The specs:
Mom's house will be a one story, 900 sq. ft. cottage with straw bale infill walls. "Infill walls" means the straw itself won't be load bearing, the roof will rest on wood framework as well as four columns situated in the central area of the house which will also support interior walls. Darling is calling the foundation design a "tic-tac-toe" pattern, which means nothing to me, but has to do with the combining of traditional pier-and-beam with the column plan and is intended to maintain the integrity of the roof.
The entry of the house is on the northwest wall and leads straight into the living room. The small kitchen, situated in the southwest, is separated from this common area only by an island with a sink and dishwasher. East of the kitchen is a small laundry area, closet and storage space, and home to the two water tanks.
The bathroom shares a wall with the laundry room to make for easier plumbing and is easily accessible by all rooms.
In the northeast corner of the house sits the large bedroom and its sizable closet. Why my Mom, a practical hermit, wants such a huge bedroom is beyond me. It's not at all as though she needs a place to get away...but whatever. I also didn't want to put her bedroom on the north side of the house, but in Texas we don't suffer winter winds much at all and we need as much southern exposure for the plumbing as possible. Also, that's where she wants her bedroom, so that's what she's getting.
My focus right now is partially on foundation and largely on plumbing, the latter of which has to be worked out before the completion of the former. And before we settle on plumbing, we have to work out whether we can/will/should hook up to the current septic system. Which is another post, methinks.
Lizzie wanted to know about permits. In Texas, the property owner is king. We can't build on a floodplain (we're building on a hill), and they're picky about septic systems (thus our plumbing concerns), but otherwise "they" could care less. Of course I have a meeting with some folks to confirm all this on Thursday after work.
I know this is partial and disjointed - but so is my knowledge. I wish it wasn't. Readers should totally check out Darling's new blog, though. Ask him all the technical stuff.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Earnings and Spendings
Today I transferred the majority of my savings into my checking account in order to purchase the trailer and hitch we'll be picking up on Tuesday. It looks like we'll make June's rent, but from now on we might have to put more thought into how much income we need.
Working on the farm isn't as profitable as I hoped. It earns a meager $8/hour and I work two five-hour mornings a week. That's $2 and 10 hours less than I was expecting, totaling only $280 a month.
Darling is working two days a week at the cafe, which will probably earn us a little more than $200 a month.
The car eats about $40 a week in gas just going to and from Austin. So we're looking at having a net income of about $240 a month. We need $400 a month to keep our room at the co-op, $80 to pay the phone bill, and $140 for student loans.
Since we'll be in town anyway, I e-mailed my boss about picking up shifts on Sunday and Monday. I might arrange with my boss at the restaurant to buy produce from the farm I work with, and might earn a small fee on the side to help pay for transport. In the meantime, I'm checking out the rideshare section of Craigslist. It looks like a lot of people are willing to share fuel costs to and from Austin. Even splitting the cost of gas one way could lead to substantial savings.
Working on the farm isn't as profitable as I hoped. It earns a meager $8/hour and I work two five-hour mornings a week. That's $2 and 10 hours less than I was expecting, totaling only $280 a month.
Darling is working two days a week at the cafe, which will probably earn us a little more than $200 a month.
The car eats about $40 a week in gas just going to and from Austin. So we're looking at having a net income of about $240 a month. We need $400 a month to keep our room at the co-op, $80 to pay the phone bill, and $140 for student loans.
Since we'll be in town anyway, I e-mailed my boss about picking up shifts on Sunday and Monday. I might arrange with my boss at the restaurant to buy produce from the farm I work with, and might earn a small fee on the side to help pay for transport. In the meantime, I'm checking out the rideshare section of Craigslist. It looks like a lot of people are willing to share fuel costs to and from Austin. Even splitting the cost of gas one way could lead to substantial savings.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Materials and Timing
I got two hours of sleep Wednesday night between attending the metal gig in Austin and heading to my farm job in Millican. I worked 7 hours, including a lunch break, and came home to find that we were stood up by the bulldozer operator.
I put a large tea bag in a quart of water and left it in the sun and lay out for a nap nearby (in a semi-shaded area). Darling came out and lie down beside me, and we both drifted into a heavy sleep when we were awoken by Mom asking us to make a major, immediate, financial decision about straw. After a brief bought of sleepy grumpiness and confusion, a deal was made.
I worked again the next day and came home to 200 bales of straw filling my Mom's carport.
Although we were all happy to have reached that milestone, it's not the one we wanted. We haven't broken ground yet and we have a $700 fire hazard on the porch. We have to keep it dry and safe until the trenches are dug, the plumbing set, the concrete mixed and poured, and the roof constructed! We're all pretty stressed out about it.
Darling and I drove back up this afternoon and slept. I'm so worn out, but it doesn't feel like we really did anything. I'm starting to really worry about rent, starting to wonder if purchasing the trailer is the best move ever.
Despite our frustration, we rescheduled to have B come and do the digging next Wednesday, but we got a referral for a local guy and will probably call him tomorrow. I'd prefer for him to do the job Thursday so we can be sure to have all the legal stuff worked out for the trailer before we have to head back to Mom's.
