Today marks our one year anniversary since moving to Tulsa. We can hardly believe it! In many ways it seems longer and in others like it's not been that long at all. We have been through all four seasons and for two Californians used to basically one season all year long, that was very interesting.
I am friendly with my coworkers but I don't talk to or see any of them outside of work. And aside from my friend that I met on the internet long before moving here I still haven't made any friends here. That's been difficult. And something I desperately want to change. I am at a loss, really. I am outgoing and friendly but I guess I just don't find myself in situations where I am meeting other women my age with similar outlooks on life. So my goal is to change that. Not sure how just yet, but it's my goal.
J has befriended some coworkers, but none that he hangs out with outside of work. Not that he has the time between two jobs and school. School is full-time for him starting next week. We're hoping he gets a tuition waiver based upon merit. He has been accepting into the CNA program, so our fingers are crossed. We should know in a couple of weeks either way.
Other than that, we're just taking it easy this summer and trying to beat the heat! Mom is still in CA and might be there for most of June. I have some travels for work...DC in mid-June and Detroit at the end of July. I also plan to start yoga at a local studio. J will be busy with work and school but hopes to get out to Vegas at some point to see his dad and stepmom. I also hope we can do a couple of overnight getaways locally. There are some neat places within a day's drive from here. Depends upon our schedules and if gas prices skyrocket. Since the week before Memorial Day they're already up $0.30/gal. We also plan to check out some local happenings like summer festivals, concerts and farmer's markerts. We have tickets to see comedienne Kathy Griffin in July. Here's looking forward to a wonderful summer!
Showing posts with label gas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gas. Show all posts
Happy Birthday J!
J's birthday celebration was low-key, but lovely. I awoke at the crack of dawn (my regular waking time, oddly enough) and got up with the doggies. I know I was only gone 6 days, but I sweat Luigi has grown! By 10 a.m. J was getting up and I was dozing off on the couch. I did manage to ask him what he'd like to do for the day.
We decided upon seeing "Angels and Demons" followed by dinner at Mahagony Steak House. It was warm and we actually had the a/c cranked up all day. We also remembered that it was Memorial Day weekend last year when we drove out here! May 28th will officially be our one year anniversary of being in Tulsa! My how the time does fly.
"Angels and Demons" was good although we both agreed that we liked the book better. We had listened to it on CD while driving to Vegas about 6 years ago. We got home just in time to change clothes for dinner.
Dinner was fantastic...we both had filet mignon and shared an order of asparagus, wine sauteed mushrooms and gratin potatoes (with a delicious smoked cheddar). Dessert was a decadent 4 layer carrot cake that we got to go along with their berry basket which is mixed berries marinated in orange liquor and served with a vanilla pudding/whipped cream topping in a caramelized tuille basket. YUMMY!
Today the celebration continues...we plan to check out the Farmer's Market and go for a walk along the river. I still feel a little jet lagged, but again, awoke at my normal 4:30 a.m. wake time this morning, so hopefully, I am catching up to myself. Here's hoping it doesn't get too hot before we make our way out this morning. One a side note, I did notice that gas prices have crept up to over two dollars a gallon. Ah! Greedy oil profits just in time for summer. Nice. Not.
We decided upon seeing "Angels and Demons" followed by dinner at Mahagony Steak House. It was warm and we actually had the a/c cranked up all day. We also remembered that it was Memorial Day weekend last year when we drove out here! May 28th will officially be our one year anniversary of being in Tulsa! My how the time does fly.
"Angels and Demons" was good although we both agreed that we liked the book better. We had listened to it on CD while driving to Vegas about 6 years ago. We got home just in time to change clothes for dinner.
Dinner was fantastic...we both had filet mignon and shared an order of asparagus, wine sauteed mushrooms and gratin potatoes (with a delicious smoked cheddar). Dessert was a decadent 4 layer carrot cake that we got to go along with their berry basket which is mixed berries marinated in orange liquor and served with a vanilla pudding/whipped cream topping in a caramelized tuille basket. YUMMY!
