They finally have the "official" uniform sweat pants....we were lucky, Ale has PE on Tuesdays and Fridays...that means I'm only buying her 1 pair, and not 2 (as I would have if the PE sessions had been closer to one another-- rainy season lasts 6 months, after all... and we don't own a dryer!)

is threadbare and has to go!...I will darn it and give it to charity (the bad spot is near the seam, so perhaps someone skinnier can use it and just take in the seams!)...I will darn it carefully before putting it in the To Give Away bag...)
I've had it for way too long, but was one of my favorites...I'll have to start looking for a suitable replacement!

ugh! have to blog about this one! I get a message from the bank in my machine...they want to "speak about the delinquent payments on the personal loan AND credit card...it's about the designation of a lawyer, better call us and avoid and embargo!"...WHA???...

1. my cc is NOT delinquent. I'm up to date and, my next payment isn't due until the 15th/sept!!!

2. I KNOW I'm behind on 2 payments...last time I checked, 60 days weren't enough to send your case to a lawyer, much less to execute an embargo on your assets...Plus, check the payment history, lady, my last payment was less than 10 days ago, and the ones before that were about 8 days apart from each other...so, it's not like I'm being dodgy!!....

3. she was RUDE! --I already filed a complaint, but I also called her back and told her that the fact that I'm not current on my accounts does not give her (nor anybody else) the right to be disrespectful to me!

AAARRRGHH!...she wants to embargo me over $181, delinquent for 60 days???...
I'm paying them $60 tomorrow and, God willing, getting up to date before the 9th (when my next payment is due)--and none of this is because of her stupid phone call, I had agreed to this to the very nice person who called me on the 21st of August...why do they keep assigning me new collectors every week?? It's annoying, as I have to explain everything all over each time!

I know we are close to month's end and she probably wants to fill her collection quota, but, GET REAL!!

due for tomorrow am, no less!...it's about 35 pages (though only abou 3,500 words, so not as bad as it seems, but it has a lot of tables (empty, thank God!) and they take a lot of space!

gotta go!

*****
it will bring in $121 (~$110, really, after taxes!)

I withdrew $40 from my account today and, nearly had a heart attack when I saw the balance: $91...I thought I was supposed to have ~$130 (DUH-H! yep, I HAD $131...minus the $40 withdrawal!!!) the thing is, in reality I still have $121...but, sis isn't giving me her share of the household expenses until the 30th (when she gets paid) and, rather than wait for that, I'm giving nanny her $40 for the week, so when sis gives me the money, I get my $40 back!
I feel so dumb!

you'll have to walk twice, my grandmother used to say (El haragan y el mezquino andan dos veces el camino)...well, I keep walking! LOL!...I was about 2/3 done with the first sleeve on Ale's sweater, and she wanted to see if it was long enough and...uh-oh, turned out it was too narrow!...since I had determined that knitting the size 10 instructions for the body would be enough to make a size 8 sweater (due to the yarn being thinner), I used that same logic for the sleeves...well, not really! when I saw that her hand would have trouble going through, I measured the sleeve (which I should have done as soon as I had knitted 2-4 rows, but was too lazy to do!) and saw that I needed 10 more stitches! ouch! I had to undo everything...I'm 1/2 way through again...to think I could have been working on the 2nd sleeve already!!! ((bumps head against the wall!))

Well, my eye looked like a cherry tomato on Thursday, so this Saturday I did go to (another) eye-doctor...he said I DO have a very nasty infection...total for saving my eye came up to $38 (I thought it was going to be $30, but, hey, my eye is DEFINETELY worth it!!)...so, to make $$ impact less serious, I took my $5 out of the allocated $20 for the book fair (left Ale her $15!)...
BUT, there was a 2X1 shoe sale and, I talked to cousin (I know she's been looking to buy shoes lately, and that she had a $20 max for it...we bought some really nice Hush Puppies at $35...so only $17.50 each!...Ale also wanted shoes, and, reviewing what she has...I gave in and bought her a pair of dressy sandals + Hush Puppies sandals for $10...so, this weekend cost about $80!!! --let's say $43, I will NOT count my eye appointment and medicine as a weekend expense!! ...oh, and the Doctor said it's time to change my prescription!...I think I WILL put this one on the dept store card, just so I can get the new glasses NOW, but make a point to pay it off in 2 payments...(t's either that or guide-dog lessons for Fiona, and, somehow, I don't think THAT would work!)

