May 22, 2013

This is my Life Chapter One

I was born on September 11, 1976 at 11:28 AM at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden, New Jersey. I was a hefty 7 lbs 4 ounces and 21 inches long. And although it should have been a happy occasion, it wasn't. I was born to a teenaged mother who was 16 when she had me. And in that time, unwed teenaged mothers was virtually unheard of. From the moment I was conceived, you could tell that it was an unpleasant elephant in the room. I was unwanted. I was told that many times through my life. But, for the most part, for the first year of my life, it was ok.

But, I think that Ive always known that I was unwanted. Aside from my Great Grandparents. My great grandparents saved my life. How did they save me you ask? By demanding that my mother not have yet another abortion. See, my mother tells me that she had an IUD in when she got pregnant with me, but that it failed. She never wanted me. She told me on various occasions that she was forced to have me and that I ruined her childhood.

Prior to her getting pregnant with me, she had gotten pregnant and had an abortion at the tender age of 14. You'd think that would have maybe stopped her from having sex before she was ready to be a mom, but, I digress. Around a year and a half later, she got pregnant with me. Obviously Im meant to be here.

When I was born, my great grandmother wouldn't let my mother take me out of the house until I was baptized because she was UBER Catholic. Ya know, the whole limbo thing. Funnily enough though, my mother is the LEAST religious person that I know. Well, maybe not the ONLY one. But at the point, she was. So clearly, that was my Grandmothers doing. And I guess it was the beginning of my spiritual life and journey. But we'll get to that later on.

I am forever in-debted to my grandparents because they saved my life. They let my mom and I live in their big victorian house in Cramer Hill, Camden, NJ. My grandparents meant the world to me because although my mother didn't want me and my biological father was nowhere to be found, my grandparents took care of us and treated me like a princess. Presents and toys and love and hugs…It was a great time in my life. When they died, it was the biggest blow to my heart that Ive ever felt in my life. One of the first chips in my heart that Ill feel.

**********************************************

When I was about a year old, my mother met a man who later became my Step Dad. When I was 18 months old, at the urging of my mother, I started calling him Daddy. I didn't really know what that meant but, I did it anyway. He wasn't my Daddy but I didn't know that until later on in life when he wanted to adopt me when I was ten. Unfortunately, it never happened because my mother said she couldn't find my biological father. This was way before internet and the super duper high speed highway and search engines. I grew up not knowing him. But at that point, unless my Daddy yelled at me for something, I didn't really think about him. I had a Daddy. And he loved me. He treated me really well.

When I was around 11 or 12, after the whole adoption thing had faded, I was going through my mothers record collections. They were the big ones. I remember seeing all the names of the bands on the covers. The Doors. The Beatles. JanisJoplin. And a bunch of others I can't remember. But, on one particular one, I saw the name "SPIDER" written on one. And it was clearly the nickname of someone. I just shrugged, thinking it was probably the name of one of my mothers friends.

Until one day when I was laying on my moms bed next to her and I asked her, "Mom, who's Spider?"

And I saw the color drain from her face and her eyes get this terrified look in her eyes. She stammered a little bit and then she said in a huffy kinda way, the way she usually did when I asked her a question that she either wasn't ready to a newer or, she didn't WANT to answer it, "He's your father."

That was the start of me wanting to know who my father was and where I came from, outside of her. I asked her if she had a picture of him. She curtly told me no. I asked her about my name and if what it said in my baby book was true, that she named me after the month he was born in. She said yes. When I asked her why she named me that, and she said "*huff* I don't know April, I was 16, I didn't know what else to name you."

But yet she gives me the middle name of Jeanette. Huh.

*********************************************

During this time, at school, I was miserable. Of course, most girls at 11 or 12 are going through that weird awkward stage in life. But I was going through even worse.

I was the new girl at school. I was pretty. And I was starting to develop faster then the girls in my grade, so I was getting a lot of attention from the boys that the other girls didn't like. So I was teased. And gossiped about. And bullied. BADLY. And it continued to get worse all the way up til graduation in 8th grade.

