I was looking at my cc account on line and found a $25 late payment fee...I did NOT pay late!...soooooo, I look for my voucher, find it, it's safely tucked away with the cc, check the date and...oooops! ....I took the wrong plastic with me when I went to pay!...so the payment was applied to a different cc....soooooo, I ran to the cc company at noon and, explained the problem to a customer service rep who proceeded to transfer the payment to the right cc...and I asked if there was any chance of reverting the late payment fee...and she said YES!!!...and she did!!!...woo-hooo!...I feel $25 richer!!

...don't try to tell me it didn't...I bought the usual stuff at the supermarket, and spent $67 (okay, I had a few items, totalling about $12 that are not weekly purchases, but, still...-hair dye, a flea collar and a shampoo for Fiona)...I paid almost $55 for what would have been $40 two months ago!! It makes me so mad,because all my efforts in other areas are rendered null by the supermarket bill!

because Ale is not doing well in her dictations and, because the teacher at her school knows that I don´t have a lot of money for private lessons,she sent me her notebook so I can try to work with her at home...obviously, the only days when we can really do this are Saturday and sunday...so, right now, Ale is working on the words that she got wrong on her dictation....less than yesterday, so it's progress...but, honest, I somdays feel that Ale is going to think that having me at home is worse than not having me, she hates it when she doesn't do it right, and starts crying, which in turn makes me mad...so, we are not the best of company to each other when we are frustrated!!...((sigh))
Hopefully, this will all be resolved soon...

I don't know which one prevails in me right now!...I just called the bank and, my loan application was denied...they say I'm reported with DICOM (the local agency that tracks your payment records)...since I got a loan in November, I'm sure my credit was "clean" back then...and, all my accounts are current now...except for the telephone line in my name that I installed at my cousin's...the one from which her son called Canada every day....totalling $975!! - which she can't pay!!...so, I guess the phone company has reported me (obviously, it's in my name!) and that's why I cannot get a loan for my car!!...honest, right now, if he were here, I'd kill him!...as soon as that line is paid off, I'm cancelling it!...I feel sorry for my cousin, because I know she NEEDS that line for her business, but...there is no way I'm going to let her kid ruin MY credit ...If I had the money, I'd pay it off today and cancel the thing! (I know she hoped that once she had paid it off I would just cancel international calls and let her keep the line, but, that's NOT going to happen!)

Forgot to "report" on this...her eyes are perfect 20/20 and 20/30 actually...she'll have to take additional classes in the afternoon until she catches up! ....((sigh))

I just knew something was "off" (mothers DO have that instinct!)...I've been meaning to talk to the teacher, but, because of the car thing and the English lessons and whatnot, I haven't been able to do it...and today, the nanny at the school asked me to wait, as the teacher wanted to speak to me...
she says Ale has been falling behind, and suggested I take her to have her eyes examined....see whether it might be miopia or astigmatism...if that is not it, in case it's just that she gets distracted too easily, she'd have to take reinforcement lessons twice a week!...
I'll take her to her eye doctor (the one that operated on her about 2 years ago, when she had the "chalaciones") on Saturday...so, no church or swim lessons this weekend!...IF she needs glasses, I'd like to take her to one of the stores that have an agreement with the employee co-op, so I need to take that list with me...I can probably find a branch at the medical neighborhood!

**************
The doctor is out of the country attending a congress....so is my ex-brother in law (who is our family oftalmologist!) - ((sigh)) Will have to ask for referrals!

I've posted before about this: I hate waiting...I particularly hate waiting when the "ball" is in someone else's court...
Right now, I haven't been able to even file the documents for the loan because the admin at my sister's office hasn't issued it...not much I can do about that!...I have to WAIT!

I keep checking my email obsessively just to see if there are any responses...not yet, and, it really is too soon for a follow up email just yet!...what can I do?? WAIT!

I'm pending a follow-up meeting with my boss ref the reclassification (or not!) of my job...I already sent him the file detailing all that I do, but, the other admin hasn't (I expect he'll try to kill two birds with one stone here, as he said he wanted to get the file so he could study it and then have a chat with us about it)...I even started it for her so all she has to do is fill out the hours!!!...so, I have to WAIT ...on top of that, he's been training outside the office, so I know he's baglogged AND he called in sick yesterday (there's a nasty bug going around, I've had 1 PM in the hospital!)...so, again, what can I really do about it?? WAIT!...I have to give him a week at least to get up to speed!...

