L'Appartement

Husband and I took the day off yesterday to sign our lease contract, but several hitches presented themselves and we weren't able to do it. Basically now, we're trying to choose between Option A and Option B. Here are their Pros and Cons. Residents seem representative of the same class (middle) although Option A may have higher end ones. Monthly expense has a difference of a hundred bucks ($2), with Option A being the cheaper one:

Option A Pros:
- walking distance from Husband's office
- a nice building with great amenities
- unit proportioned better
- nicer materials
- more accessible to lots of things, like general civilization, lol

Option A Cons:
- higher initial deposit-whatnot-cashout (requires postdated checks, although this isn't really a problem)
- landlady's unbending about stupid rules (seemed unfriendly too) while middle person's flaky
- no gas stoves/oven, no hammering or drilling on walls (even if you promise to restore by patching and painting - because all tenants are louts apparently)
- single bedroom
- ventilation and natural light come from a lightwell

Option B Pros:
- two-bedroom
- better-ventilated
- has a balcony
- no rules about LPG and admin simply requests that you let them know before you hammer holes or make any minor changes in the unit
- cheaper initial cashout
- agents seemed more lucid than Option A's

Option B Cons:
- farther from Husband's office
- necessitates parking rental
- drab facade
- cheap looking materials
- forces Cable TV on you
- smaller bedrooms
- location's blah (a long road into the complex itself)

I'd be grateful to find out which one you'd choose. :)

More About Sleep Deprivation

Sometimes you wonder if your kids are bent on sabotage. It could be your downtime or your worktime, whatever it may be, you're looking forward to it. However, the expected nap doesn't take place or they wake up too soon before you really get anything done. I think you can guess that I'm behind my work hours again. This means scrimping on sleep again just to catch up. Don't you hate it when other people who have absolutely no idea what your situation is like offer unsolicited advice "But you should have enough sleep, make sure you have at least 8 hours straight," this coming from somebody who will never experience what being a WAHM is like.

Starbucks and Music

Credit Unions Vs. Banks

The Wise Backup

Trying Out MyLot

Have you heard of myLot? It's like a combination of your token networking site like Friendster and a general message board. The blessed twist here is that it pays you to be an active user. Well, in these hard times it's at least another way to augment the family income even if just a little. The discussions are fun too and the earning thing is a good motivation to remain active. I'm a member of several forums (fora?) and I have to admit I'm pretty lazy about posting or joining in the discussions. Anyway, I have yet to explore MyLot's other features, so I'll probably post about it again later once I've tried everything out.

Blog Ads

I recently receive an invitation to sign up for WidgetBucks. My main concern was its compatibility with Google Adsense, but I was able to gather from googling that it's okay to have both on your blog. In fact, WidgetBucks assures everyone that it is in its FAQ page. When my account was approved, I immediately got to work to install widgets on my blogs. The setup was in fact to my liking as you get to choose which products to feature in your adbox. However, upon saving the addition to my blogs, I found that the ads were showing those cheesy smilies and zwinkies and glitter whatnots. I decided to remove the widgets for the time being, do a bit more research, and see what's really going on right now in the world of blogads. If you have tips or comments about the WidgetBucks service, I'd be thankful for them.

I Broke My No-Politics Vow

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

Your Chances of Being a Multimillionaire: 60%

You have a decent shot at being a multimillionaire. Surprised? You're confident and you aren't afraid to work hard. Keep it up!

Will You Be a Multimillionaire?

