Winning the lottery

My stepson turned 18 today.

Thanks to the Net, I was able to show Rick his paycheck for tomorrow. For the first time in 15 years, it does NOT include child support.

It's like a raise!

The Last of Sheila (Coburn)

Can I sleep when I'm dead?

I have a hard time sleeping. Without alcohol or Benadryl, I am literally unable to sleep for more than 4 hours straight. And once I wake up, the spell has been broken. I'm in countdown mode for the alarm at 6. Completely wide awake. I might, MIGHT be able to get in a little nap, but most days, I operate on less than 5 hours of sleep.

In bed by 11 p.m., asleep by 11:30 and wide awake by 3:30 a.m.

It probably doesn't help that as a child, I taught myself to WAKE UP FULLY before turning, or even moving, in bed. That trick was to keep from having to make a mussed up bed. Mine barely looked touched each morning.

Of course, there is the whole guilt thing about being in bed later than 7 a.m. If it is light out, I feel the need to be UP! It's not that I'm a morning person either. Weekends, vacations, days off...makes no diff. For years, our alarm went off by 4:30 a.m.; Rick had to be to work by 6, and had an hour drive.

Then again, most days off I still need to get up by 6:30 to get Rick off to work. He's an absolute grizzly bear and won't get out of bed unless I'm up.

Rarely, do I even attempt to climb back into bed after he leaves. I'm up. Stuff to do.

And it's light out.

The Last of Sheila (Coburn)

President Gerald Ford was onto something here

Today we went on a field trip to Grand Rapids.

Since she is leaving for school in less than a month, I thought it was VERY important for us to get the lay-of-the-land. (Plus, gas was just $3.74 at the station near work.)

Kar and I were on the freeway in "Callie" by 9:30 a.m. Rick didn't go, mostly due to Daddy anxiety.

A few hours later (food/potty stops), we got off the freeway. She was quite impressed that I found my way right back to her school without directions. Not bad, since we hadn't been there since February!

We cruised downtown, stopping at a McDonalds for lunch, which we ate down by the river. We walked around and found the post office, library, clubs and hospital. Grand Rapids has invested in lovely parks and fountains! And they love brick roads! And one-way streets!

I fully expected Grand Rapids to be another Port Huron or Flint. Lame. Decaying. WRONG! Downtown Grand Rapids was more like Royal Oak and Birmingham, but with skyscrapers and a river. It was clean and people-friendly. PH and Flint need to take some serious pointers!

We found the big box shopping area, complete with Salvation Army right across the street from Circuit City and Home Depot! We found the Gerald R. Ford International Airport.

"I really like my new town, Mom."

The Last of Sheila (Coburn)

I feel like blue today

Happy birthday, Monica Lewinsky! The devil in the blue dress turns 34 today!

It's been that long? In 1984, Vanessa Williams becomes the first Miss America to resign when she surrenders her crown after nude photos of her appeared in Penthouse magazine.

In London, 1986, Prince Andrew, Duke of York married Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey.

Today is the 204th day of the year. Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?

The Last of Sheila (Coburn)

"You want to ring the bell? Ding. Ding."

A fellow supervisor remarked to me the other day, "You just never look stressed! What is your secret?!!?"

Almost every single day, I listen to the Rocky soundtrack. Most mornings, it's "Eye of the Tiger" and "Burning Heart."

Two rockin' songs about passion and attitude. Try and you shall succeed. Gets the blood flowing!

Then again, some nights, I drive home and blare the original theme song from Rocky, "Gonna Fly Now." The most memorable tune, played when Rocky is finally successful running up the stairs at Philadelphia's Museum of Art. He knows he made it. He knows he's already won the battle, before the fight.

Some days/nights are just like that.

The Last of Sheila (Coburn)

Separation of church and boating

This was GREAT! Boat ramps are used for baptisms? That's darn tootin' redneck!

Summary: On the 4th of July, which was on a Friday, a church decided to use a boat ramp for baptisms.
Problem: Boater decided to launch boat anyways.
Whining: Baptisms should be RESPECTED.

Shoot, just get a kiddie-pool and do it like in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."

The Last of Sheila (Coburn)

ZERO calories?

Next time you are in line at the grocery store or gas station, pick up a tube of Rolos.

How come they don't have any nutritional info on them?

The Last of Sheila (Coburn)

Summer treats

Cherry and Coke Slurpees are da bomb, but I usually get mine from Speedway, since 7-11s are few and far between, whereas I go by 2 Speedway gas stations almost every day.

