Gramma Ray's Blog

The outpouring of friendship and support here is humbling. Thank you to all of you.

SIL (age 34) got out of surgery a couple of hours ago. The two masses were both cancer, but different types. He had two different surgeons, but they used the same incision. One took out his kidney, which had a golf ball sized mass in it (renal cell carcinoma) the other took his appendix which had a baseball sized mass of a cancer with a very long name,
and about a foot of colon.

I learned today that in the world of cancer, if you have two separate masses, it is better if they are different types because the cancers did not come from the same source and metasticize. So in a weird way, this was good news. He will most likely still have to undergo chemo. But he was a very lucky young man that he went to the ER when he did. The surgeons were surprized that he had two types and one rare, at such a young age.

Again, thank you for all the prayers and positive energy. Tonight we all feel relief that we know what the "demon" he was/is fighting.

Now the healing can begin!

SIL will have surgery tomorrow. They are removing his kidney, his appendix and part of the colon.

Then, they will talk about how to fully eradicate the cancer from his body.

I havent had time to track anything financial. Life has been more about family this week. Hospital visits, taking care of kids, work and sleep.

Here is a sweet pic of the grandbabies making a wish in the wishing pool outside the hospital tonight. Their wish? That daddy gets better and comes back home soon.

Thank you to everyone for your prayers and positive energy. My SIL's test results did not come back looking good. They will biopsy the kidney tomorrow, but the doctor felt the likelihood this is cancer is 85%. The pivital point starts tomorrow when they determine if it is, and if so, what type. I kept Z tonight, so DD2 would just have to care about the older kiddos. I offered to keep them all, its been a long day, but she really wanted the older two with her. SIL was in shock, but determined to fight whatever this is. DD2 is exhausted.

On a side note, my other SIL came by and managed to fix BOTH cars today. So, I can return the rental tomorrow.

A few days ago, my big concern was cleaning a garage. Nothing like the possiblity of the C word to change your perspective 100%.

Again, thank you for your kindness.

Yesterday, my SIL ended up in ER with abdominal pain. This pain has been constant since Thanksgiving. It was initially diagnosed as a parasite, and he has been treated with antibiotics and pain pills. Unfortunately, they found two masses with a scan yesterday. One on his kidney, the other on his appendix. He is having tests this morning and then, today or tomorrow, he is most likely having surgery.

There are so many who read these blogs that I am asking for prayers, good thoughts, positive energy, healthy vibes...whatever you believe in.

We will hopefully know more this afternoon.

This morning I was driving to work in the hubs truck and it died. Right in the middle of the street, and just like that.

I was on a hill and was able to coast backwards almost to the curb, but it was far enough away that we couldnt leave it. DD3 came and stayed with it and I took her truck on to work. She ended up calling a tow truck to take it back home...$85 to go about a block. OUCH.

I have conceded to the fact that I need to rent a car until we figure out how to get my car (and now hubs truck) fixed. $219 a week for a compact. My SIL is coming over one night this week to look at both. The hub thinks the truck is a blown fuse, which should be an easy fix. The car rental place said I only have to pay for days I use it. So hopefully, it wont cost the full $219.

Thankfully, I have a little over $400 in the car repair fund..so the tow, the rental, and hopefully the car parts will all be covered.

I really want these vehicles to be WORKING. What does my husband do again???? Argh. To his defense, he cant fix them from 3100 miles away.

In all the cleaning this past weekend, I managed to misplace my glasses. Boo. I looked everywhere last night, no luck. So I am wearing an old pair, that has a prescription close to what I am used to.

DD3 and I will be going in about an hour to rent the car- Barely noon, and its been a day.

I put in about 5 hours so far on the garage. Our dump isnt open on Sunday, or I would have gotten farther. While its far from where I want it to be, I am really happy with the progress. I have been through every box that is not in the rafters.

I have at least a full truck load to take to the dump next Saturday (unless I can convince DD3 to do it this week while I am at work...hmmm...)

I have a really big box of burn/shred. Most likely I will send it out the to country house for the burn pile- unless there is a community shred day soon.

I have a small pile for each of the kids that I might turn into memory books for them. Old report cards, photos, school projects, etc.

A few donate boxes for Goodwill. (Next Saturday too.)

