book called Constantine that is one of my favorite reads that this particular event is mentioned.

 

• 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Maxentius and Licinius to be Augusti, while rival contender Constantine I is declared Caesar of Britain and Gaul.
• 1921 - The Tomb of the Unknowns is dedicated by US President Warren G. Harding at Arlington National Cemetery  (this also being Veterans day here this is rather noteworthy).
• 1966 - NASA launches spaceship Gemini 12

So, anything else that happened on this day is not noteworthy. IF this had been a Tuesday it would have been Election day and an even more auspicious day.  Other than that, another day another dollar.

Well, daughter and granddaughter (Amber and Ava for those who don't know) are now here, Ava is currently recovering from some sort of food poisoning which I have no idea where she got it from.  All she had yesterday was a corndog and some candy. My suspicion is the ketchup packet I used may have gone bad. We have no  bottled ketchup so that's the only thing that is suspect. The corndog has been frozen so there's not any chance of contamination there. She may have stomach issues with corn dogs and ketchup. Amber says she's thrown up before after she's eaten them other times.  She's been up and down all night with the up-chucks starting around midnight, now the diarrhea is setting in, pepto didn't help as I suspected because it never helped when I had it. Water is it for now.

So, on to less disgusting things.
We're gearing up for inventory at the nursery. I think I have most of my section done thankfully up to specs for the inventory guys.  Last year it was on a Wednesday which meant I didn't have to do it, they switched it up this year and it's on a Tuesday.  7:30 roll call and we work until it's done. Lunch is provided of course, which could be anything from Mexican (El Indio or El Pollo Loco) to sandwiches (not likely as that's more expensive usually).  So it's going to be a long day leading into my 'weekend'.
My knee is getting much better, other than just wearing the brace, the only thing I've done is take Alleve and glucosamine.  I just walked down to the apartment office on cement and around corners barefoot without my brace and it's only slightly tense.  This is very good. I should be completely healed up by Thanksgiving. Not that we're planning any long hikes in the wilderness but it does involve standing for long periods of time in the kitchen.

Oh and let's hear it for technology. The computer, my new alarm clock radio, and the dvr all reset to DST automatically.  Only had to reset my watch and do the clock in the car.  I still haven't used the dvr to it's full capability simply because...there's nothing on I want to record. I also have to wait until Tuesday to have the phone fully activated and possibly some of the channels.  At least I get some radio stations on the Music Choice section, but some of the stations I thought I would get are still blocked and it gives  me a 'call customer service' screen.  I'm anxious to see if the phone service is all it's cracked up to be. It's a practically new phone so I don't see any issues with that. I have a message all ready to record when it does become active.

In other news... there isn't any.  Really.  I've got some killer teriyaki chicken and my poor attempt at fried rice for lunch today and the possibility of a blueberry muffin for breakfast. Bringing a little container of butter just in case.  Yummy.

I was in the local market and stopped in front of one of their end cap displays gathering my thoughts and realized that it was for Reed's Ginger Brew.  Hmmph, I've been wanting a bottle of good ginger ale for a while (not schwepps or vernors crud) My favorite that I had years ago was a ginger beer called Cock and Bull, very spicy and very good. After three of them my tongue was feeling numb from the ginger (non-alcoholic folks).
So, it being only four dollars for a four pack, it was worth a shot.
BLEH!  It is nasty stuff!  There's lemon lime in it and something else, but I don't taste any ginger.  It's kind of musty tasting almost like the way damp straw smell.  Well, live and learn.  Gack nasty stuff. I now have to find somewhere that DOES sell good ginger beer and get some to wash the taste out of my mouth.

