Well, I would say that SimCity BuildIt has done the job I had intended for it to do. Basically, get me off of FaceBook and quict investing myself into other people's drama. I feel much better for it emotionally.
The game fascinates me in having to plan out how you build your city and getting community feedback. The Sims will tell you when the roads need to be upgraded or if they need more parks. All of which takes "money" that you earn as a mayor to pay to build.
Generally, speaking, I stay in the 100% approval by all Sims. I also found that there is a bit of difficulty in getting some things built. Sure, I can have a certain number of factories, but if certain commodities are needed, I can only build so many at a time.
Example - A Chair:
Construction pieces:
Wood
Nails <- Have to have those constructed from iron
Hammer <- Have to have those constructed with iron and wood
Mind you - when you "build" something in a store, you have to put in a queue. Nails take 5 minutes to construct. A hammer takes 30 minutes to construct. Concrete - 3 hours.
You have cargo ships to fill with needed items and have 18 hours to load them. Also, there are various people wanting items and depending on what you have on stock, you get a certain amount of money for them.
The game provides a real look at reality. How real life can be regarding the commodities we need and what we do to get the money and how to build. At the same time, it is pretty frustrating.
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Gotta Take Charge of My Health...
On Thursday night, I went to the Stars game with a couple of friends and my father and his girlfriend. When I sat in the seat, just that one action reminded me of how lax I have been regarding my health and weight control. I had such a difficult time just getting in and out of my seat. In the process, I have a nasty bruise on the inside of my thumb. Bad enough I have developed a trigger finger issue in my right hand, but now, dealing with this bruise - major ouch.
I sat down and really tried to analyze what it was that I am obviously failing. For one thing, I have not been properly planning. I have gotten pretty lazy about that part. I usually do well if I plan all of my meals. That way, it is all thought out and no last minute decisions.
I have been getting food out more than I should. Now, I have tried to be better at it, especially with the spending fast. However, the honest point, I failed there. I just need to quit succumbing to the easy out and remember I need to save money. I will say this much, I did not charge any of those meals on my credit card, so that is a good.
I have gone over correct portions. I am not measuring my food as I should. For example, I made the chicken parmesean with pasta and broccoli dish on Monday night. I got the recipe from Cooking Light. I did not fix the pasta with their tomato sauce, but used just stewed tomatoes with Italian seasonings. Not really much of a difference there, but I over did it with the pasta itself. I had more pasta than anything else and it should have been more broccoli, a little pasta, and the chicken. I got carried away - damn my addiction to breads and pastas.
The other thing that is missing - exercise. Now, here is where I am going to moan and groan a bit. Every morning, when I get up, I have to walk the dogs. There are no "ifs", "ands", or "buts" about the matter. You have to do it - it is non-negotiable or you get the fiercest telling off by a dog ever! The part I hate and it may be the bed or how I sleep, but I get up and my glutes and quads are like a really squeaky wheel. Those muscles hurt and ache. It takes a long time to get that pain to stop. Then, there is the sharp back pain. All of it is annoying, then I try to get my steps done. This week, I only had one day where I got 10,000 steps done and that was Tuesday.
To make matters worse, I feel I am letting down my trainer. Now, that really bothers me. So my positive approach to all of this is to start trying to be better today. If anything, just get the steps done because every little bit will help.
Lastly, my water consumption goes from good to lack luster. I need to drink more water, but lately, I have fallen back on drinking diet sodas. I know that is no good for me. I have been trying more "sparkling waters" to try to wean myself off of sodas altogether. I have to keep working at that because I truly believe and know that more water in my system is the key. It is the key to lowering my blood sugar as well as keeping me full and preventing me from eating too much. Nothing like feeling bloated to keep you from eating everything in sight.
So, here is to a week of trying harder.
I sat down and really tried to analyze what it was that I am obviously failing. For one thing, I have not been properly planning. I have gotten pretty lazy about that part. I usually do well if I plan all of my meals. That way, it is all thought out and no last minute decisions.
I have been getting food out more than I should. Now, I have tried to be better at it, especially with the spending fast. However, the honest point, I failed there. I just need to quit succumbing to the easy out and remember I need to save money. I will say this much, I did not charge any of those meals on my credit card, so that is a good.
