Essay #5---REWRITE!

              A few years ago, back when I was a single mom to my 16 month old baby boy and 3 year old daughter we lived in a 1 bedroom apartment on the back side of this wicked old building on the top floor. I worked a lot of hours at a local restaurant because at the time I wasn’t receiving ANY help what so ever for the kids. My cousin Amanda (and best friend) lived in the downstairs apartment with her boyfriend and she offered to help me out by watching the kids while I went to work. I worked so many hours that basically Amanda was raising my kids. Thank god she was loving to them and they really enjoyed being with her.  I told her that I would do my best to pay her. She really wasn’t bothered, she told me I was family and she didn’t work anyways so she needed something to do. So later on in the story I will give examples of just how much of a back stabbing, conniving, liar she is that lead me to deleting her out of mine and the kids life.

 Some nights when I finished work, I barely made enough tips to put gas in my car but I would do the best I could to pay her for watching the kids. I know that 15 bucks for 8 hours wasn’t very much but she always told me to just keep it and not give her any because she really didn’t mind watching the kids, and she loved having them there. On other nights when I made really good tips I would give her enough to make up for when I didn’t give her much. I would say that I was pretty fair most of the time. I even let them use my car when theirs broke down and bought them I don’t even know how many packs of cigarettes. When tax time finally came, I received a pretty hefty return and she knew exactly how much I got back. This is where everything just started to go downhill and suddenly she thought I was some rich person and became a totally different person that needed to disperse my hard earned cash in her direction! She started telling me about when she use to babysit for her friend she got 3 or 4 dollars an hour per kid and that I needed to start paying her even more because the amount I gave her was a slap in the face. She pretty much made me feel like a piece of crap. What the hell does she expect! Holy crap I was making just about minimum wage and she wanted 8 bucks an hour!

She finally convinced her mother to co-sign with her to buy a house that was down the street and they needed to fix up the house a little like painting and a few repairs here and there. She said she needed close to 300 dollars to do these things and of course being the nice person I am sat right down and wrote out a check for 300 bucks. Only because the fact she repeatedly assured me that they would be paying that back. Many months went by after asking I don’t know how many times for the money. They would always say the same thing; they will have it the next week. Well guess what, they never did and I never intended on paying it back. She didn’t even have the decency to call me and tell me that she did some “figuring” and said that I owed her that money and it wasn’t necessary for her to pay it back, instead she wrote it in a letter. What a conniving little coward she was.

After she moved into her house (before the bullshit letter) she told me that if I let her use my washer and dryer I had in storage that I could do my laundry there instead of the laundry mat. Sounded like a good idea at the time, so I agreed. I even borrowed my father’s pickup to deliver it. When I did find some time to do my laundry she was conveniently not there or she would tell me that I would need to give her some money if I was going to do my laundry there because it made the electric bill sky rocket. When I finally decided to take them back because she wasn’t keeping her end of the deal, she refused to give them back and said that I owed her money. Those became her famous words “I owed her money”. I often wondered how she did her tallying. I mean what the hell is she charging me for?! Parking in her driveway or using her toilet?!

                It all started coming together in my head and realizing that she wasn’t a very nice person at all. She came up with a conniving scheme in her head, which I knew she was capable of doing but never thinking that I was actually, in the end, the one she was targeting. I was her family and her best friend, how could she have done this without feeling badly about herself at all. I don’t know what else I could have possibly done to please her. In return she stabbed me in the back by spreading false rumors about me. This goes to show right here that you cannot trust anybody. In the end she lost the most important things, family, a friend and two kids that loved her all because of greed and money.

3 Annotated Bibliographies

Dyes, Hippies Tie. "How to Tie Dye Dot Net" Learn How To Tie Dye. Web. 30 Oct. 2011. http://www.howtotiedye.net/

This website is very descriptive and organized about the steps to take during the process of tie dying a shirt. It’s laid out step by step, and I like how they have pictures to back up what their saying. I also like the fact that all of the information is just on the main web page instead of having to click link after link to get to it.

"How to Tie-Dye." Free Crafts for Kids. Web. 30 Oct. 2011. http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/tiedye/a/041601a.htm

I was kind of frustrated with this website. It’s not the kind of place that you can just quick, bam, boom and have the info at the tip of your fingers. You have to click link after link to get to actually where you need to be.

