Frugal In Florida

So my princess is really shipping out to boot camp on Tuesday. Well, maybe Thursday. To Fort Jackson, SC. Or maybe to Fort Leanord Wood, MO. See, she signed up back in January, 2009. Been going to her monthly drills in West Palm Beach. Had enlisted for intelligence. Had to do the language test (and darn, if she was here she could tell me EXACTLY what its called) passed, but not as good of a final score to put her in the top of the list of people who would like to be in this field. So then she had to pick her 2nd choice, which she did. She does her drill 2 weeks ago. Finds out that SURPRISE ... they never changed her job class so she's back in intelligence. BUT her ship date was for her 2nd choice and she was to be going to Fort Jackson, SC. Now she has no idea WHERE she's going and for what day for sure. Ugggg. We will find out Monday when she goes to MEPS in Miami on Monday morning to sign in. Then she spends the next 24 hours in a hotel til they call her to get on a plane ...

So I went to the doctor last week (I know some of my friends thought for sure I would cancel the appointment!) … didn’t eat breakfast or have any coffee, in hopes that if a blood test was needed, we could do it then and there. All for nothing. Uggg. I started to talk to the doctor. And burst in to tears. Oh my God. How humiliating! I was blubbering, where I could not even talk. Anyways. Lexapro. I’ve been given a 2 week sample and go back in 2 weeks. So, I take my first dose that evening. I wake up the next morning at 6:45am with the world’s worse headache. You know. The one that makes you feel like you want to throw up, but you can’t?? Uggg. Take a shower. Lay back down with towel around head & body. Fall asleep. Wake up at 8:15. 8:15!!!??? I have to be at work, like in 45 minutes! Crap! Somehow, I pull it together & get to work. What an uneventful day as far as I can tell. So then Friday I’m still feeling icky. Tired. A little edgy. But yet complacent. I don’t know how ...

Publix has some great gift card offers going on right now. One is buy a $50 gas card for $40 … they had to extend it til the 22nd of July as they ran out. Hubby & I have both agreed to buy and keep for Sonny Boy when he starts driving to school (I hope SOON). Since the weather looked questionable, I stopped at the one downtown that has the parking garage (how sweet is that???) I have to buy 4 specific Kraft items. And spend $50 after coupons. Whew. This was going to be difficult. So I gather all my coupons, do some quick math in my head. Total comes to $78.xx. Woohoo. Cashier separates the coupons, and I notice that it’s the IP (and my catalina for $10 off from WD) from the glossy ones. Hmm. Think nothing. She starts scanning & telling me, “you only bought 1 of these” so I have to go and get the TWO items out of the bags (why do I have to go through this every time?) Finally get through the glossy coupons and then she calls the manager over … hands the managers the IP & ...

I write this post while dabbing my eyes. Then I let it sit in the background for a few hours before posting. I wanted to cut out some areas. You know. Highlight. Delete. BUT I’ve decided to just leave it. Sometimes I ask myself if I’m slowly losing my mind. Or maybe it’s just the fact that I am giving up bits and pieces of control (think PRINCESS) and therefore feel like I don’t have complete control over the unknown ... Read on … This week (and it’s ONLY Tuesday), two paralegals that I’ve worked with on several real estate deals have passed on. Suddenly. Both on clear blue days. Where everything was beautiful. Everything was just fine. What a shock. To me. And to everyone who’s ever had the pleasure of working with them. Their bosses, who are attorneys. Generally, most people have the wrong impression that attorneys are cold hearted. Not so with the majority I deal with. One was sobbing as he told me over the phone. I can’t even imagine what it must be like for the families. Al...

Ok , here we go again. Check out the organizing junkie for lots (and lots) more ideas .... Last week didn't go according to schedule, don't ask me why so a few things are on here again, primarily the Island Pork Sunday - Island Pork salad Monday - Cubano wraps and black bean soup (making it in the bullet, can of black beans, chix broth, onions, a little diced jalapeno , mix up in bullet to soup consistency and then microwave to heat, top with cheese & sour cream) Tuesday - grilled chicken and veggies Wednesday - Shrimp kabobs Thursday - soup & pasta salad Friday - homemade pizza - I think I'll make one a chicken alfredo (or turkey) pizza Saturday - most likely boating which means its really up to hubby what's for dinner. The week does not look all that exciting, sorry about that (to readers & family!) ... I am just not feeling all that motivated at the moment!

