The Story of Brandi

Update on the House

2006-08-08T02:35:00.000-07:00

We have turned in everything to the mortgage broker - finally! She could use a list to give prospective loanees. Every time we went back, she had new things she'd forgotten to tell us she needed. It was getting to be a pain.

We had the inspection done last Friday. There was nothing major wrong with the house. Most of the things can be fixed for less than $5. We're going to plan to do a bunch of them the first weekend after we get our stuff moved.

The appraisal is holding things up right now. We have the house appraised. It came it at $3,000 more than we paid, so we get some instant equity. The problem is the ceiling tile in the basement den. The original owners of the house finished part of the basement years (probably decades) ago. When they did, they used those ceiling tiles that we popular for a while. There's a grid, and then the tiles slip into place. The last row wasn't wide enough for a whole tile. For some reason (laziness), they didn't cut the remaining tiles and put them up. Instead they just left the tiles in the basement workshop. The current owners never took care of it either (along with some other really basic things to fix). Anyway, to approve the house, the appraiser said they have to fix the tiles. Brian told our realtor that he would go over and help if needed so that we can speed things up. I'm hoping they get it done in the next day or so since we're waiting on that for the application.

We have a house!

2006-07-27T11:11:00.000-07:00

Donna came back with the contract. They wanted more earnest money and a higher buying price. We negotiated over the phone to split the difference, and now everything's set! We're signing the final contract at 4:30 today, and they're signing it later tonight. Then we just have to get everything to our mortgage broker tomorrow, and she takes it from there. I'm so excited - our first house!

We made an offer!

2006-07-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

We made an offer on the house we want today! We wrote up the contract with our broker last night, and she took the offer to the sellers this morning. They're coming back with a counter offer. Donna's going to pick it up from them at 1:00.

Mortgage & Writing

2006-07-25T15:05:00.000-07:00

We had a meeting with Donna tonight. We went over the basics of the mortgage contract and how everything proceeds from here. Because the owners of the house we're considering starting painting the sunroom, we're going to see the house again before we make an offer. Of course, Brian wants to check out the basement again so that he can begin planning the layout.

I think we have a good starting price based on the house's last appraisal and that we're in a good position to negotiate. Donna said that we can do the contract tomorrow night and then give them 24 hours from Thursday morning to make some kind of decision - either accept the contract as is or try to negotiate parts of it. Then we're hoping to have some kind of decision by Friday night. Then we'd start the loan closing process - scary!

I started working on writing again today. I applied for about 12 freelance gigs, and I'm looking into doing some writing for some people I haven't written for in a while. Once we make a decision on a house or get to that point in the process, we're going to have to set out a budget for buying furniture, decorations, and the basement renovation. That's going to determine in large part how much I'm working over the next few months. I anticipate needing to take a few weeks off when this baby's born since I'll have a 2-year-old and a newborn, so I need to make as much money as I can between now and January.

Sonogram Picture

2006-07-24T18:26:00.000-07:00

I had my first ultrasound today. Here's one of the pictures I got.

The baby's 2.5 mm long right now. The sonogram put the due date at February 2, but they're keeping it at Jan. 25.

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In other weird news, the people who own the house we're thinking about buying called our realtor today to say that after watching something on HGTV, they decided to paint over the panelling in the sunroom. It was wood, but it's now painted white. I'm not sure how it looks, and I'm not sure that we'll go see it before we buy. I figure if we don't like it, we can add changing it to our list once we move in.

Irene, the mortgage broker, is supposed to call tomorrow with more news. We'll then be past this stage and ready to write up a contract. We're supposed to meet with Donna tomorrow night to do that. Whew. This is a long, bureaucratic process.

Quick Update on Mortgage

2006-07-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

Well, we got a credit opinion on the mortgage this morning. We're going through an underwriter (don't know if I said this in my last post) because of our credit problems in the past. All of that stuff from Athens & the first few months of Cincinnati is on our credit history. We will have better luck with an underwriter because we can offer an explanation and actually have a person looking it over. So, step 1 is the credit opinion. That came back with a "no problem" for financing when the underwriter gave everything a look.

Now, our mortgage broker has sent in our application for the official pre-approval. (It's sort of backward since we've already been looking.) She's asking for approval for a lot more than we want. She said that shouldn't be a problem, and it will really give us an idea of the max amount of house we can afford. That's fine, but we're not paying that much for a mortgage every month, so we're not concerned that we'll get what's in our price range.

I have to take her a profit/loss statement for my writing, but that's it. We should know something in a couple of days.

Donna, our realtor, is calling the people who own the house we want today. They have some form to fill out. She said that she can make it clear we're ready to make an offer without making one so that they know. As soon as we get the okay from the broker and get an estimate of closing costs, we can make the official offer.

House Hunting

2006-07-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

We've looked at a number of houses already. We have one that I was ready to make an offer on, but we're waiting until after this weekend. Basically, we think the asking price is really low on the house because we've looked at several other houses in the neighborhood. I wanted to make an offer yesterday because it has everything we need and is much larger than we thought we could afford. But...it's a for sale by owner, which means we can't use a realtor. We already have a realtor, so she called to set up some arrangement where she's representing us but on a scaled-down version. I don't understand the specifics beyond that it means she's involved now.

So, today we went to look at the house again. Our realtor kept asking us if we were sure. I was, but then Brian started hedging a little. He thinks I'm too impulsive, but I think he's too cautious. I'm afraid the house is going to be gone if we wait. So over dinner, I asked him if we kept looking, what would we be looking for? If we think this house is The One (and we do), then why wait?

We went through some listings Donna gave us, and we're going to look at 5 more houses this weekend. We agreed that if we still like this house the best, then we'll go ahead and make an offer on this one this weekend.

