We had a yard sale a few weeks ago. The whole community that we live in sponsored it. I love yard sales. Not the actual selling part, or the pricing part. But the feeling I get when I get rid of stuff that we no longer need.
It makes me feel lighter, freer. And it adds a dash of order and organization to our otherwise chaotic home of six people. Plus it makes more room for the new "stuff" that will ineveitably come into the home each holiday and birthday...
It was hot as hades the day of the sale. Felt like 90 degrees by 8 a.m., and humid too. Eric helped me drag out the clothes, old strollers, baby clothes, toys, and knick knacks. And I sat there in the heat for 4 hours. People were funny; most wanted to negotiate and pay next to nothing for the items. But it felt good to see so much of it go. I am going to drop off the rest of the things that didn't sell this week at the consignment store.
Christian was funny about the sale. He ran outside to inspect the toys I had for sale. They were mostly little baby items that the boys had outgrown. He looked around for a minute and turned to me with a puzzled look, "Where did the cars go Mommy?" He wanted some big boy toys. So, his sister walked him to the neighbor's sale and found a race track with two cars for $2.50. He was thrilled! He sat there and played with it on the hot driveway while I talked to customers. "Hi people!" he'd call to them. "See my new cars?" So cute.
Next up on my list to clean will be the older kids' rooms. Let's face it, their rooms are never in great shape even when clean. But lately, they had been pretty decent (ie no food, dishes, or trash around. Just some dirty clothes and clean ones scattered). But then, their teachers had them clean out their desks and lockers for the end of the school year. Oui vay. For two days they brought home notebooks, projects, supplies, and papers. Now their room look like supply stores! So we wiil have to have a room cleaning party next week.
I am doing a little "house cleaning" with my diet lately too. I found out 4 years ago that I am allergic to milk and corn. I never did anything about it because the task seemed too daunting, plus I was going through two pregnancies (not a great time to diet). Recently though, I grew weary of always having a stuffy nose and skin rashes and irritations. So, I decided to eliminate corn and dairy. Boy did it make a difference! I am less itchy, less sneezy, stuffy, and so on. And it sure cuts down on my snacking. Do you know that the food industry puts corn in almost everything?
Corn syrup is the worst offender. I read that the stuff is addictive and leads to obesity. It makes you crave more sugar. Well, it is in most deli meat, most ketchup, candies, cookies, wheat thins...you name it! So, needless to say, I don't snack as much. When I do it tends to be apples, peanuts, pita chips, or a piece of toast.
The "babies" are happy with my "allergy house cleaning" and new milk-free living. They have benefited because I am stocking the house with more milk-free bread, rice cheese, and rice milk ice cream.
Just last night we had breakfast for dinner. I made french toast with soy milk and eggs for us, regular milk french toast for Lanae, and pancakes (batter had corn in it) for Eric. Colin had a nitrite-nitrate free hot dog and gluten-free spaghetti. :-) We are a complicated bunch for sure.
The hardest part of my new allergy-free living is learning what to order at my favorite place: Chick-fil-A. Alas, they put corn and milk in almost everything they serve. Even the fries...and chicken...and Chick-fil-A sauce! I think I could safely have their side salad (no dressing), cole slaw, and raisin and carrot salad, and a regular lemonade (the diet lemonade has corn in it!!!) I think I may cheat this weekend in honor of Father's Day. We have some coupons for free Chick-fil-A and we may all go as a family Saturday afternoon...the "babies" will suffer for the milk-filled chicken and I may need a benedryl after, but it is just so darn tasty it may be worth it.
That is all for now. The tale of Jen will continue next week...
Friday, June 18, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Jen of all Trades: Hardest $15 I've Ever Earned
Happy belated Mother's Day blog readers! Hope you all had a relaxing Mother's Day. I know I enjoyed a nice breakfast in bed delivered by my 4 kids, a lunch made by my 12-year-old son, and a night out at the theater to see, "Beauty and the Beast" with my daughter and oldest son. My husband also cleaned out my minivan, two bathrooms, and the kitchen. So nice! Ahh, Mother's Day. What happens the day after such a lovely holiday?
Well, for me, it was back to reality. And back to school for the kids. But today my friends, was no ordinary Monday.
As most of you know, since I left my technology job in September, I have become a "Jen of all Trades." I consign things monthly at a local consignment store; I write freelance articles for the newspaper; and now--I am adding "daycare" to my list.
I have started watching my next door neighbor's 3 kids (ages 2, 4, and 9) from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. three to five times per week, as needed.
My neighbor went back to work as a nurse (night shift) to help support her family. Her husband leaves for work at 7:00 a.m. and she gets home at 8:30 a.m. or so; that's where I fit in. $15 bucks a day is nice money, and I thought the work would be easy. Right?
Wrong!
Last Friday kicked off with my own toddler screeching at my neighbor's 2-year-old because he wasn't used to "sharing" toys; my daughter got up early to "help" with the 4-year-old and 9-year-old boys from next door to race around the basement, throwing around the dirty laundry and jumping on furniture; and when the three kids left at 9:00 a.m. my house looked like a tornado hit it! I found a yogurt melting in the "babies" toy microwave, and I had to spend their nap time recovering the kitchen and basement from a sea of toys.
Today, I vowed, would be different. I told my 6th grade son to watch "Today Show" on the basement TV while he waited for his 7:25 a.m. middle school bus. I had my daughter "sleep in" until 8 a.m. instead of waking up early to "help" me watch the neighbor's 3 kids. And I prayed the "babies" were sleepy enough to sleep in until 8:00 or 8:30 a.m., leaving me with just the neighbor's 3 kids to watch instead of 7.
