It's still ongoing, but I feel close enough to the end to finally it get out and leave it here.
On December 4th, Matt was rear-ended in a 100% the other guy's fault wreck. Our insurance company closed out the file immediately.
Enter, Allstate.
The town the wreck happened in (Hanceville) has the vehicles towed themselves, so the first series of calls we had to make were to locate the car for the insurance company and have it towed to the dealership they use (Mitch Smith) for repairs. Note, they are not an 'authorized' dealership, meaning they can't inspect their own work. More on that later.
We were told it would be repaired by Dec 30th. Allstate arranged for a rental car. A week into the new year, they wanted the rental car returned. The dealership was not finished with the car, so after 20 calls back and forth to and from Matt to and from the dealership, Allstate and Enterprise, the rental was extended. After 60 days, the car was ready to pick up, so we returned the rental and the next morning, got the Forte.
It had subsequent damage from being cinched onto the tow truck after the wreck and the front end needed part replaced. Then there were gauges that needed replaced, half an hour after picking it up, we returned it (never left the parking area in fact) because the airbag light was on, even when I sat in the passenger seat.
They checked it over and a couple of hours later, sent Matt home in a loaner car.
Allstate opted to total the car on Tuesday the 16th of February. We were asked to return the loaner car. Allstate refused any more help, cut a check to Redstone and said they absolutely would not pay for another rental while we looked for a replacement car. Keep in mind, the rental and loaner cars were during the period of time we were told we'd be getting our car back, so we had not looked anywhere.
That Friday, Kurt offered us his extra car, so Matt had vehicle to get to work and back with. We started calling, looking online and cruising lots when he was home from work. Saturday the 27th, we went to Murfreesburo, TN to look at another Forte and ended up buying a 2014 Nissan Versa Note for what we owed on the Forte-so at least we are not in more debt. It's a 5 speed, very basic (crank-down windows!). The plan is for Matt to drive it for now until he finds just what he wants, then it will be my car. The van is way too much car these days and I freaking LOVE a stick shift. Plus, it gets nearly 40 MPG and only has 22k miles on it. In the meantime, it will be paid off in 2 years, so that's a plus.
So, the Forte was scrapped, we looked at buying it and having it recertified as road safe with a salvage title, but the dealership can't actually do that, we'd have to pay someone else to look it over and then repair everything that may have been missed, then pay to have it inspected again. Ad Nauseam.
We already knew the airbag sensor was bad, $1200. Bam.
In the meantime, we went to get the new car registered and found out they need a copy of the title and some other forms sent directly to the courthouse, which the dealership could not comprehend. The guy we bought the car from is out o town for a few days and has not started the paperwork. The bank they talked us into using has never heard of us, I could not even get past the automated answering system. I sent an e-mail, to which they have not yet responded. We are having the loan transferred to Redstone, I can't deal with that. our credit rating is so chewed up by buying a car 6 months ago putting a chunk on the credit card out of the blue with the brake job in December and then again this week and now transferring the loan will ding it another 30 points. The lady at the courthouse was nice, but she blessed my heart, which pretty much means, "Sucks to be you".
I called the dealership back and said they had until next Tuesday to fix this and woe unto them if I had to drive up there myself on Wednesday. The other salesman acted like I was being an idiot and making up things, then the bank called him and he clicked back over to say they were sending the forms he needs and he would take care of it right away. So, maybe it will all work out. Maybe I will get to have lunch at Omar's again next week after I chew through a small car dealership. Who knows?
I do know this much-I will not buy out of state again and I really, really hope I never have to buy another car from anyone other than Jeremy at Shaddix in Cullman because he is really nice and does not add fees or play games. He just could not find what Matt wanted in the short period of time we had to find something. And I do like the Nissan, I just could really do with it being a much smoother transaction.
UPDATE: They sent the title and all the info we needed in time to get the paperwork done, so yay!
So, fingers crossed that nothing else car-related will crop up for a while. I just want to get the little car registered by the 15th and go on with life. The crank down windows pleased Chandler quite a bit. Now we can escape if the car goes into water! Ack
Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts
Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Poolin Around
Last night was our social event of the season, $5 night at the Aquatic Center!
They added a new slide this year, you go 30 MPH and shoot out 5 feet above the water. |
| Ben watching Chan launch |
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| Melanie |
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| Ben himself |
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| There were 5 girls and both Bens and that was it! Last summer some 100 folks showed up for our night Too bad for everyone else, it was a perfect night to be at the pool! There is another one in July, I imagine it will be packed. |
Chan!
We had a great time, went to get $5 combos afterward and slowly turn to ice in the AC.
THEN Chan got a shake. ACK.
I drove home with the heater on.
The changing room has a tiny water extractor, you put your suit in, shut the lid and about 30 seconds later, it's DRY. That was the best thing about the whole night, hahaha!
Someday I will have a lovely entryway, but the old cattle gate is working for now. Keeps the bad dogs out and the slightly better dogs mostly in.
Murphy is sporting his bark collar because he is a naughty dog! It beeps many times before it zaps him, I don't think he's reached zap point yet. He can't stop barking at the cats or rabbits or the big dogs-heaven forbid Kuma actually stand up! He barks at the door until it opens, at us for attention (read:demanding treats for zero effort) and so on.
We tried for a full month and he was able to calm down SOME, but that first beep chilled him like nothing else. He was like, "Oh, a beep noise. I should be still and quiet now." It worked so well that we can often just put a bandanna on him and he is just as chill. Damn weirdest dog I have ever seen. He will almost at random just leave. Hit the road and keep going. I have had to get in the van and follow him 4 times now, so I ordered a tag for him as I am done chasing him through yards while he waits just long enough for me to get close before dashing another quarter mile. I transposed the digits in my phone number when I ordered the engraving. Maybe that person will want him. ha!
Also, if you have a 'dogs on premises' sign that means you have dogs in the yard or house. A 'beware of dog' sign can be used in court as prior knowledge that your dog is dangerous if it happens to bite someone.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Camping Food
Camping is about 10% gear and 40% location and the other 50% revolves around food. I know people who carry along grills and cooking and eating are their main events while camping. That's fine, but we usually base camp and use the campground as a launch point. No time for making complicated meals! I have just about fine tuned our food and thought I would share it here, as 'what do you eat at camp' is such a common question! Every conversation I have had with strangers while out camping involves food.