I bought eggs and rye bread so it's not a total loss.  Going to cook eggs, hash browns and toast for breakfast, then go see about getting the oil changed in the car finally and maybe hit target on the way to work. Have to go in at 11 today so that's a bonus.
Going to be calling the cable company and see about their bundle offer for internet/phone/digital tv.  The bundle price is the same as what I'm paying now so I get the phone and digtal for free.  For 12 months.  I'm going to be sure to ask what the cost will be at the end of the year period and be sure to call them back then and say I want the same price for the next year or drop the extras.
Sometimes that works. 

Okay, breakfast time and then off on errands.  Wanted to hit the yarn or bead store today too, oh well will have to do that tomorrow.

yay.  I've hit the second biggest milestaone age.  50.   I can't believe it.  Half a century old and what do I have to show for it?  3 kids, 1 divorce, and not a helluva lot else.  
At any age you can look back on your life and see what turns in your life changed your future drastically.
What if I had said no to marrying one person and married someone else?
What if I had invested in Apple back in 1984 when we got our first computer?  (that's a no brainer)
What if my husband at the time had stayed with the company that was developing computer technology that would use cable instead of phone lines for communication?

In my lifetime I have (in no particular order):
Been homeless three times, evicted twice, filed for divorce and bankruptcy, worked in seven differen jobs, worked for the same company for over ten years, gone to college twice, owned six cars, totaled two, watched three kids graduate from high school, survived to see three grandchildren born, have seen the fall color in October, flown across the country twice, crossed the summit of the Rocky Mountains, toured the Denver Mint, driven through Salt Lake desert and City, crossed the Colorado River by car, camped under Redwoods, visited western Canada in summer, visited Tucson Arizona in July, have seen in concert; Neil Diamond, Mood Blues and Ben Vereen.  Have seen a Broadway production of A Chorus Line, went to Las Vegas for twenty four hours, witnessed a wedding in a Vegas Chapel, vacationed in Acapulco and Mexico City.  Have given birth to three children, recieved two pints of blood, tested negative for HIV, gone to family counseling, ....

In the next 50 years (or before I die, whichever comes first)...
I would like to..

See Ireland in Summer, vacation in Hawaii and see a volcano erupting and a tropical jungle, see the Grand Canyon from the Rim, drive across country on Route 66 (what's left of it), go camping at Lake Tahoe, take a cruise to the Bahamas, see the Statue of Liberty as the sun comes up, visit all the National Parks in America. write a book and get it published, receive a dozen roses, have someone throw me a surprise birthday party, not worry about making money to pay the bills, not worry about paying for a vacation because it's free, own a house and only have to worry about paying the utilities, own another dog and cat, see a coral reef, have lunch with someone famous, live long enough to see my grandchildren graduate from high school, see my son graduate from college with a degree, be able to stay in a different place for each of the seasons, have a white Christmas, kick a pile of leaves in the Fall.....

and finally, when I die I want to be cremated and have my ashes divided so my three kids can scatter them in the four places I have loved best.
Ireland, Lake Tahoe,  a beach in San Diego (or Santa Cruz) and Alberta, Canada.

At this point in my life, a quote I've been using is very appropriate;

"It is what I have done with where I have been that should be of interest."  Georgia O'Keeffe

I actually fixed dinner for myself tonight, stir fry (of sorts) with beef, veggies (pre packaged from Costco) and afterward, some rice on the second helpings.  Pretty damn good if I do say so myself. I am missing ginger unfortunately, had to put some curry powder in the mix instead which worked. I enjoy cooking, been watching Food Network entirely too much and getting too many ideas, but it's also giving me ideas to experiment and some more knowlege base on how to prepare food and what to put with what.
I have enough assorted meat and chicken in the freezer I can pull one package out for the next days dinner and pull another one out to thaw for the following night... or pull out a hot dog and bun, a corn dog, maybe something else entirely.
I love having food in the house.  We've been operating with bare to the walls food that this is great.  Devon and I went down to Costco and got close to $200 in food. Just food (and TP).  We desperately needed every bit of it and I even turned down a few things.  I think I even forgot some things too, but they're minor compared to the haul we did get.  
And we still have money left over to survive until next paycheck AND pay next months rent.  This is a good feeling and hopefully we can start saving for vacation next year so I won't be behind next summer and fall.   That's the whole kit and kaboodle.