I put a large tea bag in a quart of water and left it in the sun and lay out for a nap nearby (in a semi-shaded area). Darling came out and lie down beside me, and we both drifted into a heavy sleep when we were awoken by Mom asking us to make a major, immediate, financial decision about straw. After a brief bought of sleepy grumpiness and confusion, a deal was made.
I worked again the next day and came home to 200 bales of straw filling my Mom's carport.
Although we were all happy to have reached that milestone, it's not the one we wanted. We haven't broken ground yet and we have a $700 fire hazard on the porch. We have to keep it dry and safe until the trenches are dug, the plumbing set, the concrete mixed and poured, and the roof constructed! We're all pretty stressed out about it.
Darling and I drove back up this afternoon and slept. I'm so worn out, but it doesn't feel like we really did anything. I'm starting to really worry about rent, starting to wonder if purchasing the trailer is the best move ever.
Despite our frustration, we rescheduled to have B come and do the digging next Wednesday, but we got a referral for a local guy and will probably call him tomorrow. I'd prefer for him to do the job Thursday so we can be sure to have all the legal stuff worked out for the trailer before we have to head back to Mom's.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Pipe Dreams
Today is a bit of a rest day. After a weekend of catching up with friends, laundry, the house, and driving around for free stuff and trailer research, I pretty much wiped out. We're going to a show tonight and driving to my Mom's house late tonight. Tomorrow morning I work on the farm, and Darling will be staying at the house to meet B, the guy digging out our foundation. The next step will be plumbing. We're of mixed minds in this matter. For obvious reasons it would be appropriate for us to have a professional plumber do this work, but the house is simple enough that we might be able to do it ourselves for the fraction of the cost.
Hiring the guy to bulldoze the land into shape took a certain amount of agonizing. On the one hand, we'd feel more hardcore if it was Darling and me, a couple of shovels, and a rudimentary level system. But that would have taken weeks, and God help us if we screwed it up at some point. How awful would it be to dig up about 720 sq. ft. of soil (mostly clay) just to find out we were a few feet off? Awful enough to pay a guy $600 to do it for us in a day. No amount of research or conversation could save us the misery that paying that guy could.
Plumbing, on the other hand, is slightly more forgiving. We might end up hurting ourselves or the lot, but slight mistakes won't be nearly as devastating. In this case, the money saved might be worth more than the energy spent on research and labor and fixing potential mistakes. We're giving ourselves two weeks to research plumbing and foundations, and then I want to pour by the 10th at the latest.
Hiring the guy to bulldoze the land into shape took a certain amount of agonizing. On the one hand, we'd feel more hardcore if it was Darling and me, a couple of shovels, and a rudimentary level system. But that would have taken weeks, and God help us if we screwed it up at some point. How awful would it be to dig up about 720 sq. ft. of soil (mostly clay) just to find out we were a few feet off? Awful enough to pay a guy $600 to do it for us in a day. No amount of research or conversation could save us the misery that paying that guy could.
Plumbing, on the other hand, is slightly more forgiving. We might end up hurting ourselves or the lot, but slight mistakes won't be nearly as devastating. In this case, the money saved might be worth more than the energy spent on research and labor and fixing potential mistakes. We're giving ourselves two weeks to research plumbing and foundations, and then I want to pour by the 10th at the latest.
Hauling Solution
Yesterday Darling and I drove out to Taylor to look at a homemade camper trailer selling dirt cheap on Craigslist, definitely one of those too-good-to-be-true ads. The trailer is the back part of a blue ford truck with a camper hood clamped on and a toolbox attached to the front hitch, fully wired and ready to go. We expected at least one flat tire, no back lights, and a structure weak with rust. That's what you find with about 95% of the best deals on the list.
To our very pleasant surprise, the tires looked great and it comes with a brand new spare and a jack. Although a bit rusty, the contraption is almost totally solid aside from a tricky door, and totally wired and ready for hook-up. It comes with a jack and is road ready, although we need to purchase a permit (about $40). We also have to get a trailer hitch for Lenore's '98 Cadillac, which fortunately has a ginormous engine. Sadly, the hitch will run us about $170, knocking the total price of this venture (including permit) to just under $500. But it will make building this house so much easier, it's been awful passing up so many great deals for lack of a truck. Speaking of which, I should probably call C and let her know we're picking it up Monday, and order a hitch.
To our very pleasant surprise, the tires looked great and it comes with a brand new spare and a jack. Although a bit rusty, the contraption is almost totally solid aside from a tricky door, and totally wired and ready for hook-up. It comes with a jack and is road ready, although we need to purchase a permit (about $40). We also have to get a trailer hitch for Lenore's '98 Cadillac, which fortunately has a ginormous engine. Sadly, the hitch will run us about $170, knocking the total price of this venture (including permit) to just under $500. But it will make building this house so much easier, it's been awful passing up so many great deals for lack of a truck. Speaking of which, I should probably call C and let her know we're picking it up Monday, and order a hitch.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Craigslist is boring
I've been checking Craigslist pretty much nonstop, obsessed with the Free, Materials, Tools, General (for sale), and Farm and Garden sections. So far we haven't had any luck besides some random bits of wood. Either stuff sells too fast or is too hefty to load into Lenore's car. We'll have to come up with a hauling solution soon.