And then there is the stuff destined to be stored in the garage. When the hub comes home, I have a honey-do list for him...hang cabinets, put up shelving and put the filled storage bins in the rafters. I am going to create a storage map where everything needs to go and then hang it inside one of the cabinets for easy reference.

Then, I can mark this job complete. I am on track to finish this project by my target date of end of April.

Cost of project: Dump run, storage bins: TBD
I will post pics of before and after when its done.

The rest of the day will be spent getting laundry done and prepping food for the week ahead.

Its been a very productive day. But I am pooped!

I started on the garage today. Right now I am sorting through my parents things. At least all the things that were brought here.

My dad was an interesting man. He liked containers, and containers for his containers...and to put things in containers, which lived inside bigger containers. Papers in plastic files inside of accordian folders inside of containers. He really liked the faux leather zip pouches. They kept every piece of paper that ever entered their house. But it wasnt organized...except for some of the receipts that were in plastic things, inside of .....

So, I have had to touch every piece of paper. Boxes of paper. Junk mail, medical bills, birth and death certificates, family records all mixed together. It is quite a task, but I am halfway through their stuff and have a small box of keep papers, a bigger box of keepsakes and three huge boxes of shred, toss and donate.

Opening some of the envelopes was tough...Christmas cards they gave each other- those are in the keep pile. A reminder of the love they shared. Stacks and stacks of medical bills- my parents both had poor health the last few years...if you smoke, please consider quitting, it is not worth it. The bills are all in the shred pile.

COntainers and file folders and accordian folders, and tin boxes, and little glass containers, etc..etc..a BIG box of them are in the donate pile.

It is a bittersweet task, but I am committed to getting through this stuff so that I can declutter and clean the garage. So far, no creepy crawly things have challenged me..but I am wearing gloves and using caution with each new box.

I have a long ways to go, but the journey always starts with that first step.

You know that first day...after youve been sick...when you FINALLY feel human again. Yeah, today was so "that" day. Woo hoo!

Confession time. Earlier today, I was looking at the budget and looking at the hubs paycheck..and I had less than frugal thoughts. (you know those thoughts..) So, I quickly posted my previous post and updated my sidebar so that I was COMMITTED to sticking to my plan. Without knowing it..my SA friends helped hold me accountable today. Once it was posted, it was true and real and I had no option but to transfer the whole amount to the CC payment, which I did. Without blogging and tracking here, I know I wouldnt be as faithful to debt repayment. I simply cant believe the difference posting my sad, but honest truth on the sidebar has made. Any time I am tempted or unsure about the right thing, I remember the sidebar and the goal is crystal clear again. Seriously, it has been my eye opener, and what finally pulled my head out of..... the sand.

Tomorrow is Friday, which means date night with one of the grandkids. This week it is my little 4 year old granddaughter. I always look forward to date nights- there is just something special and irreplacable about one-on-one time. And the cool thing, its about spending TIME together, not about spending money.

And whoever said you cant teach an old dog new tricks hasnt seen this gramma MASTER the hubs truck. Ok, so it jerks after I shift into 2nd gear, and it takes forever to find reverse...I think I am doing GREAT, considering I was scared to death of the darn thing a week ago.

The hubs paycheck this week was a whopping $577 more than we planned, which went towards CC#4.

The hub is working crazy long hours right now. Yesterday he worked 15 hours, was off for 5, and has now been at work 18 today. The next several weeks will be extremely busy like this- and then they will go into "maintenance mode" where he works 11-12 each day..3 weeks on/ 3 weeks off until the ice road season starts again.

I had leftover black bean soup tonight- and still have soup- so I am going to freeze the rest for either next week or the week after. Im ready for a different meal choice! Tomorrow I will be making teriyaki chicken and jasmine rice.

Our mileage Visa upped our rewards to 3X mileage through the end of June for groceries, gas, restaurants and hotels. I will definately use it for groceries and gas. The hub will also use it a couple of times for his hotel in Anchorage. He already earns 500 miles each time he stays there, so the added miles will be great. When you buy as many tickets as we do, every little bit helps!

The decluttering slowed down when I got sick this past weekend..but what I lost in action, I made up in planning. I made lists of what I want to tackle. I am SO ready to minimize and have fewer 'things' to take care of. I definately have started training my brain to rethink whether I want to allow anything new in the house. My parents definately had hoarding tendencies and weeding through their 'treasures' that they found at garage sales and Goodwill (or just on sale) has made me realize how much I dont want to go down that road.

