Tired more easily

It's been quite a week. I did get 4 days off in a row last week, which I spent with Mom, Sis, and Brother-in-law at a local campsite. Since then, though, I've been working every day. It may not seem like much, but I was supposed to actually be off early Tuesday night. However, I wound up closing because we were very short handed.

I'm not getting enough rest and several people have asked if I'm tired. Well, yes. And it looks like I need some wrinkle eye cream to have a more refreshed look. I tried some "gets the red out" eye drops, but still appear tired and worn.

I think I'm going to have to see a doctor to find out if I have a thyroid problem. Mom and Sis are both on thyroid meds now, and it appears this is a genetic problem which means I'll most likely need the meds as well. One of the symptoms is feeling more tired than usual too much of the time, even with adequate rest.

Such is the lot for those of us in our "golden years".

Technorati Tags: work

Food choices

Once again I find myself working more hours than I was originally scheduled for. In addition, my schedule was changed so that instead of being off on Tuesday, I actually have to work. I will be off on Wednesday, unless something else changes, though.

In the meantime, instead of eating wholesome, home cooked food I am eating way too much fast food. I do try to make smart choices, though, since I don't want to have to take something to reduce my "wide load". Still, it's hard to find healthful, low-fat, low sodium foods when eating out. I wind up eating only part of the portions I'm served so that I'm at least cutting back on the salt, fat, and calories. Eating too many fats acts like the best sleeping pills for me, making me sluggish and drowsy. So, I try to get around that by eating lower fat foods.

How do you accommodate your own diet when eating out?

Technorati Tags: food,work

Good paycheck

It turns out I have put in right at 100 hours in the past two and a half weeks. That's how long the pay period is where I work. We get paid twice a month. None of this was overtime because of the way the period is laid out, but that's OK since 100 hours is still a lot! Who needs diet pills when you work that many hours! Fact is, some days I barely have time to eat at all.

I am hoping to be able to just take my regular budget out of this paycheck then put the rest away for a later time. See, we'll also get our quarterly bonus this time and we've gotten raises.

I figure if I work with the amount of money I normally receive, the rest will be gravy for use later when I really need it. I am tempted to put it all in the bank, but I know myself. It's better for me if the money is out of reach when I'm in town. The best way for that to happen is to put cash someplace at home and just not carry it with me.

See, winter will eventually arrive. When it does, there will be days the roads will be too icy for me to try to make the 10 mile drive to work. This means I'll miss some hours later, so I need a little cushion to help overcome those times.

In addition, this will be a good time to stock up on pantry items for those hard winter days, along with making sure I have additional water and other emergency items. I've blogged about emergency items before so I won't list them here, but I will be getting these things rounded up with this paycheck.

Technorati Tags: emergencies,work,money

Somewhere over the rainbow

I think we all have dreams of living or vacationing in a faraway place. Dreams of lazing the days away absorbed in nothing more important than lying on white beaches or dining in beautiful surroundings. It's for sure, I have these dreams myself and would love to make them come true by participating in Karisma Hotels' all inclusive vacations.

Maybe I'll find that special someone who will go with me, walking hand in hand as we enjoy beautiful tropical sunsets together. Maybe he will join me in a spa treatment or at the table of a private room where we can watch a movie on a big screen TV. Am I dreaming of too much?

I don't think so. I think this kind of trip is attainable with the right planning. It's mainly a matter of preparing financially, making plans for the right season of the year, and figuring out what I really want to do while enjoying some time off.

Hoping for home

I've spent too much time at my regular job lately to do much in the way of making money online or any other way. Of course, my regular job pays the bills, but other things I do add padding to my income so that I don't feel strapped for cash all the time.

Eventually, I'm hoping to go part time at my regular job and make more money in other ways so I can spend more time at home, pursuing interests that appeal to me more than punching a clock. Some of those interests can actually generate some income.

I like to make jewelry, so I need to hone my skills so that the jewelry is appealing enough for others to buy it. I also like fiber arts, which means I need to develop some original things that would be marketable.

For now, though, I'll keep plugging away at what I'm doing and keep planning for the day when I can stay home all I want!

Technorati Tags: work,home

Leftovers - bread

Saving on groceries can be as simple as using what you already have on hand. For instance, I've heard a lot of folks say they don't like leftovers. However, if you really think about it, frozen dinners and entrees are nothing more than leftovers that have been packaged for consumers to use.

This is the way I look at leftovers in my kitchen. I call them "planovers", though, because I often intentionally cook double or triple recipes of some things in order to have more for later. Things like spaghetti sauce, breads, and soups come to mind immediately, but I also cook extra quantities of rice so I can have it with the current meal then use more of it later. It's much less trouble to have some already cooked items on hand than it is to cook fresh for every meal.

A good example of this is home made bread. We eat some of it with current meals, then I freeze what's left to use as bread crumbs, bread sticks, and croutons. Of course, you can do the same with commercially prepared bread. Not throwing away the ends of loaves will save you money and will add dimension to your meals.