Today the celebration continues...we plan to check out the Farmer's Market and go for a walk along the river. I still feel a little jet lagged, but again, awoke at my normal 4:30 a.m. wake time this morning, so hopefully, I am catching up to myself. Here's hoping it doesn't get too hot before we make our way out this morning. One a side note, I did notice that gas prices have crept up to over two dollars a gallon. Ah! Greedy oil profits just in time for summer. Nice. Not.
Oh the weather outside is frightful...
...and the fire would be so delightful...if we had a fireplace. But we don't. We do have candles and they are lovely. And we now have a decorated tree. It was headed back into the garage to be stored for another year, but the holiday spirit grabbed hold of J yesterday while we were riding out the cold snap and all the sudden out came the ornaments and the lights....voila! Our tree is lit and sparkly! And I got new ornaments yesterday from a nearby friend whom I met online. How cute are these peacocks? They are hand-painted glass with real peacock feathers...here's how they look on our tree as well as some of our other, new ornaments:
Handpainted Glass Peacocks from Jaime (Hawaiian Honey)
Handpainted Glass Hawaiian Snowman from Yvonne (MrsBabySalute)
It's warmed up today...to freezing! I went to work today, later than normal so I didn't have to brave the frozen streets in the dark. The office was half full and actually the further south I drove towards the office, the more ice and snow there was. So weird! I live 50 blocks from the office. In our neighborhood, no snow on the ground, minimal ice on the car, etc. At work? Snow on the roofs and sidewalks, icy roads and parking lots! I nearly had to skate from my car to the front door! Tomorrow I'll be sure to wear flats. It's supposed to continue to warm up, into the low 40's. That's 20 degrees higher than yesterday. Area schools were closed again today and are supposedly closed tomorrow too. But the office will be open. And we're supposed to warm into the 60's until Saturday, when it's predicted to drop back into the 20-30's. Bizarre.
On a non-weather note (how many of my posts are about the OK weather? Or gas? Which went up ten cents to $1.49 over the weekend. Bah!)...we're going to see the Nutcracker on Thursday night. We had a coupon for buy-one-get-one-free so we did! I am excited...I have never seen this ballet live. I have seen it on television and of course, heard the music a million times. But altogether, dancing and music, live...this will be the first.
Oh and today is my mom's birthday. Happy birthday mommy! I miss you.
Another chilly day...
Brrrr! It's been c-c-cold! There were pretty ice crystals on my car this morning when I left for work at 6:45 a.m. But this weather has been weird, because with the wind chill it's in the single digits in the mornings and then by 4 p.m., in the high 50's! So layers is the style of the day for sure. I wore tights and boots with gauchos and a turtleneck sweater with a knit poncho on top. I was perfectly warm until about 2 p.m., when it got downright toasty! By the time I left work at 4 p.m. I was carrying my wool coat and poncho, pushed up my sleeves and switched the car's heater to fan. We had a pretty sunset, again, and a beautiful, clear night with a full moon and sparkling stars.
J and I were in the mood for BBQ so we took one of our buy-on-get-one-free coupons and tried out Albert G's BBQ. Yummy, yummy...three pork ribs (dry rubbed and smoked) and chopped brisket hit the spot. The sides of BBQ beans, coleslaw (not mayonnaise-y at all) and potato salad were the perfect accompaniment. The place is cute too...an old, converted auto repair garage or service station.
J and I were in the mood for BBQ so we took one of our buy-on-get-one-free coupons and tried out Albert G's BBQ. Yummy, yummy...three pork ribs (dry rubbed and smoked) and chopped brisket hit the spot. The sides of BBQ beans, coleslaw (not mayonnaise-y at all) and potato salad were the perfect accompaniment. The place is cute too...an old, converted auto repair garage or service station.
Afterwards we picked up some groceries for the week and filled up the gas tank...for $16.75! For an entire tank of gas! We are thrilled...gas is now $1.39/gal. and there's speculation that it could drop below $1. I cannot believe that less than 6 months ago it was $50 to fill up and now it's under $20. Can someone please explain this to me?
5 Year Low...
for gas prices! I know, I know, it seems like I am obsessing, but I cannot believe it! How can gas have been over $4.00/gal. six months ago and now it's $1.43/gal. here in Tulsa. I am happy. But irritated. Why did we have to pay over twice the amount less than half a year ago? Anyone know the real answer?
