Well, hello again...
Mmm-kay....
Guess I need to blog just a little more often. Just maybe.
::sigh::
Where did we leave off?
Well, lets see...
Me. I'm doing pretty good, I guess. Mood's been pretty much OK. Meds (yes, plural) definately help. Still too fat. Still ridiculously sleep deprived. Trying to get a handle on my finances. Started using a new (to me) program called Mvelopes. It's an online finance & budget program. Getting fed up with Microsoft Money. Don't get me wrong, I like Money...in theory. The problem is, as Mvelopes points out, with programs like Money is that tracking spending is after-the-fact. You compare what you've spent with your budgeted amount at the end of the month (or whenever you do it). Mvelopes is basically a modern, technolgical form of the traditional budgeting plan where one puts X amount of money in one envelope for say, the mortgage, and X amount of money in another envelope for the groceries, etc. You get the idea. My other pet peeve with Money is how freakin' slow it is. And it bogs down other applications that are running too. I also hate the fact that if you want the latest version of Money, you have to buy the latest version. No, Mvelopes is not free but they do have a 30 day free trial.
So far, I'm really digging this program. I've got the program pretty much figured out now. I'm just trying to get everything organized, and set-up and figure out which end is up, so to speak. My next step is to sit down with R to discuss budgeting & finances & goals. Well, actually my next step will be to set up an Mvelopes online Bill Pay account. Not so much for the online bill paying ability. I already have that with CheckFree (which actually backs Mvelopes Online Bill Pay) but so I can set up the bill reminders. Mvelopes itself doesn't have a way to set up bill reminders. I need that. Many a time I have almost forgotten to pay a bill until I see that it's due in the bill section of Money.
I'm also going back to school. Need to finish my bachelor's. Want my Master's. I can't be a staff nurse the rest of my life. There's no way in hell I can do this when I'm in my 60's. So, I applied to Thomas Edison State College. They have an online RN-BSN/MSN program. All my previous credits from UCC & UW-GB transferred. I need 44 more credits to get my BSN. 28 of them are the nursing courses. Of those, 9 credits are graduate-level courses. And required. But, because they are a part of the BSN program, I only have to pay the undergrad rate (a $1323 savings!). And I will be 9 credits ahead for my Master's. I know, I'm crazy. I know what your thinking: four kids, including a toddler who is right in the middle of her temper tantrum years; a full-time job working night shift; everything else that goes along with having a family; a part-time business. And now you want to go back to school, you say? Yes, yes I do. Somehow I will do it. I did it before (minus the fourth kid and the full-time job and the part-time business). I just have to. Anyway, I start in January. The online courses are 12 week semesters. The general ed stuff usually runs so there is a new class starting every month, or nearly so. The nursing classes run four times per year (January, April, July & October). I plan on taking 2 classes (6 credits) per semester except for July. Seeing as we usually go camping in July, I will skip that semester. Besides, I get $5,000 in tuition reimbursement from work. If I take the 18 credits per year as I planned, then I will only have to shell out about $148/yr for my undergrad studies. My plan is to get student loans to pay for the classes (I will have to fund this January's classes initially -- probably with a credit card -- then pay it off with the student loan), then when I get my tuition reimbursement money, I will apply that to my loans. See, I've thought this thing through.
I'm hoping I can study at work, rather than spend my time as I do now: reading, playing games in my Palm & spending time online. And I can jump online for my classes as necessary at home, and possibly at work, if need be.
Work. Work's work. Not always my favorite place to be, but it's OK. I can deal with it, most of the time. Some nights aren't so bad, some nights just totally suck. That's just the way a job is. At least I enjoy being around my co-workers. Most of them anyway.
Hubby. He's doing OK. We're doing OK. We still have our issues from time to time. We don't always talk it out though. Let me rephrase that. We usually don't talk it it out. You see, he still has a problem listening when others speak and he still refuses to see anyones point of view but his own. And I have this problem where if we're going to talk about soemthing, I actually want to be heard and listened to (silly, isn't it?).
I don't expect him to always agree with me - just consider my side. Nor do I expect that my point of view will always be correct. But for Christ sake, can't he just consider my feelings? I at least try to see his side. Even if it is irrational. So, I usually end up keeping my mouth shut. It's better to be bitter and resentful in silence that have a great, big argument.
::sigh::
But, overall, we're doing well. We're enjoying raising our daughter together. We do enjoy each others company -- most of the time. He does get a bit moody from time to time ::eyes rolling::
And, I supposes I can get a little bitchy every now and then ::smirk::
Sometimes he surprises me. Does something very sweet and very unexpected. The other night he surprised me and took me out to dinner at my favorite restaurant. Just the two of us (as if we can really afford to take those monstrous little food horders out to eat!). It's not just the material things, either. It's usually some sweet gesture which doesn't involve spending money.
I've come to the realization that we each show our love and affection in different ways. Me, I'm the nurturer. I show my love and affection by being concerned about his health and well-being. And trying to make sure he can get some sleep when he wants to take a nap. Stuff like that. Him, he's the worryer. If he thinks it's taking me too long to get home from work, he has to call me to make sure I'm alright. Sometimes this annoys me. But I'm trying to remember that this is just his way of caring.
Family. The kids are, well, kids. Sometimes they surprise the hell out of me -- in a good way. Other times, it's all I can do to restrain myself from seriously harming them. Remember the old Bill Cosby bit about kids having brain damage? That's my kids.
The baby is getting so big and so grown up. She seems to have a new word every day. And damn, she is smart. Too smart for her own good -- or my comfort.
But anyhoo....
There's plenty more to write about, but I should be getting back to my work.
