All of 6 days after we set a goal of saving $6,000 this year our refrigerator died. Because it is the middle of winter we were able to just put stuff in big plastic boxes and set it out back while we figured out what to do about our broken fridge. I went online to find an appliance repair person and I noticed a startling trend - about a third of the reviews for everyone I saw said something like, "He came out and vacuumed out the coils and it started right back up! Well worth the $120!" Well, if that is the case I will try that myself first!
So I got the vacuum and unplugged the fridge, removed the front grill and noticed the underside was full of dust and pet hair. So I vacuumed it out. I got a flyswatter and dug around under there, bringing bits of dust from the back up where I could reach them with the vacuum. Then I vacuumed the entire back side of the fridge and plugged it back in. It worked! We now have a functional refrigerator again at the low, low price of $0. Actually better than that, since the fridge was unplugged for 2 days that probably saved us a couple bucks on the electric bill too. Score!
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Working Towards My Goals
So, it is five days into the new year and I'm working on my goals. So far I've done the following:
Have an Adventure
My husband and I have started talking about what kind of adventure might work for us or what kind of things we might think of as adventurous. We haven't really gotten very far on this one, but we've started tossing some ideas around. Though I suppose advanced planning isn't quite what most people think about when they think of adventure!
Save $6,000
We have officially paid off the credit cards and have a debt balance of $0. Now comes the hard part of paying ourselves back the $6,000 into our savings accounts over the next year.
Run a 5K
I'll be honest on this one and say I am nowhere near in any kind of shape to even attempt a 5K yet. I'm thinking I may try a bastardized version of the Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead reboot diet by Joe Cross. I'm not willing to drink only juice because I feel like I would constantly be starving and he got almost no protein in the 60 day juice cleanse, but a smoothie-based cleanse/reboot might work for me. I would get lots of fiber from all of the fruits and vegetables and I could add protein to the smoothies for a much more balanced caloric and nutrient intake. I also need to make a point of getting on the treadmill for 20-30 minutes every day if I want to do this too, but given that I hurt my ankle so badly in September I am hesitant to do this quite yet.
Have an Adventure
My husband and I have started talking about what kind of adventure might work for us or what kind of things we might think of as adventurous. We haven't really gotten very far on this one, but we've started tossing some ideas around. Though I suppose advanced planning isn't quite what most people think about when they think of adventure!
Save $6,000
We have officially paid off the credit cards and have a debt balance of $0. Now comes the hard part of paying ourselves back the $6,000 into our savings accounts over the next year.
Run a 5K
I'll be honest on this one and say I am nowhere near in any kind of shape to even attempt a 5K yet. I'm thinking I may try a bastardized version of the Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead reboot diet by Joe Cross. I'm not willing to drink only juice because I feel like I would constantly be starving and he got almost no protein in the 60 day juice cleanse, but a smoothie-based cleanse/reboot might work for me. I would get lots of fiber from all of the fruits and vegetables and I could add protein to the smoothies for a much more balanced caloric and nutrient intake. I also need to make a point of getting on the treadmill for 20-30 minutes every day if I want to do this too, but given that I hurt my ankle so badly in September I am hesitant to do this quite yet.
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Goals For the New Year
2016 is coming. I should plan for the new year, right? Not, like, resolutions or anything, because those are made to be broken, but at the least I should have a few goals in mind for the next 12 month period of time. I've given it some thought and I've decided on the following goals for the new year:
1. Have an adventure. Doesn't have to be a big or expensive adventure, just has to be something exciting. Something that gives me a story to tell while sitting around with a group of friends and family.
2. Save $6,000. An incredibly generous relative has gifted us a sizable amount of money, enough to pay off our credit card debts (about six grand.) What I don't want is to use that money to bring the slate back to zero without having anything else to show for it, so my goal is to use the money to pay off the debt and then put what we would have been paying towards credit cards into savings, along with a bit extra, so that at the end of the year we've saved enough to have been capable of paying off the debt without help. My original goal was to pay off the credit card debt, but then we got a windfall so I had to change it a bit.
