it's been a while since i last wrote..quick update:
1.) i'm officially moved and in austin
2.) two days after I (we) moved, roommates and i discover there are a crapload of fleas biting the crap out of us and then find out our landlady KNEW about it! just a day before we moved in (20 days after we were ORIGINALLY supposed to), she tried to exterminate them and two days later they showed up again....sneaky.
3.) homesick
4.) temping at UT's bookstore. i kinda like it..oddly. it is 8:30-5:30 on most days but it's fun..reminds me of what i already do..but in a bookstore haha.
5.) seeing everybody buying books makes me want to buy textbooks toooooo...i wrote some of the ones i want to read already.. ;)
street team is underway.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Food Stamp Diet
About a year ago, when I was living in NYC and literally eating ramen noodles for days and days at a time I came upon this great article via The Gothamist called The (Organic) Thrifty Food Plan Challenge. Basically, it was inspiration from the USDA's Thrifty Food Plan (I'll provide link later) about how to provide healthy meals (mostly for children) on three types of budgets: liberal, moderate, low-cost. The last being more along the lines of food stamp aided budgets.
Honestly, I was pretty intrigued and I tracked Rebecca's progress in her challenge to eat organically on a budget of 320.80/mo for TWO adults. Her budget and inspiration also came from a recent article of the time about a few Congressmen who tried to live on the budget laid out by the USDA found below. The twist is that their budget was $21, the avg. amount of money given out by foodstamps per person/week :
So anyways, everyone who tried to do this seemed to succeed, and while sometimes difficult it is very doable. I found three blogs who fully documented everything they did and I really want to try this for several different reasons. It's a peek into how the other half lives and everyday struggles to put food on the table for a family (this will be slightly easier because I am just one person). Secondly, it will help me budget AND find ways to eat healthier. Now that I'm on my own it will be easier for me to try this. It will enable me to learn how to make inexpensive staples into something tasty. I will be forced to plan ahead and at times improvise.
Money is tight everywhere. Me, especially, but also with my parents. My mom was forced into early retirement because the land her washateria is on was sold and her landlord is not building another washateria. I don't want to ask for her help financially anymore, especially when I'm 22 and totally capable of living on my own financially by just learning how to budget and live within my means.
This will be tough because out of everything, I'm pretty liberal with grocery expenses..gotta stop that.. Wish me luck!
Honestly, I was pretty intrigued and I tracked Rebecca's progress in her challenge to eat organically on a budget of 320.80/mo for TWO adults. Her budget and inspiration also came from a recent article of the time about a few Congressmen who tried to live on the budget laid out by the USDA found below. The twist is that their budget was $21, the avg. amount of money given out by foodstamps per person/week :
Click for larger size.
So anyways, everyone who tried to do this seemed to succeed, and while sometimes difficult it is very doable. I found three blogs who fully documented everything they did and I really want to try this for several different reasons. It's a peek into how the other half lives and everyday struggles to put food on the table for a family (this will be slightly easier because I am just one person). Secondly, it will help me budget AND find ways to eat healthier. Now that I'm on my own it will be easier for me to try this. It will enable me to learn how to make inexpensive staples into something tasty. I will be forced to plan ahead and at times improvise.
Money is tight everywhere. Me, especially, but also with my parents. My mom was forced into early retirement because the land her washateria is on was sold and her landlord is not building another washateria. I don't want to ask for her help financially anymore, especially when I'm 22 and totally capable of living on my own financially by just learning how to budget and live within my means.
This will be tough because out of everything, I'm pretty liberal with grocery expenses..gotta stop that.. Wish me luck!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
I'm obsessed with the Olympics!
Who isn't?! I really am not a big fan of Michael Phelps but what I've watched over these few days have truly amazed me..so did the Jamaican guy who just ran 100m faster than it takes me to walk from my room to my mom's room!