"The new rule is, we all eat at the table," I said, proud of myself for setting some boundaries for my new little visitors. The 3 sat at the table, quietly eating their Cookie Crisp cereal, and sipping juice. Ahhh...it felt calmer. "I can do this," I thought. "This is much better than Friday."
But what happens after the calm? The storm!
7:30 a.m. and my eldest son's bus had not arrived. Colin, who has Autism, did not like schedules to change without warning or explanation. He lived by his schedules and plans. "But Mom," he said, "What about my field trip? We leave there at 8:15 from the school." Indeed, he was correct. The clock was ticking. 7:40 am and still no school bus.
I called the school and learned his special ed bus had broken down. My son panicked; he had already texted his best friend that morning and asked if he could sit next to her on the field trip bus. I had to get him there, or he would be the only 6th grader to miss the trip.
But the school said they "couldn't guarantee" that his replacement bus would be to our home in time to get him to school for the field trip.
So, I had a problem. A pickle. A lemon. And I made lemonade.
"Get dressed," I said to my sleepy daughter who sat on the stairs wondering why her eldest brother was still home. "Let's wake the babies."
As luck would have it, I had an extra car seat. My sister, good Samaritan that she was, bought one of the "babies" one. It is too large for my toddler, but the right size for my neighbor's daughter. I loaded them - all seven kids - in the car. Slowly.
Let me tell you, I was the mother of an "only" child for many years until just 2 or 3years ago; so for me, loading 7 kids ages 1-12 was no easy chore! I don't know how my sister does it with 6! I am not cut out.
But somehow we made it to the school in time. Hurray! Colin got to go to the field trip and to sit by his best friend. I got the kids home in time to be picked up by their mom. My daughter got on her own school bus to the elementary School. And I earned my $15 bucks.
And by 9:00 a.m., I needed a nap!
I know it is hard for my neighbor to go back to work. And it is hard for me to stay home, too. Especially when I try to earn money with all of my "side jobs." Either way, a mother's work is never done.
That is all for now. My recessionary tale will continue Friday.
Well, for me, it was back to reality. And back to school for the kids. But today my friends, was no ordinary Monday.
As most of you know, since I left my technology job in September, I have become a "Jen of all Trades." I consign things monthly at a local consignment store; I write freelance articles for the newspaper; and now--I am adding "daycare" to my list.
I have started watching my next door neighbor's 3 kids (ages 2, 4, and 9) from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. three to five times per week, as needed.
My neighbor went back to work as a nurse (night shift) to help support her family. Her husband leaves for work at 7:00 a.m. and she gets home at 8:30 a.m. or so; that's where I fit in. $15 bucks a day is nice money, and I thought the work would be easy. Right?
Wrong!
Last Friday kicked off with my own toddler screeching at my neighbor's 2-year-old because he wasn't used to "sharing" toys; my daughter got up early to "help" with the 4-year-old and 9-year-old boys from next door to race around the basement, throwing around the dirty laundry and jumping on furniture; and when the three kids left at 9:00 a.m. my house looked like a tornado hit it! I found a yogurt melting in the "babies" toy microwave, and I had to spend their nap time recovering the kitchen and basement from a sea of toys.
Today, I vowed, would be different. I told my 6th grade son to watch "Today Show" on the basement TV while he waited for his 7:25 a.m. middle school bus. I had my daughter "sleep in" until 8 a.m. instead of waking up early to "help" me watch the neighbor's 3 kids. And I prayed the "babies" were sleepy enough to sleep in until 8:00 or 8:30 a.m., leaving me with just the neighbor's 3 kids to watch instead of 7.
"The new rule is, we all eat at the table," I said, proud of myself for setting some boundaries for my new little visitors. The 3 sat at the table, quietly eating their Cookie Crisp cereal, and sipping juice. Ahhh...it felt calmer. "I can do this," I thought. "This is much better than Friday."
But what happens after the calm? The storm!
7:30 a.m. and my eldest son's bus had not arrived. Colin, who has Autism, did not like schedules to change without warning or explanation. He lived by his schedules and plans. "But Mom," he said, "What about my field trip? We leave there at 8:15 from the school." Indeed, he was correct. The clock was ticking. 7:40 am and still no school bus.
I called the school and learned his special ed bus had broken down. My son panicked; he had already texted his best friend that morning and asked if he could sit next to her on the field trip bus. I had to get him there, or he would be the only 6th grader to miss the trip.
But the school said they "couldn't guarantee" that his replacement bus would be to our home in time to get him to school for the field trip.
So, I had a problem. A pickle. A lemon. And I made lemonade.
"Get dressed," I said to my sleepy daughter who sat on the stairs wondering why her eldest brother was still home. "Let's wake the babies."
As luck would have it, I had an extra car seat. My sister, good Samaritan that she was, bought one of the "babies" one. It is too large for my toddler, but the right size for my neighbor's daughter. I loaded them - all seven kids - in the car. Slowly.
Let me tell you, I was the mother of an "only" child for many years until just 2 or 3years ago; so for me, loading 7 kids ages 1-12 was no easy chore! I don't know how my sister does it with 6! I am not cut out.
But somehow we made it to the school in time. Hurray! Colin got to go to the field trip and to sit by his best friend. I got the kids home in time to be picked up by their mom. My daughter got on her own school bus to the elementary School. And I earned my $15 bucks.
And by 9:00 a.m., I needed a nap!
I know it is hard for my neighbor to go back to work. And it is hard for me to stay home, too. Especially when I try to earn money with all of my "side jobs." Either way, a mother's work is never done.
That is all for now. My recessionary tale will continue Friday.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
The 411 on 7-11
What's up blog followers?
I am behind on my new blogging schedule. I "skipped" Friday and Monday, due to newspaper deadlines.
