Hurricane Sandy

Well..

We have weathered the storm literally. This storm was much worse than we all excepted. In the New Jersey/New York area we are used to a lot of false alarms so we often have a false sense of security when it comes to these things. Many people have lost their lives, cars, homes, children, and pets during this storm and although I have endured hardship as a result, i am grateful to be alive.

We were without power for almost six days and it was really tough taking care of basic needs. However, we made it work and were still thankful to at least had heat, which many did/do not at this time. We did think that our house would catch fire. We had a blown transformer and a downed wire right by our house. We lost our refrigerated food which was a lot and as an FYI to anyone who needs to apply for any assistance from FEMA just know that they take into account your income which I think is wrong because all of our ATMs are down and we cannot get any money out of the bank (although we didn't have any in the bank at the time anyway). We are just barely staying afloat as it is and this did create a huge financial hardship on us but the gov did not care. Despite the President saying that the red tape would be cut, my story was different. We were immediately told after applying that we were not eligible for help.

Some of this is purely speculation since I have no one to call and talk to about it or ask for help (the helpline keeps saying to call back due to call volume). Thank goodness we have a few cans of veggies/beans and rice left that may last us another two days. Our Governor has rationed the gas and we are required to go on specific days for gas according to our license plates. It doesn't matter much to us anyway because our tank is empty and the gas stations a few blocks away have been closed since the storm. We even called AAA but they cannot help because of the gas shortage. We have a few bucks left (literally a few) and hopefully that will give my husband enough gas to get to work on Monday (IF we can find a gas station here in town to get our tank filled). Luckily we have a family member that may be able to get him there if he is not able to get to a station (and wait in line  2.5 to 4 hours to get gas).

This is the first time that we have been through something like this and I wish I could say that I feel secure. However, we received nothing to help. There were two shelters or so here in town but getting to them is another story. Also, we figured that we were fine since we had heat the whole time and that space is better  left serving families who were cold at night.

Hopefully we never have to go through anything like this again (or any other families especially those who were hardest-hit along the coast). If we do, we will prepare ten times as hard since obviously help is not an option for those who actually work but do not own a home (eligibility is likely based upon income and property damage such as a home).

I hope this post finds everyone well and safe. If you are in a disaster area, please remember to steer clear of downed lines, puddles (could have a downed line touching it) and visibly-weakened trees.

Standards

Every time my husband and I decide go somewhere in New Jersey, it is a problem. This state is so densely populated that something as simple as going to the store is a hassle. Many times, shopping feels like standing in line at a soup kitchen in order to get free food. Many of the sore items are picked over, stepped on and strewn about the floor.

In my last post, I mentioned that I was going to Vegas (and California). I had so much fun when I went there because things functioned as they should. The streets were wide and had adequate space for the cars on the road. The stores were not super crowded, dirty, and mismanaged. The homes (in most areas) were neat, clean, well-maintained and beautiful. the streets were not super dirty (not even on the Las Vegas strip).

When I lived in Georgia it was similar to Vegas in terms of standards. I miss professionally-managed properties as opposed to some fly-by-night landlord who buys or inherits a property, throws tenants into an apartment, locks them into a lease for a year, and demands rent or else. Many of them never fix anything and still expect timely payments (for landlord/tenant disputes, check out my new site: www.rentersnet.blogspot.com).

Every time I go on vacation and leave the metro NY area, I am reminded of how bad this place is. I know that I am supposed to be grateful to have a place to stay and everything. I should also be glad that I have all of my basic needs met. While I am grateful for these things, this is no longer an excuse. I do not like this state and I do not plan on being here much longer. When I move, I will definitely keep you posted. In the meantime, check out my Vegas pics on my travel site: www.pique1.blogspot.com.

Vegas!

Just came back from another vacation. It was great. The only thing is..it makes me think of how much this place and many of the people in it suck! I went to Vegas and California. The people there were really nice (just like down south). They also did their own thing and did not pay any mind to others and that is really a positive thing. We flew into Newark Airport while a storm was going on. Every time we come back here there is a storm. I think it is Jersey's way of telling us that we do not belong here (we are glad to oblige). I will show you a few pics just to brighten your day. If you are from here then you will need a pick me up.