Of course, we don't have the financing yet, so that's an entirely different can of worms. We've filled out everything and provided everything, so we're waiting on the decision. That should come sometime next week.

=
In other major news in our lives, I'm now 13 weeks pregnant. I'm having an ultrasound next Monday, so we'll get to see the first picture of the baby. l don't think I'm gaining any weight yet, though I can tell that my weight's shifted. I switched doctors, so I just saw the new doctor this week. We'll be having the baby at Baptist Hospital in Lexington. He threw in another kink and said that since Jayden was transverse, he needs the hospital dictation from the c-section. He said that they may have had to make a lateral cut, so a VBAC may not be an option at all. I sent for the records, so we'll see.

=
I'm going back to copywriting. Well, it's a little different, but basically I'm going back to it from my fiction. We've decided that with buying a house and needing some stuff for the baby, we're going to need a good bit of extra money. We decided that it would be better for me to pursue local clients - mainly web design firms - for writing. I can make more per hour, and I have more control over the projects I'm taking.

Settling Down?

2006-07-14T23:02:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't really feel pregnant yet. I'm only about 8 weeks. Of course, I don't have anything definitive from any doctor about the baby's due date yet. I went to a doctor in Louisville, but I didn't like her much. She seemed very spacey, much like Dr. Cirasole was, and that didn't turn out so well in labor and delivery. I decided to trust my instinct and go elsewhere. I'd love to see a midwife, but there just aren't that many around here, at least not in the offices that our insurance covers. I have an appointment next Tuesday, so we'll see how that goes.

I don't think Jayden will be old enough to understand the concept of having a brother or sister until the baby gets here. Even then, I don't know that he'll get it besides that there's a new person here and that he has to share us with someone else. That's going to be a real shocker because Jayden's spoiled. I can admit that. We spoil him.

We are thinking about staying in Frankfort longer than we'd planned. Brian said the other night that when it comes down to it, he really likes his job. The pay is very good for his experience level, and he's not sure that he'll get that somewhere else. Plus, the thought of moving again next year tires both of us out. When we started thinking about it, we had a lot of concerns about how we would find a house, a job, and all that from here. We looked into it, and it was going to be complicated, mainly because we really need to use an underwriter to get a mortgage. Anyway, I won't bore you with the details, but we just decided that it would be a tough thing to do right now.

Instead, we're looking at houses here. If we're going to be here 4 or 5 years, I'd rather buy a house than continue to rent. For starters, we're throwing away money on rent every month. That was okay before because we never knew where we were going to stay, but now that we know it seems to make more sense to buy a place and start to build some equity. Plus, I'm ready to be able to do whatever we want with where we live. I want to be able to paint or put a nail in the wall or whatever without having to ask anyone's permission.

It's like where we're living now. We've put up shelving and a couple of other things. Of course, our landlord doesn't mind because it makes the house better, and it doesn't cost him anything. I'd just like for the money we spend on a place to go to help us and not someone else.

We have an appointment tomorrow (Saturday) to look at a house. I'm excited, but we haven't even started the loan process yet. I don't know how long that takes. This house is big, but it says that it needs TLC. I guess it depends on how much TLC. If we have to fix major things before we move in (which the law requires here), then it's not for us. If the bathrooms are gross, then I'll probably pass. Other than that, we're up for doing work in the house because otherwise, we'll have to get a place that's much smaller. We will see tomorrow.

Losing Weight

2006-05-01T03:49:00.000-07:00

We went on the Sonoma diet Saturday. So far, I've lost 3 pounds. My goal is to lose 33, so there's a lot to go. The food on the diet is very tasty. The biggest thing for me is not drinking soft drinks. I had one last night because I was getting a headache. It went away, so I guess that's what it was from. I think it's easier for me to give up caffeine this way, so I guess it all works out. Plus we have to drink plenty of water, so there's not a lot of room left to drink soft drinks or anything else.

I'm frustrated with my work. I've been doing work for one company since last April. The last few months, they've been weird. One month, I had to send them an email and remind them to pay me. They acted like they forgot. How do you forget to pay people? Anyway, last month, I noticed that several of their sites - the ones I write for - had "page not found" errors. I only wrote some of what I can write for them because I wasn't sure if they were still in business. I tried to email them, but I didn't get any response back. So then this month I worked on the articles. When I went to turn them in yesterday, most of the sites are closed. I'm so frustrated because that's a lot of money and time down the drain. I can't really use those articles anywhere else.

Brian wants me to just give them up altogether. I know I should. It's just hard to decide to do that. I have a book I've been working on some, and I think maybe I should just focus on that. If I can get it done, then maybe I can start selling it. Who knows?

Gyms

2006-04-19T04:11:00.000-07:00

We called all of the gyms in Frankfort yesterday. There were only two that offer daycare. One's a women's-only place. It's not Curves, but it's similar. Curves doesn't have daycare.

We went on a tour last night of Capital Fitness, the co-ed one that has daycare. It was pretty nice. They have all new equipment and a big aerobics room. Jayden toddled right on into the playroom, so he could approve it.

We got a 7-day pass to go in and try it out. Brian's supposed to play tennis today with some people from work, so I don't think we'll be able to go. We'll probably go tomorrow and check it out. I'm going to start out very slowly since I'm so out of shape, but I'm hoping I can get into better shape quickly. I'm still gaining weight, which frankly I don't understand. I'm up to 205 now. I don't get it because I haven't changed my diet or anything. I don't eat 2,000 calories a day. I've been adding it up. I know I don't exercise, but I'm not completely inactive. We go to the park once a week or so, and I play in our backyard with Jayden some.

We've been doing a little yoga, too. We do a 15-minute daily warm-up in the mornings. It really lets you start the day off right. We also got a video from the library that's a "Fat-Blasting Yoga." It's pretty tough, but we're going to keep it for the three weeks and see how it goes.