But I'm back. And I want to give you the "411" on 7-11. For those of you who don't know what that phrase means, I consulted the Urban Dictionary. According to them, "411" is another term used for "information". Here is an example: "Ok Kim Possible, I need the 411 on what information you have discovered on your secret mission so I can analyze it on my supercomputer to help find out who is behind the crime."
Okay so here is the 411...
My sister came to town this past weekend, along with my four nieces, my nephew, and my nephew's girlfriend. They wanted to go see the National Zoo. My sister was excited to show her youngest son, age 3, the animals for FREE.
Me, being a savvy money-conscious person, knew better. Free, eh? NOT!
The entrance to the zoo is free. But that is where it ends. They get you in and BAM, you want a map. $2 for a map? Really? Are you kidding me.
We said no thanks, and just kept walking. So the zoo is hilly, and the three adults were hoofing it, pushing "the babies" in the double stroller and my youngest nephew in a single stroller. Plus we had 6 other kids ages 8to 18. And it was hot out my friends.
In less than 10 minutes, the animals weren't the only hungry ones in the zoo. Our kids were hungry and thirsty.
Luckily, I had packed snacks for the babies: a water bottle, a box of fruit snacks, rice crispy treats, and a bag of cheez-its. I pulled out this stash feeling like a well prepared Mom, when the vultures descended.
My nieces wanted rice crispy treats and fruit snacks. My daughter wanted crackers. My eldest son, who never drinks water - ever - downed my water bottle. The "babies" were lucky to split a pack of fruit snacks and have a few crackers. Poof! All of my food was gone.
So, after saying "Hi" to a zebra, seeing a wolf, and watching a cheetah pace, the kids were all starving. So, we headed to the zoo cafe. This is where they try to "get you" and make up for the fact that you visited the zoo for "free." The cafe wanted $10 for a kids meal! A hot dog, fries, a drink and apple sauce - that probably cost them $3.00 to prepare. If you add that up for my family, it would have cost us $60 bucks for the 6 of us! My sister would have dropped the same amount.
"Let's head back to 7-11," suggested my wise husband. "It's across the entrance from the zoo."
Despite the groans from the hungry and tired kids, we all headed to the welcoming beacon that is 7-11.
Ahh...there we were met with so many good deals. I went healthy and bought a wrap and some yogurt. The "babies" got yogurt, grapes, cookies, and cereal bars. My husband got a BIG GULP, some tasty chicken fingers, potato wedges, chips, and tacquitos (2 for $2.22!) My gluten-free son got a hot dog (no bun), pepperoni, a soda, and some chips, while my eldest daughter found her favorite Italian sub, a soda, and some chips. All this came to less than $30 bucks! We saved half the money we would have spent in the zoo! Plus, we had leftover snacks to use the rest of the day.
7-11 has come a long way. Their sandwiches are actually fresh and good. I had some kind of chicken and cheese wrap. It felt better than fast food, and it hit the spot. If you find yourself out and about and want something to eat but don't want fast food, 7-11 is worth considering. They certainly saved the day--and 30 dollars-- for our family.
Until we meet again. My recessionary tale will continue Monday.
I am behind on my new blogging schedule. I "skipped" Friday and Monday, due to newspaper deadlines.
But I'm back. And I want to give you the "411" on 7-11. For those of you who don't know what that phrase means, I consulted the Urban Dictionary. According to them, "411" is another term used for "information". Here is an example: "Ok Kim Possible, I need the 411 on what information you have discovered on your secret mission so I can analyze it on my supercomputer to help find out who is behind the crime."
Okay so here is the 411...
My sister came to town this past weekend, along with my four nieces, my nephew, and my nephew's girlfriend. They wanted to go see the National Zoo. My sister was excited to show her youngest son, age 3, the animals for FREE.
Me, being a savvy money-conscious person, knew better. Free, eh? NOT!
The entrance to the zoo is free. But that is where it ends. They get you in and BAM, you want a map. $2 for a map? Really? Are you kidding me.
We said no thanks, and just kept walking. So the zoo is hilly, and the three adults were hoofing it, pushing "the babies" in the double stroller and my youngest nephew in a single stroller. Plus we had 6 other kids ages 8to 18. And it was hot out my friends.
In less than 10 minutes, the animals weren't the only hungry ones in the zoo. Our kids were hungry and thirsty.
Luckily, I had packed snacks for the babies: a water bottle, a box of fruit snacks, rice crispy treats, and a bag of cheez-its. I pulled out this stash feeling like a well prepared Mom, when the vultures descended.
My nieces wanted rice crispy treats and fruit snacks. My daughter wanted crackers. My eldest son, who never drinks water - ever - downed my water bottle. The "babies" were lucky to split a pack of fruit snacks and have a few crackers. Poof! All of my food was gone.
So, after saying "Hi" to a zebra, seeing a wolf, and watching a cheetah pace, the kids were all starving. So, we headed to the zoo cafe. This is where they try to "get you" and make up for the fact that you visited the zoo for "free." The cafe wanted $10 for a kids meal! A hot dog, fries, a drink and apple sauce - that probably cost them $3.00 to prepare. If you add that up for my family, it would have cost us $60 bucks for the 6 of us! My sister would have dropped the same amount.
"Let's head back to 7-11," suggested my wise husband. "It's across the entrance from the zoo."
Despite the groans from the hungry and tired kids, we all headed to the welcoming beacon that is 7-11.
Ahh...there we were met with so many good deals. I went healthy and bought a wrap and some yogurt. The "babies" got yogurt, grapes, cookies, and cereal bars. My husband got a BIG GULP, some tasty chicken fingers, potato wedges, chips, and tacquitos (2 for $2.22!) My gluten-free son got a hot dog (no bun), pepperoni, a soda, and some chips, while my eldest daughter found her favorite Italian sub, a soda, and some chips. All this came to less than $30 bucks! We saved half the money we would have spent in the zoo! Plus, we had leftover snacks to use the rest of the day.
