It Pays To Read Your Reciepts

Last night BF and I had to grab a few groceries from the store near our house. When it was our turn in line I remembered to call my mom and see if she needed anything. I had to walk to the back of the store to get milk so I didn't get to watch the cashier. Big mistake!

The store by our house is notorious for charging incorrectly, not crediting coupons and double charging. By the time we got home with our groceries the store was already closed. I did a quick scan of our receipt, as always, to find we had been charged for cheese twice. Dagnabbit!

The cost of the cheese was $7.77. I called right away this morning and complained. They told me to come in and talk to "Trish" who would return our money today. That's great but why is this always happening?

Last time I was there the girl tried to charge me for 50 Fruit to Go's instead of 5. I happened to catch it on the screen just before paying. It's pretty ridiculous if you ask me.

In the pharmacy I often have to ring things in and I'm very careful to charge people correctly. What is wrong with these girls?!

Oh, and we did use our cloth bags. Every bit helps this green and beautiful planet we live on.

Lunch Failure

I have been so bad at bringing my lunches since I started at my new job. I suck! I really need to buckle down because I'm spending way too much. I'd better make that one of my December goals. I am just too tempted with a full food court right there. The places I worked before weren't around any restaurants or even gas stations so I had to eat what I brought or starve all day. Not good... not good at all.

Another Student Loan Payment

I got paid on Friday and made a payment on my last student loan right away. I was able to put another $425 on it. That makes $825 so far this month. I have an automatic payment of $75 that will come out at the end of the month bringing me to a grand total of $900. It's 300 short from my goal for the month but I still feel its quite a lot. It's been putting some strain on my finances but if I can get this loan cleared by the end of the year it will so be worth it!

Left to pay off after $75 payment : $843.72

It feels really good to have less than a grand left to pay off. I just wish I wasn't trying to put the squeeze on my finances during the holidays. Oh well... I'll just need to be more creative this year. I have some gift ideas in mind that should help me out.

*******EDIT********
Sidebars are updated! Yay for progress!

Changes at Work?

I don't really want to rehash the last week of work. Too much high school style drama. Let's just say the whole team is fed up with the Bitchy tech and she walked out Friday and said she may not return. This made most people happy but it just made me tired. Bitchy tech had turned her evilness on me this week and so I ended up having to talk to the boss. Sucks! I hate drama at work. I just want to go to work, do my job, go home, and pick up a pay cheque every two weeks. *sigh*

Free Haircut

Lately I've been wanting to hack all my hair off really badly. My hair grows really fast and its been awhile since I've had it cut since the Mad Cow was my hair dresser. Dang! I was very impatient the other day so I decided to give myself the same cut I used to rock in high school. Yes, I cut my own hair.

I'm loving it! I use the old school technique my mother used when she was a hippy teen. I flip my head upside down and cut it that way. Luckily, I've had a lot of practice because I used to do it when I was younger. I know how make sure its not crooked or too short in spots. I'm pretty proud of myself for remembering my technique and thankfully it worked out awesome.

I have issues with my hair. When I was very stressed a few years ago I became very ill and my hair started to fall out. It slowly came out for years. I went to specialists and everything. My hair is very thin and some spots on my scalp are a little more bare than I would like. The best thing for me to do is not think about and do my best to make it look good.

Most people never notice unless I show them but I'm still very sensitive about it. This cut seemed to perk my hair up and give it volume. This is a great thing for me as BF loves my hair longer but I hate it because it shows how thin it is. Now we are both happy.


Total cost- $0
Happiness Factor - Way up
Time - 5 minutes

Yay!

Thinking About Xmas

Xmas is not my favorite holiday at all. I enjoy xmas lights and eating lots of food but thats about it. Oh! I like the xmas tree too but thats it! I try to suck it up though because everyone around me loves it. Especially BF, its his favorite.