I'm so excited!...Ale and I had planned to go, now sis is joining, too!...
I already withdrew the $20 out of my account (it's payday today, and we've already received our $$$!)...
I will definetely leave the debit card behind for this! (I have no willpower when it comes to books!) $20 we have and $20 is the most we can spend!
In 2004, when we went to the US, Ale and I were let loose in B&N and, eventhough we didn't get everything we wanted, we spent almost $200! YIKES!...worth every penny, but, still...that was BEFORE, this is NOW, and NOW I'm actively trying to get out of debt and not shutting my eyes in denial!

came yesterday. Payment should be in about 15-30 days....about $60-$65 (haven't done the wordcount yet!)

woo-hoo!!!

I'm knitting a sweater for Ale. Yesterday I told her that I had finished the left front and was going to get started on the right front (I started with the back on Monday)...and, she tells me: oh, so the sweater will be ready tomorrow, then?

huh?...I'm still missing the sleeves, and the pocket, and the trim....I explained all this to her and, her answer:...that's what I mean, it won't be ready today, but you can finish it by tomorrow!...

Of course, I only have $3 in my account right now and, most likely, that's the amoount I'll have next Monday (I like to make all payments before I have a chance to spend the money on "wants", so I make payments, fill the tank in the car and generally make sure there's a ::very:: limited amount sitting in the account!) ...not good, I know, but better than the alternative!

I was thinking today how I'm spending about $60/month instead of $40-$50 on gas now that niece is taking Ale to school (sis puts in another $20/month), but that it's still positive because I'm not paying the $30 for the transport, so in reality I'm spending $60 vs $70-$80...and then I thought it's good that gas is cheaper now because it's "only" $3.14-$3.20

AND THEN I remembered that it wasn't so long ago when I felt that gas was "super-expensive" when it reached $3!!!

isn't that sad??

Yesterday, Ale was reading her National Geographic book on Earthquakes, and there was a picture of fallen buildings and cracked roads...she said: Mom, a REAL earthquake couldn't do something like that, could it? ...so I explained to her that, yes, an earthquake could do that if it were strong enough or if it lasted long enough...I told her a bit about the earthquake in Peru and how there are drop off places for aid here in ES...she immediately said: Mom, we should send them some water...and maybe we could make packages of food...vegetables maybe...I told her those would have to be canned...fruits?...no, unless they're canned, too...are canned fruits expensive?...(they are, here!)...but we agreed that we would buy some water and look through our closets for good-condition clothes and will take them to the nearest drop-off place (coincidentally, a sales point for the company I used to work with!)
For some reason (maybe because I still remember the horror of our last earthquake, or because all Peruvians I've ever met were really nice people), but, of all the catastrophes we've had in the world lately, this is the one that has affected me the most, and, seeing Ale wanting to help really makes me proud...
I had to share!

well, looking at my numbers, 57% of what I earn goes towards debt right now!!...OUCH!...
trying to look on the bright side...the impact of this has been a reduction of $4,286 in debt this year!-yay, me!...the $5K in debt reduction I set as a goal at the beginning of the year definetely looks attainable!

Ale was invited to a b-day party this weekend...she told me her little friend had gotten a cellphone ....I know that's her way of applying psychological pressure....so, I said: well, good for her, but you know my position regarding children and cellphones...(she may-or may not! get one once she's 12!)

Got paid for some translations on Saturday, half an hour later, I was "poor" again!...I went straight to the bank and paid it towards the personal loan...the sad news is, a payment was due on Sunday, which means that I'm back to where I was on Friday....the good news is, at least they are seeing a will to pay (important! If they see payments, most banks will NOT report you to the credit bureaus!) and, also, the delinquency level keeps my account with the banks collection agency, it doesn't escalate to their legal department or to an outsourced collection agent (because then they start CHARGING you fees for every call you receive!)...
I'm still pending some other payments, so...

If you KNOW you aren't good managing cash (like me!), don't carry any!...If I have it, I'll spend it!...so, mostly I take out $X for the week on Monday and that's it...same for the weekend...I try to leave the debit card at home, to avoid the temptation to withdraw more money!

The translation they sent yesterday night will bring $68! - woo-hoo!...
just a short lease contract, and it took me about 2-3 hours....I could hear their minds going ca-ching! when they asked me if I worked nights and I said "Yes"....most people will not work on a document received after 6...but then again, this is my 2nd job...and, mostly, I start working on it at 8:05pm, right after DD is put to bed (8:00pm is her bed-time!)

woo-hoo!...Place #2 for translations called with 2 good news: 1. my check will be ready Friday and 2. they need more translations, which they will forward to me tonight!...

woo-hoo!...this one will go straight towards the loan!!...I might be current before the end of Sept!

That's all that's left in my account until next payday, which is NEXT Friday!!...unless I can collect on those translations...scary, but, nanny's paid, school is paid, the car has a full tank (well, semi: 3/4 full!) and I don't have to buy any groceries until the 25th- next Saturday- so I should be ok.

