College

I've been there...for years and years.  I know more about college and student loans that I'd ever hoped I would.  Now, I see an opportunity to help.  My boss has a business called Extraordinary Educational Tools.  The goal of the business is to set up membership sites for schools so there is a platform to communitcate between schools and parents and students.  It's a great idea and I really hope it takes off for him.  In the meantime, I've been busy with a little project of my own.

I think education is important, and I want everyone to know all of their options before picking the path for their future.  Because I feel this way (and I've been helping a few people in Pana to get prepared), I've done a couple different things.  I've written 2 powerpoint presentations, 1 about FAFSA and getting the funds for college and another about consolidating student loans.  I am also planning a presentation for the juniors and seniors at Pana High School about college.

My office manager has a daughter that is in the middle of her senior year and I sent her a Facebook message asking for help.  I need to know what high school kids want to know, so I am as much help as I can be to them.  So....I'm gonna link this blog post to Allie's Facebook page and direct the kids here so hopefully I will get a few more responces.  This is my request


For those of you that don't know me, I'm Abbie Ballard, the new chiropractor at Beyers' office.  It is important to me that every student feels like they have direction when they leave high school.  Regardless of if you plan on going to college, or trade school, or jumping right into the job market, I want you to be prepared.  This is why I'm bothering to write this message.  


I've pretty much been there, done that when it comes to school.  I've been to Lake Land, SIU-C, and grad school in St. Louis.  I've taken lots of money in student loans, recieved grants and won scholarships. I've worked, many jobs, both in and out of school.  When it comes to finding money for college, I'm your girl.  The problem is....you guys don't know how to do this.  Many of you don't have a school picked out.  Most of you have no idea what you wanna do.  I'm offering a chance for you to ask.  Ask me.  I want to know what you want to know about college (or passing on college if that's the case).  Please send me your questions about anything.  Cost, what classes are like, how to pick a roommate, how to budget, how to pay for school if your parents can't, how to find the right school for you....whatever you wanna know.  


I plan on a presentation at the school sometime in January specifically for you guys to drill me with questions, so you don't have to be afraid that you're out of the loop (cause trust me, you are, but you don't have to be). 


So, if you are parent, especially of a high school kid, please have them read this post and leave me a message.  The more messages I get, the better able I am to help.  If this goes well in Pana, I'm 100% willing to do the same in my hometown.  I know there are many students without direction because they don't know their options and many parents completely unprepared for filling FAFSA, applying for college, paying for college and I can help.  You just gotta ask.

Losing my motivation

I was being such an athlete...was being the key word.  I started in June.  Running, and running and running  a few days a week, 3 or 4.  I did this all through June and July.  Then I ran my first 5K on 7/24, slacked off the whole next week and a half, ran and evening or two, then ran my second 5K on 8/7.  Since then I've been bad.  Really inconsistent.  Running twice one week, not again for a week and a half.  It's been a struggle.  I've gotta get back on the bandwagon.  I got new shoes at Kohls specifically to guilt myself into running but that's clearly not worked.  I even tried again by buying full length running pants for when it gets cold....also a fail.  If any of you out there have any tips please feel free to send them my way, cause this is what I feel like doing. 

Lounging of course has its downside.  Like me, showin up in Florida with all of my family, lookin like this (cause I do wear a two piece)...

Oh my....I laughed out loud.  God love this woman for putting it all out there.  Anyway, I've lost my motivation and now I gotta find it again, one mile at a time. 

Hey, thanks

Things I am thankful for today:

1.  A very busy Baby Ollie
2.  A countdown to Disney World
3.  My niece Aubrie going to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
4.  My beautiful wedding ring
5.  Good books
6.  Being able to eat my lunch in a pretty park each day
7.  A busy day at the office
8.  That busy day being not too busy to write a blog
9.  Liter sized water bottles
10.  Maggie trimming my hair last night
11.  All of the messages on Annie's blog after her prayer request for baby Ollie

Kinda makes you wanna be thankful too huh?

I married an old man

Yesterday was Zac's birthday.  He is officially 28.  I always tell him I can't believe I married such an old man.  Last Sunday he declared that it woud be his birth week, which is ridiculous, but he declared it.  He also reminded me that the week DOES start on Sunday, cause calendars start their weeks with Sunday.  I disagree, but it's not worth the argument....been there, done that (and apparently the whole "day of rest" arguement is not enough logic for Zac). 

Last Sunday we started with a steak dinner and watching movies, which is really an ideal day in my book.  Monday and Tuesday he worked out of town.  Wednesday he called from Vintage Vinyl to see how many albums he could buy as presents to himself.  Thursday we went out to lunch and he spent his day surfing the net (for blu-rays, his mild obsession) and watching movies. 

 Friday I met him in St. Louis (I had a conference there the next morning) and he asked for a nice dinner and a nice hotel.  We used to live in St. Louis and we had a couple special occasion restaurants.  Our favorite of these was Kreis'.  It's a great steakhouse.  Not cheap, but delicious and the service is always great.  They are the "Last Word in Primerib" and Zac agrees. Just look at this...