I've been looking around casually for gifts but haven't bought anything except for one item I picked up last week for BF when he was distracted while we were shopping. Its something I know he really wants. I'm trying to figure out what else to get him. I need him to make a list. There is one gift I am considering giving him but its not something you can wrap up. Stop thinking dirty! It's nothing like that. I'm not going to write about it now though because I'm not sure if he reads my blog or not.

This year everyone buys for my parents and for the kiddies but we are doing a siblings draw. Siblings and significant others draw really. I was in charge of it. It's already a mess so I'm handing the details off to my mom. I handled Thanksgiving. I am suggesting a cap of $30 this year. I am really watching spending. I'm also going to give myself a budget for the other people I'm buying for. I'll work on that and post my list later on.

Work Drama

It seems no matter where you go there's always drama at work. I find this to be true especially in pharmacies. It's rather pathetic. I wish everyone could just deal with each other and get on with it already.

Soon after starting at the pharmacy I realized there was some major tension between the techs at the store I'm working at now. I was kind of irritated because I stressed in my interview that I'm really not into dealing with that type of childlike behavior.

Apparently the girl on maternity leave that I'm covering for over the next year before we go to Australia used to be a big component of fighting so I guess I'm glad she's not around. As for the other two we have two classic pharmacy personalities.

1- The been around the block tech. This technician has worked all over the place for different chains. She thinks she has it all figured out. Granted, she does know a lot and I'm impressed by her knowledge! Unfortunately she shares this with everyone in a unfriendly way. Her explanations are long and dragged out so that they become impossible to listen to and I find myself dozing off internally while she talks. She thinks everything should be done in the manner she wants. Even if it has nothing do with her. She takes everything personally and makes depressing and negative comments all the time.

2- The head tech. Usually comforting and welcoming. The head tech is more relaxed in her environment and enjoys being a technician. She's a great trainer and really listens. She also can't stand being pushed around on her own turf. This is her domain and she's going to protect it.

Put these two together and the planets collide. When I was offered the job at the hospital I knew it wasn't the right thing at this time for me but I almost took it because of the crap going on between these two. I discussed it with the head tech. I told her I really hate dealing with that sort of behavior and I really just wanted to be left out of it. It was affecting my training and that's just not cool with me.

Head tech went away for a week to Mexico and BATBT was in her glory. She was much easier to work with and actually very pleasant. One day she called me her protege though and that worried me. I had to stand my ground a bit at that point to make sure she doesn't think she can tell me to do whatever she wants.

Head tech came back and the dynamics changed again. BATBT really wanted to make it known that things went great while HT was gone. *sighs* BATBT stopped being pleasant and became really quiet again. After a week and a half of HT being back the lid blew off the roof.

Now I'm not sure exactly what happened but it was really stressful day yesterday with head office being there. A lot of projects just couldn't get done because of them being there and tying up every one's time. By the time BATBT tech came in for her shift things were still chaotic. At 4pm the owner was leaving for the day when I saw him being approached by BATBT. Next thing I knew she was "borrowing" HT for a few minutes. I'm thinking... "WTF there is so much shit to do and we're slammed with prescriptions".

I was so annoyed. The boss left them almost immediately, but they stayed in the private patient consultation room for two hours before the pharmacist on shift broke it up and told them to deal with it on their own time. BATBT came out crying. There was some loud discussions during those two hours. I didn't hear anything or care to either.

HT went home an hour late. BATBT blew her nose and came back to the dispensary. It was time for me to leave and there was so much left to do. I gave her a rundown and she seemed irritated she would be left with all those tasks but seriously... they ditched me for 2 hours in a rush! Not cool at all!

I left work with a pounding headache and less respect overall for my workplace. The pharmacist with me that night told me she was sick of the drama.

At what point do I let my boss know that this is bullshit?

I'm trying really hard to remain focused on my work. I just have to learn how to navigate myself through the shit I guess. I really want to stay at this job for my last year on the Island and am trying really hard to turn a blind eye to the drama. Why are pharmacies always a mess like this?

Long Weekend Has Started!!/ New Family Member?

