broke broke broke

I hate it when someone says, "I'm so broke" when they have like $500 in the bank. When I say "I'm so broke" that usually means that I have like $1.50 in the bank, ha. Which is really horrible, I know.

I should save money, blah blah blah... but what good is a savings account if I die tomorrow? Is anyone going to say, "It's a shame she's gone... she had $5000 in savings." Umm No, probably not. If I do save money, it's for a specific purpose.

I don't have a problem not having a savings account... my problem is the credit card debt. Why on earth was I ever so stupid to even get a freaking credit card? I don't care what anyone says, having good credit is not all it's cracked up to be. It just leaves you with $7000 in debt, making the minimum payments every month hoping you'll run into a bunch of money and pay it all off. Soo I chopped one of my credit cards into little bitty pieces and I am working up the nerve to do it to the rest of them.

I'm tired of stressing about it... there are a lot of people in worse situations than me, so who cares. I've learned my lesson... don't buy things you can't afford. Don't allow yourself to pay for groceries and gas with your credit card because it's a downward spiral...

So pretty much I have to get part time job (BLAH) so that we can kick this debt in the arse. So I'm going to be going to school full time, working part time... and not seeing my precious Aidan as much as I want to. Only temporary, though.

Well now that you all know my financial situation (which Josh is going to kill me for, lol. He hates it when I share that sort of thing) I suppose I ought to shut up.

Treen

Dear Dustin King,

Dustin,

I don't know who you are, but apparently you had my cell phone number before I did. And even though it has been well over a year since I've had this number, I still get calls and texts for you. It seems you were quite the ladies man. Let me share a recent conversation via text messages I just had with what I assume is one of your many she-admirers:

Person: Dustin?
Me: Wrong number. (This seems simple enough, should be the end of the conversation, right? Wrong.)
Person: This isn't Dustin King? (Ok, seriously? Do you think giving me the last name is going to change anything? My theory is that you are a psycho-obsessed teenage girl that poor Dustin King slept with once, and now you are stalking him. Here's the thing: THIS IS MY PHONE NUMBER NOW. NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU CALL IT, IT IS NEVER GOING TO BE DUSTIN KING'S NUMBER AGAIN! EVER!)
Me: No, I have had this number for over a year now. If you talk to this Dustin person, would you please tell him to inform everyone that this is no longer his phone? I am tired of getting his calls. (This took two text messages to send.)
Person: Sry (How mush work is it to throw in an extra "or"? So, you're "sry"? Well, you certainly should be "sry", because this conversation should have ended after your first text message. And I am not much of a texter, I don't even have a texting plan on my phone(MY phone, NOT Dustin's), therefore... each text costs me $0.20. Your stupidity officially cost me $1.20, so thanks a lot.

So Dustin, as horrible as I feel for you that you have a stalker, I really can't get involved - I have enough drama in my own life. Could you please inform everyone you know that you have changed your number? Thanks so much.

Trina Okerson

Nightlife and Chucky Cheese

Long time no post, right? I am so horrible about it! It's been pretty crazy lately with school and having a two-year-old. Now I'm on spring break, so yay!! I have been working so hard to keep a 4.0 GPA, and I don't even know why... I should be lazy and settle for B's, lol.

I get so annoyed at my friends who don't have kids sometimes. I mean, of course I occasionally want to get a sitter and go out drinking... but why can't my friends occasionally do something that's kid friendly? I love my son, and I love taking him places... and I don't want to be away from him every weekend! I know that's hard for some people to comprehend, but come on!! Invite me to a park, or the zoo... or Chucky Cheese! I mean, it would still be fun! A different kind of fun, yes... but still good! Get to know Aidan, he's a funny, cute kid.

If you have a friend that has a baby, keep in mind that though they will certainly want a break every now and then, they also want to feel like you are happy to go some place kid friendly, and will be ever so grateful if you can just laugh it off if their kid is sleepy and throws a horrible temper tantrum in the middle of a restaurant. Saying things like, "That's why I don't want kids," is just going to hurt their feelings, so keep that thought to yourself! All they hear when you say things like that is, "Wow, you're kids a brat and I don't want to be seen with him/her." And just because their child seems to be cranky when you're out, it doesn't mean they're like that all the time... all mothers want their friends to adore their children, so be supportive and try to make time for your friend AND their little one(s)!

Okay, sorry for my rant!

"Treen"

My Mom

Looking back to childhood, why is it so much easier to see all the bad over all of the good? It's like when some is wearing a crisp, clean new shirt and all you can see is the stain on it's collar. I could tell you, off the top of my head, 10 things that my mom did that embarrassed and upset me when I was an adolescent, but have to think long and hard to remember the good things.

I had a mom that made play-dough with us, let us decorate our own cookies, stayed up all night to make new curtains for our rooms out of fabric especially picked out to match our personalities and interests, took us on spontaneous trips to the park, never bought herself anything so that she could buy more things for us, and let us get away with much more than we should have gotten away with. Yet I look back and remember all of the bad things.

I always needed someone to blame for my problems, and she was so convenient. She had problems, addictions. She had ups and downs.

I didn't have a perfect childhood, but it was far from being bad. I want to concentrate on all the good memories I have; all of the many happy times.

My mom hasn't had a drink in over a year. My mom hasn't smoked a cigarette in 7 weeks. This may not seem like much, but it is. I'm so proud of her... so ashamed of how I used to think about her and treat her. But I was young, and I can't judge myself too harshly for it.

My mom helped shape me, and I love her. She's not perfect, but I love that about her.