MANIA - take two

Ugh, my mind is racing racing racing away today. So many thoughts running through my head, and none of them are really important at all. I mean, there are a few things that i need to do in there, but it's not uber important that they get done NOW, ya know?

I was thinking about how excited and nervous i am to start that class next month! I've got to get down there as soon as i get the package and get signed up for it so i know what i've got to have for the first set of classes. There are a few things that shouldn't be too hard to get, but i want to make sure that i know what needs to be bought so i can get it taken care of well enough in advance. I mean, it's just over a week away till the first of october! EEK. It's exciting to have the prospect of going to classes and learning new things. It's been a while since i've gotten to do something like that, and even longer since i've gotten to do something like that for ME when i wanted to do it. This will be a great opportunity to do things that i enjoy doing, and learn new things that i might be able to put in to a buisness later in life. Ruben and I were still talking about trying to open a resturant or bistro or something like that. he'd be head chef, and i'd be pastry chef, and it would be a great family opperation (sp?) I think it would be awesome. Unfortunatly, it's still a few years off (i know, i know, that's not that far, but i'm impatient, lol) And that's only if things can settle down a bit and we can save up some money. If it doesn't happen for a while, it's at least a dream to work towards. And if nothing else, with the skills i'll be learning at these classes, I can always decorate and sell cakes to people in the city, or start a cupcake business or something. that would be awesome.

And then i'm thinking about things i want to do around the apartment when we can afford it. There are a lot of thigns that need to be organized and put up. We've got a TON of papers, and a filing cabinent would be awesome for that. We've got a lot of little figureines and stuff that need a place up out of reach from Desiree, and that wouldn't be too hard with a few shelves and L-braces. I already know a few places i want to put them up when we finally do get them. And i've got a few other things i need to pick up, like a new dresser for Ivy since the one she's got is CRAP and is falling apart. i want to get a new media cabinent or something to organize Ivy's movies and stuff. She's got a LOT of them, but nowhere really to put them. Something small would work for that. doesn't have to be fancy. And then i need some better toy storage. One of those multi bin storage shelf things would be good, or the little nine hole cubbie things with drawers would work too. The problem with both of them is that they end up costing more than we ever really have at any given moment. Maybe if things work out with the settlement (which i STILL haven't heard anything new on) we can afford to get a few things like that for the house. Especially those little drawer shelf things. I LOVE THE WAY THEY LOOK, and they help organize things so well. Hopefully it will work out.

And then there are things we are looking at for the future as far as furniture and stuff for the house. Ruben found a GREAT table today for the gaming stuff. It can be big enough they can play warhammer and warmachine on the top, and it can be used for a dining table. And it's also got a removable top to use for roll playing games like D&D. It has little table sections that pull out for each seat, has a DM's spot with the blind on it, and it even has cup holders! I know right? TOTALLY AWESOME! But we don't QUITE have the space for it right now. The table we have in there right now BARELY fits, so it's gonna have to wait until we move into a place with a better game room area. And then we are are gonna try to get the girls loft beds so we can set up a space underneat it with their homework desks and toys and stuff like that. So their beds would be UP and all the other stuff would be down ground level, which i think would work out well, especially if we can get them each one of those storage areas, and a great desk. I've got it all set up in my mind, i just hope it works out as well as i hope it will when we get there, lol. If it doesn't oh well. I like the computer desk we have right now, so it's good. ANd the entertainment center/media cabinent set up we have now works pretty well too. But i know i want some new seating. I was looking at a set for the living room. The couch has a built in chaze lounge, and then the other end is a recliner. Either that one, or there is another one that has a pull out QUEEN SIZE BED right in the couch! Not the uncomfortable spring and metal ones either. It's something else. It was really awesome. And then the ottoman that came with it holds blankets and stuff really well. I thought it was awesome. It would be great for when we have company come up. They could stay here instead of having to pay for a hotel room. So we will have to see what we can come up with in the near future. Although, most of this stuff is gonna have to wait until we can afford to move into another house.