Darling has decided to work on Mondays at the cafe. I'm hesitantly considering other earning opportunities for the Summer. My mindset has changed quite a bit in only a few weeks. Employment and income were the centers of my universe. When I wasn't working, I could think of nothing else but how to get the next paycheck. Now that is only an aspect of my life rather than a driving force. Which is very scary and liberating at the same time. Maybe I'm just jaded by the fact that I spend a good deal of time being absolutely terrified at the prospect of building a house. While earning rent is a priority, it pales in comparison to putting in a steady foundation.
But maybe fear isn't numbing me. I actually feel alive and vibrant and happy. It is as though my life was on hold for months, maybe years, and I'm suddenly living. Making rent is important, but not the highlight of my month. Every day offers new and exciting challenges and opportunities and risks. Paying the bills - or not - falls into those categories. So does getting ahold of some cheap rebar. The hunt for the latter is far more interesting.
Well, except for the craigslist part. Craigslist is boring.
Darling has decided to work on Mondays at the cafe. I'm hesitantly considering other earning opportunities for the Summer. My mindset has changed quite a bit in only a few weeks. Employment and income were the centers of my universe. When I wasn't working, I could think of nothing else but how to get the next paycheck. Now that is only an aspect of my life rather than a driving force. Which is very scary and liberating at the same time. Maybe I'm just jaded by the fact that I spend a good deal of time being absolutely terrified at the prospect of building a house. While earning rent is a priority, it pales in comparison to putting in a steady foundation.
But maybe fear isn't numbing me. I actually feel alive and vibrant and happy. It is as though my life was on hold for months, maybe years, and I'm suddenly living. Making rent is important, but not the highlight of my month. Every day offers new and exciting challenges and opportunities and risks. Paying the bills - or not - falls into those categories. So does getting ahold of some cheap rebar. The hunt for the latter is far more interesting.
Well, except for the craigslist part. Craigslist is boring.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Heartbroken
in 2004 I attended my elder brother's wedding in Grand Isle, Louisiana. It was one of the most pristine places I have personally witnessed. The tiny barrier reef island had no hotels, no fast food, only dozens of tourists and a hundred-year-old population of incredibly friendly locals, including my sister-in-law's family. I watched dolphins play in the surf from the clean sandy beaches and swore to return.
A year later Katrina hit and I was horrified to have lost my chance. But the town came back. When you hear about coastal villages on the news, especially after natural disasters, you only hear about rich people maintaining beach-side mansions. I don't know about the rest of Louisiana or the coast in general, but Grand Islanders were not rich. They were dirt poor. They had nothing but their heritage and a little bit of sand to call home. That's why they crawled back after Katrina, rebuilt their homes and the beach.
In 2009 I kept my promise and took Darling for his birthday. We stayed in a sweet little hotel and pitched our tent on the beach. We didn't have the sense to check the weather and had no idea we were less than a day ahead of Hurricane Ike. Watching the storm come in was one of the most beautiful nights of my life. The dolphins, the gulls, the people...once again I promised myself a return.
Grand Isle was evacuated the day before yesterday. The toxins from both the oil spill and the spectacular "dispersion" failure have rendered it unfit for human (or any) habitation for so long as any of us may live. I will never sit in the hot sand and dolphin-watch again.
I can't imagine what my sister-in-law is feeling. Nothing can fix this for her, for anyone. No amount of money, no number of volunteers, no executive apology or government takeover. It's gone.
I want someone to be punished, but who's to blame here? This could have happened to any company that was asked to provide a toxic substance in massive quantities to a desperately addicted population. The weirdest thing is that the only place that crap couldn't hurt anyone was underground the ocean floor. That oil isn't producing any less environmental devastation than if it had been used for its intended purpose!
This stuff is poison, on the beach or in our cars! Choking fish before or after it's been converted to plastic bags! What we're looking at is the concentrated evil, not spread out across the country but dumped, all at once, at our doorstep.
It hurts. It's impossible to comprehend. The weight of so many lives, human and otherwise. What we've stolen from future generations, my children...What we've stolen from our brothers and sisters around the world, from our neighbors...from ourselves. And all we can do is just keep on trucking, gritting our teeth and doing our best every single day because we don't have the right to do less.
A year later Katrina hit and I was horrified to have lost my chance. But the town came back. When you hear about coastal villages on the news, especially after natural disasters, you only hear about rich people maintaining beach-side mansions. I don't know about the rest of Louisiana or the coast in general, but Grand Islanders were not rich. They were dirt poor. They had nothing but their heritage and a little bit of sand to call home. That's why they crawled back after Katrina, rebuilt their homes and the beach.
In 2009 I kept my promise and took Darling for his birthday. We stayed in a sweet little hotel and pitched our tent on the beach. We didn't have the sense to check the weather and had no idea we were less than a day ahead of Hurricane Ike. Watching the storm come in was one of the most beautiful nights of my life. The dolphins, the gulls, the people...once again I promised myself a return.
Grand Isle was evacuated the day before yesterday. The toxins from both the oil spill and the spectacular "dispersion" failure have rendered it unfit for human (or any) habitation for so long as any of us may live. I will never sit in the hot sand and dolphin-watch again.
I can't imagine what my sister-in-law is feeling. Nothing can fix this for her, for anyone. No amount of money, no number of volunteers, no executive apology or government takeover. It's gone.
