Rising to the Top

Good Friday Evening, World!

I just got home. It was a good day out for delivery, although it still could have been busier and I would have been happier.

I shopped around for a car earlier today, and I think I may have one to drive on Monday...I hope.

This will open up better opportunities for me to make money in the gig economy. I will be able to do rideshare, and even if I don't, it will be a whole lot more comfortable with heat, air, and radio in my car. I'll be able to stay out working longer.

My estimated taxes have lowered by about $200, since I started recording mileage. Quickbooks is a lifesaver!

In October, I said that my 52nd year would be a year of transformation for me.

I dyed my hair. I changed employment status from working a minimum wage job as a cook employed by a local diner, to being self-employed, making at LEAST twice as much doing deliveries and, hopefully, rideshare soon.

I am fixing to get a new car. And, my health insurance isn't out of the running until December 31st, so I have until then to pay the first payment to start it. (I'll have INSURANCE again!).

Today I made platinum status with UBEReats. So if I need to, now I am afforded up to four roadside assistance incidents for FREE should I need it, as well as a whole bunch of other discounts and opportunities!

My life is already getting better. I feel more FREE and INDEPENDENT -- less dependent on having to ask for help when I am short on money and have an emergency.

My E-trade account has doubled in investments and value since October.

I have a few more bills, but they are worth having for what it's giving me!

I'm moving on up in the world, and I sure wish I could take all of ya'll with me!

No more climbing. I am RIGHT where I want to be career-wise. Now, all I have to do is strive to be BETTER.

Have a blessed night!

Wild Night with Ubereats, WAITr and Postmates

Good Wednesday night (or is it Thursday morning yet?) World!

Today started out kind of REAL slow. I almost got frustrated.

Yeah, me...frustrated.

BUT, come about 4:30, WAITr went wild! Had me running til about 10:30, and as soon as their orders stopped coming in, UBER went WILD...I ran til about midnight.

I wanted to keep running, too...but my power bank for my phone was out of juice, and my gas tank was close to empty...so I figured I'd call it a night.

Didn't do too bad. Made about $80. (Counting my 2 Postmates orders I did) Pretty good for a slow Tuesday.

Sure wish it was warmer outside though.

I only do deliveries; however, when I get a new car, I might think about doing rideshare.

I take Jesus everywhere I go, though. I never have a profitable day without Him!

Ya'll have a blessed night!

Nasty Day Turned Out Okay...

Good Tuesday Evening, World!

I ended up staying home due to the weather being nastier than was anticipated. Not entirely true...I did go out today and TRY, but after one delivery it became obvious the weather wasn't getting any better, so I came home.

I'll try again tomorrow.

But, the day was not wasted.

I updated my Quickbooks (work) and then I thought about all the time I sit waiting for a delivery and decided to sign up for more delivery opportunities.

I am now, officially, not only a WAITr, UBEReats, and Postmates driver, but also a Point Pickup and a Roadie driver. And, I'm waiting on my application to process through SPARK delivery as well. We'll see how they work out.

AND, I am waiting on Grubhub, Doordash, and Instacart to notify me when they need more drivers.

Have a blessed night!

Ending My Relationship with AVON

I will be ending any and all affiliation I have with Avon.

It isn't that I have a hatred for homosexuals. I have homosexual friends. I love everyone equally.

HOWEVER, as God Himself has put it, "Love the sinner, not the sin". To love someone in spite of their sin is one thing. To love someone's sin is quite another.

We all have sinned. None of us are perfect. None of us are any better than anyone else in that regard.

I have sinned. I have committed fornication and adultery on numerous occasions in my past. I have been divorced twice. I have had two different children from two different men, neither of whom became my husband at any point. I have had domestic partnerships that didn't last. So, I am as bad as any other person who has ever sinned.

BUT, I have repented. I am working to turn AWAY from my sin, not to embrace it or have pride in it. I still stumble and fall at times, but I, in NO WAY, condone or urge anyone else to follow me into that sin.

