New Year, New Post, New Things

I have decided that I am applying and will (hopefully) begin grad school in the fall 2010 at Ut Arlington. I will be getting a Masters in Public Administration, and I am freaking excited.

Posting it here makes it feel real... like maybe I won't back out this time. I bought a GRE prep books this weekend and the math is killer, but I am pretty sure I can study up and do it. I think I can I think I can...

Hopefully this will give me options. Options to work in a position/ area that I am taken seriously, given responsibility. Maybe make more than measly pay( although that isn't the first priority) AND, I am super excited to take polysci and urban planning classes because I am a DORK.

I am planning on meeting with an advisor within the next couple of weeks, we will see!!

Friends coming in

Our friends Katy, Chance, and their little boy Dash will be coming to see us next weekend (Labor Day weekend) And, I am off Monday and Tony is off all weekend! woo hooooo I can't wait!

Now if I can just find some things to do this weekend to keep myself from pure BOREDOM, we will be ok! (Tony works all weekend)

Is this for real?

Frustration of the day ( I know this is becoming a recurring theme of my blog, but good lord I just get frustrated with some things)

http://www.kltv.com/global/story.asp?s=10933571

This is a story about how all Texas public schools will now be required to teach the Bible. I haven't done enough thorough research to see if this is truly accurate but I will take this story at face value.

My reaction : Are you freaking kidding me? Will they be teaching Judaism? Buddhism? Islam? Hinduism? Or any of the other major religions practiced in the U.S., and in Texas for that matter?

No, just Christianity. I do not see this as something that should be tought in PUBLIC schools. Ugh

Article...

If you are at all interested in the healthcare debate, read this:

http://www.slate.com/id/2224938/pagenum/all/#p2

It is my opinion, that regardless of whether you agree with the Obama Admin's views on healthcare reform or not, it is useless and barbaric for mediagogs, on either extreme, to put out rumors and horrible things that are NOT true. I believe that people should make informed decisions based on facts and decide for themselves what they think is right, but no, our country is made up of people who want someone else to decide for them. So, they turn to the cracked out neo cons on Fox News, or even worse, Rush, and they believe every word. That would be like me listening to Left talk on Sirius for ALL my news and developing my opinions based solely on whatever they say. Ridiculous, yes? YES.

Ok, I am rambling, but this is what I abhor about politics in the U.S today. Noone wants to do some research, like ohhh I dont know, read the freaking proposed bills yourself instead of listening to some talking head tell you what MIGHT be on it. If you are going to accuse the president of being a socialist, or an effing Nazi for crying out loud, why don't you do some research on what those terms MEAN before you take it and run with it. mmmmk?

More good news...

I got a raise this week! Totally didn't expect it - I haven't even been there a year yet... but I certainly did not turn it down!

A slight change in the wind..

So, not many people really know this, because I don't tell every detail of my life to even my closest friends... I guess I am kind of a private person. But anyways, the last few months, since December actually have been pretty rough. Tony's work has been on a downhill slope. It just kept getting worse and worse.... After all was said and done, Tony and his boss had to lay off 17 guys, some of which were close friends. Tony's salary was cut by 5 %, then 5 % again, and his commision was cut by 20 %, and then a month later, another 20 %. THEN they cut 401k matching and some other crap too. You know, recession. That's how it goes. Well, we always say Tony's dad must be watching out for us because we always come through things, and I guess this is no different. A year ago when we moved here Tony was making a very good amount of money. More than we ever thought. I am SO glad we did not see that raise in income, move up here and buy a 300,000 dollar house or something and just go CRAZY. For some reason we kept our heads on straight, not forseeing the recession or anything that was to come.

Thank GOD. Well, we have made it through all the paycuts, the budgeting and the thinking OMG there is NOTHING in savings anymore... Time to ignore that and just pay the bills! But we are still ok, we can still pay all our bills and eat and have a little tiny bit left over. So it really hasn't been that bad, but it's just frustrating when you move somewhere for something that is supposed to be SO great and it just slaps you in the face.

Ok, to the point. We got word yesterday that Tony's company, Newpark, picked up 9 more rigs. This is REALLY good news. Not only does that mean more work and more commision for Tony, but he gets to hire back 2 of the really hard working guys that they let go a couple of months ago, who STILL had not found work yet. This also means we can breathe a sigh of relief and not spend every waking second worrying about saving, spending, BLAH BLAH. (Ok, so the worrying is more me than Tony, he has no idea about the money or budget lol)

I will say that I am very grateful for this past year. It has taught us how to be practical with our money, and we were SHOCKED at how much we couuld do with what we thought was so little. I had to remind Tony several times of the small amount of money we made it on when we were first married lol. Somehow you always forget those things.... and it is easy to get caught up in it all, to want the new cars and the stupid crap that piles up in your house for God knows what reason. It just becomes a bunch of bullshit, and it is easy to do that.

I am glad we didn't get there. I am glad we are finally at a place where we have our heads on straight as far as our finances go, and that Tony's work situation is looking up again. He certainly deserves it, he has worked his butt off since the day we were married. I am so proud of him.
And that is the end of that rambling mess ,lol.
Now, time to celebrate!! Too bad all of our friends up here have little kids and can't go out.... ;)

Update on the car situation.....

So, there is apparently nothing wrong with the car.

Acura ran a full check and sent us all the paperwork that had ever been filed on the car, and there was NO sign of ANYthing. We also had our friend who has worked in used cars in Tyler for years run the VIN and he found nothing. Then, we took it to the other Acura dealership in DFW and they ran every diagnostic imaginable and found nothing, again.

Tony tried to call the mechanic that originally called us and the phone was off... And the guy never even said his NAME. I mean its all a bit shady... but I have a 100,000 mile warranty so I guess if anything ever does happen they will have to cover it!

I wonder if the guy just had it out for the Acura dealership.... whatever, I'm just glad it's over.