All posts for the month October, 2011

Weekend Gone All Ready??

It’s Sunday night, hard to believe that the weekend is over all ready. I managed to get a few articles written. Figure out that my computer has started over heating. That could be a good bit of the problem right there. At the moment there is a large fan on me and it, so far it’s still cool. I also wrote a few articles and got them submitted this weekend. I updated a couple other blogs and figured out that I won’t be online much during the week expect to check for work and talk to a friend or two. I’m limiting myself the rest of the week to take care of some house work and run scans on my computer.

I opened something and replied to it instead of using another method to find out if it came from the person that it said sent it. UGGH! My computer popped up a warning something was wrong, shut down and came back up running scans on itself. Tonight it will run scans on it until morning. First thing in the morning I will check for work. I have limited access and I spent a lot of time online today which means that I have to be careful the rest of the month but after just over two weeks without Internet it was a relief to have it back.

I will be spending a lot of time working in order to catch up so limiting my time online shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll be cleaning house so I won’t be paying attention to the Internet anyway so there is really no need to do anything but spend some time in my word processor. Now if I can figure out how to make it through the holidays and pay for my divorce I’ll be so happy I could scream. Well, back to work for me.

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by Laurie on October 28, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in cleaning, computer, weekend

Posted by Laurie on October 28, 2011

https://dazedconfusedandupsidedown.wordpress.com/2011/10/28/weekend-gone-all-ready/

Another Day Closer to the Weekend

The weekend is getting closer, I can feel it. I have a ton to do but I can feel the weekend and the fact that I am about to have a few days off getting closer. Not off work but off from the real world. I get to start my weekends earlier now since we moved therapy up before lunch each day. I have a ton to do this weekend, if my shoulder stops hurting I have to finish rearranging my living room and throwing things out.

I would be writing new articles, which is good. Now to finish them would be better. I have one that will be two when I am done and a few floating around in my head. I am also typing some things up to break down into articles. This is going to be a long weekend but hopefully a productive one.

Well, I have to get back to the quick things that I can manage while my little one is awake. I put her down for a nap because she was grumpy but she isn’t cooperating. I also took a break to read a few of my favorite blogs and articles again thinking that maybe something in them would inspire a new subject.

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by Laurie on October 28, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in therapy, therapy and work, weekend

Posted by Laurie on October 28, 2011

https://dazedconfusedandupsidedown.wordpress.com/2011/10/28/another-day-closer-to-the-weekend/

UGGH!!! Can it Get Any Worse??

That is a rhetorical question, not a challenge. I finally got enough figures for next month’s expenses to realize that they are more than my projected income for next month. That is not a good thing. I was able to look at my light bill this morning and the new budget amount is $245. We were $96.29 under budget this month which is good at the end of the year if the trend continues, bad at the moment because I’ll be giving them extra money that I desperately need in my pocket right now. My Internet bill so I can continue to work is $50.50 and I am thinking of having the Internet cut off for a month or so until I get caught up. I already turned the cable off. Of course I could just go to a prepaid plan and only use the Internet for work instead of the million other things I use it for. The rest of the expenses are not important at the moment as sitting down and actually looking at the numbers past my regular monthly expenses would cause my to panic and do something else stupid.

At the moment I would be happy to find another morning as productive as I had the morning I had four articles rewritten, the laundry done and a couple other things by noon. I don’t see this day being as productive. I do see me rewriting a couple of my own articles after I check on my earnings. I’m not looking forward to checking my earnings by any means. They appear to be going down which means I have to get a move on and make something happen quickly…..

Well, complaining isn’t doing so I’m going to be going.

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by Laurie on October 27, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in budget, expenses

Posted by Laurie on October 27, 2011

https://dazedconfusedandupsidedown.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/uggh-can-it-get-any-worse/

Why Can’t I Fit My Computer in my Pocket?

If my computer would fit in my pocket a lot of my problems would be solved. I could simply fold it up and take it out when I got where I was going in order to work where ever I am. It would be a lot simpler life with a child in tow. I need to increase my income but so far it’s going rather badly. I keep getting hit with these irritating little nickel and dime expenses that are taking more than their toll on me.

I will be spending the morning asking my soon to be ex questions from a job application in order to ensure the information is entered quickly enough that I have my computer free in time to get some actual work done today. He’s slow as Christmas at everything and answering simple “yes or no” questions is no exception to that rule. I am attempting to help him find a job that pays a living wage or even one that he can work in addition to the part time job he currently has. The man has had eight jobs since 2005, since I am the one that felt the stress of each and every change I would be helping him to fill out more applications to prevent having to feel the stress during the divorce.

Christmas is only two months away which is not a lot of time to shop, especially with no money but I am a bit annoyed that the two holidays that come before it are being over looked. I do not like this time of year and the rush that it creates. No one appears to be taking the time anymore to remember what the holiday is supposed to be about. Instead it is about spending as much as you can. This is the part of the holiday that annoys me the most. Oh well, I need to be working so I’ll go for now.