"Tie-Dye Instructions." Dharma Trading Co. Homepage. Web. 30 Oct. 2011. http://www.dharmatrading.com/info/soda_soak.html

Personally I liked this site the best. It had a really nice flow to it and described everything I needed to know. The design and layout of the page is also attractive and a definite big plus with the “Helpful hints” at the bottom of the page.

Example essay intro

A few years ago, back when I was a single mom to my 16 month old baby boy and 3 year old daughter we lived in a 1 bedroom apartment on the back side of this wicked old building on the top floor. I worked a lot of hours at a local restaurant because at the time I wasn’t receiving ANY help what so ever for the kids. My cousin Amanda (and best friend) lived in the downstairs apartment with her boyfriend and she offered to help me out by watching the kids while I went to work. I told her that I would do my best to pay her. She really wasn’t bothered, she told me I was family and she didn’t work anyways so she needed something to do. So later on in the story I will give examples of just how much of a back stabbing, conniving, liar she is that lead me to deleting her out of mine and the kids life.

Essay #4, in class essay

Once upon a time there was this cute little family tucked into the woods away from the road where they loved their wonderful 3 bedroom modular and double sliding glass doors that opened their home up to the great outdoors. I said to my husband one day, “Hunny, now that we have our own house and land, the kids are getting older and don’t find that our once cute cuddly coon cat can any longer be dressed up like a baby anymore (because she’s a fat butter ball), I think it’s time that we invest in another friendly family pet” My husband says, sure why not! Then, continued to say that he himself had actually been thinking the same thing. I said “great! Then we can start looking around” I myself was looking for something small and not so intimidating to the kids, which my mother had a shiatsu and she loved her and was always saying what a good dog she was, so I was going more towards that route. I didn’t think my husband would really go that extra step in looking and thought that probably whatever I got he would just go along with it.

Then later on that night at the dinner table I told my husband that I had found the most perfect pet. A little cute, cuddly 8 week old adorable shiatsu, and it was a friend of mine who was actually selling them for $400 dollars but she would give her to us for free, and to consider it our wedding present! I was so excited; the kids were laughing and wiggling in their chairs. After getting so caught in the moment, and forgetting the fact that he had been looking as well and may have an idea, I looked up at him and he said, with one eye brow hunched up to the middle of his forehead and that stupid grin on his face, “Ha, if you think I would actually agree to getting one of those homely, messy disgusting things that pisses and shits all over the house you are wrong and it will never happen” Just like that, he just spit out those words like nothing, the kids and I were shocked as if he let one loose at the dinner table or something. I said, “Oh, o.k. Mr. High all mighty, what exactly did you have in mind for the family pet?”

Uh-oh, bad mistake. Women, you should never just let your husband wander around aimlessly with no instructions or lists, especially while choosing the so called family pet! You always give instructions as to exactly what you want first and then persuade him to thinking that your examples are what is best for the family, duh! Because if not, he begins to come up with his own ideas of what is best, and you all know that in the end its what’s best suited to their benefit!! His list consists of, for example, the kind of dog that is strong and masculine, or the kind of dog you can pull the tail gate of the pickup and say come on, let’s go fishing or hunting. Or, futuristically speaking, something that he can eventually breed and make money off of. Do you see what I mean? This kind of dog is yes of course, a figgin Pit-Bull, something that as a mother absolutely gasps at the idea of getting and finds it absolutely unthinkable and ridiculous to ever have that kind of animal prowling around my children! An animal that has the capability of ripping limbs off kids, the kind of dog that forced people to come up with the idea of making the signs that read “Beware of Dog” But, the funny part is, he says “they are good dogs though, if you train them right”. Absolutely not! No Way! It doesn’t matter, you can train a dog to the best of your ability, and yes, may be a good dog but, what if someday something pisses it off and goes loco on the kids! Hello!

