Motivational Monday

[Elizabeth]

Hi everyone! Today started with dFosterCat13 having blood in her stool. Stool delivered to vet for testing. Obviously, the meds I have been giving her have not cured it. I should call for a doctor appointment soon, but I may do it tomorrow. I have found out that there are 25 kids in DD10's class, including her. I have sent an email about 'Dinner for 8-ish' through the church. It is where small groups get together and eat. Tonight is errands (grocery store), get some stuff out of the sewing room closet so the insurance people can see the damage, and start on skirt for neice's American Girl doll dress. I have the worst stomachache and just got a big dose of financial stress. I have 22 hours of work + 8 hours of holiday for January. My paycheck will not even cover the house payment this month. I did get a raise for 2013: 3% more per hour. But if I get 0 hours, I still get 0 pay.

[Lynlee]

My confusion of the day.
As of today there is no longer a Canadian penny being minted, and Britain, the US and other countries are considering this. BBC says that in Canada,

"Retailers are being asked to round up to the nearest 5 cents."

My question is: assuming every total amount at cash register has a random ending cent, then doesn't this really amount to an average increase of several cents per purchase forever? How does the savings of .6 cents over the 25-year lifetime of each penny possibly compare with a forever-increase like that? Are the retailers keeping this "rounded up" money or sending it to the government? Percentage-of-a-cent sales tax increases are fought with a furor everywhere, aren't they? Right now percentage-of-a-cent increases are proposed in several US cities and causing great debate and anger, probably won't pass. So how is this "round up to the nearest 5 cents" not just as upsetting? Also, isn't it like an unfair tax on people who make mostly small purchases?

Harriet - we have had no currency less than 5c for decades. Here the rule is to round up or down to whatever is closest. 6&7c go to 5c. 8&9c go to 10c.
I guess the hope is it evens out. though retailers often sell things for $x.99 so unless you buy the right number of things it will round up. I don't think about it. Mostly. Except at a petrol bowser I will take the extra cents fuel instead of them getting cents for nothing.

back to cu on posts.

[Twins' Mom]

Quick post and run because ddogs are waiting for their walk.

Left phone message for dd's Hall director this a.m. and she called me back, said dd hadn't actually talked to her so I had dd go in and talk to her after dd's class was over at 1. The roommate is moving by 10 p.m. tonight - hall director thinks that both felt threatened. Perhaps dd isn't blameless, but I'm pretty sure she didn't offer to "cut" anyone. She's worried now that their mutual friends will cut her off.

I did read about Richard III (I did a round of reading on the War of the Roses and his era recently) and the skeleton was identified through DNA analysis. The extracted DNA was compared to a direct descendant of one of his sisters and matched. Also circumstantial evidence - the location was where the Abbey where he was buried was located, the skeleton also had scoliosis (Richard III was described as being hunchback.) Anyway, I tend to believe he wasn't the monster that Shakespeare portrayed - although the kiddies in the tower did disappear on his watch.

Long phone discussion w local social worker for dsis - she believes dsis needs to be in nursing home for appropriate care, and indicates that she believes hospital is pushing for discharge to a personal care home that is not suited to her needs. Also dr appointment for dmom - this was podiatrist. She has diabetic neuropathy in her feet so no feeling - podiatrist takes care of nail trim & ingrown toenail. Tomorrow is dmom's arthritis/pain doc.

On to the walk for ddogs.

[OKay]

CCC = 67

Making progress.
** processed 6 days of MPB daily gross
** LO confidence builder - we went for a walk in big pasture. LO was the leader and at each opportunity we practiced raising arms in victory and yelling at the top of our lungs "I did it!". Seems a bit silly when I describe it, but it made us laugh and we had fun doing it.

[lucylee]

Hello to everyone!

(((BIG HUGS))) for (((Twins & dd))) AND (((OKay & LO)))
Hope both these situations will be resolved SOON.

Fairly busy day... but the promised faculty meeting was cancelled. That was good in a way, and it was nice that the Wmart business was already done.
I got grades caught up, went to ironing lady * She's back! Hooray Hooray! * and went to bank for dmom.
* Need to call dmom & ddad. *
Went to dmil's w/dh.
Went to ATM.
Talked to ds.
Talked to substitute for tomorrow.
I'm taking off half a day to keep dgs so dh can go to a music thing w/ds.
Then Wed., daunt is keeping dgs so dh & ds can go to basketball game.
DH finally decided that if I was so willing to make it possible for him to go tomorrow, he'd take me up on the offer.
I don't think I'll overuse my days... UNLESS things take a big change for ddad, and if they do, I think I'd probably go over my self-imposed "cut-off" day anyway.

Forgive me for this quick post and run. Dozens of things to do here...

[Ivy]

Booksaver, I regularly submit to 2 places now because the old company broke up and divided their magazines up. 2 are on-line, but they're just posting old stories, which were in old magazines and they post a lot of books for sale, too.

I occasionally submit to Woman's World, but I've gotten 3 rejections. So I took an on-line workshop, which teaches you what they're looking for, the ins and outs of succeeding there. I'm trying to sell a light romance there, but would love to sell a mini-mystery, so have ordered a book on "How to Write Mystery". Clues and crimes are popping into my head, which is just too weird! But that's how I started writing romance stories. Names of couples, plots, romance would pop into my brain, too. There are nice love stories with happy endings on the evening news, too, if you listen hard enough, from time to time, too.