Jersey Shore

So..

I went to the beach on Sunday down in Belmar (Spring Lakes Beach).We wanted to get away from the city area so we took a drive down. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised at the cleanliness of the beach (for the most part..I did find a spot or two with dog poo). The water was really clean and was not full of garbage. The bathrooms were actually clean. Also, there weren't many people there which was shocking. It could be because the summer hasn't fully set in yet. We met some really nice retirees and everything.

New Jersey has finally done something to impress me. See..it's not always so horrible. I like to point out the good things as well. Oh..the coolest thing about the beach is the fact that it was free. We didn't even have to pay for parking (maybe because it was Sunday). Well..that's all for now. If you do end up here for whatever reason..head on over to Spring Lakes, it's worth it!

And the saga continues..

This past Saturday, I went down to the basement to wash clothes. I figured everything was fine because my husband replaced the hose. He tested it out and everything was fine. However, after already putting the clothes in the washer, my husband realized that the dryer had been tampered with. Okay, at first we were being cordial and giving this guy the benefit of the doubt (although he is the only one with access to the basement besides us). The hose was one thing, but this is another!

Now he is messing with the landlord's property so we had to call and get her up here. She was shocked that this happened and as clueless as we were because normally, the guy is so super nice! However, he must be bipolar or something. The landlord made arrangements with the people on the other side of the building until either she gets the dryer fixed or buys a used one. We didn't want to pester her because we know that she is strapped for cash. At another one of her rental properties in New Jersey, all of her copper pipes were stolen, causing thousands in damage (quite typical  NJ).

This place is absolutely Hell and we need to find a better place to be! Some people move to this area because of a job relocation. If you value your life, don't do it! If it is imperative that you come here, go to the suburbs and make sure that you get a house that is not right on top of another..but I honestly,  believe that New Jersey can be a death sentence. it slowly sucks the life out of you until there is nothing left. Well, that is enough of my ramblings and I promise you that I will get back to a more positive tone as soon as possible.

$$$ Money $$$

So i'm trying this new venture to make money and it seems simple enough. People are making money and it looks legit from the research that I did on Google. It takes a little effort but I didn't have to put any money in so that is a big plus! Also, there is no sellin involved or anything like that.

If you are interested in trying it out for free, then by all means. If you have an hour to spare every now and then, it will be worth your time. To be honest, the main reason I did it was because there was no cost involved so I figured what the heck!

http://onlinepaydaysystem.net/jeruzz

I'll keep you updated every now and then on how it goes. Until next time!

Robbery!

Okay,

By now you are probably getting the idea that I am trying to steer people away from New Jersey. I understand your thinking but it isn't completely accurate. There are so many sites, shows, and programs that paint this pretty picture of this state. However, do they tell you that we have one of the highest car insurance rates nationwide? What about utilities?

Since we moved into a place that is about one-third of the size of our last place, we thought that our utility bill would be lower. We just got our bill. we are paying roughly the same for our 1b/1ba as we were for our 3b/2ba with central air, which also ran on gas. The local utility company here PSE&G robbed us yet again (had this issue way back in another place)! When I called to inquire about the bill, the representative told me that I should not compare two completely different places. I asked him how else could he explain that the bills are the same between the two places. Our gas portion alone was over $100 (electric was $50) when we barely used the heat last month because it was getting warmer at the time. We barely cook and have only used the gas dryer three times.

I asked them to check and see if there was something wrong with the meter. The representative was very rude and told me that there was nothing wrong with the meter and that they would not send anyone to check it! I asked to speak to his manager. I received a call back from the manager today and he told me that they would send an investigator. This is all I asked in the first place but instead of the guy obliging me, he was rude and dismissive. I will let you know how it goes when they send the investigator out but this company has been known to shaft people again and again. Look them up on the Consumer Affairs website and you will see tons of people with complaints against them.

There are also sites about people just driving through this state to get to another one and end up with a ticket! Look through something other than rose-colored glasses if and when you research this state. Due diligence is key! There are so many who come here and get stuck under false dreams.

