Piggy Bank Cash is Up And Running Again !!!

I joined this gpt site awhile ago, pretty soon after it opened. I got a Paypal payment for my first month and then it seemed everything there just fizzled out.

I couldn't get any offers to credit and my questions went unanswered. But I happened back there a few day ago to find an update that it was under new ownership and would be reopening soon.

When it did, the new owner turned out to be Lorie, the owner of another trusted gpt site, Fairy tale Treasures !!!

She has made a few changes, like offers are now given piont values instead of cash, but each point is worth approximately 1 cent, so same thing.

But for old members who had a balance in their accounts, she will honor any money you earned before she took over. That is sooo cool!!

And a much lower payout, only $6.00

And a few other things. So if you are looking for another or a first gpt site to sign up with, try taking a look at Piggy Bank Cash.

Click on this banner, and tell 'em Pamm sent you...

When Will It End???

I have a cool thing on the computer, Weather Bug, gives me my weather and local for the coming week. As well as any weather alerts.

Here it is, Sunday morning and the little bug starts chirping at me. Which means there is an update for severe weather. When I clicked on it here is what I found

... Another Winter Storm Taking Aim On The Area... .A Potent Storm System Off The Northern Coast Of California Is Expected To Cross The Rocky Mountains Tonight. Low Pressure Will Develop In The Plains By Monday Morning And Track Across Northern Missouri Into Central Illinois Monday Night. This System Will Spread A Wintry Mix Of Rain... Freezing Rain And Some Sleet Across The Area Monday Morning. As The System Approaches It Will Draw In Colder Air Causing The Precipitation To Change Over To Heavy... Wet Snow Monday Afternoon. Snow... Heavy At Times Will Continue Through Monday Night Before Tapering Off To Flurries Early Tuesday Morning. Strong Northwest Winds Will Develop Monday Evening And Continue Through Tuesday Morning... Creating Blowing And Drifting Snow.

I am soooo tired of this weather. The snow seems like it is never gonna melt.

Our house sits on the edge of town and there is nothing but one lone maple tree to block the winds. And there have been many times this winter there is a breeze going over my kitchen sink from the lack of insulation and windows that need replacing.

I am longing for the first few days of spring. I want to be planting flowers and veggies in my garden and not thinking about how high the snow drifts in the driveway will be this time.

And then I get to think about my husband, the truck driver. Today he gets to leave for, yep, you guessed it, Missouri. Right into what is coming and then he will probably have to drive back in it too.

And then wonder if there will be school on Monday... the actual weather doesn't care if it is supposed to come in the afternoon or evening, it gets here when it feels like it. So if I send her to school in the morning and then the weather starts to turn I have to keep a radio on or check the school's website.

I know most people think ALL of Illinois is flat. That's why the Cheeseheads in Wisconsin call us Flatlanders. But not where we live. We are less than a mile from the border with Wisconsin and have some pretty big rolling hills. And I worry about the crazyass bus drivers.

People out here don't drive like people in suburban Chicago. ALOT of things are different here, just 125 miles away, but the driving stands out. We think it's because there are so few people out here that they just don't think right of way has any true meaning. They are used to being on the roads alone. There are bunches of one car accidents, we think they just drift off and don't pay attention to some of the twisty, winding country roads out here. Did I mention the entire county only has 4 stop lights and that there are more cows out here than people?

What was I thinking?

Anyway, off to the outrageously overprice grocery store in town now for some eggs and bread needed to ride out another storm...

I Changed My Name

OK, not really, just the name of the blog.

Over the years I have had MANY different email accounts due to different isps or just free ones I set up and then never went back to.

But the last time we changed providers I used this as my email, and it seems to fit best.

No matter what I am doing or going thru, I am always me, Pamm.

Social Security Hates Stay at Home Moms

Some background...

I am currently 49 years old. I got my first real job in 1975 when I turned 16. Other than a few weeks or months here and there due to unemployment, I worked at least one job until I was 39 years old when my daughter was born. I stayed home with her for the first year and then because I was going nuts, I went back to work. I worked days and my husband worked nights. Yeah, that lasted about 10 months. We were killing ourselves and the extra money got spent on gas and fast food. Due to a combination of things, I quit, but still did what I could to help out with cash flow... some mystery shopping, taste tests and product trials, whatever I could. And we decided it would stay that way until she went to school.

Stuff happened... we moved, hubby lost his job then found a new one and before I knew it, it was time for her to start school. And during those years we filed joint income tax returns.

Fast forward to November, 2006 and I end up in the hospital. And then again in December near death due to what they did to me the month before. Next we have 5 more months of really bad medical stuff going on, but at least I was alive. Then in May of 2006, since we hadn't been thru enough, I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. Thankfully, thru my husband's job we have great health insurance. Otherwise, we would be homeless by now due to the costs, or I would have had to skip anyy/all treatment.

A friend told me I should apply for disability. So I did. And yes, cancer is considered a disability. And stage 4? Being told you will die bumps you to the front of the line. Who knew?!?!?!

They told me how much I should be getting and told me to send in copies of all my medical records and that I should be hearing back from them soon.

I was thrilled. Not that it was "free" money, look at all those years I had worked. But because I could finally help take some of the pressure off my husband. I was supposed to get enough to cover the mortgage and some of the utilities.

And then the bad news came.

Because I had been a stay at home mom I had not earned enough credits in the last couple of years to qualify for benefits. WHAT??? I couldn't believe it... It did not matter that I had worked and paid into social security for almost 25 years. And the fact that our family thought it was more important to raise our daughter ourselves rather than put her in day care made no difference whatsoever.

To our government, as a Mom, I had no value.

I even spoke to several attorneys, they all said sad but true.

Even if there is nothing to be done that can help me, and there isn't, it just pisses me off for all the other stay at home parents out there!!

But where do I start, who do I go to?

I am so sick of hearing candidates on both sides talk about families and universal health care, blah, blah, blah. What about this issue? Was I the only stay SAHM who didn't know this?

If you have any ideas on where I should take up this issue, please tell me.

And if you are a parent who want to stay home, please think about keeping at least a part time job or don't stay off work too long. You never know what can happen...

What The Heck Happened To You???

So, just where have I been???

Here and there, holidays, chemo and trying to decide if I should continue this blog.
I guess since I am writng today I have, but some of my original intentions are gone.

I doubt I will ever make a sizeable amount of money on gpt sites. Although I will admit the extra money has been pretty handy. But nothing I can count on.

And I am burned out about ebay. Did that for a couple of years selling stuff from around the house as well as "treasures" I found at auctions and thrift stores. Actually I probably lost a ton of money due to all the time it took to find the items, research, photograph and then list.
And now it would probably be even worse with the changes in fees.

I guess I don't really know what I want to do, but I can't start much of anything until after the 29th. That's the day I am scheduled for surgery and will get a clue as to how long I will be laid up.

I can only hope the snow and bitter cold is DONE by then. Maybe that alone will improve my outlook.

If you have any suggestions, feel free to send 'em my way.

Momsense

Between my daughter having walking pneumonia, then giving it to me, Thanksgiving, getting some other germy cold from 4th grade and chemo, I have just had my ass kicked for the last couple of weeks.

But today I found this, and just had to share it. For all moms out there, you are not alone!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxT5NwQUtVM

I Think It's Cool

Look what I found...




You can get one too, just click on the other thingy