Marge: "falling coconuts"--heehee!! Actually, the indoor bike will be good to use as I watch telly (and I do watch alot!)

Alan decided to forego the interview. While I understand why he did it, it doesn't give me much of a secure feeling. I have faith he will be working soon...I guess I just don't have enough experience with unemployed SO's. My former husband was (and still is) employed by the same place.

As far as going to PA--that would be a tough one, especially if money is tight. Maybe discussing it with Rob will help make the right decision.

Kimberley: How long have you had the bursitis pain? I hear it can be unbearing at times.

And where is our Jill?

Howie is in such need of some deep, theraputic massage in his neck. This curvature in his lumbar spine forces him to hold his head and neck up at an unnatural angle in order to look up in front of him while walking or sitting at a desk at work. He really should be off work at this point - he's in so much pain. But he says he's gotta just grin and bear it because it's almost over. God, he's such a trooper.

I know there's pain management available for both of us in the form of PT, that's not the issue: It's the doggoned co-pays. They're $15 or $25, depending on whether our insurance considers the providers specialists (it's the higher co-pay for them). We know it'll be a matter of 3x/week kind of appointments for a few weeks and that's hundreds. Just can't do it right now. We have got to put money back for when he's off work, that's our focus.

I don't mean to sound like a sad sack - that's just reality. You know how life happens! It'll work out, just has to wait.

My scrapbooking friend called and asked if we could get together later, like at 7pm. She's exhausted and needs to take a nap and still run an errand. I could tell she was really wiped out, so I gave her the option of getting together Thursday instead and she didn't think twice. I've had those days - guess it takes someone who has 'em to hear it in the other's voice, eh? We spent a totally enjoyable day with them Sunday; it's so cool to have another couple to do stuff with. Since all our other friends have kids, we're kind of the odd ducks and don't get to spend much time with them.

Sorry I've been MIA. I'm alive, I promise! I just have had actual work to do at work, so I sit at my computer for 9 hours during the day, then I go home and have reports to edit for my second job, so I sit at my computer for a few more hours, and by the time all is said and done, I just don't want to be at the computer anymore! I come and read a lot, but the thought of typing kinda makes me want to drop-kick my computer off the balcony sometimes I've got a project due to a client on Friday, a call with a client tomorrow, a meeting at 10 today and another at 1:30...And then my part-time editing job from home is another feast-or-famine case. I went an entire billing period (15 days) with no hotel reports (those are the ones that take 1-2 hours to edit plus addition time the next day when you have to wait for answers on questions from the evaluator plus more time for feedback from the account manager...), and now I have 7 hotel reports just this week (plus at least 3 more next week). I sure enjoy the money, but sometimes I also enjoy sleep

Anyway, I have been busy and eating everything in sight and not going to the gym. I had 2 slices of cheese pizza for lunch yesterday--I NEVER have that during the week! Plus that bread I made plus regular soda (Jeff's, since I ran out of my diet soda)...I've just been a dieting disaster Meh, it happens. I left the cash at home in my bedroom closet so I can't buy food in the cafeteria for lunch. I'll stick to what I brought from home (reduced-sugar instant oatmeal and a small can of fruit cocktail packed in pear juice).

Alright, I'm off to fill my water bottle and get back to editing this 23-page table in Word (I hate big tables in Word, but our client won't let us use Excel). Catch ya'll later!

Hi Jill:

Ugh, I HATE tables in Word also--they can get messed up easily! Excel is soooo much better! In fact, if I could only have ONE Office program, it would be Excel. It can be a word document, spread sheet, database and more!

It's easy to go overboard when you are busy and don't have the right food in the house. That's the way it is at our house right now. I need to go to the grocery, but UGH! I hate going!

Kimberley, when I was married to my first husband, we were also the odd ducks out because we didn't have kids--not that we didn't try! I think it's worse if you really want kids and can't have them. If you are child free by choice, it's not so bad. Honestly Kimberley, I can't remember your situation--are you and Howie child free by choice? (Feel free to not answer if it is too personal!)

Off to work....will see you in a bit!

Jill, I don't blame you for wanting to drop-kick the computer. Ugh about editing tables in Word. Any way you could temporarily pull the table into Excel for editing and then pop it back into your Word doc? That's what I'd do in a heartbeat. Hey, speaking of mystery shoppers, you'd be proud of me; I got a 10/10 on my Hickory Farms report without needing to submit any corrections. Woo!

Jen, yes, it's by choice. We decided after 13 years of my being on the pill that a permanent solution was preferable. It's so nice not having to remember to take that pill every day.

Cute new pic (avatar), Jen!

Alan decided to forego the interview. While I understand why he did it, it doesn't give me much of a secure feeling. I have faith he will be working soon...I guess I just don't have enough experience with unemployed SO's. My former husband was (and still is) employed by the same place.

Just in general, it might be more worth his time to find a job at his correct level. If you take a job at too low a level, then you might end up having to leave it, and going to interviews where your too overqualified can leave you feeling like you're spinning your wheels: you probably wouldn't get offered the job (most good managers know that an overqualified person would get bored too quickly or would leave for a better job as soon as they could).

