budgeting

So a little while back (3 weeks ago) Sal and I set up a budget plan. We realized how important it is to have one: that we should always understand where our money is going and how much we have. I know that sounds incredibly obvious, but it's so easy to lose track. Not that we were or are super spenders, but almost just as bad, we are (were!) mini-spenders. Spending dollars here and there, seemingly innocent. However, it was a little more than we should--and that adds up. So the past three weeks we've kept a tight watch on our money, being frugal and smart and basically, we're owning it!!! I am excited. Stuff is going to be tight for a few months since we sorta left ourselves with no other option until Sal gets his next fin-aid return. But hopefully with his next allowance of aid and my (hopefully) new job, we can keep this budget and do a great job of pushing our overflow onto credit cards (mine are almost completely paid off! Then on to conquering Sal's...not an insane amount, but definitely enough to roll your eyes at and want to push to get those suckers knocked out), and saving for a few things: namely, for a used car and car repair $. My Civic is in great shape, it's just that I like to have some buffer money in CASE of repairs. They come out of left field and hit you and it's so nice to have money set aside for those little (or BIG) inconveniences.

Anyway, this is a long, boring post about budgets, for goodness' sake. HA! I am an old, married lady. But honestly, I think it's been an exciting experience to mature in this way. It takes quite some effort to keep up with it all, but it's well worth it. I like setting spending amounts and then seeing how we are UNDER for the week or month and can put the excess towards our debts (for now) and vacations (eventually! haha).

I feel like I should end this post with something less boring, serious, and old.

Umm...just beat the second temple in Legend of Zelda: WindWaker. So far so good! But not my favorite of the series. Many people said it was their fave, so I am just trying to feel it out. So far I still like Ocarina of Time with a very close second with Skyward Sword...

Pay-off

So Sal and I have accrued a bit of credit card debt due to our trip to the Philippines (plane tickets) and our wedding. It's nothing worth freaking out over, but it IS a pain in the butt. I am a little excited because I have a plan....to have my card paid off by November 2012. Ready, set, go! :D

That still leaves Sal's cards, but he's getting 2 jobs this summer and hopefully he can use his earnings to knock his out. I wanna be credit-card-debt-free by 2013. Yes we can! lol

the fruit

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife bhid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

The location of the Garden as said in Genesis is described in reference to the Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, Euphrates rivers; and three regions of Havilah, Assyria, and Kush. There are hypotheses that place Eden at the headwaters of the Tigris and Euphrates (northern Mesopotamia), in Iraq (Mesopotamia), Africa, and the Persian Gulf.

All of this being said, I find it odd and funny that we often picture Adam and Eve eating an apple as the "forbidden" fruit. Why, though? If we look at a map of the general location of what is described in Genesis, it's not hard to see what kind of food will thrive there: dates, grapes, figs, grapefruit, oranges. Not sure we'd find an apple there. Granted, it was the perfect garden with no blemish, all the animals of the earth were there for Adam to name. So even if the Garden was conducive to grow an apple at the time, I wonder why so many people just assume it was that? And if the fruit is from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the only tree not to eat from or touch, then how can we even assume there are more of this fruit still on earth? Maybe that was the only tree that bore that specific, special type. Or maybe since Adam and Eve's fall it doesn't matter if we're exposed to said fruit.

I know what kind of fruit it is has no importance or implication on the Gospel, but I just found it very interesting how over the centuries it became an apple.

healing

Getting migraines really sucks. It is a rough day when there is no medicine to take to help. However, it's odd how I feel after I make it through another monstrous headache. When I take medicine that relieves the headache it is awesome because I can continue on with my day and my life. It is awful to live with a migraine for hours or even days on end. But there is something different about not taking meds and just weathering the storm. My body feels weak and tired, but stronger. Like I have just overcome something great (which I did). I don't know, I don't really know how to explain it. It's a feeling I get that no medicine gives me. A power to know I can make it through with myself and God, not depending on anything else.

speed

It's funny to me how much of a rush we're always in, and this is apparent to me when people talk about internet speeds. Now, I understand the major difference between say old school AOL dial-up vs DSL or something. But when it comes to minute changes that will complete your search in 0.1 seconds vs 0.4 seconds and that's why people upgrade, it just blows my mind. I don't even notice a difference. I don't mind waiting for a page to load as long as it isn't something timed/urgent. Most things on the internet for most people aren't. idk, just a random thought of the day.