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Archive for March, 2008

a Triple yolker...

March 29th, 2008 at 10:54 pm

My gals have laid several double yolkers, but today I got a triple yolker......

Had 4 NS days this week!

March 22nd, 2008 at 06:43 pm

But, will probably spend some later today. I HAVE to go to the grocery store to get some brocholli and ham for a casserole for tomorrow morning Easter breakfast at church, and I also need another ink cartridge. But, I have several to take and trade it, which will make getting a new one cheaper than having Walgreen's refill the old one.

I also need to go by my sister in laws, as we are going to go through some pictures of DD1 for her graduation party.

Yesterday I was paypaled $25 for a tip I entered at Thriftyfun.com, so I will put that into the challange fund.

Fire

March 19th, 2008 at 08:56 pm

In the middle of my last post, I sent the kids outside for a 20 minute recess. They came back in sceaming fire.

The chicken coop was burning. We got it out-used up 2 fire extinguishers and the hose. The hay in it had caught on fire. It appears to have been electrical caused--the cord to a heat lamp (that was not on) was all melted with bare copper showing. It was a fairly new heat lamp also.

We have 4 chickens who are having trouble breathing, and we lost the bedding in it. Structural damage was minor-I probably can find some scrap lumber to do the repair work with. But, the water in it is having trouble draining out, so it may rot it out...

What a day.

$250 just hit the ground

March 19th, 2008 at 05:08 pm

No, its not raining money. Thats the price of calf right now, and we had one born on Sunday. We have not messed with it yet (so it could bond with Momma) to sex it, but the girls have decided that since it was born the day before St Pats, it would be Clover if a girl, and Patrick if a boy.

This is the same Momma that last year wandered away from her baby and the neighbors dogs killed it. So, we are keeping a close eye on her this year.

I saw it born, from the office window. It literly hit the ground on its feet, and stayed on its feet till she pushed it over to clean it up. It wanted to eat, she wanted it to bathe. Its a bold baby, wanders around and sniffs at everything. Kind of fun to watch. It is grey, with white circles around its eyes. If I can get it to load, I'll put its picture up.

The teacher I subbed for went back into the hospital, so I will be getting some more sub days next week. I love the subbing and the money from it, but I do wish she was on vacation or something other than being sick. She is a very nice woman and her kids at school really miss her. My younger twins had her last year and loved her. This week is spring break for the schools around here.

I survived!

March 8th, 2008 at 12:44 am

What a day (and its not over yet)

First, baby chickens got out as I was feeding them this morning. They are in the basement in a couple of cages. Its just too cold for them to be out.

Then on the way to the school I have been subbing at, I slid off the road (we had a very ice like slick snow this morning). 2 nice men pushed me back on the road.

Got to school. It was only a 1/2 day, but I only had 3 students--the rest of the class is all out sick. The teacher is still in the hospital with her pneunomia, so I have been asked to come back next week, to which I said yes for Mon-Thurs. Friday, we have plans to be out of town. So, Monday night I will pack up my kids and their schoolwork and take them to my parents for Mon-Thurs. They will have time to visit, and I can make some money. (DH will be working, so he and I will both be gone all day). Then Fri, as we leave for our mini trip, I will pick up my girls at my parents. My mom is going on the trip with us, so it will work out perfectly.

So, at the end of my sub run for last week, this week and next, I will be looking at $500.

The school I have been at is a small Christian School (where my daughters used to attend) so I know most of the students. Its a nice atmosphere, but they only pay $50 a day to sub, as compared to the public schools around here that pay between $75 to $150 a day.

Our chickens are now up to laying 10 eggs a day, so I still have 6 who are not laying.....Yee Haw!!!

It was a no spend day, but we are getting ready to go to a party for the church youth group, and I need to stop an get a finger food snack on the way. But, that will be under $7 or $10 at the most.

They wore me out

March 7th, 2008 at 01:47 am

I subbed for 3rd grade again today. Now my class is down to only having 4 students. 2 are still in the hospital. Tomorrow is only a 1/2 day, so hopefully all will get well over the long weekend. Several at school have pnenumonia (I know that is misspelled).

So, tomorrow I teach there again from 8-12, then I go to my girls homeschool coop and teach from 12:30-4:30. Coop had so many kids sick 2 weeks ago that they cancelled coop. That gave everyone a chance to get over it.

I did break down and spend $1 on a grape soda today...Then I spent $26 filling up my car so I could get back to town tomorrow. $26 to fill it up. The first time I filled up my car after I got it, it cost me $16.32 for 8.5 gallons. Today my 8.5 gallons was $26. At least, I have it to drive and don't have to fill up my suburban for all these trips to and from town on days I sub.

working rest of the week

March 4th, 2008 at 11:12 pm

I received a call to sub for today. After I got to the school, I was asked to teach the rest of the week. I accepted and it will work out perfectly with DH days off. We go to homeschool coop on Friday afternoons at 12:30, but the school I am subbing for gets out at noon on Friday for an early out. And, it is located between my house and the coop. Perfect timing.

Only downsize is this is a private Christian School, and subs only make $50 a day. The public schools pay more, but it will still be $200 more than what I would have had if I had not gone. This is the same schools my girls went to last year, so I know the teachers and the students. Classes are small (the 3th grade I have has 8 students, and 3 are out sick). But, I really enjoy being here-kind of like coming home and the day just flys by.

