It’s been a fairly long day- not a tiresome one- just long.

I went to work for 5 hours of overtime because 17’s BF needs a job & they were having a bring a friend to work day @ my work. I didn’t realize it was a stop in- sort of thing rather than a full 5 hour BS session about how great a company I work for.

On the way there we stopped to cash a check I received finaly as a rebate for my cell phone & so I was motivated to try use some of it to get a chip for the phone – so I can use it as it’s supposed to be used (as an mp3 player) The bank gave me all $20. bills & so I bought the BF breakfast at Hardees because I can’t use a $20. at work for a sobe or a diet coke.

I took him to work with me & he listened to me take calls for 2 hours- they gave him a bag of cups- key chains & stress balls (does the fact that they give you a stress ball before you’re hired seem like a dead giveaway to anyone but me?) & they gave him a tour of the building.

Then he took my keys & went to get the paycheck he received for his 1 week at his last job. I was out before he was back & stood around in the sun reading for almost 40 minutes before he got back- he got lost! Twice! I knew what was going on because he called me from 2 separate pay phones to get directions & he wouldn’t have had any money on him (he didn’t have time to cash his check because he couldn’t find the bank in time) if I hadn’t given him some of the change from Hardees because I thought they were going to keep him & talk to him for a few hours or so & that he might want a soda during that.

We drove back home & I had 30 minutes to check email before 11 came home & we went right back out the door to do the school shopping & grocery shopping. We went to the mall first because that’s the only place they have a radio shack around here. I presented them with my phone & told them the last one they sold me wouldn’t work in the phone- the phone said it was an improper chip & rejected it so any chip they wanted to sell me would have to be tried out in the store before I left. They found a chip the phone accepted on the first try- for which I was profoundly grateful.

We went to dinner next under pressure from 11 & 8 who seem to have to eat every 3 hours or they’re ’starving’. We went to a Texas Roadhouse because 8 & the BF wanted peanuts- 17 & 11 were not into it but the food was so good they got over themselves & everyone had fun.

The school shopping lists were insane. 11 needed 3 – 2 inch binders 3 of them! All I could get were 1 & 1/2 inch binders & that’s just going to have to cut it. We purchased 11 folders with prongs- 4 boxes of pencils- 6 packs of wide ruled paper- only 2 spiral bound notebooks this year & some really random stuff- 11 required among other things – a 4 pack of playdoh for science & a tape measure showing both yards & meters.

Between new socks & underwear & all the school supplies I used about half of my spending limit on my credit card. I was not pleased but what can I do? My Grandmother used to send me $100. every August to help with this phase of life- she expected me to get each of the kids a new outfit out of that too. I can tell you right now- that wouldn’t have happened this year for sure!

17 hasn’t even got anything yet- at the high-school they expect them to come with a notebook the first day & each teacher tells them then what they need to have by the next Monday Their first day of school is 8/16 & my next paycheck is 8/17 so we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

The next step was grocery shopping which I’m growing to hate more & more with each passing month. I’m almost ready to start keeping my money in the bank & just going to buy enough for 4-5 days at a time at the local stores- I know I’d spend more that way but it seems like I’d have fresher- better food that might be more suited to what we really want to eat.

We’ll see. Maybe after my next raise- the last raise was for the kids= 17 got a raise & 11 & 8 both began receiving allowances- my next raise – which will be in September should be for me. Admittedly the raise I get every 6 months is smallish. about an increase of $20. in a pay period but with every additional $20. I receive – things get a little easier for us around here- thank goodness!