About sixteen years ago, I met him for the first time. My trainwreck sibling brought home this adorable puppy he had no business adopting because he had not one thing in his life that wasn’t a mess. I was furious at my sibling – he didn’t even take care of himself, how could he drag
Read More
April 6, 2020
If you’d like to join me in helping Lakota families and/or rural libraries this year, please read this post. Over 6 weeks in 2019, we raised $2669.94 for the Lakota families, touching 27 lives. What can we do in 2020?
Current total: Lakota, $640.74; Rural libraries, $321.62.
On Money
Income
Our primary income comes from our full time jobs. We have minimal income from an investment property (which is all saved for maintenance) and investing in dividend stocks (all reinvested). We earn money on the side to supplement our main incomes. We get a bit of income from Swagbucks and cash back sites (Ebates, Mr.Rebates). Some posts have affiliate links that pay a micro-commission to keep the blog running and I’ve added a way to support the blog in the sidebar to the right!
Our long term goal is to replace our day job income with passive income before my health prevents me from working. I know from my Mom’s experience that qualifying for or relying on disability is incredibly tough or near impossible here in CA. Aside from that, I aim to do my best to make the most of what we can do while we can.
***
Dividend income. We received $274 in dividends in March. I’m grateful we don’t rely on this income yet because we would not make it.
Our Rental Income has been seriously disrupted for the past few months with the previous tenant situation. I’m really glad that we managed to get a new one in before all this came down. We’ve contacted them to ask after their health, NOT THEIR RENT, even though really this is a truly low point in the finances of the rental after I spent more than all our reserves repairing everything the last tenant wrecked but good. So far they are healthy which is the most important thing and my hope is they will be fine financially so we can start to rebuild the reserves. But if they need concessions, we’ll make something work. Not all of us need to be heartless bastards in this.
(more…)
April 3, 2020
If you’d like to join me in helping Lakota families and/or rural libraries this year, please read this post. Over 6 weeks in 2019, we raised $2669.94 for the Lakota families, touching 27 lives. What can we do in 2020?
Current total: Lakota, $640.74; Rural libraries, $321.62.
1. It looks like we’re shut down through May. Being a pessimist who was expecting that (and for it to go longer) sort of helps.
Challenges this week: PiC’s hands are healing very slowly which is frustrating and worrisome, my fatigue is off the charts.
2. We had an online “party” with aunties and uncles for an auntie’s birthday on the weekend and it was fun.
3. That constant urge to buy (probably stress shopping) has faded for a little bit. I’m grateful for however long it lasts.
4. My brain therapy session helped me work through the feelings and difficulty I’m having in supporting a loved one because it’s bringing up bad memories of being the child of a narcissistic user. I chose to support them and always will but I am more cognizant of the need to have some boundaries and the need to step back sometimes so I am not giving everyone else everything and leaving nothing for myself. This is a new realization and a work in progress.
5. JB still seems to be handling the adjustment to our not-quite routine well. I am sure that it helps that they’re getting all kinds of treats they normally wouldn’t: no getting sent off to school at somewhat rigid times, lots and lots of free choice and art time, screen time with every dinner (usually educational but just fun on the weekends.) They generally benefit a lot from daycare programming in terms of education but they have also been attending year round for years with only winter break and a couple of weeks in the summer off. This is kind of the equivalent of their first summer break from a school routine, even though their scope is seriously limited.
:: How are things developing where you are? How are you spending this time if you’re quarantined?
April 2, 2020
If you’d like to join me in helping Lakota families and/or rural libraries this year, please read this post. Over 6 weeks in 2019, we raised $2669.94 for the Lakota families, touching 27 lives. What can we do in 2020?
Current total: Lakota, $640.74; Rural libraries, $321.62.
I’ve barely been able to keep head above water this week so not a lot of links happening here.
Inside the Story of How H-E-B Planned for the Pandemic
Coronavirus Will Change the World Permanently. Here’s How.
A bug in Zoom.
COVID-19 PSA from Samuel L. Jackson.
I always like Emily’s writing but this especially resonated: “What’s causing my impatience is not the world outside of my head. That may be triggering my response, but it’s not the cause of it. No, my impatience is my own response to something not working the way I expected it to.‘
I admire Rihanna‘s drive as a businesswoman and her sheer creative power.
Musical cat toys from Japan.
Mama Quokka
March 30, 2020
If you’d like to join me in helping Lakota families and/or rural libraries this year, please read this post. Over 6 weeks in 2019, we raised $2669.94 for the Lakota families, touching 27 lives. What can we do in 2020?
Current total: Lakota, $640.74; Rural libraries, $321.62.
Week 2 of shutdown in the Bay Area.
This is a record of our weekdays. We are attempting to set up the occasional video call with other kids so that they can socialize that way.
This week’s menu planning: Roast pork shoulder, veggie curry, a rotisserie chicken from Costco. I meant to also make dumplings and tandoori chicken from scratch but PiC surprised me with that rotisserie chicken on our last run to Costco for a few weeks.
Day 1: I was finally mentally ready to get my act together and set up a tentative schedule for JB. I don’t know if we can manage this same thing all week but I like the general outline that gives us some structure and some chances to get work done without having to entertain.
8 am -8:30 am, Breakfast
8:30 am – 9 am, “art lesson” – watching an artist draw something new and copying it
9 am – 10 am, Call with Auntie – practice writing
10 am – 10:30 am, dance party with music
10:30 am – 11:30 am, free choice (probably art)
11:30 am – 12 pm, snack
12:30 pm – 2 pm, walk dogs and have lunch
2 pm – 2:45 pm, rest
2:45 pm – 3:45 pm, solo free choice – aka work at my desk but do not talk to me
3:45 pm – 4:30 pm, numbers/math time – maybe a few worksheets that they enjoy doing. *Note: couldn’t find it. Oh well.