My grades started to slip. Things at home were increasingly bad as well because after my brother was born, I was suddenly not the little Princess anymore. The second he was born, I became "april who?" and he became the little Prince and got everything he wanted.

There was also a lot of fighting amount my parents. Vicious fights. Abusive fights. Nights where I would hide in my brothers room and hold him, scared out of my mind, while my parents beat the shit out of each other. Terrified they were going to come in and start beating us.

Then came the bombshell.

My mom and Dad were getting divorced. He left. And my world came crumbling down.

I became the insta-babysitter to my then extremely hyper, a.d.h.d., 5 year old brother. I would get up in the morning, make sure he ate, got him and myself dressed. Then we'd walk to school in freezing cold weather while my mother lounged around in bed. Most days, we were lucky if we had food for breakfast or lunch money.

She much rather would have spent money on designer dresses and suits and shit for my brother then food for us. There were many nights shed call my Daddy to put oil in our tank because it was freezing, she didn't have any money and we had none.

When my Daddy left, I became a punching bag for her. It was my fault he left. And Im not talking about spanking. Im talking full out hitting punching and screaming obscenities at me a mother should never say to her teenaged daughter. She started drinking heavily.at that time, she was also smoking pot, which i didn't know what it was until later on in life.

I remember the first real brutal beating i took from her. She had gone out with her friends, again. She had really started partying and going out til all hours of the night, leaving me at home with my young brother to baby sit him.

My uncle had come over that night to check on us. I ha asked him to light the pilot light on the over so that I could make cookies for her as a present. A desperate attempt at getting her love back. I didn't understand what I had done to make her hate me so much.

I had made the last batch and put them in the oven. I fell asleep, because it was late. I woke up to her screaming at me and pulling me off the couch by my hair. The house was full of smoke, because they had burned into a black char of what they were supposed to be. She screamed at me how stupid i was, how clumsy, that I could have burned the house down. I was screaming and crying to stop and begging her that I loved her and i didn't understand why she was doing this to me. I kept telling her that I wanted her to love me. But, she kept on. All the while hitting and punching me til I was crumpled in a hysterical ball.

When shed finally stopped, I was left to clean it up in the middle of the night. So much for the gift I was making for her.

On many nights, this was the same exact thing that happened. It got to the point that I was walking on eggshells to avoid the beatings. But, they'd happen for stuff I didn't even do.

Around this time, she ran into my biological father at a night club she was at. When she told me, I was over joyed. I thought that I was finally going to have a Daddy again that was going to save me. I thought he would come and rescue me.

But, she kept him at arms length.

Then I found out i had a sister. I was again overjoyed. I had always wanted a sister. And then I found out that I had a niece. I was happy as a lark. I got to meet them all and things started looking up. I started spending a lot of time at my sisters house, spending time with my niece and babysitting her. Happy to get out of the house, away from the devil.

Until we moved.

***********************************************

May 07, 2013

who am i?



I'm mouthy, opinionated, free spirited, independent and strong. It will take a STRONG man to deal with the way that i am...I CAN be a bitch with a sharp tongue... If you're man enough to break through my tough outter shell, I urge you to try. It will be a challenge...it will show me that you are worth it....I have my own car, I own my house, I'm self employed and homeschool my kids. I've been through hell and back so I have a REALLY tough exterior to break through.... But I can guarantee, I'm worth it...

That being said....Im not exactly sure what im even looking for at the moment...Im kind of at a weird place in my life right now...I have my own car, just bought a house that im remodeling (its going to take a WHILE) ...I have my businesses that im trying to get up and running here in NJ....I am WAYYYY to independent..Im too free spirited and often I forget to include others in what im doing/want to do an am extremely used to doing things on my own....I often do things at a whim and dont often care what others want me to do or not. Ive lived my life so freely in the last 7 yrs since my late husband died that unless the right person comes that makes me want to change things, I like living how I want.

