Zeo's Thoughts and Wanderings

Seriously, for as much as I don't like math, I always seem to choose math-heavy hobbies.

I had enough mango butter for yesterday's two batches of soap (Intense Almond and Bergamot Chamomile), but now I have crumbs, which is derailing my "make lots and lots of soap OMG RIGHT NOW!!!!" desire.  So I had to sit down and do math and figure out just how many soap batches I get from each pail of oil, in the amounts I usually order.

• Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, 10 lbs: 10 batches


• Palm Kernel Oil, 5 lbs: 12.5 batches


• Coconut Oil, 5 lbs: 12.5 batches


• Mango Butter, 1 lb: 10 batches


• Shea Butter...is non-relevant right now, because I got a deal on a 5 lb pail a while back, and that gives me like 50 batches.

In the past rounds of ordering, I've gotten 20 pounds of soy oil (with a pound set aside for lip balms), to make 19 batches of soap.  But I didn't do the math on the other oils, so I've run out of palm kernel oil and had to emergency order, but only ordered the 5 lb amount, when I still had 15 batches of soap to do.  I ordered coconut oil and mango butter earlier, but that was before my shop totally sold out and I wasn't planning on making this much at once, so I've run out of mango butter and am running low on coconut oil.

I did the math today on what I need to finish out the 19 soaps and still have leftovers, as well as get more lip balm supplies (mainly tubes, some flavors).  It came close to $200 before shipping and tax were figured.  I have $100 coming from my mom, and I have about $40 in my Paypal, so I may need to adjust quantities to get what I need at a price I can afford.

Hasbro and Integrity Toys are releasing a line of redesigned Jem dolls. I was super-excited about this until I saw this line from the press release:

"This first doll in this exciting commemorative collection will be JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS Special Edition Doll: HOLLYWOOD JEM, one of the most requested animated-based looks. This doll will be available for purchase at the HasbroToyShop booth #3329 during Comic-Con International in San Diego at an approximate retail price of $125 and following the convention, at www.HasbroToyShop.com."
--------http://investor.hasbro.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=687130

ONE HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS?????? *dies* See? This is why I'm not in the hobby anymore. I love the look of the doll, I love that she has an articulated body, but I just can NOT justify spending over a day's wages on a doll. Looking over Integrity Toys' site, I guess they don't make playline-priced dolls anymore.

Wow. From a high of "OMG I love her, I want her!" to a low of "Holy shit, really, Integrity and Hasbro? Really?" in less than five minutes.

I'm still going to watch the line, though. I've love to see the designs for the other Holograms, the Misfits, and the Stingers.

Integrity's site: http://integritytoys.com/jemandtheholograms/collection-hollywood-jem.php

Well, we left the house early, because I wanted to price some ingredients at LeeLee (Oriental supermarket) and wanted Matt to come with me. We had to go early because it does have a very strong fish smell, and later in the day, he wouldn't be able to handle it. So, we did our pricing there (I want to make dashi, miso soup, and a broth for the soba noodles I got last time I was there, but with the smaller paycheck this time, not happening this week), then went on to The Dented Can, over in Peoria. We were out of xanthan gum, and it's over $10 a bag most places (close to $12 direct from Bob's Red Mill). The last time I'd been to The Dented Can (over a year ago), I saw xanthan gum there for considerably less.

We ended up spending $10 there. What did we get for our $10? THREE bags of xanthan gum (Bob's Red Mill, a bag of Bob's Red Mill GF chocolate chip cookie mix, and a bag of (yet again) Bob's Red Mill GF rolled oats. Definitely worth the trip.

The next thing on our agenda was going down to the Phoenix Matsuri Festival, downtown. Unfortunately, when we got down there, it was PACKED. What with how I'd been feeling the past week, we decided not to go. So, we went to finish our grocery shopping. Stops at Fresh N Easy, WalMart, and Safeway, and we were done. I didn't get to go to Ikea, didn't get the box I wanted to start bentoing, but I did get a three-pack of divided Rubbermaid containers that would actually work better (and be a better size: 800-some milliliters rather than 2 quarts). So, I have those, I have foods for lunches, and I have a drive to make "cute" lunches. We'll see if that actually happens.