Okay is there some sort of lesson involved here?

Well,

We found out that our new neighbor downstairs has been complaining (overheard some things that he said..very thin walls/floors). We have been very polite and walk as lightly as humanly possible. We turn the television down to an acceptable level even during the daytime if we are here. He got upset that we used the washer and he could hear it but we cannot help the fact that the house is old and thin. We have only used it twice before it started leaking badly (when my husband replaced the hose, he found that it had been cut in several places). We told the landlords but they seem to think it was not deliberate. Not sure how else you can explain that I had just done two loads the day before with no problems and then when I used it the next day..BOOM..The Nile River!!

 At first we thought it might have been that the hose was old but it actually was not that old. Also, the cuts would not have been so clean and fresh-looking. It is very weird because we have been very nice to him and he seemed very nice..now for the awkwardness..ugh. We won't get into the new neighbors next door (adjacent wall), they also tend to be very loud at times. There is something about this Jersey attitude (i'm from here and I have seen it for so long). People here appear to be friendly and then they stab you in the back the first chance they get, which makes it extremely hard to trust people. We don't know what to do. I wish we could afford a house but we are just not there yet. We are really trying to walk a spiritual path now but there are so many obstacles! We will get there eventually but we are trying to figure out what the lesson it here. We are very patient and try to be kind. We have been through so much lately that we just want to live in and be at peace. Open to all comments and suggestions..hey, it's a learning process.

Happy Sunday!

Hey all

Anyone attending worship services today? I have not decided whether I will or not. God is everywhere, not just a building. However, it is nice to have fellowship with believers as long as the experience is positive and uplifting! New Jersey is known for many churches, you can take your pick here. I do not have a specific church that I go to anymore. I check out different ones. I used to go to an international church a while back..thinking about checking them out again.

Well, just wanted to give a quick shout..good day all!

Atlantic City in New jersey

Hey,

I have not been to A.C. in a while. Thinking of taking a drive down. I may wait until the weather breaks more though. That is one of the few advantages of living in New Jersey is being able to go to the casinos and enjoy the boardwalk. I would say the shores themselves but honestly our water is not very clean here sorry.

Ever been to Atlantic City? What is your favorite casino? I like the Tropicana. To me the odds are better and the vibe is hip and young. The last time I went to Atlantic City, the boardwalk food had gone waaaay down quality-wise. Even the funnel cakes were disgusting and the standards had gone way down. This is why we decided to stay away from any boardwalk food because we did not want to get food poisoning. It was never the cleanest I guess but now it is pretty filthy and the food is tasteless and stale.

One of my fav. places to eat down there is P.F. Changs. If you have not tried it yet..feel free. you will absolutely love it! If you are on a tight budget, here's a hint: go to the Days Inn next door. At the bottom of the hotel, there is a Country Kitchen..great food for great prices! It is next door to the Tropicana (if you are on the boardwalk facing the Trop., it will be on the left, but you have to be on the boardwalk to see it).

Also, like any casino..don't sleep on the comps. Go on special days where they have special bonuses like 3x play value added to your comp card (of course you have to sign up for the free card). Make sure that you have your card in the machines every time you play (even table games). I have earned many free nights with my card and I do not even play with a lot of money or that often (I have even gotten Saturdays and Sundays when they were running a special promotion).

Well, that's in enjoy and let me know how it went. Maybe i will see you there!

It's On!!

What's up..NJ is dreary today (as usual) but I am not going to let that stop me from doing what I want to do! I am going to have fun anyway! Any suggestions? lol. I meditated last night and I overslept because I was way too relaxed..but that's okay. I can't wait until Summer is officially here and the weather evens out. There has been a lot of ups and downs the past few weeks..hot, cold, wet, dry, etc. I can't wait for my trip to Vegas, but first stop..DC, yep i'm going to visit my Mom and family there..kinda like a pre-trip I guess. Oh it is going to be cool. We will go to Timbuktu! I think it is in Maryland. Their crab cakes cannot be beat! I am very picky and they made me..and everyone else who goes there believers! I can taste it now..yum!

Hey, what are some of the thing that you like to do? Is anyone from Jersey or know anyone from here?

