Busted on the Insurance

This post is all support for my complaints about the lack of insurance as a self employed family and how it is a gamble. Today when I picked up Alex from school, I discovered that his glasses were broke, how isn't the issue, it is HOW am I going to get new ones. His current kiddo insurance is in the re-approval process, which means we are in insurance limbo. he is covered if we are in a major accident or he needs to be hospitalized, but check ups and eye appointments are not covered till the end of October.

Enter Wal-mart, for $108 I was able to get him an eye exam, new frames, and new lens. Seriously the only bummer was the time it took and the time we will spend waiting for his new blue glasses.

This is the gamble part, did the Doctor at Walmart compare to Alex's regular pediatric optamologist? She measured up just the same, she said all the right things that I look for (having an eye problem myself) and she was efficient and patient with Alex.

The bad thing about this eye glasses fiasco was the timing, Alex has school pictures on Thursday. So look for the tape wrapped around the frame of his glasses when you see them!

Day two of P & C on Self Employment

Working for yourself is hard work, constant work, busy work, with lots of paperwork. Here are the Cons that we have discovered.

The Cons of Self Employment

1. Must manage your own taxes. Which can eat up a bunch of your income if you don't get creative with deductions.
2. Must be meticulous about paper trails and records.
3. There is A LOT of paperwork.
4. There are lulls in the industry which can lead to months of no income.
5. Computer training can be expensive to stay on top of. The cost of computers, software, manuals can be extraordinary.
6. We work every day all hours. We can be a juggler and work at night, but the point is that you don't get to just clock out and walk away from your desk at 5pm.
7. Lots of travel can mean lots of time away from family and home.
8. Insurance, if you don't buy private insurance then you have none. Private insurance is horribly expensive, so it is always a gamble.
9. Distractions can take away from activities that actually pay the bills. This is one of my down falls.
10. You ARE your company, so the way you look, talk, dress, what you drive, all effect the industry's view on your business.

That is all I can think of right now, which just goes to show that working for ourselves has way more benefits in our eyes.

Two days of P&C on Self Employment

When asked what we do I usually get some sort of reply along the lines of, "Wow, I have always wanted to start my own business." To which I usually reply, "It is A LOT of work." Not that I do all that work, it is spread across the two of us, both the good and the bad. For today, here are some benefits of being self employed.

The Pro's of Self Employment:

• Morning routines to start my work day include playing fetch with the dogs and lots of nice coffee enjoyed on the deck.
• Work attire is made up of jeans, tees, and a lot of the time PJ's.
• Errands can be done at any point in my work day.
• School field trips are not a problem, I just work it into my daily schedule.
• When we need it, days off are taken and enjoyed, with out a care in the world to vacation time.
• Sick days don't have that early morning stressful phone call to a boss saying we won't be coming in.
• Business lunches can be anywhere, as long as we want, and written off. Go PF Chang's to discuss scheduling!
• We can say what we are willing and unwilling to do, because we can!
• Alex knows the in's and out's of basic business.
• Alex gets to have a mom at home most of the time. He only goes to after school care when I work certain gigs. Which means after school care is still a novelty.
• Red Hot Chili Peppers can be played as loud as we want to get the morning started.
• Blogging is considered a valid to-do on my daily list. *grin*
• Lots of fun office supplies and calendars to use. Love that.
• Awesome paychecks.
• Scheduling Casey's travel to have three weeks off in a row multiple times a year.
• My desk is from Ikea and is covered with fun fanciful stuff including but not limited too my iPod, Webkinzs, yarn, tons of family pictures, more music then you can shake a stick at, my current embroidery project, digi cams, and so much more that can distract me. In fact there isn't much work on my desk right now.
• Which brings me to the fact that my desk can be anywhere. It has been known to migrate to the deck, my bed, the living room, Alex's playroom, and the local WiFi Starbucks!
• My office mates are covered in fur and always want to play.
• I can work at night if the day is too pretty to ignore.
• We get to write off portions of our mortgages, utilities, cars, and insurance since we work from home.
• Casey racks up some great frequent flyer miles to be used for family fun.
• Most days I only have about 2 hours of work to do, unless I am teaching.
• Family Business is just as important and Work Business, which means if there are things to get done for the house or doctor's appointments we don't push them off to weekends.
• With enough work done during the week, weekends can be all about fun events and mellow family time.
• My laptop is my best friend during the day.

More to come later today, when I think of more. And of course the Con's come tomorrow because you have to explore the Yang of the Yin as well.