I had to let my paid account and userpic add-on expire. I just don't have the $30 to spare now. But on the plus side, Matt went to a job fair on Wednesday and has some promising prospects. Hopefully soon, he'll be gainfully employed, and I can get my paid account back. I miss my extra icons. :(

I've discovered that classical music is quite conductive to creative thinking/writing, at least in my case.  For some people, that might be a "Well, duh" discovery, but I used to do my best writing to pop music.  Not so anymore.  

For instance, while listening to the local classical station on my way to work yesterday, I brought up an old idea and suddenly started revising it in my head.  Got three out of the four main characters fleshed out, a revised title and tagline, names, and the opening chapter.  Trouble is, this was in my head.

Which brings me to my next point.  I think my next major purchase is going to be a digital voice recorder.  I spend two hours a day in my car thinking, plotting, daydreaming and musing.  By the time I get home and to a place I can write, I've forgotten most of it.  If I start, instead, thinking aloud and recording it, I can transcribe it later and not lose my wordings, pace, etc.  I have one picked out; it's about $60 at Staples.  But bills come first.  That $500 in income tax really hit us hard, especially since my calendar bonus still hasn't dropped.

Hopefully soon, though.  I don't want to lose anymore than what I already have.

We put in our 60-day notice at the apartment complex on Tuesday. So come late December, we're moving.

We've been looking at rental listings online for Phoenix. Matt actually called about one yesterday, to get some more info.

He didn't pass his Cisco test Tuesday. But he can try again.

We're getting into the time where we can start doing things to get ready for the move. I'm going to take some time off work before Thanksgiving (basically that Sunday through Wednesday, and store's closed Thursday of course) to start big-time cleaning and sorting things. I have boxes of things in the spare room closet that I haven't unpacked in two years. One would think that would mean I can get rid of all of them. But you know as soon as I do that, I'll need something.

I'm probably going to try Craigslist again as eBay wasn't too much more successful, and cost me $20.

Stress level is ramping up. Fear level is ramping up. I know we need this move, but I'm afraid of all the things that can and will prohibit our moving.

We will find a way to make it work. Somehow.

So,  I'm still trying to raise plane fare for Ellen to come visit, so I started thinning out my figure collection (something I needed to do anyway) and posted a Dollar Days sale post at MWD.  Wow.  So far, 19 of the 34 items listed have been claimed!  And I still have more to list!  Don't think I'll make all $130 or $260 from this one sale, but it's an encouraging start (as craigslist has only gotten me $15 and I have no bids yet on the eBay stuff).

I don't think I'll make what I need in time to get the tickets by mid-October so she can visit in late October, but anytime before the end of the year is good.

(beats head on table, HARD)

Okay. So the check came today. $120 from my savings. It was SUPPOSED to be $50 for gas and inspection for Matt's Jeep, $20 for TracFone card, $5-$10 for a pair of Keds so I can start going to the gym again, $20 for cat food and litter, and whatever was left for basic necessities like milk, eggs, etc.

Instead, Matt comes home from his one-day contract job and says, "I miscalculated." We made 2 purchases for a total of $7 that threw us into overdraft. Spent $7, racked up $70 in fees. So now that $120 is going towards fees and the overdue inspection on the Jeep. He's going to try to get one of the fees refunded, since it was on a NINETY-EIGHT CENT PURCHASE. Wachovia's been really good with their fees, usually managing to get us SOMETHING back when Matt calls. I mean, there was one time where we were $300 overdrawn, and $250 of it was fees, and they managed to refund us $70, even though it wasn't their fault at all. Maybe it's because we're nice when we call. We know it's not their fault, that it's not "OMG the bank is totally trying to rip us off!"

penprp works customer service for a major national bank, so I get to hear her horror stories. I used to work at a catalogue call center, so I have my own. Matt did sales and tech support for a national ISP. The stories he has! We know the operator is just there trying to pay bills. It's not their fault we screwed up.