Dont get it twisted. Im not a Dominant personality really...But in my life, i tend to be a control freak because I can be...i NEED to be....I HAVE to be...I like being able to control how things go in my life. Im a planner. I plan EVERYTHING and as the one song goes "i make lists in my sleep." I dont need/like someone telling me how to live my life because ive done very well living it so far....Yes, I may have struggled but I've made it through barely unscathed.

My heart has been bruised and broken into a gajillion pieces....Ive come back from being abused...lied to....cheated on...and i still keep rolling with the punches... I have a lot of idiosyncrasies that i wont/cant give up. So the person that happens to make those walls i mentioned above fall, will be undoubtably understanding and accepting of them.

My bodys been beat up by having 5 babies. Im not super skinny and I dont have this model type body...Im short and have a pudgy middle that i suck in and put two waist cinchers on every time i get dressed because its a self conscious spot....I have stretch marks. My tits sag from breastfeeding...But i have beautiful legs and arms and face and heart. There are things in my head that sometimes get in the way of me pursuing anything because i have yet to find that ONE person, who was like my late husband, who would accept them and help me through them.

My mother pretty much desserted me at a young age when her "prince" was born right after me...I was abused and ignored and belittled and treated like shit by a shit load of people that were supposed to care about me.

People that I was supposed to trust killed my heart.

Killed my trust.

Took advantage of me....of my kindness.....So, time and time again, it makes my bitchy attitude side come out because try as i may, most guys still ONLY see me for sex and it irritates the living piss out of me. Just because I dress/look a certain way, doesn't mean im ALL about sex...I want intimacy....love...passion....sweetness... compassion...snuggly nights where i just hold hands and put my head on my guys shoulder...

For the right person.....I have ALL the love in the world to give....All the kindness and compassion and sweetness and passion they could ever dream of.......

But one things for sure, I DESPERATELY need for something to go INCREDIBLY slow.

I need time of talking and getting to know someone, to see if they're worthy of my heart before I even meet them....I need to feel that *spark* during conversations that involve more then "hi, how are you?" and other casual conversation...

I have way to much going on in my life to be worried about impressing someone with a "bullshit hide behind a computer screen" self....This is me. Pure REALness...Utter and complete bluntness and no bullshit...

I also wont make plans to meet someone if m not getting a click vibe from one or two conversations ..I dont care if they're the "go out and get it when they see something they like" kinda guys...I dont give a shit what kind of guy you are....If IM not ready, we aint meeting, no matter how much you beg, bug, nag, cajole or threaten...You threaten you're bolting, so be it. BYE. dont let the off button burn your finger on the way to turning it off. No skin off my tits.

Giving me ultimatums aint gonna work....Ive lived 7 YRS of that shit, 2 while single...Ive hit my limit and WONT tolerate it anymore...

So, thats kinda where Im at at the moment...Struggling with who I am and what i want.

May 04, 2013

I have a lot of catching up to do...

I really have been keeping up on my writing.

Just not updating my blogs here....So, Im going to post as many as i can up til this point from January....EEEK, thisll be long...


Stripping Again..
Thursday, January 3, 2013 at 1:06pm

After working several jobs since moving down here waiting tables and finding that people are idiots in this area with tipping, i discussed with the B/f about going back to stripping.

He agreed that it would be a good thing seeing as Id make more money faster by doing that then making the measly $40 a night waiting tables (hard to support yourself, put gas in the car and save money when you're only making $40 a night in tips...nope, not at all)

So, Ive started (Re)stocking up on my "stripper attire" by buying two new outfits (half of one is on back order, GOD DAMN IT, and I have to wait until NEXT WEEK to get it....from fed ex...ugh.), a white, knee high pair of leather looking lace up boots that go with the half an outfit...I bought a pair of sparkly silver platform stripper shoes and a gun metal dress to go along with it.

Now i just need to get gstrings from the one place in South Philly next week.

The lot of my other outfits are currently in storage because Im living with a couple of my best friends, who opened their home to me and my girls after a hellish two months with my inlaws (see previous journal posting)....I have a few outfits here that I brought with me "just in case" and that will be around 5 outfits until Im able to start making more money and buying more clothes to help me entice the masses of men into spending more money on my incredibly gorgeous self. (sarcasm here ladies and gentlemen)...

