Special Anniversary
Today is a birthday and anniversary.
Not an anniversary with someone, but an anniversary nonetheless. It is also the very same day that became the Maine Coon Cat’s birthday. The vet marked it as Lilo’s birthday when she first went to the vet at 6 weeks old. (I had found her 2 weeks before)
Today, she is 3, and it’s been 3 years since I realized how much my life has changed. But change is hard to see, and for those who are just getting to know me you may not know how much change there was….
In 2003, I woke from a dark life, and my hand bears a reminder of that day. Perhaps a scar does not sound like the best reminder, yet it constantly reminds me that I need to help others. Even if that idea did not occur to me until later.
That day was July 20th 2008.
Looking at my life, I realized it was not where it needed to be. This was the day I decided to
Read MoreI’m Mad Today
I’m mad.
I don’t want to be …. but I am.
I’m mad that I should be getting ready to leave for a seminar tomorrow, but I’m not. I’d looked forward to this seminar for months. The education, the networking, the getting out of the house, the working and growing and developing of friendships….
I’m mad that I got invited to another seminar and I don’t know how to afford to go.
I’m mad over the fact that grandaddy died. (silly I know and I know I can’t change it… but today it makes me mad) I’m mad that there is some family that remains on that side, but I won’t hear from them again. They’ve only called twice in the past 10 years, once was a mis-dial, the 2nd was to tell me to take down family pictures I had on myspace… (they were hidden from most people, except my close friends and that dear cousin) Dad’s family died 4 years ago. Mom’s is now gone…
I’m mad that there is no future generation. My parents, my brother, my sis-in-law and me.
I’m mad over men who only want to see my exterior, and not see the smart, compassionate, passionate person inside.
I’m mad that I don’t know what it’s like to be in MUTUAL love, to have some man love me.
Read MoreApril Showers Bring May Flowers
That’s what the old stories of our youth say. Wonder if April changes bring May ranges? Hopefully May ranges would mean I’d have a house with room to range around outside…
But April was full of changes. After the seminar in March I got a couple clients who wanted websites built. Then I got a phone call from an old friend. He needed help with pictures not showing on this website. Well, it took a few minutes of digging to say “your server is screwed up.”
A few more things he had me check, then asked if I needed a job. Suddenly I was gainfully employed doing something I love to do. Then I was asked to jump into the deep end of the adult pool, and realized that I had not been living up to my potential.
A few days passed. I asked a simple question that had been bugging me for a while, to someone who once treated me special and had stopped. Gifts and promises to call on X day were as real as mists upon the wind. So “Do you love me?” was answered with “if someone else has made you those promises go on.”
Read More20 Drugs and Alcohol
Next up… Another 30 Days of Truth, Day 20 → Your views on drugs and alcohol.
Wow, we are going into the deep stuff eh?
Doctor's Best Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM
I believe in Homeopathic medicine. Therefore drugs in most every sense is not preferred. Unfortunately I get migraines and have tendonitis from severely damaged knee. This means I do keep Ibuprofen and headache medicine (read: generic Excedrin) on hand. I also keep a couple flu meds on hand. Then take a daily vitamin and a joint vitamin, like the one to the right.
Because sinus problems run in the family, I do sinus rinses almost daily. Sometimes adding hydrogen peroxide which is great for colds or cayenne (yup that hurts) for sinus infections. As for doctors, I try to avoid them.
How much?
When I was in high school I was kicked 3 different times by my horse. There was a bone fragment in my arm and still one in my jaw. The other time did not make solid contact. When I was married, after a long work day, I sliced half way through a finger which still bears a minor scar. Yes, I pulled it open daily and poured peroxide and alcohol on it.
Often, such as in that case, I gave time frames, so if it did not improve in X days or it got worse then a doctor appointment would be made. As you are reading this, I must have survived. 
And I have gone to the doctor 2 times for failing to meet the better in X days point and once for getting worse.