So I left it be for a couple of days and reminded my husband that if he came home with a Pit-Bull I would make him sleep in the dog house with it and its permanent home would be in the garage because I absolutely refuse to take on the responsibilities of that dog while he was at work. I know it sounds a little inhumane but the fact of the matter is, it was in my persuasion to keep that animal out of my home! Plus I already had my mind set that I was getting that shiatsu puppy, and my friend had already made plans to bring her down. The kids were so excited when they finally met Lilly Mae McNally. She was the perfect size for them, just a little tiny thing. And actually she was already kind of part of the family because she was a sister to my mother’s dog Sophie. It was perfect though, and I was going to be doing all of the caring for her anyways. Like my husband was going to give her baths, remember to feed her or wake up in the morning to take her out to pee. That’s just how I see it, and I’m sure many people would agree.
Over all, my husband was not too impressed. He still looks at her with disgust and absolutely hates it when he finds her sleeping beside his side of the bed. He treats her like a wicked step child that always does wrong. I mean, yes she’s going to make mistakes, she’s a puppy for gosh sakes! He says that she pee’s on the floor every time I go to work. I said well that’s your own fault, if you take her outside then she wouldn’t do that, but now you’ve got her scared to death of you so whenever you go to grab her she pee’s! He’s learning though, do you know how I can tell? Every once and a while I’ll see Lilly snuggled up beside his feet when I come home from work and ill tease him about it the next day. Every time I catch him being nice to her he always says “I hate that dog with a passion, but I would feel awful if something bad every happened to her” So, in conclusion, even though your man comes up with these crazy idea’s and you have to snap them back to reality with a more logical plan, and even though they don’t like it they will eventually adjust to it and it will be old news and find that no matter what he will develop a soft spot for our little Lilly Mae.

Graph #19

                Holy crap! Are you serious?? To be honest with you, I don’t think I could ever write a “good” 5 paragraph essay in just 60 minutes. The other essays that I have wrote for this class literally took me at least 1 day. I would read it over and over, critiquing and changing it 10 thousand times until I was somewhat satisfied with it. I am not good with words; I sometimes put paragraphs out of order and add a lot of crap that probably shouldn’t even be in there. So writing a 5 paragraph essay to me sounds very intimidating, it makes my heart race and my mind fill with many busy thoughts! I wish I were more prepared because as of right now I’m thinking how is Mr. Goldfine ever going to like this essay compared to all of the other essays he probably never liked either! So what’s the deal doc’? You had better prescribe me some frickin’ good meds (or yourself, considering you’ll be the one reading it) because this one’s going to be a bad one! 

Essay #4

How can I put this? You know the expression “ya got shit in one hand and want in the other? See which one piles up faster!” Well in my case they seemed to both pile up pretty damn fast. Comparing the kid’s biological father to “shit”, my first love, and my first break up! The kids step father i would place with the “want”, which was the good guy who’d do anything for me and my kids, not money wise because he didn't have any but the love and care he offered was worth so much more. Don’t get me wrong they are the 2 most intelligent men I know, graduating at the top of their class, but there’s a fine line between intelligence and common sense! They both had one thing in common; they shared the role of being a father to my beautiful babies at some point or other and both were in a relationship with me. Matt may be a biological weekend warrior; per say “Father” a short buff tan man who perceives to be strong on the outside but in all actuality very weak on the inside. He does not know how to discipline or show any kind of human like feelings.  On the other hand, Jacob spends day in day out teaching them right from wrong, reading them stories, giving them baths, tucking them in, and spending quality loving time with them.  Jacob and Matt are two totally different people, where as it kills matt to outwardly express his feelings, instead runs and hides like a coward, and Jacob lets you know exactly how he feels, he genuinely cares about others feelings. Jacob has honestly earned that 5 letter word, even though not biologically their father, but he’s definitely there “Daddy”.  In summation, point being that anyone can be a father but it takes dedication, devotion and love to be a dad.

                Why? I may ask myself many times, did I have the capability of being with a man that constantly disappointed me time after time. I knew I loved matt, and had a strong forgivingness towards him, but why? Maybe I thought someday he would miraculously grow out of the lying and cheating, grow up and finally be the father he was supposed to be and hopefully someday be the perfect little family I had envisioned. Having known someone for many years, the first man I had ever loved and gave myself to and in the end not really deeply knowing the person at all. The man may be a veteran and all but he used the system for the wrong reasons. He was always the type of guy who never dealt with his issues and instead he thought by escaping them would make them disappear. Well he was wrong because by the time he came back he was still the father of them 2 children no matter what. In my head I wanted to desperately remind him that the years that have past had been a growing up point in my life where I chose to take responsibility and provide for my kids, meaning working my butt off to support them and actively be involved in giving them my unconditional love. I wanted him to realize that he just left me high and dry, but no matter how much I tried pounding it into his head he still refused to take responsibility and gave up most of his weekends with kids to go partying and pawned the kids off to his parents. What a man huh? You’d think coming back from war he’d have a better sense of family values but he didn’t and it absolutely infuriates me.