3. Run a 5K. I can be the last person across that finish line, but I want to be able to say I did it. I'm less of a runner and more of a chocolate cake sort of gal, so this is a big one for me.
I think this is enough for me to accomplish in 2016. I'll post here occasionally about how I'm doing in my attempts to meet my goals next year and I hope you will comment with your goals and the occasional update on how things are coming along for you too!
1. Have an adventure. Doesn't have to be a big or expensive adventure, just has to be something exciting. Something that gives me a story to tell while sitting around with a group of friends and family.
2. Save $6,000. An incredibly generous relative has gifted us a sizable amount of money, enough to pay off our credit card debts (about six grand.) What I don't want is to use that money to bring the slate back to zero without having anything else to show for it, so my goal is to use the money to pay off the debt and then put what we would have been paying towards credit cards into savings, along with a bit extra, so that at the end of the year we've saved enough to have been capable of paying off the debt without help. My original goal was to pay off the credit card debt, but then we got a windfall so I had to change it a bit.
3. Run a 5K. I can be the last person across that finish line, but I want to be able to say I did it. I'm less of a runner and more of a chocolate cake sort of gal, so this is a big one for me.
I think this is enough for me to accomplish in 2016. I'll post here occasionally about how I'm doing in my attempts to meet my goals next year and I hope you will comment with your goals and the occasional update on how things are coming along for you too!
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
The News
Sorry I've been gone, but I've been busy and injured and, more importantly, I have been ruminating over the concept of our mass media as of late.
Our government is set up in three branches - executive, judicial, and legislative - to create a system of checks and balances intended to keep people intent on harming America from gaining too much power. Whether or not that system is working is a matter of debate, but that is how the system was designed. I've always thought of the media, whether that be newspapers, broadcast television, etc., as an invisible fourth pillar of the checks and balances system. Reporters and broadcasters are theoretically supposed to ferret out information from the darkest recesses of our political system and make the citizens aware so that we can hold politicians and their ilk accountable for their actions. But it is becoming more and more obvious that the media no longer serves that function. If you have enough money you own the reporters. The head of your channel, paper, website, or station tells you what you can and can't report, and they decide that based on what the person who signs their checks wants the American people to know. The most recent and egregious example of this is with presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who by all measures has the support of the majority of the Democratic party, but because he doesn't accept donations from corporations or allow lobbyists in his office he is being ignored by the press. Stories abound about Hillary visiting the sets of various TV shows, Hillary taking a break to go to the bathroom during a commercial at the debate, etc. but when Bernie Sanders does something truly remarkable like surpass the number of donations from individuals to a candidate in any campaign in history or get the backing of two major unions representing a combined group of almost a million people the media is silent. The sabotage of his campaign by the DNC because they are so clearly backing Hillary Clinton has been ignored by everyone but Buzzfeed, which isn't surprising as one of Hillary's biggest donors is Time Warner, owner of CNN. This makes me concerned about what other incredibly important things have happened that have been ignored by the media and how different life would be if they actually functioned as agents of communication instead of spin doctors for whoever gives them the biggest financial boost. Shame on you reporters and broadcasters who are giving the people the news you need, not the news we need.