I have gone over correct portions. I am not measuring my food as I should. For example, I made the chicken parmesean with pasta and broccoli dish on Monday night. I got the recipe from Cooking Light. I did not fix the pasta with their tomato sauce, but used just stewed tomatoes with Italian seasonings. Not really much of a difference there, but I over did it with the pasta itself. I had more pasta than anything else and it should have been more broccoli, a little pasta, and the chicken. I got carried away - damn my addiction to breads and pastas.
The other thing that is missing - exercise. Now, here is where I am going to moan and groan a bit. Every morning, when I get up, I have to walk the dogs. There are no "ifs", "ands", or "buts" about the matter. You have to do it - it is non-negotiable or you get the fiercest telling off by a dog ever! The part I hate and it may be the bed or how I sleep, but I get up and my glutes and quads are like a really squeaky wheel. Those muscles hurt and ache. It takes a long time to get that pain to stop. Then, there is the sharp back pain. All of it is annoying, then I try to get my steps done. This week, I only had one day where I got 10,000 steps done and that was Tuesday.
To make matters worse, I feel I am letting down my trainer. Now, that really bothers me. So my positive approach to all of this is to start trying to be better today. If anything, just get the steps done because every little bit will help.
Lastly, my water consumption goes from good to lack luster. I need to drink more water, but lately, I have fallen back on drinking diet sodas. I know that is no good for me. I have been trying more "sparkling waters" to try to wean myself off of sodas altogether. I have to keep working at that because I truly believe and know that more water in my system is the key. It is the key to lowering my blood sugar as well as keeping me full and preventing me from eating too much. Nothing like feeling bloated to keep you from eating everything in sight.
So, here is to a week of trying harder.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Looking for New Experiences...
One of the things I love to do is try new/different restaurants, see new/interesting places, and do something different from the ordinary. At the first of this past month, Random Cathy and I went down to the Bishop Arts area for dinner, check out my co-worker's partner's art gallery, and get a drink. Upon the wise advice of my co-worker, we passed on getting a cider at the local cider house. From what I have read since that visit, the cider house is not doing so well. That is just a shame.
During the week, I received a Plano news flyer. The flyer contained several new restaurants and such that had opened in the area. I contacted Cathy regarding Fire Crust Pies since the article indicated vegan options. As I looked further into the flyer, I found lots of interesting openings and happenings in the Downtown Plano area.
Downtown Plano has been undergoing a huge cultural change. I love to visit Urban Crust. The pizzas there are delicious. I would like to try the smoke house that opened up down from Urban Crust as well as the Tex-Mex cantina.
Also, while I was doing some cleaning, I came across a JoAnn's class guide. I thought I might go through that and see what classes I could take there. I also came across the Collin County Community College Continuing Education course flyer. In addition to computer course, there are art classes as well as cake decorating classes. That would be really cool.
One thing a co-worker and I used to do back before I had Bo, we would go to Whole Foods off of Preston in Richardson for vegetarian cooking classes. That was a lot of fun. The instructor would show how to create various meals and provide the recipes. I still have the recipes around here.
Time to look for another experience for this coming month.
During the week, I received a Plano news flyer. The flyer contained several new restaurants and such that had opened in the area. I contacted Cathy regarding Fire Crust Pies since the article indicated vegan options. As I looked further into the flyer, I found lots of interesting openings and happenings in the Downtown Plano area.
Downtown Plano has been undergoing a huge cultural change. I love to visit Urban Crust. The pizzas there are delicious. I would like to try the smoke house that opened up down from Urban Crust as well as the Tex-Mex cantina.
Also, while I was doing some cleaning, I came across a JoAnn's class guide. I thought I might go through that and see what classes I could take there. I also came across the Collin County Community College Continuing Education course flyer. In addition to computer course, there are art classes as well as cake decorating classes. That would be really cool.
One thing a co-worker and I used to do back before I had Bo, we would go to Whole Foods off of Preston in Richardson for vegetarian cooking classes. That was a lot of fun. The instructor would show how to create various meals and provide the recipes. I still have the recipes around here.
Time to look for another experience for this coming month.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Minor Gaming Addiction...
