2005-07-22 - 10:30 a.m.

Stock picks of the day for my new hobby of DAYTRADING: MFB Maidenform brands and JSDA Jones Soda Company which is the riskier of the two. I am sure the limit order for the sale of MFB will go through.... but the other one is more of a risk. In any case I have such a small amount of money in my retirement fund that whenever I feel guilty about my outstanding debt to my former attny and think I am going to liquidate and sell it all off to pay her, I come on line and get that "WHAT the hell" urge to just try to increase assets in the only conceivable way right now short of selling my car which is still stuck in VA. (Maybe Westely will drive it up this week. Oh shoot he has a meeting and planned on flying from DC to some other city... so not this weekend. HE in fact wants the girls and I to travel WITH him this weekend. IF so I can't drive it back either...as I would have to drive back our other car w/ girls in tow.
Maybe I could go there and head to CARMAX and unload it for less than its worth to be done w/ it.... or run an ad. Hmmm Maybe if I make some calls I could actually sell it myself in a weekend. It is after all one of the few VOLVOs with those hard to find REAR row of seats. I HATE to sell it. Westley is supportive of that EVEN THOUGH at this point he benefits from its use. He'd prefer I sell it than have my former attny file a lien! He actually would prefer to PAY my former attny ASAP rather than lose the use of the VOLVO that HE has been driving as a winter car here and using in VA during the summertime. So I am trying to hold off as he indicated HE WILL PAY MY LEGAL BILL ASAP but he hasn't the money yet! First we have to pay off AMEX which is priority as we still are reliant on that for FOOD and essentials for the time being! So in a few more months she'll get paid....)

I did well with VLCM which had their IPO either last week or the week before. Bought it and placed a limit order for its sale which went through yesterday for my VERY modest gain. Western Alliance BANK Corp was my other pick that day which hasn't yet sold and is moving slower... I also read a bit MORE about them and realized they invest in VEGAS which would have been something which kept me AWAY from them had I done more research! I own a SIN STOCK! Many look for those as they often have great potential for growth.

Oh well... at least instead of FEELING GUILTY about the overdue bill I am now OPTIMISTIC and hopeful of a gain on MAIDENFORM.

I LOVE THE IPO REPORTER which I read on line!
Funny I have become a day trader. I am so tempted to tell my atty "Don't worry- you'll get paid, I just have to do a bit more day trading and hit a couple more good investments before I can pay you."

But I am afraid that won't make her feel any better.
Finances done for today.
Now on to the legal work of the morn.
To call the LAW CLERK as I have some evidence I need to be sure is introduced and have to find the proper procedure. FUN STUFF.

Oh and I didn't even talk to WESTLEY about the FANTASY job in Bflo. But I might STILL send out a resume just for kicks if I get the TO DO list of the day done. So far I've been cranking today and have cleaned one bathroom, and the basebords and window sills of a few rooms with dish soap, which incidentally BONDS with LEAD. That is the soap for dishwashers that has PHOSPHATES in it. Phosphates which many avoid DO BOND with lead rendering it NO LONGER TOXIC, so the best way to handle old houses that still have remnants of lead paint to make them safe for kids is to REGULARLY clean all surfaces of windows and door frames with that solution.

I took the girls to the library yesterday so we are stocked with lots of fun materials: books, audio tapes, DVDS, videos. I picked up some of those Newbery for me which really are just my pace for reading before bed. Some are also perfect bed time stories for the little girls. WE finished Pippie Longstocking and have been reading COAL CAMP GIRL which the little girls love so far! THe loved the part where the DADDY comes home with a treat in his lunch bucket for the kids as their Daddy bring them treats from work (juice, candy etc...small bottles of toiletries from travel)
That universal DAD thing.

LAst night we also enjoyed an outdoor concert here in FAYETEVILLE.