Our government is set up in three branches - executive, judicial, and legislative - to create a system of checks and balances intended to keep people intent on harming America from gaining too much power. Whether or not that system is working is a matter of debate, but that is how the system was designed. I've always thought of the media, whether that be newspapers, broadcast television, etc., as an invisible fourth pillar of the checks and balances system. Reporters and broadcasters are theoretically supposed to ferret out information from the darkest recesses of our political system and make the citizens aware so that we can hold politicians and their ilk accountable for their actions. But it is becoming more and more obvious that the media no longer serves that function. If you have enough money you own the reporters. The head of your channel, paper, website, or station tells you what you can and can't report, and they decide that based on what the person who signs their checks wants the American people to know. The most recent and egregious example of this is with presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who by all measures has the support of the majority of the Democratic party, but because he doesn't accept donations from corporations or allow lobbyists in his office he is being ignored by the press. Stories abound about Hillary visiting the sets of various TV shows, Hillary taking a break to go to the bathroom during a commercial at the debate, etc. but when Bernie Sanders does something truly remarkable like surpass the number of donations from individuals to a candidate in any campaign in history or get the backing of two major unions representing a combined group of almost a million people the media is silent. The sabotage of his campaign by the DNC because they are so clearly backing Hillary Clinton has been ignored by everyone but Buzzfeed, which isn't surprising as one of Hillary's biggest donors is Time Warner, owner of CNN. This makes me concerned about what other incredibly important things have happened that have been ignored by the media and how different life would be if they actually functioned as agents of communication instead of spin doctors for whoever gives them the biggest financial boost. Shame on you reporters and broadcasters who are giving the people the news you need, not the news we need.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Halloween
Halloween will soon be upon us, which means many of us are already buying candy in preparation for trick or treaters. I would encourage everyone this year to avoid Nestle products and purchase Hershey's instead. Nestle has a history of being awful, most recently regarding water rights in California. The CEO of Nestle, Peter Brabeck, said he believes water is not a human right and should be privatized.
Hershey, on the other hand, has been named one of the most ethical companies of 2015 because of their efforts in environmental sustainability and ethical sourcing. It is all pretty tasty, so why not use this opportunity to make the ethical choice?
Hershey, on the other hand, has been named one of the most ethical companies of 2015 because of their efforts in environmental sustainability and ethical sourcing. It is all pretty tasty, so why not use this opportunity to make the ethical choice?
Monday, October 12, 2015
The Dog
What is it with dogs?
Dog: Excuse me, but would mind if I sit on your lap while I sleep?
Me: I really can't right now. I'm going to get up in like 3 minutes.
Dog: No no no - I promise it will be fine. I just need to cuddle for a minute.
Me: No, not right...
Dog: Thank you!!! *Jumps into lap*
Me: Sigh.
*3 minutes later*
Me: Okay, time to get up.
Dog: Are you sure? Do you see how comfy I am?
Me: Yes, get up.
Dog: *grumble grumble*
Me: I warned you before you got up here!
Dog: Ooh, a warm spot! I'm cool, you do what you have to do.
Dog: Excuse me, but would mind if I sit on your lap while I sleep?
Me: I really can't right now. I'm going to get up in like 3 minutes.
Dog: No no no - I promise it will be fine. I just need to cuddle for a minute.
Me: No, not right...
Dog: Thank you!!! *Jumps into lap*
Me: Sigh.
*3 minutes later*
Me: Okay, time to get up.
Dog: Are you sure? Do you see how comfy I am?
Me: Yes, get up.
Dog: *grumble grumble*
Me: I warned you before you got up here!
Dog: Ooh, a warm spot! I'm cool, you do what you have to do.
Friday, September 11, 2015
The Full Monty - Then and Now
I assume you've seen The Full Monty. If you haven't, you can read about it here.
The first time I saw The Full Monty was my senior year in high school, otherwise known as 1999/2000. I remember thinking it was really funny. Robert Carlyle is incredibly talented and the concept of the movie seemed almost like a more sophisticated episode of I Love Lucy, a simple plot designed to cause plenty of misunderstandings and embarrassment on the stage. As a fan of I Love Lucy I thought it was super cute but I didn't really give it much thought.
Fast forward to 2014. I've gone to college, gotten married, had a baby, moved to the suburbs. And during the first 19 months of our marriage my husband was looking for work. He had been laid off three weeks before our wedding during what would turn out to be one of the most difficult economic periods since the Great Depression. After 19 months he finally found employment again right after the birth of our daughter. Time passed, I did the stay-at-home-mom thing for a year and a half, we moved to another state, and found ourselves bored one evening with access to Amazon Prime streaming.