Since I worked on the holiday I get today off with pay instead which gives me a long weekend. Hmm... I'll take it!

I'm supposed to do my L test today but I'm not feeling very confident about it. A few years ago I passed it without even reading the book. Failing this year scared me off a bit. Plus, I have not been filling my obligation to myself to read a little each day and do the online practice test. It's just so boring. I've attempted to read it a few times but either doze off or stare into space instead. That's how exhilarating I find it, lol.

BF and I may have inherited a pet. As long time readers know, earlier in the year we lost our beloved pet. I still cry about it and miss her a lot. We want a pet so badly but don't think its fair because we would have to leave it in one years time. We could never do that to the animal or to ourselves.

A lot of animals hang around our house. Some even come inside. There was a grey cat our friends and us named Apple that came around. (I like food names. Our last pet was Cherri). Unfortunately Apple's family moved away. You can read about Apple or see pics of her here.

Now we have an orange cat who has visited once or twice in the past. The last two nights in a row she's come over and waited for us to get home so she could come in. She was desperate for cuddles and food. At first we weren't sure if she was hungry or just begging but after watching her eat we fed her a little more because she looked like she was very desperate. She has no collar but really nice fur. After watching her clean herself it may just be her own doing. One thing we did notice is that her nails are a little long on one foot and seems to bother her. BF said he's not going to do anything yet cuz he's not sure if it has an owner.

We let her sleep for awhile and then BF decided she must go outside because we have no litter box and he was worried there may be an owner wondering where their cat was. This morning when we left the cat was sitting outside again with another cat just outside our house watching BF leave. As soon as he came on MSN at work we talked about it. I heard the cats get into a fight and then the other one took off running. The orange cat however sat down and stared at our house. Aww! I watched the cat for awhile but it didn't go anywhere. I

So I took some pictures of her last night (we think its a her). Here are two of them!

I know my parents have a big orange cat that visits them at night when they sit out on their back deck. They nicknamed the cat "Morris" and I wonder its the same big cat. BF wants to buy a litter box and food now. We are thinking of using the bottom of our old cage for Cherri for a litter box because we don't want to spend too much because we're unsure of what's going to happen.

The best part is its the first cat I've been able to pet without having an allergic reaction too. Amazing! Oh... what are we going to do?

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

In Flanders Fields the poppies grow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Extra Extra! Read All About It.

Things have been pretty busy for me this week.I've also been feeling under the weather and so I decided to write a quick post of all these news from the last few days.

Sunday - Major yard work, laundry and cleaning was going on. We spent the day in the yard raking, dumping and cleaning out the plant pots, and turning the garden and compost bins. It's been raining a lot here lately so we had to take the opportunity to get it done when we had it. It felt good to get out and work in the crisp air with my favorite pink toque.

I also took my first ride on BF's motorbike. I'm still undecided. We just went places within our own neighbourhood which was perfect. I used to ride on the back of my friends scooter all the time in Penticton which prepared me a little bit but still... this is a lot bigger. I'm not ready to go across town yet but soon.

Monday - Christmas music at work has begun. WTF!>!> I object! Don't even get me started on this one! For now it rotates with other music but in a few weeks it will be full on. They'll need to put me on suicide watch at the pharmacy. I could go mad!

My favorite pharmacist and the person I mentioned creating a great relationship with at work announced her resignation. :(

Tuesday - I had to work today but I get Friday off instead which gives me a long weekend! It was really slow for most of the day which was great. I also got to spend some one on one with both my boss and his wife because I worked with them both alone today as I was the only technician. My boss gave me a lot of great compliments and encouragement today which meant a lot to me. :)

I stood in the rain for 25 minutes before calling BF at work for an emergency ride to work. I called the bus to bawl them out for not showing. The good thing was that I asked if there was a problem with that particular bus run before yelling because he politely informed me that it was a holiday. Crap! On holidays if the bus runs at all it runs on Sunday schedule which is... practically never. Once an hour if u are lucky. BF was happy to run me to work and saved the day. I need an umbrella.

