Catch-22s and the people who are screwed by them

Hi. My name is Angie, and I'm a debtor.

(Hi Angie!)

So, we're in debt, like the other 85% of Americans our age. There's the "easy" temporarily-kill-your-credit solution of debt consolidation, or the not-so-easy snowball solution. For those who have equity in their homes, there's the HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit). We don't own a house, so that's out. We would like to own one soon, though, so debt consolidation is kind of out (unless we settle on buying land/a house in 4-6 years). Snowballing is not quick or easy.

I've thought a lot about debt consolidation. It potentially lowers the monthly payment by locking interest rates and cutting other magical deals with the lenders. The unfortunate part is that for us, it's probably a 4-5 year fix. In that time we are allowed to have 1 open credit card for emergencies and we are not allowed to take out loans. I know this means small loans, and I wager it means big ones too like houses and/or land.

The rental house we are in is an utter piece of shit and moving into another rental feels like throwing money in a hole. I mean, sure, I don't have to worry about holes in the roof or water in the basement (4" of it, it sucked), but at the same time I could be building equity. The market is soft and it's a good time to buy, right? The problem is we're not technically able to commit to more than we're paying now in rent and that wouldn't cover a proper house with taxes and insurance.

So, in review: we're in debt, which makes it more difficult to get a loan. If we had a house, eventually we could get a HELOC to pay off high-interest debts, but it's difficult to get a house. Because of how much we're paying to credit cards, we can't afford a mortgage payment. And, to lower that quickly we could do debt consolidation...but then we couldn't get a house...

*sigh*

Do we commit to something that makes me supremely uncomfortable for as much as 5 years (no safety net of going to the bank and getting a small loan)? Do we put it off and try for a house anyway? Do we move into a different rental that can be more long term, but where we still can't do any mods and have to worry about what our pets might ruin? Do we try to get some land so we can build our dream house in cob?

I really don't know what to do. I wish I knew the answer.

If I sit too long, I risk lengthening the time we're in debt with "bad" debt (credit cards, not student loans). If I move too hastily, I could put us out of building equity for several years, and might miss the opportunity to buy in a soft market.

Then, if we did go for a house, there's the question of where. I want to move to Mount Vernon because that's where we want to move to build the cob. If we own a home, we can always rent it or sell it when we're done with the cob. It keeps us in a home, where we build equity and potentially stand to make money. If we're in Mount Vernon, it's easier to commit to building on the weekends to the exclusion of anything else (during optimal building season).

However, my friend tells me this evening that there are houses that her in-laws are renting out, brand new, that will be rent-to-buy. That would be nice - something that we could move into fairly quick, and that would essentially be ours. Plus, the rent is close to what we pay now, I'm just not sure how the insurance thing would work since we wouldn't actually own it. They're in Springfield, which is nice, but divorces us from the cob. We'd be committing to building 30 miles away and driving an awful lot.

Ideally I think I would like to buy something in Mount Vernon (or nearby) with an acre or two of land. That would give us space to experiment and ultimately it would be near our build site.

My husband is worried that buying a home would delay or cancel the cob, though, since we would have comfortable quarters. He may be right, but if we were building equity it would make the cob easier to manifest in the future. Once we had $40k in the house we could take it out, no questions asked, and buy our land and fund the project.

I like the last idea best, but I don't really know how to make it work out. I guess I could meditate. I have a hard time with it though, so perhaps I need to just get off my butt and read Chop Wood, Carry Water. It might help!

I suppose that's about it for now. More to come soon, I'm sure.

2008 candidates

I took this quiz and here's what it said...apparently I'm in agreement with the main democratic candidates and they seem to have a similar platform. I guess I "win" either way. *shrug*

	Hillary Clinton Score: 58	Agree Immigration Taxes Stem-Cell Research Health Care Abortion Social Security Line-Item Veto Energy Marriage Death Penalty	Disagree Iraq
	Barack Obama Score: 58	Agree Immigration Taxes Stem-Cell Research Health Care Abortion Social Security Line-Item Veto Energy Marriage Death Penalty	Disagree Iraq
-- Take the Quiz! --

I love this article!