Ive already auditioned at one club and they put me down as a "on call dancer" which in code means "you weren't good enough to hire so we'll just give you a bullshit line to make you think youre hired but we'll really never call you."

Why cant people just be honest?

It kinda pissed me off because ALL of the girls there were telling me that I danced better then the majority of the girls there....Hmmm, jealousy perhaps? Youd think that theyd WANT someone in there that knows how to move and seduce with dancing but apparently they just want girls who stand on stage and do the booty bumpin ass clappin dance moves that I wouldnt qualify as DANCING per se.

ugh.

Ill give them a call later, to see what the status is...But Ill also call other clubs to find out if theyre hiring dancers and find out when auditions are.

So, ladies and gents, Im back to being a stripper...And im actually happy about it.


Popularity...
Friday, January 4, 2013 at 11:29pm


In all my life, Ive never been popular. Sure, Ive had "friends" during points in my life that have used me for thier own personal gains, but, usually, as soon as they get what they wanted/needed or didnt need me anymore, they'd disappear.

Now, I can count on both hands how many true REAL honest to Goddess friends that I have, that have been there through the years and through the bullshit with me...

Yes, some are online, some are in person but I am happy and grateful for those friendships and that I can honestly say that I trust them enough with my heart, my life and that of my childrens lives. I am truly and utterly thankful and grateful that they have earned that place in myheart that will never been forgotten nor replaced.

Amoung them, the ones who've been there in some way, whether it was to support me, encourage me, be my cheering squad, a sounding board, hang out with me, drink with me, comforted me, and didnt or havent judged me for the things Ive done or the choices Ive made in life, I sincerely completely thank you...

I have to say that Ive always wanted to be "popular"...to have a crapton on friends and be almost "famous" in some way...to have "fans" and successes in things like my make up artist career, or when I did youtube, or other avenues, but now, I see that those wouldnt have made me happy because they werent REAL friendships...they would have been imaginary...fake...

What makes me happy is that I can call on those that ARE real in my life, that I can truly call friends...I can call them in the middle of the night and theyd try everything in their powers to come running (literally and figuratively)...The ones that have been around through the last 10 or so years...

The ones that have stuck by me through thick and thin...the ones who havent desserted me in my "darkest hours"..

I can honestly say, with EVERY fiber of my being:

THANK YOU...

To those people, Ann, Gary, Kim, Wendy, Karen, Rhiannon, Jesus, James. Georgann, Crystal, Lacie, Tyson, Addy, Brigitte, Heather, Susan, Andrea, Scott, Dee, Koni, Chris, Jay, Harry, Noelle, Brad and Gina and ANYONE whom I missed that has been there for me in their own little way, no matter WHAT it was, I love you all, from the very very bottom of my heart. Your friendships mean the world to me and I can only hope that i mean even a smidgen of what you all mean to me.

Thank you in whatever ways youve helped me learn, grow, and develop into the woman that I am today.



Writers Block...
Sunday, January 6, 2013 at 10:59pm


Im trying desperately to come up with something to write about and my mind is a complete blank...do I write about religion? relationships? cats? I am trying so so hard to figure out something to write about...but my brain is going "UH UHHHHHH..."

Two days....TWO DAYS ive been trying to figre out something to write about and my brain is severely blocked blocked blocked.

ughhhhhhhhhh....


The word "slut"
Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at 11:02am


after reading a discussion on another website that Im on, it got my writing juices flowing...

The thread was this one:

"I hear the debate about what is a slut so let me ladies is there a number of sexual partners that equals slut? Everyone likes to talk about their "number" and partners often ask each others their "number" (even though that cane a bad idea) so what si the "number" that equals slut? Is it 15? 20? 25? 30? or some larger number?"

to which I replied:
i actually dont believe in the word "slut" per se...who actually determines what/who a slut is??? Ive seen women call another woman a slut simply because of the way she was dressed...Ive heard women call their friend a slut because she slept with someones bf/fiance/husband....the word is SUCH a toss-around term that it really doesn't apply to anything major in my world anymore...Its SO SO overused that it simply doesn't apply anymore.