My main goal is to streamline foods to do 3 things-feed my picky eater and provide protein, good fats, carbs and fiber and keep to our budget.
Breakfast:
Grits with added cheese, jerky or pepperoni and sliced apples
Oatmeal with added nuts or nut butter and dried fruit
GF torillas with the options of nut butter and preserves, pepperoni and raw spinach, avocado slices with nuts or cheese.
Lunch:
GF tortillas or crackers and previous options plus tuna and pesto
Protein bar and raw fruit/veggies
Snack:
chips and fruit
teddy grahams and Nutella
goldfish crackers with cherry tomatoes
Dinner:
Rice with soup on top
rice noodles with raw spinach, avocado and nuts
GF pasta with pesto and salad
You can buy just a few things: raw spinach and cherry tomatoes, a bag of apples, a few avocado, a variety of nuts (we like hemp, flax, chia and raw almond), nut butter (hazelnut with cocoa, yum!) and a couple different dried fruits, look for no sugar added. A pack of string cheese, box or two of protein bars, some bags of pepperoni, a couple boxes of grits and oatmeal, a few bags of microwave rice (you can still heat it in a pot or electric skillet if you don't have a microwave!) some cans or pouches of soup (Campbell's makes a really good curry soup) and a pack of rice noodles, tortillas, pasta, pesto, tuna, some butter and a bag or two of chips and you are set! It's not a huge variety, but it's enough to keep everyone satisfied and it can all be cooked in a single pot or electric skillet. And it works out to under $2 a meal. Around $100 for a week's worth, if you plan to also eat a meal out once every day or two.
We also hit the Asian grocery before a trip so we always have along new tea, fun candy, dried seaweed, tiny packets of jello with lychee cubes and rice crackers. I usually make pancakes on our lazy mornings, I just put the mix in a wide-mouth plastic bottle, shake and pour onto the electric skillet. We use nut butter, goat cheese and nuts to top them.
See my batter bottle in the background? It's from Wal-Mart and had their pancake mix in it originally. Reuse when you can!
Belle Chevre in Elkmont, AL has yummy goat cheese spreads. We scored some goodies for the trip, but any good soft cheese spread will work.
I like to stay away from complicated menus and having to bring along several pots and pans. I do use paper plates and bowls and sporks from Taco Bell. We have water bottles that we drink from. With a limited variety, everything fits in our limited storage space, too. I bring along a plastic container with 3 large drawers and meals go in breakfast, lunch and dinner-one per drawer. Fruit on top of the mini fridge, chips and tortillas on top of the drawers along with a bowl that holds little bottles of (smoked sea) salt, pepper, curry, ginger and cinnamon, which add a good deal of flavor variety, too!
Mingled with various meals out, this is a very good camping menu that covers all of our needs and keeps us nomming all week with no drama. :) Some of it can be thrown in a pack for eating on the go, too.
My main goal is to streamline foods to do 3 things-feed my picky eater and provide protein, good fats, carbs and fiber and keep to our budget.
Breakfast:
Grits with added cheese, jerky or pepperoni and sliced apples
Oatmeal with added nuts or nut butter and dried fruit
GF torillas with the options of nut butter and preserves, pepperoni and raw spinach, avocado slices with nuts or cheese.
Lunch:
GF tortillas or crackers and previous options plus tuna and pesto
Protein bar and raw fruit/veggies
Snack:
chips and fruit
teddy grahams and Nutella
goldfish crackers with cherry tomatoes
Dinner:
Rice with soup on top
rice noodles with raw spinach, avocado and nuts
GF pasta with pesto and salad
You can buy just a few things: raw spinach and cherry tomatoes, a bag of apples, a few avocado, a variety of nuts (we like hemp, flax, chia and raw almond), nut butter (hazelnut with cocoa, yum!) and a couple different dried fruits, look for no sugar added. A pack of string cheese, box or two of protein bars, some bags of pepperoni, a couple boxes of grits and oatmeal, a few bags of microwave rice (you can still heat it in a pot or electric skillet if you don't have a microwave!) some cans or pouches of soup (Campbell's makes a really good curry soup) and a pack of rice noodles, tortillas, pasta, pesto, tuna, some butter and a bag or two of chips and you are set! It's not a huge variety, but it's enough to keep everyone satisfied and it can all be cooked in a single pot or electric skillet. And it works out to under $2 a meal. Around $100 for a week's worth, if you plan to also eat a meal out once every day or two.
We also hit the Asian grocery before a trip so we always have along new tea, fun candy, dried seaweed, tiny packets of jello with lychee cubes and rice crackers. I usually make pancakes on our lazy mornings, I just put the mix in a wide-mouth plastic bottle, shake and pour onto the electric skillet. We use nut butter, goat cheese and nuts to top them.
See my batter bottle in the background? It's from Wal-Mart and had their pancake mix in it originally. Reuse when you can!
Belle Chevre in Elkmont, AL has yummy goat cheese spreads. We scored some goodies for the trip, but any good soft cheese spread will work.
 |
| mmmmmmmm! and the electric skillet wipes clean in about 10 seconds. |
Mingled with various meals out, this is a very good camping menu that covers all of our needs and keeps us nomming all week with no drama. :) Some of it can be thrown in a pack for eating on the go, too.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Weird Week, Updated
Well, it's been unusual around here for days. We don't have a certain schedule, but we do have a routine that is not too far strayed from. This has been the week to stray!
Monday was the ortho (where I was not charged for a new retainer, they had another idea first and they said 2 months left for Ben!!) and library where I went in ready to do battle over a book I knew had been returned. As soon as she brought up my account, she said, "That book was found on the shelves and checked back in. Let me just clear that late fee it accrued for you!" Ack! I have never had it so easy!
Then I discovered a drink called...yogurt aloe mango I think, at the Asian store and I swear, I could drink that for every meal for a month. SO yummy. I also got a whole flat of sushi and Chan and I ate it like we had not been fed in a week, I thought she was going to chopstick me right in the eye! It was $4.50 for a full tray as usual, but no pickled ginger any more. I whined to no avail-though they did sell me a whole jar of it. So, I guess that was okay. :) I poked at the tea eggs...I could not do it. I don't really like eggs, so eating one cooked weird was not topping my to-do list. They boil them in a very strong tea and then crack the shells so the eggs are stained in a brown mosaic.