Our Anniversary Night

2006-04-11T04:18:00.000-07:00

We had a great time last night. It's probably the most extravagent night out we've ever had. We went to get the massages, which felt sooo good. I'd love to be able to get one every couple of months. One thing that was interesting is that they give you a glass of water when they're done. They said to drink it and drink a glass before you go to bed. The massage releases toxins in your muscles. Drinking the water will help your body flush them out. Otherwise, they'll just get re-absorbed back into your body.

Then we went to Red Lobster. I had crab legs, of course. They were delicious. Brian had the Lobster Fest feast. Then we went and picked Jayden up.

I registered for next quarter's classes today. I'm taking Historical Foundations of Public Policy and Government Budgeting. They're both required next for me. Neither sounds really interesting, but I figure it won't be too bad.

I'm trying to move forward in my progress on getting well this week. I'm taking things very slowly because that seems to be working better for me. This week, I'm trying to make it a point to drink some water everyday. I'm not pushing myself to drink 64 ounces, even though I know I should. Instead I'm just pushing myself to drink at least a 16-ounce glass. I know it doesn't sound like much in the way of progress, but it's all I can do right now. I'd like to wean myself off most of the caffeine I drink, but doing that all at once is scary.

Poker/Anniversary

2006-04-10T03:36:00.000-07:00

Poker night went well. We had 9 people here total. Jayden was really good. At first, he giggled and danced for everyone, which had them all cracking up. Then when we started playing, he moved from person to person. He would sit in someone's lap for a few minutes and then move on to the next person, except for me and Brian. He skipped us. I guess he figured he sits with us enough.

Then I gave him some juice and crackers, and he sat in his little chair and watched Shrek. I was really proud of him for being so good.

Our anniversary is today, so we're going out. We decided to treat ourselves to massages. Someone Brian works with is keeping Jayden. We're leaving our house at 6:00 so that we can drop him off at Paola's house. Then we're headed to the massages and then out to eat.

I got Brian three presents. We set a budget for gifts, and the big present I bought was less than I thought. Well, I still have to pick it up today. I'm getting him a dremel. I'm not even sure why he needs one, but he really wants it. Then I ordered a mug and t-shirt for him from Think Geek. It's a computer nerd website. I'm not sure what he's getting me, but he said it's not work-related, and it's not clothes, so we'll see.

Well, it's finally here!

2006-04-07T04:06:00.000-07:00

Brian's check got here yesterday. I can't tell you the relief I felt when I saw the priority mail envelope in the mailbox. I went and got groceries after we took the check to the bank. It wasn't that we couldn't get groceries before. It just felt good not to have to get generic everything and count every penny.

When Brian got home, we went back to Wal-Mart. We'd wanted to get one of those little Crock-Pots for dips and a card table, so we picked them up. We got a little dragonfly kite for Jayden that I hope we get to fly this weekend. I also got a shirt to go with a pair of dress pants that I have and one of those scarf-type things that's really a belt. It will look cute with a lavendar shirt that I have.

Poker

2006-04-04T03:51:00.000-07:00

We're hosting a poker game this weekend. Brian's check got mailed yesterday. I'm glad that for once, he was willing to push it enough that he will be getting his money. They're put out that he wanted the money now, but we're talking about $4200 before taxes. They sent it priority mail yesterday.

So anyway we're hosting a poker game. There will be 12 people here total, which is way more people than I'm comfortable having over. We have to get the house all spruced up. We'll put the cats away and make some potpourri.

I'm not sure how it's going to go with Jayden, but we'll see. I hope that he'll go to sleep, but I have a feeling that he'll want to stay up all night with everyone.

Brian really wanted to do this, so I agreed. I know that you have to make compromises, and I don't mind doing something for him when it's a big deal to him. He's far more social than I am, and I try to keep that in mind. It's lucky for me that he doesn't ask me to go out in crowds more often because I can't do it very much. Even going to the mall makes me uncomfortable.

You wouldn't think that given how large my family is, but I just feel weird around groups of people. I'm very unsure of myself, and I just don't really know how to be in social settings.

I'm sure the poker will be fine. We're going to make a few appetizers and such - nothing fancy. We'll have to move things around in the living room to make room for that many people to play. Plus we have to get more poker chips and I guess get some change. It's only a $10 buy-in - we're high-rollers obviously. They do $.20 bets, so we need a bunch of chips.

No Money Again

2006-04-03T07:27:00.000-07:00

Brian's paycheck didn't go through again. Well, he got paid but not at his new rate. It's really frustrating. They said this time it's because the paperwork from the state didn't get in until the day after the contracting company closed the pay period (how convenient.) So, on the next check, we will get the new rate plus 480 hours of the raise as backpay. That's right - 480 hours. That's how far behind they are in getting the raise to him.

Medicine

2006-03-29T04:19:00.000-08:00

My doctor increased my medicine again. I'm taking a pretty high dose of Effexor now. I won't feel the effects for a few days, but I'm hoping that it makes me feel even better. I do feel more focused now, which is an unexpected side effect. I thought the depression and anxiety would get better but didn't anticipate being able to get so much more done everyday because I'm so focused on what I'm doing. It's nice.

School

2006-03-28T08:42:00.000-08:00

My schoolwork is boring. I'm in "orientation to online learning," which is pretty much how to do APA style formatting and how to send emails. I already know all of that stuff. Frankly I can't imagine enrolling in an online degree program if I didn't know how to search online or send emails. There would be so much to learn that it could get overwhelming.

This course ends May 28, and then I can start the regular courses. I'm really excited about this program. I prayed a lot to be led in the right direction for graduate school since I've jumped around so much. I really believe this program is the right one for me.

