Time to Get Back to It

I keept saying that, but it doesn't seem to be happening. I've been absent the past few days because I didn't have an internet connection where I was staying over Thanksgiving. I had every intention of posting yesterday, but I seem to have picked up the crud while I was out of town. I basically could barely hold my head up yesterday, which, having to make a 4 hour drive home was NOT FUN. Still feeling pretty much like crap today.

So, let me recap my week:

Wednesday: Drove to South Alabama, dropped the Princess off with the StepMom for her to spend a little time with them. Went to where I was staying and crashed out.

Thursday: Thanksgiving. Hit CVS for some of their Black Friday Deals (which I will post about later). Then, went to my Uncle's for a HUGE family Thanksgiving! It was great to hang out with the family, and to stuff myself to misery. After that feast, we went to my cousin's (different side of the family) and hung out for a while.

Thursday Night: Went to the Outlets and scored a couple of sweet deals for the Princess's Christmas. Then went to Target --- or rather TRIED to go to Target. In the area where we were, there is only one Target serving a HUGE area. So, the line was insane! At 12:30, it was still wrapped around the parking lot. We decided we'd rather sleep so we ditched it.

Friday: Got up and begin the long drive home feeling like crap. This necessitated frequent stops to keep myself awake (we even stopped at a Target and I took advantage of a couple of the deals that were still available). Finally got home, picked up the pups, and took a short nap.

Friday Night: "Christmas" with my brother. He won't be able to come home at Christmas this year, so we celebrated early. Main problem? I felt like hell in a handbasket and so did the Princess, so we left before dinner was even served.

Today: Still feel like crap, so I'm taking it easy for now and debating on what I should do as far as watching the Iron Bowl (Alabama/Auburn game).

So, that's it in a nutshell. Not very exciting and feeling like crap. Here's hoping that changes soon. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

What to Do? What to Do?

Trying to make a final decision about my Thanksgiving Travel plans. Should I drive back on Thanksgiving night? I HATE driving at night (especially 4 HOURS!)and I tend to get very sleep doing so. Plus I want to do some midnight shopping. I could do the Target shopping here. I could stay at my Thanksgiving destination Thursday night, take a few hour nap in the evening, and then get up and hit those sales that I'm so excited about at midnight (outlets and Target), then come back to where I'm staying, get some sleep and then hit the road coming home on Friday. Both options have their pluses and minuses. And I'm not sure which to do.

Either way, I won't be missing out on family time lest you think that I'm ditching family stuff for shopping. Our gatherings tend to break up between 3 and 4 on Thanksgiving Day, so either option is NOT infringing on the family time. What to do? What to do?

Things Are Looking Up

I had every intention of posting yesterday, but time just got away from me. A busy weekend to be sure! The side gig event was good, not stellar, but good, but even better.... I found my lost tote bag! Somehow, it got wedge between the passenger seat and door --- when I had checked through the car multiple times, I had been going through it from the drivers side. Doh! I feel EVER so much better now!!!! That is a huge relief!

Yesterday, I made a big long to-do list and managed to cross each and every thing off of it. Can't remember the last time THAT happened! The house is clean, decorations are ready to be put up and I'm starting to peruse the Black Friday ads. Most of my Christmas shopping is done --- except for the Princess. I really wish she'd get me a list SOON! I've perused the Target Black Friday Ad a good deal. At first, I didn't think it was so stellar, but upon further review --- it is actually pretty good ---- and there are some LOW prices for things Princess will need next year at college! I don't want to make college needs her Christmas, so I think I need to look at stuff rer nowally closely and make good and NOT SPONTANEOUS decisions!

I'll hit the grocery store tonight for the final things I need for Thanksgiving cooking. I'm thinking Aldi may be the way to go if they aren't completely cleaned out. I can get in and out of there quickly AND save a good deal of money. I just have to go over my grocery list one more time.

For now though, I'm going to drink my coffee then get ready for work as I admire my super clean house! Y'all have a great Monday!!!!

Losing It

At this point, I can't really decide if I'm losing my mind or if I'm just so overwhelmed with all I've had going on that I'm just really disorganized. Probably a little of both. I do know this though, I've set my side gig back hugely and all it took was a few minutes of inattention.