So all in all, right now, I submit to 3 places, but I have the Novel & Short Story Market Book. In it they list the Alfred Hitchcock Magazine, Ellery Queen, etc... So when I get some money ahead, I'll send for sample issues or back issues, to study them, and will print writer's guidelines up from their site. Sometimes a magazine editor will leave a magazine between the time the market book was published and by the time you get on-line. It offends an editor to be called by another editor's name, so writers need to do their "homework" first. Also, I've read how editors dislike their names being misspelled, too. So eventually, I'll be submitting to other places, too.

Oh, I've forgotten. I submit to Chicken Soup for the Soul and Blue Mountain Arts, too, so those are 5 places and recently I entered a contest, so that makes 6 places. I don't work a 40 hour week. Anywhere from 20 - 30 or 35, depending on health issues, energy, and my creativity flow. I enjoy writing inspirational things, poems, romance, and now I'm leaning toward learning more about mysteries just to try something new.

I napped for about 40 min. this a.m. and 50 min. this afternoon. I was so worn out from getting 3 stories sent out on 1 weekend. I guess I overdid and now I look at my house and feel like I should be cleaning! I did a load of laundry and a hot spot today though. I'm thinking of writing a P & P OMM list. On My Mind list. And taking it from there.

Twins', I'm so glad you called dd's Hall director. I'm glad it will work out and I hope mutual friends won't cut her off.

Waving to Everybody! I have to "time" myself at the laptop with the eye gel in my eyes and not go over 30-45 min. At least it's a good incentive knowing I'm doing everything I can for the Corneas.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

OKay: There is something about raising one's arms while talking that fills one with confidence so I think that was a brilliant exercise to do with LO.

One of my motivation tapes used the example of standing up and saying "I'm depressed", then holding your hands above your head and repeating, "I'm depressed." He pointed out that the second time your voice is lighter and stronger and it is harder to sound depressed, despite the choice of words.

In church, raising my arms to clap along with the Halle (assuming I have long sleeves on!) really helps raise my level of joy. Raising my arms to do the blessing at the end of the service was an uncomfortable thought until I tried it, but now when I do it, it feels like I'm supposed to be doing it. It literally feels as if energy is running through me, in both directions (I have a body prayer I do that also has the same feeling.)

I guess I should spend some time walking or dancing around the house with my arms raised. Motivation and confidence are lacking today. At this point, I'm hanging onto the idea that tomorrow is a fresh day.

I did dust the bedroom level and the living room (but not the rest of the ground floor.)

Since, until I get my laptop keyboard fixed I need to have a desk big enough for an external monitor, keyboard and mouse, I've moved my computer and the accessories to the roll top desk in the living room. The chair is less than optimum but I might bring down the exercise ball. There is a fair bit of space on the desk, even with all the junk that normally resides on it. The best part about this desk is that it has two side tables that pull out so when I have a lot of books for research, there's a place to put it all. And it is next to the piano, so it is handy when I need to research hymns for the services.

Dh is drumming right now. He keeps forgetting to practice so has set an alarm for each evening. He'd like to do an hour a day. I swear, that man does nothing by half measure!

Next challenge is to tidy up the kitchen and start the dishwasher. Then I'll set the washer to wash the sheets so they are ready for me to hang out in the morning.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

To add to the penny discussion. Actually clarification since the stories we've heard in the news aren't the complete situation.

All that has happened is that the penny is no longer being produced and will no longer be distributed six months from now (there are still some in stock at the mint and in banks.) As of today, businesses are still free to continue on as they have been, as long as their supply of pennies last. The general store will do that and figures they'll be able to last a few more years for sure, more if customers like me bring in their pennies for them (she's willing to buy them from me.)

Ds was brought up to date at the hospital (since they take cash at admitting as well as debit and credit.) He said that they will do the rounding but are allowed to accept pennies if offered them by the customers. Retailers can choose to accept pennies or not, but they remain legal tender up to quantity 25 so if a customer chooses to pay a $19.98 bill with with exact change, and your business hasn't posted a sign saying you don't accept pennies, then you must accept the $19.98 and not round up the bill to $20.

[Ivy]

I just re-read posts and it was NOT Booksaver who asked me how many places I submit stories to. Sorry, Harmony!

Booksaver, I'm sorry you're not having the best of day, too. Me, TOO!

I'm reading, "Boundaries- Where You End and I Begin," by Katherine Anne, M. A. I'm SO confused now. It's as though I'm looking over my shoulder wondering if I've been respecting this person's or that person's boundaries, my adult kids, people I email, pen pals, my husband, and I'm so confused now that I don't know if I'm doing the boundaries thing right or not!

I DO know that I don't touch people or pinch fannies or things like THAT! But it's like, how do you know when somebody needs their own personal space. Am I giving enough space to others? I took 2 months off from therapy, start again in March, so we'll be doing homework on boundaries, so I can understand it better. I like the book, it's making a lot of sense and I think the biggest wake-up call was when they said in dysfunctional families, often times there are no boundaries, which leads the children to grow up a bit on the confused side. It was so nice to read that.

[Ivy]

Harmony,

I PM'ed you, too.