I want someone to be punished, but who's to blame here? This could have happened to any company that was asked to provide a toxic substance in massive quantities to a desperately addicted population. The weirdest thing is that the only place that crap couldn't hurt anyone was underground the ocean floor. That oil isn't producing any less environmental devastation than if it had been used for its intended purpose!
This stuff is poison, on the beach or in our cars! Choking fish before or after it's been converted to plastic bags! What we're looking at is the concentrated evil, not spread out across the country but dumped, all at once, at our doorstep.
It hurts. It's impossible to comprehend. The weight of so many lives, human and otherwise. What we've stolen from future generations, my children...What we've stolen from our brothers and sisters around the world, from our neighbors...from ourselves. And all we can do is just keep on trucking, gritting our teeth and doing our best every single day because we don't have the right to do less.
Home and Mom Notes
Since we're breaking ground on Thursday and have tickets to a show on Wednesday night, we're spending this week in Austin. It feels so good to be home! I came in last night and took out the trash and recycling and swept the kitchen floor. This morning I took out the compost, baked zucchini bread from a veg I picked on Friday, washed and hung two loads of laundry, drank two mugs of coffee and two glasses of water, and folded the linens while listening to NPR. I will be heading out to hang with friends shortly.
The past five days have been strange and emotional, but also good. My brothers and sisters are incredibly concerned about how Darling and I can get along with our Mom for so much of the Summer, and to be honest, so am I. She can be abrasive and belligerent at times, and often goes out of her way to push people away from her. Yet something Darling and I have noticed is that these aspects of her personality surface under certain conditions: when she is tired, hungry, stressed out, and taking certain pills and herbal remedies designed to modify her moods and behavior - she's bipolar and has several prescriptions, and Darling and I worry how they clash with her herbal remedies. When Mom makes the two hour drive to Austin, she is experiencing all of those conditions. My brothers and sister rarely go visit her, so they only ever experience Mom at her worst. Not that Mom is perfect in any context, but this week we all focused on getting enough sleep and eating well, and I think that made a huge difference for everyone involved.
Well, off to take out the bread and meet with friends. Hope everyone else is enjoying their spring!
The past five days have been strange and emotional, but also good. My brothers and sisters are incredibly concerned about how Darling and I can get along with our Mom for so much of the Summer, and to be honest, so am I. She can be abrasive and belligerent at times, and often goes out of her way to push people away from her. Yet something Darling and I have noticed is that these aspects of her personality surface under certain conditions: when she is tired, hungry, stressed out, and taking certain pills and herbal remedies designed to modify her moods and behavior - she's bipolar and has several prescriptions, and Darling and I worry how they clash with her herbal remedies. When Mom makes the two hour drive to Austin, she is experiencing all of those conditions. My brothers and sister rarely go visit her, so they only ever experience Mom at her worst. Not that Mom is perfect in any context, but this week we all focused on getting enough sleep and eating well, and I think that made a huge difference for everyone involved.
Well, off to take out the bread and meet with friends. Hope everyone else is enjoying their spring!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Building The House...or, um, we're getting there...
Tuesday we were late getting on the road because I was running around pretty much failing to do anything productive. At least it felt that way. We slept in, returned some late library books, ordered a box of contacts, picked up a disappointing check from trendjob, packed (at the last possible minute), and made a last minute call to a potential sub-letter.
We got to my Mom's in time to crash. The next morning she showed us where she wants her house. Half of the future site was located on land being leased out as pasture to the owner of a herd of longhorns. We spent the rest of the day contemplated this matter, buying groceries, barbecuing, borrowing a post-hole digger and t-stake hammer, and sketching plans.
Thursday Darling and I moved the fence. Many a lesson was learned in the process. The next day we witnessed a long horn test the fence, so I'm pretty proud of the results.
Friday I started my new job. I picked many, many pounds of numerous varieties of squash, two types of cucumber, zucchini, and several hundred tomatoes. I came home bone tired and yellow with pollen.
This morning we bought a 100 ft. measuring tape and some string, converted some 2x4's to stakes, and marked out a fairly precise outline of the house. We made some calls and have arranged for someone to come next Thursday to shoot the grade, level the property, and dig the trenches for us to lay the foundation.
Darling and I have decided to take the rest of the week off to scrounge around for materials (cement and mostly at this point) and research the coming steps.
We got to my Mom's in time to crash. The next morning she showed us where she wants her house. Half of the future site was located on land being leased out as pasture to the owner of a herd of longhorns. We spent the rest of the day contemplated this matter, buying groceries, barbecuing, borrowing a post-hole digger and t-stake hammer, and sketching plans.
Thursday Darling and I moved the fence. Many a lesson was learned in the process. The next day we witnessed a long horn test the fence, so I'm pretty proud of the results.
Friday I started my new job. I picked many, many pounds of numerous varieties of squash, two types of cucumber, zucchini, and several hundred tomatoes. I came home bone tired and yellow with pollen.
This morning we bought a 100 ft. measuring tape and some string, converted some 2x4's to stakes, and marked out a fairly precise outline of the house. We made some calls and have arranged for someone to come next Thursday to shoot the grade, level the property, and dig the trenches for us to lay the foundation.