Wednesday night I met some friends for dinner. As always, I had my side gig tote bag with me (you never know when an opportunity might present itself!). Had a GREAT dinner with friends and really enjoyed the camraderie. It was the first night this year that I'd been out and about and it was really actually cold. So in addition to my tote bag, I also had my purse, my coat and a scarf. And then I had a go box because I really only picked at my dinner. So when it came time to go, I paid my check, gathered up my stuff, made a quick stop at the store and then got home and unloaded the car. Laptop, gobox, groceries, purse..... I put away the groceries, checked email, and went to bed. I woke up Thursday and got busy with my day. Thursday evening, I went to go get my tote bag so I could get my contacts out of there and make some phone calls. Where is the tote bag? Did I leave it in the car? I went to search the car. No bag. I looked all over the house, no bag. Crap. Well, maybe I left it at work. So, I got up Friday morning and searched the car again. No bag. Maybe its at the office. Got there, no bag. (Smack myself in the forehead --- the restaurant!) At lunch time, I headed over there. They haven't seen it. I leave my name and number and say I'll be back after work to talk to the owner (known him for years so thought he may have seen it and put it aside for me). Came back after work... still no bag, he hasn't seen it! UGH!!!!

Those four solid days of business building I did? GONE. History. Every single one of those contacts was IN that bag! I hadn't had a chance to put them in my computer yet. I am SO FRUSTRATED with myself! I normally don't go around losing things. I may misplace them at this disaster I sometimes call a house, but I never leave stuff other places! I am just so ill with myself.

So, today is a new day. I've got another side gig event planned today, and while I know it doesn't have the possibilities the other one did, I can at least go forward with it and try not to dwell on the lost opportunities that were in that bag!

Wish me luck!

Publix Wednesday Shopping

I did some quick shopping this week -- I wasn't thrilled with the sales, but it was nice to have a chance to get back into some couponing since I've been so neglectful the past few weeks. Here is what I got:

2 V8 Fusion
3 Coffee Mate Creamers
1 Publix American Singles (penny item!)
1 Sargento Shredded Cheese
2 Ragu Pasta Sauces
2 Betty Crocker Muffin Mix
1 Mueller Pasta
2 Disney Gummie Vitamins
1 Publix Diet Lemon Lime Soda

Spent: $21.05
Saved: $33.31

That's 61%!!!! Woo Hoo!

Back to Normal

Well, techinically, that will start tomorrow, I guess! Today will be anything but normal because I am worn slap out. I worked all day yesterday, then had a side gig meeting last night until almost 9, then spent another 3 1/2 hours on the computer working on the side gig. Went to bed around 1, then was up at 5 because the Princess had basketball practice at 6 a.m. (ouch). I will now work all day, then go to another meeting tonight and really don't anticipate walking in the door until 9 again. Sigh. On 4 hours of sleep. Sigh again.

BUT I will go to bed at a reasonable time tonight --- and then hopefully be back in business tomorrow! I have a fully functioning kitchen sink again and that makes me incredibly happy! You never really realize exactly HOW much you use the sink until you don't have use of it! My house is looking respectable, although definitely not perfect. The Halloween decorations are finally put up (two weeks late) and I made a passing nod to Thanksgiving with a wreath on my door. We travel for Thanksgiving, so this weekend I will begin the process of decorating for Christmas. I won't put the outdoor decorations up until after Thanksgiving, but I can go ahead and get a start on the inside --- with 4 trees planned to go up in my teensy tiny house, it will take a bit of time and its easier on me (and my shopping and football schedule) if I don't wait to do it all after Thanksgiving. I figure if I can get small portions done in advance, then Princess and I can really enjoy the whole trimming the big tree!

So that's my plan for "normal" such as it is!

Still No Sink

Saturday, while I was in a mad flurry of washing serving pieces and cookware from the tournament, my sink clogged up. I plunged it to no avail. I tried chemicals WHICH I HATE DOING. That at least cleared the clog enough for it to drain out --- slowly --- but it was still backed up. That necessitated a call to dear old Dad who came by yesterday to try and clear the drain.

First, he tried snaking it. That didn't work.Then he took the pipes apart (and let me just say that sink drain pipes are G-ROSS). The clog wasn't in the pipes under the sink. We, well rather, HE discovered that there was a sediment build up in the pipe that goes into the wall. A hard crusty sediment that has apparently built up over time (likely years and years). And he didn't have tools with enough power to clear it. So.... its time for a call to to a plumber to fix the problem.

So, I have now been two full days without the use of my kitchen sink. We switched to using paper plates and such for the time being (I rarely use paper so I was glad that I had picked some up at some point when I got them free or nearly free because of coupons) I had Princess Penelope pick up take out from a local italian place on her way home last night for dinner.

The plumber will come today and we should be back in business. Of course I have a meeting tonight so I won't be able to get the kitchen back in order until roughly 9 p.m. Sigh. I'm ready to have my sink back!