Not part of the auto renewal rant, but what started it....My satelite tv company recently offered a deal. Rent four movies, get $10 back. (The refund made the cost seem palatable) DD3 really wanted to catch up on movies that she missed while in Alaska, so we did. Today, I double checked that the four movies were on the statement, but there was no indication of how to get the $10 back. It looks like I will have to send via US mail a form and they will send back via US mail a voucher. Umm...my bad for not looking at the small print and details first. But I will jump through the hoops to get the $10 back and consider it a lesson learned. Obviously, when you order movies online, receive your bill online, pay your bill online- you should be able to get your refund ONLINE. I guess they hope most people wont take the time.

Which leads me to my rant...While I was looking on the site, I saw that there is a line item (with a Zero balance, but still) on my statement for NFL Sunday Ticket...hmmm. I did order that last year, but was not planning to do so again. But when I looked a little further, I found that ANYTIME you order a season pass for sports, you are automatically set up for auto renew each year for the 'best price available' with the following statement on their site: "Also remember that sports subscriptions can’t be canceled, refunded, or credited (in part or in whole) after the season starts." WTH? I emailed them to let them know I DO NOT want to auto renew and will make sure that I receive confirmation of this long before the season starts. I am so glad I stumbled on this NOW. Obviously my fault again for not reading the fine print.

So frustrating. While I felt I got an okay deal last year at $199 for the season ticket, it is not something I would do again..but if I hadnt saw this I would have be SOL. A sneaky money sucker IMO. I definately did not see this when I signed up initially and do not apprectiate the "opt out before it starts or pay the full price' requirement for future years when you think you are signing up for one season.

I noticed that my anti-virus auto-renewed this year, even though I remember selecting DO NOT auto renewal when I downloaded it. I would much rather get a notice it is expiring and shop around/make sure I still have the computer before I renew. In the end, I renewed with the same company, but let them know that I didnt appreciate/want the auto-renewal.

I realize that others may love auto-renewals- and on things that I expect, like my insurance, I do too.

But in this case, I wasnt a fan.

Day two of PTO. I slept until 11:30 this morning. Thankfully, I do feel better this afternoon and will be back to work tomorrow.

Our Fed Refund arrived in the mail yesterday. I thought that was wierd. It usually is direct deposited to the account. Arent checks obsolete? We also received a $20 check from one of the rewards CCs that we no longer use. All of the money from the checks is budgeted for.

The hub called yesterday to let me know that the job needs him to stay an extra week this rotation. I had to change his airline ticket that Id already bought, but it was only $40 more. His job will reimburse that. He isnt actually working an extra week in the end, it just means that when he comes home this time, he will stay for three weeks instead of two. So it washes paywise. I had planned a one night stay at a local indian casino for one of the weekends he was going to be home (he enjoys playing slots, I like to people watch- but dont enjoy the smoke). So I cancelled it, since he wont be here now. He suggested moving it to one of the weeks that he is home, but I think I will resist any plans for now. I want to spend some weekends home, just enjoying not going anywhere (or spending money for the place we stay). Maybe take a couple of day trips hiking locally with a picnic lunch.

That means there isnt anything overnite and away on the calendar until next November. I am sure between now and then, something will come up...but for now, there arent any plans.

However, on the work front, I will be at the coast for about 6 nights in May over a two week period. That should be fun- and its free to me. I will be doing some staff training and staying at the company condo each night.

I am REALLY looking forward to the other end of the decluttering/organizing project when its all done. I anticipate being DONE with everything by the end of May.

Now that I am comfortable driving the hubs truck, I may finish up sooner, since I can take everything to the dump or Goodwill myself. (That will make the hub happy!)

This weekend, I spent quite a bit of time with Z..who had a runny nose, cough, fever....and today I am home with a sore throat and low grade fever. I seem to catch EVERYTHING the babies have. As soon as I realized he wasnt feeling well, I went into prevention mode..hand sanitizer, wiping surfaces, avoiding touching my nose and eyes. Who knows, I could have picked this up at work last week or from a grocery cart. I just hope it doesnt turn into respiratory. My asthmatic lungs dont handle that well!

I am thankful that I have a bank of PTO days...but I really dont like using them for sick days. (who does!) I appreciate being able to stay home in jammies under a warm blanket when I feel like this and appreciate that my job supports keeping bugs with fevers at home.

