Friday, December 30, 2011
2011 - The last day
Photo: ponypics Samoa after the tsunami in 2009
Quite frankly this year has been the worst of my life and right now I'm having a hard time, I'll be glad when we move on to 2012!!
The Virtual Assistant is paid ($50 for 10 hours) on the job - while I am here being an emotional wreck - so far that is working fine for me!!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Getting it out there
Although my Virtual Assistant (company) was late in reply - I have sent off 2.5 hours of instructions for research. 10 hours for $50 - gotta be happy with that!!!
I can use my time listing on Ebay to get some money coming in - my car mechanic bill is $1300!!! Crikey!! Will have to list heaps in Flea Market paper next week and advertise my car for sale - yeesh!!
And now - off to the dentist appointment I was a week early for and the whole car saga began... More money going out...
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Beer Bread
The concept seemed perfectly reasonable when I thought of it and as I combined ingredients in the bread maker (a can of beer to replace some from the packet of powder yeast spoiled in the humidity). I googled beer bread
after I pressed the start button on the bread machine and found it to be an Irish Recipe and IT IS meant to be firm and moist!! Thats how mine turned out anyway and it tastes okay toasted with Vegemite and Butter. BF not so sure and leaving it up to me to finish the rest!!
My Homemade Bathroom Cleaner (Recipe from Down To Earth Blog) turned out great (as far as the Simple Living concept goes) - half a cup of bicarb soda and slowly dribble in small amounts of liquid laundry detergent, stirring until it is like a thick custardy texture. I used a toothbrush to get into awkward areas and was really impressed!! I took photos which I will add later - we had been on holidays for 4 weeks and the house-sitter hadn't done much with the wet areas so it was great to experiment on.
So I expect to know the financial damage for the car repairs tomorrow and I will send out some invoices for my work last week hoping someone is floating around their offices during this Christmas break. Today I launched another blog which will hopefully lead to some interesting opportunities in the next 3 months. I also contacted a Virtual Assistant agency for information on their services and have been working on a very detailed "To Do List" for my first use of my Virtual Assistant. I have been spending every waking hour the last few days researching income opportunities when I could be paying someone else to do all that while I try to drum up some income!! Thats the plan Stan!! I STILL have not even listed one item on Ebay and missed the local flea market listing today as I was in "my zone" on the net and forgot the time and hence the deadline today. Rats!! Banning myself from researching until I hear in the next few hours from VA.
after I pressed the start button on the bread machine and found it to be an Irish Recipe and IT IS meant to be firm and moist!! Thats how mine turned out anyway and it tastes okay toasted with Vegemite and Butter. BF not so sure and leaving it up to me to finish the rest!!
My Homemade Bathroom Cleaner (Recipe from Down To Earth Blog) turned out great (as far as the Simple Living concept goes) - half a cup of bicarb soda and slowly dribble in small amounts of liquid laundry detergent, stirring until it is like a thick custardy texture. I used a toothbrush to get into awkward areas and was really impressed!! I took photos which I will add later - we had been on holidays for 4 weeks and the house-sitter hadn't done much with the wet areas so it was great to experiment on.
So I expect to know the financial damage for the car repairs tomorrow and I will send out some invoices for my work last week hoping someone is floating around their offices during this Christmas break. Today I launched another blog which will hopefully lead to some interesting opportunities in the next 3 months. I also contacted a Virtual Assistant agency for information on their services and have been working on a very detailed "To Do List" for my first use of my Virtual Assistant. I have been spending every waking hour the last few days researching income opportunities when I could be paying someone else to do all that while I try to drum up some income!! Thats the plan Stan!! I STILL have not even listed one item on Ebay and missed the local flea market listing today as I was in "my zone" on the net and forgot the time and hence the deadline today. Rats!! Banning myself from researching until I hear in the next few hours from VA.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Money money money...
Okay - I have been avoiding this issue for a few days (especially after my car was towed)...I'm good at sticking my head in the sand where finances are concerned, leaving mail unopened for weeks and sometimes (just a couple of times) for a few months. Did I mention being responsible is not one of my strong points?!