On Tuesday morning I got up and hauled in all the plants-27 degrees! They were NOT happy going from a chilly yard to a house with the heater on. By today they were wilty and sad. I put them all back out in the sun and gave them a good drink. It's still cold, but not dangerous-for-seedlings cold.
As I was doing yard stuff yesterday in the ICY wind that nearly cracked my bones and gave me a nasty ear ache, I saw a lump in the driveway. It was a VERY dead stranger cat. I guess it was hit, but I don't know how, maybe the mail truck? That's the only traffic we have had all week. I thought it had been dragged off, but Matt buried it. I am glad, though I feel bad for the owner, it was not a stray-no collar, but not scrawny. Maybe it was dumped and the dogs killed it.
Jessie came hobbling up-the cold hurts her hip-and I was going to let her in and I saw her face!! She must have put it in a shredder. She has no skin at all on her entire nose from her eyes to her nose tip and her ears and jowls are cut up. I set her up on a raised bed (a blanket on the ground is no insulation for a pet) and gave her a heated blanket and turned on the heater. She was too drippy to come in, the carpet's bad enough without adding more animal blood. There's already blood stains from a puked up rabbit in 3 places. No matter how you scrub, it does not come out! I need a carpet cleaner... (UPDATE-it was pine tar, not blood, she's fine and the vet thinks I am a nut job. I was just too chicken to look too closely, hahaha. That's why they get paid the big bucks.)
Matt e-mailed in the afternoon about an interview on Thursday morning! It's an in-company transfer but he needs out of the area he's in. His new boss is great (his 3rd new one in 6 months, though), but there's some stuff going on that we'd both be happier if he were not so close to it. Let's just say general bad management and drama and leave it there. I know that's EVERY job, but the department (medical) that he's looking to move to seems more stable and it's run by a woman. That can't hurt. (UPDATE-the interview went very well, but the position pays less than the one he is currently in. I did not think that was even possible. They are going to see if they can rename the position and get more funding. They like to promote in that department and they like to hire people looking to move up. Keep your fingers crossed, there have been no pay increases or promotions in his current area-EVER. Just more responsibility for him and lots of next-level-up shuffling.)
The boys helped me work in our little garden spot Wednesday. Having turned it all by hand, I no longer think it's so little! We recovered it with the tarps, I think the soil needs to warm more. That's a total guess. I am looking at my compost and at the dirt and I see lots of worms, which is good and also grubs which is bad-not to mention yucky. Anything approaching the size of my thumb ought not to be hiding in the dirt. I don't know what to do about those, I think they eat roots.
I went around to see what the winter damage was to the mower and it CRANKED. Never, not in 10 years, has the mower cranked the next spring without serious stress and a couple hours of tinkering and swearing and cleaning gas lines. I mowed the weedy bits and left the parts of the yard still in full flower to grow.
Coming in on Monday, we drove up the back side of the mountain, which is always pretty even if it does make the van groan. Down in the valley-which is swampy galore, I am daily glad we live up here-we passed a new pasture that had a flock of little bitty horses and they all ran as we passed. It was so cute, they have such stubby legs, it was like watching toys totter past. I have visions of a yard full of miniature animals, but in reality, I doubt I ever will. I want to be able to run around without much notice, animals are more tying than small children. And I worry that mini animals hurt, I know some forms of dwarfism can be painful and throw out hips and other joints in humans, so breeding animals to be dwarfed...I just need more information.
Here are some pics from the drive home.
Sunday we were...at home! Worked in the yard, on the camping stuff, got some lists made. This whole time I have been working on a new project that I am saying NOTHING about. It seems like when I blog about my ideas, the exposure to the light kills them. I am actually making good headway.
Monday was the ortho (where I was not charged for a new retainer, they had another idea first and they said 2 months left for Ben!!) and library where I went in ready to do battle over a book I knew had been returned. As soon as she brought up my account, she said, "That book was found on the shelves and checked back in. Let me just clear that late fee it accrued for you!" Ack! I have never had it so easy!
Then I discovered a drink called...yogurt aloe mango I think, at the Asian store and I swear, I could drink that for every meal for a month. SO yummy. I also got a whole flat of sushi and Chan and I ate it like we had not been fed in a week, I thought she was going to chopstick me right in the eye! It was $4.50 for a full tray as usual, but no pickled ginger any more. I whined to no avail-though they did sell me a whole jar of it. So, I guess that was okay. :) I poked at the tea eggs...I could not do it. I don't really like eggs, so eating one cooked weird was not topping my to-do list. They boil them in a very strong tea and then crack the shells so the eggs are stained in a brown mosaic.
On Tuesday morning I got up and hauled in all the plants-27 degrees! They were NOT happy going from a chilly yard to a house with the heater on. By today they were wilty and sad. I put them all back out in the sun and gave them a good drink. It's still cold, but not dangerous-for-seedlings cold.
As I was doing yard stuff yesterday in the ICY wind that nearly cracked my bones and gave me a nasty ear ache, I saw a lump in the driveway. It was a VERY dead stranger cat. I guess it was hit, but I don't know how, maybe the mail truck? That's the only traffic we have had all week. I thought it had been dragged off, but Matt buried it. I am glad, though I feel bad for the owner, it was not a stray-no collar, but not scrawny. Maybe it was dumped and the dogs killed it.
Jessie came hobbling up-the cold hurts her hip-and I was going to let her in and I saw her face!! She must have put it in a shredder. She has no skin at all on her entire nose from her eyes to her nose tip and her ears and jowls are cut up. I set her up on a raised bed (a blanket on the ground is no insulation for a pet) and gave her a heated blanket and turned on the heater. She was too drippy to come in, the carpet's bad enough without adding more animal blood. There's already blood stains from a puked up rabbit in 3 places. No matter how you scrub, it does not come out! I need a carpet cleaner... (UPDATE-it was pine tar, not blood, she's fine and the vet thinks I am a nut job. I was just too chicken to look too closely, hahaha. That's why they get paid the big bucks.)