and The Magic Bullet. Holy Crap! I can't believe I bought one of them. Costco has them for $49.95. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I know. Like I really need another kitchen gadget. Sonny boy came along with me, in hopes of being the driver, but sorry kid, no way. He had a chip on his shoulder 80% of the trip through the store. The bullet got in the cart within seconds. He, of course, made the remark "like we really need that". Then at check out, I was thinking and going back and forth, and he's like "hey, you can make salsa. Shakes. Protein smoothies" and so on. Ok, off it goes, down the conveyor belt. $394 later. Asked the girl if she wanted to just tap on another $6 to round it off. She looked at me kind of odd. Guess she didn't have a sense of humor? So, what did we buy? Bullet. Romaine. English Cukes. Rather tasty all natural turkey breast lunchmeat (this stuff is to die for, stashed it so hubby doesn't eat eat all in one sitting), pork tender...

I heart publix.com Man how I wish I had found this a few weeks ago!!!! It's GREAT. She puts up the ad well in advance and then matches up coupon deals, along with the best deals, as she sees them. Woohoo! This is now on my daily to visit list! Go check it out!

Sonny boy goes back to school in 6 1/2 weeks. As a Junior. Oh my. He is down to his last driving lesson on Sunday which is basically a replica of the driving test at the parking lot where he will take it. He has the website to book his license appointment in the background, waiting for someone to commit to taking him. Princess plans on moving to Orlando in 2 weeks. Ironically, she also ships out to South Carolina in 3 weeks for 10 weeks total. Then off she goes to her individual training, or whatever it's called for another 10 weeks, coming back sometime in January, I believe. A) why pay rent for 6 months if you aren't there & haven't been there? b) Why do I not know much about this whole thing of graduation, individual training (like, where are you going????) AND what are you going to do now that you have dropped your cell phone in a bucket of water??? The thing with Princess continues, stay tuned! The swine flu statements made today freaked me out a wee bit. Hubby h...

If you haven't checked out organizing junkie yet, you should. You will get some great ideas & tips on menus and eliminating clutter ... woohoo! So here's my menu plan for Sunday 7/5 to Saturday 7/11 Sunday - leftover burgers, dogs, ribs, pasta salads, dips and such from Saturdays bbq Monday - Crab Salad over greens Tuesday - Tacos (salad) Wednesday - looking at Tilapia as that's what I have in the freezer, but not so sure yet Thursday - Lemon pepper chicken kabobs Friday - Pork Tenderloin, quite possibly Island Pork Saturday - I am leaving this open. If we go boating (again) most likely will order out or just grill later in the day on the boat. So what are you all planning for the week?

We've spent 3 of the past 4 weekends out on the boat. Sonny Boy has participated in 2 of those times, which make hubby and me very happy. Princess, well, she's still doing her thing. Enough said. So, here we have Sonny Boy ... and his dad. They are getting ready to come in the inlet and look to be intensley reading the water ahead. I even have a few pictures of Sonny boy laughing & smiling at me ... but I'm sure it has nothing to do with me or his dad, but rather the twins that you can see in the upper right hand corner ...

So in my quest to expand my veggie options, I am still trying new things and such. I had those lonely single zucchini and squash things. Poor things. I had them in my nifty little hefty green bags for veggies (yeah, they really do work!) ... so the other night, I sliced them sort of thick, along with an onion and red pepper. Tossed them in a bowl with some olive oil & Mrs. Dash season. Sprayed my grill tray (it's the tray that you put over the grill and has little holes in the bottom so stuff doesn't get lost down the grate) and tossed them on over medium high heat. Found out they are so bad with a little charred stuff (don't lecture me on the carbon stuff please) around the edges. I even ate a few pieces of brocolli. Of course, the rest of the weekend I only had a little salad, some tomatoes and some refried beans (all in the bean dip I made for the 4th!) ...

EVERYONE has heard of the Grocery Game, haven't you??!! NO?? Ok, hop right over here and sign up for your free 4 week trial ... I promise, you will like it! After that, it' $10 for 8 weeks for the 1st store and $5 for each additional store (I think all stores are $5 for the 2nd and so on). But let me give you a few tips that I figured out AFTER I signed up for my free 4 weeks, which was just Thursday and today is Sunday: Select ALL the available store s, not just one, say, like Publix. Afterall, you may decide that if you had to choose only ONE (like me), maybe it should be a Walgreens or CVS or whatnot. Check to see when your list become available. Otherwise, you could be like me, talking (grumbling) to the computer about why the list is showing items that YOU know are no longer on sale (Publix list is updated on Sunday). Try not to plan your first exciting list on a holiday weekend. We all know that holiday weekends do not have coupons and the sales are pretty much e...