Darling and I have decided to take the rest of the week off to scrounge around for materials (cement and mostly at this point) and research the coming steps.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Perspective
I spent a few hours with Lenore today. She is letting me take her car for the Summer, so I was helping her look over bus routes to her various medical appointments. Because of her location, just north of Austin, there is really only one infrequent bus, so every trip will take hours. This makes me so nervous, but also proud. She's embracing certain aspects of sustainability with ferocious attention lately: she is digging up much of the yard to put in edible plants and herbs, she is making her own balms, oils, and make-ups, she's crafting her own jewelry and art, she's meticulously careful about water, and she walked to the grocery store last week to do her shopping.
I'd like to claim good influence, but can't. First, I talk very little about environmentalism outside the confines of this blog. My sustainable journey saturates everything in my life, but I try to limit its influence on my conversation. Second, I personally think my little sister has bigger and scarier things to worry about right now than her carbon footprint. Although I'm trying to be as supportive as possible, I'm scared out of my mind that she'll hurt herself working in the yard (which has happened) or worse, carrying her groceries home!
What's really seems to drive her is the illness itself. It takes everything out of her, she's so exhausted and weak, and her reaction is to fight back with all her might. When she feels too sick to eat, she cooks and bakes. When she's too tired to sleep she works in the garden. She hasn't felt safe driving, but she'll hike an hour both ways to the store.
It puts...well, pretty much everything ever in perspective. I'm so proud of Lenore, and also so scared and sad for her. She's such a baby, only twenty-one. I can't wait until her treatment is finished in November. She's so hardcore now I can't imagine how hard she'll shake this world when she's at full strength.
I'd like to claim good influence, but can't. First, I talk very little about environmentalism outside the confines of this blog. My sustainable journey saturates everything in my life, but I try to limit its influence on my conversation. Second, I personally think my little sister has bigger and scarier things to worry about right now than her carbon footprint. Although I'm trying to be as supportive as possible, I'm scared out of my mind that she'll hurt herself working in the yard (which has happened) or worse, carrying her groceries home!
What's really seems to drive her is the illness itself. It takes everything out of her, she's so exhausted and weak, and her reaction is to fight back with all her might. When she feels too sick to eat, she cooks and bakes. When she's too tired to sleep she works in the garden. She hasn't felt safe driving, but she'll hike an hour both ways to the store.
It puts...well, pretty much everything ever in perspective. I'm so proud of Lenore, and also so scared and sad for her. She's such a baby, only twenty-one. I can't wait until her treatment is finished in November. She's so hardcore now I can't imagine how hard she'll shake this world when she's at full strength.
Paralyzed
I've been in an incredibly off mood lately. Downright grumpy, to be honest, and I'm having a hard time getting over myself. More time is spent justifying my irresponsibility and refusal to get out of bed in the morning (or go to sleep at night) than trying to tackle my mounting to-do list. In fact, this morning I woke up just dreading making that list.
Part of me is convinced that this is a state of mind needed to tackle this Summer. I'm laying low for my last few days in Austin before undertaking the biggest challenge of my life.
The more realistic part is recognizing that I am a big baby and need to get back on the ball.
This morning I enjoyed a hot shower, fruit and yogurt, and a few minutes of yoga and meditation. I don't feel better than I did yesterday, and I feel worse than the day before. But surely I can force myself out of this funk before we have to actually head out...
Part of me is convinced that this is a state of mind needed to tackle this Summer. I'm laying low for my last few days in Austin before undertaking the biggest challenge of my life.
The more realistic part is recognizing that I am a big baby and need to get back on the ball.
This morning I enjoyed a hot shower, fruit and yogurt, and a few minutes of yoga and meditation. I don't feel better than I did yesterday, and I feel worse than the day before. But surely I can force myself out of this funk before we have to actually head out...
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Cleaning Up
I'm doing some housekeeping here on The Challenge. Put up a new image, changed templates, updated my photo, and finally started cleaning up the tags. I have over 700 posts to go through to complete that last chore, but it will be well worthwhile to have the system actually make sense. Hopefully the final step will be learning to use the camera The Lost Goat gave me so I can have a grown-up blog once and for all.
One thing that surprised me going through the old posts was just how short some of my entries were. Sometimes less than a full paragraph, just a brief check-in with my blog peeps. I'll keep that in mind, because I'd rather have a daily "hello" than a bi-weekly essay.
Yesterday was my last official day on the schedule at trend job. I didn't quit and wasn't fired, and can pick up shifts whenever I want, which technically makes me a freelance waitress. I'll probably start my job on the farm next week, which is exciting. I can feel this total shift in how money comes into our lives. For the first time, we will be working and earning on our own terms.
One thing that surprised me going through the old posts was just how short some of my entries were. Sometimes less than a full paragraph, just a brief check-in with my blog peeps. I'll keep that in mind, because I'd rather have a daily "hello" than a bi-weekly essay.
Yesterday was my last official day on the schedule at trend job. I didn't quit and wasn't fired, and can pick up shifts whenever I want, which technically makes me a freelance waitress. I'll probably start my job on the farm next week, which is exciting. I can feel this total shift in how money comes into our lives. For the first time, we will be working and earning on our own terms.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
On Getting What You Pay For
Often said with a snort, "you get what you pay for" suggests that more expensive products are inherently more valuable. Most of the time I don't find this to be the truth. Thrift store buys and even free offers match or exceed the value of their boutique counterparts. A car borrowed for a road trip is just as reliable than a rental, a pair of jeans saved from a free pile fits just as well as new from the mall, a haircut from an experienced friends garners as much attention as a visit to the salon.
