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Happy holiday weekend

May 26th, 2012 at 11:56 am

I just spent at least 2 hours troubleshooting some unexpected computer problems. It all started becus my printer was once again not working. I've gotten into the habit of reinstalling the print driver becus it's the only thing I know that works to get the Dell computer and printer talking to each other. (I am no longer a Dell fan.) That, and having to stop and start the print spooler. Documents sit in the queue and prevent anything from being printed.

Then I had 21 MS updates to install, which took quite a while. then Norton anti-virus found "a problem" and had to fix it.

It seems there was a problem with my dleacoms.exe, which relates to printer communication. I figured out/stumbled upon a way to do a System Restore and finally everything is working just fine. (Let's hope it lasts.)

I now have my $250 worth of gift cards for Home Depot, Lowes, Sears and Wal-Mart (thanks, Citi), plus $40 of Amazon gift cards.

I was salivating over all the free stuff; it felt like Christmas morning. Now, though I haven't even spent them, my ardor has cooled. What's wrong with me? Don't want to spend money??

I do have plans to go out today and use a bunch of them, and I can do my grocery shopping with gift cards I bought trying to hit the spending target with that Citi credit card to begin with. So maybe my enthusiasm will return when I come home later today with a pile of stuff at no cost.

All of my beans...the wax beans, string beans and soybeans....are coming up now. I planted one long row of them. Yesterday I placed tiny little tinfoil collars around the base of each one to protect them from cut worms, who can mow them down with no warning.

Today's goal is to buy tomato and bell pepper plants, maybe cukes, too, and get them in the ground. I'd hoped to do this 2 weeks ago but my cold got in the way, and a bunch of other stuff.

I'd also like to hit Wal-Mart and get some nice summer clothes. See, I will be shopping frugally. Not sure I'm looking forward to the crowds, but I don't feel like waiting til Tuesday, when everyone (but me) goes back to work).

I got 1 of my 2 real estate freelance projects done, so I can bill the client today for $200; I had hoped to be working on the 2nd one this weekend, but the builder never called me. My client has indicated, though, that she'll have a third project for me as well, so that's cool.

I sent out another mortgage payment, which has now become exciting and momentous becus this latest payment, for instance, should get my balance down below $7,000.

The job market sucks. I am really beginning to feel a full-time salaried job is a hopeless search. I'm now paying $562/mth for COBRA on a p/t income, and the COBRA will only last til June 2013. Something has to give. I'm just not seeing any jobs. Yeah, I can keep myself pretty occupied chasing after the "scraps..." the poll worker stuff, the freelance here and there, and whatever else I can find to earn a buck, like Craig's List sales of plants in my yard....but this is just not a sustainable way to live. I keep hoping for an economic turnaround that would dramatically lower the unemployment rate and i often feel like it's a race, and who's going to win? Can I sit out the recession or will it last longer than I can?

3 Responses to “Happy holiday weekend”

  1. Homebody Says:
    1338039811

    With HP announcing 27,000 layoffs, the news is bleak, but you seem to be doing well. What good news your mortgage is so low!If you can get that paid off that would be great!

    PS My disability ended in December and I decided I could not sign my unemployment form.....could not bring myself to say I could take a full-time job.

  2. snafu Says:
    1338049235

    Please don't give up and give the world the wrong impression. Go to the library for positive tapes/CDs/DVDs to boost your self image and give you daily reinforcement. Something will surely turn up and you've made incredible progress on paying down the mortgage.

    I know most jobs are filled by word of mouth. You might try a new round of cold calls, personally visiting potential employers who might need your skill sets even though it's hard to do. At least they'll know how much you'd like to work at their firm.

    Rooting for you!

  3. FrugalTexan75 Says:
    1338084042

    My printer isn't working right now - keeps saying it is out of paper. (It isn't.) Printer problems can be so frustrating.

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