California's Secession Letter to Bush

Awesome picture

Awesome

"Lawl"

As in, oh my gosh you're so funny "lawl" - known to most of us online, simply, as LOL. A cute abbreviation that indicates amusement to the point of laughing out loud (usually - sometimes it's a blatant lie, but a white one).

I am just fine with abbreviations - especially if it's in an online game where you may be doing 4 things at once.

Let's leave that stuff online, though. I see no reason for anyone to say "lawl" in person, and it's 100x (see, I <3 teh abbv.) more ridiculous because it's the TYPED form for the pronunciation of an abbreviation that is used in ONLINE CHAT! Essentially it's just translating from Online to Spoken to Online.

WTF PPL!

I move for sterilization

Because this girl is quite obviously too stupid to reproduce. Like ever.

Summary: 18 year old babysitter drops a 2 year old out of a second story window on purpose, allegedly because 2 of the kids she was babysitting (of 5 total) told her to. Kid is ok, some other boys saw and were able to catch him.

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070905/NEWS01/709050360


I guess she'd jump off a bridge too if they told her to!

Bunnies

These are the baby bunnies we rescued! They are coming along well.

Movie list

OK, I copied this from my sister-in-law's blog. I am searching for movies to add to my Q (Blockbuster Online) and I am highly deficient in classic movies. Here's a good start though! I have seen 12.

The list

1. Citizen Kane (1941)
2. Casablanca (1942)
3. The Godfather (1972)
4. Gone with the Wind (1939)
5. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
6. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
7. The Graduate (1967)
8. On the Waterfront (1954)
9. Schindler's List (1993)
10. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
11. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
12. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
13. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
14. Some Like It Hot (1959)
15. Star Wars (1977)
16. All About Eve (1950)
17. The African Queen (1951)
18. Psycho (1960)
19. Chinatown (1974)
20. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
21. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
22. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
23. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
24. Raging Bull (1980)
25. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
26. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
27. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
28. Apocalypse Now (1979)
29. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
30. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
31. Annie Hall (1977)
32. The Godfather Part II (1974)
33. High Noon (1952)
34. To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
35. It Happened One Night (1934)
36. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
37. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
38. Double Indemnity (1944)
39. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
40. North by Northwest (1959)
41. West Side Story (1961)
42. Rear Window (1954)
43. King Kong (1933)
44. The Birth of a Nation (1915)
45. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
46. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
47. Taxi Driver (1976)
48. Jaws (1975)
49. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
50. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
51. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
52. From Here to Eternity (1953)
53. Amadeus (1984)
54. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
55. The Sound of Music (1965)
56. M*A*S*H (1970)
57. The Third Man (1949)
58. Fantasia (1940)
59. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
60. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
61. Vertigo (1958)
62. Tootsie (1982)
63. Stagecoach (1939)
64. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
65. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
66. Network (1976)
67. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
68. An American in Paris (1951)
69. Shane (1953)
70. The French Connection (1971)
71. Forrest Gump (1994)
72. Ben-Hur (1959)
73. Wuthering Heights (1939)
74. The Gold Rush (1925)
75. Dances with Wolves (1990)
76. City Lights (1931)
77. American Graffiti (1973)
78. Rocky (1976)
79. The Deer Hunter (1978)
80. The Wild Bunch (1969)
81. Modern Times (1936)
82. Giant (1956)
83. Platoon (1986)
84. Fargo (1996)
85. Duck Soup (1933)
86. Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
87. Frankenstein (1931)
88. Easy Rider (1969)
89. Patton (1970)
90. The Jazz Singer (1927)
91. My Fair Lady (1964)
92. A Place in the Sun (1951)
93. The Apartment (1960)
94. Goodfellas (1990)
95. Pulp Fiction (1994)
96. The Searchers (1956)
97. Bringing up Baby (1938)
98. Unforgiven (1992)
99. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)
100. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

Job satisfaction

Lately I've been considering how satisfied I am with my job(s). I'm not, really. They're both boring and barely challenging and I don't so much care for either. The finance job is tedious for the most part, and the retail job is typically brainless but at least offers me an opportunity to chat with people (sometimes). And the pay isn't very good at either one, either. Well, the finance one has benefits that can't necessarily be measured such as security and medical, but still - I need the $$ right now!