THe secrecy of where we live in NY is over now that we decided to actually STAY here and enroll Sadie in school here. (And since I consulted with a VA attny within the past month after firing my counsel here... I find unless you HAVE NO COUNSEL attnys won't TALK to you! SO one reason to fire her was to REALLY get a REAL second opinion) The VA lawyer basically confirmed my old attny's assesment that NY CAN use discretion in maintaining the CASE EVEN IF IT IS NOT reasonable! THere is a STRONG BIAS in the courts AGAINST a parent who is from OUT OF STATE and literally 99% of the time by some estimates the in state parent will win custody! The one who left is ASSUMED to be the one who disrupted a relationship with the parent who did not move. Amazing! And even if the parent who stayed in the state HAD LITTLE OR NO INVOLVEMENT before the other parent moved, it doesn't really matter in the eyes of the court who think they are actually ensuring BOTH PARENTS are involved in the children's lives. Interesting. I have greater understanding of why my attny strongly encouraged me to tell the court I have come to NY. I was relunctant to do so as I wasn't sure I wanted to STAY here if I only had vistation not in the presence of Westely. Since it would actually be EASIER to FLY to Bufffalo than drive from here which is REALLY the place in NY that gets dumped with the most snow! Buffalo is known for snow, but Syracuse and Watertown REALLY get dumped on MORE! Travel from here will be HARDER and actually MORE EXPENSIVE thanks to high gas and Independence Airs fantastic prices.

Oh Well. But I decided we should stay here and re-build our lives here. Then at least maybe the kids in Buffalo will get some contact with their SIBLINGS. If I go back to VA only I would be traveling, wheras when we stay here the kids will come with me for visits. And the little kids DESPERATELY miss the other ones. They are very upset by all this.

Oh- was starting to write about how we had a nice time at BEARD PARK in Fayetteville where a singer I used to hear in Buffalo named NANCY KELLY preforemed. She was good, but the opening some guy with a last name of LEE was fantastic! THe girls had a blast running, dancing, chasing bubbles, chasing dogs, chasing kids, chasing balls, and I did my share of chasing after and catching and reigning in Raitlin. It was really fun! There are outdoor concerts regularly here which I intend on making it to for the rest of the summer.
The Middle school and Elementary school here are next to that beautiful park with a fountain we were at last night. When we parked in from of the Middle School with its Corinthian Columns Raitlin thought we were going to church! It was funny as she made comments about some people bringing things with them to church They were carrying fold up chairs and blankets and were laughing at her comments as I explained it was a school and park.

It really is lovely here.

Oh- and sometimes YOU CAN FIGHT CITY HALL AND WIN.

Westely took off work on MON and TUE to take care of setting up new insurance and registering his car in NY. HE took the right day off work as the TOWN intended on pulling up and replacing our sidewalk without having given any notice. IT happens to be in perfect condition without a crack in it. He objected. They replace UP TO but not including ours so all the neighbors lawns are now a mess EXCEPT ours and he is happy as he just had finished leveling and de-weeding and growing new grass. After his work on that he was adament in enforcing his rights that they must provide notice etc. We have since heard that this town has TOO MUCH money and is just ridiculous in doing stuff that is unecessary and a waste because they have a sick budget thet burns holes in their pockets. But hey the schools are great and the parks and free concerts can't be beat so the quality of life is nice. I am not sure whose study ranked the TOWN OF MANLIUS which our little Village of FAYETTEVILLE is within as one of the top 100 places to live. Money Magazine just did a study based on where REAL ESTATE values go up- Hey if we are lucky that would be it, as then if we do stay her for about 5 years and then sell we should have the means to FINISH the construction on the VA House. That is the long term plan for now: Stay here five years, realize a gain and then go back there when the girls are older. So they will get the whole FARM experience in Middle school rather than elementary school. Oh well.... What stinks is that LOUDOUNs middle school is the weak link in an otherwise decent school system. But a new one is opening so maybe that will change.

And I STILL tempted to head back to VA when I think of the elementary school there! I really think the First GRADE teacher MRS NEELY at LINCOLN Elementary just can't be beat! But I do think it better for the girls to see DADDY every day rather than on weekends and to be here to see their older bro and sister even if only occasionally.

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