Wow, I have wonderful friends....

I went to meet my friend Nicole at a shopping centre today, to have a coffee and for her to give me a birthday card as it's my birthday on Tuesday, the 6th.

When I arrived she gave me my card, in an envelope, and told her daughter, who was with her, that she expected me to scream.

This is my card's envelope

The Front of the card - Pretty frangipani's!:

What was inside my card.....

She and a few friends of mine had chipped in and paid $160 off my mobile so all I had to do was go and pay the $14.10 and get it off layby! Which is exactly what I did

So now I have my phone!!! 

I have to give a big Thank-you to Nicole & Shane, Nadia, Stacey, Tara and Lisa for chipping in to pay it off. I can't express just how much it meant to me to know you all chipped in. I didn't scream, but I was so shocked and moved when I saw that so much of it had been paid off I cried! They were happy tears, of course. It made me feel loved and that people really do care for me. I often have times where I feel as though I'm all alone, but from now, on when I feel that way, I'll remember today and know I'm loved and cared for.

Once again, Thank-you guys. ♥♥

Off to play with my new phone now....yay. hehehe

New phone after all....

I was at Big W today, buying more wool for my crocheting, and decided to take my mate Nicole's advice and layby myself a Nokia E63. They're on special for $199 at the moment so I paid $21.90 deposit and layby fee.

Now I've just got to find the cash to pay it off. With my car rego and service due soon, Kaleb's birthday and not to mention a bunch of activities that are going to weigh heavily on my purse strings, I've got no idea how I'm going to pay it off on time. I should get some money from my Step-Mother for my birthday, if the past few years can be anything to go by, and maybe from my Mum too - but she's not talking to me at the moment so I'm not holding my breath. If I do get birthday cash then I shouldn't have too much more to pay off it after that.

Will update on the progress, if there is any lol.

I'm going to buy a cover for it off ebay now, it's like $3, so I'm giving myself more incentive to get it off layby. No use having a Nokia E63 case if I don't have the phone to match right?!

Yay, My laptop finally arrived - but goodbye to a friend

Last year, back in June, I purchased a netbook laptop, it was an HP Mininote 1001TU

When I turned it on for the first time it didn't ask me to register windows or anything, which I thought was odd, but it was working so I let it be. I also noticed it was registered in someone else's name but there wasn't much I could do about that either, except change the account name. Which is what I did.

Seven months on, it started to play up. Freezing all the time and taking forever to load. No amount of De-fraging or disk cleanup fixed the problem so I went to do a system restore point and found one for as far back as May 2nd 2009. So that, to me, said it had been sold before, returned and repackaged then sold to me as a new product, which it clearly was not. I then located the warranty booklet and found the previous owner had written the registration details on the back of it. This was further proof to me that it  wasn't a new product when I bought it.

So I took it back to the retailer and asked for a refund, first checking with The Department of Fair Trading (DoFT), to make sure I was in the right asking for a refund, and I was, so off I went.

The manager on duty I spoke to was rude and unhelpful. Acted like it was my fault not his and refused to refund my money, said they could only send it off for a service after 'this length of time'. He really made me feel like I was scum and just looking to get a new laptop...when I was asking for a refund not a replacement.

Anyway I went away from the encounter,shaking, and called DoFT back and asked them what I could do now. They suggested I make a formal complaint, including all the evidence I had, which is what I did.

After 3 weeks and a bit of phone tag, I finally got the call that I could take my laptop back and get a refund!

With the money I got back I immediately purchased a replacement laptop from Dell, online. I also got a belkin wireless router and Wasabi printer, photo's below...

I'm stoked I've got it now! I love the colour, it turned out to be a much darker purple than I thought it would be which is great. Oh and I also got the little wireless mouse that's on top of the laptop in the photo.

It's been charging since 2pm so I can turn it on and play with it in just 2 more hours! YAY

Now comes the sadness. A friend has left to move interstate. I'm going to miss her and her gorgeous kids, especially Anisiia. I adore that kid of hers! I hope she finds a more stable life and good friends down there to help support her. I'll be visiting as soon as I can manage it and can't wait to meet her new baby later in the year!

xxxx Good Luck Nadia!

No new phone.

For whatever reason, probably my previous bankruptcy, I was declined the mobile.

Apparently I'll recieve a letter in the mail within 10-14 business days informing me as to why I was declined.

So helpful that is, NOT.

To make me even more depressed I got home to find that whilst I was wasting my time applying for a mobile I can't have, a courier tried to deliver my laptop 3 days early! So now, I don't have a new mobile to play with OR my new laptop.

Pissed off......

Really pissed off.

Seems this bankruptcy is going to hang over my head for the REST OF MY LIFE!!!!!

Plus, my doctor is no closer to finding out what is wrong with me. My blood tests are still WAY out of whack and she's not happy at all so I'm off to get a Chest CT now.

