2022 Frugal Challenge

dlrcpa said:

Need to do laundry just for 3 odd socks that did not get washed with their mates.

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Lately, I have been trying to safety pin all my socks together... I use very small pins and just leave it there in one of the cuffs, then pin them back together as soon as I take them off. It seems to be working so far, and if I am ever out-and-about and need a pin, I have one! The rest of the family is not adopting this new habit yet, so in addition to making sock matching obsolete (for me) it's been helping me sort, because I just say "Nope, not mine!" (Which is not to say that the teens don't steal my socks anyway... grrrrr!!)

Today has been a strange day... good for the most part, but at the same time, harder than it needed to be (meaning I am probably MAKING it harder than it has to be.)...

Today after a productive morning, I was out doing errands with DD18, and when we pulled up to a corner where there is often a younger homeless woman, I saw that someone had written on the wood post, in sharpie, RIP and her name. I never knew her last name before, but now I know that she died in November (which would explain why I haven't seen her since before Christmas.) With that much, I was able to search and confirm it really was who I was thinking of. Reading between the lines it was probably a drug overdose... And while it has not hit me like a "ton of bricks," it is hitting me like a cinderblock or two... the kind with sharp raggedy edges.

Every time she'd disappear for a while, I'd hope she'd found a better situation. But now, all that is left is her name in sharpie on "her corner." I appreciate whoever did that much (probably her boyfriend,) and now all that is left is to hope that he finds someone to take care of their dog for a while and gets himself whatever help he needs.

Assessing this logically, I feel guilty that I have been wondering when I'd see her again, while she's been dead for over two months. I feel worried for her dog (her boyfriend can make his own choices, the dog cannot.) And it scares me, because I worry that something similar could happen to DD18 if she goes manic and runs off-- at this point there is nothing legally I could do to stop her.

But DD18 was with me today and she had talked to this lady in the past, too. In fact, her first question was "what about the dog?" So that led to a(nother) conversation about good choices.

I am not cooking tonight, so score one for the convenience foods I just loaded back into the newly-defrosted deep freezer. H can handle baking Stouffers Mac N Cheese. I had just bought some supplies to start a new project, but now I won't do that tonight. I am not exactly superstitious, but I don't want the very center of a massive project I'll be doing for months to come to be started in a moment of sadness.

RIP, Dear Erica.

I'm sorry Zhoen. Sometimes things hit too close to home. I pray your daughter will remember and not go down that path. It's so darn hard nowadays....so much out there....and like you said once they are adults they do what they want and nothing you can do but pray.....

We door dropped some pork chops, potatoes and carrots I made in the crockpot yesterday and some tortilla soup at my daughters door. The soup turned out really good...it was one of those bagged soup mix that I doctored up. I won 22 cans of, I thought chick peas, but it turned out to be black beans so I added one can and a can of corn and used all chicken broth instead of water and threw in a couple cans of tomatoes.....then in half of it I added macaroni to thicken it up and much to my surprise my husband loved it....that is a first....he is not a soup eater....

Ran to a new store that opened up a few month ago....they had sent me a 15% off coupon so I picked up a few things I "needed" like olive oil, 6 wash cloths, applesauce and huge jar of dried onions....people with no masks were getting into my space so I left....

It's still cold here and going to be colder in the next few days....I'm staying in....

Grandson is suppose to come by tomorrow to pick up sofa in garage and boxes in my living room.....pray it doesn't rain....
Hope everyone has a great week....stay healthy...stay warm..

that is sad Zhoen.. a what could have been or could be with kids. Here drug overdose deaths always outdo covid deaths. I had a former friend (started just using me) try to recontact me and her dgd..who is a nice person but just behind the 8ball in life cus fas etc. but can't go there again don't wish them ill and hope for the best. All you can do.

foggy here still has been for a couple of days and more to come. makes it feel a lot more chilly. a couple hours work and hopefully car is fine. dh put in the new part on saturday. Ate the blondie good for you brownies that came free in the mail for breakfast...meah vegan low sugar hopefully not that grain sugar cus that don't have a good effect. will stop at the library out that way too.

not sure what is for dinner, tired so something like frozen pizza or chicken strips. made the shrimp kit yesterday for dinner. dh went out for bread and milk yesterday and I was didn't you just buy milk sat..he was I drank a lot of it. seems in the store everyday getting groceries. since I will be at walmart I will get the cheap creamo because if you get 2 it is $4 at the moment vs $3.50 each. need to get more reactine too. have other stuff but reactine works the best.

have a long list of stuff to do of course always but just the tops on the list ..food, dishes etc. momstuff that no one notices you guys know like water plants sweep. allergy season again..even the cat who likes to pee on stuff has them..so of course all our fault so peeing on rugs etc again. can give her a pill but getting it down her is another story. slowly getting stuff done got picture frames out from set from ages ago to put on dining room wall. so just to figure out what pics to go in and find little nails.

