heartlikealion Posted December 19, 2023 Author Share Posted December 19, 2023 I don’t think the withholdings are necessarily too high. I went through all the things and I think it sounds normal? But I need to be very mindful on monthly spending. Also my cc was asking me to make a min payment that’s higher than the one I budgeted. Probably will not require that once I get the balance down more. I don’t think I can budget to live on the 24 vs 26 paychecks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted December 19, 2023 Author Share Posted December 19, 2023 Here’s my new living room — semi chaotic as I still unpack. Sunday I convinced my dad to help me get my small couch on my car roof so I could get it here without having a trailer to return. It worked!! And I had a new friend help me bring it in the house. Even with the risers I barely got the trundle closed. But it works as a couch/bed I think. I am running out of time to shop. Don’t know what else to put under the tree. Told the kids there won’t be much tangible stuff… we will mostly go out and do things. Plus I have no space for toys. Santa got something for dd here. Both kids will get stockings. I’m gonna bake macadamia nut cookies especially for ds. Had most of the supplies already. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faith-manor Posted December 19, 2023 Share Posted December 19, 2023 28 minutes ago, heartlikealion said: Here’s my new living room — semi chaotic as I still unpack. Sunday I convinced my dad to help me get my small couch on my car roof so I could get it here without having a trailer to return. It worked!! And I had a new friend help me bring it in the house. Even with the risers I barely got the trundle closed. But it works as a couch/bed I think. I am running out of time to shop. Don’t know what else to put under the tree. Told the kids there won’t be much tangible stuff… we will mostly go out and do things. Plus I have no space for toys. Santa got something for dd here. Both kids will get stockings. I’m gonna bake macadamia nut cookies especially for ds. Had most of the supplies already. Your plan sounds great! I think making memories and having experiences with kids is more important than the stuff. Making yummy cookies, having a memorable meal, it works. You are doing great, Heart! 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted December 20, 2023 Author Share Posted December 20, 2023 I told the kids one night we were doing the lights in the park thing and ds wanted to go last night after I picked them up so we did that. It was pretty cool. You can park and walk too but dd had refused to wear pants so when I picked her up she was in shorts. We just did the drive thru tour. I plan to take them to this (most of this is being paid for by my sis as her Christmas gift to them): nolachristmasfest.com And we’ll also be eating out and visiting the zoo this week. First thing ds said to me when he got in my car was, “sorry I didn’t come last weekend. I helped move. I didn’t know we were moving that fast.” I told him I wasn’t mad, had only been disappointed because I was planning to see him but it was fine. We’ll try to fit the streetcar ride in this week, too. Some colleagues gave me ideas on what stops I could park at (free) and catch it. 22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia Posted December 20, 2023 Share Posted December 20, 2023 It sounds like you and ds are making a lot of progress in your relationship. I’m so happy for you! Have fun with your kids ❤️ 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faith-manor Posted December 20, 2023 Share Posted December 20, 2023 5 hours ago, heartlikealion said: I told the kids one night we were doing the lights in the park thing and ds wanted to go last night after I picked them up so we did that. It was pretty cool. You can park and walk too but dd had refused to wear pants so when I picked her up she was in shorts. We just did the drive thru tour. I plan to take them to this (most of this is being paid for by my sis as her Christmas gift to them): nolachristmasfest.com And we’ll also be eating out and visiting the zoo this week. First thing ds said to me when he got in my car was, “sorry I didn’t come last weekend. I helped move. I didn’t know we were moving that fast.” I told him I wasn’t mad, had only been disappointed because I was planning to see him but it was fine. We’ll try to fit the streetcar ride in this week, too. Some colleagues gave me ideas on what stops I could park at (free) and catch it. This sounds like such a fantastic step forward! I think you are handling things so well. Making happy memories is worth more to your relationship with the kids than presents under a tree. 8 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted December 20, 2023 Share Posted December 20, 2023 We used to have so much fun at Christmasfest! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted December 21, 2023 Author Share Posted December 21, 2023 I have limited time but I wanted a few more things for dd to open so I did pick up a few small items on my break I’ll wrap (sketch pad, stickers, bracket kit, Roblox gift card and the Wendy’s keychain good for free frosties in 2024). Ds’ expensive protein drinks arrive in the mail tomorrow. I’ll give him some and put the rest under the tree lol Tomorrow is my last working day before the holiday. I started to make a wreath days ago but ran out of garland and apparently dollar tree no longer sells the strands of it! I’ve been to a few locations. That project might just not get completed! oh well. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted December 21, 2023 Author Share Posted December 21, 2023 Got an error message when I tried to activate the Tello sim card. I guess I'll call Cspire tomorrow. "Here’s a quick list of some of the most common SIM Card errors you may run into: "sim not supported" "network lock," "network unlock pin," "unsupported sim" "SIM Lock" "SIM Invalid" "Network Lock" "SIM Not Supported" If you receive any of these error messages, your previous carrier may have enabled a lock or restriction to your phone and you will have to reach out to them to remove this lock." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted December 22, 2023 Author Share Posted December 22, 2023 Kids had a good time at Christmasfest. Ice skating was a bit of a flop but I saw how they were when I took them roller skating in the past so I was semi prepared. A staff member did try to work with dd and encourage her but it was very hard for my kids to move on the ice and they pretty much used the wall to make the circle. I wasn’t great but I could skate without holding the wall. We did the innertube slide down the ice. They had 3 rows so we all went down simultaneously. I saw a ride that looked super mellow. We got on and then realized it did much more. Dd gets motion sickness so I felt bad. She loved it!! So I felt like that was a big win. We never found Mrs Claus’ Sweets. None of the staff could help and it wasn’t on the map, just in the directory. We did find a place that had sundaes — dd really wanted dippin dots but that vendor had closed. She enjoyed her dessert and I told her I can find Dippin’ Dots another day. I loved getting roasted nuts in the mall years ago so I made sure we went to the vendor that had those. The parking situation was ridiculous. I had the impression from the website that parking was free but it was not. My sis paid for our entry fee. I got another blessing from a hive member last night which helped a lot as I spent a small fortune on dinner & parking. So thank you. You guys have helped me more than you’ll know. Today is zoo day. A colleague/friend is joining us. I started making cookies but ran out of vanilla extract so I got some yesterday on my lunch break — the store on the “bad side” of town feels perfectly safe and nice during the day. Sat the plan is street car/park/beignets. Sunday is supposed to have rain and we’ll probably just stay home. 21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faith-manor Posted December 22, 2023 Share Posted December 22, 2023 Heart, this warms my heart! You are doing so great with the kids. Making memories. Awesome sauce! 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted December 22, 2023 Share Posted December 22, 2023 What a fun Christmas! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted December 22, 2023 Share Posted December 22, 2023 @heartlikealion, you are so amazing. The growth and change you have made throughout the years is so inspiring. Your home looks adorable and inviting. You are making all these great memories with your kids which is what they are going to remember for the rest of their lives. You look adorable. So proud of you for your new job. And I am so happy that your the relationship with your son is so improved. Just wow, you have made so many gains in every area of your life! So incredibly proud of you. I hope you have a wonderful Holiday season!! 11 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted December 22, 2023 Author Share Posted December 22, 2023 I just got off the phone with both Cspire & my new internet provider. Cspire removed the block and gave me info to port my number so if Tello asks for that info it will be ready. Cable internet provider successfully removed the tech service fee (and admitted I never should have been charged) and I asked them if they could adjust the bill for the several days of no service. They brought the bill down $18. And they cleared up the confusion of whether or not their modem requires a rental fee (since I still haven’t found mine in storage). They said my particular plan includes a free modem. Higher plans charge a $14/mo rental fee. So I lucked out. 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted December 22, 2023 Share Posted December 22, 2023 Wow Heart, this is good news all around--positive experiences with the kids and progress in sorting out phone and internet! Also wow, your son has gotten tall! 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scholastica Posted December 22, 2023 Share Posted December 22, 2023 This is all so good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted December 22, 2023 Share Posted December 22, 2023 I am so happy for your family 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted December 22, 2023 Share Posted December 22, 2023 1 hour ago, heartlikealion said: I just got off the phone with both Cspire & my new internet provider. Cspire removed the block and gave me info to port my number so if Tello asks for that info it will be ready. Cable internet provider successfully removed the tech service fee (and admitted I never should have been charged) and I asked them if they could adjust the bill for the several days of no service. They brought the bill down $18. And they cleared up the confusion of whether or not their modem requires a rental fee (since I still haven’t found mine in storage). They said my particular plan includes a free modem. Higher plans charge a $14/mo rental fee. So I lucked out. As my AAA guy said to me yesterday, "It's great when there are happy endings." 