2 more days for charity blogging

I’m sitting here about ready to do a face plant on the keyboard. The time is only 9:45 A.M and I’m ready to turn off my computer and hybernate till my husband gets home from work.

This morning I found myself saying “I don’t need to get up. All I have to do is the dishes and exercise”. That is farther from the truth. I have to set up for January 1, 2010.

I don’t think that there are words to express how excited I am about the year long event. I know that it is going to be a lot of hard work. I know that there are going to be some people that are going to leave nasty comments.

I don’t care if people say anything negative. I simply want to give back to all the organizations that have helped me in my life.

Planning life with Associated Content

Life has really busy since MJ and I have been planning stuff. One of our favorite shows is The Amazing Race since both of us are adventurers. We also like America’s toughest jobs because it travels along the west coast.

So we now have a large map of the world on our wall. We would love to travel locations around the world and produce video on it. Till our dream ship comes in, we will just plan one trip a year. MJ has never seen the hot spots of Southern California, so I’m doing what I can to save money for a trip to Los Angeles, along with saving up money for my 3 Day Walk against Breast Cancer.

So my plan is to produce informative articles on Associated Content, create fun items in Second Life, sell things on Ebay, and take up extra side jobs. My goal right now is to earn $10,000 by September 2009 for charity and travel.

Here is what I have been working on:
Jobs for Stay at Home Moms and Dads

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1131250/jobs_for_stay_at_home_moms_and_dads.html?cat=31

Festive Myspace Hanukkah Graphics Online

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1120144/festive_myspace_hanukkah_graphics_online.html?cat=15

Why Sarah Silverman is a Good Role Model

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1116787/why_sarah_silverman_is_a_good_role.html?cat=49

Sam and Dean go B/W on CW

It’s another episode of the Winchester brothers. Same and Dean head to Pennsylvania to track down a story of a vampire. That’s right it’s not demon dogs, evil witches, and hell bent demons this week.

CW really should have saved this episode for the day before Halloween. Viewers took a flash back to the late 30′s when evil lurked around as Vampires, Werewolves, and Mummies. Of course minus the HD that we have today.

I really hope that this show doesn’t end any time soon. I just have this nasty feeling though that in the end they are going to pit brother against brother.

Oh and if you don’t get Sam and Dean’s reference to Porky’s II. Check this out.

Calculations of Associated Content

Now that I have settled on a few social networks to deal with. I’m actually wondering if someone could make a living off of writing. I’m definately not a problogger or accomplished writter but I do have twenty six years of wisdom. Well, I wouldn’t call it wisdom but it’s twenty six years of life experiences.

I’m sure I could put twenty six years of life experiences into words to help fellow readers and writers on Associated Content. Plus I just realized that I had started a book and need to continue it on Associated Content. You can read the beginning page.

Anyways, to make a meager income I would need to have nearly 63,000 views each month. This of course can be done several ways. There is a possibility that this can be done since there are 16,000 people on Associated Content.

• Having 378 visitors on the 165 posts that I have made each month.
• Writing 2100 articles and having one visitor to each article each day.
• Any variation to obtain 63000 page views each month.

If every single member visited one of my 165 posts then there could be an income of $4220.00 Of course this is only dreaming. The best thing that I look forward to is networking with all the writers and readers. The chance to share experiences, creativeness, and banter. That’s really what life is all about.

Becoming Independent

With the way the economy is today, I’m really considering becoming an Independent Contractor. Most people know us as work at home moms, entrepreneurs, and small business owners.

I hope that I’m ready for this because there is a lot of research and work ahead. Independent Contractors have to establish their own contract, produce flyers, produce business cards, set up advertising, speak with an income tax advisor and basicly hit the ground running.

The Pros:

• Establish your own schedule
• Set your own fee
• Work from home
• Business Tax Right Offs

The Cons:

• No hourly paycheck
• No medical and disability benefits
• Business costs
• Some companies may not bee keen to the idea

I’ve thought about taking assignments on The On Demand Global Workforce – oDesk. This is a company that connects businesses with a workforce around the world. There are some positives and negatives about the site.

I like the fact that you can list every experience that a person has had in their life. Though the trend seems to be that people have to take assignments at low wages just to obtain feedback. I don’t mind doing that for a couple of assignments but not forever.

As usual most assignments seem to be in web development, software development, Networking, and Information Systems.

I knew I should have finished my degree in Computer Science. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20 and at the time I had to deal with family issues that kept me from school.

Just makes you want to cry

The FA Fence

I received a comment and a link to a blog yesterday that really spurred me to think about how I feel about my own body, my views of society, and what I am trying to express on Loved Filled Shoes. I must confess that I am on the FA (Fat Acceptance) Fence. I’m leaning farther towards a FA world but not completely over the fence.

