Playstation

OK I will admit that I’m a Final Fantasy XI player.  Right now my PS2 is having issues finding the internet.  We think (meaning my daughter) that we have the utility disk that we need to correct this.  I guess I will know when I get home tonight.  Otherwise I’m going to have to learn to play this game on the computer and buy a new program. 

 

 

 

Roses in Oct.

I was very pleased to find this in the side garden

Financial Frenzy

Even though the world is in such a financial crisis, I keep getting these credit offers in the mail each week. The amounts continue to creep higher and higher with offers of more perks. I think there is a reason for this. The credit industry has figured out that I am very close to leaving them in a cloud of dust. Other than my house, I owe very little. Much less than the national average I think. I have taught my children that credit is not necessary to live. Within the year I should finally be completely free of the credit industry. Once in that position I will open a new account that is to be used for one purpose only. The continuance of my credit rating. In other words this account will be paid in full each and every month and that is all.

That reminds me, I need to pull my credit report again to check on my progress. I do this twice a year to see where I stand.

I have already made my choice for my stock purchase in November. I will buy into BHP as I need to diversify a bit. It's only $100.00 not a fortune. My stocks havent done too badly through all this, its my mutual fund that stinks. Luckly I didnt have too much in that fund. However I have taken some of Buffetts lessons to heart. I buy to hold for a lifetime.

Its getting bad when....

OK, so its fall and its getting colder and the leaves are starting to finally turn colors. I of course go out and buy a couple of pumpkins for the front porch. They looked so nice there from the street. So autumnish if that is a word. However the resident rabid squirrel had made other plans for them. I guess the summer crops werent quite enough this year. I did notice that the carnage from the pear tree in the backyard wasnt so bad this year. The pecan trees did not produce as much this year either. Or perhaps its just an economic downswing in squirrel land. Anyway I opened the front door on Saturday to find holes in both pumpkins with teeth marks. The squirrel was in the act of chewing through the rind as I watched. Not a pretty sight. I decided to rub hot sesame oil on both pumpkins and that seemed to keep him at bay for a couple of days, but last night I came home to find a new hole on one pumpkin. I don't think these two will make it to Halloween before they rot at this rate. I will have to buy more. I guess I will have to bring them in when Im not at home.

Whats left before winter

Can you see the tiny little tomatoes still trying to grow? This is a volunteer tomato plant in the back garden.

And here are some hot peppers that are still going strong.

Rock

LOL, I found a rock for the corner! I feel like I need to paint a target on it.

The Election

Once again it seems the only choice the American people have been given is to choose the lesser of two evils. I rather liked McCain, I just wish he had been 20 years younger for this. Quite frankly Palin scares me to death even though I am a member of the NRA. I have always been a Republican, but the last 10 years or so I have leaned more to the Libertarian side of things. Less government is actually what I would consider "more". Obama would like to take the guns away from America or at least severely restrict their use. I don't see him getting that past Congress, but his health care package might at least be better. Social Security issues are a moot point as I plan to work until I am 70 already, I mean I have to have something to do to keep me out of trouble.

The Market

The stock market is finally moving back upwards today.  I thought I might be penniless soon considering the rate of its descent.  I saw where oil dropped below 70 dollars a barrel also.  This morning in Tulsa QT had gas priced at $2.59 a gallon so I wonder where it is tonight?  That’s right I said $2.59 a gallon.  Remember, this is Tulsa, Oklahoma.  I have not stopped making my monthly small purchases in the market.  I still believe the market is the only way I will make any kind of income for my retirement.  I just keep buying those dividend stocks.  $100.00 a month is all I buy but I use Sharebuilder so my cost for the brokers fees is only 4%.  When I can afford to up the amount to $200.00 I will get my cost down to the “proper” percentage of only 2%.  What does a lady buy?  You might be surprised.  How about Harley Davidson?

Yes, and I am going to keep buying Harley stock because they have a really great balance sheet and a dividend to match.  I also own some Oneok stock, and Ship Finance and a small stake in Capital Source.  Those are my dividend stocks.  Then there are my speculative stocks, Marvel Entertainment and Boots & Coots, which are both holding their own through this crazy market.  I don’t own a lot yet but I just started doing this last year.  It’s been more fun than anything.  I would have spent that small amount of cash on something else anyway.

 

 

 

fall flowers

Somehow I managed to get that mum on here twice. The blue & black salvia is actually an annual that has somehow managed to live for 5 years now.

Fall Weather

This fall has been really nice so far.  I have lots of lovely blooms still left in the garden and so many green tomatoes I don’t know if they will ever ripen.  The squirrels of course stripped my pecan trees.  But there weren’t a lot of nuts on them this year, perhaps because I had so many last year.  The tree must have needed a vacation.  I found my scarecrow while cleaning out the closet this weekend and some old games and some lovely vases that had been forgotten.  I need to buy some fresh flowers at the store to put in one of them.  I got out my belly dance costume and looked it over.  I may be able to wear it this year.  We will see.  Halloween was Mike’s favorite holiday.  I will need to leave a Butterfinger at Memorial Park for him again this year. I know the groundskeepers probably find a lot of different things there.  But a Butterfinger and 3 cents for a beer should be adequate.

 

 

 

Brave New World

My daughter is moving back home. After spending the summer renting a house with 3 other girls, one has gone home to Texas and left the other 3 out in the cold so to speak. I of course just happen to have 3 empty bedrooms. I cannot even begin to imagine how my life is going to change with three young women in the house. Not to mention all of their accumulated baggage from their summer adventure. The girls are comming over to help me rearrange the house today.

Natural Gas Price Plan

I’ve been doing really well keeping my utility bills down this summer.  I’ve changed to fluorescent lighting and turned the hot water tank’s temperature down and I just don’t do air-conditioning unless its above 90 degrees.  I keep a watch on the oil and gas industry and the price fluctuations.  I’m wondering if I’m the only one who has noticed that this week the price of natural gas dropped to $6.70 per BTU.  Oklahoma Natural Gas had an insert in the last bill asking people to sign up to an average price plan to keep their rates low this winter.  Apparently the gas company has already made their winter purchase and I’m sure they only anticipated price increases, not declines.  They bought their inventory prior to the price drop.  They paid $11.048 per dekatherm.  I had to look up and convert what a dekatherm was.  A BTU is just a tiny bit larger than a dekatherm.  In other words they want us to agree to pay twice the amount of what natural gas is currently selling for.  I don’t think so!  I personally think they need to renegotiate their purchase.