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm, movement of some kind.
5:30 pm – 6 pm, inevitable lost transition time to whining or tiredness
6 pm – 7 pm, dinner (more…)
March 27, 2020
If you’d like to join me in helping Lakota families and/or rural libraries this year, please read this post. Over 6 weeks in 2019, we raised $2669.94 for the Lakota families, touching 27 lives. What can we do in 2020?
Current total: Lakota, $640.74; Rural libraries, $321.62.
1. I watched the news on COVID-19 pretty carefully leading into March. While I didn’t anticipate exactly what we’re seeing now, my disaster antennae were up and catching all kinds of vibrations so when PiC noted we were down to our last two small packages of toilet paper, which is when we usually buy a new megapack, I said casually, get one extra pack just in case. In case of what? At the time I would have said, well, the supply lines may get borked. China’s having a rough go of it and I’m not sure what that’ll do to our ability to refill things we need on demand over the next few months. Better to have an extra than not buy it and be stuck when the time comes around again in a month.
I would not in decade have guessed that people would clear the shelves, the inventory, and the freaking warehouses. What. On. Earth.
I’m only looking now because I’m responsible for a friend’s household supplies. They’re having a particularly tough time and I designated myself their needs supplier. I shipped them a pack before the virus burst forth but I should have sent two. Holy hickory, I’ve scoured the internet and found nary a sheet. Everyone is out of stock. I’d just give them our extra pack but it’s not cost effective to ship.
I’m glad we’re fine but what is everyone doing? Are they buying ten times their usual amount? This is such a mystery. Wish me luck as I try try again.
Challenges this week: PiC hurt his hands, my fibro has flared up, we’re constantly on edge about the state of supplies and when we should next attempt to venture forth. My routines are all off. I feel the urge to stress shop a lot. Mainly for basics but I saw a $150 Chromebook and had an irrational urge to buy it. I do not need a Chromebook.
2. We helped out an educator friend with distance learning lesson planning and that went so well that we worked out some times they can give JB lessons to give us a brief window of uninterrupted work time. It’s been really hard to get a schedule in place as we ourselves have been adapting to the ever changing news but I have high hopes for this week.
3. PiC got to work on his garage project and is satisfied with his weekend’s work.
4. We took the dogs outside on two sunny afternoons and they sunned themselves until they couldn’t take it any longer. That’s a luxury here.
5. My brain therapy session helped me work through my feeling frustrated and thinking that feeling Not Good about a pandemic is somehow the equivalent of me being a mess. I feel like a mess because I am unsettled. But it doesn’t mean that I am a mess.
6. JB was poorly on the weekend so we spent hours snuggling and resting on the sofa. That didn’t help so I distracted them with Christmas shopping for the cousins. It worked a treat AND we’ve knocked out one Christmas chore before April. Plus we supported a smallish business. *Buffs nails*
:: How are things developing where you are? How are you spending this time if you’re quarantined?
March 26, 2020
If you’d like to join me in helping Lakota families and/or rural libraries this year, please read this post. Over 6 weeks in 2019, we raised $2669.94 for the Lakota families, touching 27 lives. What can we do in 2020?
Current total: Lakota, $640.74; Rural libraries, $321.62.
Joe talks about the racism around COVID-19.
If you don’t already listen to The Fairer Cents and you’re a regular here, you might be interested in this episode.
Jordon Cox is a lovely human and I’m happy for his good news.
Taiwan responded really effectively to the initial outbreak, from Jeremy’s experience.
What food scarcity looks like.
What a horrible person.
Minus the novelist part, I so relate to this statement. (Can’t say I’m willing to board a cruise, a horrible thing for the environment, to find that fun though): I’m a successful novelist, the best mom I can be, and a loving spouse, but one thing nobody ever calls me is “fun.”
I would be so angry at humans if I were that bird.
I’ve definitely entertained more than one rage quit fantasy with past toxic jobs. Never did any of them, though.
Remote ballet lesson
March 24, 2020
If you’d like to join me in helping Lakota families and/or rural libraries this year, please read this post. Over 6 weeks in 2019, we raised $2669.94 for the Lakota families, touching 27 lives. What can we do in 2020?
Current total: Lakota, $640.74; Rural libraries, $321.62.
Money
Our spending went way (waaaaaay) up this month because of the stocking up on food and medications and the house repair which had nothing to do with the pandemic, just the weather.
The groceries were manageable, I focused on sales and specific recipes to make the most of our food and prevent waste. I also picked up a lot of apples and oranges that will last a few weeks in the fridge to stretch out time between grocery trips.
The real kick in the teeth was the medications and Seamus’s final labwork. I think we spent about $800 all told on his stuff. But we simply cannot risk him going without his pain medications due to any interruption in the supply lines.
I canceled both our dogwalker and my massage therapy but I paid the former anyway and bought a gift card from the latter to help the business with a bit of income while they have to be shut down. Luckily, my brain therapy is already remote so I will keep that appointment this week.
As much as our budget can bear, I’m trying to anonymously help out folks who have lost their income.
We are both very fortunate that, for the moment, our jobs are relatively safe. We don’t know how long that’ll be the case and I have always planned against the worst case scenario happening and will continue to do so but I won’t forget to be grateful. The not great thing is that PiC had finally located some jobs to apply for and we don’t know if the companies will freeze hiring. I hope not. He’s been unhappy in this job for so long, I sure hope he still has opportunities open. But either way, we know we are so incredibly lucky and we are grateful for our current financial stability however long it lasts.
(more…)