60%? Well, there's hope. It's an uphill climb, but we'll get that million, lol. Honestly? I was raised to think that money isn't all that important. My father is a pastor and while, looking back, I can see that our life was comfortable enough, he made sure that we were definitely living by the grace of God. I was taught not to put so much value on material things and that covetousness will only make me unhappy. When I grew up, I ended up like this: I don't really like malls; I'm not a bag or shoe person; All my cosmetics and beauty products are given to me; I kind of have an aversion to brands and pop culture; I'm a cheapskate; I'd rather have experiences than stuff; I'm a DIY freak; transcendentalism appeals to me; et ceteraaah... However, I would still like to be a (multi) millionaire - not worry about bills, be in the position to help certain people or institutions, always have considerable savings, lol

Tip Off

I've been subscribing to Daytipper.com for several months now. I meant to contribute tips every now and then (they pay you when you contribute a tip they like), but the first time I started the contribution process, I began to doubt whether I had the right to share the tip. There was a part there that wanted to guarantee no copyright infringement or whatever it's called and I had to think it over. I tried to remember if the tip was something I had discovered myself or something that was shared with me. I really couldn't remember. However, some of the tips I get from the service aren't new to me. I don't necessarily think the tipper stole the idea, just that sometimes the same thing occurs to different people. Unless I can come up with something really original though, I guess I'll keep to my tippee(?) role.

Talk of the ...

How uncanny that right after I blogged about my suspicious raffle win, I got a call from one of their agents again saying that I am still eligible for that free dinner. They have another one scheduled tomorrow night, in fact. I politely declined saying that weekdays are out of the question since my husband wouldn't be able to make it. I thought we would end the conversation with a vague arrangement to have me attend one of their dinners in the future, but, I underestimated the agent. Well, if we're really only free on weekends, how about tonight? I decided to pause and consider right there. I do like eating in fancy hotel restaurants, but I had to ask yet again (as if I didn't know what the answer would be) if there's going to be a sales pitch sometime during the dinner (or after it). "Oh, no, no, no, ma'am. You are absolutely not obliged to buy anything. If you want, leave your cash and credit cards at home." The reply to my question was actually in the affirmative but prefaced with a string of nos to try and disarm me. What she, in effect, actually said was, yes, there's going to be a sales pitch, but it's your choice whether to buy or not (surely, you won't have the gall to refuse our offer with your free dinner still keeping your stomachs busy). Anyway, I ended the call with a promise to text before 5pm to confirm our attendance. I nudged Husband awake to inform him about the call, but he was unimpressed. Oh well.

Thank Heavens for Paid Blogging

I'm thrilled because just when I thought a certain paid blogging site has forgotten all about me, I got two assignments from it. The thing is, I really did enjoy writing those posts. Some assignments require me to pause and formulate an entry, but not so with these two.
These paid posts may not be worth a lot of money, but they do add up to an amount you'll be glad to have and writing them is really very easy. Blogging purists may scorn, but these online gigs are really a blessing.

Must Win Contest

One of my to-do things for this year is to enter and win a contest. So far, I got contacted by A****** P**** Hotel that I'd won a consolation prize. I got the choice of staying for free at a hotel in Bali, in Bangkok, and in the US. Of course we had to shoulder the fare and everything else. I initially thought we could do the US one, but upon further thought, I've been around long enough to suspect that there was a catch somewhere. When the representative contacted me about it, I repeatedly asked if there was a catch and he was very insistent that there wasn't. However, upon further research, I found this.

Anyway, other than suspicious raffles, I haven't won anything yet. I meant to join writing contests this year, but the process of sending entries is such a hassle sometimes. Honestly? I've had that winning a contest item in the past three years' to-do lists and I have yet to do it, so I'm not sure how seriously I'm taking this thing.

Life's Litte Ironies

May I vent a little? It's just infuriating how life can be so ironic. I've had a bothersome cough for more than a week now and it won't go away because I can't get any rest. It actually even worsened. Now, my nanny is a bit underwhelming and that's the nicest I can get. It's pretty much like not having a nanny at all. Anyway, yesterday, sick of being sick, I decided to really rest, just stay in bed and not put up with any kind of stress. Hard with a toddler around, but I was pretty determined. At least, until the nanny decided to slip in the laundry area wearing ridiculously slippery slippers and ended up taking the day off that I was hoping to take myself. Then I opened my email and found a queue of writing assignments. Well, it was definitely a hassling day, compounded by the irony of it all. Sometimes you feel like taking it personally.

