Day 5 of training in this Fl heat has been exhausting and I'm only up to 6 miles as of today! I keep trying different tennis shoes in the hopes of finding a pair that fit right for this type of event. I can tell you that out of the box, my Nike running shoes nor my Champion's are cutting it. I had hoped to visit a New Balance store and get one of those fancy videos done that show you exactly which shoe is best for your gait. But of course, there doesn't seem to be any in Orlando! AND the only New Balance store listed, is gone :( So I'm winging it.
I went to the Good Feet store thinking that I could just invest in some good arch supports that I could then transfer from one shoe to another. I spent a good 1.5 hours there. I didn't have my sneaks with me though but was assured this would fit. No prob. Well, that is not true. Of course it is no different than buying a $120 pair of running shoes to discover they put my toes to sleep. Either way, sold, paid for, non-returnable...but the arch supports are guaranteed for life! lol
Ok, so I'm up to 6 miles, 1 bottled water and 1 sport drink. One would think that you'd sweat all that fluid out.....NOT. I had to hit the "comfort stations" twice! Thank goodness the park I walk through has public restrooms. I've never needed them before so I wasn't even sure where they were.
We are encouraged to wear in training what we are going to wear in the event. I have to take 3 sets of clothes for the 3 days, in addition to extra socks, an extra pair of shoes and other stuff. So I've already determined one sport bra from Danskin is a no go. The seams are cutting. 1 down, several to go.
I started my fundraising yesterday. Sent out 114 e-mails and have so far garnered 7 donations. I have to raise a minimum of $2300 or I can't participate. I have 114 days to raise the rest.
I'm sleeping good, that is one benefit. I try to get my walking done in the morning hours from like 8-10 at the moment. I may have to resort to the gym treadmill as I go further. I'm getting some color though - weird tan lines. I have this really cool iphone app called Walkmeter that tracks my walks. Using a GPS it even maps my route and posts updates on my FB. If you click the link, it will show the map. Anywho, it speaks to me so I always know when I've a mile marker. Gives me my average pace per min, etc. They even make one for runners and cyclists. I got my free through a message board participant who got 15 to give away for free. Otherwise it's 4.99. Well worth it!
My personal site at the Susan G Kormen website is supposed to have a blog attached, but honestly I can't find it!! Hence my writing here and sharing on FB.
Watch for my updates. If you can donate, please click on the link in this blog and give what you can. The statistics are frightening. Thank you in advance.
Stay tuned
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
And the clouds still roll in
This month has been a really busy one for me. I was determined to reach my goal of $5,000 in retail sales so that I could get at least one chance at winning a car at convention next April. All it takes is one ticket and now I have mine. Slumber Parties is really where my heart is at the moment. I would love for this to be my one and only income, bringing in enough to cover my bills and have some left over for fun. I am between a rock and a hard place and must make a decision which is proving to be a very difficult one. 10 years ago I purchased my dream home, all by myself. The home my ex husband of 19 years told me I could not have. I put 20% down and moved in. Since the day, I've refinanced twice, to consolidate some bills and to do some home improvements. I pissed away $15,000 in an investment scam with a so called friend and that prevented me from remodeling my master bathroom. I wasn't bitter, I figure Karma will take care of it. I was left to pay it back nonetheless, which makes it really more than $30K. I replaced the roof on my 2500 SF home, the central H&A, all the appliances, put granite countertops in the kitchen, installed custom closet systems,replaced all the carpet with hardwood floors, added indoor plantation shutters, put in a tankless hot water heater, replaced the garage door, built a custom entertainment system that stretches the length of the depth of the house, customized the fireplace,repainted the house inside and out, installed a water softener as well as reverse osmosis and lots of other small things. I sat through 3 hurricanes with my dog Harley and survived. Now I am weary. December brought an increase in my homeowners insurance premium - yep, I'm with State Farm. And yet another one to go into effect next month...35% rate hike, on my auto policies too!
I've toyed with trying to modify my mortgage, get this, Wells Fargo called me 2 weeks ago, offered to refi me down to 5% thus reducing my mtg by $150!!!! I almost laughed. I'm current by the way. And then last week WF sent me a note reducing my HELCO by $5000, which of course brings me to max. I've been using that as an overdraft which has saved my butt. But now I am thinking I need to do something more drastic. Ok, so I've toyed with the modification - but it will cost me $3,000 with no guarantee that I'll get it where it needs to be. I am tired of trying to maintain it. I love it, but maybe it's time to downsize. Repercussions. My credit is impeccable at the moment. But I don't want to pour good money after bad. My nest egg is gone. Decisions. I really want quality of life. I don't want any stress, so I'm thinking like many others that I should just walk away. Obama didn't bail me out, nope, as a matter of fact, the changes put into action since he went into office has pretty much thrown me under the bus. I do answer to "speed bump" these days. What to do, what to do . . . .
