Today...

Feeling crappy and not too ambitious today, atleast physically anyway. It's humid and sticky here and I am just really tired for some reason.
But I am kind of excited, JJ is going for a job interview tomorrow. It's for the local Save A Lot, the job is unloading freight and possibly stocking shelves. His interview is for 10am tomorrow. The only down side to it, is if he gets the job it's all the way across the other side of town. He does have a bicycle for the spring, summer, fall months, we just arent sure about winter yet.

Other than that, I'm still waiting for our tax credit from buying the house to come. We filled out the taxes and filed them in late March, they asked for all kinds of additional stuff, which we sent them..mortgage interest statements for the last 8 years (we sent them for the last 10), insurance statements for the last 8 years, proof of residence, I can't remember all of it we had to send, but we send what was required and a few extras. We've called them a few times..and keep getting the same answer, they tell us that it sounds like we sent everything they needed, and that we should be hearing something soon. So we got a paper in the mail saying that we should hear something in 30 days, in 30 days we got the same paper. So we called, right now they are taking care of Aprils returns. We filed in March, but because they sent us a letter in late April asking for additional information and we sent it to them and by the time it got on someones desk and they opened it, it was early May. So they are considering our taxes as being filed in May. The guy my husband spoke with said that thousands tried to claim the home credit this year that weren't eligible (even some people living in prison filed for it). This clogged up the IRS trying to get through these returns. So anyone filing for the home tax credit is going to have their tax return severely delayed big time because they are going through every one of them with a fine toothed comb (just about as bad as being audited). We were so hoping it would come so I could fix the lattice and a board or two on the deck and stain and weather proof it while the weather is nice and warm. We also wanted to get our "home gym" room done, so we can exercise and get off some of this excessive weight and start feeling better. We do have the treadmill, however it's murder on my knees and ankles, someone told me what I need is a recumbent bike, and we both want a home gym center with weights too. Just the treadmill alone won't do it. There's also some painting in the house we would like to do, but that can wait some, but I would really like to get the deck and our "gym" room done now..but I just have to wait for the good old IRS. (sigh)

Hope he gets the job, Kids need the responsibility of a job IMO. Couldn't you drive him when the weather is not so good?

I am waiting on my New Home tax credit also, and we sent alot of stuff too. We even got audited.....hopefully it will come, but my CPA friend is telling me not to count on it anytime soon. It was supposed to be Direct deposited on the 23rd, now maybe the 9th, and then probably maybe never.

What a mess with the rebates! The not knowing what's going on is the worst part of that. I mean, did they reject your claim or are they just backlogged?

Kelly, If you want a cheap workout, buy a Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds DVD. I've been doing the 3 mile and the 4 mile for the past week and a half and it's totally non-impact. These tapes helped me lose 75 lbs a few years back, and I feel so great already, after just 7 workouts. Love, Love, Love them! Of the 2 I've been using, the 3 mile is actually more of a challenge for me, due to the use of the weights for arms.

They are backlogged. SO MANY people tried to claim who were renting, or in prison, or in public housing etc that it gummed up the system, anyone who is legally entitled basically got audited.....not that the IRS is a smoothly running system to begin with..

I have been enjoying the P90X shred....don't drink the juice crap, but the workout will kick your butt...it is high impact though..but works

I can't drive him Erin, we are a one vehicle family right now. But if he gets the job we'll figure out something by this winter.

As far as taxes go, the way it sounds we are getting a refund, but they can't tell us when. As Erin says they are severely backlogged. People claimed the credit who never purchased a house...so they are picking every claim apart and it's taking forever...

I'll check that DVD out...thanks!

Bleah, she has so many. I'll try to link to the ones I like. And I may order a newer one that includes some Pilates. My Amazon $ is burning a hole in my pocket.

I have and like this one. I sweat buckets:
http://www.amazon.com/Leslie-Sansone-Pounds-Super-Burning/dp/B000062XEJ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1280954006&sr=8-2

The 4 Mile: I have it and use it, but it takes more of a time commitment (close to 1 hour)
http://www.amazon.com/Leslie-Sansone-Pounds-Express-Challenge/dp/B00008DDJD/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1280954220&sr=8-21

I want to get this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Leslie-Sansone-Pounds-Express-Challenge/dp/B00008DDJD/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1280954220&sr=8-21

My day has been more cleaning, mostly. But it's starting to look like a normal house, not a construction zone. I'm happy with it.

We also scrubbed off the porch and washed one of the dogs. The other hid when she saw what we were up to, LOL. But I was hoping that a bath would make them more comfortable outside. They've got plenty of water and shade, but it's over 100 out there and I don't want them to be miserable.

As far as learning responsibility from working, I agree with you 100% Erin, he's probably not going to make much, or work a ton of hours. But I wanted him to get a job to spend some of his time doing something productive instead of hanging around town with his buddies all of the time. Not only that, but learning work ethic and responsibilities are the biggest reasons I was hoping he would get a job. When I was his age I was working after school everyday and on the weekends bussing tables at a busy family owned restaraunt in town. I did my homework when I got home at 10pm. On my days off I had a few $$ to go to the movies, or whatever and I appreciated the money that much more because I had worked to earn it.

KellyM wrote: When I was his age I was working after school everyday and on the weekends bussing tables at a busy family owned restaraunt in town. I did my homework when I got home at 10pm. On my days off I had a few $$ to go to the movies, or whatever and I appreciated the money that much more because I had worked to earn it.