I really dont think that the number of sexual partners a person has had MAKES them a "slut"....I call that person "sexually free/open". I dont use words like slut, whore, hussy etc to describe a person...In fact I honestly give that person props for doing what they want and not really caring about what people call them...
If there IS such a "magical number" then what would it be to YOU OP??

and it got me thinking....what do YOU consider a "slut"??? Have you ever called someone that word because of a way someone was acting/dressed??

I know someone, that if you use the term slut to her, she goes APESHIT....And i often wonder why...Is it because underneath, in her mind, she KNOWS that shes a slut but doesnt OWN it? Is it because shes ashamed because she knows shes one? Or is it something deeper?

TO me, if someone calls me a slut/whore/whatever, I simply turn to them and thank them. I thank them because by them calling me a derogatory name, it shows me their TRUE character...and Im not talking dirty bedroom pillow talk...Im talking about if someone sees an outfit im wearing or something and theyre JEALOUS (which, lets be honest, 9 times out of ten, a woman WILL call another woman a slut out of jealousy) and they call me a slut/whore whatever...I laugh at them and usually say "is that the best ya got?"

I was called a slut in juinor high because I kissed someone...dressed differently...even had sex before anyone else...and who cares NOW? because I lost my virginity at 13/14? No one...girls NOW are loosing it even sooner, and it doesnt make them SLUTS. It makes them curious kids. I can honestly say that to ME the word slut, is just that....a word. it doesnt MEAN anthing to me so therefore I dont give it power...and when you GIVE something power, its going to bug/anger/upset you...its JUST a word that has no power unless you GIVE it power.

A lot of people let derogatory names get to them. A lot of people flip out, use anger, violence, hatred when someone calls them something...I just shake my head and laugh and usually know that when someone calls someone a name, its because of THEIR insecurites.

I dont believe in any term that society has cooked up to describe a sexually free woman (or man for that matter)....in that respect, if a man can go out and "be a slut" so to speak, its 2013, why cant a woman? Why is there still a stigma attached to going home with someone and DOING whats natural for our bodies?



Im done and Ive stopped looking...
Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 11:48pm


So, after many attempts at trying to find my other half and finding the "ONE", I've given up. Ive been single for going on two years now and i simply just cant seem to find anyone that will put up with or deal with the way that I am.

So, Ive given up COMPLETELY on things...I was so lonely and desperate to be in a relationship that I was seriously thinking about marrying someone i didn't even know just to be with someone....Then we met and it was terrible...No chemistry or anything. Im simply afraid, to old and set in my ways to let anyone come along and be in my life when they'll probably just end up leaving in the long run...everyone leaves eventually...So I have completely given up on ever finding anything ever again.

Also, im too afraid to date or be with anyone because I have three little girls. They're getting older now and they're gorgeous. After something traumatic happening in my life in 2001, I just CANT get passed the danger of letting someone in that could do something to harm them....and no amount of googling or research or getting to know someone will tell you who someone is....And Im not taking that chance.
Between that and the fear of the guy leaving after letting my heart fall, and not being able to handle that, i engross myself in watching netflix and crocheting and just being in my head about things...over and over again I play things in my head of things that could go wrong...I avoid public places as much as i can because i dont want to be hit on for fear that men only see me as a sex object...Ill give them my heart, mind, body and soul and then he'll bail....its just not worth it...

I dont like bringing my girls out to the public because im terrified they'll get kidnapped...and lets face it, in this day and age, it could happen...I have anxiety about them leaving my side when we're somewhere and Im constantly doing head checks to make sure they're all with me....I homeschool them for the same reason...(on top of many many other reasons)...If anything happened to them, I honestly would crumble. I would completely loose my mind.