What will tomorrow bring?.......

Also, I have not felt very well the last few days but I'm trying to not miss any work. I've got a big goal to meet before the end of the year.

Dolly's Miscalculations

I got paid yesterday. It feels so good to get back into being paid regularly.

However, I forgot I only worked 9/10 days because I took an extra day off to play in Vancouver with BF. No regrets though. Oh, and taxes. ... I way underestimated how much the would be. You know what this means.... I wont be able to put as much as I wanted off this cheque onto student loan as I wanted. I didn't think about all the other expenses coming up either so I am only going to be able to allot $400 of this cheque to debt. Even that is going to leave things very tight for the next two weeks.

Oh well. It may mean 4 payments instead of the three I had hoped for but the important thing is to have it done by the end of the year. I'm still feeling positive this is going to happen. :)

***EDIT****

Side bars updated for debt repayment!!

Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah

I fell in love with this song last year around Christmas time and I still love it. It's amazingly precious!

Settling In

So things at work are going pretty good. I've established some good relationships with other people in the pharmacy. I've missed being part of a team. When you work with the same people all the time in a tiny space you get to know each other pretty well.

Lately I've been able to do a lot of blister packing which is something I love. I'm hoping they will want me to the majority of in the future. That would be ideal for me.

I'm already getting nicknames. Mostly things like "the pep squad" and the "cheering section". I am the person who keeps a calm head in the crazy times and says ridiculously silly things all the time to make people laugh to cut the tension. It's the roll I like to take in the working environment I guess. I like to build good relationships with people I work with.

There are definitely still times when I'm not loving it but overall its starting to get better as I get back into the swing of things. I'm still trying to absorb as much as I can as quickly as possible. These technicians are amazing. The best I've ever worked with. The pharmacists have it made. I'm learning a lot and hopefully in the future I can apply some of these skills to something else because even though I like my job I know pharmacy isn't where I want to be deep inside. It's perfect for this year as I prepare for Australia though.

On A Side Note...

Thank you America for voting Barack Obama in as your president!

Chicken Wangz Are Back!

BF and I used to go for chicken wings every Thursday with friends. We probably did it for over a year before I got tired of the pubs we went to and so we started doing wing night at home. A few weeks ago there were no chicken wings at the grocery store so I picked up some frozen guys that you just pop in the oven.

They were disgusting! Nothing beats making them by yourself. People who are eating these boxed wings..... stop!! We've been so turned off we haven't been able to eat wings for a month! We didn't even eat many of the wings I bought. They all went in the trash can.

Tonight I've decided to grant BF's wish to go back to the Pub for one night of delicious wing goodness. He's really happy. So he'll pick me up after work and we'll go together to meet friends. I can't wait to have my lemon pepper wings. Yum. BF prefers "tough man" wings. Haha

BF loves having wing night on Thursday. He says it gives him something to look forward to near the end of the work week, lol. Hopefully these wings will inspire him to start making them at home again because I miss the deep fried broccoli he makes to go with.

Happy Hump Day

The week is half over and I'm ready to get the rest over and done with. On to payday Friday I say!

Tonight we had an unexpected family dinner out. I got a text message from my aunt who is visiting from Ontario today to come out for Mexican. My grandfather, some aunts and cousins were there. BF and I went and had a really good time for $20/person. I picked up the tab because I forgot my wallet the other day when we went out on his birthday (yes, I know.... I'm a dumbass.. how bad is that?).

Flu Season

Last Tuesday my pharmacy held a flu clinic at $25 a shot. It was a very hectic and crazy day. At the end of it I just wanted to run away. Today we are holding another clinic and it will be the final one.

There has been some pressure from some other pharmacy staff to get the shot done. I know my boss and his wife (both pharmacists working in the dispensary) both feel very strongly about getting the shot done.