I know many who are walking. At first I couldn't even conceive of it. Of course I had a job then. Things look a lot different when your mortgage is more than your unemployment check. The job market in FL SUCKS. The foreclosure rate is out of sight. So unless I win the lotto in the next 30 days, I'm thinking that I need my money for survival, in a smaller place.
Contemplating . . . .
I've toyed with trying to modify my mortgage, get this, Wells Fargo called me 2 weeks ago, offered to refi me down to 5% thus reducing my mtg by $150!!!! I almost laughed. I'm current by the way. And then last week WF sent me a note reducing my HELCO by $5000, which of course brings me to max. I've been using that as an overdraft which has saved my butt. But now I am thinking I need to do something more drastic. Ok, so I've toyed with the modification - but it will cost me $3,000 with no guarantee that I'll get it where it needs to be. I am tired of trying to maintain it. I love it, but maybe it's time to downsize. Repercussions. My credit is impeccable at the moment. But I don't want to pour good money after bad. My nest egg is gone. Decisions. I really want quality of life. I don't want any stress, so I'm thinking like many others that I should just walk away. Obama didn't bail me out, nope, as a matter of fact, the changes put into action since he went into office has pretty much thrown me under the bus. I do answer to "speed bump" these days. What to do, what to do . . . .
I know many who are walking. At first I couldn't even conceive of it. Of course I had a job then. Things look a lot different when your mortgage is more than your unemployment check. The job market in FL SUCKS. The foreclosure rate is out of sight. So unless I win the lotto in the next 30 days, I'm thinking that I need my money for survival, in a smaller place.
Contemplating . . . .
Thursday, April 29, 2010
April Showers bring May Flowers
It's true, April seems to be the month for change. We've had a few rain storms and the grass is greener, the weeds are taller and pollen is everywhere.
I've been employed in the same industry for 30 years and April is when I lost my J.O.B. (just over broke for those of you who don't know). I was part of one of the leading rep groups in the state of FL, albeit predominately men, for the last 10 years. It's no secret that FL is supported almost exclusively by the tourism industry and well the economy has pretty much tapped that well dry. Working in FL is tough right now. Our unemployment rate is higher than the national average, and we are not expected to recover as quickly as the rest of the nation. So we struggle. High foreclosure rates, increased crime due to desperation and now I am among those wondering how we're going to make ends meet.
I must tell you that I'm not stressing over the situation. That will accomplish nothing. A year ago I foresaw this possibility and went to work on a Plan B. The lawn service that I own has been going downhill for the last year as well. (I used to think it was incredible luck that all our clients were bankers and rich folk who would never take steps to purchase their own mower and do their own yardwork)....what I had not considered was that those same bankers, mortgage brokers, real estate investors...would be among the first to bail and leave the small business owner to flounder with the outstanding invoices of the foreclosed homes in exclusive neighborhoods. So much for customer loyalty.
It's ironic how we think others are loyal to us out of friendship. There are a select few, but it really just boils down to survival, theirs. This firm I worked for, cited my release as due to the economy, yet I see that just 2.5 weeks later, they have hired a new guy and transferred an existing one from S FL to Central FL. I'm not really surprised, not that they brought someone on, but that after all this time, thinking we were "friends" that this lame excuse would somehow let them off the hook. I went to the company website and just viewing it made me anxious. Only because I feel somewhat betrayed. In actuality, the canceling of my contract was a relief. I was stressed all the time just trying to do what I thought I needed to. I was working very long hours and not getting anything additional from the company in return. I digress. Long story short, it could not have happened at a better time.
Plan B is actually an MLM opportunity. Yep, there I said it. There are MLM's out there that are run right. I purchased a kit 1 year ago next month and became Slumber Parties by Debbie O. I was just a hobbyist to begin with, maybe 1 or 2 parties a month. But the money is sic! I could work 4 hours and go home with $400 PROFIT! Well, our national convention was slated for mid April, I'd already requested the time off from my J.O.B. and purchased my airline ticket. So I went with the mindset that this was now my full time gig. So I have a goal, 20 parties on my calendar in both May and June. These are ladies only, 18 and up, in home parties. And yes, I sponsor other women into the business. We all make money. Two things still sell in a bad economy, liquor and sex. I'm here to tell you that even unemployed women will buy things to keep themselves or their man happy :)
So this blog will evolve into my Slumber story status I am sure, but for today, this blog is about transitioning. It is possible, if you can keep a clear and positive outlook. That is my current objective. So I begin this change with a Plan B in place, an objective and a goal. All I can do is succeed. I now get paid to party. I sell top quality products and I share the opportunity for women to start their own part time, home based, lucrative business. They get to stay at home with their children during the day, not miss those "firsts", contribute to the household finances, set their own schedule and take charge of their financial future. It is a business and it has to be worked, but it's simple. And I LOVE it. I am happy to go and coach on enhancing the romance and happy all the way home and it carries over. I now get to go to see my grand daughter in her school awards programs, go to the gym when it's quiet in the morning hours and NOT be STRESSED over the stuff I have no control over.
