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WATER!!!!

July 6th, 2018 at 06:30 pm

we have water...well, the lower part of the house has water! Pressure is still not good enough to get to the 2nd floor, but, hey, we can now wash dishes!!!!

Did I forget to pay something??

January 2nd, 2012 at 05:57 pm

I still have about $200 unallocated in the bank... hmmmm... I donīt want to touch it just yet (it would go to a cc) because I know that thereīs unpaid medical expenses from last October (the insurance company hasnīt sent me the invoice yet, but I know it is about $175) Once I know exactly how much I owe the insurance company, Iīll pay the rest to the cc.

Happy Birthday CPTACECK!

December 24th, 2011 at 10:14 pm

You didnīt think Iīd forget your special day this year, did you?? ... Happy birthday from sunny El Salvador!

I canīt make a wishlist?

November 24th, 2011 at 04:42 am

Somethingīs wrong with me! We are playing Secret Santa and were asked to make a wish list of 3-5 options, up to $20, to share with the group... so far, the only thing I can think is a couple of books... one is exactly $20, and the other ones are a bit higher, so they are out.. but I really canīt think of anything I really need or want at the moment...LOL! Never thought Iīd have THIS problem!...hm.. maybe a small lamp for my night table, so I can read at night?...

We went to the Mayan ruins at Tazumal!

April 13th, 2011 at 06:26 am

it is about 2 hours from here (unless you get lost, of course! duh!...me and my horrible sense of direction!)...but we had a great time anyway!... entrance fee was $1 each for Ale and myself, $3 for our friend, as she is not a Salvadoran. We did buy lunch... $18 (for 3 people)... and gas was probably about $15. We also bought some water and snacks for the road. About $45 in total for 3 people to visit the ruins and have lunch..not bad, if you ask me! Oh, and my friend paid for the lunch and the entrance fees, so I paid only for the gas, water and snacks.

Ale is starting to study the Mayas at school, so it was the perfect time to go!

Hereīs a couple of pictures!




How are our Australian SAers??

February 3rd, 2011 at 04:14 am

Please report if you can!

I got the job in purchasing!

January 28th, 2011 at 10:17 pm

I just received a call, and they already let my bosses know.

job interview

January 26th, 2011 at 10:26 pm

Well,there's an opening in purchasing that I applied for in December. I had the interview today. I think it went well. I got the interviewers to laugh! Also, the interview was part Spanish part English, so they got to see I'm equally fluent in both! I think at least I'm a strong candidate, I also have the advantage of being "in" house already. We'll see how it goes.

butterflies in my stomach... again!

January 10th, 2011 at 05:08 pm

... you know the recurrent job offer that I keep getting, to relocate?? the one that I always entrust to God (so He blocks it if its a bad move for me, but so he allows everything to go smoothly if it is the best for me??) ... it came up... AGAIN!...slightly different, because I wouldn't be working with my friend, but with someone I don't know yet... although my friend still works in that same city, so...I just talked to the guy that would be my boss (if God so allows it)... he seems nice. We will meet this evening to chat over coffee and so I can give him my resume (yes, I could have sent it electronically, but I guess the guy wants to actually have a conversation with me before his meeting on WEd where he would put my name (or not) among the candidates... I mean, what if he were to place my name on the list, then met me and didn't like me?? right???...sorry, I'm rambling... I'm just freaking out...but I shouldn't. right? All other times, this has somehow failed through Divine Intervention (I got a good job offer where I had to either accept or reject the job on the spot, whereas I still had 2 more interviews at this place, they called someone else, they fired half the people at the Ministry, etc)... so I'm pretty sure if it's not convenient, it won't happen, but still...

Prayers needed for my niece, please!

January 6th, 2011 at 10:58 pm

sis just called, she says my niece is in great pain and she's taking her to the hospital... she thinks it might be her appendix. Please pray for my niece. On top of everything, my sis has no money and her medical insurance, through her office, won't cover my niece because she's already over 21, so she does not qualify. Also, because niece works as a "service provider" and not as an employee with the event companies she works with, she herself has no insurance and is not eligible for the social security hospitals (there is 1 company she works for that gives them temporary insurance while they are working long-term events, but wouldn't you know it? She finished her last contract last week!) Please, please, please, pray for her... national hospitals in third world countries are NOT nice!

Our Christmas pic!

December 27th, 2010 at 04:53 am

We take a picture in front of the tree every year! See how much Ale has grown! And in this picture, there's no doubt she's MY daughter, LOL! People always remark that she looks a lot like me, but generally when I look at her, I see the resemblance to her father, rather than mine... but not in this pic! (itīs my new favorite! LOL!)

Happy Birthday CPTACECK!

December 24th, 2010 at 08:03 pm

As always, hereīs a collage for your birthday!!!


Text is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glNjsOHiBYs and Link is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glNjsOHiBYs

Brrrr! Merry Christmas!!!