I've never been as intrigued with the Olympics as I have been this year. It started with the Opening Ceremony and I watched so many exciting sports! I never watch sports!! I watched fencing, beach volleyball, waterpolo, ping-pong(!!!), swimming, track&field, rowing, diving, synchronized diving, basketball, and softball. There are a few others I'm sure I missed, but they were all exciting. It was really great to here the stories about some of the Olympians, and what they had to endure to get to where they were. So many touching stories and stories of showmanship. So many amazing stories, I love a good comeback and there were a lot of them in this year's Olympics.
Weee! I also liked how two Vietnamese ladies played some intense ping-pong for the US Team.
I've never been as intrigued with the Olympics as I have been this year. It started with the Opening Ceremony and I watched so many exciting sports! I never watch sports!! I watched fencing, beach volleyball, waterpolo, ping-pong(!!!), swimming, track&field, rowing, diving, synchronized diving, basketball, and softball. There are a few others I'm sure I missed, but they were all exciting. It was really great to here the stories about some of the Olympians, and what they had to endure to get to where they were. So many touching stories and stories of showmanship. So many amazing stories, I love a good comeback and there were a lot of them in this year's Olympics.
Weee! I also liked how two Vietnamese ladies played some intense ping-pong for the US Team.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Donating a Kidney v. 2.0
Well, after much discussion among the family, my cousin and my aunt decided to turn down my kidney. I can't say I was completely shocked, but I was. My aunt and I have had a really turbulent relationship in recent years due to some conflicting social viewpoints. It was really stupid but we both hold long grudges. I got over it a long time ago, but she never has. A part of me would like to believe that the reason why she's not letting me donate is out of concern, but the other part of me believes it is her stubbornness that is not allowing her to accept anything from me- even at the risk of her own child's health.
*Sigh*
P.S. I'm still unemployed but here's my blog for when I'm not unemployed.
*Sigh*
P.S. I'm still unemployed but here's my blog for when I'm not unemployed.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Friday, August 1, 2008
Donating a Kidney
Today my mom was on the phone with my Aunt and she was telling my mom about one of my cousins who is about to have surgery for dialysis. He's been having kidney problems for awhile and the only other potential family donor ended up having diabetes and couldn't donate. I chimed in that I would donate if it would help me loose weight. It started out as a joke but then I totally believed it would be the right thing to do. I believe we share the same blood type, and my Aunt told me if I was serious that my other Aunt would legitimately fly me down to Belgium to have surgery. That made my heart skip a beat because I really am scared about surgeries, but it made me think more so I started researching online.
The last surgery I had was December 1999 I think. It was for my ankle surgery and it was the worst time of my life!! So much pain..it made me afraid of everything and here I am contemplating another major surgery. However, now the pain would be worth something- to save my cousin's life. I am not afraid of death because Kidney donation is really low risk but I'm afraid of the prodding and the pain and the long recovery time..I have to start working in October. I think I can do it if I take it easy since that is a VERY SELFISH reason to not save my cousin's life. I know my Aunt would pay my rent and she would even pay me for the time I'd have to miss work, if I had to miss work, but I surely don't want to. I think it'll be okay.. it is just MAJOR surgery and I'm afraid for selfish reasons you know.
Any tips advice? You know where to find me.
The last surgery I had was December 1999 I think. It was for my ankle surgery and it was the worst time of my life!! So much pain..it made me afraid of everything and here I am contemplating another major surgery. However, now the pain would be worth something- to save my cousin's life. I am not afraid of death because Kidney donation is really low risk but I'm afraid of the prodding and the pain and the long recovery time..I have to start working in October. I think I can do it if I take it easy since that is a VERY SELFISH reason to not save my cousin's life. I know my Aunt would pay my rent and she would even pay me for the time I'd have to miss work, if I had to miss work, but I surely don't want to. I think it'll be okay.. it is just MAJOR surgery and I'm afraid for selfish reasons you know.
Any tips advice? You know where to find me.
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