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by Laurie on October 26, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Christmas, divorce, work

Posted by Laurie on October 26, 2011

https://dazedconfusedandupsidedown.wordpress.com/2011/10/26/why-cant-i-fit-my-computer-in-my-pocket/

Salvaging The Week

I finished up the project I got paid for last month and received an invitation to bid on a project that pays by the hour. I have no idea if I should bid or not this particular person has a low rate when it comes to awarding projects. I update a couple of my blogs and read about a chapter in “look me in the eye” while we were at speech. That is a rather productive day for me.

I have to rewrite more of my own articles and write some new ones while I wait to decide what I am going to do about private clients. I know that I need to think quickly but I can not manage to make a spur of the moment decision when it comes to finances. I painstakingly went through an online application for my soon to be ex-husband so he could apply for a job that pays more than he currently makes. It meant going though pages and pages of work history on a computer screen entering them into tiny boxes.

I did not manage to get my own articles rewritten but that’s fine. I do not owe anyone work for any reason right now and am free to do as I please. Well, I’m going to be going. I have to rewrite this information for him so that  he can do his own applications next time. The last five years have seen him have seven jobs for various reasons. That’s not a good sign at the future of this one being long lived considered it involves manual labor but that’s fine too.

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by Laurie on October 25, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in job application, project

Posted by Laurie on October 25, 2011

https://dazedconfusedandupsidedown.wordpress.com/2011/10/25/salvaging-the-week/

Time of the Holidays Once Again

It is once again time for the holidays which means that I have to smile and deal with relatives. Not just any relatives but In-Laws. Hopefully with the pending divorce this will be the last year that I am forced to do this. I have never been found of them but I figured the man I married would stand up to them and make them show respect, at least when they are standing in MY home. Wrong. 


I knew when I married him that I did not like my future in-laws. I also knew that I was not in love with him but he appeared to love me and I thought in time I might be able to love him. I was wrong and it’s not fair to him. The illusion I have created is hurting everyone involved. 


Well, I’m supposed to be working so I’ll get back to it. 

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by Laurie on October 24, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in holidays, working

Posted by Laurie on October 24, 2011

https://dazedconfusedandupsidedown.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/time-of-the-holidays-once-again/

Figuring It Out Again……

Learning to do everything alone would talk a bit of time. At the moment I am attempting to figure out just how many more hours I can get out of my day. There are always additional expenses at the end of the year but this year they seem to be hitting me harder than ever. I am in no position to take care of everything I can only hope that things manage to work out someway.

I seem to remember having this same problem this time last year, the only difference is that this time there is no changing my mind. I am getting a divorce which will once again make me a single parent. This time my child has special needs that require time, attention and money to take care of. In September of 2010 I made the decision to stop writing for other people and manage with what I could earn writing my own content in the time available to me. That change lasted almost one year before circumstances forced me to go back to private clients. This time everything has changed and I have no choice but to work every angle to ensure that I earn the amount of income that I require to meet even the most basic needs.

Scheduling Changes

My child is now at a half day preschool Monday through Friday. This means that I get up each morning and turn my computer on before I ever get her up and get in at least five minutes of preparation for the day. The bus picks her up at approximately 8:05 and drops her back off between 12:15 and 12:30 that afternoon. This gives me four hours to clean up the house while I work. Yes, I am guilty of cleaning house when I take a break from writing, someone has to do it. A total of twelve hours a week to write new content either my own or as a ghostwriter for others.

We still have therapy five days a week. Wednesday’s I pick my child up from preschool just before noon so she can have lunch before her one o’clock appointment. I typically pack it because of her issues with crowds and she has a picnic. Tuesdays we have two therapy sessions as well. The rest of the week we have one half hour session. These are the hours when I can and can not work. I typically use therapy now as a time to read and relax from the stress of the day.

How Much Do I Need to Earn?

I need to earn enough to cover the monthly expenses, my child’s needs and in the short term my divorce. The divorce is additional money that I would require making it a bit tricky to come up with. The least amount of money I need to cover it would be $500. Great, now to figure out where to get an extra $500.. I’m unsure of household expenses at the moment which makes this even more difficult.

The only clear thing?

The only thing that is clear to me right now is that I do not have enough facts and I am no where near prepared for the changes that are taking place so rapidly.
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by Laurie on October 24, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in expenses, finances, preschool, scheduling

Posted by Laurie on October 24, 2011

https://dazedconfusedandupsidedown.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/figuring-it-out-again/

Nothing Went as Planned

So far nothing has gone as planned for the weekend. I managed to get approximately three of my articles edited and re-posted elsewhere. I did a few blog posts and managed to go get most of the things that we need for the house. Basic items that we use on a regular basis. I still need brakes and would love if people would stop telling me that it is my imagination. I know that I can not afford them right now but if they would stop telling me that it is my imagination it would make the ability to get them easier to make a reality.


