Today is the only day I will have off this week. I was supposed to have both Tuesday and Wednesday off. However, the manager must do her paperwork duties at another office at least one day a week or the paperwork and the bills fall behind each month. This other office is a real estate office which owns the gas station where I work.
I feel I am definitely working too many hours now. Either I work not enough hours per week or I work too many hours each week. Nevertheless, I think the new employee will begin to work her own hours starting next Monday. Hopefully, that will give me more time at home.
Don't get me wrong. I certainly need the money to help pay my monthly bills. But I shouldn't be so physically tired and mentally stressed working almost on a daily basis each week to get that specific money in the first place.
I am a quiet person who enjoys her solitude. I like being by myself. I am able to entertain myself by reading and writing. So I am never really lonely when I am at home alone. I wish I had more time alone this week ...

I am so tired from working over the weekend. I have two more nights to work this week ( on Monday and Thursday nights). Then, on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, I work during the day.
I woke up with a headache yesterday so that didn't make things any easier while I was working Sunday night.
If I was younger it probably wouldn't bother me so much. I still think I have another headache today. The weather has also changed again. It's back to cooler temperatures and raining once more on the weekend. Saturday and Sunday were both rainy days and so is today.
However, we are experiencing a summer drought in Georgia this year. So the rain is a good thing for the lawns and vegetable gardens and flower gardens and especially, for the trees. Nevertheless, I was not born with a green thumb. My grandmother always raised the best vegetable garden in the spring and summer each year. And she also loved to grow flowers in her yard. She used to grow such beautiful roses. But she just loved every kind of flower, no matter what kind of flower it was.
I really do miss my grandmother. So she more of a mother to me than my own mother was ...

Today is Friday and I am off today. I will not have too much time to write or do anything else next week. Tuesday and Wednesday are the only days I have off in the following week.
One person was fired and another person quit working at the gas station.
So, my manager and I are starting to train one new person for the job at the end of this week and also during next week. I really don't know what shifts she will be working. But, it will be nice to get back to normal at work once she has been trained to do her job. Then, I should have more days off.
However, my paycheck for the next two weeks will be a fine one with a much bigger salary. I need all the money I can get to pay off my debts. Although I do not owe too much money on my credit card, I wish that I could go ahead and pay it off immediately. Maybe then, I wouldn't worry so much about paying my other bills.
I often wonder what it would feel like not to be worried about paying the monthly bills. But that is probably something I will have to handle for the rest of my life. I think I will always be struggling with money management until the day I die.
Such is life. Live and learn ...

God does answer prayer. Of that, I am certain that He listens to me when I pray to Him.
Yesterday was a bad day for Dale, my gray tabby cat. When I left home to run errands in town yesterday, I did not realize how sick Dale was yesterday morning.
Vomit was all over the bedspread (quilt) and he had also experienced trouble going to the bathroom. Dale did not want to use the litter box. Instead, he had used it on the bed (which is rare for Dale).
Dale did not eat anything at all yesterday. He even refused to eat his can food. And Dale never refuses to eat his can food! Finally, last night he drank a few sips of milk. And that is all Dale had to eat during the last 24 hours.
I prayed with all of my heart last night that God would help Dale feel better this (Thursday) morning. When I got up, Dale ate his can food from last night and was able to drink some water after eating some of his food.
If Dale had not eaten anything this morning, I would have had to take him to the vet before I went to work this afternoon. And that would have really upset me today. Dale is my best buddy and I would not have been able to handle another crisis this week.
This was a miracle for Dale as far as I am concerned! You see, Dale is sixteen (16) years old and he has led an active life as a kitty cat so far. He is still able to jump on the couch and on the bed and fly across the room - even at his age.
Please believe me when I say, God does answer prayer and give us tiny miracles on a daily basis! Even when I don't deserve it ...

There was an interesting article about blogging for people over the age of 50 in the AARP Magazine this past month. The article, "Every Blog Has Its Say", quotes "Only 5 percent of bloggers are over 50, according to a recent study, but most Web experts believe that number will grow."
I did not know that I was among the 5 percent of bloggers over the age of 50. It goes on to say that "Blogster.com, a site where users create their own Web pages, says 22 percent of its bloggers are now older than 50, a 20 percent increase since October 2005."
Perhaps I am one of the few, age 50 and over, who likes to write down their thoughts on the computer. This article encourages me to continue on with my blogging. It tells me that I have something important to say and something important to share with people of all ages. I have a voice and I don't have to be silent any longer. I can speak my mind and let other people know how I feel.
Most of all, I can tell you what I am thinking ...