Of course, there's the matter of those overdue loan payments and the calls from the bank, but, since I know where the money is (eventually) going to come from (translations), I'm not panicking...

I printed a copy and am taking it to Ale so she can proof-read it for me!...I'm nervous!!...once that's done, I have to print out 3 copies and make a copy on a diskette, put everything in an envelope and sign it with a pseudonym. I must also include a sealed envelope with the pseudonym on the outside and all my "real" info inside it...it then has to be delivered to the Alliance Francese before Sept 30th.

I got an email today: we have a purchase order for $10K for house furniture, do you approve??....WHAT??...NO, I don't! (believe me, I'd KNOW if I had placed a P.O for that amount!!...) I sent them back an email saying I didn't have a record of that, but to send the info so I could check with my bosses before approving/rejecting (in theory, they should have asked me to place the order...so...)...and, get this, this is just for dining room furniture!!!

((breathe in, breathe out))

****
Boss #1 doesn't know about this, either!!!

well, I am still owed about $320 for translations...since the people I did the work for were supposed to get paid last Friday, I'm calling today to see if my payment has already been processed...

Call #1:The person in charge wasn't there...will try to call in the afternoon!

Call #2: The payment should be ready this Friday (17/Aug)...we'll see...

Call #3: The end customer still hasn't paid!

knitting today....else the rainy season/cold weather will end before I finish Ale's sweater! LOL!...

Need to remember to do the sample to see if the gauge is correct....else I will knit something too small/too big (too small in this case, because the wool is not as thick as the one called for in the pattern...but it was the thickest one available!...) I'll probably need to make adjustments...or use the larger-size instructions...but that will depend on the gauge...

the good news is, I know enough to make the needed adjustments!!

I'll try to post pictures...(niece has a new digital camera, so that might make things easier...as opposed to waiting for me to develop the ones in my camera!!)

the annual book fair will take place 25-28 August...I have allotted $20 (as usual)...Ale is very excited about it...if I let her, she'll use the $20 on herself! (I want to buy 1 book for myself!)...
Sadly enough, the library is not an option for us...
1. location (it's very far away, and there's no parking!)
2. working hours (M-F, 9 to 4)
3. you cannot take the books home!

....so, it's buying or lending for us!

and never to fall in debt again!...
that was Ale's wish last weekend....it's my wish every day! LOL!...
she knows that debt is the reason so little of what I make actually makes it into the house!! LOL!

I just logged onto the Ministry of Education's website, and it says the school principals will be getting a detail of the evaluations starting August 20th....that effectively means the school doesn't have it yet and, of course, cannot communicate about something they ignore!

Oh! thought it would be interesting to post the numbers:

119 schools ranked A
245 ranked B
572 ranked C
64 ranked D

This (obviously) has been in all newspapers lately...There are different opinions about it...some think it's ok to give D and C schools some time to improve, while other analysts consider these school should have been closed...

let's see how I'm doing, shall we?

NEEDS: ($150-$200 for ALL)
Uniforms for Ale (including shoes, socks)-taken care of! just waiting for the skorts!
Oil change for the car - done!
New windshield wipers (rainy season!!)..they didn't have them, will have to go to another shop
New dictionary for translations….(not URGENT, but IMPORTANT!...if I’m to get serious about the translations, I need the right tools!)



WANTS: (about $100-$150 for ALL)proud to report I haven't indulged in any of these!
New curtain for my bedroom (I wonder if I could find a cheap sheet in the right color downtown...I've seen sets for $5...)
New clothes for me just because my older clothes have started disintegrating!!–...will move these from want to needs in about 3 months...should start budgeting for it!
New shoes… same as above
1 day of relaxation at the beach maybe in December??

flour
sugar
honey
baking soda
powdered cocoa

...ah, yes, time to start baking cookies every weekend! (not that we didn't during Ale's vacation, we just didn't do it EVERY weekend!)

Knitting has become expensive!...I have been surviving on my stash of yarns, but, yesterday I went to buy some white (acrylic) wool to knit a sweater for Ale (she needs a white sweater and, given our weather, it's almost impossible to find one!...unless you're going to the some European franchises, and, last time I went into one and dared ask, they said $60!!!!...SIXTY US DOLLARS!!!! for a sweater for my 7-year old???....not in 1,000,000 years!)...so, I went to buy the materials...I had expected it to be about $15, but turned out to be $18....and I only bought yarn!!! (I have everything else!)...I even saw some yarns that were $5.99 EACH!!!...eeek!...
On the positive side, Ale liked a yarn that was about $2.90...says she wants a tank top knitted out of that...I think I can make it with 2 skeins....of course THAT will be more expensive than buying one downtown....but I bet it'll last longer...plus, it WILL be very special!