Today is a milestone for DS. He is branching out on his own again and started a new bug business. This time, I will not be investing- but will provide all the moral support he needs. His last venture was very successful the first two years (05-07)..and then the economy tanked. He sold his business, he and his family moved to California where the climate is more consistent and he worked for a small company there and has consistenly done wonderful in sales. I think he will be very successful this second time around.

My fingers are crossed for him!!

I have scheduled a couple of long weekends off in May and June when the hubs starts his three week rotations home again. My first instinct was to make reservations at the resort where we go occasionally for get-aways (well, my first was the cabin that I rented and later cancelled actually). But I have rethought. We enjoy time home too and I really want to tackle cleaning the garage. It is stuffed full of my parents/bother's things as well as two years of just putting things out there without everything having a home. Holiday decorations, the hubs tools and equipment, boxes of 'stuff' I didnt want to make tough decisions on..

So, while the hub is home in April, we will start by getting the obvious things out of the way. Then, I will have room to start sorting and organizing, decluttering.

I have noticed LOTS of spider webs out there...and with spring here, there will be creepy crawly things hatching. So, I need to keep some bug spray and wear good gloves. (I wish my son was going to be here so he could do a spray for me!!)

Instead of spending money on the rental, I think we will use that newly cleaned patio to host a couple of bbq's with friends and just hang out here.

We are planning 5 days at the resort in November, which is something we do every year around Veteran's day, but not sure what else we will do this year for mini-vacas. For now, plan B sounds like the right thing to do.

I woke up this morning to little Z patting my cheek, smiling at me and saying "ake up gma". Happy Easter to me! What a memory to treasure. He slept next to me last night and inched me right off the king sized bed during the night- but after I moved to the other side I got some sleep. (just a note to self...bio fam did not call Z this weekend. No attemp to wish him a happy Easter, whatsoever.)

DD1 had a houseful for brunch. There were 16 of us and we enjoyed a full spread of eggs, sausage, bisquits, gravy, hashbrowns, fruit and juice. After we ate, the adults hid eggs and I did dishes. Then, all the kids went and hunted eggs. Egg hunting is always such fun, no matter what age you are. Z found his share, and continued looking long after the originals were all found and everyone else was done. DD3 kept rehiding eggs behind him and he was entertained for a long time. The older kids had so much fun with each other. There is nothing quite like cousin time when you are young.

DD1 bought everything for breakfast- so I chipped in $40 towards the bill. I was so greatful that she hosted the morning that I didnt mind paying for lion's share of the food.

I came home to an empty house. DD3 went to visit a friend and will be gone a couple of days, so I have the house to myself. After a busy weekend, I was ready for a few hours to myself. I am still cleaning and decluttering, just not as fast today. I am putzing between reading, laundry and decluttering.

I made a big pot of black bean and chicken soup, which will be lunch and dinner for a couple of days. I still need to make oatmeal for breakfasts, but will do that after I get the soup cooled and put away.

I was channel surfing a little earlier and an Oprah Lifeclass show was on. Nick Vujicic was featured during the show. He is such an inspirational speaker. Each time I see him, I am inspired to be a better person.

Its been a beautiful day.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter- no matter if or how you celebrate-I hope you have a day filled with love, family, friends,and deviled egg or chocolate bunny.

Our little ones will be hunting eggs and playing with cousins. Should be a great day!

Hugs to all!

Today was a productive day.

After a fun date night with my 7 yo granddaughter last night, she woke up a little after 7am and we made some refrigerator cinnamon rolls- (a grandkid favorite- they were on sale, and at 10 minutes to bake, they were too easy to pass up after a long tiring week) Gramma had some much needed coffee too.

After her mom picked her up, I started cleaning the back patio. Last weekend I brought my vintage hutch in from out there and all the stuff that came out of it needed to either find a new home, be donated or tossed. (Most of it was tossed. I am very pleased with the results this afternoon! My patio is cleaned and swept, the patio furniture is scrubbed, toys are all organized and I am ready to spend some Spring time out there!

DD3 and I loaded up a big box and a bag full of Goodwill donations. Clothes, books, knicknacks, misc dishes, etc. We took the hubs truck (and I drove, to make sure I would be ok driving it). That went fine- Im not sure why I have always been intimidated by it. After dropping off the Goodwill stuff, we stopped by the dollar store and I got a few things to hand out to grandkids tomorrow. Just little stuff. Their moms are also starting their spring cleaning and have been donating/tossing as much as possible, so I didnt feel a need to buy more stuff. I spent $18, which was a candy, sidewalk chalk and a ball or bubbles each child. I also bought a new bucket to use for general cleaning and watering some of the plants here...(I noticed my old bucket had cracked and so it got tossed this morning).