...I was checking and, I still haven't reeived any answers from the companies where I submitted resumes 15 days ago...

This really depresses me....

and stresses me out....

I'm starting to feel that knot in my throat again...the one I had when my parents were still alive, and money problems were really serious....I feel like I'm slipping into the dark hole of debt again...I REALLY don't want to go there...

1. keep better track of my spending- I somehow have used the car problem as an emotional excuse not to keep track...will have to be harder on myself and start again!

2. Send out at least 15 resumes in January(best time of the year to find a new job in ES!) and, at least one more per week for the rest of the year until I find a job that pays better! Have sent at least 7 this month, so that's good...haven't received any answers, though! But, some of them were sent yesterday!!
3. FINALLY decide on a school for Alejandra, AND save money for her enrollment fee, uniforms and school supplies Same as last month: the looking/deciding part is on hold until May- when schools start accepting applications...Have already set up a direct deposit from my salary into my Coop account ($90/month)...

4. continue to lower my overall debt - I started Jan 05 with ~$17K (out of which ~$4K were for a loan and the rest -~$13K!-pure cc debt) and, am starting Jan 06 with $~11K (with ~$8K for a loan and ~$3K in cc debt)... expect to be able to end Dec '06 with ~$7K, which I expect to be purely for the loan... to come partly from the English classes/$20 challenge. Current debt still at ~$11K due car broke down and need the additional money to try to purchase a new one...in the meantime, pay only slightly above minimum payments!

5. Help Ale find a way to earn those $3 she's missing to open her account with HER OWN money...have not found the training wheels for the bike yet...

Went to the Sheraton this weekend (finally!)...had a good time, although we did spend a lot of money....Ale was hungry and I bought a sandwich...which she then didn't eat....dinner was not included....then, because we were waiting for a friend to come pick us up and she was already hungry, I also bought lunch...our friend couldn't make it in the end and had to take a taxi!...total spend on this weekend was $43...
And the other OUCH! is my poor skin! Ale wanted to be in the pool all morning and, she had wasted most of our sunblock lotion on her dolls at home, so, when I tried to squeeze the tube, there was only enough lotion for one....guess which one of us got solar protection??...obvious, no? ...so, I am as red as a lobster....AND, my niece lost our aloe gel, so I will have to buy a new one (I REALLY REALLY need it!)...

said it's because she's alreday co-signed for someone else...have a feeling it might be because she's afraid I won't be able to pay...she knows that, as long as I CAN, I WILL, but, she KNOWS how precarious my financial situation is...

((sigh)) she suggested I call my ex-husband (been there, done that - he would never do it, if only because his SISTER left him with a $10,000+ debt about 7 years ago...he swore he'd never co-sign anything ever again! - can't blame him!)

So, now I'm left with 2 options, my sis (if the bank accepts her, she co-signed for my cousin and my cousin was late on payments and that affected my sister's credit!) or my best friend...who hasn't been at her current job long enough...

at least in this city!!...I have been getting rides to and from work since Thursday, but, had to skip swimming lessons on Saturday, as noone could take us...

I soooo need a car!...a friend's husband-who is in the business of getting you anything and everything you want/need (as long as it's legal and makes him a profit) says he can get me a cheap, good used car (the three B's, as we say here: bueno, bonito y barato)...we'll see...because, obviously, I still have to find a way to finance this without damaging my financial situation too much!...aaaargghhhhh! ...all I needed was 1 more year out of this car!!!...a mechanic is interested in buying it..of course, fixing it is cheaper for him: he gets special prices on the spare parts and he'll be fixing it himself...plus, since he wants it for his daughters, it's not like he has an urgent need for it, so he can afford to keep it in his workshop and work on it whenever he has time!...he can take 6 months to fix it if he wants to, for example!!...((sigh))...
will let you know how things go on this one!!

Actually, it died last night, about 1 block away from home...managed to get it started again today and it is sitting in the garage...waiting for the mechanic to come, since I WAS going to take it to the workshop, but then it just refused to start again...I was putting water in the radiator every day...but yesterday there was a huge traffic jam and it overheated and then just boom, it stopped...so now I'm sitting here feeling sooo disappointed...and thinking that if the mechanic says it's expensive, it might be a better idea to just sell it for scrap and use that money, plus the translation money plus the translation and locution (is that a word) as a downpayment for a used car... It would mean going back to minimum payments on the cc's and that would mean that my ultimate goal of being debt free might be delayed for a looooong time, but...is it worth it?? I mean...I really cann't afford to NOT have a car...for instance, the timing from the time I leave my office until I get to the school is timed to get there by car...no way I'd get there on time if I have to work 4 blocks to the bus stop, wait for the bus and then walk 2 more blocks from the bus stop to the school....Even worse if I decide to not walk and have to switch buses...(buses here are not on a schedule)...then, on Saturdays, I leave the church at 10:00am, the precise time when Ale's swim lessons should be starting...by car, it's only 15 minutes...by bus, we would have to walk 3 blocks to the bus stop and wait...and, probably would have to change buses...we'll never make it on time...and then, she finishes at 12:00 and I'm supposed to be at the school at 12:45...by car it's doable, but, by bus...never