A Shiner for the Shriner's.

So. The. Circus. Reaffirmed. My. Slightly. PETA-ish. Dislike. For. Them.

Few things in life are as sad and half assed as a B rated circus. They tried to put on a show and some things were memorable, like the little dog dressed up in an elephant suit that had his life shaken out of him, and the hoola hoop girl who was all of 12 but walked like the best strippers I have ever seen, and the sad sad elephants being climbed upon by kids whose parents had shelled out $10 for them to ride the elephants around a small ring during intermission, and all the repeated sales pitches for coloring books with magic tickets to win a bike, or the light up flashing snow cone cups, or the Shriner's hats you could buy for your kiddos. Of course I can't forget to mention the demonstrators outside holding up signs of caged show animals that said Help me. It was all so sad that we up and left before the elephant act and the human cannon ball.

We went because the tickers were free and I still had memories of "Water for Elephants" floating through my head when we were invited. I will not go back to an animal circus again.

Bring on the Acrobats and intelligible songs of Cirque de Soleil, like Saltimbanco or O.

Oh the throbbing and twitching, help me please!

My damn eye feels so thick and swollen. Maybe because it is thick and swollen. On top of the odd feeling of having an eyelid three times its normal thickness, it now twitches and pulses with all the extra blood that my body is sending to the lid. i can tell that the tear duct is blocked and irritated, hopefully my antibiotics will clear it up real soon. Because I am going crazy with the odd feelings coming from my eye. I also look weird wearing my sunglasses inside.

I have not been wearing makeup or even putting my normal face product on just in case it irritates it more. So now my skin is freaking out, my face looks red and uneven and those under eye circles are massive. I even have a new tube of mascara calling my name, it looks so tempting there on my vanity with it brand new brush and non gunked up top. *sigh*

Alex and I were up with the birds at a Scout event to sell popcorn. Casey got so much done in that time, he fixed the broken boards on our fence, the ones that Archie likes to escape through, he mowed the front and back lawns, and he did some building supply research for our fence repairs that we are going to undertake. Yeah!

Now I am off to tackle laundry, dirty dishes, and get ready for the Circus!

" I can see Clearly now..."

This morning I woke up to my left eyelid HURTING, it was puffy and swollen and either pink eye (ugh!) or a stye. So I decided to nip it in the bud if it was pink eye and use the drops that we had left over from Alex's last bout. After my eyes stopped watering and were not so sensitive, I noticed that my vision was REALLY blurry. Like I can't focus and I have a headache blurry. Turns out I used Alex's Dilation drops in both eyes instead of the pink eye medication. I spent the entire morning blurry eyed. I even had Casey read the color on the mascara packing so I would get the right one. Damn drops. Now that it has worn off some I have one eye that is huge, puffy with a big stye. Damn eye. I am such a dork.

Where Mom yells Clean Up Time!

Alex has been at my table with string cheese, juice and dirty socks.

Listed September

• I have been teaching ALOT lately, which is great cash flow wise, but my feet are dying. Sweet Casey tried to remind me today when I called him after my class (which ran really really late) that I need to buy shoes that are comfortable not fun. Ummmm, yeah I will give that a shot. But at o'dark thirty in the AM sometimes the only thing that makes pulling on work clothes are the cute shoes that accompany those hose, and buttons, and black corporate wear. I even wore my flats today, super cute patent ballet flats, and I swear the floor is really hard. Or something.
• Betty has a skin irritation again (same one she had when we first brought her home from the pound), so I have been finding chunks of black fur laying all over the house. It looks like Ales took scissors to a black stuffed animal. Her poor skin is horrible sensitive and flaky and raw. Ouch.
• Chex mix is awesome
• I had a bad dream last night about the Stephen King short story called the Mist. Wouldn't you know it, I woke up and it was misty and raining and I could all most see the underbelly of that great big monster scrape the top of my house. Scary Shit, especially standing on the end of the pier in Oceanside when the fog rolls in.
• I am prepping for a HUGE migration to Office 2007, and I have to say I think this is the first migration that I actually am excited for. Maybe it is helps that we have some big paychecks attached to it. Gotta love the up in training classes because everyone has to re-learn it.
• My feet are so sore and sensitive right now, that I would love to fill a foot bath full of lotion and just let them soak. God, that would be bliss.
• Urban Dictionary.com is my new favorite place to go find scathing definitions for stupid words that people use, like toxic and snarky and cougar. Dumb ass hats.
• My new favorite thing is sleep in flannel sheets. Wait, that has always been my favorite thing.
• Seasons are turning and I keep thinking about lamb chops and mint.

six feet + of hunka hunka

This is Casey's little brother and his girlfriend, how the hell did he get to be so grownup. How the hell did I get to be so old!!