While some people have decided to get it (free for RX staff) others have decided not to. I am not going to get the shot. I keep getting asked about it but I'm standing firm. I never get flu shots done. I don't really like the idea of it. Growing up my parents didn't seem to care either way and my doctor has never felt that strongly about it. I like that about my doctor. He gives me the information and then lets me make my own decisions on everything which I think is great.

While I have heard some good points about getting the shot done I'm still not doing it. To be honest I'm more into holistic healing and natural alternatives. While I see both sides of the spectrum I am very cautious about what goes into my body. I don't even use anything when I have a headache. I'm a firm believer in drinking a big glass of water instead.

I know that if I change my mind I can probably get it done free still through the health clinic because I have asthma. So the option is still there. I just refuse to be talked into it when I wasn't going to do it in the first place. It's kind of awkward debating it at work but it's not going to make me change my mind.

So what about you? Are you getting a flu shot this year?

$4 Staff Love?

When I signed all the paperwork for my current job I was kind of thrown off guard by the last paper in the bunch. It was a permission form for whether or not to have $4 deducted from your paycheck to go towards the staff fund. Hmm...

The form stated the fee was $2 for part time employees or $4 for full time. The money goes towards staff parties, birthday card, condolence cards, flowers for sick staff etc. The money is deducted each cheque (biweekly).

At first when I saw it I was not going to fill it out at all. Then I started to think about it and I started to feel like I should. I mean I'll probably get to know these people pretty well over the next year. I know that if you are a staff member that pays the into the fund you get into all staff events free. Not that I really care that much because I'm not really a staff event kind of person but maybe I'll feel differently later. It kind of stumped me but I decided to be a good sport and sign the form.

So if I work there for a year thats $104 of my hard earned buckaroo's. I want to seem like a team player and so I don't mind the fee but part of me feels like its kind of a waste of money. I don't want to be a person who cancels the deductions either.

What would you have done if you were in my shoes?

Turned Down the Hospital Job Offer

So I just got off the phone with the lady in hiring at the local hospital. She called to tell me she is having a problem getting a hold of one of my references. Hmm... maybe because she's trying to call the business we no longer work at rather than the home number I supplied on my references... geez.

After talking things over with BF and my mom I had already decided that the offer was not for me. I would have to start casual and then work up to part time permanent which can take up to a year. The pay is good but you are on call every day. I don't like that. Some of the hours start pretty early and would be really inconvenient for me since I take the bus so I would have to cab there. Yikes! That could seriously off put some of the money I'd be making. Also, there are no benefits. This job would take a few years to get me anywhere which is time I just don't have right now. It would be a great stepping stone to other hospital positions once I gained seniority which is why it killed me to turn her down.

She was rather rude sounding when I did though. I was honest and told her that over the weekend we had talked about it and I am not in a position financially right now to take on the job and that lack of a vehicle would make things very difficult. Then I said I hoped it wouldn't impede me from applying there in the future.

She responded with something like I'd better be sure of what I wanted next time I applied as to not waste people's time. WTF?!?! OK, I interviewed Thursday. She was away all weekend. It's Monday morning at 9:30am. It was the soonest I could have let her know anyways. Besides, when I applied it was for full time and when she called me she said full time. Then later she told me it was casual.

What can you do? I think I handled everything well. I was honest and straight forward. It's not like I was hired and then didn't show up or anything. Some people!

Happy Birthday to the Sexiest Guy I Know

It's BF's birthday today. Last night he had me make him a dessert I had never heard of before. I made an Oreo Pudding Pie and it was pretty good but not my kind of dessert. BF loved it and thats what counts. I even lit some candles and sang happy birthday.

Today he's not giving any clues as to what he wants for his birthday dinner. I have no idea what to make him. I offered to take him out but he says he's happy with leftovers. Bah! No leftovers on birthdays, thats what I've decided. He's picking me up after work so I'll have to figure it out by then.

We're dropping our pumpkins off at Sleepy Hollow tonight (I'll post some pics later if they are all lit up when we go). Then I plan to steal him off to dinner.