And, Avon has embraced the homosexual pride platform, after - not too long ago - embracing the majesty of a satanic display on it's cover. The first time, I forgave it. This time, I cannot, because Avon has not learned its lesson. So, it is up to people who believe as I do to teach that lesson, and to turn our backs on the monstrosity of it.

I will also be selling my AVON stocks. I want NOTHING from AVON in the future.

I will be giving away all of the products I have on-hand for Christmas. It should bring joy to someone who needs it. After that, I am done. The year 2021, I will be AVON FREE completely.

Becoming the Taxman

Hello, World!

I am planning on updating more on this blog, rather than on Facebook.

I have been really busy lately! So busy, I haven't had time to surf the internet much. I am now self-employed as a delivery driver for Uber, WAITr, and Lyft.

This past week was the first full week that I worked, and I clocked nearly 30 hours. I brought home almost $500. That is more than twice the amount I was making as a cook working a 40 hour week at The Pitt Grill.

I've been putting money back into my e-trade account in order to pay my taxes. Yesterday, I downloaded Quickbooks. I spent the whole day configuring it and labeling my transactions. I linked it to all of my bank accounts, and prepared it to record my mileage for tax-deductions.

It was a lot of work, but a WHOLE lot easier than I thought it was going to be! If you are self-employed, Quickbooks is the way to go!

I owe Big Brother over $600 for the quarter. That's a lot less than I thought it would be! (Which means, I get to keep most of the money I have invested in stocks at E-trade!

Well, it's the start of a new week, and I only take off work when it rains. I know, I know, I'd make more money if I worked in the rain; but, right now, my car is not in shape to be driving in the cold rain. I have no de-fog, heat or air in my car. I am bundling up just to sit in my car all day and drive!

I see a new car in my future, though!

Have a blessed day!

Hmmmm.,..Something to Ponder here....

I Will Fear No More

I had night terrors until I was eight years old. I credit the fact that I got saved for them ending. When I got saved, something happened in my dreams. Instead of running from the monsters, I suddenly had the willpower to face them IN MY DREAMS...and they just .... disappeared.

Now, when I am afraid, IN REAL LIFE, I face my fears the same way.

It has made my life a whole lot more productive, and climbing the mountains of my life a whole lot easier.

It has also helped me to identify "triggers" that cause me to relapse into old, unproductive and destructive, ways. When I reach a "trigger point" now, I take into consideration the consequences of further action should I continue down the path I am on. I then decide whether it is a fear to be conquered, or a trap to avoid. and find a way to detour the "pothole" on my journey.

When I encounter "potholes" my life changes, though. Things I find important, in that moment, I am forced to put aside and devalue in order to maintain my strength for the journey I need to continue on.

Potholes could be anything: a decision that could lead to a rough future, a potential for obsession over something (or someone) not worth the heartache, a potential relationship that is destructive, a potential change in job status, or other potential situations that could cause delay in where God wants me to be in my life.

My life is better for the night terrors I used to have. Today, I have no terror. I am fearless. I am brave. And, even though I may seem crass and uncouthe -- even arrogant -- because of it at times, my outlook on my future is brighter for it!

Splish Splash

Hello, World!

Normally, I would say that I got nothing done today. It was a lazy day...

It sure felt like it. EXCEPT...

My cousin came over and checked my kitchen sink for me. He thinks he can fix it. I'm looking forward to having it working again so I can properly wash dishes and the floors won't get wet all the time.

I also mentioned my toilet while he was here. Showed him how I had to flush it without using the handle. He left and came back with some tools and parts and fixed it for me. (He's an ANGEL!)

And, I am SO grateful!

I also mentioned the tub faucet, but that was out of his territory. So, I turned to YouTUBE. I got enough of an idea of what to look at, so I proceeded on my own to see if I could help myself.