Old houses of NJ

Ok, so im trying not to complain but this is ridiculous! The apartment we moved into had some issues (overlooked because the neighborhood is decent) and we got home late last night only to realize that there was no heat! Something is wrong with the furnace and we went to bed freezing (the temp dropped to mid-winter temps yesterday.
We did not call the landlord because apparently she turns her phone off at night. Besides, she lives over an hour and a half away. Now its the morning and we have the oven on (an old Magic Chef oven..the kind that you have to light manually)!
We overlooked many things, like the washer leaking pools of water onto the basement floor, dated decor, bright purple carpet (newly installed in the bedroom), yellow, light green, and blue paint throughout the apartment (which when I asked to change, they refused), green toilet green bathroom sink, green tub, and wallpaper everywhere. I will not
Mention the other little things but you get the point.
That's the problem with New Jersey! People buy these 100+ year old houses (about 75 percent of the houses in New Jersey) and ride them until the wheels fall off! They don't want to upgrade or maintain anything! They wait until it breaks over and over again and scotch tape won't do and they are either legally forced or are otherwise backed into a corner. On average you will pay about 1100 plus per month for this.  Funny thing is, they think there is nothing wrong with it!
I am not just venting. People need to be fully aware that if you move here, this is often what you will get. You shouldn't even travel here. Let Jet Blue, Continental Airlines and Delta fly over this place to a nicer state with less issues!
I am trying to remain positive and start on my spiritual path, but NJ Transit keeps running me off the road! I am learning to meditate. However, that is hard because as soon as I sit down to clear my mind, something else breaks!
I will let you all know how it goes. Until next time!

Jersey Strikes Again!

What's up? I'm trying to stay positive and keep my energy in a good place. However, New Jersey isn't making it too easy. This morning, we had to go to the dealership where we got our car to complete our payments. There was a disconnect due to a language barrier and we found out at the last minute that we would not be able to get our license plates at the dealership simply because we paid cash and did not finance. However, no one told us this until it was too late. Tomorrow is Sunday and that is when our temp. tags expire (weird I know). We found out that we would have to go to motor vehicle and they close early since it is Saturday. So, after getting horrible directions to the motor vehicle department from one of the guys at the dealership, we put it in the GPS and find that we were at least twenty minutes out of the way (took us about fifteen minutes to realize that). So we had to head back in the correct direction and when we got there, we still had about twenty minutes before the official closing time. There were people in line outside of the door and a police officer who told us that they probably would not be taking any more people today. We pleaded with him as well as the worker that came out because the temp tags expired tomorrow but to no avail. This is a very common thing with Motor Vehicle, to close fifteen minutes to a half hour before official closing time. I was once at a Motor Vehicle office in another city and they actually sent people home with numbers who were waiting almost two hours! This is actually common here in New Jersey as I have heard similar stories. That does not meant it is not happening in other states. I assume that these offices are pretty crappy throughout the country but at the very least, these places should honor their own operating hours, especially when one is already inside and holding a ticket! So after Waiting probably over twenty minutes due to a bottleneck on Route 3 (due to construction, merging lanes, and a stop sign at the top of a one lane highway entrance) we had more hurdles. We went to the wrong dealership (there are two affiliated dealerships but they run independent of each other depending on what you need done..confusing? Try buying a car here in New Jersey, where confusing is commonplace). We had to circle around on the same highway and go to the other dealership. We thought that we were supposed to go to the one where we bought the car and made the first payment. However, we had to go to the affiliated dealership to finalize everything where we did no prior business. This was a valuable waste of time. Then we had to go out of our way because of bad directions just to make it to the DMV in time only to be turned away. We left out house with almost two hours to spare. This all should have taken about forty-five minutes including travel time! Thanks New Jersey, you've done it again!

T.G.I.F.