Not to mention that buses here are dangerous - think I have written about this before...

Paying for a taxi is out of the question, as it would be about $3 for the office-school ride (so $127week), $3 for the home-church and at least $6 for the church-swimm lessons and about $10 for the swimming- school and another $6 for the school-home! ...I'd be spending an awful amount of money on taxis!!

((sigh)) have already called work to say I'll be looking into fixing my car...will probably use the whole morning and go see car options as well...

Nanny is sick, her daughter called yesterday asking if it was ok for her to come on Tuesday....I said yes, eventhough I doubt it she'll show up tomorrow...not if she's been sick all weekend and is going to the Dr's today...
My ex called yesterday to ask whether I knew anything about her (she goes to his house on weekends to do laundry and clean up)...she NEVER fails, so we thought there might be something wrong..
so, anyway, this week might also be expensive, as I will have to use the daycare service at school ...and, since I'm starting a new course this week (I'm teaching), then DD will have to go to my cousin's until my sister can pick her up (daycare closes at 5, sis will probably be free at around 6:30pm)....
We'll see what happens tomorrow...

sometimes, you have no choice but to spend money...Ale got sick...really sick...started vomiting at 12:00 midnight on Monday and didn't stop until 5:00am...had to take her to the Doctor...her regular Dr wasn't in the country, so I took her to the community clinic, but, still, between paying for the visit, the exams and the medicines...it wasn't as bad as if we had gone to her regular Dr., though, perhaps $30 in total...plus more gas and cell phone calls than usual...Friday I went to lunch with a friend - $6 and today was expensive...we ate at BK- $6 and she went to the movies with the scouts, so $4...oh, and I had to go back to the store to get dog food (I didn't have enough cash when I went to the store, and everything was so expensive...) ...I had also promised Ale to buy stuff to make cookies this weekend, so that was an additional $15...

So...total unbudgeted expenses for this week: $81!!! (I'm adding the extra $20 that I had to use on Monday just to get the regular stuff!!)... well, now I have to wait until payday...still 4 days away!!!

I just came from the store and, am having a heart attack! - I spent $62 instead of my budgeted $40...but, the only "extraordinary" things were a bottle of shampoo ($2.77) and a box of hair dye ($3.96 on sale!)....I did't even buy chicken (they were out of chicken) or dog food...((sigh)) will have to convince the sis to go on a rice-and-bean diet for at least one week out of the month!

Oh, and, half a carton of eggs (a carton here is 30 eggs!) is "on sale" at $1.50!!!

WOW!Writing down every single penny really is a shocker!...I am using my agenda. Since it has a monthly and daily planner, I write down everything as I spend and, at the end of the day, add it in two entries into the monthly planner...the categories are: Main (NECESSITIES or pre-budgeted stuff, like Ale's school, nanny, groceries) and Other ("preventable" spending)...well, my "Other" total for this week was: $23.94 ....what did the most damage was yesterday...we went to CREA (where my nephew did his re-education to get off drugs), and, because I got up late and didn't cook, we ordered pizza (total was ~$17, of which I paid half) and, since we came late from there, we stopped for pupusas (only sis, Ale and I)...since my sister generally pays, I decided to invite her this time (she invites about 90% of the time!)...total was $7.00...add the pizza and sodas Ale had at CREA and SMACK! big dent in the budget...well, I guess that means I'll have to be A LOT more careful this week!

On the 10th, I bought a new package of contact lenses - 3 pairs of lenses, because my last ones broke...I expected to pay this from the extra $$ from the teaching job (I had already been hired) and, so I used my store credit card to get them at Siman (although their interest rate is awfully high, they do not charge you if you pay within the same period, meaning if I paid for them before Feb 10th, I wouldn't pay interest on them)...the bill came today (Monday 23rd)...