I turned the water off at the source, under the sink. I turned on the faucet to see if it was completely off. Then, I ran my hand down the pipe below to see if there were any leaks. I shook the pipe. Then turned it back on.

Water was coming out a little better. It looked like progress, so I tried it again. Twice. Each time progress. The last time it was ON! Praise the Lord!

Yes. I took a bath. I enjoyed the fruits of my labor. I was so PROUD of myself! I have a BATH TUB again!

There is something about taking a nice hot bath that makes you FEEL cleaner. And more relaxed.

I spent the rest of the day doing nothing much. Drinking a lot of tea. Eating chips and vienna wieners. And a BBQ sandwich from the Dollar Store.

I even contemplated giving the dogs a bath, too. Decided against it, as it is too cold outside right now.

Here I am! BLESSED!

Hope YOU are too!

One Step Away

Sometimes you just have to realize that it's time to lean back, accept reality and embrace the present. To focus on what might be in light of what has been seems redundant and a waste of time. It is then that you become one step away from where you are supposed to be.

What might be will never be, what has been is gone. What is REAL is the present. Plan from the present one baby step at a time instead of 10 giant steps that may trip before you get there. You will find that disappointment is far less likely to happen, and when it does, it's easier to recover.

I will not spend my life wanting, hoping, working for something that is unobtainable. I see, right now, what I can have, and I am reaching only for that. When I get it, I will reach for the next thing. Each step I take will lead me right where I'm supposed to be.

In one year I plan to look back and see the giant step I've taken to get there, rather than look forward to the miles ahead of me.

And, I will feel victorious, once again!

Happy Thanksgiving

This year has been especially hard for many of us here in the United States. From a pandemic brought on by Chinese carelessness, to the loss of loved ones around the globe, loss of businesses, loss of income, riots in the streets, uncertainty about the future and an obvious stolen election (which tops it all, because this is NOT the America we want to love!), 2020 has forever gained the title of "The year of no Toilet Paper".

But still, we have so much to be thankful for!

And no closure, no attempt to deny God His rightful place in all this, no amount of hatred against those who want nothing more than to love the traditions set forth by the founding fathers will stop our resolve to put aside our differences and be able to come together as family and friends, and fellow countrymen and women to say we are Thankful.

Here in my own home things have been rough this year. From dealing with pandemic rules, to debates with my housemates (who are on the opposite side of the political spectrum with their support), to rising food costs, meaning less food in the household (where one depends on a fixed Social Security income, another is unable to work and does not have the education or know-how to use technology in order to help himself get the necessary papers filed to have his own Social Security benefits started, and only one works in the household, but is barely able to pay the bills at this point), to dealing with job loss and finding suitable income just in time not to go under (Thank God Almighty!), we still have a LOT to be thankful for.

So, I spent the last of my money that was in the bank today -- determined that we were going to celebrate Thanksgiving somehow.

I bought some rotissouri chicken, some Welch's Sparkling Rose Soda, a big can of baked beans and a tub of potato salad, a loaf of bread, some cream for coffee and sugar for tea, and a couple of packages of Reese's Cups for dessert. It was all I could afford -- but it filled all three of us up.

We were thankful. We still have our health amidst the pandemic. We still talk to each other and show support where necessary in order to get through each day. We may argue political viewpoints, even yell at each other at times before stomping to our rooms, but at the end of the day we make sure we are all fed, warm and safe from the evil of the world outside the door to our home, no matter how much it may be falling apart. We have a God who is bigger than all of our fears, who will provide as our needs arise. And, here in America, there is still opportunity for growth (for the time being), so finding work has not proven too big of a challenge for me.

We have a LOT to be thankful for.

So, I was determined to have Thanksgiving. And, the guys REALLY appreciated it. I saw their depressed spirits visibly take form and rise with-in them as they smiled, and we ate, drank and were thankful together for this day and each other.

It was a welcomed atmosphere, and well worth the cost.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. May yours be at least as blessed as ours!