Time to Regroup....

The last two weeks have been a complete and utter whirlwind, starting with Halloween night. On Halloween, I volunteered at the Police Department giving out candy. The next night I had a parents meeting for basketball (which is where I volunteered to run the hospitality room). The next night, I was cooking up a storm and getting supplies in order to work the side gig for four days straight. The next four days were consumed with working the side gig. After that, I worked non stop during my "home" hours preparing for the tournament. Then I did the tournament. After I got home yesterday, I started the mad frenzy of cleaning all the serving pieces, and cleaning the kitchen which was a disaster.

That was not successful, as the sink decided to clog up. Crap. My Dad is coming over today to take the pipes apart. In the meantime, I have a kitchen full of dirty dishes. Laundry is piled up. I haven't even taken my Halloween decorations down yet. My yard is covered in leaves. I haven't even glanced at my vaccuum cleaner which I set on fire a couple of weeks ago to deal with it. And I have NO CLUE where I stand financially this month.

Time to make a list. Time to get things in order. I'm just going to pretend the kitchen doesn't exist until my Dad comes to deal with the sink problem. The Halloween decorations are coming down in a matter of minutes before my neighbors vote me "Redneck of the Year". I'll deal with the leaves on the front walk so no one slips, but the leaves can be dealt with next weekend since after all, more are just going to fall. We need clean clothes. We need groceries. I need to pay bills. And the house needs to be cleaned, top to bottom. THOSE are the priorities.

Wish me luck.

Shopping Outside the Norm

This week's grocery shopping is completely different from what is normal for me. To start, I hadn't been to the store in almost two weeks. Add in that I had to get a TON of stuff for the hospitality room for the basketball tournament (since we had VERY LITTLE parent response). I didn't have time to price compare, so I went to Aldi to pick up what I needed --- I knew I could get in and out of there relatively quickly and since most of the stuff I was buying wasn't matching up to the grocery flyers, I also knew that I would likely spend a lot less. So this is what I bought:

3 cans kidney beans
6 cans Tomato Sauce
3 cans Diced Tomatoes
6 blocks Cream Cheese (on sale for .89 -- stock up time for me!)
2 boxes wheat thin crackers
1 Pomegranate
Ground Beef
3 Bell Peppers
1 Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread Mix
2 Bags Rolls
2 Sliced Mozzerella
Vanilla
Celery
Sugar Cookie Dough
Alfredo Sauce
Chocolate Frosting
Shredded Cheddar
1 lb Sliced Ham
Corn Chips
Chili Powder
2 lbs butter
Coffee Creamer
Eggs
Sour Cream
3 Zucchini
2 lbs. Macaroni
2 Bags Baby Carrots
1 Bunch of Flowers

Spent $69.66

Response, Please!!!!

No, not y'all.....but the parents of our girls basketball program. I mentioned last week that I had lost my mind and volunteered to run the hospitality room for the Girls Varsity Basketball Tournament. Since then, I have sent numerous emails and made numerous phone calls only to get VERY little response. Out of 28 parents contacted, at this point exactly 5 have responded and agreed to bring food for the hospitality room. Exactly ZERO have agreed to help with the labor end.

I know that "giving" is down everywhere. I get that. I know that I personally have to carefully consider where my money goes and the best use for it when it comes to giving. But, COME ON, this tournament raises funding for the program that your child participates in and you can't make a freaking plate of brownies? Or give 2 hours of your time to work the hospitality room, concession stand or gate? I actually had one parent tell me that she was just too busy to do anything because in addition to her full-time job, she is giving a dinner party Saturday night (funny that the signature line of her email indicated she worked for a bank so I know full well she is off work on Friday!).... I very sweetly and somewhat sarcastically commiserated, "Oh, I completely understand being busy..... as a single parent working a full-time job and another side business, I do empathize, but in order to have a successful tournament we need to have participation from all families in the program. Can you at least send some brownies or cookies?" She finally agreed to send some drinks. Gee, thanks, enjoy your dinner party.

I guess it just astounds me that parents aren't quicker to step up to the plate to do something that will, in the long run, benefit their child and the program they are involved in! I'm not asking for a lengthy commitment, I'm asking for a tiny fraction of time --- and really, if they are just completely unwilling, at least have the gumption to respond so I'll quit wasting my time trying to contact them!

Okay. End of rant!

I'm BAAACCKKKK!