It's when we look at traditional retail outlets that getting what one pays for becomes a harsh reality. Why is there such disparity between thrift store quality and discount store quality? On the rare occasions I buy something new - such as the tennis shoes purchased only a few months ago from Target - the item in question falls to pieces long before the immensely cheaper thrift product does. My guess is that items that survive their first (second or third) owner in good enough condition to be donated are simply better made. Also, I'm able to afford better brands at Goodwill. Who on Earth would purchase White Stag or Faded Glory at the same price one can purchase GAP or Banana Republic?
Anyway, the inspiration of this post was an experience I had today "paying for what I got." Darling purchased a sweet little violin online. I'm fairly certain it was the cheapest he could find, probably not even a hundred dollars. While I'm incredibly grateful for the gift, it obviously needed some work. A number of musician friends recommended a nearby shop, so I finally took her in today.
The owner, S, looked over my little toy with a furrowed brow. He confirmed my suspicion that it was made in China, and slowly explained everything that needed to be repaired and why. The strings are useless and need to be totally replaced, the bridge isn't shaped to the violin, or at all, for that matter, and the tuning pegs, nut, and sound peg all need to be adjusted. He glanced at my bow and explained that somehow the hair is extremely old, but there would be no point in re-stringing because the stick is absurdly light and poorly designed.
Bringing my instrument up to spec will cost $96, not including the bow. S actually offered to loan me a bow and encouraged me to shop around for something affordable, as he doesn't have anything on hand within my price range. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to find one for about $150.
So all said and done, I'll have paid at least $300 for my violin, much more than I was planning on investing. But on the bright side, I'll know that it will play moderately well and have a potential teacher next fall who will know my instrument like the back of his hand. And after spending $300 on this baby, you know I'd better master it!
It's when we look at traditional retail outlets that getting what one pays for becomes a harsh reality. Why is there such disparity between thrift store quality and discount store quality? On the rare occasions I buy something new - such as the tennis shoes purchased only a few months ago from Target - the item in question falls to pieces long before the immensely cheaper thrift product does. My guess is that items that survive their first (second or third) owner in good enough condition to be donated are simply better made. Also, I'm able to afford better brands at Goodwill. Who on Earth would purchase White Stag or Faded Glory at the same price one can purchase GAP or Banana Republic?
Anyway, the inspiration of this post was an experience I had today "paying for what I got." Darling purchased a sweet little violin online. I'm fairly certain it was the cheapest he could find, probably not even a hundred dollars. While I'm incredibly grateful for the gift, it obviously needed some work. A number of musician friends recommended a nearby shop, so I finally took her in today.
The owner, S, looked over my little toy with a furrowed brow. He confirmed my suspicion that it was made in China, and slowly explained everything that needed to be repaired and why. The strings are useless and need to be totally replaced, the bridge isn't shaped to the violin, or at all, for that matter, and the tuning pegs, nut, and sound peg all need to be adjusted. He glanced at my bow and explained that somehow the hair is extremely old, but there would be no point in re-stringing because the stick is absurdly light and poorly designed.
Bringing my instrument up to spec will cost $96, not including the bow. S actually offered to loan me a bow and encouraged me to shop around for something affordable, as he doesn't have anything on hand within my price range. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to find one for about $150.
So all said and done, I'll have paid at least $300 for my violin, much more than I was planning on investing. But on the bright side, I'll know that it will play moderately well and have a potential teacher next fall who will know my instrument like the back of his hand. And after spending $300 on this baby, you know I'd better master it!
Any Time I Want
Sunday I managed to get off work a little early and clocked out at around midnight. On my way out I ran into a friend/coworker, N, who seemed to drunk to keep his eyes open. After trying to determine who his ride was, and receiving totally nonsensical responses, I assumed that no one would let him drive and headed out.
I ended up taking a quick detour to purchase emergency dental floss (because I am a nerd), and ended up passing work again on my way home. Glancing into the parking lot, I saw N attempting to unlock the driver's side of his SUV.
What followed was the longest night of my life. I drove him to his friend's house, expecting them to take charge of the situation, only to find them too wasted to recognize N's incoherency. At 3 a.m. I took N to my house, having collected a small entourage of his friends who still wanted to drink, in an attempt to make him crash on our futon. No luck. By four in the morning we were alone again, I had forced him to drink a cup of herbal tea, and I left him in the room with the lights off for twenty minutes, and the idiot still wanted to drive home. I distracted him further by taking him to Magnolia Cafe and feeding him, urging him to drink more water and tea.
By six in the morning he hadn't had a drink in a few hours and was still refusing to crash at my house. I had to catch a train to my sisters house for my regular Monday baby-sit, so I made a judgment call and let N leave.
The rest of my day was weird and disjointed. My sister-in-law was late picking me up from the train, and I felt sick and shaky waiting for her in the morning chill. The baby was grumpy and ravenous, no doubt going through another growth spurt, making nap time all but impossible. Especially after Lenore discovered a four-foot rat snake in her back garden. Lenore and I both have a deep, ingrained fear of snakes. It's not a phobia, and we've both battled this irrational emotion by forcing ourselves to own and care for snakes as pets, but we can't quite overcome the sense of dread that snakes invoke in us.