I understand how that feels. While in HS, I did a lot of babysitting, and I remember one lady I sat for would go out every Friday nite and stay out until the wee hours in the morning... One Sat. morning I came home with a lot of money (50 cents an hour) and with my savings, had enough to go downtown (by bus) and by my first white Levi's which were all the rage at the time (I'm talking 1963!) It's a good feeling to make your own money... especially since my parents couldn't afford to buy me those things that I wanted to keep up with the in-crowd!

I wish him well, even if he only makes $50 a week, that's a heck of a lot more than he's got now, and it will give him (hopefully) a sense of accomplishment.

Do you have public transit in your area?

The only thing we have here is a taxi service. It would be worth it to me to pay for him to travel to and from work by taxi in the winter if he works just a few days a week. If he gets a job there, he may make friends with the other guys unloading freight and maybe be able to get a ride in the winter if he gives someone a few $$ for gas.

I loved working at the restaraunt when I was in highschool. My job was mostly bussing tables, but the resteraunt had the diningroom, the diningroom bar, and a seperate bar/club on the other side of the building, two convention rooms and a gift shop and I was always doing a little bit of everything. I loved dealing with people and making sure they were happy. I took pride in my work no matter what my task was. I want JJ to have that same sense of pride and accomplishment in his work no matter what he's doing.

He had the interview yesterday and they called him this morning, he got the job! He starts tuesday, so this tomorrow we're going to bring him to buy some black pants and some khakis, they provide a company polo shirt, and he can wear sneakers, they just don't want them wearing jeans. It's only 2 days a week right now, but when college goes back in they have one or two guys working there that will be leaving and he will get more hours. I can work his homeschooling hours around his work, but they still can't give him any more than 20 hours a week (student hours)during the school year.

Glad he got the job!
It will do him good to get out and meet new people, and learn more responsibiltiy.

Yay! Double good news today...hubby went to enter some reciepts and was balancing our checking account and....it looks like our tax return was deposited in our account! It wil probably take a couple days to clear, but at least we don't have to worry about it anymore and I can start doing something instead of being bored out of my mind around here...

Really? What was the date on your letter? OUr last one was the 9th,...Monday.
I want my money dammit,I mean, we are talking 8 Grand here.

I don't remember what the date was on the last letter we got. Hubby said that after the last time he called and we got the third one of their "We'll let you know something in 30 days letters" that he just started checking our account every Fri (which he does every other Fri anyway since it's payday). He knew that when they direct deposit a tax return that they usually do it on Fridays. As I mentioned above we filed in late March, but sometime in April they sent a letter asking for all kinds of additional information which we had to gather, send back to them and by the time it ended up on someones desk it was early May. Our return went through the Andover Massachusetts processing center. I don't know when you filed yours or where it was sent to be processed but that's what I can tell you about ours.

We filed Jan 5th, and got our first letter in March.....when we sent all the info. Our returns go to Austin tx.
It wasn't there earlier when I was paying bills, and I asked DH if he had seen a check in the mail and he said No. I did check all our accts, and it isn't in my checking, or our joint checking( dh doesn't have his own, I don't need the headache)....Oh well, I will call them on monday and bug them again

So hubby went to go pricing some stuff and to get JJ's paint for his room (JJ isn't here and doesn't know it yet) He wanted his room purple (that's right, I said purple) It's a dark rich grape colored purple,the color name is Sumptuous Purple, and he wants a zebra area rug, and a poster frame to put his Alice in Wonderland movie poster (the Johnny Depp one) I think it will actually look pretty cool if we can find the right stuff to decorate it. Tomorrow hubby and I are going to lunch, it's his birthday and he took the day off. We are going to go look at beds ( we have been sleeping on mattresses on the floor since we moved here because when we were moving our bedframe broke). Our mattresses that we have are also 10 years old because I bought them when I moved into the last house in 2000. We are also either going to get deck stain, or paint for the livingroom too. I told him probably the deck first while the weather is still warm. Hubby is going to be painting, touching up, etc the finished basement area and what will be our "gym".

Kris came back. He bought the paint for JJ's room, the recumbent bike, home gym, and a small TV for the home gym. Tomorrow will be getting ceiling paint, painting supplies, window shopping for beds. I will have no reason to be bored for quite a while now..

I love the purple with a zebra striped rug and that poster. Caly would die to have a room like that! I'm so glad you're doing it for him. He seems like a nice kid who deserves it.

I too love the purple and zebra strip area rug.

Sounds like DH has a lot of work ahead of him.... hope he at least gets his birthday off tomorrow!

All of the upstairs painting and redecorating is mine to do, Kris works Mon-Fri 60hrs week. He will be puttering on his stuff in the basement and the exercise/gym room, which I will help him with if he needs. He actually did take his birthday off tomorrow and we will be going to lunch shopping/window shopping.

As far as the rug for JJ's room, it all depends on what's available, it will either be zebra striped, black and white swirl rug, or black and white checked rug..whichever we can find.

whoo hoo, found a 5X7 zebra striped rug online regularly $121.00 right now they have a back to school promo code which knocks the price down to (get this) $54.45 and FREE shipping! Hubby is going to transfer the money to my account tomorrow so I can order it for JJ's room.

Bayley has a rug we got from Overstock, love it. We also have the Zebra striped curtains, comforter etc.....the walls are white though, she has black furniture, and I draw the line at my walls..LOL

haha, yeah I can understand that erin. Truth is, when JJ moves out , his room will be a guest room and I am going to have to paint over that purple. That should be fun...but for the last year or so that JJ's home, he will finally have a decorated room. Of course it will take a little time to get the bedding and curtains and what not together.

Amazon and overstock had a good selection when I was looking. Bayleys set was reasonable...$249 for the Bedding, and curtains....not bad really, The curtains are aheavy furry fabric, so they block out alot of light/heat/cold.