I guess you can say that I’m having a complete Hyde and Seek experience. One part of me wants to accept people of all sizes and limits. I believe that people should be judged by thier knowledge, life experiences, and personality. I also believe that if people put thier mind to it they can achieve anything no matter what size they are.

If this is what I believe then why does the other side of me not accept it? It’s not that I can’t accept it for other people. I can’t sit here and judge someone if they are carrying extra fat but thier health is in good condition. Why can I not accept it for myself? I have a good mind, a good personality, and have many life experiences to share.

I honestly think that it will take some weight loss and internal searching before I can become a true FA woman. My body size is putting limits on my life that I do not like. Though I do not health problems, I am dealing with loss of energy, loss of stemina, loss of drive, and a smidge of self anger. 

So till I can fully accept myself as a woman who has energy, stemina, drive, and love, I will always be on the FA Fence.

Who wants to be a centurian?

Lately there has been a lot of talk about the moms, dads, aunts, and uncles that are living to the ripe age of 100+. I have to admit that I sit on the fence when it comes to the decision of if I want to live to that age. My Grandmother lived till she was 92 and I still wonder if I want to add another ten to twenty years onto my life.

The study goes to show that people in Okinawa are living a very long time through a diet of fish, vegetables, corn, buckwheat, and mushrooms. That’s great and all but the culture in Okinawa is different than it is in the United States.

My honest question is who is going to take care of me when I’m in my 90′s and 100′s. People in the United States just do not seem to respect people of older ages. Families seem to put thier elderly away in facilities as if they were problems and not people. I’m not saying that all families and facilites are like this but I’m sure we have all read the horror stories.

What kind of quality of life am I going to have? As I said before my Grandmother lived into her 90′s but to me her life wasn’t that great. Grandma was stuck in her home because of nagging leg problems with television and her knitting as her only company.

Though I do have to say that this generation of elders is quite different than the generation that my Grandmother was in. Men and women are into breaking the mold, setting new hieghts, and really pushing themselves in thier elder years.

So right now I still stand on the fence when it comes to the decision of life in my 100′s. Who knows maybe sixty years from now that generation of elders will be far healthier and active than the current.

Absolutely frustrated!

If I was into destructive actions towards my body I would be pulling all of my hair out right now. I’m just completely frustrated with my personal life. The gears have literally grinded to a halt.

I’m not employeed.

I usually like to volunteer at places but I’m unable to get to these places because our family doesn’t have money for a second bus pass. Holy cow we barely have enough for one bus pass in this household.

Then the blasted scale weighed me in at 480 pounds today. I know that can’t be correct because I put in a total of 9 miles this week. I don’t want to brag but that’s a good accomplishment for someone that just barely started training. Today my husband and I are going for a two mile walk and we plan to finish the week with a total of 12 miles.

I guess I’m going to sell the scale and stick to measurements. I’m going to judge myself by how far, how long and how fast I can walk. Other than having children isn’t that what weight loss for women is about? We want to fit into that pair of jeans that is a size 12, 10, 8,…..

I think you know what I mean. The measuring tape is going to become my friend. Hopefully soon I will see the measurements get smaller and smaller. I wonder if my measurements will actually change weekly?  

Losing sleep over God’s will

Have you ever had one of those nights when you lie in bed knowing that God wants to talk to you, or at least wanting to hear from God. There is no way on God’s green earth that your going to be able to sleep unless it happens?

Last night was one of those nights. There I am at thirty minutes after midnight tossing a turning with thoughts going through my head. Questions and comments like “I need to clean the house. What does God say about my life? I need to organize the house. What is God’s will in my life” dance in my head.

There’s a lot going through my mind to say the least and after cleaning a couple of drawers out I was able to sit down and actually read my bible. This is something I haven’t done in a while I must confess.

So now I’m stuck on the Lord’s prayer and God’s Will. I’m sure we have all prayed the prayer and know the scripture, especially if you have a Catholic background.

Our Father who art in Heaven
Hollow is thy name
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
On earth as it is in Heaven

How am I suppose to do God’s will on earth if I don’t know what it is? I know that Jesus taught, healed the sick, fed the hungry, showed brotherly love, was a servant at times of his life and even after death.

I have to admit that people who are trying to teach online do not make it easy to find out wha the will of God is. Perhaps that’s the point, that we don’t know what God’s will is. As long as we love God with our heart, mind, and spirit then His will will be done in our lives.

Any thoughts?

Now the rest of the day is probably going to be spent looking for work, cleaning house, and studying the bible. I did get a word this morning and the words that were heard is “How can God bless your family if your house is unorganized?” That touched me in so many different ways.