Praise! It is 30 deg F!

*230-something* <---i have not stepped on a scale in a week or two so I really do not know. 


      We survived the Bombogenesis. Our little neck of CT received a generously heaping spoonful of snow. It was about a foot with nice snow drifts. The temps have been rock bottom too. Not been fun for my skin, I can tell you right now. I have been coconut oiling myself every day to combat the psoriasis and the old lady crepe from the heat being on constantly. Today is going to be in the 30s and by the middle of the week it will be close to 50. Be gone you evil snow.

   Today I have stuffs to do but I feel a little shitty so I will be going slowly while doing them. I think my head is a little fucked because of the barometer and we are supposed to get a little snow this evening. So if I can get out of my pjs, that will be a major accomplishment. One of the things we have to do today is our DNA. Hubs and I have two 23andme DNA kits aka the government has got your ass now kits. You have to not drink or eat anything for 30 minutes and then you spit in the tube and send them off. We get to see where we came from. I have always known that I am Polish, Italian, Swedish, and Norwegian. Now could my Polish grandmother have had some Jewish ancestry that we do not know about? I guess I will find that out in a few weeks. The girls at first were a little miffed because they did not get kits. Why should you both get kits when you have the same DNA? We, as your parents, can do it and you will get the same answer. *eye roll* I will share those results when they come in.

  My lofty plans of walking have been curtailed by the weather. My plan is to get out there tomorrow morning if it is not icy from the storm and I feel okay in the head. I have been fairly active the past few months so it isnt that I have to start slow or anything. I just did not want to freeze my tookas off. See, I could go to the Mall to walk but then I end up shopping instead. I could get a gym membership but you all remember how I paid for two years and never went once. Walking the hills of my neighborhood is the safer bet for me. My house is way too small for any exercise equipment. We tried when we bought a cheapo elliptical at Salvation Army. It worked great and it was a folding one. That shit sat in the corner. Got unfolded a couple times. Sat next to the tv set, mocking me because I never used it or even dusted it.  I have a couple walking routes that I have used in the past. I just have to get dressed and do it.

  Yo. The pressure cooker is the best thing ever. Myself and #2 have made about 6-7 meals in it so far since Christmas. I went out to Target and bought a rack to put it on. It has it`s own area by the kitchen window with it`s own plug. No need to move it off and on the counters. We have very limited counter space. We have a galley kitchen. Only room for 1-2 butts at a time. Anyway...the pressure cooker is really good. I made fork tender pulled pork in 1 hour and 30 minutes. What! And it tasted like it was cooking for hours. We cooked chili, a few soups, pulled pork, a chicken dish, hamburger dish, and all were good. You can find many recipes online for using the electric pressure cooker. I still say, if you do not have one..beg borrow or plead to get one.

   I had a revelation last week after posting here. I am not doing AIP and Keto. When I try to eat that way, I do not eat at all. I practically starving and I am not being literal. It is so hard to keep your blood sugars low but also stick to the strict Auto immune way of eating. You just cannot do it. Unless you have unlimited grocery resources and/or you have someone to cook for you. I just couldnt do it.  I have decided and started to eat keto but I am not going to eat certain foods like nuts and peanuts. I will eliminate all nightshades except tomatoes because they are life. And I am going to eat limited dairy. Sometimes I need it in a pinch if I am hungry but I will not seek it out and especially in large amounts. Back on track. Keto for me is the smart solution to alot of my medical problems.

  I had a birthday. Saturday I turned 49 years old. It was a good day. Of course it was not keto complaint but that was my last food thing until October comes around again. Hoping I am thin as a reed and have a stronger constitution by the time it is Halloween. We have a couple more birthdays coming up but I can say no to cake. I had my slice...okay two slices. It was Red Velvet and I was not gonna say no. Someone that is way young was shocked when he saw my FB post about turning 49. He said WTF! I thought you were 32!
He either does not know how to determine someones age or he needs a new eyeglass prescription. But I will take the compliment as the best present ever.

  Okay. I need to get going. I have to be a taxi today and I have to get out of this feeling like crap mode. I hope you have a wonderful week and I will see you on the next.

It`s a new year..new meh.

*232* <--wasting awayyyyyy awayyyyyy!

    Happy Happy 2016 to you all. I just celebrated my 47th year on the planet yesterday. We went out for Vietnamese Pho and I had cake. It was a good day. 
  I wanted to wait a bit before I posted because I didn't want to post all the negative crap over and over. I was really sick. I am still not well in the gut but I am better. My incisions hurt when I roll over but otherwise they have healed well. I am still not able to eat alot of different foods and that explains the weight loss. It is good to lose the weight. I am happy for it. I am only 21 lbs from my goal. Just a bittersweet way to lose it. I will not get into gross specifics but my gut will not be well for a long time.