December 24th, 2010 at 05:21 am

Merry Christmas fellow SAers... from sunny yet "cold" El Salvador.... brrrrrrrr.... I know, I know, Iīm a wuss! Itīs only 68°F (or 20°C) but THIS IS THE TROPICS!!! I own 3 long-sleeved shirts (cotton, of course) and 1 sweater (cotton, of course)... so now my feet are freezing and I canīt breathe! My letter to Santa reads something like this:

Dear Santa,
Kindly disregard any and all previous requests, all I REALLY, REALLY want is a new nose... and no, I don{t want rinoplasty (Sp?) Iīll settle for one that actually breathes!!

thanks bunches!

MI

hope you at least had a laugh and I wish you all the best not just today, or tomorrow, or this month, but always!!!

for Ms. Frugalista!

December 12th, 2010 at 03:27 am

A picture of blue skies for you! I took this one at DDīs school, they have a couple of palm trees in their garden!

toy shopping spree!!

December 5th, 2010 at 03:41 am

No, I did not go crazy... We needed the following presents:
1. for Aleīs best friend from school (birthday)
2. for Aleīs best friend since Kindergarten! (Xmas)
3. to play Secret Santa at the dance school
4. for another friendīs birthday
5. for nannyīs grand-daughter

I got invited to a Toy Show at the hotel which the people at my office prefer when they come to the country...and I could use the points they gave me for their stays to buy at the Show! yay!...

I bought:
1. a really nice lunchbox, black and pink, with a fancy kitten wearing a crown on the front. (very "tween-esque"!)
2. a set of those little skateboards that seem to be all the rage among tween boys.
3. another lunchbox (I bought 2 identical ones)
4. I bought one of those balls that you can sit and bounce on
5. A doll with an extra set of clothes and a pair of matching plastic sandals for the owner of the doll!

And I also bought Ale a special 4-in-1 handcraft kit.

All these cost $42... not bad in itself... AND I had enough points for a $25 certificate...so I only paid $17!!! Iīm happy!!! Smile

Iīll use Aleīs camera to snap a picture of the loot tomorrow!
*****************************
Ale already packed one of the lunchboxes, but itīs identical to the one in the picture, anyway!



Pictures of the dance dresses!!

December 4th, 2010 at 03:00 am

Hereīs Ale as a droplet:






and here as a Torogoz (blue-headed mot mot)




The show was truly spectacular! It was really fun!

new glasses! - $123

November 30th, 2010 at 04:52 pm

went to order my multifocals (gulp)... they'll cost $123... great price, I think!... and I like the style... I should get them in 8-10 days...exciting!

Aleīs Christmas gift

November 28th, 2010 at 05:38 am

She wanted the littlest pet shop around the world set...12 LPS!!...it costs $49.90...ouchie! BUT, I got a $25 certificate from the Hiltonīs celebrity club (for making reservations)...and the day I went to get it it was on sale, so I ended up spending only $18 and cents...yay!
Thatīs about it, because this year she wanted to participate in 2 dances (jazz and ballet- they give you a good discount if you sign up for more than one class) and wanted to be in both dances at the Xmas pageant if possible, so I told her we could, as long as we made the additional dress part of her present. She agreed. The good thing is she gets 2 new leotards out of it (the school makes it a point to make the dresses in such a way that they can be worn as a leotard and separate pieces)... this time sheīll get a blue and yellow one,long sleeved, and a light blue one, short sleeved (sheīll be a torogoz and a drop of water...the theme is A Green Story)

Xmas gift from me to me

November 27th, 2010 at 05:14 am

Iīm having my multifocal glasses done! There is foundation here where you can buy glasses really cheap (they get the frames as donations, and with the money from paying customers they can provide free glasses to people who canīt afford them). They will be coming to the office on Wednesday, and Iīve already made my appointment! (THAT explains why Iīve seen some people with several sets of glasses...they actually match them to their clothes!)

sister is beyond mad! (work)

November 27th, 2010 at 01:57 am

she just found out everyone else in the region got a raise back in June... she consistently outperforms everyone in the region...she is the only one that not only attains but surpasses her sales goals each quarter... SOOOOO...why didnīt SHE get a raise?? Her supervisor (and supposedly, her friend) didnīt turn in her evaluation!

Happy thanksgiving!

November 26th, 2010 at 03:30 am

Among all the things that Iīm thankful for, this group holds a very special place! Thanks for all the encouragement, the help and the support you always provide!

I hope you have a happy thanksgiving with your families!

funny (to me)

November 18th, 2010 at 06:25 am

I just saw a commercial on TV... It{s the day after payday and youīre already out of money? All your money goes towardds paying debt?... then send a txt message with the word DEBT to number XXXX and get a mini-course on how to manage your money... (yep, subscribe to the service and youīll get 2 messages per day... I couldnīt see how much each text message costs, but I know how these things work: you get charged for every message they send you.. typically, itīs between $0.5 and $1.5 per message!).... tsk, tsk, tsk...

Freak accident!

November 14th, 2010 at 05:05 am

I was cooking and sis came to chat a while and suddenly, CRACK! the overhead cabinet just came crashing down on us!

We still have good reflexes! Next thing we knew, we were holding it up to keep it from crashing to the floor (we propped it up with a piece of furniture where we keep the potatoes and onions and some other stuff) BUT, we couldnīt bring it down because one of the corners was still attached to the wall (and wouldnīt you know it, it was too high up for any of us to reach it, even standing on a chair!)... we sent Ale to get the guard (we live in a gated community) He came carrying a shotgun! (gulp!)...he unscrewed the cabinet and helped us put it down!...