He was so excited to open his gift this morning that he didn't even wake me up. I heard him taking it out of the box. It's a remote control flying helicopter and he charged it up and played with it before going to work. Men are just boys but taller and hairier.

I hope I'm feeling better by tonight. I've been feeling really tired and have had a lot of headaches the last few days. I've been trying to rest and drink a lot of water.

November TCOB

Hello November. Want to be friends?

I am thinking November and I are going to get along great. I have some big plans to get my financial house of chaos back into smooth running order. Over the next two months I'm going to wipe out the last of my debt entirely. I desperately want to be debt free for the new year. Last year I became consumer debt free and this year I will destroy those nasty student loans and be completely out of the financial grave!

Financial Goals

As of today my student loans stand at $1734.24. It's going to take some heavy debt payments to get rid of this bitch before the end of the year. Luckily I am in a position now to get this done. I am hoping to pay off a total of $1200 this month in two $600 installments. It's going to be a challenge for me but I'm determined.

I am not going to commit myself to any other obligations financially until this is debt is done. 2009 will be the year to save. 2008 is the year to become debt free. I feel good about this choice.

Personal Goals

Take learners test again on or before November 15th. I get that day off with pay instead of November 11th. It would be a great day to get the test done. I have been slowly reading the learners manual and occasionally taking the online practice tests so far. I plan to keep doing this to prepare myself for the test.

Talk to my family about having a monthly dinner and game night for everyone. BF has made me realize how important family is and we've been spending more and more time with everyone. He feels its my role in the family to bring everyone together and make these things happen. I think he's right. When I think back over the last year or so we've really made the push to make things happen with everyone and it really makes me feel good. We only have one year left until Australia and I want to make every moment count.

Create a chore list for myself. I notice other bloggers come up with weekly chore lists for themselves where they designate each day of the week to a different chore. I'm going to try this out.

Organize family Christmas plans. I believe my mother is hosting dinner but there is also the gift exchange to keep in mind. Usually we buy for our parents and any kids and then draw for siblings. I like this tradition. It saves a bundle and nobody feels financially strapped. I want to get this decided in November to avoid the crunch and stress of December shopping.


My November goal list is a lot shorter than other months but very specific and directed towards getting me onto the right path to make the new year amazing.

October Goals Review

Personal Goals

• Reserve for BF's birthday - DONE. The entire weekend was an amazing success. Yay!
  
• Host Thanksgiving Dinner/Birthday Party (there are 6 family bdays being celebrated) DONE. Dinner was great and it was a fun evening with family.
  
• Send handmade "I love you" card to two friends (didn't do this last month) - NOPE. Geez, I'm a bad friend.
  
• Reorganize and set up personal office - NOPE. This room is starting to mock me as I walk by. Hmmm.
  
• Find out about changing spelling of business name - NOPE.
  
• Book off two days for birthday fun - SORTA. I was only allowed one day.
  
• Decorate house for Halloween Spookfest ( I love trick or treaters) and Family game night. - Yes, well I did decorate but there was no game night because I had to work until 730.
  

Financial Goals

• Save $100 for Australia - NOPE.
  
• Pay off a minimum of $200 on Student Loan (I'm going to aim higher but we'll see). NOPE
  
• Purchase bus pass to save $$$ since new job is across town - Wasn't necessary.
  
• Bag lunches everyday! - UM..... shoot.
  
• Assign everyone a food to bring to Thanksgiving (already figured this out weeks ago) DONE
  
• Shop with a budget for Halloween ( I go a little crazy) DONE!!
  

The Butterfly Award

Thank you Arual for selecting me as one of your two choices for the Butterfly Award. I'm very touched to be given this award and will display it as a permanent feature on my blog.

Arual and Canadian Saver (Arual's other choice) are my two favorite bloggers in the PF blogosphere. While I love so many of you dearly, these two have hit a special place in my heart.

I feel some sort of cosmic connection with Arual and am happy that we have found each others blogs and have been able to support each others aspirations and successes.