On FRIDAY (20th), I came home to find that Ale had opened all the containers and played with the lenses, letting them all dry! - except for the pair I was wearing at the time, of course!...

I got sooo mad!...Plus, we've been having this discussion about NOT touching things that aren't ours (repeated problems with my niece's stuff!) ...

I hope I don't come off as a child beater but, I did hit her hands repeatedly (more for the shock factor than for actual pain), and, she is now banned from my room for 1 week AND I'm not buying her ANYTHING - until I manage to buy my new lenses (this month I have to pay for the ones she ruined...next month I have to buy the new ones)...

Banishment from my room means: no cuddling up in the mornings or at night (she has her own room, but likes to come to my bed early in the morning before breakfast) and none of her regular TV shows (the other TV's in the house don't get Nickelodeon, we don't know why, but, since DD is the only one that watches it, we haven't gone around fixin it!), no movies....so it IS a strong punishment for her!- just remembered: must call the nanny to let her know!

It might seem a bit harsh for contacts, but, they are expensive and, also, contact lenses are no vanity for me, I cannot drive with glasses at night because of the reflection!!

Well, this being our first year doing this, we have had to pay the price of learning: we bought way too much stuff, and sold only about half of what we expected...the good news is: we have already recovered the investment...the bad news is: there is no profit yet, so right now it seems that those 2 weeks of getting up at 6am and going to bed at 1am were for nothing...More good news: we spoke to 3 companies about setting up a special exhibit there so their employees can buy stuff, and they have all agreed to it, and the employees are rather enthusiastic about it, so we expect to make a profit after all!- it will just take about one or two more weeks, and will probably not be as high as we had expected... So, I'll say it went well.... We'll know how much we made from this venture by the end of the month...

Oh, and, GREAT news, I just paid off my American Express card (yipee!) and programmed a payment to pay off another card on the 11th - I want to keep my checking account from going into the overdraft for as long as I can!...so, now I only have 2 more cc's (and one HUGE loan) to go....

wish me luck!

...LOL! I don't speak "mechanics" in English...I can ask the right questions in Spanish, though!...this time around they DID flush the brake fluid and replaced the brake pads...last time they "cleaned" them - which basically means they just took a look at the pads to see if they needed replacement or not and then put it back together....they charge around $11 to do that...luckily, this sort of maintenance is not nearly as expensive in El Salvador as it would be in the US...

It refused to start yesterday...had to buy a new battery ($70)...to be fair, the old battery had lasted 30 months and it had a 24 month guarantee, so....I asked them to check the brakes- had the last check in May, where they said they were fine and just cleaned them, so... brakes did need some work, so that was $60 extra and I also asked them to do the oil change (which should have been done the 1st week of Jan, anyway!)....In total I spent $148 in the car...back to my Excel spreadsheet to adjust cc payments and the like...((sigh)) I SO need that new job!!

Oh, by the way, there was a GREAT ad - or rather, the ad for what seems like a GREAT job - on the newspaper yesterday...I'm working on my resume (turns out I DON'T have a Spanish version of it- could you believe that??) and cover letter...I expect to email it by end of day today...It's for an international organization, so I'm sure it's a good salary and nice benefits...

Oh, and thanks for your good wishes on my 2006 goals!

Ugh!...it's not a reflection of me as a teacher (I've done this before and I take pride on my teaching skills!)...my boss' daughter's mother said she won't be taking any more lessons...she kept it up for exactly 1 month...I imagine that, since she has been enrolled at the Centro Cultural Salvadoreño to finish high-school, and, since they started out as providers of ENglish lessons, she figures she'll learn what she needs...NO, she's NOT a child...she's already 23, but she never started highschool!...

The implications for me are that now I'm -$100 in my monthly budget....back where I was a month ago...Oh, well, I didn't REALLY believe she would continue once she started studying - I figured she'd focus more on her general studies...but I thought at least I had until mid-Jan when school starts!