Brrrr....
We hit 22 degrees overnight and we had a "high" of 44. Brrrr! It's c-c-cold! Unseasonably cold. But beautifully crisp and clear and we actually have sun. But it's bitterly cold and when the wind kicks up, downright bone chilling. I need to get some long-johns. Seriously, flannel sheets, down blankets, cotton blankets, a down comforter AND two warm blooded pups plus one hot man and I am still cold at night!
On the up side...gas is $1.62 today. We filled up for $20. Haven't been able to say that in YEARS. Guess the savings will offset our heating costs this winter, because if it's gonna be this cold, the heater is going to get some use.
On the up side...gas is $1.62 today. We filled up for $20. Haven't been able to say that in YEARS. Guess the savings will offset our heating costs this winter, because if it's gonna be this cold, the heater is going to get some use.
I am tired and cold...
I cannot adjust to Tulsa time. I have been home 3 days and I am still off my clock! Doesn't help that we "fell back" while I was gone and Hawaii doesn't. So I went from a 5 hour difference to 4. And then home to early darkness. It's dark here between 5:30-6:00 pm! Last night I forced myself to bed at midnight and layed there listening to the dogs snore until I finally got up at 3:00 am, still wide awake. I finally returned to bed around 5:00 am knowing I'd be up again in 3 hours for work. I slipped into work at 9:00 am and dragged through the day fueled by unleaded coffee. I ducked out at 4:30 pm...since I am already nearing my 40 hour mark this week and it's only Wednesday!
It was chilly today too! Never got above 58 degrees! I wore a sweater and boots AND my wool pea coat! The sun finally broke through the clouds around 3:30 pm and warmed us up, just a tad. It's supposed to get down to freezing temps at night this week. Brrr! Loving the flannel sheets, thermal drapes and new rugs in our bedroom. Keeps things toasty. Well that and my man, two dogs and the cat. It's a full bed! I hope to fall fast asleep tonight...pleeeeaaaasssee! I know J will be pooped...it's another late night for him. Poor baby! When he has both gigs on one day it makes for an early morning (4:30 am) and a late night (10:00 pm). He's a trooper though and once this training period is over he'll only be doing it 2-3 times a week. Oh, have I mentioned that gas is now $1.75/gal.? That's awesome!
It was chilly today too! Never got above 58 degrees! I wore a sweater and boots AND my wool pea coat! The sun finally broke through the clouds around 3:30 pm and warmed us up, just a tad. It's supposed to get down to freezing temps at night this week. Brrr! Loving the flannel sheets, thermal drapes and new rugs in our bedroom. Keeps things toasty. Well that and my man, two dogs and the cat. It's a full bed! I hope to fall fast asleep tonight...pleeeeaaaasssee! I know J will be pooped...it's another late night for him. Poor baby! When he has both gigs on one day it makes for an early morning (4:30 am) and a late night (10:00 pm). He's a trooper though and once this training period is over he'll only be doing it 2-3 times a week. Oh, have I mentioned that gas is now $1.75/gal.? That's awesome!
Do you ever wonder...
...what your babies might look like? That is, for those of you whom haven't had them. I think it's only natural to be curious what your DNA swirled with your mate's DNA would look like.
Well wonder no further...here's handy online generator that shows you results in less than a minute. That's WAY better than waiting a whole nine months, now isn't it? Or in our case, probably closer to nine years! So, in case you're just dying to know...
Here's our results:
Well wonder no further...here's handy online generator that shows you results in less than a minute. That's WAY better than waiting a whole nine months, now isn't it? Or in our case, probably closer to nine years! So, in case you're just dying to know...
Here's our results:
Check out the eyebrows! I mean, isn't it uncanny? If you've seen a baby pic of me you know what I mean. This is the pic I used in the generator:
Well that's enough of that! I know a lot of you are waiting for me to proclaim my baby rabies! Well, not just yet, okay?
On another cheery note...gas is down again! $2.06 today! I just know we'll see it under $2.00 soon, which I made a bet on with J last month or so when the numbers seemed to drop dramatically everyday! I will say I am loving filling up our CRV for $26. I remember when we bought it just over a year ago and how I nearly cried last Spring when it was $50 to fill 'er up. Sheesh!