Yesterday was another frustrating day. I got called into work, had to drive into town, and then, turn right back around and drive home.
Another employee had stopped by to see the manager and she wanted to work the night shift, so I was nice and let her work yesterday.
I did this in spite of knowing the facts that (1) my husband would not like it; (2) it costs too much to drive into town and then drive back home again without working; and (3) I actually needed the working hours and a better paycheck for next week.
I cannot stop being nice to other people when they need the work just as much as I do. This particular employee is single and does not have a husband to support her like I do. So she needs to work as much as possible too.
Anyway, I have other options to consider that might not be available to her at this time. Everyone feels more useful when they work and they are needed to do something in life - no matter what it is.
Besides that, I am getting ready and also preparing to do something altogether different from working at the gas station anyway - whether my husband likes it or not ...

Things sure have changed since I have turned fifty this year. I can put things down and forget where I put them. This morning I thought I had lost my new eyeglasses that I purchased in January, 2006. I cannot afford to pay for another pair of eyeglasses.
I looked and searched everywhere for them and did not see them anywhere in the house. As a matter of fact, I decided to use the downstairs reading eyeglasses in the living room because I could not find my pair of eyeglasses.
And guess where the eyeglasses were? My pair of eyeglasses was in the glass case for the downstairs reading eyeglasses! And I don't even remember putting them in the glass case downstairs (before I drove to town this morning).There were two pairs of eyeglasses in that one case. How could I forget something like this?
I hardly ever put my eyeglasses in that case. I always use the new one upstairs next to my computer. I did not think that my memory was that bad, however, it sure seems to be failing fast these days ...

I totally bombed out yesterday. I was supposed to work from 10:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. But, instead I worked until 5:30 p.m. That's a total of seven hours. I was only prepared to work for four hours and I was hoping to come home early yesterday afternoon. But then, you know what happened next. So I could not get anything done at home.
I still don't like working at the gas station because I have to count money and make the cash deposits. Math was my worse subject in school. I only took math courses in high school to prepare for college and that is the only reason. I am better with words than I am with numbers.
At one time, I even wanted to be veterinarian until I learned that I would have to take extra college courses in math, chemistry, and biology. Knowing that little bit of information absolutely stopped me cold in my tracks of following in that specific career.
Somehow, though, I don't think I could handle my emotions putting animals to sleep on a daily basis. Dogs and cats have added so much to our lives today. Definitely, intelligence is not measured by size or individual strength ...

I have not been able to get on the Internet since Wednesday. Yipes! I have missed about two weeks of being able to write everyday. That hurts. Ouch!
This situation with the dial-up is getting to be a constant headache. I don't know what is causing the problems. Usually, though, during the summertime, the leaves on the trees interfere with our ability to pick up certain channels on the Dish Network. And we are having the same problem again this spring - which is nothing unusual in itself.
But I have never really had any interference in being able to pick up the Internet on my computer. I don't think it should be the new roof that's been installed or any of the other household improvements we've made this year.
Perhaps it is time to re-evaluate the time spent on dial-up and go with something new. The telephone company here (in this rural county) has DSL, but it is expensive. The first six months are low payments, but then, after that come the regular monthly payments of up to $50.00. The customer also has to pay for the extra installation fees too. There must be an easier way to do this without breaking my household budget ...

I have not been able to write this week because I have experienced trouble bringing up this website on my computer. And, then, last week I went on vacation with my husband to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We were gone for five days. I missed my computer and my cats, but not exactly in that specific order.
I have been trying to get back into my routine ever since I have come home. However, something always seems to interfere with my plans.
I am asking my manager to give me a more permanent schedule at the gas station so that I will be able to plan ahead further down the road each week.
I am also looking into tutoring as a way to supplement my income. If I am able to build it up gradually, then tutoring will eventually replace my job at the gas station. These are my plans, but heaven only knows if it is going to work!
In revealing my plans, I hope this will continue to motivate me to do better during the week to concentrate on my goals - both my financial goals and my writing goals ...