Christmas was a downer due to commentary I made regarding a couple going through a divorce. The husband's new girlfriend posted under the husband's account regarding that the husband was not going to be home for Christmas (he was in jail) and the whole hate filled garbage about the wife. Nutshell, I was tired of reading that stupid drama and posted my opinion.
Funny - you think you have the right to post your opinion and people attack you or make rude comments. I lost a friend out of it, but upon reflection, maybe that was coming after all. That person was not really trying to be a "friend" any longer. Friends - you generally get together, but after two years, we had not seen one another. I would say it was coming to an end. Hate for that to happen, but as they say, some things come to an end for a reason and I was not going to chase it down. It put my holiday in a rather gloomy damper. I will say this much - the friendship helped me through a tough period in my life before and after my mother passed away and I will always appreciate that. I have nothing bad to say - they are good people.
So, I decided to stay off FB as much as I could. I even logged off of my account on all devices. I did not want to deal with the pain or the hurt. I did not want to get involved in that drama, but when people keep posting that crap, you get sick of it. I will never get why people feel that need, but there it is.
While I dropped off FB, I got involved with playing SimCity BuildIt on my iPhone. Oh My God! It is so funny I am addicted to building up a city and such. I like being able to check on where my production is and getting cargo ships loaded. I have been trading those items I do not use for more money and expanding the landscape.
During the past couple of weeks, I have found friends that are just as addicted to it. It makes me laugh. I feel much better about myself because I am not worried about other people's opinion on whatever I have to say.
I do post on Twitter and Google+, but I do not mind people not responding. I almost prefer that than someone degrading me due to my opinion. Who needs that?
As I sit here, I am going to go back to updating my gaming systems. I have decided that with my spending fast, I have a ton of games I need to pop open and play. Time to get my gaming back up to par and practice. Perhaps, that will help with my problem solving skills. I usually get frustrated, but time to use this time to stop and just be patient.
Funny - you think you have the right to post your opinion and people attack you or make rude comments. I lost a friend out of it, but upon reflection, maybe that was coming after all. That person was not really trying to be a "friend" any longer. Friends - you generally get together, but after two years, we had not seen one another. I would say it was coming to an end. Hate for that to happen, but as they say, some things come to an end for a reason and I was not going to chase it down. It put my holiday in a rather gloomy damper. I will say this much - the friendship helped me through a tough period in my life before and after my mother passed away and I will always appreciate that. I have nothing bad to say - they are good people.
So, I decided to stay off FB as much as I could. I even logged off of my account on all devices. I did not want to deal with the pain or the hurt. I did not want to get involved in that drama, but when people keep posting that crap, you get sick of it. I will never get why people feel that need, but there it is.
While I dropped off FB, I got involved with playing SimCity BuildIt on my iPhone. Oh My God! It is so funny I am addicted to building up a city and such. I like being able to check on where my production is and getting cargo ships loaded. I have been trading those items I do not use for more money and expanding the landscape.
During the past couple of weeks, I have found friends that are just as addicted to it. It makes me laugh. I feel much better about myself because I am not worried about other people's opinion on whatever I have to say.
I do post on Twitter and Google+, but I do not mind people not responding. I almost prefer that than someone degrading me due to my opinion. Who needs that?
As I sit here, I am going to go back to updating my gaming systems. I have decided that with my spending fast, I have a ton of games I need to pop open and play. Time to get my gaming back up to par and practice. Perhaps, that will help with my problem solving skills. I usually get frustrated, but time to use this time to stop and just be patient.
Sometimes, You Have to Learn to Care for Yourself...
It is true. In this life, you cannot depend on everyone taking care of you and whatever issues you have. It is a hard, slap in the face lesson you have to learn, but sometimes, you just have to pull up the big boy/girl pants and do it yourself.
I faced this issue when I found out I had type II diabetes. I appreciate the friends who actually care about that and want to help. However, bottom line, it is not their responsibility to figure out what I can and cannot eat. It is a daily battle I have to manage.
Another person I know was complaining that people really do not get how to prepare food for diabetics. Apparently, a neighbor had invited her over for dinner and prepared a dish with pasta. All she could do was focus on the fact that they cared nothing for her having diabetes.
