This has been the longest January in the history of Januaries.  I’m very tired of it being so consistently cold here in the mid-west.  Normally we have our cold snap, and then we have a mild-ish winter.  This year it seems that we can’t get above freezing, keeping the snow on the ground for weeks and weeks, even though its only snowed a couple of times.  This weather is doing absolutely nothing for my sanity.

I have yet to regain my voice.  This sickness has been going on so long now also.  What is up with this winter?  I’ve been trying to convince myself that this is just my new voice, and I need to get over any idea of my normal voice returning.  On a positive note, though, I’ve started using both nostrils again and only minor snot leakage is occurring.

I have a friend who was born on leap day.  He’ll officially be eight this year, although he’s the same age as me.  I think I’m going to buy him a cool 8 year old birthday card… maybe with Superman or Spiderman on it… whatcha think?

I have about $500 earmarked for home improvements since refinancing my house.  I’m not quite sure what is the highest priority on the list though.  I think I’m going to get a new front door and new storm doors, but I haven’t made up my mind yet.  If you had $500 to spend on home improvements, what would you fix at your house?

There are 15 calories per cough drop that I’m using.  Thats just an FYI for ya.

I’m going to get the top fixed on my convertible soon, I hope.  Not that I need it to be able to go up and down just yet, but it’ll be nice for it to work again.  Then we can load Tom up in the car and go for some nice scenic drives come springtime.

My BFF Elizabeth is getting married in the middle of April.  Its getting down to crunch time.  I think that, realistically, there isn’t a lot to worry about.  Now I just need to continue to remind her of that fact.

• My nose is so clogged that I can’t inhale, exhale or blow my nose.  I never realized that I breathe through my nose while I’m drinking… learned that one the hard way with a mouth full of fluid and no air in my lungs.
• I still don’t understand how so much snot can come out of my nose without making any progress with the previously listed situation.
• This is the first time in nearly 4 days that I feel okay enough to sit up at my computer long enough to write a post.  Sorry its all about me being sick though.
• My ears are draining.  Similar to a runny nose.  But its my ears.  Its really weird.  Does this happen to anyone else, or am I abnormal?
• (I meant abnormal regarding my ears, and my ears only.)
• (I know the answer to me being abnormal in general.)
• I’m using Tylenol Sinus Congestion and Pain with no real results.  I’m afraid if I stop taking it, though, that would of been the dose that finally broke through all this stuff.
• My boss called me today to see if I was coming into work and laughed at me because I sounded so bad.  I might of thought it was funny if it weren’t me.
• Oh, btw, I’ve lost my voice.  If you find it, please return immediately to the author of this post.
• I think I still have a mild fever.  I’ve been fighting this fever since Thursday evening.
• I really hope we somehow managed to have Tom avoid this crap.  Paul has started the first round of yuckiness tonight – so we’ll see.
• I’ve used so many Kleenex’s that I’m certain the skin on my nose is dehydrated.
• I’m going back to bed.
• Again.
• Please send chicken flavored romin noodles and vanilla shakes.

I just paid off my car.  I had two years worth of payments left.  I don’t anymore.

My smaller credit card is paid off also.

My larger credit card will be paid off next week… (my payment was due yesterday, and I didn’t have the means to pay it all off.  So, I made the minimum required payment.  Now I have to wait a week before I’m allowed to make another payment.  Don’t you find that weird?)

