Junk Update

The lady showed up and took away my 32 cans of partially used paint.  She was happy to have it and I was happy to get rid of it.  Just the way recycling should work.

I was also able to find a place to take the computers.  I ended up talked to PC Trade Recycling, which is just a few miles from here.  I'm going to take them the computers tomorrow.  They will pick them up for a fee, but there's no charge if you drop them off!   

I'm so glad to be getting rid of this stuff that's been taking up space in my basement since forever.  I'm also getting up quite the yard sale pile and I can't wait until spring so I can have a major blowout.  Plus, last week's closet cleaning netted two bags of clothes for the next time the American Kidney Fund comes.  Actually making progress on this stuff has really gotten me inspired to try to get everything in order before I go back to work.

And speaking of, I hadn't heard anything from the school system where I applied to be a substitute, so I checked my status on their website today and it seems that they haven't received one of my reference forms, so I called the reference and it turns out that it had slipped her mind, so because I have to fill it out and sign my portion before she does her portion, I'm meeting with her next Friday so that she can fill it out for me.  After that, I should be good to go for substituting, which would be awesome because I could really use some money.

I also need to look into what to do with my retirement savings.  I don't have much, but what I do have is just sitting around losing money right now in a 403(B), so I need to find an investment advisor and find out how to roll that into a Roth that I can keep contributing to even after I get a new job with a new retirement plan.  It's strange how not having any extra money makes it so much clearer about what you should be doing with it when you have it.  Plus, I've heard that the stock market is having a huge sale right now!

Also, now that we know for sure that we can live off of Paul's income, that means that whatever my income is in the future should go right into savings without ever hitting the bank account.  

Now, I just need to get a job and then I'll be all set...

Paint-O-Rama

Good Gooley Moogley! I posted the paint in the free section on craigslist and had no less than 15 calls in the first 5 minutes. My phone was ringing off the hook! It was so much that I could barely manage it all. I had to take the ad down within 10 minutes of putting it up. I ended up telling some lady that was nice that I would hold it for her until 7, but after that, I'm calling other people back.

So, if you're trying to get rid of paint, post it on the free section of craigslist. Like hot cakes!

Junk Recycling

I've been working on cleaning out our basement, which is quite a task and I've found myself at a loss on a lot of items. The first is paint. Googling has returned nothing in terms of paint recycling in Atlanta, outside of Rockdale County. All I've found is other people looking for a solution.

The second is old computers. Technically and legally, these can go by the curb for garbage pick up, but that doesn't seem environmentally responsible. We have a ton of old computer and computer parts due to my husband's career, and I have no idea what to do with them

This site: www.earth911.com has a nifty search feature where you can type in what you want to recycle and your location and it gives you a list of recycling centers, but it hasn't been able to provide a solution for my situation.

Bromance

I accidentally watched Bromance last night. I like that Brody Jenner, but only kind of. First, I hated him on Princes of Malibu, then I liked him as Lauren's possible love interest on The Hills, but I never felt right about him exactly because how could he possibly be friends with that asshat, Spencet Pratt? Then, I saw Brody on Keeping up with the Kardishians and he was a jerk, so I didn't like him for a while, but last night, I kind of liked him again. The trouble with him is that somehow he has weaseled his way onto 4 reality shows. What kind of egomaniac does that? I mean, how interesting does he think he is?

Facebook

I suppose I need to get on Facebook. I get asked if I'm on it several times a week. I'm hesitant to join for a couple of reasons- I jumped into Friendster years ago, then My Space, then Linked In and they are all really popular and then sort of fade away and never amount to anything except maybe some awkward emails from old classmates that you barely remember. Also, the last thing I want to do right now is spend more time on the Internet, and apparently Facebook is terribly addictive.

But, all the material I'm reading about how to find a job says that I need to join Facebook. Funny how being on My Space a few short years ago was considered a bad thing. I remember suggesting that the zoo get a My Space page and everyone freaked out and said that it wasn't something that we'd want to be associated with. In fact, when I asked the IT guy for access to My Space so that I could research what other local non-profits had My Space pages, he went to HR like I had asked him for access to pornography or something. My VP then confronted me and when I told her what I was thinking, she told me that I shouldn't be wasting my time with stuff like that, so I immediately went and disassociated my name with my My Space account. Not that there was anything scandalous on it- I was just afraid that being on My Space at all would be considered scandalous. N0t so with Facebook?

I'm 31. I'm not ready to fall off the technology radar, but somehow, I feel too old for it. Like it's for college kids or for trying to meet people to date, which being married, isn't exactly one of my current objectives.

Suddenly, I feel like my mom. "I don't need to learn how to use the email. I like typing letters!"