Random Acts of Blogging

I have a couple of different things on my mind. Hold on for totally unrelated topics.

We've gotten a couple of interesting phone calls and pieces of mail. They all relate to us being great customers. The first call was from one of our credit card companies. If I signed up to have them automatically debit my payment from my account, I would be eligible for a rate decrease to 9.99%. Although that sounds like a great deal, why didn't you just offer that to me instead of telling my I have to sign up for some bogus payment plan to get it? If I'm such a great customer, why don't I automatically qualify? When I asked that question, the lady on the phone actually sounded like she was offended. I'm just saying.

The other two were pieces of mail that said since we were such great customers, we were eligible for a free cell phone (if we signed a new agreement and added a line) or get a credit for paying more than the minimum payment due on a credit card (but we can't use the card and after four months, they will cut our credit limit). In the first place, we don't need another line on our cell account. And secondly, I already pay more than the minimum and my limit hasn't been cut, but has actually more than doubled. If we are such great customers, why aren't we eligible for a free phone without having to sign a new contract and adding a line? If we are such great customers, why aren't you already giving me a credit for any extra and leaving my credit line alone? Yep, that sounds like a plan I want. Not really.

Our washer took a dump. It makes this horrible grinding noise when it agitates or spins. I figure it's a belt of some sort that isn't turning or whatever. Now we have to decide if we fix it or get a new one. We had to go to the laundrymat Sunday (joy) to finish the laundry that is now piled up on the love seat in the living room. I need to get to it, but I'd rather blog. Today is about research on the computer to see if I can find a cheap one.

I got the big girl's portfolio put together. I had to get a 3" binder to fit it all in. But there is still the curriculum and workbooks that she got to write in. We did a lot of work. There is also our three lap books that we did, our co-op binder that has their co-op work in it, and a folder that one of our co-op moms put together for each kid. I need to do the boy's, but that will probably be tomorrow. It took me long enough to get the big girl's stuff organized. I had most of it in an accordian file, but I ran out room. Then I just started stacking stuff. I had to sort through all of it, put it in a pile for each child, then separate each pile by subject. Yuck. But, one down, one to go.

I have a wish list for our next school year. We need 3-3" binders, an easel for the dry erase board, new dry erase markers, printer cartridges for both printers, and colored card stock for lapbooks. I would also like a new camera that also takes video, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. If anybody would like to make donations, please feel free. I don't need as much paper this year because the kids will be working in their books this year. I would also love to have a gift card to Books a Million or Borders. Borders gives us a homeschool discount, but they are a little far away. I think Books a Million has a teacher discount card, but I sure don't want to pay for one every year. It's a discount card for heaven's sake. They shouldn't cost anything.

There was a posting on our chat board about looking for insurance. I responded with some questions they should ask themselves or their agent. Insurance isn't the easiest thing to navigate through. It's slippery and if you aren't careful, you end up paying for more than you should. I loved working with insurance and helping people understand their policy. The knowledge came in handy when the boy had his appendix out. If I hadn't done insurance billing, we would have been screwed. The customer reps aren't very helpful or full of good info. I have thought of being an advocate for people who are fighting bills from hospitals and don't have a clue what they are doing. I do it anyway for friends and family, so why not make a couple of bucks doing something I like?

I am reading two books right now. I am reading "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and "Standing Alone in Mecca". The first is for a book club that I hope to make the meeting. I am enjoying the book so far, but am looking forward to the meeting. I get to spend a few hours with people who have my love of books and have adult conversation. The second book is about a woman who realizes that Islam has changed into what men want it to be, a religion that justifies the subjectification (is that a word) of women. This is about her battle to bring women back to the forefront of Islam instead of shoved in the back. So far, it is very interesting. Since we don't have much to do today and it's raining, I may just spend most of the day with a book in my hands.

I spent a little time this morning filling out those surveys you get on the bottom of your receipts. It would be really nice to actually win one time. What I could do with a $1000 gift card. The grocery money alone would be a bonus. Not having to worry when my kids grow out of their shoes or clothes would be a blessing as well.

That's it for now. Thanks for hanging in there with me. I think there is just one more cup of coffee calling my name. It would only be my second, so not too bad. If I only had a doughnut. That would send me over the edge I think, so no doughnut. For now.