7-11 has come a long way. Their sandwiches are actually fresh and good. I had some kind of chicken and cheese wrap. It felt better than fast food, and it hit the spot. If you find yourself out and about and want something to eat but don't want fast food, 7-11 is worth considering. They certainly saved the day--and 30 dollars-- for our family.
Until we meet again. My recessionary tale will continue Monday.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Hello, Good Luck, and Good Buy
Hello. This has been a week of good luck and good buys.
After I had three articles printed in this week's Gainesville Times newspaper, I immediately started thinking: what next? And, as luck would have it, my editor had 2 new assignments for me. If you add that to the one she is holding (the one I already wrote about Gainesville Middle School) and the other one I am working on (about the movies), that means I'll have a minimum of four more articles coming in the next month. That is good luck, fun to do, and also a little extra money coming in for groceries.
Speaking of groceries, we are trying food from from Angel Food Ministries (http://www.angelfoodministries.org). I had ordered it on the 7th (pay day) and it was delivered yesterday to a local church for pick-up.
I signed in and then these very nice people gave me the following: 2 pounds of ground beef, 3 pounds of steak, 3 pounds of pork chops, vegetables, desert (moon pies :-), 3 pounds of nuggets, 2 pounds sausage, Salisbury steak, pasta, sauce, 2 dozen eggs, 2 pounds rice, 6 pounds of potatoes, 6 pounds of seafood (including shrimp, snow crabs, and stuffed crab), and 5 lbs of gluten-free breaded meat.
How much, you ask? $120. Now that is a good buy. And the shrimp is delicious. I will let you know about the steak tonight. It is enough food to last us at least a few weeks and it cost almost half of what it would in the store. But wait, there is more.
My sister was in town visiting us on the way to Hilton Head. She brought 5 of her kids with her, plus my nephew's girlfriend. I was planning on cooking them my seafood from Angel Food, but my sister and her kids were craving Chick-fil-A. She said she planned on treating us.
I felt bad having her pay for all six of us. However, luck intervened and she only ended up needing to pay for two of our kids' food.
Why?
Because when the nice folks of Angel Food Ministries finished loading up my cart with food, they handed me an envelope full of coupons for Chick-fil-A! I had 4 free meals! What a nice touch. Two Christian organizations like Angel Food and Chick-fil-A working together to help families out.
My husband and I ran into some good buys this week at a very surprising place: The Mall! Yes, I know--it is shocking. Me, who abhors the mall, went there with my husband on a date. He loves to go, so I figured what the heck. So we hit the Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax and decided to "window shop." But when we stopped at Champs to look at shoes--good buys surrounded us. First, there was the sweatshirts. Nice sweatshirts with zippers--regularly $30--for five bucks! We bought two, one for my oldest son and one for my husband. Next, there was polo shirts. Regularly $25, on sale for $3.99! We bought 2.
The final good luck I had happened thanks to my husband. Even though we get the Gainesville Times delivered to our house, I wanted more copies. So, he brought me home six more copies of the newspaper so I could have extra articles to save and send to my friends and family. In addition to this being sweet...it also gave me some good deals. Because each paper had a coupon insert! Now, instead of having one coupon for a free, yes free, coffee drink at Dunkin Donuts - I have seven! Coffee anyone?
We that is my week in a nutshell. Hello, good luck, and good buy--or good-bye actually, at least for now. My recessionary tale will continue on Thursday.
After I had three articles printed in this week's Gainesville Times newspaper, I immediately started thinking: what next? And, as luck would have it, my editor had 2 new assignments for me. If you add that to the one she is holding (the one I already wrote about Gainesville Middle School) and the other one I am working on (about the movies), that means I'll have a minimum of four more articles coming in the next month. That is good luck, fun to do, and also a little extra money coming in for groceries.
Speaking of groceries, we are trying food from from Angel Food Ministries (http://www.angelfoodministries.org). I had ordered it on the 7th (pay day) and it was delivered yesterday to a local church for pick-up.
I signed in and then these very nice people gave me the following: 2 pounds of ground beef, 3 pounds of steak, 3 pounds of pork chops, vegetables, desert (moon pies :-), 3 pounds of nuggets, 2 pounds sausage, Salisbury steak, pasta, sauce, 2 dozen eggs, 2 pounds rice, 6 pounds of potatoes, 6 pounds of seafood (including shrimp, snow crabs, and stuffed crab), and 5 lbs of gluten-free breaded meat.
How much, you ask? $120. Now that is a good buy. And the shrimp is delicious. I will let you know about the steak tonight. It is enough food to last us at least a few weeks and it cost almost half of what it would in the store. But wait, there is more.
My sister was in town visiting us on the way to Hilton Head. She brought 5 of her kids with her, plus my nephew's girlfriend. I was planning on cooking them my seafood from Angel Food, but my sister and her kids were craving Chick-fil-A. She said she planned on treating us.
I felt bad having her pay for all six of us. However, luck intervened and she only ended up needing to pay for two of our kids' food.
Why?
Because when the nice folks of Angel Food Ministries finished loading up my cart with food, they handed me an envelope full of coupons for Chick-fil-A! I had 4 free meals! What a nice touch. Two Christian organizations like Angel Food and Chick-fil-A working together to help families out.
My husband and I ran into some good buys this week at a very surprising place: The Mall! Yes, I know--it is shocking. Me, who abhors the mall, went there with my husband on a date. He loves to go, so I figured what the heck. So we hit the Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax and decided to "window shop." But when we stopped at Champs to look at shoes--good buys surrounded us. First, there was the sweatshirts. Nice sweatshirts with zippers--regularly $30--for five bucks! We bought two, one for my oldest son and one for my husband. Next, there was polo shirts. Regularly $25, on sale for $3.99! We bought 2.
