1. exclude 320 hours a year for "vacations, sick leave, holidays, and other days you are not working due to kid stuff and mental health days"
2. exclude 320 hours a year for "training, education, testing new stuff in the home lab, etc"
3. exclude 320 hours a year for "job hunting, interview time, networking, etc"
4. exclude 320 hours a year for "just plain I can't find any kind of work time"

• Gross income of 60,000/yr equals $60/hr W2
• Takehome income of 60,000/yr equals $85-90/hr W2 because the agency will take about 25-30% for taxes etc.

• exclude 320 hours a year for "job hunting, interview time, networking, etc"
• exclude 320 hours a year for "just plain I can't find any kind of work time"

Just want to wish all my friends and family a Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_Cz1JDV8Ig
 
In case anyone wants to know how dangerous bath times can be… make sure you put a towel down!!!!! No slip and falls here.   Behind the camera we have my daughter Jeannea and the star of our show is my 6 month old grandson, Isac Jr.!!
 
Have a great day

We are coming down to the end of the project and are expected to be finished by the end of February or the beginning of March.  The cabinets, counters and the laminate tile flooring is now down in the kitchen and all the walls and exterior are painted, including all of the bedrooms and bathrooms (one bedroom and bath were painted last year, the rest were done last weekend before they stripped the floors!!). James has been living at the house throughout the construction but had to move all of his stuff out so the floors could be sanded and refinished througout the house, which started Tuesday of this week.  As of yesterday, they had put down the first coat of polyurethane after sanding away the old finish and blending in the new oak flooring that was needed for the extension of the living room.  There is also a new heating system with connectivity for an AC in the future, and all of the electrical has been redone as well.  Lighting is in (lots of can lights, as well as hanging pendants in the kitchen and a ceiling fan for the living room) and there are switches galore to turn things on and off - hopefully I can figure out what goes to where!!   Also, they will be building steps from the french doors to the backyard, but James and a buddy are supposed to build a deck... a nice deck for lounging and spending summer nights !!!  We will also be restructuring the back lawn, making a small garden down the side of the house and removing the grass and redoing the watering system.  The deck and garden will mean less lawn to water and maintain... but my gardener handles all that so no biggie!!

 

As for furniture... I have a couch, a loveseat and not much else to go into the living room.  I have a futon for the music room (a combo guest room/hangout room to play music) and my bedroom furniture as well... I am not moving in anything else unless I love it or absolutely NEED it...  I plan to get a sofa table for behind the couch and loveseat, with storage for books and other things. IKEA had one that I really liked that was really reasonable.  I also have to get a large area rug for the living room, but it will have to be bigger than the one I previously had because the room is so much bigger!!  I will eventually need a dining table that can seat 6-10, and chairs to go with... and a small desk area for the kitchen for mail and bill paying.  It is all a work in process but once it is all there, I plan to have an Open House to celebrate (probably this summer).  Stay Tuned for the Final Chapter and updated photos!!

Wow - the time sure has flown by.  We started this renovation mid-November, and now we are in mid-January.  We are moving into month 3 of work, and the improvements are tremendous!!  As I mentioned, we literally tore everything out down to the studs in the public part of the house, and have moved the kitchen from near the front door to the backside of the public space.  That allowed us to widen the front entry hall, move the coat closet, open up the living room and kitchen/dining area for much better flow.  I am now so looking forward to cooking and entertaining in that space.  I have already been told that I am hosting Thanksgiving next year.... Guess I should go learn how to cook, huh? 

 

We are refinishing all of th hardwood in the house, so we still have to move some remaining stuff out for the sanding and refinishing period.  They will match the current red oak with the new interspliced red oak, and will get it all looking the same color.  It should be wonderful!!

 

The construction is estimated to go thru the end of February, and then I can start moving in only the items I want in the house.  Much has already gone to charity, and I am sure that more will go.  I want to start fresh and clean and uncluttered in this space.  If I don't love something, it doesn't make the cut!!! 

 

   

Well, the demolition continues... the house will soon shed all of it's public space interior walls, and that began today with the demo of some of the kitchen and the walls of the family room...  in addition, there now is no door to close off the kitchen from the front hallway, and the door from the kitchen to the garage goes tomorrow.  The actual kitchen counters and cabinetry go on Monday... 