The money came in, I passed the DMV test (which I wasn't expecting to take) but I am out of gas and will have to 'coast' down the hill to the more expensive station in order to have enough gas to get to the cheaper station.  So many things to get with so little money.  Too late to get an extra 1000, oh well.
I can pay the rent, pay the utilities and have enough to pay for the Disney trip next week.  Food, shelter and a working car is all I ask....
woof.

We have our first rain with thunder and lightning of the season.  We don't get that very often so it's exciting and kind of changes the mood for everyone.  I just heard some thunder so that means lightning happened as I was walking in the door.  Very cool.
(Shut up all you people living elsewhere in the country that gets this on a regular basis... )
I have an appointment with the DMV to renew my drivers license before my birthday on the 9th.  I can't find the original renewal notice.  I have no idea where it is in all the piles of paperwork here.  I have to do a blitzkrieg and gather up every pile of paper in the front of the apartment and hope it's in there.  I could have sworn I put it in a folder or one of the cupboards in the desk. It's something that I needed to fill out the online stuff so it shouldn't have gotten far.  The other thing is, I'm negative in the bank, thank goodness they take checks!  I'm hoping to ge4t some money by Wednesday, but doubt that will happen until Friday.
I'm also enrolled in AAA again, that will be good to have given my luck with cars lately.  My front tires are getting bald, it needed an oil change and tune up about 3,000 miles ago (there goes another thunder ripple)  and it could use a wash.  AAA isn't going to help with the car wash but my poor car is looking a bit hagard right now and I've only had it for about a year and a half.  The tires alone, if I got new ones cost about $100 each.
I have to call the investment company and see how fast they can get me the money I requested.  I sent the form on Thursday, it would have arrived at their office either Friday or Saturday (since the office closed at 1, no one would see it until today) it takes approx. three days to process and a day to mail it...making it about Friday when I would get it.  I need it Thursday so I can pay the rent on Friday.  I actually need it sooner since I'm getting close to empty tank on the car too.  It's not going to last until Friday let alone Wednesday.  I'd tell them I can come up and get it, but I would likely run out of gas on the way home.
It's raining!    Maybe if it lasts long enough I won't need that car wash after all!  Yay !   It's really coming down now!  WWooooohooo!  It poured down there for a minute, water was sheeting off the roof of the garages in the parking lot and it has washed the dust off my car.  Why am I not thinking of the downside of it raining?  Driving on slick roads, working or not working because of the rain, because I don't start work until 9:30 and the rainclouds are all separated by blue sky.  This should blow over in about a half hour or so.  And I was considering riding Devon's bike to work today.  Hooboy!  Now that would not have been a pretty sight.
So, that's the excitement in my world this week.  The other thing about getting this chunk of money besides getting a little breathing room to pay off bills, I will take Devon and I out to a steak and lobster dinner.  It has been YEARS since I had a taste of some lobster and I miss it!


That's all folks!