The temps have rapidly dropped here in the past week...we are getting freeze warnings and this morning it was about 35 degrees out. It was sunny and clear all day and topped out at 60 degrees. I like it. Fall is my favorite time of year! So crisp and clean and you can wear sweaters and boots and not get too hot. I am hoping that when I get back from Honolulu we can take a drive to see the fall foliage. It'll just be prime time the second weekend in November. I depart for Hawaii on Thursday morning and will be there for 10 days. Normally, I'd be thrilled, but in this case, not-so-much. I will literally be inside the hotel or convention center about 16 hours a day! No hope of really hitting the beach or the pool unless it's before 7 am or after 10 pm. Ah, well. At least I will be in paradise, right?
Date night
I had to attend a meeting at work this morning and J had work too...so when we got home we decided to have a little date. Especially since he's starting his new, part-time job at Mahogany Prime Steak House and I am off to Hawaii this week for our 10 day convention. I bought shoes for it today...my feet are not looking forward to the 16 hour days on the convention floor! I am hoping that between my new Sketchers (a white pair and tan pair) and Cole Hahn/Nike Air shoes (black) that I won't be hating life by the second day! Something tells me that even though I will in Hawaii for 10 days, it will not be relaxing! At least I'll have the peace of a king suite in the Hilton Hawaii Villages famous Rainbow Tower.
We had a lag between dinner and the movie, so we walked through the mall. There is some EXCELLENT people watching at the mall! OMG! And I now remember why I don't do malls. I gave them up about 10 years ago... seriously! I prefer store OUTSIDE the mall...like Pier One or Target. Or, even better, shopping online.
Speaking of Target...I have come to realize, it's no longer appropriate for me to buy my work clothes or shoes there. For the past 10 years, not a problem for everyday, casual clothes, but now that I have to dress for business, it just doesn't cut it. So I am having to readjust my mindset...it's tough to find well-made, good looking, quality clothing and shoes for under $20. That's what I generally spend on any one item...or less! So, today, I bit the bullet and actually spent $50 on a pair of boots and $35 on a pair of Sketchers. The only time in the past that I'd spend money on clothing was either for performance gowns (always under $250) and outerwear (my last coat cost $80). So...it's back to Ross, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls as well as the sale racks at Kohls, JC Penny, and Macys. And every once in a while, Dress Barn or Lane Bryant. I am slowly trying to build my career wardrobe (since I have basically worn jeans and a t-shirt or sweater everyday for the past 10 years), one season at a time. It's gotten chilly this week, so I have picked up some new sweaters, slacks, tights and boots. They should suffice through the winter...
Good thing gas has continued to drop in price. It's now $2.19/gal. and continue to drop $0.01-0.03/day. I am hoping I see it under $2.00 soon! Especially since the less I spend at the pump the more we have to save (and buy new winter clothes, apparently). Also, J got a 25% raise at work and is taking on a few shifts/week at the steak house for added income. I put an ad out for some new students to teach a couple of nights a week. So we shall see. We really want to pay down debt and save some extra dough for when we're ready to buy a house. The housing market hasn't been hard hit here at all, but the predictions are that prices will drop slightly through 2009. So we want to be ready to take advantage of the deals when they are available.
Okay, I've rambled enough. Tonight was date night and it's not over....yet.
Back to the date night....we had dinner and saw a movie...The Dutchess with Keira Knightly and Ralph Fiennes. Not uplifting at all, but very good. I cannot believe what that woman went through! And it all happened...it's a bio pic. We love a nice "period" film...it was nice to have the time out together though.
We had a lag between dinner and the movie, so we walked through the mall. There is some EXCELLENT people watching at the mall! OMG! And I now remember why I don't do malls. I gave them up about 10 years ago... seriously! I prefer store OUTSIDE the mall...like Pier One or Target. Or, even better, shopping online.