                Eventually, coming out of my indecisiveness of completely shutting this man out of my life I realized all along that all this time that I just wanted someone to see what love and joy my beautiful children can actually bring to a person and he was there all along. I made the mistake of treating him like I had been treated, but it wasn’t purposely to hurt him, but it did. I made him feel exactly how I felt and I’m ashamed of it. Jacob loved me and he adored the kids. Both of their first words were “dada” of course and who exactly do you think they were talking about! Yes, the one that was there day in and day out giving them love, playing with them and teaching them. He loved all of us unconditionally and would never do anything to hurt us. I have complete trust in him that he would never dream of lying or cheating on me. Down the road further he fought for them in court like a true man, he stepped up for them which in result was granted “Defacto-Parent” which pretty much means he’s earned the role and same exact rights and decision making just as if he was their biological father, considering the fact he had been with them since birth and provided for them just as much and more than their father had. We tried the adoption rout but god forbid their father be looked down upon by his peers, this tough soldier giving up the rights of his kids to another man, no way he’d rather still have the right of being their father and ignore the responsibilities he was supposed to have for them. His high class family, who played a big part in caring for the kids on his so called weekends, while in his mind, had better things to do. Even while he was overseas they took the part of taking them every other weekend just so that their grandchildren would still know who they were at least.

                We are the ones that teach the kids that it is important to learn in school, have routines, discipline and be able to make the right decision at difficult times. In our family it is very important to us that we all eat together at the supper table and it is that time that we talk about our day, discuss the things the kids have learned at school and congratulate them for their new knowledge. They look forward to us being proud of them for trying a new food, sleeping in their beds like big kids, drawing a pretty picture or even just out of the blue giving us a great big hug and saying how much they love us. We together as a team, taught them those things not anyone else.

                I look at how disconnected the kids father is and how much of their lives he is missing. But you know what, he made that choice himself and it would of been unhealthy for the kids to never know what the true love of a father meant. Someday, when he’s an old man sitting alone with nobody to talk to he will realize that the decision he made with his children was a huge mistake and that he is a complete and total loser, he made his bed and now he has to lay in it by himself. Karma comes back and bites hard, and I’m not so sure if I will feel one ounce of sadness for him because Jacob and I will be reaping in all the benefits of overwhelming love of our children and grandbabies. It goes to show, if you work hard at something all of your life by molding, nurturing and loving, in the end you are the richest person in the world. You did what you were set on this earth to do and succeeded. 

Intro #2 to contrast essay

       Here’s a man of the ARMY, one who fights for his country. He’s a warrior over sea’s at battle in life threatening encounters. He’s an engineer by day and a civilian sniper by night. What exactly is going on in his mind when he gets just a few hours of shut eye or a minute of peace? Is it his family back home? Is it his kids? OR is it his selfish thoughts of himself? After seeing so many men die and so many men absolutely cherish their wives and children, don’t you think that would trigger some sort of priority in his life! NOO it doesn’t, it never had any affect what so ever! He went into the Marines as a coward and came back out exactly the same. Mathew John Savage was still the same heartless, selfish, and arrogant bastard he always was. In the beginning he made me think he was such a wonderful person, spent tons of time with me and told me he loved me. All of the girls wanted him; he was the full package deal with a perfectly fit body, naturally tan, played all of the sports AND he was very intelligent. Me being a junior in high school and him a senior I was soon to find out that he had other plans then to be tied down to someone, especially after I nervously told him that I was pregnant and then the very next day, see that he had a new arm candy. I was devastated; he put me through hell and didn’t care to hide it anymore. I could tell he had hid her on the back burner for a while and that hurt even more because in reality I didn’t even know who that person was anymore. So I thought to myself, I’m going to get that jerk back. So I started dating Jacob. He was the total opposite of matt; it was like night and day. He had bright blue eyes, straight white teeth, and everyone called him baby face. He was very intelligent, number 1 of our class, very shy but also very sensitive to other people’s feelings. He on the other hand was very excited that I was going to be having a baby and loved her already. So not realizing that this relationship was first aiming at revenge and now finding that I was actually falling in love with Jacob. When I actually started developing these feelings for Jacob that’s when of course, Matt started calling me from Hawaii, mind you while he was home on break I become pregnant AGAIN!, I had decided that I wasn’t going to do it anymore. He didn’t care about me, he didn’t care about the kids, and it was just a big game to him. I was done hurting Jacob and thankfully he forgave me because he was the one that was there for the kids, not Matt. He cared for them, he was there “daddy” and they loved him and knew no difference. These two men may share the same children the same responsibilities as a father and may have loved me at the same time one point or another, but it’s how they each individually dealt with the kids or I and how their different personalities, values and morals lead me to choosing one over the other.