New Look

2006-03-24T03:31:00.000-08:00

I'm getting some new clothes and stuff when Brian's raise goes through. I'm going for the Bohemian look. Yesterday I got this awesome bracelet that's a bangle and has earth tone sequins on it. I also got a necklace with lavendar cat's eye stones. I made some aqua bead earrings last night, so I figure I'm on my way.

Organizing

2006-03-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

Today I'm going to Wal-Mart to pick up some stuff to get myself organized. If I'm going to work on my personal PR campaign for my book, and I have the other projects going on, then I'm going to need to be organized about it.

Brian got some gigantic binders that his office was tossing. I'm going to organize them with all of my writing stuff, my craft stuff, Dawson's records, and my publicity campaigns.

I'm going to pick up some notebook dividers and some packs of paper today. I need to get everything ready so that I'm focused on the right tasks at the right time.

Balance & Harmony - Again

2006-03-21T04:15:00.000-08:00

I've realized something about myself. I put myself in the position to become overwhelmed with all of the projects on my plate. Then I get exhausted and burned out. Then I feel that I've wasted time. It's an ugly cycle that I have to break.

Yesterday, I started panicking. I've gotten some craft stuff online, which you can see here. I updated one of my sites that's been lying dormant, and I worked on blogs, a magazine article, and a booklet yesterday. The problem is that I don't get much done on any of those projects.

I've been reading through 2 books on self-publishing. I've decided that I'm going to pursue only one project. I narrowed them down last night and have picked the book I'm going to work on. Now it's just a matter of getting it done.

Adjustment

2006-03-20T03:35:00.000-08:00

Brian and I had a lengthy discussion this weekend about my plans. I've decided (okay, Brian insisted) that I give up Adapt. It's one of my writing gigs. I've been with them since last April. I will still be writing for them a little but not nearly as much. Brian thinks that I should focus on the writing that I want to do. While I know, of course, that he's right, it's still tough. It's hard to think about giving up something that's bringing in money.

One of the reasons is that they've been changing their payment terms throughout the relationship. They reduced the amount they pay 3 or 4 times, and they've added to the number of words our pieces have to be in order to make money with them. They've been complete jerks, but I haven't really had a choice.

We've needed the money, so I had to put up with it. Now, we don't need the money anymore, but it still feels weird.

Focus

2006-03-17T03:52:00.000-08:00

I started to lose focus again yesterday. I'm not sure why. I've started taking one of the short-term anxiety pills in the afternoons, too, because I've been freaking out in the afternoons.

I printed out a well-spaced copy of my 2006 goals and sat down with them. I made notes of where I am on everything, so now I have a clearer picture. I think using a goals list is a must for me because it keeps me on task.

Balance & Harmony

2006-03-16T03:34:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking of taking up yoga or meditation. I need something spiritually soothing to do. Balance is one of the things I struggle to get. For so long, it's felt that I can keep one part of my life on track but others fall aside to do that.

My writing has been going really well this month. I've sold a few booklets, and I have some solid clients going. I'm well on track to meet my monthly goals. Still, the house was a mess, and I needed to do some schoolwork, not to mention administrative stuff for my writing.

So yesterday I took a catch-up day. I got completely caught up on my clerical work and emails. Then I worked on schoolwork so I'm on target with that. Jayden and I cleaned up the house and did a little laundry.

I feel better this morning. I just hope I can keep up the balance.

Crafts and Auctions

2006-03-15T03:54:00.000-08:00

I sent my new crafts to someone yesterday who's going to consider putting them on her site. I'm excited about that. I didn't really plan to sell crafts, but the opportunity arose. I figured that it was worth it to give it a shot. Anything I can do to make more money is good. The craft money is going to go back into promoting crafts for right now, but by next year, we're hoping if it works out okay, it will be for Jayden's college fund.

I also listed three items on online auctions last night. That money's going to go toward a down payment for a new car. It's going to go straight into our second bank account and sit until we need to or want to get a new car. That should be in about a year, I hope.

We Have Entered Suburbia

2006-03-12T18:52:00.000-08:00

Brian is on the phone right now talking to his little brother about buying a station wagon! It was my mother-in-law's car. She bought a minivan last year and gave the station wagon to Jimmy. He's moving and wants to get rid of the car.

My father-in-law told Brian tonight that it's going to be $2500 to fix my car. The mechanic had previously said $1200, and we were planning on that. We just don't want to do $2500.

Our plan was to get my car fixed right now. We wanted to keep Brian's car until we move from Frankfort, probably in a year or so. Then we'd buy a new car and keep my car for a secondary car because we won't be able to buy 2 new cars next year.

Anyway, we just don't think spending $2500 for a 9-year-old car is a good idea right now. We're going to pay $500 for the station wagon. If it lasts a year or two years max, then we're good. The $500 will have been well-spent if it lasts us that long. I would freak out if we spent $2500 on my car, and it didn't last long.

So, anyway, we're officially suburbanites now, I suppose, since we're driving a station wagon.

Back to the Grindstone

2006-03-10T03:27:00.000-08:00

I've started back to graduate school. I've flitted around for a bit. I'm in a master's degree in public administration now. I'm excited about it. My first class is just an orientation to online learning course. It's pretty basic so far, but the reading is thought-provoking at least. It should be fun. It just makes my schedule hectic.

Bath Powder and Massage Oil

2006-03-09T03:34:00.000-08:00

I experimented yesterday with making some bath powder and massage oil. I gave Brian a massage last night to try out the oil. It was nice but a little thick. I'm going to use baby oil on the next batch I make.

Jayden helped with the bath powder. It's just essential oil, cornstarch, and baking soda, so it's completely safe for him. He loved picking up handfuls of the mixture and opening his hand to watch it fall back into the bowl. Of course, we had to vacuum afterwards, but I don't mind. He's learning and having fun, and that's what I want for him.