Work Priority

Okay, we need to clear our priorities here. No parenting article due, so that's good. I have a Friday deadline (almost on schedule, easy enough to catch up) and a story deadline tomorrow. But of course, there were available opps for paid blogging, so I have to grab those. I'll probably end up doing what I feel like doing anyway, so whatever!
In other news, Marguerite is better, but I am not. I need to get some proper rest, no kidding.

Still About Fall TV

Cough, Monsoon, and Work

Marguerite and I are still in the middle of a barking contest. She, poor thing, still has a hoarse voice (certainly hope this is nothing to worry about) while I have a tight cough (Marguerite's comes in fits, mostly when she's sleeping), which is really a hassle. On top of this, it's still raining. Seasons don't mean much anymore. The monsoon should have ended in September. Anyway, I suppose it's still early October so its overstaying can be pardoned. On a positive note though, I'm on schedule with work, but now I have to squeeze in an article about milk caries, so hopefully, that doesn't set me back.

Love Payouts

Btw, I've finally reached the minimum amount for payout with my Google ads (as per agreement I don't actually get the amount until the month after I reach the minimum). I've also been recently paid by dNeero. I might have lucked out with the other paid-to-whatever gigs, but these two are solid and legit. Payperpost and Socialspark have also been good sources of income. Sure, other paid blogging systems may offer bigger cash rewards, but they're pretty limited to bloggers with an extensive following.
I'm enjoying this WAH thing. Do you have a good online gig to share? I'd be grateful. :)

Let Me Help You Open Your Husband's Bank Account

What's with the Ivory Coast (or some other nation in the area) scam? I've received multiple letters in the past months from widows or orphans whose departeds' bank accounts need opening and they want my help to do that. I didn't really read the emails thoroughly as they were in my junk box and I didn't want to waste my time reading spam. I think they're targeting Christian bloggers although I can't be sure. From the tone of the letters though, that seems to be the case. Anyway, I've already had several from a Susan Morgan and a Rebecca Williams (sorry if you happen to have the same name), so in case the persons behind them get to read this, don't send another letter my way. Waste of your precious time and effort.
It's interesting how people are so clever when it comes to thinking up ways to deceive others. I wonder why they don't focus their creativity, time, and efforts on legitimate work. Scams may be easy money, but not every one will be "successful". Why not just get a regular paying job? I guess scams do offer the slightest chance of getting rich. I wonder if some of these people are WAHMs. ("Oh my work is homebased." What do you do? "I scam people online.")

Tea Guzzlers

My daughter and I are both down with a bug. I probably got it from her. All the work stress probably lowered my immunity, so I became susceptible. Being sick is such a hassle, so I resolve to take care of myself better. Marguerite's thing started Friday and mine started Sunday (hence our absence from the Sunday Service). I tried giving her some tea, but she's so "oppositional" lately. Her favorite word? It's "No!". I do water therapy on her and myself, so we're loving the bathroom right now. Better flush away those bugs anyway. We're feeling better although I still look like death warmed over and Marguerite still has an obnoxious little cough.

Lame Excuse: I Didn't see the 1 in the "10-Post Challenge"

Apparently, I didn't rise to the 10-post challenge. Because of Marguerite's birthday, I got a little behind work, so I had to focus on finishing my hours before invoice time. And then I had about 4 parenting articles to produce, so that and the other basically accounted for the lack of blogging and why the challenge thing became a real dud. Anyways, times are calmer now and I have some time to blog, so voilà!
Marguerite's birthday was pretty satisfactory, nothing at all like what I had planned for, but either I'm learning to be more chill or it was really pretty okay. I'm not complaining anyway.
I've also rearranged my daily routine. I don't wake up in the wee hours anymore. I just work during nap time or after Marguerite has gone to bed and so far, I can't make up my mind yet if this is a better arrangement. I sleep longer, that's for sure. However, I do find putting in work hours to be more taxing and I can't cut back on those. We'll be moving (soon I hope) and I need my contribution if only for my own security and peace of mind. Husband's income is enough to sustain us, but with a child of our own now, I'm even more OC about having savings.
Hope I can be a better blogger this week ;)