We stumbled upon The Full Monty and, remembering it as a pretty funny flick, we paid the $2 rental fee and popped some popcorn. And then I went through an emotional roller coaster so unexpected it could have popped out of a can of peanut brittle. What had originally seemed to be a lighthearted romp set in an era of economic instability became a deep, introspective look at the emasculating effect of unemployment on men of all ages. Watching these men who want nothing more than to take care of their families struggle, fail, ultimately come up with what seems to be an insane idea that they force into being out of desperation despite how incredibly degrading it has the potential to be brought tears to my eyes. My husband never considered stripping (at least not that he told me about) but he ran errands, worked temp jobs, performed manual labor, and almost gave up on it all and took a job as a barista until I begged him not to, not because he is too good for that but because it would have been full time and interfered with his ability to interview for jobs that were a closer equivalent to what he had before he was laid off. Seeing how these men felt such deep shame at their inability to provide for their families, take care of their wives, and contribute to society was almost like the writers of this movie had seen 18 years into the future and 3,500 miles across the Atlantic when they put this script together.
People need to feel productive. People need to feel like providers. People need to feel like they have value. When something like a spike in unemployment takes that away from huge swathes of society we are all left worse for it. The need to contribute in life is so great it is a theme that can cross cultural borders, thousands of miles, decades of time, and all races and genders. But you know what else people need? They need to laugh. That is why they made this movie a comedy when it could have so easily been a dark, introspective drama.
The first time I saw The Full Monty was my senior year in high school, otherwise known as 1999/2000. I remember thinking it was really funny. Robert Carlyle is incredibly talented and the concept of the movie seemed almost like a more sophisticated episode of I Love Lucy, a simple plot designed to cause plenty of misunderstandings and embarrassment on the stage. As a fan of I Love Lucy I thought it was super cute but I didn't really give it much thought.
Fast forward to 2014. I've gone to college, gotten married, had a baby, moved to the suburbs. And during the first 19 months of our marriage my husband was looking for work. He had been laid off three weeks before our wedding during what would turn out to be one of the most difficult economic periods since the Great Depression. After 19 months he finally found employment again right after the birth of our daughter. Time passed, I did the stay-at-home-mom thing for a year and a half, we moved to another state, and found ourselves bored one evening with access to Amazon Prime streaming.
We stumbled upon The Full Monty and, remembering it as a pretty funny flick, we paid the $2 rental fee and popped some popcorn. And then I went through an emotional roller coaster so unexpected it could have popped out of a can of peanut brittle. What had originally seemed to be a lighthearted romp set in an era of economic instability became a deep, introspective look at the emasculating effect of unemployment on men of all ages. Watching these men who want nothing more than to take care of their families struggle, fail, ultimately come up with what seems to be an insane idea that they force into being out of desperation despite how incredibly degrading it has the potential to be brought tears to my eyes. My husband never considered stripping (at least not that he told me about) but he ran errands, worked temp jobs, performed manual labor, and almost gave up on it all and took a job as a barista until I begged him not to, not because he is too good for that but because it would have been full time and interfered with his ability to interview for jobs that were a closer equivalent to what he had before he was laid off. Seeing how these men felt such deep shame at their inability to provide for their families, take care of their wives, and contribute to society was almost like the writers of this movie had seen 18 years into the future and 3,500 miles across the Atlantic when they put this script together.
People need to feel productive. People need to feel like providers. People need to feel like they have value. When something like a spike in unemployment takes that away from huge swathes of society we are all left worse for it. The need to contribute in life is so great it is a theme that can cross cultural borders, thousands of miles, decades of time, and all races and genders. But you know what else people need? They need to laugh. That is why they made this movie a comedy when it could have so easily been a dark, introspective drama.
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