I would be facing difficulty both personally and financially. I feel rather alone right now but that’s to be expected since I tend to isolate myself when I have problems that I do not want to deal with. I have to deal with them but I have to do it in my own time. A few are beyond my control at the moment and a couple that are within my control are going to hurt to deal with. 


I know that I can fix this mess I have found myself in but I do not know how. I wish that all the answers would come to me but they are running from me as if I had a deadly and highly contagious disease. I am often confused when times like these arise and this one would not be an exception to that reality. 


I would be getting divorced and in love with someone else. I have been faithful. I am going to get my divorce as soon as I figure out how to pay for it, then I am going to slowly become accustomed to being alone.  The man that I love though he is my friend is not in love with me and he never will be. I knew that from the start but it is still not a pleasant reality. Oh well, forgetting about a man is easy, you simply find one that wants some company for a little while. OK so that’s a bad idea but some time out with friends or even strangers can help this situation, or at least distract me from it for a little while. The financial difficulty I am facing will take a bit more to get past.


I have $10 available toward the approximately $141 that I need to fix my mistake. All that I can do is continue to work and keep the money to pay that mistake separate from the money to cover my child’s needs. She will not suffer because of my stupidity. Well, I have to find more work to do and hopefully get finished with a project that I have already been paid for. The client was supposed to get me the rest of the work this weekend. I only hope that he has the other projects behind it like he is supposed to. 

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by Laurie on October 23, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in difficulties, finances, love life, work

Posted by Laurie on October 23, 2011

https://dazedconfusedandupsidedown.wordpress.com/2011/10/23/nothing-went-as-planned/

Holiday’s Causing Stress

I would be broke as usual but right now I would be worse off than usual. I am not only broke I am in debt. While typically that would not bother me as I have paid off a great deal in recent years the fact that I am farther in debt with the holidays approaching would make it worse. I would be in the process of writing or rather rewriting past articles just to have something to do during my child’s tantrums since I can not acknowledge them because with Autism that makes them worse.

I am updating my blogs as she has her tantrums because I have to focus to do the timed work. Allowing timed work to time out is not a good time, it means that I wasted my time while I could have been doing something that earns a little income instead of ending up with none. I have four blogs that should be pretty well updated provided the weekend continues on the path that it is taking. I am not very good at keeping up with this one but I intend to get better. My “Odds and Ends” appears to be my favorite since I feel free ramble.

I have a lot of articles to rewrite and originals to write. The holidays are here and those articles appear to earn well close to the season and an earning boost is something I can use right now. Well, I have a few hundred dollars that I need to earn to make it until the end of the month and I need to get a head start on next month so I’m going to be going now. I do so love being in debt around the holidays, just proves I do everything backward. Most people get in debt because of it but not me. I start it in debt with an empty savings account.

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by Laurie on October 22, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in debt, earnings, tantrums

Posted by Laurie on October 22, 2011

https://dazedconfusedandupsidedown.wordpress.com/2011/10/22/holidays-causing-stress/

Looking Forward to the Weekend

Speech therapy has been moved up from 1p.m. to 11a.m. today. I am hoping that since I get to start the weekend earlier than normal I will find myself more productive than usual during the next two days. I have set some small goals to accomplish this weekend as a result of it beginning early. I am focusing on my family, home and work this weekend. I intend to get a good deal of work done as I clean up around this place and practice handwriting and other skills with my youngest daughter. She is the only one at home and it is time she got outside to play some before it gets too cold.

I intend to see how many of my articles I have cross posted and do some edits to put others in more than one place. As soon as I figure out which ones I have already done so that I am not duplicating work. The goal is to use the old articles to inspire new ones. I plan to re-post five at a time (with edits), then work on one original to submit for well that hasn’t been decided yet. If I do editorials they are display only, if the articles inspire something that is not they will be submitted for upfront payment first to ensure I am keeping the possibilities open. Starting with today through Sunday that is at least 15 re-posts and three new articles. I don’t see a problem with that.

I also intend to type up a few pages out of the diaries that I want to get rid of in order to have the material for use in short stories and a short ebook. There are several of them so this project is going to take a while but I hope to get some of it done this weekend. I also intend to read a few pages of “Wife No. 19” since I have been neglecting it the past few months. I intend to read another chapter in the other book I am reading this weekend as well.

It’s not much but it is a start, if I can stay away from the blogs I should do well. I’ll be back soon.

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by Laurie on October 21, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in writing and work goals. goals. ebook

Posted by Laurie on October 21, 2011

https://dazedconfusedandupsidedown.wordpress.com/2011/10/21/looking-forward-to-the-weekend/

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