Speaking of Target...I have come to realize, it's no longer appropriate for me to buy my work clothes or shoes there. For the past 10 years, not a problem for everyday, casual clothes, but now that I have to dress for business, it just doesn't cut it. So I am having to readjust my mindset...it's tough to find well-made, good looking, quality clothing and shoes for under $20. That's what I generally spend on any one item...or less! So, today, I bit the bullet and actually spent $50 on a pair of boots and $35 on a pair of Sketchers. The only time in the past that I'd spend money on clothing was either for performance gowns (always under $250) and outerwear (my last coat cost $80). So...it's back to Ross, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls as well as the sale racks at Kohls, JC Penny, and Macys. And every once in a while, Dress Barn or Lane Bryant. I am slowly trying to build my career wardrobe (since I have basically worn jeans and a t-shirt or sweater everyday for the past 10 years), one season at a time. It's gotten chilly this week, so I have picked up some new sweaters, slacks, tights and boots. They should suffice through the winter...
Good thing gas has continued to drop in price. It's now $2.19/gal. and continue to drop $0.01-0.03/day. I am hoping I see it under $2.00 soon! Especially since the less I spend at the pump the more we have to save (and buy new winter clothes, apparently). Also, J got a 25% raise at work and is taking on a few shifts/week at the steak house for added income. I put an ad out for some new students to teach a couple of nights a week. So we shall see. We really want to pay down debt and save some extra dough for when we're ready to buy a house. The housing market hasn't been hard hit here at all, but the predictions are that prices will drop slightly through 2009. So we want to be ready to take advantage of the deals when they are available.
Okay, I've rambled enough. Tonight was date night and it's not over....yet.
And they're gone...
Mom and auntie returned home today. And with them, went the sunny weather we were enjoying for nearly a week. Weird. The day they arrived it was stormy and rainy. And then we had glorious, sunny skies for 5 days. Today, they flew out early this morning and it was cloudy and gloomy all day.
We had a great time...Sunday we went to church and then took them to a bunch of local open houses. Later that evening we went to see "The Secret Lives of Bees". It was very good, I highly enjoyed it. Yesterday we headed south a bit to check out Sapulpa and Sand Springs. They like the fact that they can live 20 minutes outside the city and have a completely rural experience, complete with acreage and horses. All for $200-300K.
They are seriously considering relocating here within the next 12 months. We are thrilled, of course. The way things are in CA, both of them are realizing that they don't want to retire there. And even as they prepare for their final working years, they want less stress, less polution, less traffic. We have that here. Oh yeah, and our gas is now down to $2.35/gal. I am hoping to see it drop below $2.00. It could happen...it's dropping about $0.03-0.05 a day.
We had a great time...Sunday we went to church and then took them to a bunch of local open houses. Later that evening we went to see "The Secret Lives of Bees". It was very good, I highly enjoyed it. Yesterday we headed south a bit to check out Sapulpa and Sand Springs. They like the fact that they can live 20 minutes outside the city and have a completely rural experience, complete with acreage and horses. All for $200-300K.
They are seriously considering relocating here within the next 12 months. We are thrilled, of course. The way things are in CA, both of them are realizing that they don't want to retire there. And even as they prepare for their final working years, they want less stress, less polution, less traffic. We have that here. Oh yeah, and our gas is now down to $2.35/gal. I am hoping to see it drop below $2.00. It could happen...it's dropping about $0.03-0.05 a day.
Gas is $2.65 today...will it keep going?
Gas is down again, but after today's rally on Wall Street crude oil us up to $81/barrel. So this begs the question? How long will our lower prices at the pump last? Some pundits say it's because demand is down. Maybe. But I doubt that it's down enough to have dropped our prices over a dollar a gallon in a couple of months.
I think no matter where you are politically, we can all agree that GREED is the reason we're all suffering right now. I hope each of us can take responsibility of our own greedy tendencies and do what we must to correct our wrongful ways. For us? That means no longer using our credit cards. If we want something, we pay cash. And we're aggressively paying down our debt so we can be debt free sooner rather than later. We're also eating at home 99.9% of the time and have put a freeze on spending. We're only shopping for necessities and frugally at that. We want financial freedom. We want to live simply but comfortably. And when the time comes that we have a little extra, we want to be able to donate it to worthy causes. It's a goal. For now? We're happy to be saving money at the pump. Very happy.