Matt e-mailed in the afternoon about an interview on Thursday morning! It's an in-company transfer but he needs out of the area he's in. His new boss is great (his 3rd new one in 6 months, though), but there's some stuff going on that we'd both be happier if he were not so close to it. Let's just say general bad management and drama and leave it there. I know that's EVERY job, but the department (medical) that he's looking to move to seems more stable and it's run by a woman. That can't hurt. (UPDATE-the interview went very well, but the position pays less than the one he is currently in. I did not think that was even possible. They are going to see if they can rename the position and get more funding. They like to promote in that department and they like to hire people looking to move up. Keep your fingers crossed, there have been no pay increases or promotions in his current area-EVER. Just more responsibility for him and lots of next-level-up shuffling.)
The boys helped me work in our little garden spot Wednesday. Having turned it all by hand, I no longer think it's so little! We recovered it with the tarps, I think the soil needs to warm more. That's a total guess. I am looking at my compost and at the dirt and I see lots of worms, which is good and also grubs which is bad-not to mention yucky. Anything approaching the size of my thumb ought not to be hiding in the dirt. I don't know what to do about those, I think they eat roots.
I went around to see what the winter damage was to the mower and it CRANKED. Never, not in 10 years, has the mower cranked the next spring without serious stress and a couple hours of tinkering and swearing and cleaning gas lines. I mowed the weedy bits and left the parts of the yard still in full flower to grow.
Coming in on Monday, we drove up the back side of the mountain, which is always pretty even if it does make the van groan. Down in the valley-which is swampy galore, I am daily glad we live up here-we passed a new pasture that had a flock of little bitty horses and they all ran as we passed. It was so cute, they have such stubby legs, it was like watching toys totter past. I have visions of a yard full of miniature animals, but in reality, I doubt I ever will. I want to be able to run around without much notice, animals are more tying than small children. And I worry that mini animals hurt, I know some forms of dwarfism can be painful and throw out hips and other joints in humans, so breeding animals to be dwarfed...I just need more information.
Here are some pics from the drive home.
And that's it.
Thursday we stayed home, our hike never happened, though we cooked out on our own. Matt had Friday off, we stayed home. Saturday my father came to visit and we got the central unit up and limping. The verdict on that is that it will have to be replaced, it's so bypassed and rigged and the freon leaks-no more repairs. When it goes out again, it's gone. The good news is that the repair cost less than I had budgeted, so we now have a little in the 'new unit' fund.
Sunday we were...at home! Worked in the yard, on the camping stuff, got some lists made. This whole time I have been working on a new project that I am saying NOTHING about. It seems like when I blog about my ideas, the exposure to the light kills them. I am actually making good headway.
Next week is crammed from start to finish. And even more so, Jake just came in and said he wants to go to college. This is after YEARS of him saying he does not want to go to college. I have not even looked at the first thing about it. He graduates May 23rd. Maybe. Now that he wants to pursue college, he may have to add in a few more credits. 13th grade, here we come.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
GF Update
Today has been 6 weeks of being totally gluten free and 11 weeks of being gluten-light, which is what I call only eating a single meal with gluten each day.
I can report a couple of things, one, it was much easier than I thought. Two, that the rash I was hoping to eradicate is indeed gone on me, Ben and Chan. Jake, who ate gluten every chance he got, still has his full rash and his was the worst to begin with. But, it's his body, he knows how to get rid of it if he's willing to change his diet.
I can also report that as of today, I am not longer toeing the line on the GF lifestyle. I realized this after driving 80 miles in a van with no air conditioning to pay $22 for 2 loaves of bread and a box of 4 gluten free veggie burgers to take camping for the 5 of us Because I refused to pay $16 for 8 burgers, so I guess someone is eating grilled cheese. This was my THIRD stop to look for the bread, it was freezer burned and about 25% ice crystals at both Kroger's so I ended up at Earth Fare where I bought shelf-stable bread that was exactly the same texture as Styrofoam. 12 slices for SIX dollars.
i don't plan to run out and buy Ramen and have that 5 days out of the week, but I am done with the special driving and effort and hassle. We were nearly GF on the pasta just buying rice pasta at the Asian market, I rarely eat bread anyway, GF cornbread mix is affordable (and easy to get), so I can keep getting that. But I am not going to stress and buy $8 veggie burgers to avoid wheat when it's the LAST ingredient in the $3 box we like more anyway.
So, GF experiment is over after next week, I won't go off the wagon until we are through the $$$ stock I have on hand. If we lived in a town where running around was not as big a deal or if someone was really allergic, it would be different. But I feel like I am making a huge effort and spending too much time and money for a minor sensitivity. I am not sleeping better, did not lose any weight, I don't feel less depressed or moody, my stomach hurts just as much and as often as usual, so it did not 'fix' any of the prime issues I was hopeful about.
I bought more freon for the van, I will juice her back up next week. Since we are not going anywhere for a few days, there was no need to mess with it now. It's going to pour rain and then turn cold. If there is a leak and it's not just still low (though I had it checked and he said it held pressure fine so I think it's still just low) then there's no need to let it sit out there in the yard and fritter away.
I can report a couple of things, one, it was much easier than I thought. Two, that the rash I was hoping to eradicate is indeed gone on me, Ben and Chan. Jake, who ate gluten every chance he got, still has his full rash and his was the worst to begin with. But, it's his body, he knows how to get rid of it if he's willing to change his diet.
I can also report that as of today, I am not longer toeing the line on the GF lifestyle. I realized this after driving 80 miles in a van with no air conditioning to pay $22 for 2 loaves of bread and a box of 4 gluten free veggie burgers to take camping for the 5 of us Because I refused to pay $16 for 8 burgers, so I guess someone is eating grilled cheese. This was my THIRD stop to look for the bread, it was freezer burned and about 25% ice crystals at both Kroger's so I ended up at Earth Fare where I bought shelf-stable bread that was exactly the same texture as Styrofoam. 12 slices for SIX dollars.
i don't plan to run out and buy Ramen and have that 5 days out of the week, but I am done with the special driving and effort and hassle. We were nearly GF on the pasta just buying rice pasta at the Asian market, I rarely eat bread anyway, GF cornbread mix is affordable (and easy to get), so I can keep getting that. But I am not going to stress and buy $8 veggie burgers to avoid wheat when it's the LAST ingredient in the $3 box we like more anyway.
So, GF experiment is over after next week, I won't go off the wagon until we are through the $$$ stock I have on hand. If we lived in a town where running around was not as big a deal or if someone was really allergic, it would be different. But I feel like I am making a huge effort and spending too much time and money for a minor sensitivity. I am not sleeping better, did not lose any weight, I don't feel less depressed or moody, my stomach hurts just as much and as often as usual, so it did not 'fix' any of the prime issues I was hopeful about.