I'm making baskets for Jackie and Jessica. They're coming Sunday, so I'll give them to them then. I may try selling them at a craft fair if I can make them look good. We'll see.

An Interview and Updating My Goals

2006-03-08T03:51:00.000-08:00

I have a phone interview today with someone from a San Francisco-based magazine. She's considering making me a regular writer there on assginment. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I'm nervous, but the steady income would be great.

Here's an update on my monthly goals. I'm doing great so far!

Blogging -

* Have 20 articles written for the One Serious WAHM blog.

- 15 done

* Get AdSense on that blog.

- done

* Go through Gayla's course on making money with blogs.

- done

Adapt -

* Write $500 worth of articles.

- $30 done

Forks of Elkhorn Baptist Church

2006-03-07T03:10:00.000-08:00

Brian and I went to Forks of Elkhorn Baptist Church (www.forksbaptist.org) last week. A couple came by last night to talk to us. They were nice. We're going to go to the Wednesday night supper this week and see if we like it in a more relaxed atmosphere. I was surprised Brian was willing to go back because churches make him uncomfortable. It isn't the idea of God. It's that he feels everyone is judging him, and that's very hard for him.

Jayden loved the nursery. He gets such a kick out of playing with other kids. I hope that he enjoys it when we go back.

Getting More Work Done

2006-03-06T04:27:00.000-08:00

My new schedule is awesome! I'm actually getting more done. I think it's because I'm making myself accountable for my time. I'm not just working whenever I can. It makes it much easier to force myself to work during my "office hours."

I start the first class in a master's degree program today. It's a master's in public administration. I'm very excited about it although the first course is more of an orientation and introduction to critical thinking skills.

Busy Day Yesterday

2006-03-05T03:38:00.000-08:00

I had a really busy work day yesterday. I was able to get a couple of queries out, which is wonderful. I also worked on my projects. I want to update where I am on my goals.

Blogging -
* I've written 10 articles for the blog.
Adapt -
* I've written $30 worth of articles.

Other Content Writing -
No Update

Keyword Cafe -
* I've written $12 worth of articles.

Books -
* I've received one submission for WAHM Lessons.

Magazine Writing -
* I sent out one query.

Online Feature Writing -
No Update

Writing-Related Projects -
* I completed the snack recipe section.

Booklets -
* I've completed 39 of the 101 Ways to Make Money From Home.

Websites -
* I've completed 2 reviews.
* I've written 20 articles.

An Article and Goals

2006-03-04T03:51:00.000-08:00

I sold an article yesterday! I sent in an article on spec (which basically means I had to write it first), and they accepted it!

It's a small magazine called the WC. They're going to publish my article in April. In addition to the monetary payment, I get a free subscription to the magazine, which is great for me. Now I don't have to worry about buying it. Plus, I was planning to order a subscription anyway, so it all works out.

I want to put my March goals here so that I can follow them throughout the month. It helps to put them in a public place even if I'm sure not many people read the blog. It will help me.

I have a ton of projects going at the same time because to make a full-time living as a writer, diversification is necessary. This year, my main goal is to increase the number of income streams I have coming in.

Blogging -
* Have 20 articles written for the One Serious WAHM blog.
* Get AdSense on that blog.
* Go through Gayla's course on making money with blogs.

Adapt -
* Write $500 worth of articles.

Other Content Writing -
* Make $25 with other content writing.
* Write 5 articles for Associated Content and Constant Content.

Keyword Cafe -
* Write $300 worth of articles.

Books -
* Write my submission to WAHM Lessons.
* Complete 100 of the tips for book on college life.
* Have at least 5 submissions for WAHM Lessons.

Magazine Writing -
* Send out 10 print magazine queries.
* Complete math article to submit on spec.

Online Feature Writing -
* Complete one article to submit on spec.
* Query 10 online magazines.

Writing-Related Projects
* Complete grocery and meal-planning workbook and put it on sale.
* Contact 3 people about promotions for workbook.
* Write 2 promotional articles for workbook.
* Find an artist for the commemorative birth announcement.

Booklets -
* Write 2 additional promotional articles for The Basics of Web Writing.
* Start a small AdWords campaign on web writing.
* Complete 101 Ways to Make Money From Home and put up for sale.
* Write 2 promotional articles for 101 Ways to Make Money From Home.

Websites -
* Have 25 reviews completed for feminist site.
* Have 30 articles written for The WAHP.

Whew! I'm tired just thinking about my monthly goals. Now that I'm feeling better, I'm ready to jump in and really get moving!

I've sold 2 copies!

2006-03-03T03:13:00.000-08:00

I put a booklet that I wrote on sale 2 weeks ago. It's called The Basics of Web Writing (http://www.pureawakenings.com/basics-web-writing.html). I sold the second copy of it yesterday. I know that's not much, but I'm happy about it. I haven't paid anything for marketing it yet, so that's why I'm happy it's already selling. I only submitted one article to a free article bank, but I'm getting a number of visitors from that.

Someone emailed me about buying reseller's rights to it. I'm thinking that I'm going to sell that to him. Basically he wants to give it as a bonus to people who buy his e-book, so he would pay one lump sum for the right to do that. I would make a lot more on it if I do it.

I'm glad that this looks like it might work, at least to bring in something. We need all of the income streams we can get. I've been researching, and I've realized that to make a full-time income as a writer, I'm going to have to diversify as much as possible. This booklet was my first shot at that.

Feeling Great

2006-02-24T04:44:00.000-08:00

I woke up at 6 this morning. I tried to lie back down for a few minutes, but I was wide awake. That's a new feeling for me, so it's kind of exciting. I hopped up and got ready. I even made pancakes. Of course, then Jayden decided to get up early, too. Ahh. I'll never get to work much in the mornings, I guess. Anyway, I'm happy to be up and moving. I think I'm finally shaking the malaise.