    I had some reflection after all of this. My stubborn ass didn't die. I was in the hospital, close to crashing but I didn't. This means something. I have to make more time for myself. I have to make more time for my man. I have to do what I want with nobody making me try to change. I have to open up to new things and I have to let some shit go. I have been holding on to some old friendships that have disintegrated in the hopes that they can be revived. One in particular. It has been a year since she ended our 7 year online friendship. I have given myself permission to let that sister go. I will always love her but I just cant keep being upset that she doesn't love or care about me. She has her reasons. And I now have mine. I have wasted too much with hope for that. I am closing that door. 

  I just put the sweet potatoes in to roast and I am stupidly eating one of my bon bons I made at Christmas. I will pay dearly for that later.

 Our weather has finally become seasonal. We havent had a snow storm yet but it will come. There is the El nino which is giving all of us a weird winter. My hope is we get hardly any snow. We were slammed so bad the past two years that we deserve a snow break. I hope I get my wish. 

One plan is to get me a new laptop very soon. I was able to get Kid #2 one very cheaply for Christmas so I know I can scout me out one too. Enough of this fucked up keyboard!  That is about all I gotta say right now. I see the gastro at the end of this month and I will know more about my gut. If I am quiet, it is because I dont want to sprinkle the negative everywhere.


I hope you all have a good new years and I pray we all have a great 2016.

Help meh save!

THIS is not spend fast worthy!

*250*

  That is a tattoo on MY right wrist. It was done during a special tattoo event for Friday the 13/Valentine`s Day. $31. The owner printed it much bigger then it was supposed to be. He also came to see what it looked like. I think he wants it too so I promptly thanked him for the upgrade. Oh yeah. The kid got one too. So after taxes and tip, I was out $80. It was a bonding moment. We had both been itchy for one. This reminds me of elementary school. Every morning I watched Tom and Jerry while I ate breakfast. If you know T&J, you get the tattoo.
Pretty cool, huh?
Ummm no. It isnt. I am so stupid. I cant even follow a simple task of saving money. I am so utterly broken that it is ridiculous. I would ask for advice but nobody comments or probably reads for that matter. Bots dont respond either.  You that read are not Bots. I apologize for that. I just need some cheerleaders and there aren't any.
 I think it is hard for me because of when this started. I still have $2k to *spend* before the deductible is reached so all is out of pocket. We have been having awful month winter wise. I just paid a huge electric bill. I will probably have to pay taxes this year. Plus I have car taxes and car reg coming up for April so I feel like I am constantly digging out. It is a lame excuse but it is how I feel.
 I also have the influences of the family. They pester me to get this. Buy this. And I have to be strong.  I have to say no no no!

How do I stay strong?  How do I not spend? *whine!*

It is very hard for us to do the *eat from the pantry* way of saving cause we already eat from it. I guess we could eat Ramen and split peas for dinner. Yay! I have been looking up recipes with things I already have in the house.
I was so proud of myself when I saved over $60 at BJ`s Wholesale Club last month and not on frivolous stuff either.  Part of me knows I should do coupons but my brain is not good like that. This has turned into a total crybaby woe as me post but I had to do it. I have to own up that my family and my hair trigger spending finger are to blame.

I think the snow is getting to me. Really I do. It is snowing right now! Has been for a couple hours. I have to go out to shovel after this post. Today I will shovel, water plants, clean/organize food pantry and possibly ignore my taxes for another day.

Spending Fast Game Plan:

Do not veer from the list of approved expenditures.
Do not buy processed foods unless extremely cheap.
Plan Garden for this year.
Put money aside till end of month.
Use that money to pay off a bill that has languished forever.
Lather Rinse Repeat until debt is paid off.
Save Save Save afterward.

Question: Is spending on supplies to make the raised veggie beds a okay expense? It will ultimately save us money in the long run.
That I would like another opinion on.

Today is Fat Tuesday. I have red beans cooking in slow cooker to serve over rice with baked chicken wings. Lots to do today.
Have a great last day of debauchery before Lent!

Winter Blahs

*250* <---back on track!

   I have been in a winter coma. With all the snow we have gotten this month, I was not doing much else but making scarves and resting up till the next storm. We are due for one on Tuesday. This morning the temp is -6 deg F. The dog went out. The dog came back. It is brickety brick brick brick outside.  People not from this part of new england thinks we should just shut up about it all. It is winter. Yes bitch, it IS winter. But Connecticut doesn't get it like the extreme north. This aint Mount Mckinley. We get smaller 1-3 inch storms with maybe 1 big one all season. Blizzards are rare. Minus 0 temps even more so. So I will complain all I want to!

