My Dad used to sponsor nights at the ballet, nights at the symphony and other arts events. I was used to parties in formal dress and dinners with multiple knives, forks and spoons. After I got married (and dad sold his company) those sort of events stopped. One because Dad sold the company and was starting over. Two because I was starting out a new life: DH was in college and I was working at a do nothing job and we were living on $700 a month. I didn't really realize how much I miss those things until today. I was given a ticket to a philanthropy luncheon which was wonderful. It brought back memories of Opera launches and Ballet West fund raising dinners. It wasn't formal but it was fun and a great reminder that I want to get back to associating with those circles. I followed up the evening with a visit to the Murray Symphony with my daughter. All in all a great experience and a great reminder of what my life used to be like and will be again if I just keep at it. I kept looking at the pictures in the silent auction and thought: John shoots better stuff than this. I think I need to find out who he needs to contact to donate items next year. Yes, it would cost us but the exposure is worth it.
So this afternoon I get a cashiers check with penalty from my tenant. The title company calls and says they may actually have found somebody at Countrywide that understands that a court order means they have to do something other than ignore it. And to top it off, the co-owner called and we have a meeting with the city planner about the stupid fire hydrant they want us to put in. There is a fire hydrant across the street, has been for 50 years, why do they need a new one 30 feet away.
And, I didn't bounce any checks. And to top it off, I was given a ticket to a charity event and get to drag out my going to court dress. Haven't worn it since I stopped defending workers' compensation cases. Sometimes I miss that arena. Lots of days I don't. It was pretty easy to tell who was honest and who was a slacker. I could usually tell within the first 5 questions. Especially when the first question was, How much of my pay do I get and for how long? If I was asked, How soon can I go back to work? I would do everything in my power to help the injured worker. I've seen some great light duty programs in my time too. I've seen a trucking company that considered their light duty a tax deduction. They would send their employees to do volunteer work, run the paychecks through the volunteer organizations and write it off. I've seen a company with a mainly foreign workforce pay for English as a second Language classes for their injured employees. Funny how many guys will go back to work rather than sit in a classroom. :roll: It would be fun to go back to that, but then again, the rules have changed. It's harder to make those that are playing the system comply. It can still be done, it just takes more time and documentation.
Oh, one bad thing did happen - I forgot to tell my DH that DD is throwing a suprise party for one of her friends at our house tomorrow. He took it in stride though. He just said that she has a lot of cleaning to do tomorrow.
Well I'm up doing something I haven't done in a long time. Checking the bank balance in the middle of the night to make sure nothing bounced. Like the tenants rent check that I got in the mail with a notice from the bank that it is NSF. I did get with her and she is bringing me either cash or a cashiers check with penalty tomorrow but that doesn't help the balance tonight and payday isn't until Friday. And on top of that Countrywide finally figured out that I'm not related to their borrower and they won't talk to me anymore. They won't release the illegal lien they have on my property without a signature from their borrower so I have a worthless court order saying that the title company recorded the wrong description and the property people at the state have it right but the mortgage company tells me that it's fine for my neighbors to have a loan on my property without my consent. DH is still convinced that this stupid property dispute is going to cost us our house. It's not. I have this under control. I called the President of the Title Company that screwed up and told him that I was tired of doing his people's job. :twisted: I expect him to let HIS legal department sue Countrywide for failing to abide by the court order. It's His companies fault that their agent sent over a "release of lien" instead of a "revised trust deed." That's what's screwed this whole mess up the second time. I didn't tell him yet that I expect more compensation than just my legal fees now. I just feel frustrated having a worthless court order and I don't want to settle with the title company until the whole mess is fixed, including putting in the fence on the correct property line. Although according to Countrywide that fence should go through the middle of my rental house instead of 5 feet to the South of it. This is also the frustrating time at work. It's mid month so I have boring stuff to do although this month I have some excitement IRS FORMS!!!! :? Pretty sad when completing tax forms is the highlight of your week, huh? I did find an older UFO Christmas ornament that I started for my SIL earlier this year. But she couldn't be bothered to come to the door to get the 2002 ornament I made for her so I'm not really in the mood to make her another for this year. I can just give her the 2002 one again. I do have 2 ornament exchanges that I need to make ornaments for that I haven't even started but those are easy and can be done in a weekend. I did actually take an ornament and graph paper to work today to work on graphing one of my designs but I went to lunch with some co-workers, thus one of the reasons I'm checking the bank to see if I've bounced anything now that my tenants check isn't in my bank account. Oh well, at least it isn't as bad as it was 4 years ago.
It was a nice relaxing weekend. I put in two hours on Fortunate Traveller, bounced off the walls with a new business idea :lol: Finished Spooky the Trick or Treat Dragon from Dragon Dreams (It's a free pattern that I got from the Krenik site), painted the bathroom downstairs, started the fence on Masonic Circle, played games with the kids, spent some time in ER with a friend, and slept a lot. I even made it to the gym where I ran 1/4 a mile in 4 minutes (which for me was really good.) Course the problem is that I was so hyped up from a great weekend that I didn't sleep at all last night so today could be interesting. But I still seem to be on a high from the weekend so I'm not having any problems except the standard ADD bounce.
Just so you know, I started this because it seemed that it may be easier than emailing everyone that I tell about my weekends and stuff in my life. I've been bouncing off the walls this weekend with a new business idea. Right now I'm at the phase where I need to take the ideas and start formulating what it will take to get them implemented and how much it will cost and where to get the money. I've been doing web searches all weekend (in between painting the bathroom) to see if anyone else it doing the same thing. I'm finding people that have part of the idea but not the whole thing. I just have to keep the momentum but without the ADD bouncing. But even if I don't have the business plan on paper by the end of the weekend, I will have the bathroom finished (all primed and the ceiling is done). I'm heading out now to shoot rockets with my kids then the ceiling will be dry enough to paint the walls. Thanks to Bonnie for showing me this site.