But seriously, though. Is there any checking account out there that, like, doesn't charge an overdraft fee if the amount overdrafted is, say, under $10? I know there's that new Washington Mutual account out there that's supposed to be changing all the rules, but right now, I can't remember if that's one of them. But I also don't think there's a WaMu around here. Mostly Wachovia, Bank of America, and BB&T (which we actually did a big job for at OMax, and we were trying to figure out what it stood for. I liked my coworker's suggestion of "Bob's Bank and Trust").

And from now on, I don't care how much someone raves about a particular cold rememdy, if it has a cough suppressant in it, I am staying FAR away from it. Cough suppressants make me feel WORSE than I did before I took anything! Makes me light-headed and nauseated.

ETA: We got both fees back, so Jeep has gas, cats have food and litter, and I have nose spray. Tomorrow I will have shoes (around $3 on clearance at Target) and TracFone card. Jeep failed inspection; left turn signal is broken in the front. :-P So he has 30 days to get it fixed.

Okay, so no back to bed this morning. I made coffee, and this coffee is going to fuel my day. Wreak havoc on my sugar levels, but at least I'll be awake. As soon as Matt's done paying bills, we're going to go get my paycheck, and if it's over $500, then we can go restock the pantry. Food is a good thing. Expensive at times (even shopping at Aldis), but necessary.

Speaking of expenses.... Now that I've started reworking the Castle, and the stat counter is showing that yeah, I still get visitors, I'm seriously tempted to get the basic upgrade: $24 a year to remove the three banner ads per page, allow direct-linking of photos, etc. I have to admit, if I had the $24, I would so do it. They use some of the most obnoxious banner ads. Bright, blinking, totally distracting. Maybe it's time for another round of auctions...well, it's time for that anyway.

I need to start narrowing down my Barbie collection. Time to sell off some nude lots for OOAK. Plus, I have that box of late-70's, early-to-mid-80's Barbies that Waerd sent me (they were in an auction with a Babs convertable; he just wanted the car). Might be able to get something for those. I know offhand there's a Peaches-N-Cream (I never had her as a kid, but a friend did and I adored her) Barbie and a Horse Lovin' Skipper. I don't remember who the others are...I'll know when I get them down out of the closet, though.

Looks like I have a busy weekend in store. I still need to call Kim and set up my study for tomorrow and next Saturday.

ETA: My pay was over $500 (almost $50 over $500), so we have food in the house again. But I started feeling icky the last 5-10 minutes at the store, and I am SO tired now, but if I lie down and try to grab an hour nap before work, I'll be SO sluggish and bad-tempered when I get up that it really isn't worth it. It's going to be a long, long night.

I hate money. Great Lakes still wants money from me. And they couldn't get ahold of me here (not my fault they won't leave a message on the answering machine!), so they call and harass my parents, which means I get a long-distance lecture from my mother about it, and she won't stop harassing me about it for the next three months. But hey! I qualify for an economic hardship deferral, which means at least I don't have to go register with an unemployment agency and submit resumes all over the place. I like my job. I may not be getting many hours right now, but I really don't want to leave it and look for another right now. I can hardly wait for Matt to get the job he wants so we can start paying off some of these debts.

And the freaking cats are being ballistic! Patch doesn't want me on the phone or the computer, Dante seems to think if he goes out the window, he should come back in through the door, but Patch is waiting on the other side of the door, so there's meowing and hissing and growling. And Athena's taken over Dante's spot atop the speaker, so she won't let him up, knocked him down so he ended up climbing up the side of the speaker (oooh, don't let Matt know!) to scramble to a spot atop the entertainment center.

And grr, I need to go get ready, leave for work early because the car needs fuel.