I know it can be tough. In our parent's generation it wasn't uncommon for a person to expect to be employed by the same business his/her entire life (mostly his!). That's not so much the case anymore. The responsibility is on the employee to take care of his/herself. Our social safety net has really shrunk.

Speaking of which, the insurance situation drives me absolutely batty. I mean, it's really wrong that we have to accept making a choice between our financial well being and taking care of our health needs. We have the most advanced medical resources in the world, so why is it only the wealthy and well insured (a number that's shrinking) get to take advantage of it? Hang in there, Kimberley.

Jill, at least the extra money comes at a good time. But then when is not a good time to have extra money, heh heh. I wouldn't be surprised if you had a good loss despite the extra snacks, you have the mojo.

I've got to get working, I've been slacking off lately -- that's a pitfall of working at home, it can be too easy to slack off sometimes! Have a good one, ladies.

I've been slacking at my work, too, Marge. I had a photo project I was procrastinating about (so many photos to edit!), and as long as that wasn't done, I felt guilty doing anything else work-wise. So...I putzed around and didn't get either done. Anyone else do that? Now the photo job's completed and I am going to hit the webhost work hard and heavy. I want a good paycheck this coming period and it's entirely up to me - the works there, just need to sit down and do it!

I wish there were more mystery shops in my town. Most of them are in Columbus and it would cost me the honorarium's worth of gas to drive in and do them. Fortunately for me, they often send out job board info in the wee hours of the morning, so if there is a shop in my town, I have a good chance of getting it from a 2:00am e-mail notification.

Morning ladies!

I had considered doing a Mystery Shopping thing, or taking surveys, but never got beyond considering it! LOL

It sounds like all of you work from home. I go into the office from 7:30-5:30 every day. I don't think I'm disciplined enough to work from home--I'd end up surfing and chatting all day long. (Oops--I already do that ! LOL) But I do have a great job with great benefits, and I am so glad for that.

Marge, you are right about Alan's job level. Not only can he financially not afford to take something beneath him, intellectually it would really aggravate him. We talked about some strategies that he has in place to start earning again. I feel very confident he will be earning again by the New Year.

Speaking of Alan, I'm attaching his pic....he's soooo handsome!

He's a cutie, Jen I'm glad to hear you two are discussing it, talking about it can let the air out of a lot of the fears and anxieties that go with being unemployed. Then it's more like your supporting each other and going through it together.

Kimberley, I do the exact same thing, I can't do this until I do that, then I end up doing neither thing, yikes. Heh heh.

I finally did a few holiday things, last night I mailed out about half our xmas cards. I still have to get together a couple of packages and bake, bake, bake. I've gotten a couple of gifts for Rob. I know he's gotten me more, so I have to figure out what else he might like. He's not that easy to shop for.

Tonight a big snow storm is supposed to move in, and I go to the gym Friday mornings. I'm having my exercise will tested here. If I hadn't overindulged in pannetone and brownies this week, I'd be able to skip it, but that's not the case....

Jen--I WISH I worked from home! Well, I do, I suppose, but only for my part-time job. I work for a giant evil corporation as a technical writer/editor weekdays from 7am-3pm, then do the stuff from home in the evenings and weekends. The actual mystery shopping isn't for income since I don't get paid, I only get reimbursed for the meals at restaurants, so I just kinda do those for fun. The part I get paid for is editing the mystery shopper reports before they go to the clients, and that is a per-report rate, so even if a report takes 3 hours, I still get the regular per-report rate (luckily, that doesn't happen very often!)

Where is our Miss Aimee lately? Looking back, it looks like she hasn't been with us all month! Hope everything's okay...

I burst out laughing when I read your parenthetical remark! Had to read it to Howie, too, of course.

That is a *great* picture of you two! He is a handsome guy, you're right. You both look wonderful -- great choice for your avatar, too!

I'm having a lazy, lazy "morning". We're forecast to get 3-6" snow, but who knows whether that will pan out. I'm looking forward to there being something other than brown winter blah, but at the same time, I'm not looking forawrd to cleaning off the van tonight after scrapbooking with my friend.

Good news on the healthcare front...We got an unexpected refund from the furnace guy for a part which didn't fix the problem, so Howie said the money I make from the contract work this pay period can go for me getting some adjustments from the chiropractor and/or PT. My hip's been hurting again and I'm thinking I might just go ahead and have the doc give me a cortisteriod injection sometime before we leave for Maryland.

Take a look at this radar. Woo! We're somewhere near the B in COLUMBUS.

I'm not sure how much was on the ground when I was out there just now, but the roads are interesting. Really, they could be a whole lot worse. I stopped on the way home and took pictures downtown -- been waiting until we got snow so I could get the courthouse lights in the snow! Here's my favorite shots. You get to see 'em first.

Morning all....

Gorgeous pics, Kimberley! Reminds me of the town where I grew up (Franklin, Indiana).

Well y'all, I woke up in full b*tch mode today. TOM should arrive today or tomorrow. The sooner the better, before I kill someone! I already told Alan: "I love you, but you are just not going to do anything right in my eyes today." He thanked me for recognizing it and letting him know. It seems like my PMS has been getting worse the older I get. And forget healthy eating--bring on the CHOCOLATE!!!!