I'm back!

2006-02-23T06:41:00.000-08:00

After a couple of weeks, I have returned. We didn't move to Georgia after all. Brian was promised a raise, so we stayed. He's in the new position - working himself ragged - but we have yet to see the raise. I can't even think about it. The whole ordeal infuriates me.

I'm starting a master's degree program in public administration on March 6. I knew that the MBA program wasn't for me, and when I finished in December, I had no desire to go back. I'll be going to Walden University. So far, everything with them looks great. I've been really impressed with all of the information and with my admissions counselor, Stan.

I'm also working on a book right now. It's my main project these days. I'm trying to get a handle on my depression. I'm taking a massive cocktail since the problem isn't your run-of-the-mill post-partum depression. I'm apparently nuttier than I thought, so I'm taking serious medications. I've been on them for right at a week now, and I feel much better.

I think we're moving.

2005-12-02T06:04:00.000-08:00

I think we're moving to Georgia. My grandparents offered to let us live next to them rent-free. It would be really helpful because we'd have a year without any rent, and that in itself could help us pay off 2 1/2 accounts. We made a plan last night after a little crying and fussing. Brian doesn't want to leave his career. He thinks I don't understand, but I do. It's just hard for me because that's not the only factor I'm considering. Plus, I know that he can work on making himself available to step back into his career when we leave.

He works as a contractor. He's asking them today if they will renew his contract (in June) at "experienced." It would mean a fair amount of additional income for us, but neither of us expects it to come to fruition. We will see. If that's a no, then when we go down at Christmas, Jayden and I are staying so that I can find a job while Brian ties up loose ends here.

Thanksgiving and Depression

2005-11-30T15:20:00.000-08:00

My car broke down on the way to Brian's parents' house for Thanksgiving. The engine needs to be replaced, so we're not sure what we're going to do. My mother-in-law thinks we should fix it. My mom said they'd help us get a new car. Neither is a really good option, and we just haven't decided yet. Brian's car is broken down, too, and I'm completely against getting it fixed. After about $2,000 in repair work 2 years ago, we had to replace the engine. That's been since August 2003. The problems it's having are the same set, and I'm afraid we're headed down that road again. It just doesn't seem worth it. Still, we expect it with Brian's cars (they've always had problems), but mine has been Old Trusty for so long that I was caught off-guard.

Anyway, we don't really have the money to fix either car or to get a new one, so we're in a bind. My mom has suggested we move home to live near my grandparents (rent-free!) so that my family can help us out more. I could go back to work outside the home, and we could pay off debt with the money we're saving. I have to admit that it's appealing. We're looking into it, but we don't want to pack our stuff and move without having jobs lined up first.

We can pay our bills now, but there's nothing extra. My mother-in-law wants to help us with a budget. There's not much point since we know that we're careful with our money. We're going to let her see the bills, though, because we're hoping she'll finally believe us. I don't even care anymore if she believes us or not because I've just given up. I want to float away into oblivion and forget this life ever existed. I want to meet Brian and Jayden in another life where we can start out whole and prosper. I'm so tired.

Slept Late - Busy Week

2005-11-21T04:06:00.000-08:00

I slept late today. It was unintentional. I had a very good day yesterday. I got the site up. I was able to walk. We made an excellent chicken marinara from scratch. I think the laziness of the day caught up with me, and I didn't want to get up this morning.

I wish I hadn't overslept because now it's going to mean a crazy day trying to get caught up. I have yet another doctor's appointment this afternoon at 1:30. I'm hoping it doesn't take long.

Plus, it's a short week. Thanksgiving is Thursday, and we're going to Brian's parents. It's only a two-hour drive, but we're going to try to get there as early as we can to beat the rush of traffic. He's going to work late today and tomorrow so that he can get off work at 1 on Wednesday. I hate lots of traffic, and I don't want to be traveling the Wednesday before Thanksgiving at 5:00. We've had to do it before, and it wasn't fun! So that makes for a really busy and long two days for me.

My New Site's Up

2005-11-20T09:37:00.000-08:00

The WAHP is up now! It's been online for about four weeks, but I haven't been promoting it. I had a couple of links here and there but nothing exciting. I was tweaking the forums. I got them finished this morning, so the site's ready for visitors now. We have 7 registered users and some posts on the forums already, so I'm excited about the possibilities.

You can visit the site here: www.the-wahp.com

A Day In The Life

2005-11-17T03:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a weird day. I'm at that odd point where I'm coming out of a depression, but I'm not quite there yet. I cried for a long time over a song I heard on the radio. Come on; get over it.

I didn't get as much done as I needed to, but that's always in my life. I'm stuck on an asset valuation paper for my accounting class, and it's killing me. Accounting's killing me. The work isn't difficult. It's mainly jargon and seeing how an entire profession of people has taken a simple concept (assets vs. liabilities and equity) and made it overly complex. The whole discipline seems that way, and then they wonder why they have a bad reputation.

Anyway, I have some leads on writing jobs but nothing exciting. We got something to eat and went to the grocery store last night. Yes, we're officially parents - and middle class. Jayden's bill was $44 of the $50 we spent. He needed wipes, diapers, food, and a new hat. We got him a little snow hat. Watching him try it on was hysterical. It fastens under his chin, and he kept trying to pull it off his head. He was pissed at us. Oh, well, it won't be the last time he gets mad at us for being parents.

I got out a giant box of things we have saved for the future scrapbook project, which will take up all of our retirement. It was fun to look through everything. It reminded me of someone I used to be - someone who has gotten lost in life. Ah, enough of that...my coffee's ready.

