Layouts

I didn't want to stay up till the wee hours of the night, just to change my layout. So here you go, July's layout! Love it! Gives you the RED, WHITE, and BLUE without the traditional stars and stripes!!! What do you think? Do you like it or not?

Another day!

Today was another day of water aerobics! I informed the women that I would be posting something about them on my blog and not to worry, no pictures! We are growing and that excites me. Just the fact that they are faithfully coming is a thrill and that they keep coming back for more! See , they whip me. I go home and am beat and have no energy but feel like I am dying! Some are seeing results and have lost weight, inches and yet some have even found those long lost muscles! I am proud of them, but, and I mean but I am going to challenge them and push them harder. We are kicking it up ladies so be prepared to dying right a long side of me! GREAT JOB, PROUD OF ALL OF YOU! :)

A very important issue

Okay, so I know I said that I would be back on but my computer and my Internet decided to act up. First, my computer said I had a virus and then the Internet went out. Good thing, no virus. So remember to always check your computer!!!

I have been contemplating whether or not to post this and finally decided that it needed to be shared. This needs to be shared with everyone, so feel free to pass it a long!

How do you personally feel about your current job? Are you making enough money to pay the bills and provide a few family fun activities a month? Do you think you are worth more then what you are getting paid? If you answered yes to any of these questions, get in line with the millions of people who, like me feel the same way. I know that we are in a recession and that we have been asked to be prepared. But seriously, how are we to do that if you live pay check to pay check and that is not having any extra bills. Just your basics, i.e; rent or mortgage, power, water/sewer, phone service, etc... I guess everyone feels the same about their job or their spouses job, but I feel a little bit more anger when it comes to this. See "Hot" firefighter (hence, firefighter) does not in the least make what he is worth. He has a master's degree and we like many other fellow Civil Service families live in poverty. Check this out, on payscale.com it shows that the national average salary for a firefighter with less than one year of experience is $32,276 and a firefighter with 1 - 4 years on average would make $36,984. Come on people, these are the ones who sometimes give their life to help others and yet they get paid nothing. Many have second or even third jobs just to get to an annual income of $50,000 and what do they sacrifice? A lot if you ask me. Time away from family, sleep, some even end up with post traumatic syndrome.

Don't get me wrong, many of the FF like to be gone from their family. Consider it their time and don't have to be bother with everyday family life. But "Hot" FF, well he's different! He likes to be with us, sometimes the guys at work tease him a bit because they always say how they are glad to be a way from the family for 24 hours. Not "Hot" FF, he tells them so! Loves to be with us and we, well we like to have him around. He doesn't work a second or third job by choice. He wants to be home, wants to help raise the bambinoes, but most of all wants to be an example to them and help them in their own daily lives. Too many people now a days can't live without all the wants and sacrifice so much for those. Yet, what do they lose out on? FAMILY. I understand that sometimes both parents have to work, but I also understand that no boat, car, toy, house, etc... is more important than family.

Next time you see a FF, thank them for their service and time. Know that all schedules are different, but "Hot" FF works 24 on, 48 off and that he doesn't make boko bucks. Remember to tell them to thank their families for sacrificing their time of allowing them to be FF. Raise awareness that FF do not get paid what they are worth and that many are working more then one job just to put food on the table. Let's not forget the ones who are Volunteer FF (they don't get paid, key word Volunteer). Speak up, let the Government know that they need to pay these men and women more. I would rather a FF who loves their job and doesn't have to work many (so rested) save my life, my family, or whatever I might need help with then one who is just there because it is a job, one of many for them and gets them a way from their family for 24 hours. More likely to do their job right and to hold their head high to say, "Yes, I am proud to be Fire Fighter"

Check back later

So I have been slacking in my life long duty of posting post. But I have my reasons and that is that. I can promise you that if you check back later you will be glued to the screen as you read and reread the up coming post. It will draw you in and you want to read more, you will want to come back and see future post. All I can say, is it is something that needs to be said and something that needs to be done about it! Hope you will come back, cuz it will be good!

Birthday Bash and Jury Duty

At last the long awaited day came. Not much excitement, but a lot of relaxation! It was an R & R kind of day. Church of course. A little Father's Day love and then all about ME!!!! We had a nice day! Got some great cards from the bambinoes and "Hot" Firefighter! "Princess" Bambino and "Hot" Firefighter made a necklace and a bracelet for me, with charms. How fun! My necklace has the Eiffel Tower on it. Makes it really special because I went to Paris a month after I met "Hot" Firefighter! Our plan was to go take a nice walk on the beach, but a storm came through and ruined that :( Watched LOST Season 3, not the whole thing but a few episodes. So much fun. Made a yummy cake from "Cook Yourself Thin" and used sweet potatoes in them. So, so yummy! The happy day can't last forever since I knew I had jury duty today and was not very thrilled to say the least.

Jury duty, well lets just say that it was the fastest, easiest way to make money in a day. I showed up, filled out the paper work and just waited. After about 10 minutes and the rest of the jurors showing up they spoke to us. They informed us that all their cases were done for the week and that we needed to make sure that our paper work was filled out so they could send us our check for the week or the day. I really didn't catch what she said as far as the week or day. But hey, that freed up my week and my worry of whether or not I was going to have to completely tell the truth and nothing but the truth on why I would not be able to serve. Having three bambinoes and a husband who is a firefighter is reason enough not to have me serve! Well done. I have done my service and could get called again in three years....WOOT, WOOT!!!

Scouts Head Home

So the week has gone by so very slowly. So slow in fact that I actually saw a snail out run a roach. Wait, maybe that was a roach carrying a snail. Anyway, the fact that the week was so stinking slow only makes matters worse when you can't figure out what to do. I mean I had plenty to do, but did I do it? NO. Of course not. Come on it's not like school starts in a month and I am no where prepared for it to start. Organizational skills this week would have been nice to have. But my organizational button was in the off position! How I could forget that I still have boxes and boxes to unpack since moving. Wait, when did I move... NOVEMBER. Crap, I need to probably replace the batteries to the organizational button. Gosh, I just enjoyed the lazy week that "Princess" Bambino and I had. We did lots of fun things together. Like water aerobics (she swam), went and saw Imagine That, swam some more, watched other movies at home, read books, colored, visited my great aunt (so her great, great aunt) who also took us to dinner! Hum, what else did we do? Went to book group and ate CALACOPE! "Princess" Bambinoes eyes were the size of Calacopes when she saw them sliced in the bowl and so juicy! Watched for storms. Scouts got caught in a bad storm and were almost coming home two days early! Made the paper too! No one was seriously injured, just a little startled! Seemed to have fun! Don't know for sure though, should be home by 10:30 tonight. Well so much for the slow R&R week. We'll be moving along like the humming bird next week. Only two more days till my birthday and still no UPS stop or FedEx. Dang....

Chocolate and Exercise

Today was another successful day of water aerobics! However, I came home and ate two very small brownies. How could I ruin my exercise by eating two brownies. Ask me I dare you, if I really care. No, not really! Because I got a Brownie Batter Blizzard from DQ later on. I am obsessed with brownies. Dang it, I know what is going to happen later. I will be at the beautiful porcelain throne as my innards decide to move and work on digesting those so good brownies!!! You would think I would learn by now. But nope, not me. I have to eat them and suffer later. Well worth it, I might add!