The final good luck I had happened thanks to my husband. Even though we get the Gainesville Times delivered to our house, I wanted more copies. So, he brought me home six more copies of the newspaper so I could have extra articles to save and send to my friends and family. In addition to this being sweet...it also gave me some good deals. Because each paper had a coupon insert! Now, instead of having one coupon for a free, yes free, coffee drink at Dunkin Donuts - I have seven! Coffee anyone?
We that is my week in a nutshell. Hello, good luck, and good buy--or good-bye actually, at least for now. My recessionary tale will continue on Thursday.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
The High Price of Having a Voice
Well loyal followers, I am back. After an unintended 3-week-respite, I am picking up where I left off in my recessionary tale.
So, where was I? Was in hiding for happy reasons, like Conan O'Brien, counting my millions until it was safe to resurface? Was I hiding out licking my wounds like Tiger Woods, waiting to make my big return? Or was I lost, tangled up in the swamp brush, surrounded by hungry alligators, like that poor Autistic girl they found trapped in the woods in Florida this week....(what a miracle that they found her.)
No, no, no. Nothing that dramatic. The first week was spring break. The second week, the "babies" got sick and then so did I. That's when things really took a tumble. And just when I thought I would have time to blog, POOF - I get two huge newspaper article assignments! I could tell you about the spring break adventures or how we avoided going to the doctor for too long when we all got sick...but instead I want to talk about my assignment at the newspaper. For it is a recessionary tale in and of itself.
Even though my Gainesville Middle School piece is done but not published yet, I am still submitting article ideas. So my editor accepted my two latest article ideas: a George Mason University nursing student (and friend) who rescued a lost toddler from Manassas traffic and a profile about the "reverse date night" (movie and then dinner, to save money on the new higher movie costs).
Then, last Thursday my editor surprised me. She assigned me to a medical article--my first real assignment from her! Due of course - this past Monday.
The Haymarket Medical Center closed down unexpectedly in April, here in Gainesville, leaving 5 doctors and 26 other staff suddenly unemployed. No one could get the doctors from the practice to talk to the press. My editor asked me to do it.
So, I spent all of the end of last week and this past weekend trying to reach these people. I googled the doctor's numbers, tried to reach them at home. I Facebooked former staff. I relentlessly bothered the PR person at Prince William Hospital, trying to get her to have the practice staff call me. I interviewed a former patient. I got online and searched the bankruptcies for the entire country, to see if the owner had filed. I even contemplated sending a telegram to the home address of a doc that left the practice earlier this year to take a job in another state, to beg her to give me some quotes. (Too expensive).
Why was I soooo determined to speak to these people? Was it because it was my job? Was it because I was curious? Was it because I was going to get paid a large sum of money?
Ha ha. No. The irony is I am going to paid $100 bucks for the article. That is lower than any tech writing assignment I've ever had. But even more money would be nice right now, that wasn't what was motivating me.
I was restless all weekend thinking about the thousands of former patients. They must have struggles like me and my kids...some jobless, others trying to support families on one income; many living with health conditions or illness; and all of them crushed that their doctor who had seen them through thick and thin over the years was just not there for them anymore.
Why? They wanted to know why. I felt like they needed a voice, my voice. I had to find answers for them, and give them some closure now that their relationship with this kind compassionate family practice was over.
And thinking of those people is what made me, despite my illness, not give up on this story all weekend.
And finally, Monday morning, they spoke to me. The former practice manager called me! Then, one of the former doctors on staff called and spoke to me for one hour! I felt overjoyed! My one article quickly turned into two: a long news article and a Q&A sidebar.
The recession had hit the practice hard. People weren't going to their office as much--to save the cost of co-pays, deductibles, COBRA payments. They had less money coming in. The owner was not a business man and he didn't have the heart to charge his patients if they cancelled an appointment, or send them to collections for non-payment. He was not able to survive these tough recessionary times. Other practices like his are sure to follow.
Take my GP. I finally went to the doctor this week. I had put it off because I was so busy after Easter fighting illness and then doing my articles. When I finally went in yesterday, I had a 101 fever! Bronchitis. And what did I find out?
My doctor is leaving at the end of the month, and some nurses too. Their practice isn't getting enough business--they are forcing her to find a new job. I am crushed! I love her. The worst part is, her husband's business isn't doing well. They are professionals. They have two kids. But now, they feel the fear of worrying about how to provide for their family.
The recession doesn't discriminate. So many are being affected. People need to read about these stories to be informed. To understand. And to know they are not alone.
So, even though I worked hard for little money, the return is very great. This Thursday my articles come out. Thousands of local patients will read details that the other papers couldn't uncover.
Was I underpaid?
Maybe.
But that is the high price of having a voice. And it is one high price I feel good about paying.
Until we meet again. My recessionary tale will continue tomorrow. (I promise.)
So, where was I? Was in hiding for happy reasons, like Conan O'Brien, counting my millions until it was safe to resurface? Was I hiding out licking my wounds like Tiger Woods, waiting to make my big return? Or was I lost, tangled up in the swamp brush, surrounded by hungry alligators, like that poor Autistic girl they found trapped in the woods in Florida this week....(what a miracle that they found her.)
No, no, no. Nothing that dramatic. The first week was spring break. The second week, the "babies" got sick and then so did I. That's when things really took a tumble. And just when I thought I would have time to blog, POOF - I get two huge newspaper article assignments! I could tell you about the spring break adventures or how we avoided going to the doctor for too long when we all got sick...but instead I want to talk about my assignment at the newspaper. For it is a recessionary tale in and of itself.