Mercer, Mercer, Mercer

2005-11-16T05:09:00.000-08:00

I received an email from an old friend yesterday. Mercer (www.mercer.edu) and the Georgia Baptist Convention are having hmm...issues with each other. Beth started a group called the Mercer Triangle Symposium (www.mercer.edu/mts) right after we left Mercer. The group has come under fire from the GBC, whose members don't believe Mercer should permit students to think freely. MTS is for gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgender students.

This story assures me that Mercer is still the same old Mercer it was when I was there. In a way, it rejuvenates me, too. It makes me excited to think that there are relatively small actions we can take that cause such frustration on the part of ultra-conservatives. I hope it creates the time for an open debate about such issues as well.

You can read the article about it here: http://www.christianindex.org/1720.article

Insurance Companies and Career Plans

2005-11-15T05:36:00.000-08:00

I got so angry yesterday. I have been seeing a therapist for what has been a years-long episode of depression. They think I'm OCD or have some other issue, but I know that I don't. Anyway, the point is that they're really bad about filing my insurance. They just filed a visit from 8 weeks ago (my first one), and my insurance company applied it against our deductible. We have this weird deductible that doesn't apply to all visits - only some. I'm not really sure which ones and how to tell, but I had to cancel this week's appointment. I paid $15 when I was there. Now they're wanting $85 additional per visit for four visits. That's a lot of money to come up with quickly - for us, anyway - and especially when we didn't plan for it because the insurance company told me it was covered but neglected to mention that it's one of the 3 appointments that count against our deductible. Arg. I'm just pissed about the whole thing.

Last night I started looking at other writing jobs. The FBI hires writers. Who knew? I mean, it makes sense now that I think about it, but I'd never realized it before. They pay pretty well, too, at least for writers. We're accustomed to being underpaid. I have to find out what it is I'm supposed to do. This whole web writing gig just won't work long-term.

New Day Dawning?

2005-11-14T04:01:00.000-08:00

I am going to work on getting more freelancing jobs. Brian and I talked about it and decided that we just aren't going to be able to make it on my web writing. The pay is too low, and the income is too unstable. Instead I'm going to look for other forms of writing. I have two on-going clients right now, and we're thinking we'll stick with them. Otherwise, I'm going to keep looking, but I'm not sure the web writing will work.

We worked on making candles for my site all day yesterday. It's a long process because you have to make them, let them harden, then work on filling them in. I enjoy it, though. It's a lot of fun. I should be done making them today. Then we can photograph them and put them up on the site.

I've also been working on my site for work at home parents. I'm not quite there yet, but it's so close to being finished. I should be able to finish it in the next day or so.

I have to write a lot this week to help us get on track financially. God, we just want to pay off debt. If we did, we'd have so much extra money every month to spend and invest. Jayden's future would be much more secure.

A Good Saturday/A Bad Saturday

2005-11-13T04:27:00.000-08:00

Well, despite the title of my post, I'll start with the bad. Georgia lost to Auburn yesterday. 31-30. It was pathetic. There was a costly delay of game penalty when Georgia was going to go for a 2-point conversion in the 3rd quarter. They should've gone for it anyway because Auburn would have won even if they hadn't made the PAT. Ahh! I can't even stomach thinking about it right now.

My personal Saturday was much better, however. I have three items remaining on my projects list that I started Friday. I'm in good shape to get them finished up, which means that I will - for once in my life - start the week without projects looming over my head! I have to finish my work at home parents site. The site's up. I just have to tweak the forums and add a link to another site. The I have to adjust the site map and add a shopping cart. I finished up a booklet yesterday. The writing's been done, but I went and test printed and got it ready to sell.

I also have to finish my candle site (Pure Awakenings) today. The main job left is to make the candles so that I can photograph them. I'm also applying for some writing jobs, so that should take up a good bit of my day.

That Glorious Feeling

2005-11-12T09:54:00.000-08:00

Well, Friday was better than Thursday. Brian was off work for Veterans' Day. We made a list of 12 projects that we needed to get done. A couple were things for around the house, but most of them were work-related. It's shameful, but I've missed out on applying for freelance jobs because I needed to update my resume. I finally told Brian that we had to get this stuff done. He's watched over Jayden most of the weekend so that I could work.

It feels so good to get these things off my ever-expanding to do list. I have 4 left for Sunday, and I should be able to finish them. I have to stop to work on my accounting class. I'm getting my MBA. I really missed the school environment, and I wanted to go back. I went into an MBA program because I ran my own business, and I thought it would be beneficial. It's turned out not to teach me as much as I'd thought. Still, I'll be 1/3 of the way through when I finish the current class. I'm hoping to be done before we move from Frankfort.

Glad Yesterday's Over

2005-11-11T06:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was not a great day. I had my other ultrasounds. My GYN told me everything looks great. I have to go back in three months because high blood pressure and birth control aren't a good combination. Still I'm not even at the point of treating my high blood pressure yet.

We have made some changes - slow and steady. It's all I can do right now. I've changed to sweetener instead of sugar in my coffee. I'm drinking diet soft drinks and trying to cut down on them altogether. We've stopped eating beef. Instead we're using tofu and ground turkey. When I went to the doctor Wednesday, I'd lost 7 pounds since I saw a doctor on October 21. You're only supposed to lose 1 1/2 to 2 pounds per week, so I'm losing a little too quickly. Still, I haven't made any significant changes, so I'm not going to try to stop it.

Brian's making gourmet waffles this morning for us, and then we're going out. He's home today because it's Veterans Day. I hope in 2-3 years, he can be home with us everyday. That's the plan anyway. So after the waffles, we're going to check out the sales at the stores. We're not buying anything, mind you, we're just looking. Plus, I'm supposed to walk for 30 minutes everyday. I know the shopping and walking won't be fast enough, but it's better than nothing.