So in the past 8 months I'll have had :

4 MRI's

4 X rays

 and 2 CT scans

Not to count how many times I've been under the fluoroscope thing.
I'm surprised I'm not glowing in the dark.

I am starting to feel like a pin cushion though :(
Really not fun. Feeling quite sorry for myself at the moment and all I want to do is crawl into bed and sleep.

PS I know there are people out there who have it a billion times worse than I do...but you know what? I'm not living their lives, I'm living mine, so my problems are HUGE to me and I won't be made to feel otherwise.

So fuck you all very much, keep you criticisms to yourselves! xxxx

New Phone?

In 2006 I had to declare bankruptcy due to overwhelming debt. It was a choice of voluntarily declaring bankruptcy or ending up in court being forced to, with or without jail time. So I chose to do it voluntarily. Sure, I could have staved off any court action for another 6 months or so, but it would have come eventually and I just couldn't live with all the stress of debt collectors calling, emailing and sending letters constantly asking for money I didn't have to give them and still be able to feed, clothe and house myself and my son so I bit the bullet.

Because it was voluntary and my debts were under $10,000 in total my bankruptcy period was only 3 years. I believe if it were over 10 grand and I was forced, legally, into it then it would have been 7 years. I think it also helped that I didn't have any assets as they see them. Eg, no cars, boats, mortgage or large purchases made on credit that they could repossess. I got to keep everything I had and because I haven't worked (not from lack of trying mind you) I didn't have to make any payments towards my debts during my 3 year bankruptcy period.

These days I've become very efficient at living within my means. I budget well, my household bills are paid in advance. Usually when my bills arrive they all say 'amount in credit $' and then 'no payment required' which is great. I wouldn't say I'm rolling in cash but I do have a better grip on what I do get. I make sure everything is paid when it should be and even have money left over now and again to spend on myself and my son and I've started a savings account, for the first time in my life.

I said a long time ago that I'd never get another mobile phone on a plan, 2 of my main debts on my bankruptcy were mobile phone plans, but I've seen a phone I adore on a $29 cap plan. I'd get this phone below...

Blackberry Curve 8520

and only have to pay $29 a month for 2 years to own it outright, and I'm pretty sure I can upgrade it to a newer model half way through that contract. As things stand now I get a $29 pre-paid cap for the mobile I have every month and usually have $20-$30 left over when it expires.

Seeing as I already budget in the $29 per month for my pre-paid mobile, I don't see it being a problem coming up with the $29 for my capped plan. It gives me $150 worth of credit per month to use, the same as my pre-paid cap does, I just get a new phone in the bargain.

I have been "umming" and 'Ahhhing' over it for 2 days now and have come to the decision to give it a go. There's no guarantee I'll even be approved for it though, seeing as I have my bankruptcy against my credit rating, but it can't hurt to try. If I am denied I'll purchase it outright in a few months time and continue on with my $29 pre-paid cap as usual.

Will update when I've given it a go and let you know the verdict.

Wish me luck

Gorgeous Girl

I had the privilege of looking after a friend's daughter for just over 24 hours, from Wed 5pm till Thursday 6pm. Her name is Anisiia (Aniss-ee-ah).

We went shopping yesterday (Thursday) and had a ball! I've never taken a 'normal' 2 year old shopping before, only ever my son, whom you will know has ADHD and ASD if you keep up with my blog, so it was quite an eye opening experience. Where I would avoid taking Kaleb to the shops for any reason, or for any longer than need be when he was 2, I found Anisiia was a breeze to take. She got a little whiny when I wouldn't let her out of the trolly to walk around but got over that quickly when we bought new shoes. If that were Kaleb he'd have been squirming, pulling at the belt, screaming at the top of his lungs and nothing would have distracted him from having a full on melt down.

For a while now I've been saying I'm not going to have any more children, even though I really would like a little girl, for the simple fact of not knowing if I could handle having Kaleb with all his issues and a nweborn/toddler around as well. Sometimes Kaleb is enough of a handful to put me off wanting children at all, even him! lol
I have to admit that he was excellent with Anisiia while she was here. He calmed her down when she was upset, fetched her what she wanted when she asked and even when I asked, without immediately asking 'why?' or just saying 'noooo' flat out. He really rose to the challenge of being a temporary big brother and even told me that 'having Anisiia around helped him become a better parent' lol. I think more of a big brother is appropriate but he really was excellent, which leads me to believe that maybe all he needs is a sibling in order for him to mature, become an 'older brother' and have the maturity and responsibility that entails.


At the moment he's an only child, so he only has to deal with me. He's my eldest and my baby all at once. I think if he had a little sister he would grow up considerably.

