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Archive for January, 2010

Losing hours at work... ugh.

January 25th, 2010 at 06:35 pm

Alrighty. So my federal tuition assistance went through and I'm fairly certain they're going to let me go on a payment plan. So my classes are not going to be dropped and I'm going through with the semester. Win!

In bad news, however, the company I work for isn't doing so well, so I'm losing hours. That means making 25% less... sigh. I'm going to have to pick up more tutoring or something. I'm not going to be able to make all of my bills... I'm sure there are some places I could cut back. Groceries. As it stands, if I actually have every tutoring appointment I'm supposed to have, I'm $118 short for February. And that's if my student loans get deferred and my payment plan covers 4 months.

Sigh... I wasn't expecting to pay that extra $1000 for my school this semester, so that's hurting me quite a bit.

So that kind of sucks, but if I can pick up some side jobs I'll be okay. And I'll have more time for schoolwork, so that's nice. But I have to pay my bills. I'm sure my roomates aren't going to freak out if I cant pay the full $200 every month, and I could cut back my entertainment budget. I'll make it work somehow...

For this month I'm still under budget. I would be very much under budget except I had a (yes, I'm serious) $150 library fine... That's what I get for procrastinating and whatnot. Lesson learned.

So I have to pull some fancy footwork, but I'll get in a position where I'll be paying my bills and making extra. I just have to cut back and figure out ways to make more. There are answers out there, I just have to find them. Perhaps more writing. And I could sell a few books, I'm sure. I'll get it taken care of.

Either way, I hope everyone has a great day!

Continuing on.

January 21st, 2010 at 02:41 pm

Well, the phonecalls are still going out, but there's still no word on what's going to happen. It's all contingent on me getting all sorts of forms, and meetings, and faxing things. Lord only knows...

I've beginning to think about what to do if I cant work it out and I have to drop all my classes. I guess I would just work. Perhaps work more. Pick up another tutoring client or start cleaning my boss' house again. I would focus on paying off that credit card and getting financially stable even more so. Continue trying to get in shape, continue with my music. So all would not be terrible. But I really just want to stay in school. If I end up skipping out on this semester, I'll definitely go during the summer.

Sigh. It just sucks, because even if I do get this scholarship, I still have to pay $2000, and I dont have it. I'm not going to max out my CC's again trying to pay for classes. I'm still paying for the last time I did that. This was what I was trying to avoid by joining the army. Jeez.

But moving on from all that depressing hooplah... car still hasn't broke down on me. That's positive. lol. Tutored last night. Made $20. They want to go an extra half hour, if the mom can pull together the money. I feel terrible that I cant just tutor for free. I really do care about the success of these kids, and I know everyone is hurting financially. If my time wasn't so valuable these days, and if I wasn't hurting so much myself, I would certainly tutor for much less. I still may give her a steep discount on the additional time if she cant manage it. The kid really does need the help.

Tutoring again tonight, and I have class. Not sure if I'm going out tonight or not. I really shouldn't spend the money. Even if it is just one drink. This weekend I have drill, though, so I probably wont be going out. We'll see, I guess. All this talk of money makes me so sad. I wish we weren't all so dependent on it. It's crazy how much influence the amount of money we have vs. the amount we need has on our daily lives, and our attitudes.

At any rate, I should get back to work Smile Hope everyone is doing well.

So frustrating.

January 20th, 2010 at 04:33 pm

Alright, so we're on week 2 of the new schedule, and it's already been a long week... but it's been productive. I'm really stressed out right now, not because of these time constraints, but because my classes are still not paid for.

Again the army has messed my finances up and I'm scrambling to McGuyver the situation before they drop my classes Frown

It's frustrating, because the only mistake I made in this whole situation was expecting to do their jobs properly... I know better now. I have to constantly check and re-check to make sure things are getting done. So I've been running around and making phone calls and wanting to pull my hair out. Called and wrote an email to my congressman today, and now I'm just crossing my fingers that they wont drop my classes, and give me more time to work it out.