We stopped for groceries that should last for most of the week ($58)- which is a big bag of chicken, some pasta, black bean soup fixins, milk, fruits and veggies.

DD2 asked if we (DD3 and I) could keep Z tonight. DD3 has missed him and wanted to spent time with him, not knowing how much longer we will have him..and so he has been here all afternoon. He is so stinking adorable. We watched "Wreck it Ralph"- a very cute movie, but at 2, Z is still pretty young to understand much of it...but he sat on my lap the whole movie laughed with gramma and kept telling me how funny it was. He conked out about an hour ago and is asleep in the big bed.

After Z wakes from his nap, DD3 will take over most of the babysitting tonight. I plan to read, finish laundry and tackle a closet or two.

I received the $208 check in the mail for the refund on the cabin reservation that I cancelled. I was hoping the refund would arrive without problem, and it did..Now to wait for the check to clear!

Today was a great day. Tomorrow we are all invited to DD1s for brunch. Then, I just plan to relax and enjoy the rest of the day here at home.

The hub's friend who is fixing my car called last night and said I could come and pick it up today. The new part wont be here for 5-7 days, but, since he is leaving on vacation, he put it back together and changed the steering fluid so it is drivable for short distances (back and forth to work). Either my SIL or the hub will replace the pump when it comes in. In the meantime, I will baby the car and use it only as necessary.

It is SO hard to be at work this afternoon. It is a gorgeous, sunny day. Unfortunately, my office gets too hot when the sun is out, so I have to keep the blinds closed- which means I cant even look out the window and enjoy the sunny-ness! I sure hope this weather carries over to tomorrow-.

Not much financial news this afternoon. Today was the hubs payday and everything went where it was planned to go.

I miss my car. I havent had time to try driving the hubs rig and have relied on DD3 taxi-ing me around. NOT fun.

The hub suggested last night that I should consider replacing my car so it doesnt start nickel and diming us. hmmm. This, from my mechanic husband... My car, a 2005 Kia Amanti, has only 85,000 miles on it. Ive owned it since 2007. I would hope there are still many good years left on it before we get to that point. However, I will definately track any problems with the car so that I we will know for sure. Aside from this week, the car is still in really good (cosmetic) condition and is very comfy to drive, so unless I really need to change, doing so is not on my near-future to do list. (Nor do I want it to be).

The hubs paycheck is $200 more than budgeted. However, he had a couple of charges on his visa that we payoff each month. The net extra is being absorbed into the food budget. Having DD3 living with me and not having a car have both added to convenience foods this week. Whatever is extra will go towards the car repair bill.

ZERO. CC#3 is finally at the magic number!

Now to work on the final debts. I was going to rebuild savings, but it stll does not make sense. The last unsecured debt I have is a visa at my job that is 100% accessible if there is an emergency...so I will apply all extra money there, until it is also PIF. Granted, putting everything towards this debt can give me a false negative (Christmas club $, vacation $, freedom acct $, etc..and the balance will vacillate accordingly...but every dollar saved there, means less interest charged to me in the long run.) It just means I have to TRACK every penny in and out of this account so that I stay on track.

While I am paying down this debt, normal payments will go towards the car...Speaking of the car, it will be about 8-10 days before I have it back and drive-able. Not having my car is no fun. The good news is that the bill to fix it will be under $200, which is well below what is in the car repair account, thank goodness!

11 hours, most of them in the car today. For a whole bunch of that time, radio was out of service area. What's a girl to do but solve all of lifes issues floating around in her brain.

My thinking theme today was the stress that clutter is putting my my life. I constantly shuffle and try to organize..only to do it all again and again. Its time to minimalize my possessions.

When I stopped for lunch, I made a starter list of all the things to go through and thin out:

Clothes
Books
DVDs
The toy closet
towels
vases
the garage
blankets and sheets
bathroom products that either didnt work, or I havent used
Kitchen gadgets

This is my starter list. Also on the side burner..the garage, old jewelry, miscellaneous storage drawers, old electronics and cords.