This morning at 7am

   My friend is gonna need back surgery. I am going to be there to help her. I have to build some muscle up. Good thing I didn't cancel gym membership. My feet are not right but I can do the bikes and all the other stuff. I cant distance walk but I can do 20 mins on the treadmill. I have to build up my arms, legs, and back so that I can help her maneuver as she heals. It will be hard but this is why I am thinking ahead. I am hoping she will get some help from her daughter and daughter`s partner too. I will go over there today to clean house and make some chicken soup.

  Hubs foot is healing. He is still in pain but it is a bit less. I am glad for that. He has been compliant with the boot and hopefully back to work very soon. He is bored as hell.



   I worry as usual. Taxes. Bills. Oil. Taxes. Car registrations. Taxes. Bills. Etc. Winter is just plain expensive. I worry about friends and family that are in financial burdens which I cannot help with.

Maybe I need to look into Yoga or meditation. I have to keep my thoughts positive. If I am positive, I wont stress eat chocolate.  hehehehe

Furnace is lovely. Keeping the house warm. I will have to buy oil probably this coming week because of the cold temps. We would have lost the house if we didnt get the furnace replaced. I am so thankful for that.
This is a choppy and sporadic post. I know. I have to get moving for a appt but I wanted to check in. I will do a proper post later on. Smack me if I forget!

Is it cold enough for ya??

Ground Hog Day

*253* <----fucking menopause


  Let me start with how the spending fast is going. It really isn't. Savings this month $123. I guess I could say that is really good but it isn't. I bought some stuff that I knew I shouldn't. This past week I just didn't even think of abstaining. Starting fresh. I didn't spend at all today and I plan to really stick to it. I am more aware of what I spend. I also have the benefit now that oil and gas are cheaper so I will save from that. I was able to buy a little more then half a tank of oil (116) for $260. That is WAY cheaper then past years. I used to spend more on 50 gallons.  So January was a bust but I learning bust. I will save more for February. I will only spend on what is allowed. I can do THIS! Say it with me now!

I can do THIS!!

  Menopause sucks major major major. My period is late 18 days. Last month it was super late too. This is why the weight gain. Hubs and I didnt buy any ice cream or chips or crap this past week. I want to get back to where I was. He has a broken foot and he is afraid he will gain more cause he is less active. Hot flashes. Oh yeah. Mostly I wear a sweater instead of a coat cause I am always hot. It is frigid the past couple days so I did keep warm but this summer is gonna be bad. I better lose a shit ton so when I am walking around half naked cause of my hormones, nobody will be too grossed out. I just appreciate the good days of my new hormone imbalanced life. Lordy.


  The blizzard of 2015. Our little city got close to 30 inches of the white stuff. This is our street before the plows came. It was past my knees and I am 5`3. It took two days to dig out. Since he is wearing a

Blizzard 01/2015

Herman Munster boot, I had to rally the troops to help me with the snow. I had help. I was pleased. They know the proper way to shovel a BIG snow. We had a bit yesterday but it wasnt too bad. But Super Bowl Sunday night and all day Monday are a different story. 4-8 inches for the shoreline (us), 8-16 inches for the rest of the state. Ground Hog Day is in two days. I already know what the outcome will be. The Ground Hogs ass fur stuck to the bottom of his hidey hole and we will have a long winter!

  As some of you know, I love freebies, contests, and sweepstakes. I dont do them to freak proportions but I do it plenty. I have gotten some nice things over the past couple years. Snack foods, free coupons for stuff, zippo lighters, two ottomans (2 different contests), and little doo dads here and there. Lots of samples too. I never think I will win something big. Today was that day! I received a email from Bausch & Lombe that I was chosen as one of the weekly winners of their current contest. I won a 32 gig iPad mini! Can you believe that? I could never afford the expense to buy one for myself. I filled out all the paperwork and it will come in 6-8 weeks from now. Spring time. Perfect.  I decided hubs and I  would share it. Instead of using our phones in bed all the time. Goody! I am so happy. After all the crap that has gone on with us, it is good to have a bit o sunshine.

   One thing that was very bad was I lost was a very good friend. She unfriended me on Facebook/Life and it made me extremely sad. I worry about her health and unless my other friends tell me, I wont know how she is doing. I love her dearly and always will. I will never have hard feelings towards her because I couldnt. She is like my sister.

  I am cold sitting here. Brrrr. Frigid like whoa. It is 20 deg F at almost 6pm and that doesnt factor in the windchill. I will get off here, turn the chicken wings, and start the rice pilaf. I am making a big caesar salad too. Yummmmmm.


I hope you all have a great weekend. I will not spend!!