When i was younger, my mother would go grocery shopping and I would go over to the magazine rack and just sit while she shopped reading and fantasizing about the celebrities in the magazines...I couldn't do that with my girls...Id be terrified of something happening...

Bring a strange man who isnt their father into the equation....on top of my MANY trust issues...i just cant do it. Im broken. I give up.



"I always liked you as a...."
Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 12:13pm


Ya know...When someone says to me "i always liked you better as a blonde/redhead/brunette/whatever it is", I always shake my head and my irritation meter goes through the roof....Really? If you only liked the way i looked when I was blonde/brunette/redheaded/whatever, then that means you only "liked" me a certain way and if i change whatever it is, then you dont like me?? And that you dont think of me as a "friend" and only an object on your friends list...If thats the case, then you can delete me right now....

I really dont give a shit if people only "like me" as a blonde/redhead/brunette/whatever it is...Its my life. Im not trying to impress anyone...If you dont like ME AS A PERSON, regardless of whether im a blonde or a Redhead or whatever, that shows your shallowness.

I am SO tired of completely shallow people. Iam so tired of the backhanded compliments. I am so tired of the "i always liked you as a...." emails....If you like me, whether as a friend, love interest, WHATEVER, you wouldn't just LIKE me for my hair color, or what status i keep for myself, whether i be single married engaged whatever etc....Life is about change. And I change my hair as much as i want...i fluctuate in the way i am status wise as many times as i do because of things im going through in life...If you dont like when im a bitch, tough shit. Because its fuckwitted comments like "i always liked you better as a (insert whatever it is here)" that make me say, ya know....FUCK YOU.

If you only like me when Im the sweet, positive, caring woman that i USUALLY am, and dont like my brass bluntness when Ive hit my limit, then maybe we were never friends at all, and you should delete me right now...

If you cant "like" the complete package AS I AM, then you never liked me at all.


Ready to give up...
Saturday, April 13, 2013 at 4:22pm


ya know, Im started to get really discouraged and think that im seriously going to end up alone...i have friends that jump in and out of relationships left and right, that never have a lapse in being single, and they dont even look for it, it just happens...then i see celebrities doing the same thing...i see guys fighting over a not so great woman and im left standing there like "well, if guys think THAT train wreck is so great, i must be a total waste of space..." Im SO tired of seeing all these relationships around me and having nothing myself. to the point that ive completely given UP on love. Ive given up on finding ANYTHING...seriously. On all my profiles that i have on random sites (NOT dating sites, just other social networking things), i have "I AM NOT LOOKING FOR ANYTHING. so dont bother contacting me if you want something because its a very good possibility that you only want to get laid."...because apparently, thats all im fucking good for. Im seriously starting to think that something is wrong with me, that im not worth anything, and that no one will ever want me...My self esteem is seriously tanking to the point that ive gained weight and am now up to 155 pounds. I dont want to do anything, i dont want to do my hair or make up or anything....Im so discouraged and upset and i just dunno if i can handle anymore....

Add to that that i still havent found a place of my own yet (the one place i THOUGHT i found a few months ago fell through) and we're sleeping on air mattresses at someones house...not gonna say who because i dont need the added questions) home...I NEED my own place...Im DYING. I miss my stuff. I miss cooking with my stuff and LIVING how i want to live without fear of someone yet AGAIN kicking us out....

Granted, my inlaws didnt kick us out, I left, but, I left because of circumstances that even THEY dont understand what the fuck they did to make me RUN as fast as i could away from them (AGAIN.)....i had "friends" who kept telling me to get out of there and move in with them....Yea, well, they didnt turn out to be such good friends because they kicked me and the girls out with nowhere to go....Seriously.

I had to move in (thank god temporarily) with a guy that i didnt even LIKE that much. In fact, the day they had kicked me out, i HAD planned on ending it with him....He was just too.....He couldnt respet the fact that i needed TIME to trust him and he SERIOUSLY kept pushing boundaries of mine that i just WAS NOT ready for him to push...or let go of....There were nights that I went to sleep, not knowing if i was going to wake up to being raped or not. He was really a skeeze...and then he couldnt understand why i RAN as fast as i could when i could. Theres more to it, but this would be one reason why im alone...and think that i WILL be alone...but anyway, those "friends" that kicked us out, i will never speak to again. Because they did something that i thought they NEVER would have, and my trust in humanity and people has been completely shattered.