Casey and I were about the same age as Matt and his girl when we started dating, at that point Matt was a toddler who would rattle the stair gate when Casey and I would leave on dates. I think I even changed his diaper a couple times. God bless the old folks who remember the young folks back in the day. Holy Cow my brother in law is a looker!!!

I'll take a chunk out of that one

My lovely fun friend Sharon gave me a gifty today, well actually two gifties. One was a beautiful shell bracelet that she brought back from her trip to St. Lucia, the other is the wonderfully addictive WebKinz (virtual pets that Alex and I and her and her son play together). The piggy is soft and sweet, but the bracelet took a chunk out of my finger, literally. the clasp is a tension clasp and it doesn't like me one bit. So while I love my new Webkinz (Alex got a rabbit), the bracelet makes me hurt. ouch

Carpet, glorious clean carpet

This is a sight that has been absent from my eyes for about a year and a half, this expanse of carpet being CLEARED!! I have had a mountain of boxes, bags, and stuff piled in front of my paper racks forever. yesterday, my friend Sharon was over and she casually said that her friend would love to take it all off my hands, she even loaded it into her car, and (most importantly) TOOK IT ALL AWAY!! Every time I come into my space I get a stupid giddy feeling, its CLEANED and CLEAR and I can actually see what I have. Perfect!

I am now finishing up our evening with the menfolk playing a final game of Halo for the weekend, and me snug in my clean space with a cup of suiss and my next pillow design ready to be knotted. Perfect again...

Witchy Waiting

Someone is waiting to get ready for Halloween and my new Witch hat isn't helping. 15 days and counting till i can offically put up decorations.

Freaked Myself Out

Last night I ended up finally turning off my light at midnight due to totally getting back into a book. Right before I fell asleep I felt something brush/crawl on my hand, it was most likely my hair, but in my tired mind I thought "Spider" right before I blinked off. Forty Five minutes later I had a VIVID half sleep half awake hallucination that a snake, a viper, was hanging off my reading lamp and was posed to strike me. So I hit the lamp, SCREAMED LOUD, and ran to the light switch on the other side of the room. My screaming woke up Betty who is the hardest dog to rouse, who ended up barking her head off and Archie freaked out and tried to hide behind my legs. Once I was up, I was really still half asleep because I had to search my entire bed and area around my bed for a snake. I still swear that I felt it again in the folds of my sheet. My dream mind was convinced that the viper was waiting for me somewhere, so I kept waking up through the night thinking I was just a heartbeat away from being bit. But my logical mind was so aware that I was freaking myself out. Damn, it sucked, and I have been thinking about that snake all day. I am a dork.

What is in a Name?

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)Phadra Beemer
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)Mint SnickerDoodle
3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)NBoy
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal),Blue Dog
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born),Marie San Luis Obispo
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first),Boyni
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink),The Purple Coffee
8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) Raymond John
9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy),Citrus Kitkat
10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names )Lee Scott
And a few more…
11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city thats starts with the same letter), Steale Seattle
12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower).Christmas Lilac
13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)Pear Panties
14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) Coffee Willow

She Likes the Wind

There comes a time in the year when you can step outside and feel right, perfect, comfortable, aware. A cold front moved through today and the air outside is positively delightful. Cool with a steady soft breeze and the soft scent of rain. Then it was flavored with the sound of my neighbors annoying Chihuahua. Which Casey pronounces Chi-who-wa-who-wa. Love that.

I need a book to read... must get a book.

*That last part was a bonafied statement from Random Girl*

The dilemma

I am one of those people who talks with her hands, always. Especially when I am teaching. Most of the time my students see my hands up close when I help them at their computers. My hands point things out the screen, give my stupid okay sign, and hijack their mouse when needed. Which brings me to my dilemma tonight, the big fire ant bite on my right hand pointer finger. The hand I use the most.

Do you see it?? That huge honkin' adolescent like zit on my finger?? It is actually the blister that forms after a fire ant bite. I could either leave it, pop the blister and have possible scarring, or cover it with a band aid that will make it itch like all get out. All this worry because of the actual client I am teaching for tomorrow, the big scary corporate client. If it was any of the others, I wouldn't worry. But these people notice everything, including band aids and finger zits. Damn. And ignore my sausage like digits, I swear they are long slender fingers like a piano player in real life.