The other admin (B) was so mad that SHE (B) was asked to find a school for her and do all the work of enrolling her...1. The "girl" (L) wanted to be enrolled at the GF School - now this is one of the top 5 non-bilingual schools in the country....they do NOT take "overage" students (it's bad for their reputation)...they do NOT take single mothers ("bad example" for the other girls) and....most importantly, L hadn't taken the admission tests...still, she INSISTED that the admin enroll her there - probably thinks that private schools take on anyone that can pay for them??....some of them do, but, the top ones reserve the right to admit only top students!....L has never been to private school before and, unfortunately, public schools in ES are B A D...and I mean REALLY REALLY REALLY B A D...and L got average grades there!...to be honest, there's no way she would have been able to cope with the academic load and the social pressure (since top schools are more expensive, naturally the richest kids go there and, believe me, Salvadoran society is VERY class-oriented, and they would have let her know that she didn't "belong")...Partly, I'm sure, she wanted to be enrolled there because it would have made her look well back in her little town, but...honest, it was a baaad idea!!...If she had had excellent grades, then putting up with the social BS would have been worth it, for the kind of education that she would have been getting, but..... 2. B is sure that L is NOT going to continue studying, so she feels that it is a waste of her time to go around looking for schools....3. B feels (and I agree on this one!) that, if our boss wants to enroll her in a school, either HE or L should be the ones looking....after all, this is a PURELY personal errand, isn't it?? ...I mean, it's as totally unrelated to the company as can possibly be!...so's giving her English lessons, but, at least, I was getting paid for doing that!

I hope I don't sound like a total B*tch and, yes, I AM a bit mad at her, but, I think that B did L a service by enrolling her in a "vocational" high school....(plus, the school L wanted REJECTED her on the grounds that she didn't take the admission tests, so it wasn't like B didn't TRY!)...I warned my boss back in Oct, that they'd better hurry with the school hunt!!, I guess he imagined that since school started in Jan, he still had time!!

In the end, the only way in which this relates to me is that I have to find another source of income!!!

That's my sister's advice...I'm scheduled to go to the Dr. for the results of my biopsy on Thursday and, although the metaplasia is LIC, my sister says, eventually - maybe 5 or 6 years down the line - if pap smears are not clean, they'll do a hysterectomy....her advice: start saving for one, if you don't need it, you can always use the money for something else!...((sigh))...I must recognize, it's not bad advice...

(she started with metaplasia around her 20's and, after 3 criotherapies and a "cone" procedure, they removed her uterus)

Yesterday, the other admin looked "off" and I asked her what the matter was...I wish I hadn't! ...she showed me what she was working on: requests to HR to increase salaries for 4 of the analysts in the group...2 of them will go from 1,450 to 1,775....the other 2 will go from 1,775 to 2,400...that's USD/MONTH....oh, and the 2 latter ones also get their monthly bonuses changed from 3% of their salary to 5% of their salaries if the dept reaches its goals...it is soooo unfair!...I make $800 and haven't had a raise in 2 years! ...not even when I went and ASKED for one!!...the other admin makes $600 and hasn't had a raise in 3 years!...the reason: they don't know what they could possibly say to HR to justify increasing OUR salaries!! (how about: when we started, there were only 13 people in the unit, and now there are 32?? or...there were 2 houses and now there are 5??...) makes me sooo mad, I could cry!...I thought the feeling would have worn off by today, but it hasn't...

I NEED A HUG!!

I finally went to get the results of my pap smear - taken about 2 months ago!!...I have metaplasia, so I had to schedule a colposcopy (sp?)...good thing I went to the community clinic and not to my private doctor....the colposcopy itself will cost $15 and, if needed, they'd take a biopsy for $12 additional...IF necessary, we would then schedule a criotherapy for $15....I cannot imagine my Dr. charging anything less than $200 for a criotherapy... and, the no-good insurance policy the company provides never pays for much!

Either the insurance company sucks, or whoever negotiates with them does!....according to the policy, the maximum one should be charged for a consultation is $17 (ha! try finding a doctor that sees you for less than $23!....The ones that have recently graduated, maybe, but any Doctor that has had his/her diploma for more than 5 years will charge $25-$30)...add a $9.50 deductible PER VISIT....and they pay 80% of whatever is left! (which effectively means they will pay up to $6.00 for a Dr's visit!!)...the deductible for medicines bought is $11.75 per RX....and the deductible per lab invoice is $10....which means that, unless you are seriously ill, you'd better NOT use private services!

Oh, and the "emergency" clause is just hillarious....if you are admitted through emergency at the hospital, the policy covers 100% of the hospital bill for medical services and 80% of the Doctor's fees - provided you use an affiliated Dr, otherwise, you pay and then try to get reimbursed according to the ins company's "tables"...good luck!- well, "emergency" applies if you are admitted because of an accident or, if you get admitted due illness ANYTIME BETWEEN 7PM AND 7AM....(?)....

OH, well, that's why I "save" the insurance for BIG things - none so far, luckily!