So this experience with Anisiia has taught me that perhaps I can handle having 2 children at once. I was quite proud of myself really. Everyone managed to get fed on time, I had both kids fed, bathed, dressed and in bed before 8:30pm! Anisiia went down at around 6:30-7pm and I let Kaleb stay up a little longer, because he's older, but had him down in bed at 8.
In the morning both kids were breakfasted, changed (Kaleb for school, Anisiia for our day out) and Kaleb got off to school on time! Having Anisiia around didn't fluster me, I didn't feel overwhelmed or stressed at all. But like I said, Kaleb really was on his best behaviour... I don't think I could expect that all the time, even if I did have another. He'd still have meltdowns. OMG imagine if they both had meltdowns at the same time! Imagine a newborn needing a feed and Kaleb having a tantrum over not wanting to do his homework.....starting to see my dilemma?

I had thought of waiting until Kaleb was around 15/16 and then he'd be only a few years off being out of home and I could have another then, when his issues aren't at home on a daily basis any more, but I'll be 36 by the time he's 16 so by then I might be thinking 'I'm FREE, why do I want another baby now!?'

I don't think I could be satisfied with my life if I didn't have another child, I say child but I really want a girl. I've had a boy, now I want a girl to complete my pigeon pair. Not that I wouldn't love any son I had equally, I'd just be a little disappointed at first is all lol. Not to mention I don't think I could handle 2 special needs children. I'm barely surviving having Kaleb, so what if I have another child with ADHD and/or ASD? There's no guarantee that Shannon was solely responsible for that genetic material, it's only speculated that boys inherit it from their fathers, not proven evidence. I may carry the ADHD and/or ASD gene and only need my partner to carry it also to get another child who is afflicted.

Who knows how it works. All I know is that I don't want to do it again, that's another reason behind wanting a girl so badly. Boys are four to nine times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls and boys are four times more likely to have ASD than girls, so whilst having girl isn't 100% the safest option to get a child not afflicted by ADHD/ASD, it does seem to have better odds. There's also the fact that I've been-there-done-that with a boy in general. I want a new challenge and having a girl would be completely out of my 'comfort zone'.

I, personally, had a heap of fun shopping with Anisiia. She's chatty, affectionate and in general an awesome kid to hang out with. She's also very helpful which I find as a bonus coz Kaleb would fake his own death to get out of doing a chore! If I could clone her, I would. But I'll just have to settle for having one of my own in a few years time. Let's see if I am still writing this blog when that time comes around. I'll blog about how I'm going, what I'm doing to try and ensure I have a girl etc.

Hopefully along the way I'll lose all this weight I have left to lose (50kg odd) and find myself a good man who also wants kids.

Wish me luck on both those fronts!

WIN!

About 2 weeks ago I got the following email:

Hi Cassi,

I’m proud to inform you that your Spinach and Ricotta Rolls recipe won the 4 Ingredients by Silverstone competition for February.

You have won a 4 Ingredients by SilverStone prize pack containing: 1 x 4 Ingredients by SilverStone Easy Grip N Chop 4 Piece Knife Set, 1 x 4 Ingredients by SilverStone Wok & Toss Stirfry Set and 1 x 4 Ingredients by SilverStone Essentials Cook & Create 4 Piece Cookware Set.

Could you please confirm a delivery address and contact number so that delivery can be organised for next week. Delivery is via courier on a weekday, and it is best if you or someone you know is at the address at the time of delivery.

Thanks

Scott Peters

Marketing Co-Ordinator

Meyer Cookware Australia Pty Ltd

This is what I won

So, I guess you are all wondering if you can have my now "Prize Winning Recipe" ..sure you can!

Here it is

Spinach and Ricotta Rolls

2-3 bunches of spinach, de-stemmed and washed

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

500g Ricotta Cheese

2 sheets of Puff Pastry

2-3 tbs Worcestershire sauce 

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180C (160C Fan-Forced), line a baking tray with baking paper and place 2 sheets of pastry on the bench to thaw as you cook.

Heat a fry-pan with a little oil or butter/marg and add the spinach leaves and garlic.

Cook spinach until wilted, pouring off excess liquid as you go.

Set aside to cool, squeeze off excess moisture then give it all a good chop with a knife.

Place ricotta into a bowl and break apart with a spoon/fork.

Add the cooled spinach, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and mix to combine.

Place the ricotta mix along the length of the pastry at one end, about the same thickness as a sausage.

Roll over to cover with the pastry. Cut the sheet where it just meets, leaving 5-8mm overlap and pressing to seal.

Repeat for all pastry. You should be able to get 2 rolls from each sheet of pastry

Now that you have your long rolls, just cut them up to the size you desire. In half for a large serve, adult size, or 2-3cm for bit-sized pieces.

Place on the baking sheets, brush with milk or melted butter

Bake for 20-30 mins or until pastry is golden and puffed

Serve with tomato sauce or plain.

I love my new cookware, it makes cooking so much easier! With my old fry pan, pots etc I had to always have the stove element on medium high just to cook properly, with this lot of cookware I only need it on low to cook efficiently! It's like it spreads the heat more evenly so therefore I can cook more efficiently. Not to mention the knives are all SUPER sharp! It's awesome.

I hope someone gives my recipe and go. If you do please leave a comment as to whether you liked it or not!