However as part of simplifying my life I need to dissect my finances. Firstly I need to see where my money is going to then be able to streamline it. Basically I need to do a budget! For the income I do earn I need to sit it somewhere safe and earn as much interest as possible. And I would like to reduce my assets by about 80% and using any funds gained from the sale towards volunteering somewhere. And most importantly I need to be earning income from different sources so as to support me in a roof over my head, food in my belly and some travel funds for my wanderlust.
So I have just signed up for Adsense on this blog to see what that is all about and to report on it - I am finding blogging quite time consuming at the moment as I get everything set up. However I am enjoying it so much it doesn't feel like work at all. Writing seems like an interesting job (hence this blog - I'm practising)....
But... I need to get some money together to pay for those car repairs (which will then lead to income after I sell it).
So Ebay is going to be my tool to start selling off the smaller items - National Geographic collection, CD's, DVD's, Clothes and basic excess personal items. And on Thursdays our local newspaper has free listing for a flea market advert. The latter is seeming like the best option so far, as I need to raise some money quickly.
Volunteering is surprisingly expensive (I have been exploring the free options too) both locally and overseas. Although some organisations provide Fundraising information and training - like how to do a press report and raise awareness for the trip.
Photo - ponypics June 2011
However as part of simplifying my life I need to dissect my finances. Firstly I need to see where my money is going to then be able to streamline it. Basically I need to do a budget! For the income I do earn I need to sit it somewhere safe and earn as much interest as possible. And I would like to reduce my assets by about 80% and using any funds gained from the sale towards volunteering somewhere. And most importantly I need to be earning income from different sources so as to support me in a roof over my head, food in my belly and some travel funds for my wanderlust.
So I have just signed up for Adsense on this blog to see what that is all about and to report on it - I am finding blogging quite time consuming at the moment as I get everything set up. However I am enjoying it so much it doesn't feel like work at all. Writing seems like an interesting job (hence this blog - I'm practising)....
But... I need to get some money together to pay for those car repairs (which will then lead to income after I sell it).
So Ebay is going to be my tool to start selling off the smaller items - National Geographic collection, CD's, DVD's, Clothes and basic excess personal items. And on Thursdays our local newspaper has free listing for a flea market advert. The latter is seeming like the best option so far, as I need to raise some money quickly.
Volunteering is surprisingly expensive (I have been exploring the free options too) both locally and overseas. Although some organisations provide Fundraising information and training - like how to do a press report and raise awareness for the trip.
Photo - ponypics June 2011
KISSLIST of the week... last week of 2011...
Kindness - Donate - declutter and donate to charity - Salvation Army- deliver extra goodies from garden to friend - eggs and herbs from the garden
Interest - Self again - research and read anything I can get my hands on - current reads to finish
Richard Branson - Screw It!! Just Do It!! And Stop Talking - Start Doing by Shaa Wasmund, Richard Newton
Support - Researching volunteer sites - volunteer somewhere this year
Strength - Plan for 2012 and work out finances and income sources. Strengthen the home front resources - add to vegie garden - this is my favourite site for this research - Down To Earth
Interest - Self again - research and read anything I can get my hands on - current reads to finish
Richard Branson - Screw It!! Just Do It!! And Stop Talking - Start Doing by Shaa Wasmund, Richard Newton
Support - Researching volunteer sites - volunteer somewhere this year
Strength - Plan for 2012 and work out finances and income sources. Strengthen the home front resources - add to vegie garden - this is my favourite site for this research - Down To Earth
The year that was...2011...
It Sucked!!!
2011 has earnt the "wooden spoon" year of my life....
But in the spirit of not sounding completely devoid of positivity, in reflection there were a lot of good moments too.
Travel wise I covered a bit of ground - a heck of a lot now that I think through month by month - a lot of it was for work and another lot was for personal reasons. Then there's the travel for ... well pretty much .... just because you can!! Wow - my year hasn't been that sucky I suppose....