Oh man....delicious!  Zac got the prime rib, I got fillet, and we split a appetizer of garlic shrimp.  It was just as good as I remember!  We also got lucky.  Zac wanted to stay that the Renaissance.  He said it was a St. Louis "icon."  I am just gonna go ahead and plug Priceline right now.  If you wait til the last minute you do get amazing deals.  We got a room for $45.  You just pick the area, put in a price and the number of stars and before you know it GREAT DEALS!  

Last night I bought him a pizza from his favorite place, Caseys and he told me as I was leaving the house to help Maggie paint, that he was "gonna spend $30."  When I asked him what he planned on spending the money on, he said "I don't know, but my mom send me some money and I'm gonna spend it." He also told my mom that he wanted "stuff from Amazon" for his birthday, so it would seem there will be lots of online purchases in our future.  He was especially pumped when one of my best friends, Angie, showed up with steaks, already marinating,  for him.  Now he has plans for lunch today and can't wait.  

Last night officially ended both Zac's birthday and his "birthweek"  I am glad...birthweeks can be expensive :)  I still can't believe I am married to such an old man....

Vintage Vinyl

Every so often Zac does something awesome and I realize that I was right to pick him.  This evening was one of those times.  I knew when I married Zac I also married his love of electronics and his obsession with sound/visual quality.  Over the course of the last few years he has come home with a little of everything and then returned it and got the next, newer, better version.  So, in 3 years, I've had 4 different T.V.'s and we are soon to get our 4th blu-ray player.  Now mind you, we've had a playstation 3, which does play blu-rays, but we needed a separate blu-ray player to get the full effect from the surround sound because the ps3 decodes in PCM, and you can't choose for the receiver to decode it instead, which sucks cause the reciever will do a better job.....etc.  Anyway, I'm getting off topic.

Zac got a really sweet surround sound system 3 years ago on "mega super discount" and since then we've had plans to expand things a little.  We saved the money and bought a reciever (which he LOVES) and then started saving money to buy a record player.  This record player actually

You read right, a record player.  They have best sound qualilty and that's what it's about for Zacman.  Occassionally we put the cart before the horse and we did in this case.  We started collecting vinyl right away.  We bought a little of everything.  We got Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson, Nine Inch Nails.  A little rap in the form of Snoop Dogg and 2Pac.  Then we got old school, prepare yourself mom.....Meatloaf (Bat Out of Hell which I remember rollin' around listening to when I was little), ELO, Steely Dan, Charlie Daniels Band, Creedence.  I was thrilled when we bought each one even though it made no sense to have them yet.  Fast forward to this year and Zac's birthday, (which is technically on the 9th, but how are you gonna wait to buy the player when you've already got the money saved) I got him that record player and we started jammin!

Zac called today and said he was stopping by Vintage Vinyl after a job.  He asked if there was anything I'd like and how much he could spend. I told him I wanted some classical, I just do, not sure why exactly. And, this is what brings me to the part where I love him super bad....he brought home 10 classical albums.  A 3 disc of Milton Thomas playing Bach (that's extra info from me cause I have no idea who Milton Thomas is but I'm sure someone is really excited for me) and a 7 disc set of Mozart.  The Bach album had never been opened.  Incredible huh.  Brand new in 2010.  He also bought an album I've been waitin for, Allman Brothers Beginnings.

 I must admit, I play Midnight Rider everytime I pass a jukebox.  Now I am thrilled cause Zac and I can rock out to Whipping Post and Midnight Rider anytime....like as I write this post!  Jealous much? I'm just the happiest girl right now.  If you ever read this, I love you husband.  You are the best!

Sweet Baby Ollie

Though my sisters and I share many of the same readers, I still would like to post a link to my sister Annie's blog this morning.  As you all know by now, I have a big family and it's growing bigger every year.  The majority of the pregnancies go off without a hitch, but occassionally we need some prayers, and this is one of those occasions.  Please visit Annie's Blog and think about her and her family, but more importantly, Baby Ollie when you say your prayers tonight and for the next few months.  Thanks for reading and for caring!

Chicken skin

Every Thursday Zac has a day off of work and every Thursday he drive the 20 minutes to Pana where I work to go to lunch with me.  I generally let him pick where we go cause it matters much more to him.  He almost always pick Pana Family Restaurant.  The reasons:  soup or salad bar included with every meal, the ranch dressing, free ice cream with every meal and it's super cheap.  They always have a special going and today was all you could eat fried chicken which he had to have.

Once his food came Zac did what he usually does and pulled off a big piece of skin and ate that while say "fried chicken skin is SO GOOD!"  I laughed at him, and then was terribly impressed with his next statement.  "Wouldn't it be great if they had chicken skin salads.  Croutons are too crunchy.  Chicken skin would be just right."  Oh my......so gross, yet, he may be right.  Just feast your eyes on this and then tell me Zac isn't right.

Plus this particular chicken dish is so patriotic you can almost hear the guy at Ponderosa ordering an American Salad with Chicken Skin Croutons and ranch dressing.