I’m tired of trying to think of titles that go along with my posts…

• My furnace stopped working today.  So, after looking it over and knowing I had no idea what I was looking at, I had to call a service man… on a weekend.  If there was any way that I thought I could of held out until tomorrow, I would of done it.  But, its been hovering around 5 degrees at night – and there is no way that Tom’s body can cope with that.  Anyhow, it cost me $210 for him to clean a wire which was hindering my furnaces ability to register to turn on… Great.
• I worked more this last week at my part time job than I have all winter, it feels.  Ironically, it’ll all go towards the credit card bill that I charged the furnace repairs on.  Yay.
• I literally haven’t done much this week at all, minus going to work.  I barely got over to my mom’s on Sunday night, and didn’t stay very long at all.  I was supposed to go see my Grandma this week, but didn’t manage to get out of the house to do it.  I’m going to see about stopping by her work on Tuesday to see if we can match schedules later in the week.
• My cousin’s fiance is having twins in … April?  One boy and one girl.  My family is having a shower for her on Sunday.  If anyone has any baby stuff they want to give to someone who could use them, ship ‘em to me and I’ll pass them on.
• Tom has posted twice on his blog within a week, I think.
• My latest addiction is checking Craigslist nearly daily.  I’m not looking for anything, and haven’t gotten anything.  But, I don’t want to miss out… you know what I mean?  I’m hopeless.
• I haven’t been blogging much, obviously.  But, unless you want to hear about my watching What Not To Wear, Rock of Love 2 or Scott Baio is 46 and Pregnant, you probably aren’t wanting me to blog right now.  (I don’t know why I’m addicted to these shows!!)

(did you like that title?)

Okay, okay, I renewed my flickr account.

I’m working on getting my house refinanced, which should save us money monthly.  Okay, obviously, if it doesn’t save me money monthly, the refinancing my house was pointless at this point in my life.  My credit card and my car will be paid off after I’m done with this refinancing.  Thats going to completely kick butt.

Originally when I applied for the loan to purchase this house, my credit wasn’t great.  So, I was given a higher interest rate.  Now, since its been nearly 2 years in the house and they realize that I’m not a credit risk anymore, they’re offering to lower my interest rate.  Of course, I jumped on board.  Who doesn’t like a lower interest rate.

(Its a fixed rate, calm down everyone.)

My concern with this refinance is how quickly that money will find other places it needs to be spent.  Do you know what I mean?

My short term goals, after all the paperwork is done, will be to pay off a couple outstanding hospital bills that I have, get my car in better condition and finally pay my personal property tax (which I will probably still wait to do until after my taxes are done).

My long term goals will be to not use my credit card unless absolutely necessary.  Also, I’d like to set aside some money monthly, in like one of those… oh, what are they called … savings account!  (Sorry, its been so long since I’ve used one of those, I forgot what it was called.)   I’d like to be able to save up some cash for some home improvements or maybe a vacation one day!

Are ya pickin’ up what I’m layin’ down? (I looooove saying that!)
I gotta take off.  Stuff to do, people to see… or something.

Oooh, Tom finally updated his blog.  Go tell him hello, okie?

That was supposed to remind you of turning on one of those old lights that take a moment to completely turn on… nevermind.

Anyway – I got notice that my pro flickr account is expiring in 6 days. I don’t quite follow what happens if I don’t renew my pro account.

I’m confused about it all, besides the obvious: You cannot upload 30 katrillion pictures in one day.

Otherwise, some pictures ‘disappear’? But, they don’t really? They’ll be accessible again if I upgrade again? Huh?

Anyhow – I have $25 to renew the account. I’m just not sure I want to spend the $25 on it. Except, come spring and summer when I’m taking many more photos, I’ll miss the pro account… of course, I could just wait to upgrade to the Pro account then.

Oh the struggles of my life!

I don’t follow politics.

At all.

I only know the overly publicized presidential candidates names.

I barely know which party they’re associated with. I definitely don’t know where they stand on the hot topic issues.

All that information is lost on me.

So, when I saw this quiz over at Tori’s blog, I thought I would jump on the band wagon to see where I rank.

Obviously, would not use this quiz as my final answer on how I would vote. But, I almost feel that we should change our voting system to one similar to this… that way we don’t get caught up in the hype of voting for the popular candidate.

I truly feel that a lot of people will vote for Hillary because she could be the first female in the white house, or vote for Obama because he would be the first African American in the white house… not based on what they stand for whatsoever.

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