Im just so so seriously ready to give up and i just really dont know what to do anymore....Aside from where Im staying, i have NO ONE. Seriously. Im doing this ALL ON MY OWN. and im exhausted.

The girls are grating on my nerves because they make messes and then so i dont want to be bitched at, im following them around like a fucking slave cleaning up after them...Theyre 10, 8 and 7 and no matter how much i yell at them, its like they just dont care...I should be getting MORE time to myself, not LESS because i have to follow them around...Im FUCKING exhausted. I havent had a break or a REAL time to myself in i dont know how long....I NEED my own place...

And i try to think positively. I really do...But im seriously at my fucking WITS end.

I just really dont know what to do anymore. and im really ready to give up.



Wow...
Saturday, May 4, 2013 at 10:17pm


If you would have told me a month ago, that I would be sitting in MY own home, I would have said that you were crazy...

But, here I sit. In a home thats MINE. I bought it. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am a home OWNER.

Roughly 2 weeks ago, I had this opportunity drop into my lap...someone that I hadnt spoken to or really had any contact with was selling it...they are friends of Dave's...Now, not only are they friends of MINE, but theyre family to me.....I brought him over one day for him to help them finish the siding on it...and less then 4 hours later, I told them Id buy it from them....They gave me a really great deal and I couldnt be happier.

Within the next week and a half or so, it was whirlwind...getting things together, packing, moving, situating....planning, planning and more planning...We moved in last week.

Its really tiny and needs some work, but since my rent went from $1500 a month to $360 a month for lot rent, Im now left with about $900 to spend a month remodeling it and fixing whats wrong...In addition to putting on an addition within the next yr (which will come AFTER we redo the INSIDE and i put aside a decent chunk of money), the bathroom, kitchen and two bedrooms that the girls are sharing will all be redone...The living-room will be repainted and recarpeted, and the hallway painted and recarpeted,

Even though its tiny, I have a decent chunk of property to play with. I have a side yard, a front yard (which will be where the addition will be added to, in addition of my driveway, and garden), and a nice sized backyard that I will be adding a patio set to, a swing and either a fire pit or a chiminea to for those chilly fall nights to sit out at...

Im beyond happy with my new home. I will be able to do anything I want to it and not have to deal with a landlord bitching at me for changing something...I will also be able to get a dog. :) Unfortunately not a pittie like I wanted as theyre not allowed in this park...but a dog nonetheless.

I have exchanged emails with a Labrador breeder and the guy behind me is planning on breeding his Mastiff and I told him Id be interested in one of his puppies once they were born and weaned....

Ive also always wanted an african grey parrot and now that ill have the extra money, I am finally able to get one....

Ya know, when I chose to move back to New Jersey, never did i imagine having my OWN HOME, that Id own...I figured id be stck in a place that i hated, and even after moving back considered moving to Ohio...Had even spoken to a couple of people there, and started making plans...it was the day after i spoke to the one realtor that this place dropped into my lap....Guess fate wants me HERE. lol

When i wrote that journal almost a month ago, I was so discouraged and upset. I didn't know which way was up...I was sleeping on the floor in my Ex-mother in laws home...miserable...

And then this...I almost didnt come over here that day...But Dave talked me into it...I almost said no...When i first saw the place, I said to him "um...WTF?! this is the place???"

But once I came in...Once i thought about the benefits...Once i thought about where I was living and this more then likely was going to be a really GOOD thing for me and started really LOOKING at it....

Im really glad that i came over. I am very happy that its mine and I dont have to worry about someone bitching at me for one reason or another (ann and gary or exmom in law)...or kicking me out...this is MY HOME.

.....I wonder now if im gonna get that boyfriend ive wanted for a while now........