All I could do was just look at her. The entire time I wanted to scream "It was a free dinner!!!! Show some appreciation and do your best not to over do it. MANAGING YOUR DISEASE IS YOUR PROBLEM - NOT THEIRS!"
It is a tough lesson to learn. However, there is so much truth in it. Having to manage this "little friend" I carry with me is pretty exhausting and frustrating. It is a struggle, but expecting people to understand as well as cater to you - yeah, that is not going to happen. You have to manage this yourself.
Proper diet and exercise are the keys to success when managing diabetes. Sure, you take your meds and such, but do not expect people to make food choices for you. That is your battle to take. Honestly, I do not want someone nagging me about what I am eating.
You know, I have gotten angry over having to eat dinner at someone's house where I got food I could not eat. Bottom line, they do not have to deal with diabetes, so why should they alter their meal to adhere to what I can eat? Furthermore, you can end up eating a really rotten meal out of that because they really do not know how to prepare that sort of thing. So, I learned to just allow that to be a special occasion and get back on with it.
Now, because of my diabetes, I am more considerate of others with special eating needs. Someone is a vegan, I will make an effort to check a restaurant for suitable options before picking it. If the place is vegan, perfect. Otherwise, I will keep checking for proper options. I have been down that road myself. If the only choice is salad, then that is not good enough. I like salads just like anyone else, but come on.
I will say that there is a cultural issue with the work place. For those whose religions prevent them for eating meats, the work place will work with them more than those of us who have other specific needs. Any work group "happy hour" or such that we have put together, I have to be very careful to make sure that there are plenty of vegetarian dishes. Of course, I never have a problem with someone bringing something that fits their needs.
I read an article the other day about a woman who sent her child to a birthday party. Her daughter cannot handle refined sugar and needs a gluten-free diet. The mother had brought with her a gluten-free cupcake for the daughter to eat while the other kids had cake and such. Her complaint was that all of the other parents made noise about that and how it was not fair to the daughter.
You know, I do not believe that would have bothered me. She has special needs and the mother sent something so that the girl would not have been out of place. Think about it. I do not know how many times I went without lunch because the manager ordered pizza and something was said about my not eating the crust. Not like this manager was not told about my having diabetes, but the point - it is my problem to manage. Probably would have been better to have brought my lunch and ate it. I still would have had to face scrutiny, but you know what, I am dealing with my issues and it is not their problem. At the end of the day, I will feel better about what I did and how I handled it.
I faced this issue when I found out I had type II diabetes. I appreciate the friends who actually care about that and want to help. However, bottom line, it is not their responsibility to figure out what I can and cannot eat. It is a daily battle I have to manage.
Another person I know was complaining that people really do not get how to prepare food for diabetics. Apparently, a neighbor had invited her over for dinner and prepared a dish with pasta. All she could do was focus on the fact that they cared nothing for her having diabetes.
All I could do was just look at her. The entire time I wanted to scream "It was a free dinner!!!! Show some appreciation and do your best not to over do it. MANAGING YOUR DISEASE IS YOUR PROBLEM - NOT THEIRS!"
It is a tough lesson to learn. However, there is so much truth in it. Having to manage this "little friend" I carry with me is pretty exhausting and frustrating. It is a struggle, but expecting people to understand as well as cater to you - yeah, that is not going to happen. You have to manage this yourself.
Proper diet and exercise are the keys to success when managing diabetes. Sure, you take your meds and such, but do not expect people to make food choices for you. That is your battle to take. Honestly, I do not want someone nagging me about what I am eating.
You know, I have gotten angry over having to eat dinner at someone's house where I got food I could not eat. Bottom line, they do not have to deal with diabetes, so why should they alter their meal to adhere to what I can eat? Furthermore, you can end up eating a really rotten meal out of that because they really do not know how to prepare that sort of thing. So, I learned to just allow that to be a special occasion and get back on with it.
Now, because of my diabetes, I am more considerate of others with special eating needs. Someone is a vegan, I will make an effort to check a restaurant for suitable options before picking it. If the place is vegan, perfect. Otherwise, I will keep checking for proper options. I have been down that road myself. If the only choice is salad, then that is not good enough. I like salads just like anyone else, but come on.
