Still nothing on the job seeking but...

I have found a few craft project ideas that I am going to start on.


I had a pile of old blue jeans that I normally would offer on ReUseIt or Freecycle but I am going to keep them and make a few of those jean bottom purses. I figured I might just as well try to sell them and make a few bucks. I found a nice piece of purple velvet material to use as liner and I also had a pile of shirts that I will use as well. I may make a few of the purses with 2 or more sections depending on the size of some of the jeans.


I have also found patterns for some easy needlepoint items that would not take very long to stitch up while watching TV or a movie. I know I have enough yarn to make quite a bit of stuff. I wish would have learned how to knit or crochet. I think knitting would be more useful as I have tons of afghan patterns to chose from and like the idea of possibly giving handmade gifts for next Christmas.


If I can get my camera to work again I will post pictures of my finished projects.


So, until next time...Cheers!

So maybe posting about

Swap-bot is not really what Blogging is all about but it has helped me over the past few weeks. I have been so depressed, feeling like I have no purpose and I am sad about not having any money. It would be nice to be able to go for a ride and not worry about needing the gas for something else.

But.....


I FINALLY got my first severance check. Now my new goal is to try to catch up on some bills and maybe get the house stocked up with groceries. The next hurdle is signing up for the unemployment and not having a lapse like I had with the severance. When I do that I will see if I can get any funding from the Govt. for school. Hopefully President Obama has thought about people like me and has something set up to help us out.

In the meantime...

For extra money we are still planning on checking out the plasma thing but I think we really don't want to if we don't have to. But, it might mean the difference of buying dog food for our kids or us going without. Plasma it is then.

In my quest to find other employment I have discovered that there are not any FT jobs around that I have experience at. With so many people out of work they want someone who already knows what is going on. I am sure there are some jobs out there I could do with little direction if I could only get my foot in the door.

If you know anywhere that is hiring, let me know! Thanks.

Now...back to the swaps...I have a few that I need to post bit I will do that another day. I have had to share the computer with the DH so he can play WOW. He has made me a character but i just don't have the desire to devout 4-6 hours a day to work on my quests and things.

Well, time for bed. I am tired and have to get up to take Patty to pick up her glasses.

Cheers!

SSDD

Ever have one of those days where you just want to lay in the bed? My weekend was like that. On Saturday all i wanted to do was sleep. Not sure why but i was up for an hour and went back to sleep for 3.

Maybe once the $$ comes in I will feel better. Maybe I need warmer weather. The cold may be making me feel the way I feel.

Ok, I've got to hop in the shower so I can take Patty to get her eyes checked. She is getting really blind in her old age. JK But seriously...she needs them and might as well get them while we still have the vision insurance.

Later......

30 question e-mail swap-getting to know you better

1. Dogs or cats? To be honest...Both. I grew up loving cats not dogs and that's the opposite for my husband. Dogs for him all the way. But after the husband and I were married, we had a houseful of cats but then we had to move from our home and our only option was an apartment so we had to re-home the kitties. Then, we got our own house and my husband wanted a dog this time around so we got one (Dixie) and soon after he figured she was lonely and needed a companion so...here come Hunter and Scout (brothers they are) and of course, we didn't fix the girl and she had puppies so we now have a total of 4. They are: Dixie, Hunter, Scout and Shelby, who by the way, is the baby of the bunch and a product of previously mentioned litter. And since we do not have children, they are like our kids. So, to make this shorter...dogs are the choice for now. I can't imagine my life without the mutts we have. they are my sunshine. Maybe when we are older we will go back to cats because they will be easier to maintain in our golden years.
   
2. Do you mind if your pets sleep in bed with you? I used to mind when we had cats, I couldn't stand the thought of them being in the litter box and then crawl around on my bed and I did everything I could to keep them out of the bedroom but now that we have dogs...the first dog (Dixie) we were able to train her to only lay at the foot of the bed and luckily she is the only one that likes to sleep on the bed. And all 4 do have their own beds but like human kids...at one point or another, they end up in the bed occasionally for a minute or an hour but not that often.
   
3. Are you or anyone you know worried about losing their job? I just lost my job on February 11, 2009. I worked at a retail store full-time and I had a feeling that something was going to happen. I just figured it wouldn't be as soon as it was. They let 3 of us go that day. They offered us a severance package but now they are giving all 3 of us the run around on getting that started. We are almost to the point of taking it to a higher level. I have exercised all options at the store level and am already frustrated with the whole thing.
   
4. Extend your left arm all the way out, what do you touch if anything? The computer tower
   
5. Are you a saver or spender? I used to be a spender but over the last several years I have learned to be thrifty and frugal when I do spend any money. I try to NEVER pay full price for anything.
   