I cant get a student loan. I applied for one just in case, and without a cosigner, I've got nothing. I guess already having over $40k deters them... and I dont have a cosigner. Not that I'm sad about not being able to incur more debt, but that's my last resort gone. If I had known any of this was going to be an issue, I would have started working on it months ago.

Sigh... I guess all I can do is my best and hope things work out. It's really frustrating. All I want is to go to school. I joined the army so I could get school paid for. Is it so much to ask to get what they promised me?

On a happy note, I've been great about not spending money on frivolous things. I haven't really gone out, and I'm being responsible. I wish that meant I had all this extra money to put towards my classes. But really it means I have extra cash to put toward car repairs... it seems the car is headed right back where it was before. All the problems are not fixed...

Just keep truckin, right? Sigh...

First week of the hectic schedule...

January 12th, 2010 at 02:33 pm

Well yesterday was my first day of class, and I'm already starting to feel the effects of my busy schedule.

The army has once again messed up my finances, so today I get to deal with a mess concerning my scholarship. Yay for that. I have 2 weeks to remedy the issue, or they drop my classes. Joy of joys. So I started work an hour early, to get off an hour early, to give myself time to run to my unit before tutoring and then class. Sigh...

Army boy sent me yet another email this morning. He's bludgeoning this talk of ours to death. I told him I was done and needed space, and yet he continues to argue and blame me for everything. Perhaps he's starting to get that it's over. I think he's panicking now. But I'm not going to be emotionally bullied into a situation I'm not comfortable with. It kills my self esteem. I'm not going to let that happen anymore.

Other than all that stress, things are okay, I suppose. I have an exciting weekend ahead of me. Yoga (for free this week), putting in an hour volunteering, lunch with a friend I haven't seen in a while, going to see Chicago with the roomies, then a trip to Pittsburgh to see a lecture and catch up with old friends.

It seems that even my weekends when I'm supposed to be relaxing are busy! Next weekend I have drill, so it's going to be a loooong couple of weeks. No real breaks Frown The good news is we dont really do a whole lot at drill, so maybe I'll get some homework done! Anyhoo, I should probably get back to my hectic schedule. I hope everyone has a great day!

New radiator in the car, gearing up for this week!

January 10th, 2010 at 02:11 pm

Well, found the leak on the car. It was the radiator, and it was bad. Lucky for me, though, my mechanic is a good friend. He got me a new radiator for $90, and didn't charge me a dime for labor. It was a quick fix, and in return I agreed to go to dinner with him. heh.

So last night was nice, got mexican, then went back to his friends' and jammed. We all play music, so it was a good time. Got home and went to sleep.

I have to get my bank card situated. The ATM wouldn't let me withdraw any cash... ugh. Applied for my parking pass at school. It should be here in the next few weeks. Hopefully sooner. I have a whole mess to figure out at the university tomorrow. Happy day... Getting the army to pay for things and not mess it up is an impossibility.

Other than that, tomorrow starts the first week of hell... that is, by incredibly busy schedule. I work 7-3 mon thru friday, tutor 3 nights a week (thursdays I have 2 clients, however), and classes in the evening. It's going to be rough... This sunday I'm going to see Chicago with my roomates. That should be fun. I think next monday I'm driving to Pittsburgh for a lecture. My classes are cancelled due to a holiday, and I haven't been in so long!

So busy busy busy. I'm going to try and made this a relaxing day. It's the last one I'll have before this mess begins.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Cars, and cheap weekend fun.

January 8th, 2010 at 08:00 pm

Well, the car is in working condition. Hurrah! Got the coolant I need to keep it filled, at least until I get that leak fixed. Got new spark plugs, just have to put them in. Oh, and a scraper. I forgot how awful Ohio winters are :/

The only thing my car is missing now... as of this morning... is a wiper blade. Where in the world did it go, you ask? I have no clue. It was certainly there yesterday... ah well. They weren't terribly quality blades to begin with.