There's a "corridor sale" today to benefit the Home for Abandoned Handicapped children...I'll go see if they have a good deal on a new stove during my lunch hour...we have been browsing for weeks at other places, so I know that the lowest price we've found so far is $170....I'll take $170 with me, that way, if the price is the same, then at least it'll go to the children (our company is a huge sponsor of this home...it is one of the few charities for which you can set up an automatic payroll deduction with the company!...and, I have seen the work they do, it really is great!) www.fhp.org.sv/fhp/ if you want to visit their page!...
I hope I can find what I need!
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They only had electric stoves I want a gas one - they are cheaper, and the gas is cheaper than electricity, too!... back to the old quotes that we had!! - because I want this resolved THIS weekend!!

Well, I couldn't go to teach my class yesterday because demonstrators had closed one of our main streets and traffic was crazy...and today, my student can't make it because her brother is graduating!

The good news is, two much-needed days-off, the bad news is, I "lose" $20...oh, well, $10 really, as we rescheduled one class for tomorrow... and I can go shopping tonight! ...I can browse for more Xmas gifts and I need to buy a replacement "bulb" (?) for my car - I've done it before, I just don't speak "car" in English, LOL! so don't worry about me getting the wrong spare part!!...oh, and my niece said she'd love to have some of those "rain" lights for outside the house...I told her: If they're under $3, I'll buy them, if not, so sorry!

This week has been hectic...I've had to run around paying bills for the 5 houses and, I've had to look into new curtains (for one of the "office" houses, too!)...some days, I swear I could go nuts!...others, I have some "dead" time in my hands...I don't mind "back-to-back" assignments, but some days, I feel like an octopuss, with 9 people pulling at me from different directions: 1 from each arm and another one grabbing my head!! ((sigh))...I'm closing my computer and leaving now!!

I checked the acct statement for my CC with the highest interest rate today...min monthly payment for last month was $57, and I paid $100 (less than what I had planned, but then, I had to pay for half the repair of the washing machine!)...well, charges for the month are: $38 membership fee + $27 fraud/theft protection plan (without it, if anyone makes purchases with your cc, YOU are responsible, even if you can prove the thing was stolen!) + $31.99 interests....for a total of $96.99....So, the difference between September's balance and October's balance is $3.81!!!AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!....WILL I EVER BE FREE OF THIS CURSE????....
And, we have to see what to do about our stove (it's 13 years old and 2 of the burners are giving us trouble...we called a tech to fix it and he said it would cost about $75...at that price, for such an old stove, it's really worth looking into buying a new one...) - ((sigh))

I've already had 8 years of "thin cows"...will this EVER end??

Lo barato sale caro, my grandmother used to say....well, I have learned that I shouldn't buy shoes for DD at the downtown marketplace...true, they cost me $10....but they lasted 2 months!!...I could have bought her $22-shoes that would have lasted 6 months! (or, long enough for her to outgrow them!)....Oh, well, lesson learned...now I have to come up with a plan to replace those $10-shoes (they can be repaired, but, really, is it worth it?? They'll probably last another month...) Best to take the $3 that it would take to repair them and invest them in new shoes....Only, instead of bringing her with me (she has the "expensive eye" thing, like myself...we can look at the whole store and, somehow, we are drawn to the most expensive item....this happens especially when prices are NOT displayed, so, no, it's not like we are price-oriented!)...so, I'll just get her a pair of tennis shoes that are pretty, preferrably pink (her favorite color at the moment) and pay for them...if she doesn't see the other ones, she'll appreciate those ones!...Now, what I'll do is try to find something at the ADOC outlet (ADOC is a very high-quality shoe factory...they make Hush Puppies shoes, and also other good brands...and they have an outlet here, where I bought a pair for myself for $10...of course, the catch is that you have to buy from what is "left over" from the stores...so there's not much flexibility as to sizes and styles...)

One of the credit card companies has increased interest on all their cards...by 7%!!...do I need to tell you what this does to my payment schedule??...I had things worked out so I would be rid of them by March '08....now make that June '08!!...VAMPIRES!!...

On the plus side, I went to the credit bureau day before yesterday and, while my credit rating isn't perfect (as it used to be) it is not as bad as I thought it would be....plus, there's record only of 3 of my credit cards...all others are non-existent in their registry....So, it's official, I'm asking for a loan to consolidate debts in December...(specially with this cc interest hike, it DOES make sense!!...the most I'll pay in interest for a loan will be 14%...the lowest credit card, with this new hike, is at 27%!) - can anybody lend me a wooden stake and some garlic??