Teaching would still be pretty nice - from the time I was a small child all the way through high school with some (not much) wavering I wanted to teach. I was "friends" with my teachers, and I would play school by myself with outdated workbooks they gave me, first doing work and then grading it. Before I moved to California I thought I was getting a degree in Elementary Ed - I had even already taken the Elem Ed math course. When it finally came time to finish the degree while living in California, though, teachers in Fremont weren't making much more than I was so I couldn't justify the outlay of cash to GET a degree. Here, however, the teachers make close to the same salary as Fremont. A starting teacher makes about $10k on me, and that's very tempting since it's something I wanted to do and would still like to be able to do. It's also something I could use later if by some stroke of luck I chose (and was able) to be a stay-at-home mom.

Some things I still need to consider are the cost of additional education for certification and the pros/cons of being a teacher - does the pay scale up reasonably for experience, what kind of benefits are offered (paid holidays, vacation, sick pay, etc), and practical things like that.

In the meantime, I'll just trust the powers that be to guide me in the right direction, even if it doesn't include teaching.

Busy busy busy

Hi,

I've been really busy lately - I started a second job working part-time at Wal-mart as a cashier. I've been there for about a month and they're working me anywhere from 22-31 hours a week, which is in addition to my 40-hour job numero uno. It sucks, but sometimes it's fun.

Hopefully it won't be forever but it will probably be at least a year - less if our incomes jump enough to make up for the income loss after moving from Fremont. I lost about 47-49% of my pay instead of the equivalent adjustment of 30%. That's because I left at the top of a payscale and I'm currently at the bottom. Unfortunately most of our bills didn't change - the credit card companies, surprisingly, don't give a rip where I live and how much I can afford to pay them. :) And, now the student loans have kicked in so for a little while we're up the creek without a paddle. Anyone have a couple paddles they want to donate to a good cause? :D

So, it's probably a short-term job but we're unsure at this point how short. Just keep us in your thoughts, please :)

Now I must retire - I have to be awake and moving in about 6.5 hours. Yuck.

Done with school...

...but busier than ever. I swear, I think I had more time when I was going to school! *laugh*

But, I'm having fun so that's a good thing.

Daylight Savings

We talked about this in our staff meeting today - about how it would affect our PCs and the server and the many other things that access one of the two aforementioned wonders of technology. Previously Kyle and I were talking about this also - why? Well, in case no one noticed, it's MINI Y2K !!!! STORE THE FOOD AND WATER, HIDE THE MONEY UNDER THE MATTRESS!! Or, at least, that's what I've taken from the media.

In all seriousness, it's really nothing to be worried about. For the common user, you'll be off an hour for 3 weeks. I've known people who don't change their timekeeping devices at all, and believe it or not they've been known to continue functioning. For the business user, it's a little more complicated but overall no one should be in a dither.

And, why is everyone suddenly so panicked anyhow? I remember hearing about this before I left California last year, which puts that around about 1 year ago, possibly longer. There was so much notice, in fact, that the calendar you have on your wall/desk/wherever probably has it noted as the magical date of March 11. Since these things go out around...oh I'll say as late as November to be fair (although I think you can order as early as October), that means that the calendar publisher knew this well in advance of that date.

In short, WHY IS THIS ONLY JUST NOW A BIG FRIGGIN' DEAL?!

