What day is it?

You were gonna say Hump Day, weren't you?!?

Nope - it's New Car Battery Day

Don't worry, we'll celebrate next week :)

Price of a new battery: $126

Years I don't have to worry about a new battery:5 

Not having to replace the alternator today: Priceless

Finally Sunny!

For those of you that don't know, my favorite color is yellow. It reminds me of bring sunny beautiful days of outside wonderment and joy. I can't look at yellow and be sad. 

So it warms my heart to be able to share that I finally got a new car! 

Bonus: it's yellow!

His name is Sunny Atreyu

He is not exactly what I wanted or even what I was looking for, but if you've ever looked for a car and had some financial difficulties - you learn to curb your expectations. 

Sunny is cute, fun and I think he'll be brave and adventurous - which is where his middle name comes into play. Sunny is a Chevy Aveo and while I telling a friend what type of car he was, the name Atreyu (instead of Aveo) jumped out of my mouth. Then I remembered how much I loved The Neverending Story when I was a kid and I just couldn't let my Sunny go without a middle name. In the movie, Atreyu was handsome, brave, adventurous and reliable. I think Sunny will fit all of those qualities and more. 

So now comes that amazing time where I have to learn all the new fun and funky quirks about Sunny A. I already learned that I don't have to shift him, but old habits die hard. I also haven't gotten the seat quite right and since I don't have to shift, I'm having a helluva time deciding what to do with my hands (yes they are on the wheel but where?). 

All in all, you'll be able to see us coming a mile away. He was made in America (go U.S. Manufacturing!) and he fits my personality. Win! Win! Win!

By the way, my niece thinks he's "handsome" :)

New (to me) Car (maybe)

You know those days where you get a wild hair and decide that you want to buy a new car so you start putting in inquiries about cars and spend your day being hassled by car salesmen people? 


Yeah, me neither... until today.


Many thoughts come to mind as I review this decision. Here are the top 3:

1. What the f(*& was I thinking?!?! 
2. Why wasn't someone here to stop me?!? 
3. Why do I want to blame someone else?!?

Why you ask... because as I write, I'm waiting to hear back on a credit decision. (UGH!) I've made no secret about my recent financial troubles and the subsequent situation in which I've landed. Recently, I've come upon a small amount of money, and because of this bittersweet windfall I have enough for a modest down payment on a more reliable (and hopefully funner) car. But I'm stuck in the waiting game.


I don't know if you've ever been in this situation (lucky you!), but it sucks! I told the salesman that I didn't want to come up and test drive the vehicle until I knew for sure that I was approved for a loan and that my payments would be $x/month. 

Apparently this isn't how "normal" people purchase vehicles. 


HEEELLLLOOOO! I'm not normal, but now you get a nice story to tell at your car salesman conventions or at the Sunday dinner table. I can't imagine I'm the best story you've got but who knows, if when I'm approved, maybe I can make an ass out of myself to make this deal memorable. Because, I'm just that kind of gal!

This MAY BE the car I end up with... kinda cute, huh?

So internet blog-land, if this is the car I'm supposed to have - send good thoughts my way so hopefully I can ride to work in this puppy tomorrow!

Old maid

What I feel like (not look like)!

I feel like an old fuddie duddie! All I do anymore is play solitaire, at least it's on an iPad - but still. It might be time for a new hobby, any hobby that doesn't involve cards!!


I'm open to suggestions to get me out of my card rut. All (legal) and fun options will be considered. Oh yeah, don't forget - I'm on a budget :)


Maybe I need to reinvigorate my recipe blog or finally get around to making some of the stuff I've loved pinned on Pinterest...

Happy Monday & Go RANGERS!!!

Just a little sad...

As I've mentioned (or perhaps just eluded to) in previous posts, I've made some less than stellar financial decisions in my life and now they've all come to a head. In a couple of weeks, I'll be moving out of my nice 3-bedroom, 2-car garage, 2-bathroom house into a room. Yes, one room. No more garage. No more sole access to two bathrooms. No, I'm not going to jail - I'm getting rid of (pretty much) all of my earthly possessions and renting a room from a friend.

On one hand, I'm extremely grateful to have a friend that is willing to let me rent a room for a very reasonable price.

On the other hand, I'm extremely sad about the concessions I'm having to make in order to get my s**t together.

I hope the grateful / happy part starts taking a larger piece of the pie soon, because this really is a good thing. I get to save a good amount of money and (hopefully) I will get to pay some stuff off quickly. This will also give me a chance to maybe get a second job and/or start working out (at a gym) to lose some of this extra weight.

Roscoe

Right now though, I'm in the throws of sadness - chiefly because one MAJOR concession of this move is that my (dog) Roscoe can't come along with me. He left yesterday to go live with my parents for a (little?) while. My parents are unable to take me in so they're doing the next best thing and taking care of Roscoe. Unfortunately, they live several hours away so I don't get to see them (or Roscoe) again until Memorial Day. I've had this dog for 8+ years and with the exception of a few nights here and there - he's been at my side his whole life. I know he's happy though because he adores my Dad and my nephew - my Mom tells me that Roscoe rode in my nephew's lap the whole way from his Dad's house back home (about an hour). I know Roscoe was happy (at least yesterday). I just don't want him to think I'm never coming back for him...

So the morals of this story are:
1. Pay your bills! They will linger and haunt you!
2. Don't take your day-to-day life for granted - you never know when it will change.
3. Having only bad options to choose from sucks! You won't be happy with what you decide, but when you make your bed - you have to lay in it.
4, Bitching about it doesn't do anyone any good! Oh & it doesn't help!
5. Always have someone that knows how to tie stuff down help you move (but that's a story for another day)...

How About Some God with your Commute?

After the month I've experienced I've really been reflecting on being grateful for the blessings in my life. Recently, I've lost my Great Aunt, had a pretty significant financial blow, my mom has been in the emergency room and (the pièce de résistance, if you will) my car's last wheel leg is giving out. Now, I can be cynical but overall I try to keep on the "sunny side" because that black hole is just not how I want to live, but I digress. Anyway, after attempting to get back "in the swing of things" I realize that keeping on the "sunny side" is going to take a little more than will power so Tuesday, on my 1st public transportation commute (in Fort Worth) home, I stumbled upon several podcasts from "Catholic Stuff You Should Know" and the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste caught my eye. 


Martyrdom by Freezing

Via Wikipedia - Forty Martyrs of Sebaste

The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste were a group of Roman soldiers, who became martyrs for their Christan faith in 320. According to Basil, forty soldiers who had opened confessed themselves as Christians were condemned by the prefect to be exposed naked upon a frozen pond near Sebaste on a bitterly cold night, so they might freeze to death. During the night, one of the confessors had enough and gave in to the warm baths near the lake which had been prepared for any who might change their mind; as soon as he hit the warm water he immediately died. Then one of the guards, set o keep watch over the martyrs had a revelation and proclaimed himself a Christian, striped down and joined the thirty-nine solders (once again making them 40). At daybreak, the frozen bodies of the confessors, which still showed signs of life, were burned and the ashes thrown into a river.


What were you complaining about again?
This story (and the dynamic way in which it was told) reminded me that things can always be worse! I believe one of the quotes toward the end of the podcast was "those with no socks complain of cold feet, while those without feet don't complain at all" (or something along these lines). In more personal terms, a friend of mine (who's lost both her parents to cancer before she was 18) turned to me and said "at least no one used the word 'malignant' to describe your situation". On the other hand, no one condemned me to death for my beliefs either!