Jury Duty

March is a bit rough for me and here are the reasons.

• I don't have much luck in getting assignments online.  I seriously need more assignments  because  hubby and I need to save for our children's tuition  for the next school year.  We also have to save for Ms. Burrito's piano lessons  over at Doquesne University come September.  Not to mention our financial support obligations  back home, sigh.
• Three months after I became a citizen, I got summoned for a jury duty, oh boy.  I wouldn't mind to do it if I have a childcare option for my kids  but since I take care of them  when my husband is at work, it would be so hard.

Being legally drawn to serve as a Petit Juror does not automatically put you on a duty per se , which I am hoping they won't pick me as the  court is  far from our home.  It's like a 30 minute drive  from our city.  You know that I am not comfortable with my driving skill and most importantly, I don't have anyone to  pick up my kids  from school and take care of them after that.
As a juror, your services will be paid at a rate of $40 plus .56 cents per mile round trip from home to  the courthouse.  If I get picked, I have to pay someone to take care of my kids and I don't think that amount would cover the cost.  So either way, it's not in favor with me.  But as a citizen, that's one of my duties  so I will do it if I get picked.

• Here's another reason to my bad luck this month.  My dog jerked the leash from my hand when we took them for a walk and I fell hard on a concrete.  It tore  a good pair of pants, scraped my left hand, and bruised and scraped my knees whew.

I felt like passing out when I fell but I had to toughen  up in front of my kids.  I wanted to cry but I couldn't because I don't my kids to think I am a cry baby lol.  I am upset that I ruined a good pair of pants.  Luckily though, I was wearing my  spandex workout pant  underneath it, it got damaged  but  did not have a hole.  I think that my spandex pant protected my knees from   a bad scrape.  It still scraped it but not bad.  So no walking for our fur babies for now, I can't put  heavy weight  with my left hand coz it hurts so bad.

On the lighter note, my husband got a raise and he got promoted so it's a good thing and our consolation for this month.  Sorry if I would affect you negatively with my personal rant but this is my only avenue in expressing my thoughts.  Wish I have my friends back home to talk to.  I can only wish... Ciao..

Taxes for 2013

We filed our joint taxes last February 20th. Before going to H&r Block, hubby and I knew that we won't get back an amount like we used to when he was in school and not working a job. I was shocked however of how much Social Security contribution I have to pay. Since I am a self employed, I don't pay my SS contribution until I file my tax.  It's sad too because I don't think I will be able to enjoy social security when I am old enough because  by then I assumed that SS will be broke and won't exist anymore.  Oh well.

Since my husband  earned  more last year and I also earned more from blogging, we lost our earned income credits that's why we got back less.  I guess "the more you make, the more they take".  The lady who prepared our taxes said that 8 more thousand and we will be in the next bracket of  tax.  Right now, we are paying 15%, the next bracket will be 25%, oh boy!  You can never win.  You desire to make more to  provide for your family but there is a downside to that, you also pay more taxes of what you earned. BUT, we'd rather  work and pay taxes than  not work and ask for assistance.

So after the deduction of taxes, we got back $409.66

• H&R Block fee - $496.37
• Bank Fee -$ 34.95
• State Tax  - $138
• Self Employment  tax (SS)  - $1,578
• Self Employed Tax (Federal Tax) - $789

MOst of the online companies that I work with said that the third party which is the paypal,   will be responsible  for  supplying the tax document (1099) we need.  According to Paypal, they won't supply this doc   unless we make $20k which I doubt I would since I don't hire any consultant to do some job haunting  for me, what's the point?  So my resolution to this is to print my monthly report from paypal, I would use for next tax season.

Alrighty, till next tax time.  I gotta go to school today.  See you later peeps.  Thanks for  leaving your trails through comments.

Winning at Love

The day after Valentine's day, we brought our kids to the mall and it was a perfect timing because  Fort Steuben Mall  was hosting  free games for the kids.  For every game played by  the kids, they were given a raffle ticket to be drawn at a later date.  So after  I filled out the raffle tickets  that were given to them, I dropped them off in this box.  Five lucky winners of $100  will be  chosen.

Shadow Shots

They had loads of fun playing  the games.  Miss Burrito's favorite was the golf while the little mister love the cowboy shooting using a nerf gun.

This one that Ms. Burrito was trying was a bi-t challenging.  She did not succeed in transferring the ball to the other end of the cones.  

I had a feeling that one of the kids tickets will win but even though we don't win anything, the kids had so much fun and it was free!  Thanks  to Kurt James Fun and Games for sponsoring this event dubbed as Winning at Love!

After two weeks, we received a call from the mall informing us that our daughter's name  was one of the lucky winners of the $100 gift card, hooray!

My Sweet Valentine

My husband gave me his Valentine gift the night before the actual V-day. I always  look forward to reading the card that he  gets because it always  make my heart feel giddy hehehe.  It may sound corny but nothing can beat the feeling when your husband takes time to find a card that really states  what he wants to say.  

I always love the miniature roses that he gives me on special occasion because my garden is getting filled with it. I can't wait till Spring comes so I can plant this as additional to my existing ones. It's very fulfilling to see them in the summer when all of them is in full bloom.

My Sweet Valentine 

Thank you for the love and understanding

for your dedication  of raising our family

for being a loving father to our kids 

and for being a loving husband. 

I love you with all my heart my sweet Valentine!

I may not be the perfect Mom and Wife

But I will try my best  to keep

 the promise we've made 

on our vows.

-Rose-

Happy birthday Dahlin!

Shadow Shots

A Decade's Joyful Memories

These photos were taken   almost ten years ago when the President of Divine Word College of Legazpi had his birthday.  The birthday celebration which was attended by all the teaching and non-teaching employees of the school was held in Sto. Domingo, Albay, October  4, 2004.  I was already on-leave that time. I attended the said event because I knew that that would be my last time to be with my close friends in school.

The Non-Teaching employees, which is us, wore blue color and the faculty in college  wore yellow.  Below are two of my closest friends which I  dearly missed.  We call each other Buds.  We used to always  chit chat when I was still there.  We  always go to the school canteen  during snack time and eat pancit lol.

Below is a good friend of mine who also got hired  in the school after she  graduated.  She now lives in Germany with her family.  Miss you Mads Fe!

I miss  working and I miss the company of my friends.  I wish we live close by so I could pay them a visit.  The five years that I spent working in school taught me so much about  life, being a  friend, being a co-worker, being a listener to some students.  I miss the laughter that me and  the student leaders  always shared at the office.  Those were the days!

PS.. Sorry for the blurry pics, I just  took  pictures of the old photos from the album.  I wasn't in the mood to  remove them from the album and scan them lol.