I bought more freon for the van, I will juice her back up next week. Since we are not going anywhere for a few days, there was no need to mess with it now. It's going to pour rain and then turn cold. If there is a leak and it's not just still low (though I had it checked and he said it held pressure fine so I think it's still just low) then there's no need to let it sit out there in the yard and fritter away.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Birthday Day Two
Totally unrelated to birthday, but here are the kids and Dae at the park after bowling last week. We are following through with our plan to meet some new people!
Not that we don't love the old people!
Not that we don't love the old people!
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| Chan, the moment of turning 15! And some other kid. |
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| Chan, unsure what to think as everyone who sang to her used a different version of her name or their favorite nickname. She got a Chan, Chandler, Chanopolis and Channa Poo thrown at her. |
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| Eep! I hope it comes true! |
The day before her birthday, we still had Emily from the night before, but Britney had play practice, so we kept Emily and picked Britney up and then we all went for lunch, to see Wreck-It Ralph, which is surprisingly good, then had frozen yogurt with toppings on the way back to drop Emily off.
On Friday, I had gone in to get my carefully budgeted 2 new tires on the front of the van. On Saturday night leaving Emily's, one of the BACK tires went flat. So Monday, I got surprise 2 new back tires. Then Tuesday I went to get a budgeted alignment to try to prevent as much damage as possible on the new set and my brake pads were paper thin! So on Thursday, I went and got surprise new brakes and budgeted oil change. My careful budget was hacked to bits like so much confetti. I have spent some time piecing it back together, we WILL be debt free by April 15 even if we have to eat ramen for the next 60 days. 3.5 years of toeing the line to get out of debt isn't going up in flames the last 2 payments! (insert maniacal laughing here)
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Two Down!
Chandler got her braces off yesterday, it was a successful treatment and other than wisdom teeth out later this year, she only needs 3-month retainer visits for another year and we will be done. Hers are all paid for, too.
To be fair, I took Ben in for an evaluation. He did not want braces and was fine with his little gap, though I decided I wanted a second opinion and I was the youngest of 3, time and money run out so often before the youngest gets stuff and often he is in second hand clothes and borrowing shoes because his feet have grown and I have not moved him up a size, he gets last choice pretty often and while I would have loved to not spend the money on another set of braces, I was not about to let that be the issue.
So, off we went, and he needs them, badly. He has an underbite that is pretty well disguised at the moment because his lower teeth are tilting back as his lower jaw grows. But when he closes his teeth together, they don't meet in the back. We may be too late in getting him braces, there's a good chance he will need jaw surgery to correct it when he's in his late teens, but we are going to try. Jake was in the same boat, opposite jaw. His lower jaw was too short. And we avoided surgery in his case, so I am hopeful.
If Ben has to have the surgery, he will have to go back into braces afterward as well. So we may get to pay for braces twice for him. But there's no sense borrowing trouble from some future date, it's a waste of energy to worry about it now. 6 years is a world of change in a child and a family, Matt may have a different job, better insurance, I may have a job by then-there could be all kinds of changes in our lives, no need to give it that much focus now. Much. I can't say I don't worry about it, that's a LOT of money and also not the least of it-surgery on my child. No one can just shrug that off totally.
Anyway, Chan looks great, if a little freaky. Different freaky, not freaky freaky. She has this teeny little mouth, so all I have seen for nearly 2 years is the brackets. Now she has these little square white teeth in there! And more of them and they are arranged so nicely. It's a pain to budget in the initial down payment, but I have to say, it really is worth it for them to have not only the structural advantages of a perfect bite, but also to be so pretty! LOL Everyone wants to look nice and a great smile is no small matter to self esteem.
To be fair, I took Ben in for an evaluation. He did not want braces and was fine with his little gap, though I decided I wanted a second opinion and I was the youngest of 3, time and money run out so often before the youngest gets stuff and often he is in second hand clothes and borrowing shoes because his feet have grown and I have not moved him up a size, he gets last choice pretty often and while I would have loved to not spend the money on another set of braces, I was not about to let that be the issue.
So, off we went, and he needs them, badly. He has an underbite that is pretty well disguised at the moment because his lower teeth are tilting back as his lower jaw grows. But when he closes his teeth together, they don't meet in the back. We may be too late in getting him braces, there's a good chance he will need jaw surgery to correct it when he's in his late teens, but we are going to try. Jake was in the same boat, opposite jaw. His lower jaw was too short. And we avoided surgery in his case, so I am hopeful.
If Ben has to have the surgery, he will have to go back into braces afterward as well. So we may get to pay for braces twice for him. But there's no sense borrowing trouble from some future date, it's a waste of energy to worry about it now. 6 years is a world of change in a child and a family, Matt may have a different job, better insurance, I may have a job by then-there could be all kinds of changes in our lives, no need to give it that much focus now. Much. I can't say I don't worry about it, that's a LOT of money and also not the least of it-surgery on my child. No one can just shrug that off totally.
Anyway, Chan looks great, if a little freaky. Different freaky, not freaky freaky. She has this teeny little mouth, so all I have seen for nearly 2 years is the brackets. Now she has these little square white teeth in there! And more of them and they are arranged so nicely. It's a pain to budget in the initial down payment, but I have to say, it really is worth it for them to have not only the structural advantages of a perfect bite, but also to be so pretty! LOL Everyone wants to look nice and a great smile is no small matter to self esteem.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Saturday! And thinking ahead...
I made our budget through the middle of 2013, when everything we owe
should be paid off. Other than Ben's braces, if he needs them. It
could go either way, we might get away with retainers for a few months.
He has the space for his teeth, if they would just move into
position...
I feel very pleased with the path the new year is taking off on! I have our trip planned to the route and dates we leave and return, and the day Matt flies home.
Here is the route with planned stops:
Day One: Head out to Oklahoma and pick up Route 66.
Day Two: Albuquerque and a visit to the Lowell Observatory.
Day Three: Petrified Forest and Painted Desert, staying at Holbrook in the tipis!
Day Four: Grand Canyon, South Rim.
Day Five: Grand Canyon, South Rim.