After being offline for almost two weeks, I'm back again with updates.  (For those that were actually paying attention)
Devon did buy a bike that now sits in the garage mostly since he takes the bus and uses his board most of the time.  Waste of money, but it's his money.  I started the paperwork to pull $3000 out of my 401k on a hardship need. That way I don't get penalized for it and only have to pay the taxes on the amount which I checked the little box that said to take out additional money to pay that.  Credit card companies are calling me four or five times a day, from three companies so that means I'm getting ten or twelve calls on my cell phone all day. Which I don't answer and don't even check the voicemail because it's usually dead air instead of a message.
The little gel pad behind my kneecap is very irritated and swollen now, has been for months. Officially it might be bursitis, I tried a 'cold pack' in the form of a bag of frozen ravioli, but that only made it stiffer.  Didn't hurt as much, but it didn't really help either.  Doctor put a request in to make an appointment with physical therapy but I haven't heard from them yet.
Devon qualified for financial aid so his college fees are paid for, now he's thinking of going into the Navy!  He says it's an option... but considering it's hard to get him out of bed before noon and he likes to stay out late...hmmm.
So, right now I'm hoping that the 401k money comes before the third of October, if it doesn't look like it, I'll see what I can do about getting a loan from the nursery and then pay it back when I do get the money.
I've been writing more and editing my story so that's going forward.  It's good, real good, just have to find someone who can pass it on to a publisher. And before that, need to get most of it done because usually they want a deadline.
As soon as I can get caught up on bills, maybe I can start looking into publishing it somewhere.
Okay, getting a tad bit hungry now, need to go do some other things online and get caught up on some websites.

Thanks for reading!

Oh, I've been doing photography too.

I spent two hours wandering around Walmart and Clairemont because I didn't remember correctly when Devon got off work. Wanted to save gas.  Well, when he did get off work, I met up with him and it turns out that he didn't need a ride. I figured as much. But when I was leaving the parking lot and waited at the light, something caught my eye overhead.  At first I thought it was a plane or helicopter (due to an airport being less than a few miles away) but it was going awfully fast and then it winked out.
I had just seen a meteorite!
Honest to god, first time I ever saw one that close!  The glow was about the size of the stoplight itself and had a small trail... don't know how far away it was, but in order for it to show up this close in the atmosphere, it had to be pretty big.  Apparently it's a straggler from a meteor shower that started on the 12th.  Very cool.  Or not... as I said earlier, how much worse can it get?

IT's been a long day.  Good night.

(oh,and to the person who replied to my entry from waaayyy back with just a 'W00T!"  Who the hell are you and if you know me, just drop me a note.  If you're a phisher..go away..you're stoopid.)



LOL!

Due to my son trying to start a Netflix account, my card somehow got an authorization run through which put me negative in the bank by 1.36.
I have no money, Devon has no money, my card is cancelled and so is his.
We're broke, have no access to an atm, haven't paid the bills in a month and the next paychecks won't be here until Sept 5 and there's no way we have enough to pay the rent. Again.
See, Devon tried to open an account with Netflix using his own card, (he didn't have my card and I wouldn't have let him have the number anyway) and somehow my card number got entered on the site hence the authorization on my card and not his. OR so he says. I'm thinking that when the information came up on the site he thought it was his and realized there would be an authorization cancelled the account.
I tried to explain it to the girl that he had no access to my card number, I wasn't home and I had the card with me. It's a fault with the system that it defaulted to my card number somehow, which she said was impossible, the card number had to be entered manually, which I continued to tell her was impossible.
I made the mistake of calling the bank first instead of Netflix, otherwise I wouldn't have to be waiting for a week to get my new card and having to fill out paperwork that will be here in two days, then two days later get a notification back and a week after that, I MIGHT have a new card.
I'm going to slap that boy.
If he had told me he wanted to start a Netflix account I would have just told him not until he has his credit card. But it wouldn't have mattered anyway..the Netflix system screwed up somehow.

Like I said. How much worse can it get?  Ohhhh, we could get a notice that we'll have to move, due to having issues with the rent, the car will die or need serious repair.  I'm tempted to sell the car anyway and take the bus again.  That would only give us a cushion of a few thousand dollars anyway, only good for about a month or two for rent. 
I am attempting to proof and edit my fantasy short story to try and sell that as well as some of my photographs over at Lulu.com.  Once again though, it takes money to make money and if I want to get it put on a market place like Amazon it costs even more money.

Well, going to get off so Devon can get on and fill out the forms for the VA benefits. Maybe he can at least get that going and hopefully have that income.

ya know...if I didn't have so much invested in my life I would consider just laying down and not waking up.  Sometimes I feel like Job.