After doing a little more sleuthing on the woman I mentioned, I remain sad, but an important difference is that DD18 has a family that doesn't give a flying .... about mental health stigma and she has a good care team. It means that she is on the right meds, has medical records that show her history (important if she needs to apply for assistance down the road,) and understands that she has a medical condition that is nothing to be ashamed of (but is still responsible for her choices.)

However, this week I am doing fierce-and-mighty-battle with her (and DD14's) school.

DD18 only goes to school every-other day because of her chronic health, so she returns tomorrow. DD14 goes every day, but was still too sick to return today and is basically having to return tomorrow no matter how bad she feels because the department of health just changed the rules to 5 days... so technically she was cleared Friday afternoon.

The reason this is a problem is that the second quarter/1st semester both end this Friday, and both girls have a LOT of work that can only be made up in class (tests they aren't prepared for, etc.) For DD18, honestly, if we can just get her above failing, we'll call it good. Our goal is graduation, not honor roll-- that's just where we are right now...

But DD14 had all A's except for 1 B before she got sick... and now she has a D in one class and C's in several others. She has to make up a test that she doesn't feel ready for, plus finals (they call them "quarterly assessments" these days...) I contacted the school to ask about getting them an extension so they don't have to do a week+ worth of work in 2 days+2short days (1 day+ 1 short day for DD18) and the school was like "They have to talk to each teacher and work that out."

!!??!! I am livid, but waiting to see what "each teacher" says tomorrow before I go total "KAREN" on the school. The best part is when the school was like "Why didn't you report this (DD14's positive test) sooner?" -- Uh, because we didn't get the results until Thursday, when y'all were closed for weather, and Friday I was distracted trying to keep her alive?... (yet that is the day the health department cleared her to end isolation...)

Ergh... For DD18, we just want her to pass, then we'll try again next semester... but DD14 really put a lot of work in this semester, and if all of that is wasted because of red tape and administrative "it was all online" attitude ( (a) no it wasn't (b)she was SICK!!! ) I worry that it will ruin her motivation for the future. Back when I went to that SAME SCHOOL, you got an incomplete "I" and they changed the grades after you had a reasonable time to catch up, and that was POLICY, not "each teacher can decide."

Thanks for letting me vent!

Zhoen WTH??? That's crazy....how can they give her a D if she is out sick? Makes no sense to me....I pray you get it straighten out....I am so glad my kids are old.....I use to go round and round with the district as I had a handicap son who needed special classes.....took me six weeks to get him enrolled when we moved here....they had all the records but wouldn't let me enroll him until they had the IEP which they kept putting off....six weeks!!!! Then during the year he missed the bus and I ran him to school...teacher met me at the door and told me it was good thing I brought him cause they were going to send the truant officer out because he missed too much school (had lots of problems with ears)....I was so PO I said fine, I'll take him back home and you send the truant officer and lets see what happens....they sure wasn't worried about his attendance those first six weeks when they dragged their feet getting him enrolled...never had that problem again....it was mentally, emotionally, and physical draining dealing with them......
Good luck....stand your ground....I know you will....

That's sad, Zhoen, in so many ways. Our system helps and yet denies help in so many ways. There's a young homeless woman I have seen on a particular corner here several times over the past year. She gets enough help to be diagnosed by a doctor, but cannot afford the meds that would let her live a normal life with a job. I ask her what she needs (food, water, etc) and come back to bring it to her, but sometimes while I'm shopping she moves on, gets a ride or something. I doubt she'll ever be stable enough to get off the streets.

Good luck with the school. Your DDs should have a chance to finish their schoolwork because of the sick days.

Found out last night yet another friend has covid. Not vaccinated. Had "doubts" last year. He's been sick for weeks and is completely unapologetic about going to work with a cough the entire time. I am unbelievably angry at his stupidity and selfishness.

Today we found out stepson has covid. We were going to take him to get vaccinated last year and he said no, he'd go himself. Now he's sick. He doesn't "believe" the vaccine is "safe". Getting a virtual ear-lashing from his father right now. Ugh! Stupid kids. He's an adult, it's like talking to a wall now.

I just don't understand what part of this is hard for some people.

Y'all... get this...

DD18 had a sore throat yesterday and NOW has a positive covid test and cannot go back to school before the marking period ends. Her teachers have excused her from in-person testing, but she has to turn ALL her other work before the end of the day of Friday, including math assignments that she wasn't in school to learn how to do. Because who doesn't want to teach themselves college algebra while fighting off back-to-back plagues-- along with all her regularly-scheduled health issues.