Day Six: Las Vegas (Hoover Dam)
Day Seven: Death Valley
Day Eight: Zion National Park
Day Nine: Bryce Canyon National Park
Day Ten: Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument
Day Eleven: Capital Reef National Park or Canyonlands NP
Day Twelve: Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Day Thirteen: Drive to Denver
Day Fourteen: Rocky Mountain National Park
Day Fifteen: Denver
Day Sixteen: Denver and Matt flies home
Day Seventeen: Thermopolis, WY
Day Eighteen: Yellowstone
Day Nineteen: Yellowstone
Day Twenty: Yellowstone/Tetons
Day Twenty-One: Tetons
Day Twenty-Two: Tetons
Day Twenty-Three: Devil's Tower National Monument
Day Twenty-Four: Mt Rushmore National Memorial
Day Twenty-Five: Badlands
Day Twenty-Six: Drive to Lawrence, Kansas
Day Twenty-Seven: Drive until we get home.
That's: Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri
15 of those will be new states for the kids, 6 for Matt and 4 for me! And we STILL will have not been to Louisiana. hahaha!
I have budgeted $200 a day for food, gas and lodging. I will buy a national parks pass before we leave and we have AAA plus with extended towing and all of that. I will head out with new tires and a full tune-up and lube and fresh fluids. The only other things we will need money for will be souvenirs (I have a moderate cash budget and an empty credit card in case of auto repairs/medical emergencies), which will work out since we won't go through $200 a day every day. Most days will be less, especially when we camp or use groceries or don't drive a whole tank of gas. I don't want to assume we will hit EVERY stop, we will have to have some down time, and time to do laundry and recharge batteries and upload pictures. But that's all that is possible along our route, plus ghost towns and swimming in the hot springs and science centers and nights with so many stars it makes it hard to sleep, your eyes just want to keep looking. And wildflowers and wild animals and things like sheep and moose-things the kids have never seen. And snow. And geysers and paint pots and waterfalls and canyons and desert vistas. And Pike's Peak and...
I am so excited I am about to fall over. We had to change a few things, Matt was flying out from San Diego, but Teresa ships out at the end of April and without her to visit, going into Southern California lost the appeal. People there drive so scary. The Pacific Ocean, yeah, but the water is cold and truth be told, we are all terrified of the ocean. It did not make sense to endanger the van to say we had seen the ocean that no one is keen to get into. We will save that for when we are in Oregon to see Crater Lake for Ben's high school trip.
Okay, well, rambled on and on. I will try not to run it into the ground, but I can not deny that I am VERY excited about being able to finally get back out west and to take my family.
I feel very pleased with the path the new year is taking off on! I have our trip planned to the route and dates we leave and return, and the day Matt flies home.
Here is the route with planned stops:
Day One: Head out to Oklahoma and pick up Route 66.
Day Two: Albuquerque and a visit to the Lowell Observatory.
Day Three: Petrified Forest and Painted Desert, staying at Holbrook in the tipis!
Day Four: Grand Canyon, South Rim.
Day Five: Grand Canyon, South Rim.
Day Six: Las Vegas (Hoover Dam)
Day Seven: Death Valley
Day Eight: Zion National Park
Day Nine: Bryce Canyon National Park
Day Ten: Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument
Day Eleven: Capital Reef National Park or Canyonlands NP
Day Twelve: Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Day Thirteen: Drive to Denver
Day Fourteen: Rocky Mountain National Park
Day Fifteen: Denver
Day Sixteen: Denver and Matt flies home
Day Seventeen: Thermopolis, WY
Day Eighteen: Yellowstone
Day Nineteen: Yellowstone
Day Twenty: Yellowstone/Tetons
Day Twenty-One: Tetons
Day Twenty-Two: Tetons
Day Twenty-Three: Devil's Tower National Monument
Day Twenty-Four: Mt Rushmore National Memorial
Day Twenty-Five: Badlands
Day Twenty-Six: Drive to Lawrence, Kansas
Day Twenty-Seven: Drive until we get home.
That's: Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri
15 of those will be new states for the kids, 6 for Matt and 4 for me! And we STILL will have not been to Louisiana. hahaha!
I have budgeted $200 a day for food, gas and lodging. I will buy a national parks pass before we leave and we have AAA plus with extended towing and all of that. I will head out with new tires and a full tune-up and lube and fresh fluids. The only other things we will need money for will be souvenirs (I have a moderate cash budget and an empty credit card in case of auto repairs/medical emergencies), which will work out since we won't go through $200 a day every day. Most days will be less, especially when we camp or use groceries or don't drive a whole tank of gas. I don't want to assume we will hit EVERY stop, we will have to have some down time, and time to do laundry and recharge batteries and upload pictures. But that's all that is possible along our route, plus ghost towns and swimming in the hot springs and science centers and nights with so many stars it makes it hard to sleep, your eyes just want to keep looking. And wildflowers and wild animals and things like sheep and moose-things the kids have never seen. And snow. And geysers and paint pots and waterfalls and canyons and desert vistas. And Pike's Peak and...
I am so excited I am about to fall over. We had to change a few things, Matt was flying out from San Diego, but Teresa ships out at the end of April and without her to visit, going into Southern California lost the appeal. People there drive so scary. The Pacific Ocean, yeah, but the water is cold and truth be told, we are all terrified of the ocean. It did not make sense to endanger the van to say we had seen the ocean that no one is keen to get into. We will save that for when we are in Oregon to see Crater Lake for Ben's high school trip.
Okay, well, rambled on and on. I will try not to run it into the ground, but I can not deny that I am VERY excited about being able to finally get back out west and to take my family.
Last time I was in the Rockies!
I turned 17 out there, working with the SCA.
I turned 17 out there, working with the SCA.
Friday! and thinking back...
On Friday, we worked on the house. I cleaned inside and Matt and Jake put up more fascia boards. It's starting to look much better out there! We are out of wood, so a run to the store is in order. We got a Lowe's card, but the wood is JUST too long to fit in the van, so we will have to get it locally. Driving a mile with the hatch open is not like driving 22 miles with the hatch open. So that will have to wait a little longer.
Matt's gig was last night, we had hoped for a substantial payoff, but the crowds were waiting for New Year's Eve and so he made enough to cover his gas for the practices and his lunches for next week. Not quite enough to head out camping for the weekend or to get more supplies for working on the house or any one of a dozen small things we'd talked about this week.