DH did the homeschooling today. The girls were playing store when I got home with a pile of real money. They are practicing counting money and counting back change. (I hate it when adults at stores don't count change back to you).

Today was a NS day, except for writing out routine bills which I am doing now.

$104 extra!

March 4th, 2008 at 01:57 am

Just checked the mail. DH had a 401K loan (short term to buy some land with while we were waiting on some other money to arrive). Anyway we paid it off in full when we got the other money and didn't notice that somehow we paid an extra $104. The refund for that was in the mail today. Yee haw.

Sears saga continues...

March 4th, 2008 at 01:44 am

The microwave repair guy shows up today. He has ordered a part, and he will return next Monday to repair it. Apprently, it is a common problem. It is a contact in the keypad that as worn out....Still, one would think it would take longer than 6 weeks to wear out. (microwave is only 6 weeks old). It is also mostly seen in units over the stove--this is a counter model, so he was surprised by that.

Last month I replaced a refrigerator at a rental house. It came with a rebate. All the signs in the store, the store owner (it was a small sears store, independently owned), and the receipt say I get a rebate on the delivery and install charges. Yet the sears website when I go to enter the rebate, says it is not valid for a rebate. So I called the 800 number. I get these dudes in India who don't speak english.... So, I will try to mail it in.

Today was also a no spend (ns) day. I got a phone call to sub teach tomorrow at the Christian School where my daughters attended last school year. DH is off tomorrow, so he can play teacher with them. Since he is off and will be doing the schooling, he will probably focus their learning in the areas of history, math and chemistry. He is a history buff, and being a chemical engineer he is big on the math and sciences.

So, I will also earn some money tomorrow. I also subbed one day last week as well. I like to get 1 day subbing a week. That amounts to an extra $300-$400 a month.

Tomorrow should also be a NS day. The grocery store had banquet dinners on sale, so I stocked up on them last week. They are good to take on days I teach--often I get a call 30 minutes before I have to leave, so if I have those I just grab one on my way out the door. DH got a day of overtime in on Sunday, so that will show up on next weeks check. It will be enough in overtime to refill the propane tank. (Sunday overtime!!)

Another one bit the dust (microwave)

March 2nd, 2008 at 08:21 pm

I just bought in Jan 9. Still in warrenty. It died. Same problem as the last 2. Flashes F3 on the display screen and you can't push any buttons.
Now for the rotten part (again-I just went thru all this in December). I called the repair number. They will send a man out sometime Mon or Tues between 8 and 5. It can not be narrowed down any ore than that....I can't take it back to the store, but I can take it 37 miles to the repair center in Kansas City, the go back at a later date to pick it up. It won't fit in my little Aveo, so I have to drive the pickup, which is deisel, and if you have seen the deisel prices lately.....if I do the 2nd option, I will have spent more on fuel getting it fixed than it cost to begin with.
Thankfully, I also have a free one I got off of freecycle to use until the repair man shows up.
This is the 3rd microwave DH and I have gone thru since we got married--less than 2 years ago. Its a kenmore. Also, our kenmore washer has failed and the icemaker twice in the frig. They don't make them like the used to.
I called Sears, I was transferred 11 times. No one cares or will take responsiblility. Its only 6 weeks old. Cant they just deliver me a new one??? NO, according to them.
I sent Sears an email, and it came back as undeliverable, even though I used the link off their website.
I will not be buying anymore from Sears.
If I get a call to sub Mon or Tues, I will have to turn it down because the repairman MIGHT show up.....grrrr.

Feb had 15 NS days

March 1st, 2008 at 09:17 pm

I am going to try and go for 16 or more NS days in March.
Today is day 1 of the month, and is also going to be a NS day. I will have to spend tomorrow however, as DH just informed me is is out of deoderant at work (his job requires he showers before work to be clean, and before leaving due to his exposre to chemicals, so that he doesn't bring home any residue). Our little humbug grocery store here only stocks 2 kinds of dedorant, and the aren't his type. Since we go to church in the city, I will swing by walgreens there and get about 10 of them. I have coupons for $2 off, and they normally run around $3 each. That should hold him for close to a year.

Some may think I am crazy for buying in bulk, but when you live 8 miles from a dinky high dollar grocery store, 17 miles from a so so one, and 24 from an Aldi's and Walgreen, fuel adds up. So, I buy in bulk, combining with coupons when I can, rotate the stock and we have our own "store" in the basement. Our college aged daughters also like to "shop" in the basement when they visit and are broke. My system has saved us many a trip to town for one or two items and many gallons of fuel.

It has been a quiet day. DH is at work, DD1 came by for awhile this morning, DD3 is at a friends house and we got some house cleaning done and a lesson on fractions. Of course, my children feel the only good way to study fractions is to make pizza or cookies and double or triple the recipe. Then they have to multiply the fractions. Well, DH told me the other day he felt we needed a fraction lesson in peanut butter cookies...so, we baked several batches.

I noticed I have a turkey in one of the deep freezers and DH has some wood chips...I think on his upcoming days off he could smoke us a turkey....so, I have it out to thaw.