It's a nice Friday afternoon. I want to see what I can get into. I feel like taking a drive this weekend. Man, wouldn't it be nice to go to Atlantic City? Wish I had the money but that will come soon. Also, I am supposed to be going to Vegas soon so I'll get my casino fix soon enough..ha ha. If we do decide to take a drive somewhere, we will need to leave early. New Jersey (especially the city) is notorious for not being able to move in any direction when the weather breaks. Everyone and every thing is on the road. I am digging the new place though. We finally got all of our boxes broken down and organized for the most part. We moved into a much smaller place so it was a challenge to find places for things but we're working it out. The neighborhood is nicer and it is a trade off. Oh, this reminds me, listen..if you are moving here from a place where you are used to decent space, allow me to sober you up. You will not really find anything here with decent space in the city. All you will find is dated decor front the 70's, odd shapes, colors, patterns, and layouts. Oh..and no backyards..seriously. I am not saying this to be mean, I am saying this to give people a realistic view of this place. There are so many people that move here or even come to this state to visit and are severely disappointed. Even the extremely wealthy areas of the city are riddled with tiny condos..the high rises have lots of amenities if you are willing to pay the $2500.00 price tag (not an exaggeration). Even in this economy, these prices are sky high. You may be able to find a low rise for just above 2k a month. Unfortunately, you still have to deal with horrible streets that are in disrepair even in these nicer areas of the city (and a few roaming criminals). If you move here, you will be better off living in the suburbs. Most are at least an hour away from the city. However, they are still pretty pricey but you get more space. You will still pay about $1300-1800 for a two bedroom. Buying of course is a whole different animal. We have SUPER high taxes and these houses are way to old throughout the state on average. People do not get even a percentage of what they pay for here. I used to be a realtor and I got first hand looks at the garbage that they try to make people buy. I have seen some really nice places too but not many people can afford to pay $600,000 for a three bedroom house. Right now because of the economy, o have seen a few small breaks in housing costs. You can get a tiny condo for around $150,000+ or a house for 300,000+ but it can be much higher for certain areas of the state. Also, the taxes are really high so you may end up paying 1,000+ per year. This can be significantly higher in certain areas as well. Just wanted to give you a glimpse of how everything is here. I used to live down south and you get much more for the money. People often tell me that the cost of living is lower but the wages are much lower too. I can tell you that it used to be true. Not so much anymore. I challenge you to pick an area in Georgia for example and compare the cost of living vs wages and do the same here in New Jersey. You will be quite shocked at what you find. Well, I'm off to handle some business right now and I will see you soon! Enjoy your day and keep positive energy, thing, and people around you!

Hey guys, we are out of that craziness! After much heartache and pain (even some I can't tell you about..sorry), we are done! Out of all of this we learned a few things; 1. You cannot change people, they are going to be who they are no matter what and to think otherwise is foolish. 2. You have to be careful who and what you give your energy to. Everyone and everything is not deserving of your attention. 3. Even if you have gone through hell and back, do not live in the past unless you intend to take up permanent residence there. You deserve to give your present your full and undivided attention so that you can focus on what you need to do and who you need to be.

I have been reading some great books lately and they have been opening my eyes to life..it feels great! there is such a weight lifted off my shoulder. Don't get me wrong, I have my good and bad days but I am having much more good than bad. Feel free to check these out, I downloaded mine to my ereader but you can buy the physical book if you like, I just prefer digital because it is portable (remember, you can download Nook or Kindle to your Android phone if you do not have an actual ereader..it is free). Also, please be aware that I am not getting compensated for these books, I just love them though and want to spread the word because they can help ANYONE! Be warned though..they are hard to put down once you start..lol. Okay, enough yapping..here they are:


Enki's Story ... the Beginning: Why You Should Change Your Mind to Change Your Life 
(Gordon Gatiss)


Journey of Souls: Case Studies of Life Between Lives 
(Michael Newton)




I finished the books above and am now on Destiny of Souls, which is the next book in the series by Michael Newton. Until next time folks!

I give up!

After over two months of fighting with complete idiots (including the landlord who told us to go screw ourselves and that no tenant has ever complained before), we have a solution. Since the landlord refuses to address the noise, drug, and smoke issues with the other tenants, she has decided to let us out of our lease (now, getting our deposit back is another story).

Anyway, we have been looking for a new place in a civilized neighborhood and should be leaving in two weeks. We will leave these plankton to their own devices and let them rot in squalor.