I enjoy reading other people's blogs....

I tend to think of myself as "computer savvy." Granted, I can't write any programs nor can I get into system files and command prompts and figure out what's wrong. But give me 5 minutes with a program and I can figure out how to use it without a manual.

Anyway, that being said, I think I need to spend at least 5 minutes trying to figure out to use this website. I run across blogs that interest me, or I think are funny, etc. and I would love to link to them here. But I don't know how to do that. I took me a while to figure out how to add a link, and don't even get me started on adding photos or videos.

One day when I have some free time I'll figure out how all this works. Other than that, please know that I enjoy reading everyone else's blogs. It breaks the mundaneness (is that even a word?) of my life and lets me know that there are others out there like me and there are people out there that despise mothers like me. Eh. I like reading about them all!

I am the proud new owner.....

of a 2005 Buick Rainier (see below post).

We went to the dealership one final time yesterday afternoon. Our salesman called me and said that he had some "good news" for us and wanted us to come in. Never did he elaborate on that good news and I would NOT recommend this salesman to ANYONE....but the finance department and rest of the business is fantastic. Third car we buy from there. anyway....

I went to www.edmunds.com and got all the pricing information on the newused car we were buying, as well as my trade in. I was determined that I was going to walk in prepared and show them that we're not some stupid kids trying to buy a car. Turns out, I didn't need that folder after all. They came down $2K on the asking price (which wasn't enough initially), but ended up giving me $5500 for my car. Are you kidding me? No, that's not a typo. Turns out, they made the trade in value higher instead of the price lower so that it "looked good" to the credit people. Whatever. According to edmunds, the value of my trade was $900. And that was WITHOUT disclosing the busted head gasket. The way I see it, I shoul d have paid them to take it off my hands. So, I was well prepared to go in and demand that I wasn't paying a penny more than $16K, when they offered me $14395.00 after you do all the math. I was happy and we signed the papers.

I pick up my car on Friday.....AFTER they put me 4 new tires and a new windshield :) They may have blown me away with the price, but I still wanted (needed) to get SOMETHING out of them! hahahahaha. Oh and I have 36 hours from the time I take delivery to have it inspected by my mechanic--hopefully all is well in the hood!

I hate car shopping!

I was planning on buying a new car. But because I wanted to, not because I HAD to. This makes the stress of car buying a little easier and who lot funner to walk away from a salesman because they don't want to give you the price you are looking for...only to have them call you a few days later finally relenting to that price.

I brought my car to the shop to have some spark plugs changed because the engine was misfiring. No big deal. He called me and told me it would be $75 to change those plugs, rotate the tires and change my oil. So he proceeded to rotate the tires and change the oil. An hour later I get a call, "I have some bad news about your car. Give me a call." Uh-oh. So I called....there was water in the spark plug area. Which means, I had a busted head gasket. $2500 to fix it. The car is not WORTH $2500. So I asked him if he could fix it and make the lights go off long enough for me to take it to the dealership and trade it in. Absolutely he says. So I left work early on Friday and went car shopping.

Now, I know I'm young. But I let a car dealer get over on me once before and I am never letting that happen again. I'm not buying a 2005 model car with 30K miles on it for $18K....I don't CARE what the original price was. I don't care that it's a Buick and that it's gorgeous and that I fell in love with it the minute I opened the door. I don't care that THIS is the car that I want. I'm not paying that much money. So the games begin. Now...we went drive by the dealership yesterday to look at it again to make sure that's the one I wanted, and it was nowhere to be found. As late as Saturday afternoon we were still wheeling and dealing on it so maybe they relocated it inside to get detailed or something....I just don't know.

I'm waiting on them to call be "before noon" today for their FINAL price. If that car is gone it's not really a big deal b/c there are 2 other ones there that I really liked and honestly are probably more practical. But I hate HAVING to buy something rather than being able to just walk away and start over. The credit is already pulled, the financing is in place, and price is the only deal breaker (well, unless they sold it out from under me of course).

For now I'm driving my grandma's car. They appraised mine and only offered me $1000, but I'm not negotiating on that point. I can't morally sell it to someone knowing what's wrong with it, and I don't want them to look at my car any harder...especially since once I drove it off after they appraised it the damn thing started misfiring again and driving all stupid. although I know it's worth at least $1500, that's not an issue I care to fight. So I'll fight price, but boy do I HATE it.

