A Little Bit Of Everything

This post is going to be about a little bit of everything going on right now. Now, where to start, where to start?

High School = High Money

My oldest daughter is a Senior at or local public high school. She started back to school on August 23rd. She is taking English, Math, Government, Forensics (Science), P.E., Choir, and her Veterinary Technician class. I do not have a problem with a few fees here and there but this year has been the worse I have ever seen. I feel like I am being nickeled and dimed to death! I totally understand the Vet Tech class is a special program and has special fees but something has to give here! This is what I have shelled out to our local high school so far:

  • $25 General Vet Tech Fee (includes FFA membership)
  • $23 Scrubs for Vet Tech
  • $20 P.E. Gym Clothes
  • $20 General Choir Fee
  • Total out of Pocket so far: $88
  • $65 CVA (Certified Vet. Asst.) Test Fee due Oct 1
  • $47 SAT Test for College due in Nov.
  • $48 ACT Test for College due in Nov.
  • Total Upcoming Fees: $160

Grand total for Fees: $248!!! This does not even count for regular school supplies and classroom supplies! Don’t even mention Homecoming, Senior Pictures, Senior Cap & Gown, Yearbook, or Prom to me right now!!!

Concerts

Every summer we try to go to at least one concert. Last year due to financial reasons we did not get to do this. This year I am making up for it! When we go to concerts we choose ones that are at an outdoor arena called the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. We bring a big blanket and sit in the Lawn Area. It’s a great experience!

 

 

This weekend I am going to see John Mayer in concert with Owl City as the opening act. This concert started out as just a mother/oldest daughter concert. Then a few weeks ago when I kicked oldest daughter out of the house I offered to take the lady she stayed with as well as her daughter to the concert for all of their trouble. Then my youngest daughter piped up and wanted to go as well! So now our mother/daughter adventure has turned into a bit of a party! I am looking forward to this concert so much!

The following weekend I am taking my daughters and my youngest daughter’s friend to go see the Jonas Brothers with Demi Lovato/Camp Rock in concert. I am actually looking forward to this concert as well. I am getting a total kick out of the excitement my youngest daughter and her friend have! I am dragging my oldest daughter along as payback for the hell she has put me through in the past few weeks!

More Work Changes

Yesterday the owner of the company I work for called me into her office and asked me if I would be willing to work 2 more days a week. She would like to train me on some of her work so that she can semi-retire. I jumped at the opportunity! This puts me at 5 days a week at about 30 hours. I will still get off work in time to pick up my youngest daughter from school which is awesome!

This also puts me at a comfort level with my home-life issues. I am now in a position to make it on my own if I have to. The weight this lifts off my shoulders is immense! I now have the power!!!!!

Change Is Good

It’s that time of year again… Back to School Time! My youngest will be going into 6th grade. {Sigh} Junior High here we come! Her school had a bit of an uprising over the summer and this year we have basically all new teachers for 6th-8th grade. Personally I am looking forward to the new change. Some of the teachers have been there since my oldest went to school there and it wasn’t really a good thing.

My oldest daughter will be starting her Senior year this year. So now I have to start getting myself ready for her {again sigh} graduation. Right now she is having scheduling problems with her classes and I could jump in and fix them but I have decided since she is an adult I must let her fix them. I must also realise that if she doesn’t fix them it’s not my problem it’s hers! That sounds so good in writing now I just have to get my head and my heart to really believe it!

Another change I have made is my work schedule. Yes, it was great only working Monday and Tuesday from 8-5. But I have gone and changed it all up. I even did it without discussing it with my kids or my husband! I made a decision on my own to heck with everyone else! Boy did it feel awesome! OK so this is what I have gone and done, I will now work Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 8-2. It is the same amount of hours but this way I can be home in the afternoons with my kids.

Last year I had some major problems around my house when I went back to work. My husband had to pickup my youngest daughter from school and then he had to help both of the girls do homework. I would come home from work and there would be total chaos! My youngest daughter had concerns about her dad being sober when he picked her up from school. Well she doesn’t have to worry about that anymore. Then when it came time to do homework he would tell her to do it his way to hell with what the teachers wanted. Fights like that you take up with the teacher not the kids! Well now she doesn’t have to worry about that either!

Change is good, change is good….

David Bowie

Changes (2002)

I’m Late, I’m Late For A Very Important Date

I read two articles this morning about excuses people use for being late for work and for people who call in sick for work.

Here are 10 reasons that they listed that people actually used for being late:
1.  While rowing across the river to work, I got lost in the fog.
2.  Someone stole all my daffodils.
3.  I had to go audition for American Idol.
4.  My ex-husband stole my car so I couldn’t drive to work.
5.  My route to work was shut down by a presidential motorcade.
6.  I have transient amnesia and couldn’t remember my job.
7.  I was indicted for securities fraud this morning.
8.  The line was too long at Starbucks.
9.  I was trying to get my gun back from the police.
10.  I didn’t have money for gas because all of the pawnshops were closed.
And here are 10 reasons people used for calling in sick:
1. At her sister’s wedding, an employee chipped her tooth on a mint julep, bent over to spit it out, hit her head on a keg and was knocked unconscious.
2. While at a circus, a tiger urinated on the employee’s ear, causing an ear infection.
3. An employee’s dog wasn’t feeling well, so the employee tasted the dog’s food and then got sick.
4. “Someone put LSD in my salad.”
5. An employee’s roommate locked all his clothes in a shed for spite.
6. “Stuck on an island – canoe floated away.”
7. An employee was upset because his favorite “American Idol” contestant was voted off.
8.  “I didn’t think I had to come in if I had time in my vacation bank. I thought I could take it whenever I wanted.”
9. An employee said he wasn’t feeling well and wanted to rest up for the company’s holiday party that night.
10. A groundhog bit the employee’s car tire, causing it to go flat.

I used to work as a restaurant manager for many years so I have heard my share of reasons for people being late or just plain not coming into work. My favorite was a young man named Daniel who just happened to have a funeral to go to every Saturday and it was always down in Mexico. After about a month of his crap I finally told him the only way he would be excused for another funeral was if it was his own and I better be able to see his body at the viewing!

This article got me wondering, what is the worst excuse you have ever heard of or better yet used for calling in late or sick to work?