Knotty Pillow Talk

I decided a couple weeks ago that we needed throw pillows for our bedroom and after checking out the local selections I decided to go my own route. Off to the fabric store for Fossil Fern, one of the longest fabric production runs ever, and started making French Knots in a not to feminine flower. Between the Batik material and abstract flower I think I created exactly what I envisioned on my first test run. Three more are in production, waiting for about two thousand French Knots each. Seriously so much fun. I have one massive poesy on the hoop now with a mental design for two more pillows with poesy ivy trim. Vive La Knotty Girl!

Just two inches and 16 years.

I woke up this morning with plans for a perfect breakfast of eggs, bagels, and fruit. I discovered though that our fridge door had been left open all night about two inches. Just two inches ruined 6 garbage bags of food. Everything was tossed save the watermelon. All the fresh cheeses and meats, all the condiments, all the brand new yogurts and juices. Every stinking warm as bathwater piece. So we drained and tossed it all, rushed it to the curb in time for garbage pickup, and I cleaned the fridge like the good girl that I am. I must say that is it easier to clean when it is completely empty then when you have a table full of food you are rushing to get back in there.

We headed out after a breakfast of peanut butter sandwiches, stocked up on the basics, and then headed out to see Balls of Fury. Good thing Casey and Alex enjoyed it because it was all most as dumb as Joe Verses the Volcano (which is my high point for stupid movies). Then we had an early dinner at a steakhouse complete with Rattlesnake bites, peanuts to toss on the floor and sweet tea. Happy tums all around.

Yesterday I talked with two of my best friends from as far back as middle school, they are married to each other and have an adorable little guy. Found out that Ty was contacted by the girl that I was best friends with for a couple years before she moved to Florida. God the memories that brought back. Made me think of Jughead comics, swatch phones, Brian Ty and Matt singing "You've lost that Lovin' Feeling", Sunday bagels, her mom tanning, the announcement that we were now officially part of the Gulf war and Donald Duck juice. Funny thing was that I had been thinking about her a couple months ago because I remembered that her little brother has the same middle name as Alex.

Brooke and I always seem to reminisce about high school and so and so. And it has started to make me feel old, I think I said to Brooke " Damn we are old!" about ten times before she told me to shut up. *grin* She told me about people contacting her through her myspace page and she sent me off to see their pictures and talk about Remember When's. All those pages are one of the main reason's why I refuse to setup an official MySpace page. No way no how, because then Brooke and I wouldn't have anything to send us off on a trip down memory lane.

Meet Master Peter Rabbit

One day in the fine big back yard, Master Peter was scared away from the high grass against the fence by a big yellow grass cutting machine. The human that was pushing the machine brought over his Penny Dog to flush out what he thought was a snake or mouse, but out tumbled Master Peter. The human immediately called off his Penny dog and scooped up Peter before he could be harmed. Master Peter's brother and sisters escaped through a hole in the fence and that is right where he went after the human showed him to his wife and child.

Bye Master Peter!

Punkin' Luv

Some days are perfect for a punkin' completion. Seriously the hardest part about this little guy was the stitching up, and only because it was tedious. Pattern here. Mine came out a bit different due to a different yarn and a smidgen to little stuffing, but I am dang happy about it. Be on the look out for dozens more soon.

My morning time.

Some mornings are made to be greeted with breakfast by rain and lantern light.

6 down and now 12 to go, now 12 done 6 to go!

I finally got around to my Letter a week card. I finished up 6 weeks today, stopping when I finished the card for the hardest week I have had in years. The topic still makes me tense, angry, and drained, all of which was evident in its design. Anyways, I now am only 12 weeks behind, I plan on tackling more later today, once I decide to jump into another hard card, the George card.

It was fun getting paint on my hands again. It was fun shifting into my creative gear. It was just fun. I have so many random letters left in my deck, I am going to have to turn on the thinking part of my brain to find weeks where I can use up my X's and Z's.

And just to end on a sweet note, sweet like my boy, here is a shot that Casey took of Bugman and the pack. Apparently it took 7 tries, a dozen sit commands, one Bad Bella look, and two collars hooked in order to get them all in the frame. School projects will make you persistent.

Update: Knocked out 6 more weeks, that makes 12 today and 6 to finish up! Yippy!