Oh, right. Hackers live for procrastination and deadlines. And they probably didn't view it as the catastrophe the media is making it into.

Here's to Vince

September 2, 1951 - February 17, 2007

May he be forever happy in Musician's Valhalla (since I am sure something like that must exist) where the party never ends.

Urinetown: The Musical

I'm working on a show as a follow spot operator - I'm not sure how long this article will be available, but here we are!

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007702090340

Power!

We finally have power again!

Unless you've been through it, you don't realize how crummy it is to live without power when the outside temperature is anywhere from 8 to 35 degrees Fahrenheit.

It sucks. A lot.

But we have power now!! *cartwheels*

Storms and more storms

We've so far survived the first of what is supposed to be a 3-wave storm through Sunday. We lost power around 9:30 last night and there is no telling when it will be back. The good news is that there will be about 113 crews working to get the power back - the bad news is that with another wave tomorrow we might get it back only to lose it again.

Anyway, let's hope that everything stays pretty much OK. :)

New Year's Prayer

"In the New Year may we remember
Today's decisions shape tomorrow's outcomes
That living each moment the best we can
Creates a harmonious life.

May we remember
By holding fast to integrity
Others see we are trustworthy.

When times are rough
May we remember to turn in
To our close and ready Source of comfort.

On New Year's and every day
May we remember that each new moment
Can be a fresh beginning.

And may we especially remember that
Personal peace preserved leads to
World peace, well deserved."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer - Susan Kramer
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art15740.asp

Rock on Chicks

Shut Up & Sing

If you have an opportunity, give this movie a chance. I enjoyed it and it's a good reminder that they are human, they err, and they have a right to their opinions too.


Not Ready to Make Nice
Dixie Chicks (c)2006


Forgive, sounds good.
Forget, I'm not sure I could.
They say time heals everything,
But I'm still waiting

I'm through, with doubt,
There's nothing left for me to figure out,
I've paid a price, and i'll keep paying

I'm not ready to make nice,
I'm not ready to back down,
I'm still mad as hell
And I don't have time
To go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell
Can't bring myself to do what it is
You think I should

I know you said
Why can't you just get over it,
It turned my whole world around
and I kind of like it

I made my bed, and I sleep like a baby,
With no regrets and I don't mind saying,
It's a sad sad story
That a mother will teach her daughter
that she ought to hate a perfect stranger.
And how in the world
Can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they'd write me a letter
Saying that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over

I'm not ready to make nice,
I'm not ready to back down,
I'm still mad as hell
And I don't have time
To go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell
Can't bring myself to do what it is
You think I should

I'm not ready to make nice,
I'm not ready to back down,
I'm still mad as hell
And I don't have time
To go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell
Can't bring myself to do what it is
You think I should

Forgive, sounds good.
Forget, I'm not sure I could.
They say time heals everything,
But I'm still waiting

Things & Stuff

I haven't posted anything for a while so I thought I should probably do something about that.

School is done - hooray! It's been a nice break. I'm very much enjoying the free time. But...it's back to looking to the future. I've been thinking about a Master's and the new job pays for tuition starting in April, 100% if I get As. If I start in the summer then I could span 2 calendar years and potentially get most of the Master's paid for - provided I have the funding up front. I sent a request to the local university for info about Administrative Studies, Public Administration, and Accountancy. I doubt I really want the accountancy, but hey it's worth looking into. I anticipate one of the first two winning.

It's Christmas again, and that means money is tight - again. I hate it. I wish I had money to pay bills and buy gifts that perfectly fit the person, not gifts that mostly fit the person and perfectly fit the budget.

Anyway, it's time to go get ready for Christmas - buffet to be set up, pictures to take, etc. Tata!

Work is going well. I like the different tasks I am doing now rather than the one boring task all day. Now they may all be boring tasks, but they aren't that bad when you don't have to do any one of them for 40 hours a week. I'm very happy for the 3 day weekends, though :D