Wannabefree...guess what I got in the mail today!?!?!?!?

[hqueen13]

I have a very strong dislike of winter too. However, I'm glad I don't live in place with no winter either. The bugs are horrid and horses become too high maintenance!

Edited to correct stops auto typing errors of the phone.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

You are the shopping QUEEN!

Seed catalogs are coming in daily - and it almost counts as cruel and unusual punishment, lol!

You shoulda never even mentioned a garden grown, sun-ripened, big, fat, juicy heirloom tomato..... I WANT!

 

[Wannabefree]

I know...I'm dyin for one and no hope for months...I dunno why I torture myself like that

I think we may have a few leads on jobs. A couple small jobs, and a full time big job for hubs if it pans out. I sent off three of his resumes today and he got almost immediate response from one of them. We will see I guess. The other two are just little one day or less gigs. But hey, it's grocery money or a small bill paid if we can do them. Or if we luck up like last time it could be a bit better than that, but still no job security. Every little bit counts though!!

I am DETERMINED to get this stupid house paid off THIS year. If I have to shovel poop...then poop I will shovel. I'm tired of carrying debt. The house is the last debt item, and the vehicles are in a steady decline...thankfully not a very rapid decline, but the more miles we go the more chance they will completely go down. They're both 14 year old vehicles..so uh...time to begin looking at replacement or at least having the cash to fix them if they're still worth fixing. My Trucky will ALWAYS be worth fixing She's the bestest, though she is a heavy drinker

I would like to have a good back up though. Right now, the car, goes down more than the truck! We just had to replace the battery and it has a small power steering issue, then theres the cracked up windshield thanks to Louisiana heat and those gargantuan bugs on the I-10 bridge couldn't have helped. 17 mile bridge, over the swamps, and grasshoppers the size of cats...and don't dare run the wipers!!!! That was awful lol! Multiple trips down there several summers ago was hard on the ole car. It has served us very well though.

So, anyway, the house next door is getting a face lift Hope we have some nice new neighbors soon! Optimistic on that, but not overly optimistic. I just hope they don't have dogs that run free....we have enough of those. The nice neighbors across the street have a dog that runs loose, he's old and doesn't hurt anyone, but he keeps coming over to crap in the front yard, and so I don't much care for him anymore. The last dogs that did got a rude awakening. I'd hate to do it, but if he keeps it up, he'll get the same. Nice folks or not, they should be more respectful IMO.

That's pretty much it for today. DH and I(mostly him) have worked on DD's car today changing out the transmission filter. She was shocked at the $110 bill...and then got mad at me for making her buy a book for the car $30. I told her...wise up kid, welcome to vehicle ownership! Isn't it grand?!

 

[hqueen13]

Gee we seem to be in the same boat lately... we have struggling vehicles too. I don't need to write much cause what you write might as Well be my life right now too lol

 

[Denim Deb]

I think we're all in the same boat. My truck is 12 yo, hubby's work car is even older. But, we'll have some big bills paid off this year, and will hopefully be able to do something about vehicles.

 

[Wannabefree]

Yep, and this boat needs to get fixed. I'm tired of it already

I cooked for the dogs today. They got fish bait lol! Chicken livers that were old, and were intended for fish bait that is...I cooked them with some rice, old bread and old turkey gravy. They're all fat and sleeping now lol!

I think 2014 is gonna be so much better. A friend and I are talking about going into business together. He has all the necessary facilities from a prior business venture that went down with the economy. The new venture...I have the knowledge to get it off the ground, possibly even on a shoestring budget using those same facilities, and he's begging me to come help get it all up and running because he has seen my work. That's the only problem though, we're both in the same boat financially right now. It will take some money to get it off to a good enough start to be able to sustain income for two households within 12 months time, and that's the goal. If we're going to do it it's a kind of sink or swim, all in, kind of deal. It is NOT going to take off like a rocket, but it WILL take off. It's also seasonal to a large degree. Now is the time to get it going though and we can't. It's so frustrating! We see plenty of gap in the market to get our foot in the door, and nobody else around here has this particular niche covered. The demand is higher than the supply right now. I HAVE to find some work and get off this stupid roller coaster. This year is the year to do it and I'm bent on making it happen. He knows that, and feels the same way. Maybe with both of us being stubborn enough we can get it started this year Otherwise, I'll start small like I have been planning and do it myself, then bring him into it next year and grow the business using his facilities as well. Either way, by this time next year, I plan on being completely debt free, and a small business owner with a fat income. I'm tired of playing around. I want this house paid for, so we can breathe, and I want a nice income so DH can stay home. So in 2014, I'm either gonna finally make it to the point where I want to be, or I'm gonna die trying. Y'all will come to my funeral if necessary, right?

 

[Denim Deb]

Don't think we'll need to. I think you have the drive needed to get er done.

 

[Wannabefree]

We're working on it.
Hubs just had a conference with a company South of here, nice salary, per diem, fuel card, etc. and it's not looking too bad. It's another out of town gig, but with the salary, and my projections, if he gets to go, this house will be paid for by November if I sit and tweedle my thumbs from now till then..which y'all know good and well AINT gonna happen

AND another company is still supposed to call him to let him know if they have a similar position open. New Year, new opportunities....bring it on!

I'm about to start some plants for the garden and market. Next week I have to plant some cold weather crops IN the garden, so I gotta get off my butt and get moving. We have sleet and snow this morning lol! YAY! I hope everyone else is having a good day/week/month/year so far

 

[BarredBuff]

Glad it is looking up for you!

 

[hqueen13]

You might want check out kickstarter.com it's a capital funding campaign site to help build up funds to get something started. Here is an example of a campaign that I was following http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1653107857/tail-lights sad that they didn't reach their goal.
There are other sites out there that also Do this kind of thing. Do a little digging, you might not have to wait as long as you think.
Best of luck! I wish I could get myself if the ground with a but better direction. I Do have to say that at the beginning of last year I knew it would be tough. I knew I wouldn't be living in the same place by the end if the year. This was months before anything actually changed but I could feel the shift coming. I have none of those feelings about this year. Nothing bad but nothing good. Well, if there is good I'm afraid to really feel it right now I think.