Even though my Gainesville Middle School piece is done but not published yet, I am still submitting article ideas. So my editor accepted my two latest article ideas: a George Mason University nursing student (and friend) who rescued a lost toddler from Manassas traffic and a profile about the "reverse date night" (movie and then dinner, to save money on the new higher movie costs).
Then, last Thursday my editor surprised me. She assigned me to a medical article--my first real assignment from her! Due of course - this past Monday.
The Haymarket Medical Center closed down unexpectedly in April, here in Gainesville, leaving 5 doctors and 26 other staff suddenly unemployed. No one could get the doctors from the practice to talk to the press. My editor asked me to do it.
So, I spent all of the end of last week and this past weekend trying to reach these people. I googled the doctor's numbers, tried to reach them at home. I Facebooked former staff. I relentlessly bothered the PR person at Prince William Hospital, trying to get her to have the practice staff call me. I interviewed a former patient. I got online and searched the bankruptcies for the entire country, to see if the owner had filed. I even contemplated sending a telegram to the home address of a doc that left the practice earlier this year to take a job in another state, to beg her to give me some quotes. (Too expensive).
Why was I soooo determined to speak to these people? Was it because it was my job? Was it because I was curious? Was it because I was going to get paid a large sum of money?
Ha ha. No. The irony is I am going to paid $100 bucks for the article. That is lower than any tech writing assignment I've ever had. But even more money would be nice right now, that wasn't what was motivating me.
I was restless all weekend thinking about the thousands of former patients. They must have struggles like me and my kids...some jobless, others trying to support families on one income; many living with health conditions or illness; and all of them crushed that their doctor who had seen them through thick and thin over the years was just not there for them anymore.
Why? They wanted to know why. I felt like they needed a voice, my voice. I had to find answers for them, and give them some closure now that their relationship with this kind compassionate family practice was over.
And thinking of those people is what made me, despite my illness, not give up on this story all weekend.
And finally, Monday morning, they spoke to me. The former practice manager called me! Then, one of the former doctors on staff called and spoke to me for one hour! I felt overjoyed! My one article quickly turned into two: a long news article and a Q&A sidebar.
The recession had hit the practice hard. People weren't going to their office as much--to save the cost of co-pays, deductibles, COBRA payments. They had less money coming in. The owner was not a business man and he didn't have the heart to charge his patients if they cancelled an appointment, or send them to collections for non-payment. He was not able to survive these tough recessionary times. Other practices like his are sure to follow.
Take my GP. I finally went to the doctor this week. I had put it off because I was so busy after Easter fighting illness and then doing my articles. When I finally went in yesterday, I had a 101 fever! Bronchitis. And what did I find out?
My doctor is leaving at the end of the month, and some nurses too. Their practice isn't getting enough business--they are forcing her to find a new job. I am crushed! I love her. The worst part is, her husband's business isn't doing well. They are professionals. They have two kids. But now, they feel the fear of worrying about how to provide for their family.
The recession doesn't discriminate. So many are being affected. People need to read about these stories to be informed. To understand. And to know they are not alone.
So, even though I worked hard for little money, the return is very great. This Thursday my articles come out. Thousands of local patients will read details that the other papers couldn't uncover.
Was I underpaid?
Maybe.
But that is the high price of having a voice. And it is one high price I feel good about paying.
Until we meet again. My recessionary tale will continue tomorrow. (I promise.)
Monday, March 22, 2010
Tales of The Easter Bonus
Alright boys and girls, are you ready for story? How about the, "Tales of the Easter Bonus?"
Yes, the bonus was not just a myth, a promise, a fantasy. It is the real deal. So, that is why I have taken a two-day hiatus from blogging. I have been helping to decipher a real problem: how to spend the Easter bonus.
I know you are thinking, "Hmm...this appears to be a no-brainer. You have struggled with money for months. Spending should not be hard, right?"
Wrong. Think about it. Bills have piled up. Repairs. Dreams. There was a long list of things that we had to prioritize.
And so that is just what we did. Our list had a lot of not-so-fun items on it. "Get both cars inspected." Yuck. How much fun is that? Especially when we know one of the cars will need an expensive break job to pass inspection. Oh, and there were other fun ones. "Pay last years car tax on both cars. And 2008's car tax on both cars." That is one we've put off for...well, quite some time!
There were of course some fun ones that were necessary too. For example, it is spring and time to do clothes shopping for our kids. My eldest son has already out-grown his sneakers that I bought him at the beginning of sixth grade. He was wearing the ones I bought him at Wal-mart, and I noticed this morning that they had a hole in them. So, I took him to Ross after school. This time I spent more money on his shoes, a whole $25, on nice leather sneakers. They would have cost me double that in the department stores though. Hopefully, they will last him longer.
The "babies" are in need of some warm-weather clothes too. My 14-month-old needs some shorts and t-shirts and I need some post-pregnancy spring clothes too. So, my daughter and I are heading off to the local school this Saturday morning to see what bargains we can discover together. They are having a consignment sale at 7:30 a.m. at Buckland Mills. They have it two times a year. In the fall, we found clothing for like $2-5 dollars per item! Some things were like new and others had the orginial store tags on them. They have household goods, shoes, and toys too. We can't wait to go. If it hadn't been for the Easter bonus, we wouldn't have even been able to afford to go this spring. I would have been devastated.
The funny part is, even though we have the money sitting there in the bank, it is hard for us to spend it. Except on the bills and groceries. When we try to do the frivolous things we used to do when we were a two-income family--like go out to dinner--it just feels wrong.
For example, we took the kids to Chili's Tuesday and then to Coldstone after. The dinner cost us what we usually spend now in one week's groceries! My husband and I just looked at each other, the bill, and shook our heads. And Coldstone, my god. I saved the receipt so I can remember our error in judgement forever. I remember a few weeks back I took my son to Coldstone with a coupon, and I only spent $3.35 for two kids ice creams. We both had a grand time. Well this time, it cost a lot to feed all six of us ice cream. We had no coupons and it was the price of two weeks of our daughter's school lunches! "Enjoy," we told the kids. "We are only doing this one time."