February - Tiwi Islands for work -1 day at a time
The beach where the Dutch landed all those years ago
Tiwi Cemetery at Snake Bay or Milikapati (in language) and the Pukamani poles used for burial ceremony
March USA - 2 weeks - visiting a terminally ill friend in West Virginia - (update at years end - she is recovering from her fierce regime of chemo and getting stronger)
Sutton area - West Virginia - it snowed for me!!!!
Then the snow melted and spring had sprung...
...and I met up in New York with a Scottish friend I hadn't seen in years
New York City
I loved this - I am a "snow angel" fan myself - bench tag at Central Park
April - Bali - 10 days - new airline Air Asia to town so snapped up some cheap flights - met 9 other people over there (including children)
View from Lembogan Island - will need to check spelling
May - 10 days - 2 weeks - Western Australia - Dad passed away suddenly so an unexpected trip south
Local wharf area from my hometown in WA - getting away to clear the head - organising the funeral was a nightmare ( I plan to do a post on this in my support page coming up)
June - 3 days - Brisbane - work to do
View from hotel in Brisbane - Redcliffe area
Sunset down at our local beach - showing visitors our local beauty
July - 1 week - Gapuwiyak - remote community out from Nhulunbuy for work / 2 nights camping a few hours from town
Camping out from Grove Hill Hotel area - just to get out of town for a bit in the "dry" season
August - 2 and a half weeks - back to South - West of WA - personal stuff to do
Local beach in town
Sept / Oct - 5 days - Jerramungup to help friend cater for her daughters wedding and to also be the official photographer on the day - a highlight of the year!!
Up "the rock" - where the wedding was held on the farm
On the farm...
November and December will need their own post I think plus give me bit of time to think of 2012.... I have some ideas - more travel obviously!!
2011 has earnt the "wooden spoon" year of my life....
But in the spirit of not sounding completely devoid of positivity, in reflection there were a lot of good moments too.
Travel wise I covered a bit of ground - a heck of a lot now that I think through month by month - a lot of it was for work and another lot was for personal reasons. Then there's the travel for ... well pretty much .... just because you can!! Wow - my year hasn't been that sucky I suppose....
February - Tiwi Islands for work -1 day at a time
The beach where the Dutch landed all those years ago
Tiwi Cemetery at Snake Bay or Milikapati (in language) and the Pukamani poles used for burial ceremony
March USA - 2 weeks - visiting a terminally ill friend in West Virginia - (update at years end - she is recovering from her fierce regime of chemo and getting stronger)
Sutton area - West Virginia - it snowed for me!!!!
Then the snow melted and spring had sprung...
...and I met up in New York with a Scottish friend I hadn't seen in years
New York City
I loved this - I am a "snow angel" fan myself - bench tag at Central Park
April - Bali - 10 days - new airline Air Asia to town so snapped up some cheap flights - met 9 other people over there (including children)
View from Lembogan Island - will need to check spellingMay - 10 days - 2 weeks - Western Australia - Dad passed away suddenly so an unexpected trip south
Local wharf area from my hometown in WA - getting away to clear the head - organising the funeral was a nightmare ( I plan to do a post on this in my support page coming up)June - 3 days - Brisbane - work to do
View from hotel in Brisbane - Redcliffe area
Sunset down at our local beach - showing visitors our local beauty
July - 1 week - Gapuwiyak - remote community out from Nhulunbuy for work / 2 nights camping a few hours from town
Camping out from Grove Hill Hotel area - just to get out of town for a bit in the "dry" season
August - 2 and a half weeks - back to South - West of WA - personal stuff to do
Local beach in town
Sept / Oct - 5 days - Jerramungup to help friend cater for her daughters wedding and to also be the official photographer on the day - a highlight of the year!!
Up "the rock" - where the wedding was held on the farm
On the farm...
November and December will need their own post I think plus give me bit of time to think of 2012.... I have some ideas - more travel obviously!!
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