Poor Ale! She was so scared! (and poor sis, she was commenting that her shoulder hurt BEFORE the accident!)

But just think, if sis and I hadnīt been chatting, the thing would have fallen on top of me, and I wouldnīt have been able to hold it just by myself!

Martha Stewart makes pupusas!

November 13th, 2010 at 02:58 am

someone shared this one on FB today, I couldnīt help myself and had to share with you!

For those of you who know pupusas, try not to faint at the fact that these are mozarella pupusas, you gotta work with what you have! LOL! (and, after all, I substitute mozarella with quesillo for my lasagnas!)

Text is http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pupusas-de-queso and Link is
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pupusas-de-queso

price of eggs increased by 44% since Sept!!!!

November 5th, 2010 at 04:44 pm

WHAT?!! Say again??
Yep, the price of a carton (30 eggs) went from $2.40 (medium eggs) to $3.25, large eggs went from $2.50 to $3.60

just.... AAAAAAARGH! This only mirrors increases in all other food stuffs, too, there goes my grocery budgeting!

baking

November 5th, 2010 at 05:16 am

Ale had to bake some brownies she promised a friend whose birthday is tomorrow. I baked some cinammon bars for a bake sale for someone at work that underwent surgery. Both look yummy. Letīs hope they tasste as good as they look!

This is the first time Iīve made something for a bake sale at work, mostly, because it seems I never have the time, or the ingredients! This time, I had both, so I figured Iīd do it, even though I didnīt sign up to do it. I baked those bars as snacks for a presentation a while back, and they were a huge hit.

wish us both luck!

bought a new remote control for the TV

October 11th, 2010 at 08:10 pm

It sounds silly, but, after 11 years, 10 of them without cable, and with local channels being 02, 04, 06, 08, 10, 12, 19, 21, 33 and 35...well, the "0" stopped working!!!! And while, yes, I can get up to change the channels, at some point during these 11 years, Ale punched in the Power button, so you can not turn the TV on manually.

The TV works fine, so I figured getting a new remote was far cheaper than buying a new TV... we tried one of those universal remotes, but, maybe the TV is too old or something, but that one didnīt work, so I looked up the original one on line and bought it yesterday...

Of course, this means I do have to start thinking about buying a new TV... so that I may save for it and pay for it in cash...

157% increase in the price of gas! And beans are up from $0.60 to $0.90

September 26th, 2010 at 12:08 am

WARNING: RANT AHEAD
****************************
First, let me start by telling you that we in ES donīt get gas supplied through our homes the way some of you do in other countries, but rather SOME of us (mostly middle class) buy gas cilinders to cook on gas stoves. Why? Because it is a LOT less expensive than an electric stove...or, perhaps I should say WAS... The gas here is heavily subsidized, as are water and electricity, and one of the first things the new government wanted to do was "make sure that the subsidy goes to those that really need it"....ok, nothing wrong with that... You might remeber that a while back I was complaining about my water and electricity bill... now itīs the gas. This, though, is a lot trickier... because you can either have the cilinder brought to your home or you can go buy it...so... how are they going to know you really "need it" (a.k.a: that youīre poor)?...so, their decision has been to eliminate the subsidy completely...the gas cilinder I buy currently costs $5.10.... this same cilinder will cost me $13.10 in the near future!...
Honestly, everyoneīs joking about this right now (what else can we do? Cry about it?)..."we should go on that raw food diet"..."I want a turbo-kitchen"..."letīs go solar!"...etc... Now, it may not seem like much, and, in reality, in my house it might mean less junk food and sodas or animal protein, or other things like that...but...what does it mean to the family that makes $500 a month pre-tax? Or, even worse, to those living on minimimum salary at $200 per month pre-tax??
The truly poorer of the poor donīt even use gas, as $5.10 is already out of their reach, they use wood stoves...for the truly rich, the difference is nothing... so...guess who gets affected the most??

Ah, and in case we were thinking of switching from meat to beans, because of all the rain, the NEXT crop of beans will be low, so some distributors have decided to recoup those losses beforehand by raising the price of beans from $0.60 to $0.90 per Lb...now, what about the people that were barely making it on beans, corn tortillas and an occasional egg??

sorry, rant over!

Uniforms...

August 25th, 2010 at 05:34 am

ugh! turns out we need more shirts than I thought. Ale has a couple size 10s, which SHOULD fit...SHOULD, right? the girl is 10, so, she should be a size 10... nope...theyīre way to tight!

soooo.... all new shirts, both "daily" and "pe" shirts... (I wonder if I can get away with buying the size 14 ones...hmmmmmm)

the cc company increased my credit limit!

August 19th, 2010 at 11:59 pm

That is happy news...they only do that when they feel you're not using it enough! LOL! I guess it terrified them to see that I had $1k available and figured if they increased the limit, I'd be tempted to buy something BIG! (eh, no! I don't NEED anything right now)... Smile


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