Guess I need to blog just a little more often. Just maybe.
::sigh::
Where did we leave off?
Well, lets see...
Me. I'm doing pretty good, I guess. Mood's been pretty much OK. Meds (yes, plural) definately help. Still too fat. Still ridiculously sleep deprived. Trying to get a handle on my finances. Started using a new (to me) program called Mvelopes. It's an online finance & budget program. Getting fed up with Microsoft Money. Don't get me wrong, I like Money...in theory. The problem is, as Mvelopes points out, with programs like Money is that tracking spending is after-the-fact. You compare what you've spent with your budgeted amount at the end of the month (or whenever you do it). Mvelopes is basically a modern, technolgical form of the traditional budgeting plan where one puts X amount of money in one envelope for say, the mortgage, and X amount of money in another envelope for the groceries, etc. You get the idea. My other pet peeve with Money is how freakin' slow it is. And it bogs down other applications that are running too. I also hate the fact that if you want the latest version of Money, you have to buy the latest version. No, Mvelopes is not free but they do have a 30 day free trial.
So far, I'm really digging this program. I've got the program pretty much figured out now. I'm just trying to get everything organized, and set-up and figure out which end is up, so to speak. My next step is to sit down with R to discuss budgeting & finances & goals. Well, actually my next step will be to set up an Mvelopes online Bill Pay account. Not so much for the online bill paying ability. I already have that with CheckFree (which actually backs Mvelopes Online Bill Pay) but so I can set up the bill reminders. Mvelopes itself doesn't have a way to set up bill reminders. I need that. Many a time I have almost forgotten to pay a bill until I see that it's due in the bill section of Money.
I'm also going back to school. Need to finish my bachelor's. Want my Master's. I can't be a staff nurse the rest of my life. There's no way in hell I can do this when I'm in my 60's. So, I applied to Thomas Edison State College. They have an online RN-BSN/MSN program. All my previous credits from UCC & UW-GB transferred. I need 44 more credits to get my BSN. 28 of them are the nursing courses. Of those, 9 credits are graduate-level courses. And required. But, because they are a part of the BSN program, I only have to pay the undergrad rate (a $1323 savings!). And I will be 9 credits ahead for my Master's. I know, I'm crazy. I know what your thinking: four kids, including a toddler who is right in the middle of her temper tantrum years; a full-time job working night shift; everything else that goes along with having a family; a part-time business. And now you want to go back to school, you say? Yes, yes I do. Somehow I will do it. I did it before (minus the fourth kid and the full-time job and the part-time business). I just have to. Anyway, I start in January. The online courses are 12 week semesters. The general ed stuff usually runs so there is a new class starting every month, or nearly so. The nursing classes run four times per year (January, April, July & October). I plan on taking 2 classes (6 credits) per semester except for July. Seeing as we usually go camping in July, I will skip that semester. Besides, I get $5,000 in tuition reimbursement from work. If I take the 18 credits per year as I planned, then I will only have to shell out about $148/yr for my undergrad studies. My plan is to get student loans to pay for the classes (I will have to fund this January's classes initially -- probably with a credit card -- then pay it off with the student loan), then when I get my tuition reimbursement money, I will apply that to my loans. See, I've thought this thing through.
I'm hoping I can study at work, rather than spend my time as I do now: reading, playing games in my Palm & spending time online. And I can jump online for my classes as necessary at home, and possibly at work, if need be.
Work. Work's work. Not always my favorite place to be, but it's OK. I can deal with it, most of the time. Some nights aren't so bad, some nights just totally suck. That's just the way a job is. At least I enjoy being around my co-workers. Most of them anyway.
Hubby. He's doing OK. We're doing OK. We still have our issues from time to time. We don't always talk it out though. Let me rephrase that. We usually don't talk it it out. You see, he still has a problem listening when others speak and he still refuses to see anyones point of view but his own. And I have this problem where if we're going to talk about soemthing, I actually want to be heard and listened to (silly, isn't it?).
I don't expect him to always agree with me - just consider my side. Nor do I expect that my point of view will always be correct. But for Christ sake, can't he just consider my feelings? I at least try to see his side. Even if it is irrational. So, I usually end up keeping my mouth shut. It's better to be bitter and resentful in silence that have a great, big argument.
::sigh::
But, overall, we're doing well. We're enjoying raising our daughter together. We do enjoy each others company -- most of the time. He does get a bit moody from time to time ::eyes rolling::
And, I supposes I can get a little bitchy every now and then ::smirk::
Sometimes he surprises me. Does something very sweet and very unexpected. The other night he surprised me and took me out to dinner at my favorite restaurant. Just the two of us (as if we can really afford to take those monstrous little food horders out to eat!). It's not just the material things, either. It's usually some sweet gesture which doesn't involve spending money.
I've come to the realization that we each show our love and affection in different ways. Me, I'm the nurturer. I show my love and affection by being concerned about his health and well-being. And trying to make sure he can get some sleep when he wants to take a nap. Stuff like that. Him, he's the worryer. If he thinks it's taking me too long to get home from work, he has to call me to make sure I'm alright. Sometimes this annoys me. But I'm trying to remember that this is just his way of caring.
Family. The kids are, well, kids. Sometimes they surprise the hell out of me -- in a good way. Other times, it's all I can do to restrain myself from seriously harming them. Remember the old Bill Cosby bit about kids having brain damage? That's my kids.
The baby is getting so big and so grown up. She seems to have a new word every day. And damn, she is smart. Too smart for her own good -- or my comfort.
But anyhoo....
There's plenty more to write about, but I should be getting back to my work.
posted by Supermom at 1:59 AM
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