I think no matter where you are politically, we can all agree that GREED is the reason we're all suffering right now. I hope each of us can take responsibility of our own greedy tendencies and do what we must to correct our wrongful ways. For us? That means no longer using our credit cards. If we want something, we pay cash. And we're aggressively paying down our debt so we can be debt free sooner rather than later. We're also eating at home 99.9% of the time and have put a freeze on spending. We're only shopping for necessities and frugally at that. We want financial freedom. We want to live simply but comfortably. And when the time comes that we have a little extra, we want to be able to donate it to worthy causes. It's a goal. For now? We're happy to be saving money at the pump. Very happy.
Gas is $2.78 today...
Whoa! It drops aboout $0.05 a day. I am thrilled! The weather has been super nice too...high 70's by day, low 60's by night. Tomorrow is the Diabetes Walk...I am bummed because I really didn't raise much money, but my team did and that's good since I organized the team. I had hoped my contacts would donate $5-10 each and that would add up to something substaintail, but alas, in this current economic climate I totally understand. I will have fun and maybe next year, we'll all have a little more money to donate to good causes, like Diabetes prevention and research.
Oh yeah, we received word that we will have not one, but two visitors from CA next week. My mom and aunt are coming to stay for 6 days. It will be a lot of estrogen in the house for J, but we're looking forward to it. It's been gorgeous out and I hope we can drive out to the country and show them this wonderful "green country".
Oh yeah, we received word that we will have not one, but two visitors from CA next week. My mom and aunt are coming to stay for 6 days. It will be a lot of estrogen in the house for J, but we're looking forward to it. It's been gorgeous out and I hope we can drive out to the country and show them this wonderful "green country".
Gas for less than $3.00/gal!
Today is the day...that I've FINALLY seen the gas prices drop below $3/gallon. All around Tulsa it's $2.99. Love it! And with current economic climate, couldn't come a better time!
Gas...down $0.40 in about two weeks!
Driving home from work today I say a number that I haven't seen in a while...$3.43 for a gallon of regular unleaded gas! It was about $3.83 in the middle of July. Luckily, that's the highest we ever saw it get here. Still, I don't know about you, but I think even $3.43 is high. I'd love to see it get back down under $3.00/gal. Do you think that will happen?Probably not. We'll try to enjoy this reprise while it lasts. Now, if we could get the temperatures to drop in the same fashion....please!?
Bye daddy...
My Dad left today. It was so nice having him here for the past week. I know it was way hot for him, but in a way, I am thankful for the heat. It forced us to just lay low and hang out inside and not run around crazy trying to see and do everything. It's the most time we've hung out together in many years. And the longest he and J have ever visited. They really got to connect on this visit in a way that was not possible before...although we have seen him on annually visits, it's been rushed, crammed in between other obligations and just never enough time. It was so great just to hang out, talk, laugh and eat. Despite the heat, on Sunday, J cooked up a wonderful dinner of asparagus, couscous and steak followed by DIY ice cream sundaes. It all makes me even more grateful since I just heard that Michael's father passed away this weekend. After a long battle with cancer he is finally at peace. I pray that my brother can be at peace too. I cannot imagine what it feels like to lose a parent and it makes me all the more aware of how precious each day we have together truly is.
Dad left this morning for Kansas, to visit with friends and then back to South Dakota to pick Dana up from summer camp. I miss him already...one week a year is never enough time to visit. J and I want to get to Alaska...my job will take me to Seattle in October 2010 and maybe we can piggyback a trip up to Alaska from there? But that's two years away! So, we'll see...we have got to at least coordinate a visit next year in CA or HI. Both would work for us!
Dad left this morning for Kansas, to visit with friends and then back to South Dakota to pick Dana up from summer camp. I miss him already...one week a year is never enough time to visit. J and I want to get to Alaska...my job will take me to Seattle in October 2010 and maybe we can piggyback a trip up to Alaska from there? But that's two years away! So, we'll see...we have got to at least coordinate a visit next year in CA or HI. Both would work for us!
