Life Expenses

Whoever said life was easy was sadly mistaken. As craptastic as our economy is I haven't seen much improvement. The state of Nevada is in dire straits. Our education is ranked at the bottom of the list, the bottom!! They seem to be close to taking 6.9% from education, this baffles me. Our economy is horrible, we rank at or near the bottom as far as default home mortgages. People are being laid off and our state government decides to stop unemployment for the next 6 months. What exactly are people suppose to do when our unemployment rate is almost 13%?

It has been a rather trying weekend. I just hope it is over and doesn't bleed into my week. I had to take an asthmatic cat to the emergency hospital yesterday and that is very emotionally trying. Several hundred dollars later and an over night stay he is home and seemingly doing well. Money is a touchy subject for most and I totally understand. I have simplified my life financially. I have stopped all those monthly payments that seem to really add up. I no longer pay a monthly fee to play online games. While I did enjoy them a great deal for years my time no longer allows me such luxuries; school takes up most of my time. Actually it is a much better way to be spending my time, well at least it is more constructive!

This is the final necessary blog for my IT class. I am not sure if I will continue it or not. There is something to be said for typing out ones thoughts, even if no one reads them. It is rather cleansing. I can easily see how people can get addicted to posting.

I have been avoiding watching curling this entire Olympics. Today I was busy doing odd jobs around the house and it came on. I sat down to relax and became engrossed in watching curling. Who would have thought that a sport where they push a 'rock' down the ice could be so intense? It was just amazing watching how they manipulated the rocks either in position to block or trying to push their opponents rock out of scoring position. I was fascinated. We live and learn.. guess I need to spot prejudging stuff lol.

Tonight is what I fondly call my 'ghost nerding' night. My sister (she lives in Vegas) and I meet on Facebook, watch the Ghost Whisperer and chat about how ridiculous the show can be. It is good to laugh so hard, I always feel 100% better afterward. Laughter is the best medicine is the saying, and it really is true. There is nothing better then a big old belly laugh to make you forget any stress in your life. It isn't always easy to find something to laugh about, but I certainly try to find something daily.

I rearranged my kitchen cupboards today, and have one question. Why on earth do they make it so the top shelf is so high. Now I am not a short person; I am 5'8" tall and the top shelf is no where near in my reach. I got out my step stool and put my rarely used items up there. For all I know I probably should have just thrown them away because the odds of me climbing up there to get them again is slim to nil. There has to be a better design.

It is becoming challenging to find something to blog about, my life just isn't that exciting! Math has turned into my favorite class. During the last 15 minutes of class we usually break into groups to work on our homework assignments. The group I am in is hilarious and by far the most rowdy in the class. The teacher even laughs at our goings on. We do help each other figure out the correct process, so it isn't like we aren't doing what we are suppose to; we just have fun doing it.

I was very happy it rained yesterday and washed some of this snow away. I really can't wait for spring weather, when I can open up the house and air it out. The biggest perk for having warm weather is you don't have to go scrape your car off in the morning to head to class. Not my idea of fun at 7:30 in the morning.

I have big plans for the basement again this weekend. Last weekend was a bust because I realized I had a paper due on Monday that I hadn't even started. Here I thought I was organized and on top of my schoolwork. Oh well, it happens I presume. I have a weekly planner that I use, but for some reason I hadn't looked at it in awhile. Not sure what good it will do me if I never open it, maybe I figure I can get the assignments by osmosis.

Less than a month until my son moves home, I am excited about having some company. I am however realistic enough to know he won't be home very often, it is just nice knowing someone else is here periodically. Not really looking forward to driving the U-Haul from Portland to Reno, but we do what we have to do.

Excel

Despite being initially intimidated by the Excel assignment, I have to say I truly enjoyed it. Figuring out formulas makes me think a great deal. It reminds me of how much I have to think when working on my math homework. I love the challenge. The more my mind has to engage the more I enjoy working on a project.

I suppose that is why I have an affinity for crossword puzzles. I use to despise them. Then my family began working on the Sunday San Francisco Chronicle Frank Longo puzzles every Sunday morning. I would make everyone breakfast and we would all see who could finish the puzzle first. My older brother was the reigning king, but occasionally I would sneak in for the victory. They were good times, and sadly we have not done our Sunday morning get togethers since my mom passed.

Keeping my mind in gear was one of the many reasons I returned to school. I think it is important and I truly love the feeling of really having to think to figure something out. As much as I complain about Math I like it, I feel the same way about Excel. A challenge is a challenge and if it makes me think, I am in.

Well I did well on my math test, made one stupid little mistake. I guess in the whole realm of things, one mistake is better than several! The professor says the second test is easier but then the third test is extremely hard, oh joy.

I have grown tired of the Olympics yet continue to watch a few of my favorite events. I am still fascinated by short track skating and anything snowboard related. I suppose if my knees were in much better shape I would consider giving snowboarding a try. I spent a great deal of time in my youth on the slopes and even raced a little bit. It however totally wrecked both my knees, and that I am paying for as I age.

I am considering starting that couch to 5k program. My youngest son started it a few weeks ago, and I have been told it builds you up slowly enough that knees adapt. I guess I would be the true test of that. I have never been a runner, and it actually bores me. I suppose it is better then walking aimlessly on a treadmill in a noisy gym. Even if I walked a great deal it is better than sitting around doing nothing. We will see what the nice weather brings, if the nice weather ever shows its face again.

Ok who ordered all this snow?? I just finished shoveling 14" of snow and I live just off of Wells Ave. The good news is our reservoirs should be getting some much needed water. This has to be a record amount of snow for the year. I remember the year we got 2.5 feet in one storm, but if you add up all we have gotten this year it has to surpass that! It is still coming down.

What a cardio workout shoveling is lol. The snow itself wasn't horribly heavy, it was the inch of slush at the bottom that weighed a ton. I was out at 7:30 a.m. shoveling because my neighbor would have come shoveled my sidewalk for me if I hadn't started. While that isn't a bad thing the guy has to be in his 70's and I don't think he should be doing my shoveling. I did shovel part of his sidewalk though.

I just looked out my window to see all the snow from the trees come cascading down onto my already cleaned off car. UGH more work for me to do. My shoulders are killing me. Guess I should wash and dry the clothes I used so that when I have to go back out and shovel some more I will at least have a dry jacket to wear.

The weather at the end of the week was so gorgeous, and now this. Well welcome to Reno weather, I suppose after all these years I would be use to it by now.

Pet Peeves

After becoming a member of the Facebook crowd I was astonished at the number of people who use there, their and they're incorrectly. Now I do realize many of these posts are written in haste but being raised the way I was, I can't see any reason for not using them correctly.

There: refers to a place whether concrete or abstract. I am going to go there.
Their: indicates possession as in "It is their right to object to this post."
They're: a contraction for they are. They're going to try to remember.

Simple enough I would think. I am not sure it is even a lack of education that causes these errors, it could just be a lack of caring. I remember as a kid having this drilled into me. Along with not using like every few words or the correct usage for here and hear.

I am starting to sound like my mother. Not sure if that is a bad thing or not, she was a History/English major in college and edited all of the newsletters and books my dad wrote for the UNR History of Medicine department. I am really not that into either subject, I just have certain things that bug me I suppose