I will say that there is a cultural issue with the work place. For those whose religions prevent them for eating meats, the work place will work with them more than those of us who have other specific needs. Any work group "happy hour" or such that we have put together, I have to be very careful to make sure that there are plenty of vegetarian dishes. Of course, I never have a problem with someone bringing something that fits their needs.
I read an article the other day about a woman who sent her child to a birthday party. Her daughter cannot handle refined sugar and needs a gluten-free diet. The mother had brought with her a gluten-free cupcake for the daughter to eat while the other kids had cake and such. Her complaint was that all of the other parents made noise about that and how it was not fair to the daughter.
You know, I do not believe that would have bothered me. She has special needs and the mother sent something so that the girl would not have been out of place. Think about it. I do not know how many times I went without lunch because the manager ordered pizza and something was said about my not eating the crust. Not like this manager was not told about my having diabetes, but the point - it is my problem to manage. Probably would have been better to have brought my lunch and ate it. I still would have had to face scrutiny, but you know what, I am dealing with my issues and it is not their problem. At the end of the day, I will feel better about what I did and how I handled it.
Feeling Blessed...
For several days, I felt so very overwhelmed. I felt that everyone wanted a piece of me and I did not really understand why. Part of it was being upset with my finances and feeling lost on what to do about my 401K and pension.
Back in November, when I started looking for ways to cut down on what I was spending, I saw I was spending an enormous amount on the mobile phones. I had two accounts - one account was the company plan and the other was a regular plan. With the various changes regarding employee discounts on plans and such, there was no reason to continue. I was paying over $200 each month for all plans. Ridiculous.
So, there was a pretty awesome deal where the plan was based on data. Nutshell, I asked to get the 15 Gb plan and the company doubled it to 30 Gb. The plan had unlimited talk and text, so that was even better. During that time, I dropped a phone that was not being used and moved everything on the regular account over to the employee discounted account. That way, I was able to drop the regular account.
In December, I got a large bill, but also got a fairly decent refund on the now discarded regular account. In January, I received my next bill and it was still over $200. Now, that frustrated me. I figured it should be at least $150, so I called customer service.
In the end, I found out I had to go to an internal website and check off that the additional lines were part of the employee discount and the plan would get the proper discount. This month, my bill is just over $100. That is a HUGE savings! I felt truly blessed in that regard.
Next, I filed my taxes a couple of weekends ago. For the past couple of years, I would be a bit lazy about it, but this year, I needed the money to help with Chloe's medical bills. Usually, I had used that money as a gift to myself, getting season tickets to the hockey games. Not this year. That money as well as the bonus money would be put together as a fund for Chloe's medical bills. That way, I avoid charging vet bills on my credit cards.
After I filed, a couple of days later, Turbo Tax sent an email stating that my return had been accepted by the IRS. I downloaded an update to the Turbo Tax "Where's My Refund" app to my phone and checked. I was told not to expect anything until 2/20/2015. Bummer. I also needed to get Chloe into the vet's office this month and that was weighing heavily on my mind. She needs a recheck for her Cushing's and a lump to be removed from her hind leg. I already know that will be quite a cost and the refund would help.
Yesterday, when I going through my morning routine with the dogs, I decided to check on my bank account. Boom! There was my refund money sitting in my account! I cried I was so happy. Yesterday, I made an appointment with the vet's office to take Chloe to get her check up and such.
Also, I found out how much of a bonus percentage everyone got for this year. While I will say I was disappointed, I am thankful that it is *something* and not *nothing.* That money will go into a separate account for Chloe's needs and I will work to add more money to it each month. That way, there is some money there for both dogs and that is their fund. Perhaps, I can come up with some creative ways to keep socking away money for everything.
So, as I got up this morning and was walking the dogs, I was feeling much calmer and very much thankful and blessed. The extra money I got from the changes I made to my mobile bill will help with paying down credit card debit. Getting the refund early will help Chloe and that means a lot. Knowing when and approximately how much bonus money I get will help me know what I will have for the upcoming year for both dogs.
I will get through this and feel much better about my situation.