What a week/weekend it has been. I totalled up the hours I've worked in the past week on the side gig and the regular job and it comes out to.... 76 hours from Monday - Sunday. No WONDER I'm exhausted and to top it off, am now battling the sinus crud.

Some highlights and lowlights from my week:

1. I made enough working the side gig deal to cover my financial investment, so if the leads and bookings I got pan out, then it was WELL worth it. Right now, I'm pretty darn pumped about the possibilities.  (Highlight)

2. Saw tons of people I hadn't seen in years including friends from high school, sorority sisters and even present day friends --- all who said, "I didn't realize you were doing this!" (Highlight)

3. Thing 1 and Thing 2 threw a couple of parties while I was gone --- they got into the leftover Halloween candy (fortunately not much chocolate left), ate a bag of cookies and learned the fine art of knocking over the garbage can. (Lowlight)

4. My beloved Alabama Crimson Tide dashed their NC dreams with a shoot themselves in the foot performance against LSU (we need a kicking game, desperately!). (Lowlight)

5. My brother came home from Tampa to attend the big game --- which due to my work schedule necessitated me getting up at 5 a.m. to meet him for breakfast on Sunday morning. (Highlight --seeing him. Lowlight: 5 a.m.)

6. Princess Penelope picked up some of my slack around the house with my crazy work schedule this weekend. While it wasn't in perfect shape, at least it wasn't pull my hair out bad! (Highlight)

7. I'm really excited and totally pumped up about growing my business! Can't WAIT to see what's in store! (Highlight)

So, that about covers it --- I'm WAY behind on reading what's been going on with everyone else! Hope to catch up on that soon!

Day 3

Time to get ready for Day 3 of the side gig event. My feet are aching. My back is aching. And I'm tired. But, I still have much to do! I haven't yet reached my goal for the side gig event this weekend. I need a big push today since time is starting to run a bit short. Yesterday the booth was a bit on the over crowded side and since I'm not the type to push I didn't have quite the day I'd hoped for yesterday. Ill need to raise the bar a bit.

 However, new day, new possibilities. I'm really looking forward to a bang up day! And then of course this evening, I'm hoping for a WIN in the big game (Alabama/LSU for those of you that aren't into college football!)!!!!! Wish me luck!!!! (and Roll Tide!)

Achy Feet And All of The Rest of Me

I worked 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. on the side gig yesterday. Got some GREAT leads, some great sales and had a fabulous time. Even ran into some old friends! The feet are killing me! I finally dumped myself into bed last night around 11:30 and I'm back up and at it again --- ready for round 2 --- another long day ahead! I'm really really hopeful that the hard work I'm putting in this weekend will pay off in the long run! Again, wish me luck!!!!

Working That Side Gig

For the next four days I will be working my side gig HARD! Our sales team has set up a booth at Christmas Village at the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center. I'm hoping for lots of leads and good sales to really work up the business on the side --- since I'm taking vacation time to do this, I'm trying to make the most of it by working 12 hour days for the next 4 days. My feet are going to be screaming!

I'm really excited though and spent most of last night on prep work and planning, plus doing other administrative tasks associated with the side gig. I finally fell into bed around midnight last night and was back up at 5 this morning. I'm not sure how well I'm going to do putting in a 12 hour day with only 5 hours of sleep, but I "think" I'm up to the challenge! Still not sure if my feet are though!

I have to be honest though and say that Saturday, I'll only be putting in 10 hours --- Bama plays LSU in a #1 vs. #2 matchup --- we take our football seriously and there is NO WAY I'm missing watching that game! (Yes, you have my permission to roll your eyes at me now! ha!)

Wish me LUCK!!!!!

It's Official --- I Have Lost My Ever Loving Mind

So this evening we had a parents meeting for Girls Basketball. Princess Penelope plays Varsity, so they had a meeting to discuss schedule, practices, grades, concession stands --- all that stuff that goes along with it. No problem, I've heard it all before and was in fact a little sentimental that this was the last time that I was going to sit through one of those meetings. Then they get around to talking about the Veterans Day Tournament we are hosting -- which tips off in 9 days. And they mention that they need a volunteer to head up the hospitality room. Silence.

Before I actually consciously knew what I was doing, I pulled out my cellphone and sent my boss a text asking for that day off. WTH? She texted back immediately that would be fine. So, before my brain could register the "Are you completely nuts?" -- I raised my hand and volunteered. To run a hospitality room for all of the visiting coaches and refs. To organize a group of parents (most of whom could not be bothered to show at the meeting) to bring food and man shifts in the room. To cook and organize and drive myself into an insane frenzy for three solid days.

It's Official. I've lost my mind.