6. Do you believe in kids having chores? Although we do not have any kids yet, you better believe that when we do, the kids will have age appropriate chores to help them learn how to be responsible and how to develop time management skills.
   
7. When writing a letter, do you prefer to hand write or type? I prefer to hand write them but lately my handwriting has gotten so bad that I have started to type some of them.
   
8. Ellen/Oprah or Regis and Kelly? I like Ellen the best but Oprah is good sometimes. I can't stand Regis and Kelly. I didn't like Kelly when she was on Dance Party USA back in the late 80's/early 90's.
   
9. Do you watch The Bachelor? If so, is this the best season you’ve seen? I have never seen the show so I can't comment on this subject.
   
10. With postage going up soon, will that change your swapping habits? The change in postage will not affect my swapping habits any more than losing my job last month did. Thankfully I have discovered the E-mail swaps and I have participated in more E-swaps over the last few weeks than I ever thought I would and they have actually turned out to be more fun than I had imagined. To me they offer a more personal insight on the great people at Swap-bot that I am fortunate to have "met" and swapped with.
    
11. Have gas prices gone up a lot where you live? Not lately. At the highest, gas prices reached $4.00/gallon but they went down considerably and it went as low as $1.49/gallon and now for the last few months it has been ranging from $1.80-$2..05/gallon.
    
12. Can you touch your toes, without bending your legs? No, my arms are too short. LOL Not saying that my legs are too long or anything but still, the answer is no, not without bending.
    
13. What’s the temperature there? Right now it is 44 degrees.
    
14. Do you prefer to walk around barefoot in your home? Socks? Shoes? socks or slippers right now...we have hardwood floors and keep the heat low so it is still a bit too chilly to go barefoot (my preference)
    
15. Are you a night owl? yes, I am and I am trying to change that.
16. On how many hours of sleep can you function? I need at least 4 hours to be able to do basic tasks.
    
17. Do you own or rent? I am renting to own. We are buying the house from my Aunt and Dad. It was my grandparents and they were the original owners.
    
18. Which was your best birthday ever? How old were you? I think my best birthday was my 13th. We were on vacation in FL for Spring break and we went to Disney World during the day and that was cool enough but later that night I was surprised with tickets to a Prince concert. I was so very happy!
    
19. Do you prefer baths to showers? The other way around? Both? I can't remember the last time I had a bath. Showers are what I am stuck with. Maybe if I had one of those Spa like whirlpool tubs I would take baths but I don't :(
    
20. Finish the sentence-on my last vacation I went to _____. Mackinaw City, MI What a beautiful place! you can see the sun rise and set on the water!
    
21. If you have a great day who is the first person you tell? My husband Jeff
    
22. If you’re a Mom which is the best part of being one? If you’re a Dad, answer the same way? I do not have children yet.
    
23. Humidity or heat? I would take heat over humidity any day.
    
24. When you were a bride did everything go the right way on your special day? No way! Mother nature made sure of that! Darn tornado! I could write a book on everything that went wrong that day. But...the weather eventually subsided and we were married a few hours later than planned, there were a few clothing changes(all the guys had wet shirts from moving the flowers and chairs) and some guests decided it was too risky to travel to our town and they missed the entire event, and we were married indoors (at our small hall) instead of the beautiful no refund-rented gazebo at the park but it was all OK and worked out eventually and this July we are celebrating 10 years of marriage!
    
25. Which are/is your favorite magazine(s)? Woman's Day, Family Circle, Better Homes & Gardens, People
    
26. Are you reading a book right now? If so, what’s the name of the book and the author? I just finished the "Conspiracy" by Jasmine Cresswell
    
27. Am I boring you with these random questions? No way! I love these E-swaps! They not only allow you to be honest about your own life but they give you a better understanding of your partner(s) life and about other lifestyles/cultures!
    
28. How much time would you say you spend on Swap-Bot daily? depends on the day...sometimes 10-15 minutes just to rate swaps received and other times I go and search for the latest and interesting swaps for hours on end.
    
29. Do you prefer e-mail swaps to mailing swaps? Or both? I like both but since I lost my job last month, I have had to find another way to indulge my hobby without going broke!
    
30. Do you clean your house or have someone come in to do it? I clean up the house but my husband helps out sometimes. I do wish I had someone come in to clean for me. They might do a better job than me. We aren't dirty, just cluttered.
    