My goal is to end of with less of most of these items than I keep. Spring cleaning started tonight. I weeded through my dresser drawers and got rid of everything that doesnt work or that I dont use. Some was trash, some will go to goodwill. I succeeded on tossing more than I kept.

CC3 payment is pending...tomorrow I should have a nice ZERO balance. I havent heard anything about the car.

The coast was gorgeous again today. I had a late lunch with a beautiful ocean view. What a treat. However, after 11 hours, I was ready to be back home and in my jammies. (The ones that made the cut!)

Life is good!

When I arrived home tonight my car was gone. This is a good sign because the friend who came over to look at it while I was at work said he would take it if he felt he could fix it. If not, he would leave it here. Since it is gone, he must have thought he could fix it!

I drove one of the work rigs home tonight. I am going to the coast tomorrow to visit one of our locations, and will be leaving pretty early, so I was able to bring the work vehicle home. I will return it tomorrow afternoon when I get back in town and hopefully, my car will be here!

I had leftover chicken picatta for lunch and dinner today. Since I will be on the road tomorrow, a morning mocha and lunch will be provided by work.
I should be home in time for dinner, which very well could be leftovers again, since there is still plenty!

Tomorrow will be a long day with 3 hours of travel on each end.

I made reservations last week to stay in a 'rustic' cabin the first weekend in June. (Which is my birthday weekend) The hub had suggested it. We have never been to this lake and so I thought it would be fun.

Unfortunately, after I booked it, I started looking at reviews. Uh-oh. Complaint on top of complaint about the dirtiness (filthiness) of the cabins and the condition/broken-ness of the old furniture and appliances. And more complaints about the really bad service from the staff. To top it off, a friend said she camped there several years ago and the mosquitos were horrible. I really dont like mosquitoes...

So I called the hub back and asked why he suggested it. He said a co-worker fishes there...but has never stayed there. The hub wanted to watch a fishing derby that weekend. ACK. Not the birthday get-away I would have planned.

I called and cancelled the reservation today. They promise to return my deposit via check within 2 weeks. Hopefully, it will be that easy.
Note to self...check out the hubs suggestions from now on BEFORE booking.

I hope to learn what is wrong with my car this afternoon. And I really hope it can be fixed this week.

Tomorrow, CC#3 will be PIF. I sooo enjoy logging into the accounts and seeing ZERO balance owed, but that will take another couple of days after the payment transfers.

Today was a stay at home day.

I perused pinterest last night, which always inspires me in one way or another. I decided to look around my home and see what I could redecorate with that I already owned. I found it on my back porch..

When I moved into this house, I decided to put a cabinet I have had for about 30+ years on the covered patio to hold our bbq supplies. It has been out there for two years collecting some dust and just aging.

I decided it needed to come in the house. So I reorganized my dining room and made room for it...brought it in, cleaned it up and here is the result:



This is a vintage piece, (Napanee Kitchenete) so shame on me for not having it displayed accordingly- but it now has a place of honor in my home. The chicken on the shelf was my grandmothers. I can remember seeing that above her old antique stove as a little girl when I spent time with her. The butter churn was one of my moms favorite antiques that she found in her antique collecting days about 35 years ago. (Both of those pieces were kept inside, not outside with the hutch.)

DD3 wanted chicken picatta tonight, so I made a nice big batch. It was very tasty and will provide leftovers for several days.

My SIL came by today to look and listen to my car. His suspicion is that the power steering pump is going out. He called someone and found out the part is a little over $100. A friend of the hubs who is also a mechanic is coming by tomorrow to see if he can fix it or not. If he can, I should have the car back in a day or two. If not, I will drive the hubs truck until the hub gets home. Hopefully, it can be fixed quickly. I am more comfortable in my car than that big truck.

I have loved having a couple days away from work this weekend. I stayed so busy today that I didnt have time to think of how busy the week ahead is going to be.

I am so glad I brought the hutch inside. This really is one of my favorite pieces of furniture! Isnt it cute?

I scheduled a transfer to payoff cc#3 yesterday. Within a couple hours, I was driving my car and the steering went kaput. Not sure what happened- but the steering wheel no longer aligns with the tire direction and it is really hard to turn. I checked the power steering fluid- looks ok. Of course, the hub wont be home for 3 weeks. So, my sil is coming over tomorrow to take a look- and hopefully, this isnt a hugely expensive problem. Until it is fixed, I will have to drive the hubs tank of a truck that I have never driven.