The worst part is, after spending all that money on a "special treat" for the kids (and a "break" from cooking for me), my husband got sick. Not just "sick" over the fact that we spent too much of the Easter bonus. But physically ill! He had tummy troubles so badly all night and morning that he had to come home early from work! "Humph!" I said to him. "This never happens when we eat at home! When I cooked you the free shrimp last week or the homemade lasagna, you slept like a baby." He nodded his head. We both agreed, while eating at home involves more planning and cleaning, it is cheaper and tastier and safer!
I understand now why people were changed after living through the Great Depression of the 1930s. For we have been changed now too. We are more practical now. We are less wasteful. And we are still keeping our eyes out for a good deal.
This weekend, my husband and I will go out on a date. We haven't had a night out away from the kids since my birthday, December 11th, 2009. We debated over where to eat and what movie to see. In the past, we would have eaten wherever we fancied and seen a late movie, ordering expensive snacks.
This time, we are going to a matinee. After, we are going to a nice Italian restaurant that we ate at on my birthday. We have a 20% off coupon. And I am going to bring $1.00 candy in my purse from Dollar Tree and drinks to eat at the movies. I am keeping my fingers crossed that my husband's stomach fares better at the nicer restaurant than he did at Chili's...and that we both feel better saving money using our cost-cutting techniques on our big night out. :-)
Until we meet again. My recessionary tale will continue tomorrow.
Yes, the bonus was not just a myth, a promise, a fantasy. It is the real deal. So, that is why I have taken a two-day hiatus from blogging. I have been helping to decipher a real problem: how to spend the Easter bonus.
I know you are thinking, "Hmm...this appears to be a no-brainer. You have struggled with money for months. Spending should not be hard, right?"
Wrong. Think about it. Bills have piled up. Repairs. Dreams. There was a long list of things that we had to prioritize.
And so that is just what we did. Our list had a lot of not-so-fun items on it. "Get both cars inspected." Yuck. How much fun is that? Especially when we know one of the cars will need an expensive break job to pass inspection. Oh, and there were other fun ones. "Pay last years car tax on both cars. And 2008's car tax on both cars." That is one we've put off for...well, quite some time!
There were of course some fun ones that were necessary too. For example, it is spring and time to do clothes shopping for our kids. My eldest son has already out-grown his sneakers that I bought him at the beginning of sixth grade. He was wearing the ones I bought him at Wal-mart, and I noticed this morning that they had a hole in them. So, I took him to Ross after school. This time I spent more money on his shoes, a whole $25, on nice leather sneakers. They would have cost me double that in the department stores though. Hopefully, they will last him longer.
The "babies" are in need of some warm-weather clothes too. My 14-month-old needs some shorts and t-shirts and I need some post-pregnancy spring clothes too. So, my daughter and I are heading off to the local school this Saturday morning to see what bargains we can discover together. They are having a consignment sale at 7:30 a.m. at Buckland Mills. They have it two times a year. In the fall, we found clothing for like $2-5 dollars per item! Some things were like new and others had the orginial store tags on them. They have household goods, shoes, and toys too. We can't wait to go. If it hadn't been for the Easter bonus, we wouldn't have even been able to afford to go this spring. I would have been devastated.
The funny part is, even though we have the money sitting there in the bank, it is hard for us to spend it. Except on the bills and groceries. When we try to do the frivolous things we used to do when we were a two-income family--like go out to dinner--it just feels wrong.
For example, we took the kids to Chili's Tuesday and then to Coldstone after. The dinner cost us what we usually spend now in one week's groceries! My husband and I just looked at each other, the bill, and shook our heads. And Coldstone, my god. I saved the receipt so I can remember our error in judgement forever. I remember a few weeks back I took my son to Coldstone with a coupon, and I only spent $3.35 for two kids ice creams. We both had a grand time. Well this time, it cost a lot to feed all six of us ice cream. We had no coupons and it was the price of two weeks of our daughter's school lunches! "Enjoy," we told the kids. "We are only doing this one time."
The worst part is, after spending all that money on a "special treat" for the kids (and a "break" from cooking for me), my husband got sick. Not just "sick" over the fact that we spent too much of the Easter bonus. But physically ill! He had tummy troubles so badly all night and morning that he had to come home early from work! "Humph!" I said to him. "This never happens when we eat at home! When I cooked you the free shrimp last week or the homemade lasagna, you slept like a baby." He nodded his head. We both agreed, while eating at home involves more planning and cleaning, it is cheaper and tastier and safer!
I understand now why people were changed after living through the Great Depression of the 1930s. For we have been changed now too. We are more practical now. We are less wasteful. And we are still keeping our eyes out for a good deal.
This weekend, my husband and I will go out on a date. We haven't had a night out away from the kids since my birthday, December 11th, 2009. We debated over where to eat and what movie to see. In the past, we would have eaten wherever we fancied and seen a late movie, ordering expensive snacks.
This time, we are going to a matinee. After, we are going to a nice Italian restaurant that we ate at on my birthday. We have a 20% off coupon. And I am going to bring $1.00 candy in my purse from Dollar Tree and drinks to eat at the movies. I am keeping my fingers crossed that my husband's stomach fares better at the nicer restaurant than he did at Chili's...and that we both feel better saving money using our cost-cutting techniques on our big night out. :-)
Until we meet again. My recessionary tale will continue tomorrow.
Top Ten Things You Can Buy For Three Bucks
Welcome to Spring! It is pouring rain here in Northern Virginia. Someone wrote in Facebook that we will need to build an ark. Feels that way. March showers will bring April flowers, or something like that.
