LOVE My Live

Phoebe & JR drove each other (and me) crazy last summer with not enough to do, so I determined early that Phoebe would attend summer camp this year. I found a great program, run by the Marching Elites Association, and she is having the best summer of her little life! They have major field trips every Wednesday, they've spent Wednesdays thus far at Buckroe Beach, Chippoke State Park, Ocean Breeze Water Park, and Busch Gardens! Tuesdays and Thursdays are filled with lots of other fun activities and smaller local field trips, bowling, skating, laser tag, a talent show, museum trips and cookouts, and they swim all day every Friday at Fort Eustis. She is loving it!



But... it broke me. I put summer camp higher on the budget priority list than it rightfully deserves, and now I've got a couple other debts getting ready to bite me in the ass for it. I know none of you are loaded down with cash funds, but if you are interested and able, I could sure use some help making sure Phoebe's summer stays super fun! The camp itself is $65/wk (including a USDA breakfast, lunch, and snack), and the field trips are extra. I've paid the camp fees through 7/30, but still owe $20 for the 7/21 field trip to Go Karts Plus, and $26 for the 7/28 field trip to Water Country USA. I would also like to keep her in camp until the very end (8/13), incurring an additional $130 in camp fees, plus $29 for the 8/04 field trip to Kings Dominion. Unfortunately, there is already one field trip she may not attend - the grand finale field trip on 8/11 - a 6am to 2am charter bus to Six Flags New Jersey - too far for this Mom. Then she'll have just three weeks hanging out at home before school starts back up on 9/07. Not that Phoebe cares who pays for camp, but if I do receive any assistance, I will of course let Phoebe know of the generosity.



M&J, I haven't kept y'all as up to date recently as I set out to... back in late May, I expressed to my clients interest in returning to Northern Virginia, about the same time as they got frustrated w/my inability to get+stay fully engaged. This has probably been professionally the most awkward period of my life. I have always struggled with my morning schedule, but in previous environments I was always able to otherwise easily and clearly demonstrate my value. But this place is too union, too waterfront, too technical, too blue collar for me. They will be much happier with the guy they've hired to replace me, a retiring waterfront production controller.



As for me, I start a new job on 8/02, still with Dell, for the boss I had previously - Ken Carrick, supporting an old client in a new position, it is sure to be a smooth and most comfortable transition. Mostly, I look forward to being back in town w/Aunt Banana! But professionally, it's nice to know I'm still an asset.



Our home is for sale, with little chance it will sell in time to support our relocation. It's also for rent, with special incentives advertised for a quick renter. We have found suitable Rottweiler-friendly housing in Alexandria, but there's NO WAY we can carry two housing payments, so I can't apply for those I've found until we have a renter (or buyer) for ours. Don't suppose you, Jim, would be interested in buying it as an investment/rental property? Just kidding. Unless you'd consider it. (Are y'all familiar w/Chris Tucker (from the Rush Hour movies)? One of our most FAVORITE Chris Tucker lines JR & I use on each other all the time comes from him in Money Talks, he asks this rich dude for a million dollars, then says just kidding, unless you're gonna give it to me, nah just kidding, unless you're not. My investment property offer/request is meant as a joke in the same vain.) It's looking like I will spend weekdays w/NB and weekends in Hampton until we have our housing resolved. I hate the idea of spending nights away from my kids, but this is the bed I've made for myself, so I will lay in it with little complaint.



Ok, I'm off to be productive. I'm also doing a little blog test. If I've set things up the way I think I have, then this email should also show up as a blog post. We'll see. Happy Friday! Love you!!

Stephanie~Fuller, Stephanie~Fuller, 571.335.6790, 571.335.6790, SMFuller@cox.net, SMFuller@cox.net, NAVSEA05Z~Marine~Engineering, Active~Clearance, B.A.~Government~and~Politics, George~Mason~University, Lean~Six~Sigma~Green~Belt, Dell~Services~Dec~2001~to~Present, VIRGINIA~Class~Submarines, Continuous~Process~Improvement, Value~Stream~Analysis, Stakeholder~Facilitation, Contractual~Exceptions~and~Clarifications, Defense~Acquistion~University~Specification~Management~Course, Advanced~Resource~Technologies~Inc.~Nov~2000~to~Dec~2001, OSD~Dual~Use~Science~and~Technology, GRC~International~an~ATT~Company~May~1999~to~Nov~2000, Army~Reliability~Maintainability~and~Supportability, Army~Commercial~Off~the~Shelf~Savings~Initiative, USCG~Deepwater~Project~Management~Plan, WAGB20~USCGC~HEALY, Naval~Sea~Systems~Command, SHERIKON~Inc.~Dec~1990~to~May~1999, Team~Submarine~Excellence~Award

In the Order in Which They Occur to Me | A Really Good Pet Hair Vacuum | A Good Electric Can Opener | Roller Skates | Bicycles | Furniture | Linens | Clothes | Housekeeping | Daycare | A Garage | Manicures & Pedicures | Better Pet Care | Summer Camps | Music Lessons | Household Store | Emergency Preparedness | More & Better Portraits |



Obnoxious Oodles of Quit Working Money | Home Car & Lifestyle Upgrades All Around | A Year on The World | Philantrophy | Self Enrichment | Fun Stuff |



Stuff That's Caught My Fancy | This Forrest Cube Ring |

To the eighth wonder of the world,

So, I've been experienceing low back pain since Christopher was about six months old. I always figured it was just the extra thirty pounds I carry, plus the extra 25 or 45 I also routinely heft about. My chiro called it "lumbar disfunction" but his treatments didn't help much, so I quit going. On bad days I would take Tylenol or Motrin, but mostly I just lived with it, blaming myself, and hoping I wasn't being a nag about my back.



Well, JR setup an orthopaedic eval for me, so we went in together when he went in for his post-op check-up. JR is healing nicely, no longer needs the neck brace or any pain meds, got his stiches out, and is reporting total and complete relief. I, however, have a bone spur in my L4-5, probably arthritic. So now I get to take arthritis meds, and they're going to do some physical therapy to stop any spur-induced slippage toward what might have become a real slipped disc.



I'm glad I went in. I'm glad it's not just that I'm fat and lazy. I'm glad the pain in my low back will diminish with once/daily pills and six weeks of specific exercise.