2011 seems to have been the year where we were lucky to break even. And we did break even, we did not go into debt, even got some things paid off. Jake's braces for one. That patience to wait until it's saved for, to get something paid off before getting something else-it's hard to do. It's hard to take care of something you mentally have decided to upgrade or replace, but it has to work until the money is there. Or you have to do without. It's how the country used to work, back when it was still headed toward being the most prosperous nation in the world.
Some debt makes sense-living in a house and making payments instead of renting and trying to save for a whole house. Driving a car that does not need repairs every month or two and that does not leak things into the environment while making payments on it. While auto debt is a horrible one, the depreciation alone should be a crime, it's still better for the most part to have something reliable. Medical and dental bills for things that just can't wait until you can save up for them. But other things-new electronics, new furniture, vacations, things for the house or yard...those can wait and be saved for.
Anyway, even if it is my blog and I get to say how I feel and what I think, I am not meaning to be preachy. It's just what I want for myself, for my children. To think of the overall cost of an item and decide how important it truly is. I am very pleased to say that before they spend a dime on anything, they talk it over with me or each other and decide how much use they will really get from it, if anyone is willing to split the cost, they look up prices online and read reviews and they decide exactly where it will go once it's bought. That's great stuff to practice. And they have been really resistant to sales, knowing if someone offers it at this price today, it will be offered again at the same price in the future. That's a hard one to keep in mind at times, Matt and I both have been guilty of 'grab it now' syndrome.
Matt's gig was last night, we had hoped for a substantial payoff, but the crowds were waiting for New Year's Eve and so he made enough to cover his gas for the practices and his lunches for next week. Not quite enough to head out camping for the weekend or to get more supplies for working on the house or any one of a dozen small things we'd talked about this week.
2011 seems to have been the year where we were lucky to break even. And we did break even, we did not go into debt, even got some things paid off. Jake's braces for one. That patience to wait until it's saved for, to get something paid off before getting something else-it's hard to do. It's hard to take care of something you mentally have decided to upgrade or replace, but it has to work until the money is there. Or you have to do without. It's how the country used to work, back when it was still headed toward being the most prosperous nation in the world.
Some debt makes sense-living in a house and making payments instead of renting and trying to save for a whole house. Driving a car that does not need repairs every month or two and that does not leak things into the environment while making payments on it. While auto debt is a horrible one, the depreciation alone should be a crime, it's still better for the most part to have something reliable. Medical and dental bills for things that just can't wait until you can save up for them. But other things-new electronics, new furniture, vacations, things for the house or yard...those can wait and be saved for.
Anyway, even if it is my blog and I get to say how I feel and what I think, I am not meaning to be preachy. It's just what I want for myself, for my children. To think of the overall cost of an item and decide how important it truly is. I am very pleased to say that before they spend a dime on anything, they talk it over with me or each other and decide how much use they will really get from it, if anyone is willing to split the cost, they look up prices online and read reviews and they decide exactly where it will go once it's bought. That's great stuff to practice. And they have been really resistant to sales, knowing if someone offers it at this price today, it will be offered again at the same price in the future. That's a hard one to keep in mind at times, Matt and I both have been guilty of 'grab it now' syndrome.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Juices Flowing...
Creative, that is.
I have walked 5 miles in the past 2 days, yesterday I listened to some of my playaway book, it's Firefly Cloak and I love the lady reading it, she's real Southern sounding-exactly the right twang.
I have walked 5 miles in the past 2 days, yesterday I listened to some of my playaway book, it's Firefly Cloak and I love the lady reading it, she's real Southern sounding-exactly the right twang.
Today, Ben walked with me, rolling his counter wheel the whole time. 3 laps really is a mile! We did 4 laps-nearly 7,000 feet-and then I mowed the whole front yard from the east fence to the old driveway and back to the back fence. Tomorrow, I will see about knocking out the parking area and the hill, the backyard and under the trees. Then there's Judy's yard that has not been mowed in 3 weeks. With no rain, the grass is not high, just weeds here and there shooting up, looks like both yards have cowlicks. Her gardenias and magnolia tree are in bloom, we walk up there just to smell the air.
I thought I could start off writing something for my kids about their memories and how they learned from things we did and go from there into something with more story to it. I already know what I will call them in the stories and Matt and I will be Mom and Dad. Or, Dad and Mom as it were. And we will have a dog named Rosie Jo. I think that's about the best dog name ever (this week). LOL
Our vacation plans for next month have stalled out. Matt is looking at taking a week before Thanksgiving week, giving us 2 weeks together. That opens up a good many possibilities for travel...of course we all immediately suggested Disney. It's hard to give up on something we all know we will really love. But I am digging in my heels to go somewhere new. We'll see how it all works out. To get another week, we will have to go unpaid for at least 3 days, plus there's the budget to consider...it would be nice to have lots of money! i guess I will just have to be content with being good-looking instead of rich. ha!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Marching In
Wow, 2 whole months of 2011 gone already. I still am writing 2010 on checks and such.
February went by in a flash, the first half was SO cold and then on Valentine's Day, it started warming and now, the maple and forsythia, redbud, daffodils, quince and Bradford pears are all blooming away! The grass is coming up, everything looks a little greener each morning. It's a miracle all over again!
The play ran its course and ended. It confirmed for Chan that theater is something she really wants to be involved in, which is a thrill for me. I love when the kids really dig into something like that.
We repaired Poppy, though she's not 100% just yet. We found a new place to hike that we LOVE. We rounded out the backpacking gear and only need to make a couple more purchases to start hitting the trails as a family because Matt is off the CPAP!
I hit a new low weight, first time since Ben was 3 that I have weighed what I do now. We have continued eating MUCH better foods and I was right, we have started eating less as our bodies have adjusted to the more dense nutrients in the smaller servings.
February was a pretty good month over all, even with the few budget bumps and surprises that came along. Chan is in braces ASAP, the down payment is more than we had set aside for our Disney tickets. It's looking like that will be out for this year for certain, which is a bummer, but not the end of the world. At least it frees Matt up to camp with us, as it was, he only had the time off to go to Disney, so it will be a different year than I planned on starting out!
February went by in a flash, the first half was SO cold and then on Valentine's Day, it started warming and now, the maple and forsythia, redbud, daffodils, quince and Bradford pears are all blooming away! The grass is coming up, everything looks a little greener each morning. It's a miracle all over again!