Although, depending on how things work out the next couple years, we are looking at possibly applying for a habitat for humanity home. Which i think would be great. There are a few things we have to work on before we would qualify. Like as a family we don't make quite enough. We need to make about 2500 more a year or something like that. Ruben has the work history right now, and as long as he stays there we will be ok. Although, right now we aren't sure if we want to get one up here or get one back down the direction of Arkansas. We were considering moving to Shawnee or something like that. That way we would still be close enough to the in-laws we could visit on a regular basis, but we would be closer to MY family too. Instead of almost 3 hours, we would be closer to 2 hours away. That makes a big difference with gas money and stuff like that. Although, we are still considering getting the habitat home here too. The area they are building is in Spencer, which doesn't have the GREATEST school district, but with the K12 program, it wouldn't be a HUGE deal to homeschool the girls instead. We will just have to wait and see what happens the next couple years. All i know is i want out of this apartment at SOME POINT. Not that it's a BAD apartment, it's just not what i want. There isn't enough privacy. And you have to be super careful what you say and do because of it. Just hard. especially after living in the house for 2 years :( But i know that we will make it into another house sometimes. It's just a matter of working for it and being patient. We can't expect to just have it handed to us, and we know that.

They are doing a girl scouts program up at Ivy's schol. Says they are gonna be doign it during the school day and teaching the girls confidence and leadership, which i think is cool. I just wonder if they are gonna charge for that program. I hope not, since i can't afford to really pay for anything right now. Although, if so, i might see what i can come up with because i know she would really enjoy being involved in that. I guess we wait and see. i sent an e-mail to the person on the contact form to see what she says. If it does charge, i hope it's not that much. That way we can make it work for her.

I went out and worked at one of my houses again today. The one with the husband and wife and one roommate. It's the husband and wife paying me to clean, so i was told to leave the roommates stuff untouched. It was so weird to go out there and not clean it all up. Leaving stuff undone is just not cool with me, but hey, it's what they want me to do. I think they are trying to get him to move out, although i don't see that happening anytime soon. I love you guys, but you are SOOO nice sometimes it's easy to walk all over you (not that i ever would, believe me. I respect you too much for that) You need to just put your foot down and be done with it. He could afford to be on his own if he learned to cook, lol. Eating out all the time is the reason he weighs as much as he does, and why he's always broke. Today alone i saw 4 different half full cups of resturant drinks, and bags from at least 4 fast food places all over the living room and his computer area. THAT'S STUPID! But whatever, cna't do anything about that. Hey, at least it's a little extra money. Although, i'm pretty sure that the gas to get out there is half of what i make a week out there, lol. Since it's a friend, and all i'm doing is straightening up and loading a dishwasher, he pays me 10 buck plus the use of his washer and dryer to do a load while i'm there so it eases up my laundry task on Sundays. I think that's fair.

And maybe if things weren't so wonky with the car it wouldn't be so bad. Just have to see how it handles once we get it fixed. There are just a few things that we KNOW need to be fixed. For example, we need to replace all the spark plugs and wires, which is a pretty decent chunk of change, and we need to replace the tires since one has a nail in it and two of the others are getting a bit bare. But that's a pretty good chunk too, and we don't have it right now. I hope that things will work out and we can get it taken care of soon though, cause i HATE the way the car handles when it starts that crap. Makes traveling great distances difficult. And traveling at speeds over 44 miles an hour is hard on my knee and my back since i have to maintain it a certain way. Oh well, we will make it work. We always do. At least it's a car we don't have to make payments on right now. So that's a HUGE help!

As soon as Desiree gets up from her excessivly long nap, we are gonna go run to the store. We've got a few things we need to pick up. Stew meat and red potatoes for the stew, drinks for Ivy's lunches, and a couple other things i wrote down later and can't remember at the moment, lol. Actually, it sounds like she's up now, so i'm gonna go get her dressed and head out so we can get it done and get back. I've got a few thigns i need to finish up around the house before HELL'S KITCHEN starts tonight! YAY! I do so love that show! FINALLY there are some more shows that are worth watching on TV. Biggest loser last night, and Hells kitchen tonight, and House monday. YAY! So anyway, laters people. Have a good night!