When I got home I crashed and slept for the rest of the day, while Darling, basically abandoned for the past two strange days, continued to study like mad for his physics final exam and cooked an elaborate Indian dish for the house. I woke up when he came to bed at midnight last night, and after he passed out I spent a couple of hours catching up on blogland before going back to sleep.
Having finally recovered, I'm incredibly frustrated by the events that occurred Sunday night and Monday morning. I resent losing most of Monday, my time with Baby-O and my connection with Lenore. More importantly, I can't believe the risk the bartender took over-serving N to that extent. That bartender put the entire company at risk, he put his own career in jeopardy, and N could have killed himself or someone else on his long drive home. All at once.
Last month Darling decided to abstain from alcoholic beverages. This was a personal choice on the part of my husband, a choice he made with neither explanation nor fanfare. I was quietly bothered by his course of action. After all, we hardly ever drink to begin with. Neither of us gets drunk more than, say, once or twice a year. We only buy alcohol to take to parties. If for whatever reason we borrow or drive someone's car, we do not touch alcohol under any circumstances. As far as I was concerned, why reject such an insignificant aspect of our lives (especially as I cultivate veganism)?
This weekend reminded me that although Darling and I are able to resist the disastrous affects of alcohol consumption, we are incredibly lucky. Both of our fathers' are alcoholics. Not only that, but some of our best friends in Virginia are active in AA! We know what alcohol abuse does to our friends and loved ones, and we know that the industry thrives on this devastation. And every time we take a drink despite this knowledge, we give our quiet permission. We put the blame on countless suffering individuals and assume that, for some reason, we are better and stronger than the victims.
Yeah, I can't let myself get away with that. Not while writing this blog. Exploiting human weakness is wrong, and corporations who make this their business model must be held accountable for their actions. Looks like I'll be sticking with lemonade from now on.
I ended up taking a quick detour to purchase emergency dental floss (because I am a nerd), and ended up passing work again on my way home. Glancing into the parking lot, I saw N attempting to unlock the driver's side of his SUV.
What followed was the longest night of my life. I drove him to his friend's house, expecting them to take charge of the situation, only to find them too wasted to recognize N's incoherency. At 3 a.m. I took N to my house, having collected a small entourage of his friends who still wanted to drink, in an attempt to make him crash on our futon. No luck. By four in the morning we were alone again, I had forced him to drink a cup of herbal tea, and I left him in the room with the lights off for twenty minutes, and the idiot still wanted to drive home. I distracted him further by taking him to Magnolia Cafe and feeding him, urging him to drink more water and tea.
By six in the morning he hadn't had a drink in a few hours and was still refusing to crash at my house. I had to catch a train to my sisters house for my regular Monday baby-sit, so I made a judgment call and let N leave.
The rest of my day was weird and disjointed. My sister-in-law was late picking me up from the train, and I felt sick and shaky waiting for her in the morning chill. The baby was grumpy and ravenous, no doubt going through another growth spurt, making nap time all but impossible. Especially after Lenore discovered a four-foot rat snake in her back garden. Lenore and I both have a deep, ingrained fear of snakes. It's not a phobia, and we've both battled this irrational emotion by forcing ourselves to own and care for snakes as pets, but we can't quite overcome the sense of dread that snakes invoke in us.
When I got home I crashed and slept for the rest of the day, while Darling, basically abandoned for the past two strange days, continued to study like mad for his physics final exam and cooked an elaborate Indian dish for the house. I woke up when he came to bed at midnight last night, and after he passed out I spent a couple of hours catching up on blogland before going back to sleep.
Having finally recovered, I'm incredibly frustrated by the events that occurred Sunday night and Monday morning. I resent losing most of Monday, my time with Baby-O and my connection with Lenore. More importantly, I can't believe the risk the bartender took over-serving N to that extent. That bartender put the entire company at risk, he put his own career in jeopardy, and N could have killed himself or someone else on his long drive home. All at once.
Last month Darling decided to abstain from alcoholic beverages. This was a personal choice on the part of my husband, a choice he made with neither explanation nor fanfare. I was quietly bothered by his course of action. After all, we hardly ever drink to begin with. Neither of us gets drunk more than, say, once or twice a year. We only buy alcohol to take to parties. If for whatever reason we borrow or drive someone's car, we do not touch alcohol under any circumstances. As far as I was concerned, why reject such an insignificant aspect of our lives (especially as I cultivate veganism)?
This weekend reminded me that although Darling and I are able to resist the disastrous affects of alcohol consumption, we are incredibly lucky. Both of our fathers' are alcoholics. Not only that, but some of our best friends in Virginia are active in AA! We know what alcohol abuse does to our friends and loved ones, and we know that the industry thrives on this devastation. And every time we take a drink despite this knowledge, we give our quiet permission. We put the blame on countless suffering individuals and assume that, for some reason, we are better and stronger than the victims.
Yeah, I can't let myself get away with that. Not while writing this blog. Exploiting human weakness is wrong, and corporations who make this their business model must be held accountable for their actions. Looks like I'll be sticking with lemonade from now on.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Sleepy Happy Post
Today I hung out with my Ob, Lenore, and Baby-O for much of the day, then spent the evening with some good friends. Even though I didn't actually work today (or yesterday, or the day before, for that matter), I feel absolutely and deliciously exhuasted.