The play ran its course and ended. It confirmed for Chan that theater is something she really wants to be involved in, which is a thrill for me. I love when the kids really dig into something like that.
We repaired Poppy, though she's not 100% just yet. We found a new place to hike that we LOVE. We rounded out the backpacking gear and only need to make a couple more purchases to start hitting the trails as a family because Matt is off the CPAP!
I hit a new low weight, first time since Ben was 3 that I have weighed what I do now. We have continued eating MUCH better foods and I was right, we have started eating less as our bodies have adjusted to the more dense nutrients in the smaller servings.
February was a pretty good month over all, even with the few budget bumps and surprises that came along. Chan is in braces ASAP, the down payment is more than we had set aside for our Disney tickets. It's looking like that will be out for this year for certain, which is a bummer, but not the end of the world. At least it frees Matt up to camp with us, as it was, he only had the time off to go to Disney, so it will be a different year than I planned on starting out!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Decent Huntsville Area Mechanic
The front end of the van has made this...noise...for about 6 weeks now. I have had it looked at several times, no one can find anything.
Today, I called about getting an axle from O'Reiley's in H'ville and they don't have Kia parts, so they gave me the number for Cannon's Racks and Axles. I called them and after talking with the owner, Stan, a few minutes he said, "You know what-bring it down and I will look-no charge, I can tell you what's wrong and you don't have to buy anything from me or pay to get it fixed here." Whoa. That never happens anymore!
An hour later, I pulled into the shop-it's right in front of Southern Adventures-and talked to the other guy that works there. He drove the van around a few minutes, heard the noise, put it on the rack, used a crowbar to wiggle the joints and found the noise-in the bushings. He lubed those up. Noise is GONE. No further action needed.
They pulled the van around, opened the door for me and sent me on my way-no charge. They could have easily replaced something, lubed up the bushings and I would never have a clue.
While I was there, I admired their shop blankets and when I got home, there were THREE in the van. : )
They were SO kind, chatty, the owner seems to run wide-open on the energy level and he was all about explaining how everything under there worked, I know more about axles and bushings than I ever thought I'd need to. Now I know what can actually go wrong on the van and what is total crap-in the rack and axle department anyway.
They do other work, timing belts and that sort of general maintainance, I will be back in the spring to get some stuff done before the camping season and the trip to Disney, since we are staying nearly 6 weeks total on that trip. A week of that with Jacki! Eep!
I am thrilled, Nettlevan is running totally silent now and I am not out anything more than the drive-which worked out because I ran to the library and picked up contact solution. At Sullins Eyecare, they will give you contact solution if you come in and ask for it. They said there was no need to buy it when they get it free. That saves us $13 every 3 weeks. Woot! And, the library was of course, free-walked out with 2 brand new bestsellers and a dvd. Pretty darn good day.
2101 Leeman Ferry Cir SW
Today, I called about getting an axle from O'Reiley's in H'ville and they don't have Kia parts, so they gave me the number for Cannon's Racks and Axles. I called them and after talking with the owner, Stan, a few minutes he said, "You know what-bring it down and I will look-no charge, I can tell you what's wrong and you don't have to buy anything from me or pay to get it fixed here." Whoa. That never happens anymore!
An hour later, I pulled into the shop-it's right in front of Southern Adventures-and talked to the other guy that works there. He drove the van around a few minutes, heard the noise, put it on the rack, used a crowbar to wiggle the joints and found the noise-in the bushings. He lubed those up. Noise is GONE. No further action needed.
They pulled the van around, opened the door for me and sent me on my way-no charge. They could have easily replaced something, lubed up the bushings and I would never have a clue.
While I was there, I admired their shop blankets and when I got home, there were THREE in the van. : )
They were SO kind, chatty, the owner seems to run wide-open on the energy level and he was all about explaining how everything under there worked, I know more about axles and bushings than I ever thought I'd need to. Now I know what can actually go wrong on the van and what is total crap-in the rack and axle department anyway.
They do other work, timing belts and that sort of general maintainance, I will be back in the spring to get some stuff done before the camping season and the trip to Disney, since we are staying nearly 6 weeks total on that trip. A week of that with Jacki! Eep!
I am thrilled, Nettlevan is running totally silent now and I am not out anything more than the drive-which worked out because I ran to the library and picked up contact solution. At Sullins Eyecare, they will give you contact solution if you come in and ask for it. They said there was no need to buy it when they get it free. That saves us $13 every 3 weeks. Woot! And, the library was of course, free-walked out with 2 brand new bestsellers and a dvd. Pretty darn good day.
2101 Leeman Ferry Cir SW
Huntsville , AL 35801
256-650-0150
Tell them you homeschool and heard it from the lady with the dinosaur security system. ; )
Monday, September 13, 2010
The Aquarium
The Georgia Aquarium...
Okay, so I bought everything online before we left and did not really research it very well other than finding out we did not need to waste money on the Deepo show and Shark exhibit.
I bought general admission tickets at $26 each for Matt, me and Jake and $19.50 each for Chan and Ben.
Walk-up, they are $27 and $21 each, so a little savings. Plus, walk-up you can have to wait up to 2 hours to get in, they only sell a certain number of tickets each hour. Our tickets were for an 11 a.m. entry.
I pre-paid parking at $9, a savings of $1 off just driving up to the garage. Then found there are multiple lots on the same street for $5 a day. The aquarium parking was more secure, in a covered deck and about 30 seconds from the stairs, so it was not a TOTAL rip-off.
I also pre-paid for lunch at $10 each for either a burger and fries, chicken strips and fries or pizza and fries all with fruit and a drink. I got pizza and saved a whole .45 cents on my combo! Matt and Jake saved a little more, they had bacon cheeseburgers and fries, that would have been over $10 even without the $1 fruit and $3.75 drink. The fruit was bad, the apples were mealy and the bananas were black. Nothing was washed, so we just kind of rubbed the skins with damp paper towels and then tossed them after a bite or two.
I think we would have been better off buying what we wanted, which was stuffed potatoes for $4.50 each. Or just skipping lunch because the aquarium is not an all-day thing like I had thought. 3 hours would be plenty of time to see everything. So we could have saved THAT $50. In all, it was $181 for the day. Or, $30 more than a ticket 10 days at Disney World. If we went back, I would skip the parking deck and the food.
More tomorrow...tired
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