So I got paid today. Paid off a ridiculous library fee that never should have been. My fault for procrastinating... I also found out that my independent study is now on my schedule. I gave a call to the VA office at the university to see what's going on with my army scholarship. No answer. I'm pretty sure the university is closed due to weather.

TGIF! I'm thoroughly enjoying my new schedule at work... Instead of 9-5 I'm working 7-3. LOVE IT. I get so much more time in the evening. I dont mind waking up early at all. Actually, I get too much sleep generally. So I have the time to tutor. My schedule is going to be incredibly full come next week, but I think it'll be good for me to be busy.

Plans for the weekend? Tonight I'm hanging out with a friend. I dropped my vegetarianism, and I'm really looking forward to some wings and beer Smile We were going to go to one of our favorite restaurants, as we're big beer snobs. But we've decided to grab the wings to go and grab a 6-pack of something good. It's going to cut the cost in half, at least. You think... you pay about $8 for a decent 6-pack. In a restaurant, you spend about $5 for 1 good beer. We're saving $3.67/beer (that's $11 for each of us) AND we dont have to leave a tip Smile Economical fun, that's what I say!

Went to a *free* kickboxing class last night that really whooped me. I would continue to take the class, but it's $35/month, and I'll only be able to make it to a few classes a month. So I'm going to pass on that. I'm going to try and find a decent class at the University's REC center to take. That fits with my schedule, hectic as it is. Or just run at home on the treadmill for free Smile

Okies, off to have a fantastic single weekend! No boys for this girl. No dates. Just a lot of great friends and good times. I hope everyone enjoys theirs as well Smile

More relationship stuff.

January 7th, 2010 at 01:51 pm

So I've managed not to spend any money all week so far Smile The roomies were nice enough to buy me dinner the other night, and the ex bought my coffee last night when we got together. It was the first time I saw him since the breakup (yes, I've had quite a few of them in the last month...)

Actually, the situation is as follows: BF goes to iraq, and we struggle for months prior to his departure, during his tour, and we break up back in July. I come home from basic, we try to work it out, but every time he cant make a commitment. I decide to move on, and within weeks find this really great guy. Despite the fact I told myself I would be single for a while, I allow myself to rush into things with this guy.

So fast forward a couple months, and Army boy is coming home. Turbulence starts in my now-relationship because the "what if's" surface, and I drive myself crazy. I end up splitting with the guy I'm seeing and start talking to Army boy. The first few days he's back things are right back to normal, and he talks like things are going to be just normal. We decide not to throw a formal title on anything, but be ourselves together.

Over the next couple weeks things cool off between us substantially, as he's started to hold back from me. The more he pushes me away, the more I harden up and stop caring. Survival mode, I call it. I dont want to get hurt again. Finally, I decide that if he's not going to put everything into it, and expect me to stick around without him putting any commitment to it, I'm out. I think I deserve to love someone who actually wants to give and not just take.

I decided that I'm not going to allow myself to be a guarded, hardened individual. I'm a very passionate, loving person, and I'm not going to compromise that to wait for him. He wasn't particularly happy to hear about that. But we've decided to just be friends.

So here I am, single for real, and for the first time in almost 5 years... it feels strange. I'm moving on from Army boy. He really is the love of my life, but that's 3 times we've run into the same problem. I need some time to work on me and reevaluate what it is I want in a relationship.

So the kid I left in this whole process and I got together last night, and it went really well. We talked for a while about what happened, and thankfully there are no hard feelings. He understands I had to do what I did. I had absolutely no closure while Army boy was in Iraq. So again, I have another friend. I miss this guy a lot. We spent a lot of time together, and we had a lot of fun. I'm happy to have him back in my life.

There was zero talk of us getting back together. I was happy about that. I could certainly see us trying things out again in the future, but for now that's not what I need. I need some time for me. So we'll see how things go.

Army boy is being decidedly immature about everything, but I'm sure he'll cool off in a week or so. Just goes to show... I dont want to be with a 12 year old in a 27 year old's body! lol.