They tried to tell me that DD14 (who feels fine, is more than 10 days past onset, and has a letter of clearance from the health department) shouldn't be in school either... then the snippy nurse said "I'm emailing her teachers... if she starts coughing at all, she has to leave." (Did I mention that DD14 CAUGHT this in school???) We won that argument for now and she is back in class (not coughing) and will see all of her teachers today to figure out what it will take to fix her grades. If they kick her out after that, at least she knows what she needs to do.

So H will continue living the bachelor life on the other floor of the house to keep him healthy. I remain healthy but now my "5 days after they are better, you can come out" clock has started over... But we have everything we need, H can run errands as needed, and I was just going to be home studying for my boards anyway. So it is annoying, but not the end of the world. Imagine how strong my immune system is getting!!! 🤣

PS- In unrelated news, I am going to redecorate the entire house.

Sunny and cold today. The temps dropped 10 degrees within 2 hours yesterday while I was out. Then it looked like it was going to storm and then the sun was out again. Crazy weather. Probably not going anywhere today. I need to bake a cake for dgds to come decorate for their mom. Ds called and asked if I could make a cake for them. He's so busy with work right now, getting W-2s ready he doesn't have time for it. I don't know how much her mom will appreciate it. She has plans all day. Getting her nails done and then going out with a friend. Oldest dgd loves parties and always wants to decorate. Too bad her mom is so selfish sometimes.

Have a couple of loads of laundry to fold. Will do that tonight after everyone leaves. Have another to wash. Organized the pet food shelves last night. Nice and neat and easy to get to. I think the condiment shelf is next. I'm sure there is stuff pushed way back in the corner that is old and needs to be thrown out. I buy things thinking we need it and get home and find I already have 5 bottles. It's just such a mess.

Couldn't decide on dinner yesterday. I knew I needed to have something for dh to take for lunch today. Ended up getting chicken. At one place during a certain time, you can get 8 piece legs and thighs for $5.99. He had enough for lunch, dinner and another lunch. I really didn't want chicken, but I had to think of him.

It's chilly here....ran and got my blood work done....they let you wait in the car and they will notify you when they are ready....they buzzed me and I walked in and there were 8 people waiting.....thank goodness they took me right away....took her two pokes to get it....which isn't bad as last time I was in hospital it took 3 nurses 10 minutes to get the IV in....I can't imagine being on drugs and sticking yourself with needles trying to find a vein....it's just beyond me....

It's not raining so I am hoping grandsons will come by and pick up sofa and boxes.....I need them gone....

I took a donation to the women's shelter yesterday.....I called first and got the recording and it didn't say anything about not accepting used items at this time.....got there with a huge bag of probably 50 pairs of leggings and tops and they couldn't take them but they were super nice and asked if I would keep them and bring them back next month....I was able to give them the extra black beans I got and 6 or 8 pairs of new jeans, some hand sanitizer and some large plastic cups. Had three people come out and thank us personally for what we donated which wasn't all that much. I will keep the leggings and take them back next month.

Zhoen what do you plan on doing in your redecorating?

Going to pick up an auction win this afternoon....it's about an hour's drive. Gets me out of house....won 48 bouillon spoons which I will put in shoeboxes....a spoon is a spoon when you don't have one....picked up 20 packs of spaghetti which will be donated and a large basket for grandson to keep his extra blankets in....

CH it's like talking to the wall about the vaccine....I have family back east who refuses to get it....they all got covid but were only sick a week and have no side effects.....I don't wish it on anyone but I don't know what it will take.....they say they don't know what's in the shot....yet they eat hot dogs....do they know what's in hot dogs???? I doubt it....and some probably smoke marijuana (it's legal where they live)...do they know what's in that? Probably not...just stupid if you ask me.....

Can you believe February is next week.....stay warm...stay healthy...

It's been a long day. Cold out, -10 from the wind chill if you're outside. I've been driving around places getting estimates on mailing a small package to Australia. FedEx quoted me $178. USPS was about half that but couldn't guarantee it would get there. I'm going to check some online options.

Dropped off a bag of clothes and a box of stuff at a charity. Still a box in the foyer for next trip. Was too tired to stop at Joann's.

Have been looking for pearl onions for stew or pot roast. Usually get them frozen, and used up my last bag before christmas. Can't find them anywhere. Stopped at Whole Foods to look, nope. There was a homeless family across the street, with a baby in a stroller, in the -10 air, with a sign. People just driving right on by. I bought ~$20 worth of vegs, fruit, bread, peanut butter, and pasta. Filled a bag, even at WF prices. Hope it helps. They wanted cash, said they'd pay me back. Nope, I know how that ends.

Thawing some leftover bbq for dinner. I'm tired already and it will be easy for DH to warm up if necessary.