Especially since I LOVE this car! http://www.autobase.com/cgi/info.exe?bc=3625675&dealer=astarflm

Valentine's Day!

I'm not expecting anything from my husband. I figure that our 8 year anniversary is on the 25th and I'm honestly not expecting anything for that either. I guess I just don't "get" the whole gift giving thing. Especially on a manufactured holiday. I mean, we buy stuff we want when we want it. And if it's a big ticket item we discuss it with the other person beforehand and the cost and evaluate when/if we'll get it. Kinda like the boat he's been wanting for a few years....it just keeps falling further and further down the priority list.

Anyway, while I'm not going to be traipsing Walmart at lunch time today for anything for my husband...I will be perusing the aisles for stuff for my kids. They don't understand about the manufactured holiday...especially after getting a bounty of stuff from mawmaw and nanny sandi last night.

All About HIM

Stolen from KBOX:

What is his name? His middle name is Keith, which is what he goes by. I won't tell you his "real" name for fear of retribution ;)
How long have you been married? 8 years on Feb. 25th
How long did you date? about 2 years
How old is he? 33
How old are you? 29
Who eats more sweets? Me
Who said I love you first? We both wanted to say it but neither wanted to be the first one....so we counted to 3 and said it together
Who is taller? Him but barely
Who can sing better? I'm going to say him for sure
Who is smarter? That depends. I have more book smarts but he has more common sense. And he knows a little bit about alot of things.
Who does the laundry? Our son ;)
Who does the dishes? Again, our son
Who pays the bills? We share the responsibility
His guilty pleasure? Fishing
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Well, if you're standing at the foot of the bed looking at the headboard then I sleep on the right side
Who mows the lawn? Our poor son.....
Besides you, who is his best friend? Jay for sure!
Who cooks dinner? He cooks the BEST spaghetti...I cook everything else
Who drives? If we're going in or through Baton Rouge then I do, otherwise he does
Who kissed who first? He kissed me
Who asked who out first? He asked me.
What was your first date? We went to the Texas Club to listen to Wayne Toups
Who proposed? Him.
Who has more siblings? I have more natural siblings....he has more extended siblings
Who wears the pants? It's a mutual thing...we complement each other well and reign each other in when we get a little out of hand
What is your favorite thing about him? The fact that before he adopted Brendan he always treated him as his own and never thought anything other than him being is blood child

This is SO true. I love it!

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat, and among other liberal ideals, was very much in favor of higher taxes to support more government programs; in other words, redistribution of wealth.

She was deeply ashamed her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures she had participated in, and the occasional chat with her professors, she felt her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day, she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes and the need for more government programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth, and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in school.

Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends either because she spent all her time studying.

Her father listened, then asked, "How is your friend Audrey doing?"

She replied, "Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties, and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung over ."

Her father asked her, "Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend Audrey, who only has a 2.0? That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA. Certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA, no?"

The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, "That's a crazy idea! How would that be fair? I've worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work. And she's done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!"

"Really," said the father. Then he slowly smiled, winked, and said gently,
"Welcome to the Republican Party."

Ugh

My secretary walked out 2 weeks ago today. Just walked out. After being here for 2 months, didn't say goodbye, thank you, screw you....nothing. Just walked out. Which means that my boss has been PILING the work on me. Between working late, shuttling the kids around and trying to keep some sort of cleanliness to my house I've barely had time to sleep. I better get a BIG bonus after all of this......

Oh, and another thing. I sit right beside the kitchen and for the past 2 weeks someone has been coming in making this awful smelling stuff for breakfast that permeates to my office until about lunch time. It's some kind of egg/maple syrup/burnt toast smell. Good thing I'm not pregnant.

I lost my sunglasses. Again. At the Spanish Town parade after almost being rolled over by the Zapp's potato chip fire truck thing because the breaks went out. And as we're trying to push back through 4 rows of people one particularly bitchy woman refused to move because she was afraid of losing her spot almost causing my 4 year old to get run over by the fire truck. In a last ditch effort Keith had to pick him up and throw him to my boss about 5 feet away from us. (Side note: I think that was his favorite catch of the day hehehe)