:/

I am still committed to paying CC3 as planned.

I currently have $350 in the car repair fund, and I have money in my allowance savings that I can use. I really hope the car repair fund will cover whatever is wrong.

blasted Murphy...talk to the hand.

I returned the magazines I checked out last week to the library. So far so good, no late fees!

Date night with Gs (age 4) was fun last night. At one point he came up to me and said "gramma, I need to tell you a secret"...then he whispered in my ear "I love you so much" and followed with a sweet little kiss on my cheek.

So funny story..I went to the mall with my girls and grandkids today. GD (age 7) rode with me. On the drive we were talking about her style sense (mismatched bright striped socks, a lion print hat, etc.) and I told her she was 'fashion forward' and that gramma used to mismatch her socks on purpose in high school. We got to talking about what she could be when she grows up..fashion designer sounded boring..and I told her she could do anything she wanted, so long as she paid attention in school and did her best. I asked her what she thought she wanted to do....and she said...
"well, I can count to one hunderd while jumping on one foot"...lol. Nuff said...we then discussed her new stuffed animal that was joining us for the day.

I love kids. They can say the darndest things.

I have been pondering cc#3 a LOT lately.

Why am I slowly paying off that debt, when I could pay it off with savings and then rebuild savings.

If I pay the cc off now, I will still have about $5k in the emergency fund, and I will have the savings repaid by year end by paying savings back with the payment schedule I had planned for paying the credit card.

So, I did it. The payment is all set for Tuesday.

Now, not to hyperventilate too much.

The hub called last night with his schedule for the next few months. He is ending his 4/2 rotation, but not until the end of May. This means he will work one week more than I had thought...which means 1. a little more pay than I had budgeted for and 2. the budget I worked for the rest of the year had to be tweaked. The way his pay works is he gets: a partial payday, followed by 2-3 full paydays, followed by a partial payday, followed by 1-2 weeks of no payday- depending on if he is 3/3 or if he is 4/2. It makes budgeting interesting. But the way it tweaked everything worked well. Of course, any extra goes towards CC#3.

Tomorrow night is date night with my grandson (age 4) who loves all things McDonalds. Hopefully, a plan B will sound better to him and we can forego the golden arches. If the weather is nice, I will suggest the park and a dinner picnic, follwed by an ice cream cone on the way home.

I didnt realize that our library only checks magazines out for one week, with no renewals- which means they are due Saturday AND I cant put them in the book drop. So, the library is on my to do list Saturday. I dont think I will check out more magazines, however.

I put my name on the reservation list for Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. I have read his books before and thought a refresher would be good. I am #2 out of 2...so it will be about 5-6 more weeks until I get it. One of the novels I reserved put me at #117...that one will be a while...lol.



Update on Z:

Tomorrow was Z's permanency court date. DD2 has been preparing herself for the outcome. Today they called to tell her court was delayed, once again, until June, which is past the two year mark that Z has been with her (us). I am grateful for the extra time with him- in the meantime, DD2 feels like she is on an emotional rollercoaster. It is like peeling a bandaid off super slow.

Today, I got to spend almost the entire day with my three daughters. What a great day it was. We started off with bagels and coffee in J, then did some shopping there. I bought a jasmine soy candle and a couple of small items for the kitchen at the kitchen store.

Then, we went to office depot so DD3 could look for a tablet or netbook. We headed off to lunch and finally ended up at Trader Joes. I LOVED having them to myself for the day and just having girl time!

This evening I made oatmeal for the week and made up lunches for Monday and Tuesday from leftovers.

Tomorrow DD3 is going to go shopping for me to pick up dog & cat food, toilet paper, laundry soap. I also am very low on quinoa and oatmeal. I love that she is willing to go pick these things up so I didnt have to take time out of the weekend to do it. Normally they hub does this type of shopping at Walmart, and I really dont like to go there. The quinoa and oatmeal we get at the grocery store as they carry the type I use. (Thank you DD3!!)

This weekend was more spendy than normal for me when the hub is gone, but I stayed within budget and allowance. And what I gained in time with my girls was well worth it.