So here I am, starting off 2010 with a fresh new start. I've decided I'm done with breakups for a while. lol. Too many of those in the last month... So cheers to those of us standing up for ourselves (my mom recently did the same), and doing what's best for us Smile

Hope everyone has a great day!

Car is drivable, and relationship hooplah.

January 5th, 2010 at 02:03 pm

So the car is for the most part fixed. The power steering pump has been replaced and coolant has been put into it (though it needs more, and we also need to find out where it's leaking). So there's that... Thankfully the pseudo-BF helped me out and saved me quite a bit of cash. Eventually going to have to replace the spark plugs and fix that leak, wherever it is... ugh.

Didn't spend any money yesterday, so that makes one no-spend day for the week Smile Today I'm thinking I'm going to go get temp plates for my car again, so I can drive it legally. Then take the steps to get it to pass E-check-- starting with those spark plugs.

Going to a free kickboxing class tonight. I was going to go yesterday, but my friend made plans forgetting... heh. Oooh well. No plans for this week, so it was fine. I have 2 other nights filled, hanging out with my buddy the one. The other I'm having coffee with the ex... that's going to be rough.

My love life, per usual, is a hot mess. The current sort-of BF is doing the same thing he's been doing for a year now... failing to make a commitment. As well as holding back from our relationship. I dont see the point in loving someone half-a**edly. It's all or nothing. I deserve that. So if he decides he cant put everything into it, I think it's single time for this girl.

He says he wants me to be "single," yet I know he still expects me to be there when he's ready. I dont find that fair. We're either together or we're not. I cant be single and still clinging on to us.

Sorry for the rant, but I had to get it out there Smile Alrighty. Off to work. I hope everyone has a great day!

New Years, and Car is in Progress...

January 4th, 2010 at 02:17 pm

So my new years was fantastic. Spent the night with my roomies and friends at our house. We had a party-- no driving for this girl. I then spent the next 3 days reflecting and relaxing. Spent a lot of time with the roomies, playing videogams mostly. And then last night went to mom's for dinner, and a couple friends showed up and we drank wine and played a boardgame. Overall, pretty successful.

Started working on my car yesterday with the pseudo BF. Almost have the power steering pump in. Now all we need to do is finish putting it in, grab some spark plugs and fluids, and I *should* have a running car. I just have to go get new temp tags for it and get it E-check friendly. BF sayst he coolant is dry... I probably should have caught on to that. That would explain the sputtering sound. I'm pretty sure my oil was boiling... So there's obviously a leak somewhere in the cooling system. I'll have to find that at some point.

I just need it fixed to the point I can drive it to my tutoring appointments and to school. School starts next week. I'm excited and dreading it all at once. I have to make sure I'm all taken care of financially. I dont trust the army to do anything right the first time. heh.

Either way, it's time to get to work. So much to do! And I have to file my taxes here soon! Jeez...

In other great news, going to a kickboxing class tonight... for free Smile Yay for great exercise for the best price ever.

Everyone have a great day Smile

Hello, 2010 :)

January 2nd, 2010 at 04:19 pm

Well, it's January 2 and I have yet to spend a dime this year Smile lol. I guess part of that is due to the fact that the BF has been paying for a lot. I helped out in the beginning, grabbed a couple meals... but he wants to go out almost every night, and I just cant afford that right now. Have to get my footing before I can go hog-wild with the spending... especially considering I have a lot of goals to accomplish.

In good news for 2010, I'm getting a raise... and I'm getting paid salary Smile So my hours will be much more flexible, and I wont be working nearly as much. I'll more or less have a set quota I need to accomplish every day, and when the work's done, I'm done. Hence more time for studying Big Grin

Today is going to be another relaxing day. I got a paid day off yesterday (woot). I'm going to take the time to do some reading, work out (I've been eating way too much junk for the last couple days), set out my goals for january and this coming week, and start getting to work on them! I may even write an article... every little bit helps, and I have nothing of great importance to accomplish today.

I hope everyone is having a great start to their new year. I certainly am Smile