***And now for the BONUS questions for a HEART***
1. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would
it be?I have never been there but I would love to live in Hawaii.
Whenever I see it on TV or in a book or on a postcard or picture, it
always looks so pretty, warm and relaxing.
2. Are you allergic to anything? As far as I knew I had never
been allergic to anything but a few years ago (when I was 33) I
finally had my first bee sting so it was a little scary waiting to see if I
would have a reaction to it. Some people in my family have to carry
the EpiPens just in case of a sting but not me. So, I am still not
allergic to anything!
3. Have you ever had any broken bones? I had been break
free until I was 33 years old. I was getting ready to go to work and
somehow my hand was shut in the truck door and that caused a few
of my fingers to be broken. I was told I was lucky that I had small
hands because my entire hand could have been
broken worse than what did happen. This injury also cause the first
stitches I ever had as well. Nothing like covering all the bases huh? I
guess that year/age was not very good for me. LOL
4. What is your favorite comfort food? Tacos hands down!
Then maybe Pizza loaded with cheese, pepperoni, ham and
mushrooms!
5. What do you like to swap? postcards are my favorite but I
also like to swap notcards, keychains, stationary sets, memo pads,
magnets, bookmarks and recipes.

ABC Online Scavenger Hunt

ABC Online Scavenger Hunt
by Jenann82
via Swap-bot

Amazon http://amazon.com A place to shop online.

Brides http://brides.com A helpful site to plan your wedding.

Chili's http://chilis.com I am told it's a great place to eat.

Dance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg I think this is a funny video. It really shows the evolution of dance.

Ebay http://ebay.com Online auction site.

Flickr http://www.flickr.com/ Online storage for all your photos.

Gamestop http://www.gamestop.com/ I loved this place to buy/sell/trade of video games.

Hawk Hollow http://www.hawkhollow.com/banquet/banquet.php A beautiful place to have a wedding and reception.

Ice Road Truckers http://www.history.com/minisites/iceroadtruckers My husband likes to watch this show.

Japanese http://japanesetranslator.co.uk/your-name-in-japanese/ Your name translated to Japanese.

Kid Rock http://kidrock.com One of my favorite musical artists!!

Las Vegas http://www.visitlasvegas.com/vegas/index.jsp Plan your trip to Vegas here.

Mackinac Bridge http://www.mackinacbridge.org/ We have vacationed here quite often and even spent my honeymoon in this area. Very pretty and relaxing.

Nitro Circus http://nitrocircus.com/ Crazy people doing crazy stupid stunts!

Olympics http://www.olympic.org/uk/index_uk.asp I like to watch the Olympics!

Plastic Canvas http://www.everythingplasticcanvas.com/ One of my hobbies...I have been doing this for as long as I can remember...

Quarterback http://www.nfl.com/players/peytonmanning/profile?id=MAN515097 Funny cute football player.

Rent http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/rent/ Awesome long running Broadway musical.

Soaring Eagle Casino http://www.soaringeaglecasino.com/ One of the casinos in Michigan.

Twix http://www.twix.com/ A good candy bar.

Usa http://www.usa.gov/ Find answers to your questions about the USA.

Velveeta http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/velveeta-down-home-macaroni-cheese-50467.aspx A tasty dish I occasionally make for my husband using this cheese "food" product. LOL

Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page A place to find info on just about everything.

X-men http://www.marvel.com/comics/X-Men A cartoon my husband likes.

YouTube http://www.youtube.com/ A place to find videos on just about everything.

Zoo http://www.saginawzoo.com/events.html This is my local Zoo that I loved going to as a child.

So...tomorrow will make it 3 weeks since I have been let go from my job. To be honest, the only thing that bothers me is the fact that I get up, get showered and dressed and then I sit there thinking what the hell do I do now?

I have done up all the dishes I can find, washed all the laundry in the house and yesterday we cleaned the kitchen and dining room and rearranged the dining room. We hung up the pretty curtains I have had for 2 years (27.99 for 2.00, what a deal!) and we changed the decor a little.

When we were moving things around in the kitchen, we found a few boxes of knitting needles. I thought we had already Freecycled those. Maybe I will keep these and try to teach myself to knit. One day. Someday. Maybe.

I think tomorrow I will clean out the spare bedroom that has all of my clothes and shoes in the closet. Ours is too small for both of us so instead of having mine crammed, I chose to move mine to the other room. They have been there ever since we moved in. To make more room I can fold up, maybe even give away the clothes I had to wear for work. Not sure what I will do there. Maybe just throw them in a bag and set them in the garage.

After I tackle that I just might move on to our room and give it a spinning around. After all, change is good isn't it?

In regards to palling/swapping...I have a letter I need to write to Char, a few swaps almost ready to send... a few postcard ones, a cute memo pad swap and then a few e-mail ones that I will post on here.

So, still the SSDD here in Michigan. Maybe it is because of the weather. I can't wait for the temperature to get above 50 for more than a day!

More tomorrow...