Today, I did something I havent done in over three years...I went to the library! It felt like visiting an old friend! I had forgotten how nice it was to pick out books, magazines, browse movies..and to leave with materials to enjoy for free! One thing I noticed was that the library was much busier than I remember. I checked out 3 books and 4 Arizona Highway magazines. One of the books is a book I started reading last fall at the rental house- The House of Sand and Fog. I didnt get all the way through it and have wanted to...now I can! I got the current Danielle Steel novel "Forever Friends" and a book called Save Big.

I have always been a big fan of the library. When my kids were younger I would spend my lunch hours there, and it was my 'quiet time' during the work week..and the kids and I would go together on the weekends. We are fortunate and have a big, beautiful two story library here with lots of reading chairs throughout. I know this is a luxury that could go away. The hours have been cut back over the years because of budgeting..one year, the library was even closed for months- but for now, it is open and I am looking forward to visiting it regularly again.

Then, I stopped by the grocery store and spent $81 picking up items for DD3 and I for the next week. Tonight I am having chicken and quinoa. (DD3 went out with friends) This week we will have enchilada pie, teriyaki chicken and rice, tortellini, spaghetti, and bbq chicken. Lunch is sandwiches or leftovers, breakfast is oatmeal.

Last night was my date night with Z. We had such fun. He giggled and played and slept in the big bed with gramma. I took pics and caught some moments on video...we had a great time.

Tomorrow morning DD1, DD2, DD3 and I are going to out for bagels, coffee and girl time! I am excited to have them all together for a couple of hours. We are going to the little historical town that I love to visit which is about 30 minutes away. They homemake their bagels and their coffee is wonderful...so everyone is looking forward to the treat and the time together.

While the hub was home, he accidentally backed over the neighbors basketball that was left in the street gutter. He delivered a new one to the dad within a couple of hours when the hub came home from running errands. Today the dad delivered a plate of homemade cookies and a thank you note. How sweet. I am a stickler about looking before backing up, so in no way did I feel the family needed to thank the hub, he was at fault for not seeing the ball (thankfully it wasnt a child!)..but it was very, very sweet of them to do. I put the cookies in the freezer for the hub to enjoy when he gets home.

I picked up the taxes from our accountant yesterday. I will need to pay $6700 for 2012 taxes by tax day..and also pay $1630 in quarterly taxes for the rest of the year. *choke*..I plan to pay quarterlies in April and June and then sit down with the accountant again and see what we will really owe for the remainder of the year to pay accordingly.

CC#3 on my sidebar is still going to be paid in full by the end of the year, whether or not I have to pull from ING to do it. AND I will make a dent in the 2014 debt payoffs by the end of the year.

How?

I cancelled the cruise and eliminated the big vacation line from the budget altogether. Until debt is paid off, we wont take one. (I left the small vacation budget that provides a means of a long weekend getaway here and there...)

I reduced our allowance budget by 25%. I eliminated all but a small deposit to savings each month, since we have our emergency fund already. I shaved from just about every line item possible to come up with the $530 per month needed to pay the extra quarterly taxes. And, I am continuing the original snowball payment amount on the debt.

Thankfully, our original budget had wiggle room in it and it wasnt too financially painful. I am so grateful that we did. AND...I am extremely happy that I used all the added income last month to pay down debt BEFORE learning about the taxes. Otherwise, I am afraid I would have used this as a convenient excuse to use the money for taxes.

So...there is the plan.

I am so glad it is Friday. Tonight is date night and it is Z's turn. I am very much looking forward to one on one time with him. Gramma needs to enjoy him while I can...

I had my appointment this morning with the financial counselor. He is also a trusted co-worker, so I have full confidence in his review and evaluation.

The short version is that I explained our debt and repayment plan, he looked at the social security, 401k and pension statements and used his fancy program to come up with a plan.

Of course, life doesnt always go as planned on paper- but he had really good news. He said that if we keep doing what we are doing (he felt we live fairly frugally for our income- yay!) that my goal of retiring at 60 is very much possible. AND he said that, again if all goes as planned, the hub could retire by 60-62 if he wanted to!!! Hurray! We have to stay focused and frugal...but he was very encouraging that it can work.

He was conservative in projections- did not include any equity growth in the homes. Although at 60, we will need to rent the home in town for either close to the payment, or sell it. Which hopefully by then should not be a problem.

He suggested considering upping our 401k contributions to lower our taxable income this year..AND then after debt is paid off, opening and contributing to Roth IRAs.

He did recommend looking into a good disability insurance plan for the hub.

Anyway... THAT is good news!!