I still get up at 6:30 and I still spend time on the computer. But now I'm organizing my office in a way that I've not been able to do before. I am liberating myself from all the extra paperwork, the binders that consumed incredible space and it feels GREAT!
I need to go work my business right now, but I wanted to at least get this blog started. I hope your lives are well too. If you don't have a Plan B, you should. Change is imminent. Shift happens and it's best to at least be a little prepared than to be caught unaware.
Change is an opportunity - do what I did, Answer the door!
I've been employed in the same industry for 30 years and April is when I lost my J.O.B. (just over broke for those of you who don't know). I was part of one of the leading rep groups in the state of FL, albeit predominately men, for the last 10 years. It's no secret that FL is supported almost exclusively by the tourism industry and well the economy has pretty much tapped that well dry. Working in FL is tough right now. Our unemployment rate is higher than the national average, and we are not expected to recover as quickly as the rest of the nation. So we struggle. High foreclosure rates, increased crime due to desperation and now I am among those wondering how we're going to make ends meet.
I must tell you that I'm not stressing over the situation. That will accomplish nothing. A year ago I foresaw this possibility and went to work on a Plan B. The lawn service that I own has been going downhill for the last year as well. (I used to think it was incredible luck that all our clients were bankers and rich folk who would never take steps to purchase their own mower and do their own yardwork)....what I had not considered was that those same bankers, mortgage brokers, real estate investors...would be among the first to bail and leave the small business owner to flounder with the outstanding invoices of the foreclosed homes in exclusive neighborhoods. So much for customer loyalty.
It's ironic how we think others are loyal to us out of friendship. There are a select few, but it really just boils down to survival, theirs. This firm I worked for, cited my release as due to the economy, yet I see that just 2.5 weeks later, they have hired a new guy and transferred an existing one from S FL to Central FL. I'm not really surprised, not that they brought someone on, but that after all this time, thinking we were "friends" that this lame excuse would somehow let them off the hook. I went to the company website and just viewing it made me anxious. Only because I feel somewhat betrayed. In actuality, the canceling of my contract was a relief. I was stressed all the time just trying to do what I thought I needed to. I was working very long hours and not getting anything additional from the company in return. I digress. Long story short, it could not have happened at a better time.
Plan B is actually an MLM opportunity. Yep, there I said it. There are MLM's out there that are run right. I purchased a kit 1 year ago next month and became Slumber Parties by Debbie O. I was just a hobbyist to begin with, maybe 1 or 2 parties a month. But the money is sic! I could work 4 hours and go home with $400 PROFIT! Well, our national convention was slated for mid April, I'd already requested the time off from my J.O.B. and purchased my airline ticket. So I went with the mindset that this was now my full time gig. So I have a goal, 20 parties on my calendar in both May and June. These are ladies only, 18 and up, in home parties. And yes, I sponsor other women into the business. We all make money. Two things still sell in a bad economy, liquor and sex. I'm here to tell you that even unemployed women will buy things to keep themselves or their man happy :)
So this blog will evolve into my Slumber story status I am sure, but for today, this blog is about transitioning. It is possible, if you can keep a clear and positive outlook. That is my current objective. So I begin this change with a Plan B in place, an objective and a goal. All I can do is succeed. I now get paid to party. I sell top quality products and I share the opportunity for women to start their own part time, home based, lucrative business. They get to stay at home with their children during the day, not miss those "firsts", contribute to the household finances, set their own schedule and take charge of their financial future. It is a business and it has to be worked, but it's simple. And I LOVE it. I am happy to go and coach on enhancing the romance and happy all the way home and it carries over. I now get to go to see my grand daughter in her school awards programs, go to the gym when it's quiet in the morning hours and NOT be STRESSED over the stuff I have no control over.
I still get up at 6:30 and I still spend time on the computer. But now I'm organizing my office in a way that I've not been able to do before. I am liberating myself from all the extra paperwork, the binders that consumed incredible space and it feels GREAT!
I need to go work my business right now, but I wanted to at least get this blog started. I hope your lives are well too. If you don't have a Plan B, you should. Change is imminent. Shift happens and it's best to at least be a little prepared than to be caught unaware.
Change is an opportunity - do what I did, Answer the door!
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