Many people get antibiotics for colds. Antibiotics won’t help. Many infections will go away on their own. Then I have a friend and a family member who have gone many times. Both are now allergic to MANY pain killers. One is has reactions to many antibiotics, the other is on antibiotics almost all the time. Probably been on them so long they no longer do anything.
What about alcohol, how do I feel about that?
When I was little, I helped Dad brew beer. He stopped and in the past 3 years we both started brewing. The German ancestry flows there.
And Mike?
Yes, Mike is not German, but he makes a mean margarita. But I am a fan of beer from the store as well, and sangria malt beverage (Bacardi). I enjoy a beer about 3 times a week. Note the picture, a single female grocery run is different from a single guy run, with Caramel Macchiato Creamer, Sangria, and Mike. Ah Mike…
Live, Laugh, Love,
MJ Schrader
Read MoreMake it so
A month ago I took off “suddenly.” The thing to know about me, is I never actually do anything suddenly. Having been alone for most of my life I plan things out with great detail in my head, so when I act it looks very sudden.
The visit was months of discussion, months of persuasion and me resisting. Actually I had planned to go since April, but things didn’t work. Yet this new factor was both a temptation and a reason to resist. One resistance was budget in nature, but I will explain that later.
On July 3rd a classmate came to town from Las Cruces for a family wedding. A third classmate joined us, and we went out to eat around the corner from her hotel. Soon we were joined by her husband. He had already eaten so he stayed for a drink and left, then her brother showed up, a friend on facebook.
The 5 of us soon went out to a club, her brother and I danced the night away at the Mambo Club. We laughed and acted like we were a couple (see the image above). So the next week, I asked my classmate about him. She didn’t say much, but a few weeks later she said to talk to him.
The conversations were few, but comfortable. Often with him encouraging me to visit his sister and him in New Mexico. Finally in November, my resistance broke, and I am glad it did. Yes, it was nice to get away from home. But truth is I had a lot of fun, and all we did was hang out, like a first date (that lasted 2 days) Well, I guess it was… and soon we will try a 4 day second date.
Unfortunately for him, I have dated more than a few jerks, so he’s got a mountain to climb. Which really isn’t fair to him; but, something tells me he’s up to the task. 
Course this is going to be a bit weird if he reads my posts… although he’ll probably laugh.
Now drifting back to the first resistance and the related. Part of the disillusionment with taxes and bookkeeping is the pay has not gone up while the bosses have gotten progressively meaner. In my 20s I shopped for designer labels on sale, although I could buy them full price. My savings was nice.
In my 30s after a bad business deal, the business partner made off nice 
. Followed by a period when no one would hire me, my savings disappeared, debts appeared, in droves. A few years of work helped, but when I was laid off in April, I decided to quit in July (long story). It was time to follow a 30+ year dream of being a writer, but the starving artist is NOT part of the dream.
I want to able to pay bills, even better to buy things again, without worry. But after New Mexico, my urge and urgency has grown. My debts need to be paid off, the sooner the better.
So what’s the plan o’ action? First are goals, $1500 to raise before the end of the year, $5000 by February 1st. That will be great forward progress.
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Sell my Wendi Friesen and Joe Vitale stuff on eBay to raise money ASAP (see if there is more stuff I can sell) http://bit.ly/6oBTJQ
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Promote my products more on http://RockstarGuideBooks.com,
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Produce new products.
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Find JV partners.
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Write articles.
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Do more graphics. I do graphics for fun but it’s a little bit of income.
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Offer ghost writing
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Make the ex-boyfriend pay his debt to me.
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Believe.
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BELIEVE. (worth repeating)
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Make it so… (Star Trek: TNG)
So if you need to learn something in particular, have ideas to raise some funds, ideas of what I can sell, please leave some comments. If you know (or even better are) a potential JV partner, please leave a comment.
MJ Schrader
Read MoreViva La Vida
Welcome to my personal blog. This blog in various forms and formats has been in existence since 2000. As for why this is called Viva La Vida, it means "live the life" in Spanish, but it is a salute to living life to the fullest. And my hope is that you will live life to the fullest!
This is my personal blog! So viva la vida with me!!