Everyone is very interested in what Darling and I are going to do when we first get to the house. To be honest, I can't even begin to think of it. I just want to wrap myself in Austin, in the first heatwaves of spring, in the company of my friends and family. Call it procrastination. Heck, call it delusional. I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.
Everyone is very interested in what Darling and I are going to do when we first get to the house. To be honest, I can't even begin to think of it. I just want to wrap myself in Austin, in the first heatwaves of spring, in the company of my friends and family. Call it procrastination. Heck, call it delusional. I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
The Start of Year Four
Today I had a surprise day off. I celebrated by sleeping in and reading a bit, followed by some house chores. I got caught up in some co-op paperwork stuff, but eventually made it to the streets carrying my violin, a large jar of change, some library books, and some cash.
On the way to the violin repair shop, where I intended to have bridge of my new instrument shaped properly, it occured to me suddenly that I wanted perfume. The past several years I've mostly smelled like my workplace, so my personal scent has ranged from fried fish to coffee to beer. I looked across the street to South Austin Soap People and proceeded to investigate their handmade selection.
I sniffed at Bluebonnet, then something called "serenity," when I suddenly remembered a favorite scent of my childhood. "You don't have honeysuckle, do you?" I asked, and the owner pointed it out (right in front of my face).
I made the purchase and went on to the violin shop, which was closed. I headed across the street to St. Vincents charity shop and picked out a shirt, skirt, and a pair of shorts before heading on to the bank. I presented the teller with what was rest of the cash, four paychecks, and the large jar of change.
From downtown I went on to my brother's house, where I was offered spaghetti and time with the drooling baby. I hung out for a time with them, then headed home.
A hot bath, more time to read, and a dinner of rice and beans later, I'm feeling pretty amazing. I sat for a long time trying to think of something deep to write about the start of my fourth year blogging, but right now I don't have much to share but a heavy sigh of contentment.
On the way to the violin repair shop, where I intended to have bridge of my new instrument shaped properly, it occured to me suddenly that I wanted perfume. The past several years I've mostly smelled like my workplace, so my personal scent has ranged from fried fish to coffee to beer. I looked across the street to South Austin Soap People and proceeded to investigate their handmade selection.
I sniffed at Bluebonnet, then something called "serenity," when I suddenly remembered a favorite scent of my childhood. "You don't have honeysuckle, do you?" I asked, and the owner pointed it out (right in front of my face).
I made the purchase and went on to the violin shop, which was closed. I headed across the street to St. Vincents charity shop and picked out a shirt, skirt, and a pair of shorts before heading on to the bank. I presented the teller with what was rest of the cash, four paychecks, and the large jar of change.
From downtown I went on to my brother's house, where I was offered spaghetti and time with the drooling baby. I hung out for a time with them, then headed home.
A hot bath, more time to read, and a dinner of rice and beans later, I'm feeling pretty amazing. I sat for a long time trying to think of something deep to write about the start of my fourth year blogging, but right now I don't have much to share but a heavy sigh of contentment.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
May 2010 Net Worth
I can't say it was a hard month, but it could have been easier. I spent nearly a grand on a single tooth this month alone - and it's still not even capped. Due to the depth of damage, I need another $600 surgery to reveal enough bone to complete the procedure. Bleh. So despite the fact that I continued to balance two jobs, and Darling worked twice his usual hours, our savings was reduced by $876.86 to $2,858.07.
Even though I sent $350 to my student loan company, our debt decreased by only $121.76. Mostly because Darling set up another payment plan with the school. We paid half of his $604 tuition and owe the rest in July.
This gives us a net worth of -$9,345.34, which is $755.10 less than last month. Which is a little disappointing, but also not surprising. I don't think we've ever increased our net worth more than two months in a row. It is literally a two-steps-forward-one-back process.
I put a hold on transfers to my investments account for the time being, as getting the teeth fixed before they fall out is a priority. I also cut my weekly loan payment back down from $70 to $35.
In twelve days Darling and I will be hitting the road, so to speak, and my sister loaned us a vehicle to make this possible. What can I say about the rest of May, and our financial goals? Not a whole lot. Our entire life is shifting drastically, and the fact that we still have to worry about rent, bills, paying for food...It almost seems laughable. Maybe I'm just sleep deprived...
Even though I sent $350 to my student loan company, our debt decreased by only $121.76. Mostly because Darling set up another payment plan with the school. We paid half of his $604 tuition and owe the rest in July.
This gives us a net worth of -$9,345.34, which is $755.10 less than last month. Which is a little disappointing, but also not surprising. I don't think we've ever increased our net worth more than two months in a row. It is literally a two-steps-forward-one-back process.
I put a hold on transfers to my investments account for the time being, as getting the teeth fixed before they fall out is a priority. I also cut my weekly loan payment back down from $70 to $35.
In twelve days Darling and I will be hitting the road, so to speak, and my sister loaned us a vehicle to make this possible. What can I say about the rest of May, and our financial goals? Not a whole lot. Our entire life is shifting drastically, and the fact that we still have to worry about rent, bills, paying for food...It almost seems laughable. Maybe I'm just sleep deprived...
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