Three is the number on my mind. I went to three grocery stores yesterday. The tri-fecta: Bloom, Giant, and Wegmens. And the number that kept coming up: 3 dollars. So, today I will write a top 10 list for you. All about the wondrous things you too can purchase with the three dollars you have stuffed in your pocket right now, just itching to be spent.
Top Ten Things You Can Buy For Three Bucks
10. Two dozen eggs at Wegmens, store brand ($1.49 per dozen)
9. 8 bagels at Bloom, store brand (1.49 per bag, 4 bagels per bag) They are tasty. I tried them already.
8. 3 cans of corn beef hash at Giant (if you have the $1.50 off coupon I had. If not, 2 cans of corn beef hash. They are 2 cans for $3.00).
7. 3 jars of Wegmen's brand spaghetti sauce
6. 3 2-liter bottles of Coke at Wegmen's
5. 6 cans of Tuna at Bloom, store brand (each can is 2 for a $1.00)
4. 3 items at the McDonald's dollar menu - like some tastey small fries, a McDouble, and a hot fudge sundae. Which would fill my son up but not my husband. He requires four items...
3. 1 package of Sunkist strawberry fruit snacks(10 pack) for 2.99 at Giant
2. 3 loaves of sandwich bread at Giant, store brand
1. 1 loaf of the most delicious bread on the face of the earth: Wegmen's Parmesan Peppercorn Baguette for $3 bucks
I must admit, I sinned on Sunday. Me, the queen of good deals, I came home with item 1. on the list above. Yes, I bought $3 fresh baked bread from Wegmens! I couldn't help it. It just smelled so darn good. I know I could have bought 3 loaves of Giant bread instead. But we already had Target bread at home in the freezer (this is my rationalization voice speaking). I know we didn't need it, but I felt we deserved a special treat (translation=I had to have me some yummy bread!)
It got worse. I went home to make lasagna, and the bread, was sitting there on the counter. I thought, "Hmmm...I should really save it for dinner. It would go nice with the lasagna." But then, it just looked so good. Then, I thought, "What would it hurt to have just a bite? You know, to try it out?"
So, I opened the package. It was all downhill after that.
The "babies" must have like bread radar or have like special noses like dogs do. Because they made a beeline to me in the kitchen. They had their first sample of the bread with me. And my God, what an experience. It melted in our mouths. The three of us looked at each other, speechless, and licked crumbs off of our fingers. They followed me straight to the couch and we made short order of half, yes half, of that baguette!
Sadly, my husband only received a small piece of the coveted special treat with his lasagna. Sometimes hunger leads to selfishness. I am human. The "babies" and I got carried away.
So, what will I be doing with the next $3 I have in my pocket?
You guessed it? Going to Wegmens. Life is short. He works hard and we all deserve some nice bread now and then.
Until we meet again. My recessionary tale will continue tomorrow.
Three is the number on my mind. I went to three grocery stores yesterday. The tri-fecta: Bloom, Giant, and Wegmens. And the number that kept coming up: 3 dollars. So, today I will write a top 10 list for you. All about the wondrous things you too can purchase with the three dollars you have stuffed in your pocket right now, just itching to be spent.
Top Ten Things You Can Buy For Three Bucks
10. Two dozen eggs at Wegmens, store brand ($1.49 per dozen)
9. 8 bagels at Bloom, store brand (1.49 per bag, 4 bagels per bag) They are tasty. I tried them already.
8. 3 cans of corn beef hash at Giant (if you have the $1.50 off coupon I had. If not, 2 cans of corn beef hash. They are 2 cans for $3.00).
7. 3 jars of Wegmen's brand spaghetti sauce
6. 3 2-liter bottles of Coke at Wegmen's
5. 6 cans of Tuna at Bloom, store brand (each can is 2 for a $1.00)
4. 3 items at the McDonald's dollar menu - like some tastey small fries, a McDouble, and a hot fudge sundae. Which would fill my son up but not my husband. He requires four items...
3. 1 package of Sunkist strawberry fruit snacks(10 pack) for 2.99 at Giant
2. 3 loaves of sandwich bread at Giant, store brand
1. 1 loaf of the most delicious bread on the face of the earth: Wegmen's Parmesan Peppercorn Baguette for $3 bucks
I must admit, I sinned on Sunday. Me, the queen of good deals, I came home with item 1. on the list above. Yes, I bought $3 fresh baked bread from Wegmens! I couldn't help it. It just smelled so darn good. I know I could have bought 3 loaves of Giant bread instead. But we already had Target bread at home in the freezer (this is my rationalization voice speaking). I know we didn't need it, but I felt we deserved a special treat (translation=I had to have me some yummy bread!)
It got worse. I went home to make lasagna, and the bread, was sitting there on the counter. I thought, "Hmmm...I should really save it for dinner. It would go nice with the lasagna." But then, it just looked so good. Then, I thought, "What would it hurt to have just a bite? You know, to try it out?"
So, I opened the package. It was all downhill after that.
The "babies" must have like bread radar or have like special noses like dogs do. Because they made a beeline to me in the kitchen. They had their first sample of the bread with me. And my God, what an experience. It melted in our mouths. The three of us looked at each other, speechless, and licked crumbs off of our fingers. They followed me straight to the couch and we made short order of half, yes half, of that baguette!
Sadly, my husband only received a small piece of the coveted special treat with his lasagna. Sometimes hunger leads to selfishness. I am human. The "babies" and I got carried away.
So, what will I be doing with the next $3 I have in my pocket?
You guessed it? Going to Wegmens. Life is short. He works hard and we all deserve some nice bread now and then.
Until we meet again. My recessionary tale will continue tomorrow.
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