Work was crazy busy today, but I love to be busy! Makes the day fly by! I have to work two Saturdays this month. So I hope to bank the time and use it for a couple of early days or something. We shall see...my company is so generous with their scheduling and time off that I am not really worried about it. I guess that I got so used to working 6 days a week that now, 2 days off a week feels like a real luxury!
J continues to interview for jobs. He didn't get the management position at Target, despite going through 5 rounds of interviewing! So, we're thinking about food service again and just biting the bullet, since most likely it means we won't see eachother as much as we'd like. We know that it's temporary and will not last forever. It will just force us to maximize the quality time that we do have together. We shall see...he had two interviews today. The goal is to have a job by the end of this week, so send him positive job vibes. I know that whatever he does, he will excel and be promoted up the ranks quickly. He's more worried about it than I am, but that's because he puts a lot of pressure on himself. The great news is that the cost of living here is somewhat manageable on one salary...especially since gas prices have dropped a bit. We're down to $3.68 here. Still high, but at least it's under $4! And my 90 day bonus will kick in at the end of August, so that will be helpful. I have found that stressing about money never makes it come faster, so I chose not to stress about it anymore. We always have everything we need and most of what we want, so I have faith.
J continues to interview for jobs. He didn't get the management position at Target, despite going through 5 rounds of interviewing! So, we're thinking about food service again and just biting the bullet, since most likely it means we won't see eachother as much as we'd like. We know that it's temporary and will not last forever. It will just force us to maximize the quality time that we do have together. We shall see...he had two interviews today. The goal is to have a job by the end of this week, so send him positive job vibes. I know that whatever he does, he will excel and be promoted up the ranks quickly. He's more worried about it than I am, but that's because he puts a lot of pressure on himself. The great news is that the cost of living here is somewhat manageable on one salary...especially since gas prices have dropped a bit. We're down to $3.68 here. Still high, but at least it's under $4! And my 90 day bonus will kick in at the end of August, so that will be helpful. I have found that stressing about money never makes it come faster, so I chose not to stress about it anymore. We always have everything we need and most of what we want, so I have faith.
One month later...
We have been here a month. Well, I and the dogs have been here a whole month. J and the cat are working on 11 days. But with more and more of our stuff unpacked, we are finally able to explore this new town around us. And what better timing, with Fourth of July just around the corner? I'll have a three day weekend. YIPEE! We might check out the FreedomFest2008 (hopefully it will have a unity vibe and not a redneck one!)
Speaking of happenings around town, here's an interesting article in our local lifestyle magazine, Tulsa People: What Tulsa Make$
Suprisingly enough, salaries here are competitive on the National Average, yet the cost of living is so much lower. We have the lowest gas prices in the country right now, $3.76 (which is still insanely high, IMHO). Food for thought.
And speaking of food, we're thinking of joining a food co-op that supports local farmers. And we want to check out the local farmer's markets.
This week we are also going to check out the free band concerts in the park that allow dogs to attend: Starlight Concerts. We'll see what that's all about.
J signed up today at Gold's Gym and will start his spinning classes again, which he make him so happy. They had a killer deal and he loves going to the gym (I don't, which is why I have a treadmill and exercise ball here at home). Our goal is to start eating better and living a healthier lifestyle. We've done okay in the past and now we want to step it up. So shopping locally grown, organic food, exercising daily and getting out in our community are high on the agenda. We can do it!
Speaking of happenings around town, here's an interesting article in our local lifestyle magazine, Tulsa People: What Tulsa Make$
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Suprisingly enough, salaries here are competitive on the National Average, yet the cost of living is so much lower. We have the lowest gas prices in the country right now, $3.76 (which is still insanely high, IMHO). Food for thought.
And speaking of food, we're thinking of joining a food co-op that supports local farmers. And we want to check out the local farmer's markets.
This week we are also going to check out the free band concerts in the park that allow dogs to attend: Starlight Concerts. We'll see what that's all about.
J signed up today at Gold's Gym and will start his spinning classes again, which he make him so happy. They had a killer deal and he loves going to the gym (I don't, which is why I have a treadmill and exercise ball here at home). Our goal is to start eating better and living a healthier lifestyle. We've done okay in the past and now we want to step it up. So shopping locally grown, organic food, exercising daily and getting out in our community are high on the agenda. We can do it!