We had to pay bills yesterday, and I realized that we don't have as much extra money as I'd thought. It's depressing. We really try to keep our cost of living the same when we bring in more money, but I guess we're not doing as good of a job as I'd thought. I told Brian that we have to push to get debt paid down. We have one big account that will be with us for a while, but we agreed that we're going to pull out all the stops until we've paid off everything else. That will free us up to move toward Brian working from home, too. Right now, it's just too unstable for us to do that.

Cardiomyopathy

2005-11-10T06:21:00.000-08:00

No, I don't have it. Or at least I don't know yet if I do. I had an EKG this morning, which really was no big deal. I thought it would be more involved and take longer, but it was a quick procedure. It's basically an ultrasound of your heart. The whole thing took 10 minutes. I won't find out the results until November 21, so I have a while to wait. Still, it was just the first of four appointments today.

The Great Doctor's Visit

2005-11-09T12:52:00.000-08:00

I went to the doctor today, for the 1,000th time in the last month. Now I have four appointments scheduled for tomorrow. You'd think I'm old, but alas, there's just something wrong with me. I have an EKG scheduled for tomorrow morning at 8:30. I have 2 ultrasounds - one of my reproductive system and one of my thyroid, and I have a follow-up on the GYN ultrasound. So that's pretty much my day for tomorrow - sitting in doctor's offices waiting to try to find some answer somewhere about what's wrong with me.

We're going from it could be depression to it could be a rare heart condition (cardiomyopathy) that's a post-partum complication. The tests should tell me what exactly is happening so that I can reach a point where we can find out what's wrong and can start fixing it.

I can't wait. I'm tired of waiting. I'm tired of feeling terrible.

The Online Business World

2005-11-04T07:03:00.000-08:00

Here's Part 2 of the nervous breakdown.

We never settled on anything when we were planning our online venture. We really didn't have a good game plan going in. So we jumped from project to project without any clear direction. That has proven deadly for our business.

Plus I've kind of given up on the whole online business idea. It isn't that I don't think it's possible, but I don't think it's for us, at least not right now.

Even after the pain of last night, when I went to sleeping still with tears in my eyes, I feel much better - cleansed. Crying like that is cathartic, and I'm ready to face the world again.

A Nervous Breakdown

2005-11-04T06:55:00.000-08:00

I lost it last night. I realized that Brian and I don't have as much money in one of our accounts as I thought. I got so angry because I'm tired of worrying about money. It causes so many other problems. Brian and I have never fought about money - not once. We have had serious financial problems, but we've learned to deal with them. The funny thing is that while I know it's getting better, we're still not where I want us to be. We have extra in our checking account every month, and that never happened even six months ago. We're paying off our debt. Still, I can't wait until the debt's all gone, and we're done with it forever!

So I went to get gas last night because I needed to get out for a few minutes. On the way there, I lost it. I cried and cried. I pulled into the parking lot of a store that had already closed and sat and cried for probably 20 minutes. Then I got gas and came home. I thought I was feeling better, but I started crying again. So I had a drink (yes, a grown-up drink) and sat outside thinking.

I've been jumping from business to business and idea to idea for a while now - well, always, really. I thought I wanted to be a history professor, but I didn't stay in graduate school because I had too much debt. And I became disenchanted with the whole process. So I became a reporter, but I stayed only 7 months. Then I started working from home. It's not that I don't like working from home. I love being here with Jayden and setting my own schedule, but I still don't have any direction. That's my problem. I'm trying to find direction.

Right now, I'm researching event planning. Brian and I were working on an online company, but we just decided to close the virtual doors. We weren't making any money, and we couldn't justify putting in more time.

The Change?

2005-11-03T13:14:00.000-08:00

I'm supposed to make this big change. I keep seeing some moment when it all comes together, and I can decide that I want to feel better. Then I'll make this huge change, and all will be well.

That day hasn't come yet.

Last night I went to the grocery store and bought crap for us to eat to get through this week. I bought those frozen dinners with six or seven patties of something that resembles meat. They're not that bad, actually. Okay, they are, but it's all I can manage this week. That's what I don't get. I absolutely understand that it's junk, and I shouldn't eat it. I know it's part of what's making me feel bad. I'm just not sure it's all of what's making me feel bad. Plus I just don't have the energy to change it right now. I don't know what to do.

And my career...

2005-10-28T11:11:00.000-07:00

is in the toilet. Well, it never really existed.

Are you supposed to know what you want to do when you grow up? I don't. I have a bachelor's degree with majors in history, women's studies, and sociology. They're all separate majors - no double credits. Plus with another semester I could have had another major or a couple of minors. Yep, I went through college without the first clue what I would do.

I will admit that I had visions of grandeur. They just weren't very detailed.

So, now, here I am at 25, still without much of a clue although I'm accepting that. I'm okay with that now - at least briefly.

Welcome To The Story of my Life

2005-10-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

I hope that this story has a happy ending - or at least finds a happy path. I am 25 years old, married, and the mother of one. That's it. That's the totality of my existence right now.

Over the past week, I have seen four doctors. They've looked at me and told me about all of the problems with my body. I have thyroid problems. My TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) is normal now, but I'm still gaining weight. I weigh 201 pounds - a place on the scales I never thought I'd see. I'm clumsy. My blood pressure is high. I'm depressed. I've been depressed for so long that I just live with it now.

My doctor put me on a diet to lower my blood pressure. The DASH diet it's called. I'm supposed to go on this diet, start drinking more water, watch my sodium intake, and start exercising everyday.

Okay, it's been so long since I've been in a gym that I couldn't find my way around. I know in my mind that being in shape means feeling better, but I don't have the energy to get there.