Outro to contrast essay

I look at how disconnected the kids father is and how much of their lives he is missing. But you know what, he made that choice himself and it would of been unhealthy for the kids to never know what the true love of a father meant. Someday, when he’s an old man sitting alone with nobody to talk to he will realize that the decision he made with his children was a huge mistake and that he is a complete and total loser, he made his bed and now he has to lay in it by himself. Karma comes back and bites hard, and I’m not so sure if I will feel one ounce of sadness for him because Jacob and I will be reaping in all the benefits of overwhelming love of our children and grandbabies. It goes to show, if you work hard at something all of your life by molding, nurturing and loving, in the end you are the richest person in the world. You did what you were set on this earth to do and succeeded. 

Intro #1 to contrast essay (edited)

   How can I put this? You know the expression “ya got shit in one hand and want in the other? See which one piles up faster!” Well in my case they seemed to both pile up pretty damn fast. Comparing the kids biological father to “shit”, my first love, and my first break up because the selfish bastard cheated and decides on a whim to vanishes into the ARMY to “escape”, not once, but twice after impregnating me! The kids step father i would place with the “want”, which was the good guy who’d do anything for me and my kids, not money wise because he didn't have any but the love and care he offered was worth so much more. Don’t get me wrong they are the 2 most intelligent men I know, graduating at the top of their class, but there’s a fine line between intelligence and common sense! They both had one thing in common; they shared the role of being a father to my beautiful babies and at some point or other both were in a relationship with me. Matt may be a biological weekend warrior; per say “Father” a short buff tan man who perceives to be strong on the outside but in all actuality very weak on the inside. He does not know how to discipline or show any kind of human like feelings.  On the other hand, Jacob spends day in day out teaching them right from wrong, reads them stories, gives them baths, tucks them in, spends quality loving time with them.  Jacob and Matt are two totally different people, where as it kills matt to outwardly express his feelings, instead runs and hides like a coward, and Jacob lets you know exactly how he feels, always says “I love you” at the end of every phone call and genuinely cares about others feelings. Jacob has honestly earned that 5 letter word, even though not biologically their father, but he’s there “Daddy”. In summation, point being that anyone can be a father but it takes dedication, devotion and love to be a dad.

1st Intro to contrast essay-deleted

Essay #2

                Behind the scenes, beyond those two swinging double doors is what really goes on in a waitress’s home away from home. Where I felt most comfortable in expressing my true feelings or venting out my frustrations, thoughts and errors. Passing through the doors with a big sigh of relief, finally, a break from my very unreal unwanted smile I portrayed to the people I absolutely despise, and being able to be myself for two seconds. Don’t get me wrong, I had my favorites and I loved most of my customers. In a small town like this you know exactly who is coming in before they even park their cars. You know who will be there in the morning to grab a quick bite before they head off to work, and the same ol’ folks that scarf their lunches while getting the new buzz that’s going around town or debating on some political dispute.

 My co-workers pretty much know my past, my present and my hopes for the future. In some cases I was forced to hear the same about them and some of their stories can be a little bit to revealing and awkward. Typically, as a waitress there’s usually at least one person you can call a “good friend”. Someone that I could trust with all of my secrets about who I thought was scum or the rich cutie that just left me a whopping 60 dollar tip with his number sketched on the back of the slip. We just clicked. If she scratched my back I would scratch hers, we appreciated it and made good money together.

On the down side, that good friend of mine didn’t work as much as I did. Which meant, when I picked up a shift that i normally wouldn’t, that’s when I got stuck with the “goofy girl”. She was always messing up orders and ticking off the kitchen crew. She was slow as a snail, I had no choice but to pick up the slack and clean up her messes. She wasn’t necessarily mean but not very nice either, and she sure thought she was a good waitress. Ha, little did she know. Usually before the night was over I had enough and exchanged a few words behind the scenes, involving a few swears. I still made some pretty good money because she would abandon her tables. I still don’t understand how she kept her position, when she did such a crappy job.