Back in November, when I started looking for ways to cut down on what I was spending, I saw I was spending an enormous amount on the mobile phones. I had two accounts - one account was the company plan and the other was a regular plan. With the various changes regarding employee discounts on plans and such, there was no reason to continue. I was paying over $200 each month for all plans. Ridiculous.
So, there was a pretty awesome deal where the plan was based on data. Nutshell, I asked to get the 15 Gb plan and the company doubled it to 30 Gb. The plan had unlimited talk and text, so that was even better. During that time, I dropped a phone that was not being used and moved everything on the regular account over to the employee discounted account. That way, I was able to drop the regular account.
In December, I got a large bill, but also got a fairly decent refund on the now discarded regular account. In January, I received my next bill and it was still over $200. Now, that frustrated me. I figured it should be at least $150, so I called customer service.
In the end, I found out I had to go to an internal website and check off that the additional lines were part of the employee discount and the plan would get the proper discount. This month, my bill is just over $100. That is a HUGE savings! I felt truly blessed in that regard.
Next, I filed my taxes a couple of weekends ago. For the past couple of years, I would be a bit lazy about it, but this year, I needed the money to help with Chloe's medical bills. Usually, I had used that money as a gift to myself, getting season tickets to the hockey games. Not this year. That money as well as the bonus money would be put together as a fund for Chloe's medical bills. That way, I avoid charging vet bills on my credit cards.
After I filed, a couple of days later, Turbo Tax sent an email stating that my return had been accepted by the IRS. I downloaded an update to the Turbo Tax "Where's My Refund" app to my phone and checked. I was told not to expect anything until 2/20/2015. Bummer. I also needed to get Chloe into the vet's office this month and that was weighing heavily on my mind. She needs a recheck for her Cushing's and a lump to be removed from her hind leg. I already know that will be quite a cost and the refund would help.
Yesterday, when I going through my morning routine with the dogs, I decided to check on my bank account. Boom! There was my refund money sitting in my account! I cried I was so happy. Yesterday, I made an appointment with the vet's office to take Chloe to get her check up and such.
Also, I found out how much of a bonus percentage everyone got for this year. While I will say I was disappointed, I am thankful that it is *something* and not *nothing.* That money will go into a separate account for Chloe's needs and I will work to add more money to it each month. That way, there is some money there for both dogs and that is their fund. Perhaps, I can come up with some creative ways to keep socking away money for everything.
So, as I got up this morning and was walking the dogs, I was feeling much calmer and very much thankful and blessed. The extra money I got from the changes I made to my mobile bill will help with paying down credit card debit. Getting the refund early will help Chloe and that means a lot. Knowing when and approximately how much bonus money I get will help me know what I will have for the upcoming year for both dogs.
I will get through this and feel much better about my situation.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Future Plans...
One of the things I am trying to accomplish as I declutter my apartment is an "office" area in my second bedroom. Right now, the best description for that room is the "junk room." Yep - there is tons of junk in there right now.
I saw an article on a cute room that was organized for scrap booking. Unfortunately, I never got into scrap booking. I tried scrap booking a few times. My biggest problem was that I would sit next to these very creative people and I was sitting there going "Ummmmm..."
However, I do have a plan for this "office" space area:
I was sitting at my dining room table and clearing junk away and remembered I had several free taco coupons from Taco Bueno. I totally forgot about those. While I am on the spending fast, I can put these to good use.
Luckily, I am finding some silver linings as I declutter and go through this spending fast.
I saw an article on a cute room that was organized for scrap booking. Unfortunately, I never got into scrap booking. I tried scrap booking a few times. My biggest problem was that I would sit next to these very creative people and I was sitting there going "Ummmmm..."
However, I do have a plan for this "office" space area:
- Set up a "server" that all of the other computers can connect
- Desk available for studying
- Leave air mattress up for the dogs to lie on while I am working
- Possibly move my bedroom TV into the "office" and hook up the Roku to watch streaming video
- Save my money for a newer TV for the bedroom
- Put up the various hockey/concert/band objects I have received over the years
I was sitting at my dining room table and clearing junk away and remembered I had several free taco coupons from Taco Bueno. I totally forgot about those. While I am on the spending fast, I can put these to good use.
Luckily, I am finding some silver linings as I declutter and go through this spending fast.
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