 

Since my mind works like a project plan, the contractor will be giving me a revised copy with some key dates such as the date for the roof and some other major milestones.  The fridge will be moved to the garage and James will become the sole resident in the next week or so... it will be a bit chilly but he will have a heater for the room where he will be staying, and he will have a good electric blanket to keep him toasty. 

 

I on the other hand, will be going to stay over at the Casa De Mama, around the corner - close enough to keep an eye on things but more comfortable than sleeping in the construction zone...  8-)

 

Stay tuned for the next sets of pics!!

So it begins... A renovation has been planned for several months to change my fairly cramped living room and family room/kitchen into a Great Room.  This is a simplistic description of what will be 3.5 months of construction (hopefully).  Earlier this month, we learned that the start date for the work was today, November 17, 2008.  the contractor estimates he should be completed by the last week of February, 2009. 

 

I am the renter of a home owned by my mom, so I have some input into the surfaces chosen and the finshes we use.  But this is still a rental home, so I am not asking for luxury, just functionality.  My current kitchen is TINY, and oddly situated.  I have one work surface, the size of the top of a dishwasher.  All other counter surface is used by the cooktop, sink or is in a really inaccessible corner...  you cannot open the dishwasher and the refridgerator door at the same time... and so much more than I could ever list here.   The new kitchen will have lots of work surface and an island with seating... yay!!

 

We are moving the kitchen from the front part of the room that is currently the family room/kitchen to the back wall, looking out over the backyard.  That means removing the existing fireplace and chimney.  We are also extending the living room out to what is currently a back porch.  That means jackhammers are currently destroying the 18" thick cement back porch... I don't know how long that part will go on but I assume most of today at least...

 

Later will come the interior work, but for now they are just hammering away at the exterior... stay tuned...

WOW - Just WOW!  President Elect Barak Obama... that sounds nice!  For a very long time, I have wondered if there was ever going to be a major political candidate who represented my family in more than just politics... As of tonight, we now have that!  Barack Obama has just been named President Elect, and John McCain has conceded.   

 

When I became pregnant with my first son, who would have a white mother and a black father, my parents asked me if I knew what I was getting myself into.  I told them I did, because I accepted that loving my ex-husband and child meant that I would possibly be subjected to racism, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.  We chose to live in California, and to never travel into areas that were more pronounced in their racism (such as Arkansas where my ex-husband's family is based) because he never wanted to subject us to that side of life.  We had two more children before divorcing, leaving their white mother to raise three multiracial children.

 

Over the years, my children have experienced a small amount of racism, but it HAS surfaced on occasion.  It has come from other children who parrot what they hear at home, from looks trying to figure out where my kids parents were or if I was the babysitter, and from other adults who looked at my children as if they should be lucky to be raised in a white middleclass neighborhood, because then they wouldn't be "ghetto".  I hate that term... "ghetto".  It has so many connotations that are just so very negative, all rolled up in one word.

 

From the very beginning, it was clear that my children would be viewed as being "black" or "african-american", even though they were more than 50% white.  Their hair, skin tone and facial features made it easy to "identify" them as non-white.  What wasn't seen was that they were raised in a very diverse, multiethnic family, comprised of black, white, asian, native american and hispanic family members.  All of these pieces of the family contributed to their very well rounded personalities, plus it emphasized all that is good about each group.  They learned to love corned beef (not just for St. Patrick's Day!) as well as gumbo and BBQ.  Holidays were shared between their father's house and my family, which meant that they spent time with all the parts of the family.  All the celebrations ... all the love ... all the best of everyone. 

 

That is what I hope that the United States learns from having a President who has been raised in a multiracial community.  Barack Obama will bring a diverse perspective to the White House... he brings his white mother and grandparents, his african father and his father's family, his asian stepfather as well as Michelle's african-american family to the table.  His upbringing has shaped him, and will make him a better man to address issues dealing with all the parts of the United States. 

 

Happy is an understatement... I am ECSTATIC!!

 

 

Young voters talk about why it's important for people to get up and vote down Prop 8. Protect marriage equality!

 

 

 

Junior gets vocal and says "Hi Daddy"!  You can click on the link below and open the video from there...  Enjoy!!