 Then no matter what, you always have that one certain guy that likes to think he’s the “cat’s meow”. He would always flirt with me, and somehow or other find a way to make my face beet red. Even if it meant raising his eye brows and smooching up his lips as the boss turns away for that split second.  I cannot find a reason in my head as to why I liked his compliments or what exactly attracted me to him. It could have easily became something more but I knew it would ruin the whole excitement of coming into work and desperately holding myself back from the fantasy of “mistakenly” locking ourselves in the stock room on that slow rainy day, and well, you can probably figure out what would happen next. But I couldn’t, I just couldn’t, and now I’ll never know.

Despite all of the crappy, ignorant and cheap customers, I still had the ones that I loved and they kept me going. But I wanted more, I hadn’t lived my life to the fullest and I couldn’t stop there! So I moved on and put in many hours of training to assist adults with developmental disabilities to become more independent by offering guidance and support for daily living activities, self-help, and social skills. I also took a C.R.M.A  (certified residential medication administrator) course and continued on in studying to be a Nursing Tech. I married a handsome man, had 3 kids and bought a house. It doesn’t stop there either, within the next few years I will become a Registered Nurse. Who knows if that’s where it will end but I do know that someday (I can see it now) I will be sitting in that little dinner waiting to see that old good friend of mine, knowing that all the ones that once thought they were better than me are sitting there with their ears tuned in, and the others that I loved anxiously waiting to hear the new buzz. Out of the corner of my eye that same ol’ flirty guy gives me a wink through the windows of the double doors and my good friend sits down beside me with two cups of coffee and asks “How the heck are you!?” and “Where the heck have you been!?”   

Classification Essay "Outro"

Despite all of the crappy, ignorant and cheap customers, I still had the ones that I loved and they kept me going. But I wanted more, I hadn’t lived my life to the fullest and I couldn’t stop there! So I moved on and put in many hours of training to assist adults with developmental disabilities to become more independent by offering guidance and support for daily living activities, self-help, and social skills. I also took a C.R.M.A  (certified residential medication administrator) course and continued on in studying to be a Nursing Tech. I married a handsome man, had 3 kids and bought a house. It doesn’t stop there either, within the next few years I will become a Registered Nurse. Who knows if that’s where it will end but I do know that someday (I can see it now) I will be sitting in that little dinner waiting to see that old good friend of mine, knowing that all the ones that once thought they were better than me are sitting there with their ears tuned in, and the others that I loved anxiously waiting to hear the new buzz. Out of the corner of my eye that same ol’ flirty guy gives me a wink through the windows of the double doors and my good friend sits down beside me with two cups of coffee and asks “How the heck are you!?” and “Where the heck have you been!?”   

Intro #2 to classification essay

Waiting Staff

                Behind the scenes, beyond those two swinging double doors is what really goes on in waitress’s home away from home. Where she feels most comfortable in expressing her true feelings, thoughts and errors. Her co-workers pretty much know her past, her present and her hopes for the future. In some cases she is forced to hear the same about them and some of their stories can be a little bit to revealing. Typically, as a waitress there’s usually at least one person you can call a “good friend”. When you call in sick and get stuck picking up a shift that you normal wouldn’t, that’s when you get stuck with the “goofy girl”. Then no matter what, you always have that one certain guy that likes to think he’s the “cat’s meow”. One of the rules of work that a lot of employers like to put in their speech of hiring a person is, leave your personal life at home. We all know that never happens! 

Intro #1 to Classification Essay

Tip Please

                When you make the decision of going out to eat at a restaurant with either, your husband, your children, friends or a family member, what are the deciding factors? Well when it all boils down to it in that time, you’re probably thinking about your growling stomach, how hungry you are and how good the food is going to be. While in the meantime, at that restaurant you have chosen, there is a waitress busting her butt cleaning off a table, and preparing it for you. The reason why she’s there, her motive behind her politeness and kindness, and her eager to please your every request is just one reason, a three letter word, yes that’s right, the tip. Even if it means she has to serve to the three most dreadful kinds of people that make her want to throw the towel in and quit her job. So while she’s cleaning off that table for you, in her mind she’s praying to god that you are not, one; a “Penny Pincher”, two; “Loud and Obnoxious”, and three; “Knit Picky”. 

