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My in laws were over last night for dinner as they are still in town from the big ‘holiday visit’ (leftovers on steroids?) We were watching the new season of The Bachelor that I had recorded and of course, there’s always that one crazy chick that keeps us watching and waiting for her meltdown… and believe me, it did not take long. She spent 1/2 the night crying in the bathroom and it was the 1st episode!! Do you watch? It’s ok, I won’t tell, I’m a reality TV junkie as well. Anyways, they always give you a bit of background on each girl and her ‘job’ states she’s a ‘blogger’… My very frugal mother in law asked “How do bloggers make money?” My husband looked at me, I looked at him… we both laughed.
So, I started thinking again… why do I do this? If you’ve gone way (WAY!!) back into my posts, you’ll find I originally started this blog/blob/glob to dump all the stuff rattling around in my head so it didn’t explode. Finishing my Psych degree, having the kids move out, have kids of their own, 1 of which was dropped on our doorstep… bla bla bla… My life was quickly spinning out and I needed to vent. The unfiltered words and thoughts I poured onto the pages gained me quite a good following too. I suppose it’s always amusing to read as someone else is tearing their family up in writing while being able to relate to some of the same issues that plague you. I was told how ‘funny’ I was… flattering but not always what I aimed for. I used some… uumm… ‘colorful’ language that has now come back to bite me in the butt in my quest for affiliates for monetizing the old blog/blob/glob. As it has now morphed into not just a dumping ground for my unflattering thoughts about life but also something of a ‘catch all’ for my new quest to save money and hopefully share some deals with readers. I’ve been asked by long time readers why the change? Why do you share couponing deals and what happened to the snarky, potty mouth we know and love?? Why do You do this?
Well… necessity! That’s the short, simple Reader’s Digest version of an answer. I’m slowly figuring out there’s also a much longer version but I’m not sure I have the words to express all of it.
We moved from our 2200 sq foot home sitting on 2 acres of prime rural Arizona dirt to a much smaller 1500 sq foot home sitting on a a nice tree lined street in the suburbs of Las Vegas over the summer. And… I LOVE. IT!! Sidewalks, street lights, neighbors, paved roads, a gazillion stores, coffee houses and LIFE all within a 2 mile radius. CVS and pizza delivery guys, did I mention I have that now too? (heart,
However, at the exact time we moved, Grandpa Juice over here was faced with a dilemma at the old firehouse. Apparently, like the rest of the poor saps in the middle class bracket, paramedic/firemen must also either choose to take a pay cut and keep their jobs or… leave. No poles to slide down, no super hero life saving missions, just the unemployment line. He kept the job at a ridonkuslously (I have no clue how to spell that BTW) less amount of $$, kept the pole too and managed to stay out of the unemployment line. But, the bills did not stop rolling their merry way into our mailbox. Our nice shiney new mailbox, sorry.
Being a psych school grad is cool to brag about and all (I be da smarty pants in the fam!) But, unless you actually apply it to a job with a steady income, it’s just another piece of paper to hang on the wall. So… after watching TLC’s show Extreme Couponing, like most of you, I too thought “If those mom’s can do it, so can I!” How hard could that be? AND!! AND!!! AND!!! I’ll never have to pay for food again. Ever, never, pay for food?? Go ahead, laugh… I am now too. So it began…
Printing, clipping, deal matching, sale watching… COUPONS!!!!! It was not only becoming a new way of life and the opportunity to feel as if I’m taking at least some of the financial burden off Grandpa Juice over here but it gave me something to do. Because let’s face it, when All My Children went off the air, I was left …. empty… and alone. But my harsh feelings for ABC and that debacle decision to cut the residents of Pine Valley loose is a different potty mouthed post for another day.
So, why do you blog Grandma Juice?
For the last 25 years, I’ve been someone’s care taker. The kids a re grown and it’s just me, grandpa and the small person who calls me grandma… but, I want to make a difference in people's lives still and I feel that blogging could help me there. I know it seems too huge an ambition, and perhaps naive, reaching out across the internet to complete strangers and somehow… moving them. Getting a response… still qualifying as a ‘care taker’… And I’m not fooling myself into thinking I push of tons of stuff people are just dying to read. But quantity is not everything. Even if just 1 post of mine helps one individual in a small way I feel happy. Did I make you laugh? Did I make you feel like your life really isn’t so bad after reading my latest disaster? How about helping you catch that deal at Target and saving a few bucks? Blogging gives me the ability to find out…
So, bear with me as I stumble and mumble. If a particular subject doesn't interest you I will at least try to make you feel something. Either pro or against. We’ll make connections either way! At times you might shrug and go away…
And that's fine too. Because, just like the sale we missed at Target, there is always tomorrow. The best thing about blogs, they just keep going ….
Now… go over and click that ‘like’ button to these advertisers won’t hold my potty mouth against me. OH!! And feel free to leave me a comment below… is it ok to dump the rattlings inside your head? Do you? Do you keep it ‘G’ rated or do you use naughty words sometimes?