LEFTOVER BREAD USES

• Use your food processor to mill the bread into fine crumbs. Use this as a coating for oven fried chicken, fish or pork chops. Add the seasonings you like to the crumbs.
• Cube the bread and lay it out to dry or use your food dehydrator to speed up the process. Dried bread cubes are safe to keep in the pantry in tightly sealed zip bags. Use them for croutons by sautéing them in a little olive oil or butter with some seasonings on them.
• Use bread cubes for bread pudding.
• Use bread cubes for dressing.
• Cut the bread into 1 inch strips. Coat with butter into which you've creamed some herbs and garlic powder. Bake until bread sticks are toasty.
• Stale bread slices make great grilled cheese sandwiches.

Technorati Tags: bread

Old cars

We've discovered something here. People will buy anything. My son just sold his old car. It hasn't been driving in over a year. It has some things wrong with it, although it would start. They fellow who bought it has all kinds of plans to put in new air intakes, get some body work done to it, and use it for daily driving.

These aren't things Son wanted to spend money on and he doesn't have the mechanical skills to do them himself, so selling it seemed like a good idea. The fact is, he really didn't advertise it or anything. The fellow who bought it knew he owned the car, and approached Son with an offer. It was more than I personally would have paid for the car, but the guy was pretty intent on getting it, so Son sold it.

A few weeks ago I actually gave away my old car. It wasn't running at all and the folks just wanted to put in in their paint ball field. I probably could have gotten $50 or $100 for it, but I just wanted it out of my yard so it seemed worth it to just get it hauled off.

A couple of years ago I sold two vehicles to some guys that were going to take them to the crusher for scrap metal. I made some money, and so did they. I don't have a way to haul scrap metal or I'd probably try doing that, too!

Technorati Tags: scrap metal

Saving on laptops

This is definitely the time of year when people are shopping for netbooks for themselves or their children. Either the kids are going back to school or they're entering college.

Either way, new laptop computers are now part of the school scene. My older daughter had to get one when she started college a few years ago, and has since gotten another one - an updated one - to use in her classroom and at home. She's a middle school math/science teacher.

The truth is, most of my family members now have laptops. We still have our old PC at home, but even now I'm typing this blog post on my laptop before I have to clock in for work.

I think the hardest part of buying a laptop is shopping around, trying to get the best deal, researching, and finding a good fit for your needs. It was for me, anyway. Now, I'm at the point when I really need a new laptop since mine is already three years old.

I guess I need to look online for a price comparison. That way, I can find the data I need - prices, speed, OS, and other specifications - at a central location instead of spending hours searching the Web for that information. Seems to me the best way to shop, don't you think?

Where do you shop for laptops?

Emergency tips

It's already the end of August, which means I need to really think about preparing for the colder months ahead. This means making sure I have plenty of groceries laid by and also being sure we have plenty of water in containers, just in case of power outages or freezes.

It's really hard to think about these things when temperatures are in the 90s, but better now than when an emergency hits!

The little store up the road has some veggies for sale that I'd like to put in the freezer for hearty winter meals. I also want to get some canned veggies and meats stored, as well as getting and alternative cooking source ready. The flea market I like to go to has little emergency stoves and pressurized fuel to use in them. I'll probably get two stoves and a couple of cases of the fuel.

Emergency ideas for families

Most weather related emergencies in our area only last two or three days, so that's what I'll be getting ready for. If you tend to have longer emergency times, it's a good idea to start getting ready now.

• Have enough bottled water on hand for drinking.
• Have other water you've drawn into jugs for washing.
• Have canned or dried foods available for meals.
• Have a safe heat source to use.
• Have a safe cooking source.
• Be sure you have extra blankets and sweaters to use.
• Keep extra gas for your vehicle stored in a safe location.
• Make sure you have a good first aid kit, sufficient over-the-counter remedies, and extra dosages of prescription medicines.
• Have extra batteries, flashlights, and other kinds of lighting that can be used safely. Candles can be a fire hazard, so we choose to use camping lanterns with good ventilation and rechargeable flashlights. I can recharge them using the inverter in my truck. Having even a single outlet inverter in your vehicle can help with recharging batteries, flashlights, and running a small electrical appliance. Keep your vehicle running when using your inverter.
• Store extra personal hygiene items in a single location - germicidal hand cleanser, wet towelettes, tissues, travel sizes of toothpaste, soap, shampoo, deodorant, etc.

I look at emergencies like this as ways to use camping skills I've learned over the years. It's not as much fun, but it's doable. A few camping items can come in very handy, even if they're used at home. Just be sure to be safe with it all. Store fuels properly. Make sure you have good ventilation or use camp stoves outside.

Don't be a victim to fire or carbon monoxide because of a winter emergency!

Technorati Tags: emergencies