Graph 16

Graph 16

                 I looked at the assignment finally at 9:30 p.m. after trying and trying to get my kids to bed but never worked, so I’m reading in between baby cries and peek a boo’s cheering him up temporarily to get through the next few sentences, and the other two arguing, tattling and needing just about anything and everything from me. Ok so as I was reading over the first model I thought about how much the writer’s thoughts are quite similar to mine and quite frankly, how much I really wanted a cigarette. She describes her three points very well, making the assignment seem clear, manageable and stress free. I guess you could say, suddenly I get kind of an anxious feeling, thinking about ideas to write my own classification essay, or maybe that feeling came from seeing the kids finally settle down, sinking slowly into the couch, with their little eyelids getting heavier and heavier.  I wanted to read more but I didn’t want to. After skimming the beginning of the second and third, instantly realizing that they didn’t interest me a bit. I don’t know why, but I didn’t want to waste my precious, quiet, peaceful time reading a nagging depressed wife’s story about how she hates her husband’s obsession of sports, blah! Clickity click to the next one. Skimmed the heading, blah, blah, blah, fishing isn’t going to give me any ideas!  The 4^th one caught my eye. I can relate and sympathize. Been there done that no fun bull crap. The bug lady made me laugh a little. I think it’s funny how she finds bugs fascinating, but yet lives to kill them. Nope nothing, bug lady didn’t wake up any stories in my head either. So, great, just great. Not even half way into the course and I’ve already written about everything in my whole LIFE, there's nothing left! You don't believe me do you? I know, I know, time to dig deaper.

Graph 14

Graph 14

                First things first. In order to even get started on my remodeling project, it is necessary for me to write out a budget. I know already that my grand total will be somewhere around $400 to $500 dollars. If I individualize each material being used for this project I could possibly find some money saving offers. I know that I will be needing to buy an array of paint brushes, rollers and a paint tray. Or I could just grab a package at Wal-Mart for $5. It comes with, 2 rollers, a couple paint brushes and the paint tray. By measuring the length of all the walls and height I came up with about 572 square feet that needs to be painted, so I figured that I am going to need about 2 gallons of paint, doing at least 3 coats.

The idea that I have for colors are, purple on two walls with pink polka dots and pink on the other two walls with purple polka dots. So I will need a gallon of each color. I’ve priced quite a few places such as home depot and Lowes. Wal-Mart seems to be the cheapest, as usual. About 20 bucks a gallon. They also have accent pieces (that are stick on) and letters which would be a great idea for the polka dots and my daughter’s name, and those are only $10 a package.

                The flooring I think will be the easiest part of the project. Marden’s has really cheap flooring for about $150 dollars, and even though they are cheap they feel quite sturdy and look very easy to clean or to replace if needed. Instead of doing a plain, wooden floor, I’m doing what they call fun floors. They are pink and purple with polka dots and it’s just squares that click together but eventually will have to be cut to fit. Before I put the flooring in I need to lay down some floor padding. It helps with insulating, reduces hardness of the floor, and also keeps your floor from cracking or sliding out of place. I originally was going to replace the entire ceiling fan. Instead ill just get some new colorful blades that match the room’s colors, and switch out the old light bulbs for new energy efficient ones.

                I have a couple of other idea’s that can maximize the amount of space in the room and create them myself by saving money. We all know that headboards are quite expensive, so I’ve come up with the idea of building one myself. By using spare wood from left over projects, a few yards of foam, colorful fabric and a staple gun,  I can easily have a nice looking headboard. The other idea I have is somehow creating a desk for my daughter to do her homework at, but yet still have enough space in her room without a whole desk taking it all up. Say I have a flat sanded board (of some sort), about 4 feet long and 3 feet wide, slab some chalkboard paint on one side and hang it up on the wall. But somehow being able to fold it down off the wall, kind of like one of those diaper changing stations you see in public restrooms (kind of a weird reference, but it’s all I got!) Then when you’re all done using it, fold it back up and use it as a chalkboard to draw on! Sounds good to me, but I won’t know if it really works until its finished and tested out.

                So that’s my plan, and I’m sticking to it, probably running into a couple of problems along the way but I won’t let it get my spirits down. My goal was to try and stay under $500 dollars, but with research, a little penny pinching, and a few “build it myself” projects, I might create this dream room a lot cheaper than I expected!