Stuff and Things

1. This was going to be a typecast, but I didn't feel up to hauling out all 40 pounds of Prince Henry.

2. I got zero response on the S.T/A.R project, so that is on hold for the moment.

3. Instead of working on the stuff I'm supposed to be working on for the past few days, I've been watching T.V., knitting, embroidering, and pretending I don't see my tax stuff waiting for me on the table.

4. I've also be trying to come up with a way to earn $450 while still fully clothed, before my laptop commits seppuku. The screen is attempting to separate itself from the rest of the computer. Shocked myself on it last night, so I'm starting to think I can't put off the repairs as long as I thought I could. But, everything it backed up so that when it does die, I won't loose anything. Except my music, tv shows, and a chunk of my photos. But the important stuff is safe.

5. It sucks when all of your skills became obsolete around the time of the industrial revolution.

6. Might end up going offline for a few days, depending on how my funds look and how quickly the laptop deteriorates. Hopefully, no more than a week.

Is this a sign?

Just when I get all geared up for a big purchase, I find this in my yahoo horoscope:

I'm going to keep this major purchase a secret for a while, just because it's so exciting and I don't want to jinx it, like I did with The Universe Provides. How did I jinx that, you ask? Well, immediately following that post, the person I was going to do the commission for was hosptialized, putting off the work. Alice still has not heard from her potential photography client, and our ex-roommate, who insisted he'd paid all of the bills before he moved out, did NOT, resulting in our water being shut off suddenly, followed by many shouting matches when he turned around and said "Well, I told you that I didn't pay anything before I left and that it was up to you." This after he'd deposited the check I'd written him for the utilities. Getting it back was like pulling teeth.

*grumble*

It's been a rough week or two. 2009 has not started in any way like I'd hoped.

But. School starts next Tuesday, I'll have my check, Alice will have hers, and we'll be set. Just one more semester to get through.

The Univerise Provides

As in most households, things have been a little tight here around Chez Loco. After the housing fiasco last semester, I was lucky enough to have parents who could charge the cost for me, but Alice had to do it herself. The result was an overdrawn credit card and payments that jumped from $20 to $200, literally overnight. She's been paying down $20 here and $40, but with the economy what it is jobs are hard to find and she's had no income other than her Etsy Store. This means that she's been living off of her student loans, which don't go very far. I've been keeping us fed, picking up the late/no pay fees her brother left behind on the electric bill (don't even get me started on him), and generally taking care of the household expenses. When our January checks come in, she'll be paying me back for part of this, but not much. And I've been surviving off of loan money and $7.00 an hour (well, $7.25 since Thanksgiving).

The last two days have been a windfall. While talking to a coworker, she mentioned she's looking to have her senior pictures taken at Walmart. Instantly, I recommended Alice, who is a fantastic photographer and did my senior pictures. When I said she'd do them for under $100, I could tell that the coworker in question was sold. I'm bringing her the pricing information today, along with some samples. Anything that gets Alice a few extra dollars makes things easier on me.

The second windfall happened not long after. Remember how I was talking to my boss about family and handmade dishcloths? Well, when her sister saw them, she freaked, so The Boss commissioned another set for her birthday--$20, paid in advance. I'm bringing them to her today at work.

Third, while cruising around CraigsList, I came across a request to make rocking chair cushions. It's simple, it's fiber, and its local. We're still hashing out the details, but I think I can get about $50 for it.

On top of that, Alice's parents sent her $150 for Christmas (among other things), about half of which is going to things like bills and food. And our checks from the student art sale came in, so I've also got a cushion there.

Don't get me wrong. Things are still a little dicey, and these are only temporary fixes. I still need a new job (one that pays minimum $24000 a year, by my estimate), but it makes things easier for the time being. It should at least get us through the next couple of weeks, until our overpayment checks come in.