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted December 23, 2023 Share Posted December 23, 2023 (edited) I remember the old title of the original thread about letting people go and how you were at such a low point you were ready to give up. You have fought incredibly hard not to give up and not to let anyone go. It’s more inspiring that I can come up with words to express. You have worked So Hard to get where you are right now. There have been a lot of changes, but you have Been There for your kids through it all, moving mountains so you can Be There. Even if they don’t get it now, they’ll be able to see it one day. And even if they don’t ever see it, you will know that if you hadn’t moved those mountains to Be There, they would have been damaged if you hadn’t Been There. You have saved them from that damage by Being There, no matter how hard it has been. Edited December 23, 2023 by Garga 23 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted December 23, 2023 Author Share Posted December 23, 2023 Yesterday we did the zoo trip and ran into more library staff lol I introduced the kids to this super adorable older couple that I briefly worked with. I made the kids eat before we went but dd got hungry and insisted she needed food before we left so we stopped to eat. The original plan was to eat after the zoo. My guy friend insisted on paying. Since we stopped to eat it cut into our exploring time but I told the kids we can always go back (we didn’t see the bobcats or sea lions… some exhibits were closed too like giraffes). When we got to the car dd realized she lost her phone and I said there was really no reason to bring it to begin with so next time we won’t do that. Luckily a visitor had returned it to staff and I got it right away. Ds said he only has 2 pairs of pants that currently fit so I put laundry in the car and we stopped at the laundromat after the zoo. I found my garland last night in Dollar Tree while the washer ran. Today I’ll try to complete my wreath. Dd was ready to go so after I moved everything to the dryer I dropped the kids off then ran back out and bought a few things the kids can’t see. I bought ds a pair of jeans at a nearby store and will put those under the tree. His Orgain protein drinks were accidentally shipped to my dad’s house so I bought a couple single size drinks to wrap up. The store didn’t have the right flavor of Orgain. My dad insinuated he wanted me to drive to him this weekend but I’m not doing it. I am meeting xh halfway on Monday night (he requested I don’t feed the kids dinner so he can do Christmas dinner. I said that was fine). I’m done jumping through hoops for everyone else at the holidays. I will jump through hoops for the kids but the adults need to plan ahead. My other sister sent me some money and said to use on whatever, maybe a trip to the movies with the kids. You can’t tell in the video, but I have my wooden Advent calendar on display and the kids take a candy out each day. We read the Sweet Smell of Christmas the other day (childhood favorite of mine - with scratch and sniff stickers) and dd was intrigued about the orange in the stocking and wanted one. I bought an orange last night lol 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longtime Lurker Posted December 23, 2023 Share Posted December 23, 2023 4 hours ago, heartlikealion said: I’m done jumping through hoops for everyone else at the holidays. I will jump through hoops for the kids but the adults need to plan ahead. My other sister sent me some money and said to use on whatever, maybe a trip to the movies with the kids. I agree. Save your hoop-jumping energy for your kids. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted December 24, 2023 Author Share Posted December 24, 2023 The street car was more complicated than I anticipated. If we got on and stayed on til it took us all the way around, it’d be a long ride. You can get off sooner and catch one going the other way but the lady on the phone said it’s probably really busy now and would be best to wait til after the holidays. One purchase method requires you to wait for cards in the mail and I asked if there’s a way to get a digital ticket. She said the ones on the app are digital and I said but they say ID required for youth — what can I show?? She said you’ll be with them and know their ages, it’s no problem. I think the website and app are too vague. Dd really didn’t want to leave the house yesterday and ds took a late nap so I don’t think anyone was devastated lol I actually offered to take them to putt putt golf but dd has no interest. I wrapped all the gifts and dd thought there was a lot under the tree. I said nothing high value and she said she didn’t care. I got the second set of bed risers and ds helped me lift the couch up high enough to set it up. It’s a very tight clearance to slide the wheels past the risers. He said sleeping on top is more comfortable when the trundle is underneath but dd has been using it. Baked off choc chip and mint choc chip cookies yesterday. We have plenty of food here and it’s raining so we may just stay in today. Unless we could find a movie or something. I was able to explore the outside shed finally and it’s a wreck. My duplex neighbors had never been in it. We might work as a team to clean it out so we can use it for storage. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted December 24, 2023 Share Posted December 24, 2023 Sometimes quiet days are the best. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted December 25, 2023 Author Share Posted December 25, 2023 My motto is better late than never. I made the frosting for the sugar cookies today along with the macadamia nut cookies. I started the sweet potato casserole last night and just need to add some stuff and heat up. But none of us are hungry now. We had breakfast and sweets. Finished my wreath last night lol. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia Posted December 26, 2023 Share Posted December 26, 2023 You put so much love and thought into making this visit special for your kids. I know kids don’t always give the kind of feedback we should get for all that work. But I guarantee that they will remember this Christmas and I’m sure they can feel your love. Great job! I’m sure you are exhausted after all the ups and down this fall. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted December 26, 2023 Share Posted December 26, 2023 Those cookies look delicious! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storygirl Posted December 26, 2023 Share Posted December 26, 2023 I'm so glad you got to have the kids today. Merry Christmas!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted December 26, 2023 Author Share Posted December 26, 2023 Thank you, ladies ds ate some food before he left town but it wasn’t practical to send him the sweet potato casserole so he just ate some and I have a lot left. I shared some with a friend last night at dinner. I’ll bring some cookies to the office today. I sent the kids home with several. Ds ate a few macadamia nut cookies back to back so I think they were well received. I encouraged him to come back another weekend but I know it’s possible I won’t see him again until it’s mandated. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted December 26, 2023 Author Share Posted December 26, 2023 1-5 business days for my phone number to be ported successfully. But I think other iPhone messages still go through normally. However if someone texts my original number I won’t see it. This process should be faster. Who wants to lose their number that many hours. At least the data is working. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted December 30, 2023 Author Share Posted December 30, 2023 I went out tonight to a goth night. My friend was sick so didn’t come. But if I canceled my outings every time my friends bailed I’d never go anywhere! I didn’t talk to anyone but I did dance to a few songs and the parking nearby was free and no cover to get in. 🙂 I got a carload of stuff after work Thursday night. Slowly getting more and more settled in. 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted January 2 Author Share Posted January 2 Tello says pending port call original carrier. Original carrier said it didn’t work because I was supposed to receive and respond to a text from cspire. Ummm so you mean after I popped my cspire SIM card out they sent a text? Because this sounds like the most inefficient way to do anything. Now I can’t authorize it over the phone. They must send a code to my original number. And the porting office hours end when I get off work so tomorrow I’ll have to pop my cspire sim in, call them and receive the text and read the code over the phone. 😒 I saw some fireworks with a new friend on NYE. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 You would think that cell service carriers would have a more efficient process. Last time I tried to port a number the carrier couldn't get it to go through and we ended up just switching to a new number after several days of trying. It was for one of my teens not me and not many people had that number so it wasn't as big a headache as it could have been. I hope your port gets ironed out soon! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted January 4 Author Share Posted January 4 Phone number is ported finally. 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted January 4 Author Share Posted January 4 Ds isn’t coming this weekend. No telling if/when we’ll do the street car ride. I have tentative plans with a colleague (female) to go to lunch with her & dd. I hope dd is cool with that. I invited her out last weekend but it was no good. Got one of my medications set to transfer. I’m glad I got on top of that recently since it turned out the last pharmacy will no longer ship to me (due to me being in another state) and then I was informed by the new pharmacy I had no authorized refills. Took several days to sort between the holiday, my lunch hour not lining up with when the dr office was open etc. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted January 7 Author Share Posted January 7 My elec bill caught me off guard (over $150). I decided to sign up for leveled billing so just did that for a hopefully more predictable rate. I think the typical restaurant bill here is higher. I just reduced the price on the washer/dryer in storage again. The listing had been removed automatically, too. I hope I get some interest. I don’t think I’ll even keep most of the items in storage. Like dd’s desk and ds’ desk and office chair. Where would I put it? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faith-manor Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 14 minutes ago, heartlikealion said: My elec bill caught me off guard (over $150). I decided to sign up for leveled billing so just did that for a hopefully more predictable rate. I think the typical restaurant bill here is higher. I just reduced the price on the washer/dryer in storage again. The listing had been removed automatically, too. I hope I get some interest. I don’t think I’ll even keep most of the items in storage. Like dd’s desk and ds’ desk and office chair. Where would I put it? Maybe you could list those as well, just to help with the bills. I don't blame you for using the budget billing system. So much easier to just pay the same amount every month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted January 7 Author Share Posted January 7 2 hours ago, Faith-manor said: Maybe you could list those as well, just to help with the bills. I don't blame you for using the budget billing system. So much easier to just pay the same amount every month. Yes, I think I will need to sell more things but not sure if I can get people interested. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 3 hours ago, heartlikealion said: Yes, I think I will need to sell more things but not sure if I can get people interested. I would give them away just to be rid of the storage fee. Or just quit paying and let them go to Storage Wars, lol. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted January 7 Author Share Posted January 7 10 hours ago, katilac said: I would give them away just to be rid of the storage fee. Or just quit paying and let them go to Storage Wars, lol. The main big thing in storage is the washer/dryer. I need to get rid of it as I don’t want my dad to be burdened to move it somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted January 7 Author Share Posted January 7 They have a cc on file for the unit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 1 hour ago, heartlikealion said: They have a cc on file for the unit Call them and see what they have to say. Tell them you don't want to renew your contract but that you have no way of getting the stuff. What can be done? They might be okay with taking the stuff to sell vs making you clean out the unit. The worst they can do is say no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted January 8 Author Share Posted January 8 Moving the pharmacy blew up in my face. They didn’t honor the original price so I have to try to sort that out. Or periodically drive to my Mississippi PO Box for the original deal 🙄 Unlikely to honor original price at new pharmacy as it was based on your ins not covering it. I don’t have active ins yet. I’m still trying to pause HP instant ink. They show a cancel option but not pause and I know I paused it before! I’ll try to get a human on the phone later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted January 8 Author Share Posted January 8 Cspire said my current total and I apparently got charged for the most recent billing cycle as the porting delay screwed me over. They said they can’t help me (not that they were eager to) and I’ll have to call another department. I canceled hp instant ink. No point anymore. The printing was mostly for work-related documents in the past. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted January 9 Author Share Posted January 9 Cspire is tossing me back and forth between departments saying, “we’re not the dept that could remove charges.” My landlord said that the washer/dryer was put into the unit where an a/c unit was when there were window units (I have no idea what that means). Then went on to say the w/d had been there 16 years with little to no complaints. Umm what?? Then who put it in? Because I was told it belonged to the previous tenants… did he mean a few tenants back ? Highly doubt they lived there 16 years. my gut reaction is: it’s 16 years old?! No wonder it’s falling apart 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted January 14 Author Share Posted January 14 This person wants to buy my washer/dryer. They canceled due to an emergency and I asked if there was any way we could just shift the time. Fingers crossed they actually follow through today. I did locate my modem - inside my dad’s house! But the particular plan I’m on doesn’t require a rental fee to use the company modem so I haven’t lost any money. I left a message with the gym asking if they’ll waive a cancellation fee since I moved and there are no gyms of that name in my new area. The employee was confident the answer was no but I once thought the fine print said they might waive it. So a manager will call me probably Tuesday to confirm. If not, I’ll continue to pay $10/mo through May. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted January 14 Author Share Posted January 14 Buyer backed out. Must pay for remaining months on gym membership but not many months left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 On 1/9/2024 at 2:26 PM, heartlikealion said: My landlord said that the washer/dryer was put into the unit where an a/c unit was when there were window units (I have no idea what that means). A window unit is an air conditioner that is mounted in a window, so the cool air blows inside and it vents outside. Central a/c is about a million times better, lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted January 15 Author Share Posted January 15 2 hours ago, katilac said: A window unit is an air conditioner that is mounted in a window, so the cool air blows inside and it vents outside. Central a/c is about a million times better, lol I’m familiar with both but why would he have needed that closet before he had a/c? There’s no window in the closet, made no sense to me. I had a home with window units only and it was my personal hell. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted January 15 Author Share Posted January 15 So apparently my hp instant ink cartridges won’t work now that I canceled the HP ink service. 🙄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 3 minutes ago, heartlikealion said: So apparently my hp instant ink cartridges won’t work now that I canceled the HP ink service. 🙄 That is crazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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