More convenient and much cheaper, even when the summer $.79 sale isn't going!

It's still a fun treat for Kar and me. We're pretty simple.
The Last of Sheila (Coburn)

FINANCE 101

"Dividend" is money paid to you (ex: savings acct, certificate)
"Interest" is money YOU pay (loan)

How to calculate loan interest:
Rate (convert ot decimal)
/ 365
X balance owed
X number of days since last payment

EX: .0575 / 365 X $1000 X 30 = $4.73 of your payment is going to be interest.

What most people don't understand about credit cards is that they don't operate like traditional loans. Interest rates vary. Most only have a minimum repayment of 2% monthly.

Even more important, credit card companies can, AND DO, charge interest on the HIGHEST balance. That means if you charge up $1000 but pay off $900, they can AND DO still charge interest on the full $1000!!!

And it's perfectly legal.
The Last of Sheila (Coburn)

Life should be easy like a sitcom

Kar wants to go on an overnight fieldtrip with her friends. The group includes her boyfriend.

It is difficult to say, "NO!" for several reasons.

1. That would make Rick and I hypocrites. We did it at her age. Sure, I was pregnant at her age, but it didn't happen on an overnighter!
2. Her brother has done it. Rick didn't have a say in it, but Rick also didn't try to stop it.
3. We are preaching trust. In a month, she will be off at college. Living away from home for weeks at a time.

Of course, I get the advice. Most, but not all, people without kids see NOTHING wrong with double-standards or being a hypocrite. They don't see this as a trust issue. To them, it's a Cosby Show episode where the kids are so thankful for such a wise decision!

But that was SCRIPTED. The kids were PAID to be happy and obedient. Bill Cosby, on the other hand, has faced sexual assault allegations from various women and an extortion attempt by a woman believed to be his child from an affair.

Reality isn't as fun as a sitcom laughtrack!

The Last of Sheila (Coburn)

Predatory financing?

Sure, I'm in management at a great credit union. It doesn't mean that I think EVERYTHING needs to be financed.

As soon as something "breaks," it doesn't need to be replaced. Is it worth it to fix? That's a pretty dumb question coming from a woman who happily drove her 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo to nearly 300,000 miles over 9.5 years!

Please know that many recreational vehicles are being financed on lines of credit...AKA "credit cards." Fewer dealerships are offering even motorcycles as collateralized loans. The interest rate is often astronomical with a LOC and are viewed as UNSECURED financing.

THIS IS HUGE!

The approx monthly payment for an $8000 credit card at 18% (standard 3% of balance owed/minimum payment) will take about 21.5 YEARS to pay off and the first payment is $240. Interest paid will be almost $7800!
(Thank you Bankrate credit card calculator.)

The approx monthly payment for an $8000 fixed-rate loan at 12% for 5 years is $178. Interest paid will be almost $2700.
(Thank you Bankrate loan calculator.)

Many people don't even know how they financed because all they care about is "low" the monthly payment! YIKES! They haven't a clue who they are paying or what a good rate is. Customers haven't shopped for rates, they don't know that dealers get kickbacks for using them and usually look just at that, instead of trying to get their customer the best rate! It is the customer's job to not just find what they want to buy, but also the best rate they can get! Shop the banks and credit unions, worry about the dealership later!

Please, warn your friends, warn your family...beware and BE AWARE!
The Last of Sheila (Coburn)

Happy birthday, America!

Kar and I spent most of the day together. We were excited that my day off was so beautiful. We trekked out to Corunna to their day-festival, watching the parade and checking out the huge car and tractor show for free.

Great people-watching op! (including Amish folk)

As we walked around, chatting and laughing, I told her very seriously, "For most kids, what I'm going to say is generally a threat or warning by their parents. May you one day be blessed with a daughter just like you. I truly hope you get to experience the joy of such a wonderful child, just I have been blessed. Every moment with you is more precious than any diamond and I treasure simple days like this with you, probably more than the big stuff. You have grown into a wonderful, caring young woman and I'm incredibly proud of you, not just for your accomplishments, but because you are trustworthy and humble. One day, I hope you have the opportunity to see your daughter like I see you."

Ever the intelligent brat, she replied, "But not when I'm as young as you, right?"

The Last of Sheila (Coburn)

Accessorize

Kar's condition is receding, but she does have permanent damage to her optic nerve. Her vision has been decreased enough to warrant a new eyeglass prescription before she goes off to college next month.

She's taking it like a trooper, not a drama queen.

The Last of Sheila (Coburn)