 

http://cid-d208e606725e9614.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Videos/Junior

 

 

Dear Friends and Family -

 

Recently, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced that the initiative to pass a constitutional change which attempts to ban marriage for same-sex couples in California has qualified for the November ballot. The initiative, known as Prop 8, is trying to amend the California constitution to only recognize marriages "between a man and a woman."  The challenge is clear. Those who oppose the dignity of our family member's love and relationships are determined to deny them the fundamental freedom, fairness and equality we have all worked so hard to achieve.  We must get Californians to vote "NO" and it all starts with you taking the Vow today!

 

I hope you'll join me and Vow To Vote No on Prop 8, which intends to change the California constitution to ban marriage for gay and lesbian couples. We must get Californians to vote "NO," and it all starts with us.   Click on this link to Take The Vow today!    http://eqfed.org/campaign/vow

 

Thank you - Kat Collins

Our family welcomed a new member this morning:

 

ISAC NOEL ENRIQUEZ JR.

Parents:  Jeannea and Isac Enriquez

When:     8/26/2008 at 10:04 AM
Where:    Kaiser Hospital, Hayward
Weight:   8 pounds 10 ounces
Length:   21 inches

 

Everyone is doing great... pictures are in the new photoalbum to the right ------>

Well today is August 25th and Jr. STILL is being stubborn.  Jeannea and Isac went to the Dr. on Friday and they sent her home and said come back in Monday (today). After today's appt. they told her to plan to come in this evening at 6pm and they would set her up to be induced tonite.  So far she is 1cm dilated, but since he is getting so big, they decided to kick start things today.  So if the induction doesnt work tonite, they will send her home but definitely by Wednesday we should see something going. 

 

Junior is being stubborn already and shows no signs of making an entrance any time this week.  Jeannea's doctor says it will be next week but due to his size, if by Friday things haven't started, they will do something on Saturday the 23rd.  We dont know if they will induce her or just do a C-section... keep good thoughts over the next week that he just gets tired of the cramped quarters and heads out on his own...

Jeannea is in the final incubation stages of her pregnancy.  Her due date is next Tuesday, and she is sooooo ready for her little man to pop out!  And it is not like they have nothing else going on right now... they bought their first house and are moving in as I type.  Rooms are painted, bathrooms cleaned, locks changed, furniture moved, but they have to get some appliances in (washer, dryer, fridge, stove/oven, etc) before they start staying there.  In the mean time, they are camped at Isac's parent's house, where they have their own space to hang out.  It may be after Baby Isac (Jr.) is born, or before but either way, it will be a nice homecoming. 

 

I can't wait to introduce my first Grandchild to the world...

Wow - I can't believe that Jeannea is already 8 months along!  She and Isac are expecting my first grandson in mid-August... now we are in the final stages of baby showers, getting things set up and trying to pamper the new Mommy!  Oh and in the middle of all this, they decided to buy a house!  Apparently just having a child was not enough of a challenge for them - they also needed the added excitement of home ownership!  We are all excited for them, and I know we will be "recruited" when it is time to paint and clean... :-)  In the mean time, we are just hanging out waiting for Isac Jr. to arrive.  If he is anything like his parents, he will be a biggun!

Apparently I can't read a calendar... and neither can my pending grandchild, "Spud".  Jeannea and Isac are anticipating the arrival of said grandchild, and based on some original calculations, the due date was set to be about August 26th or so.  But in the mysteries that are gestational calculations, the dates seem to have done a shift!  New Due Date:  August 18th or earlier!  So now she is officially 138 days pregnant (out of 280 - HALF WAY THERE!!).  And now they can register for "baby schtuff". 

I held off posting about this but I wanted to share my Christmas Gift with ya'll:  Jeannea and Isac are pregnant!! 

 

I opened up my Christmas gift from Jeannea and Isac and it was a card that said "Congratulations on your new Baby!", and since I knew there was NO WAY that I was pregnant, I realized I'm gonna be a "Nana" (aka the kinder word for Grandma)!!! 

 

Yes this will be a Honeymoon Baby, due 9 1/2 months after the wedding!!!  After I let out about a 10-second shriek, I laughed and told everyone in the room what I was shrieking about!  I have held off publishing it here until the rest of the family had been told, but I got the all clear so here ya go!!

 

I have posted their First Ultrasound from today in a Photo Album called "A New Addition To the Family" and I will post more photos as we go along... I plan to fully document this event as we move along, so that friends and family all over the place can have the fun of watching how things progress!!  I am a "Hi-Tech Nana".  Stay tuned...  w00t!!