Fun weekend

Even though we ran around like crazy (as usual), this has been one of the most relaxing and fun weekends I've had in a while.

Yesterday was Patrick's birthday. He is 39, which is hard to believe, especially since when we met he was 29!! He had a free breakfast at IHOP, and Saturday night we went to Gallery Bistro at International Plaza with Chris (whose birthday is tomorrow) and his girlfriend Victoria. We had a great time. I actually bought a sundress to wear to commemorate the occasion. I kicked it up a notch and did not wear my usual weekend shoes (flip flops). It was the first time probably since Michelle's wedding I've put a drop of make-up on my face. It was kind of nice. :-) After that, we came home and had martinis. 

Today we spent some time shopping and visited with my Mom and Dad. I gave my Dad a gift card to Chili's. One dollar for every year of being a father. Forty-eight years!  I love my Dad SO much. They invited us to dinner, but we decided to stay home and take it easy.

Work has been getting rather busy for me.  I've had some slow periods since I've been back from Ocala, so I am happy things are picking up to a more comfortable balance. I should have another class starting sometime this summer, so I should really enjoy my down time while I can. Here's hoping for a great week!!!

Trying to find balance

Lately I've been contemplating putting my Facebook account into a dormant state.  I've weened away from posting many-to-any status updates, and I've only logged on once a day (I know that doesn't sound like a big deal, but I've been spending no more than 15 minutes per day for the last 2 weeks or so, which is a HUGE decrease for me.)  I am a little disappointed in the way the online world has in many ways become the real word. I love Facebook for the obvious reasons: it's super fun, and it's a great, quick way to know what everyone is doing, but I feel that in some ways it's replaced the real life connections. I'm tired of coming home from work and plopping down with the laptop, especially after having spent 8 hours in front of a computer at work. When I really think about it, it's outright ridiculous. Before we bought this house 3.5 years ago, we had no home internet - at least not when we first moved back to FL.  We had old, sluggish computers at the time, and we just didn't feel it was worth the money to pay for high speed internet.  In a lot of ways, I miss those days.  We played a lot of board games and drank a lot of wine.  It was fun. :-)Now, I don't think we'll get that extreme again, but I feel something has to give. :-) I need to find some kind of internet/techy balance in my life. Maybe the answer is to delete 95% of my "friends" list. It's become something of a chore to log in and try and scroll through a million updates, many from people I quite frankly do not talk to in any other form of life than Facebook.

Yesterday, after work, I drove to Gainesville to spend some time with one of my best and longest friends.  I spent the night and had a blast. I really needed a night with a gal pal.  Her husband, our bartender, kept the Cosmos flowing. They were awesome. I had a great day with her family today, and I really hope I go back soon. I always let too much time pass between our visits.  It's this type of human interaction I really need more of in my life.

Patrick completed his first week at his new job. I am so proud of him. I love my husband. Next weekend is his birthday, and I'm very excited for a double date with his best friend.

ETA: I just deleted 37 people from FB.  Maybe a little clean-up and less face time will do the trick.

Welcoming a routine

Now that work travel is essentially over for me (at least in the great excess of the past two months), I am looking forward to re-establishing a routine.  Usually I frown at the predictability of routines, though they are obviously necessary, but after living in the hotel for the past 2 months, I welcome all things consistent!  I am looking forward to going back to work tomorrow, in Tampa, and driving with Patrick. I am looking forward to sitting in my nice comfy chair in my nice comfy office and seeing my friends!

I am also thrilled to know I'll be waking up to my delicious iced coffee.  Who knew I'd get so tired of Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts??  The coffee we make at home is SO much better! It feels good to say that!  Speaking of food, I definitely need to start eating better.  I'm a little tired of dining out. I've eaten so much fast food lately due to unplanned and rushed meals, and it's showing.  Ugg. I can't wait to have packed lunches and better planned dinners!  I can't wait for exercising during lunch time.  I miss my daily walks.

There's no place like home.  Since the housing market is really not improving, I need to put a little more energy at enjoying my home and making some improvements.  It doesn't look like we'll be going anywhere anytime too soon. Lately we've been spending a lot of time on our screened porch. I am looking forward to making this a more enjoyable space in the coming weeks.

Snowballing

We did meet our goal of paying off our Sam's Club credit card last month.  I'm really proud of our accomplishments right now. I can officially say we have no credit card debt or any debt other than house, one car, and student loans.  Sounds good!  Unfortunately, the student loan debt amounts to having 2 really nice cars, so it's really NOT so good. But hey, I'll take our successes where we can get them. Nonetheless, I am happy our credit card and other independent financings are paid off.

Next up, I am tackling the only private student loan I have. Luckily, it has a relatively small balance.  However, due to some uncertainties right now with Patrick's job, I am only putting the money aside rather than making a payment just in case we need to dip into our emergency fund a little. Hopefully everything will work out, and we'll be okay....  And, since we'll be paying 3% into our pensions effective July 1st (Thanks legislature!) I want to prepare for that slight reduction in income too.

Home at last

Well, after 2 months of living out of hotels, Monday-Friday, I am finally finished training my first class.  I think it went very well for my first go, and the employees seem excited to get to work.  We had a great graduation celebration yesterday.  I bought grad decorations from Dollar Tree, and we had a nice potluck.  They got me the sweetest card with a gift card to Dunkin Donuts (they know how much I love my iced coffee), and most importantly they bought this tree picture frame, with all of their pictures hanging from the branches.  They said it is our family tree.  Awwww.  It's double sided, so one side is their individual faces, and the other side has their funny face pictures.  It'll be perfect to sit on my desk at work. It also says "Thanks Marcie - we appreciate you."  (It probably would have just been easier to post a picture, but it made me cry.)  So sweet!!!

Patrick came up with me on Sunday night so he got to see the place, and we had a great time. It meant a lot to me for him to come and see my other life. ;-) 

Now, we are off work for the next 5 days, and I couldn't be happier to be HOME.

One month

Today is one month to the day since we put our debt snowball plan into action.  Since that time we've saved some money, and it's a great feeling.  With things being so uneasy at work with the legislative session underway, I was really starting to get nervous about how we would manage if one of us lost our jobs.  While I still don't know how we would manage, I at least feel like I'm doing something to lessen the load - just in case. 

I canceled my yoga membership.  This was very hard to do because yoga essentially changed my life during a stressful time, but there's no reason why I can't incorporate yoga into my life OUTSIDE of a studio, and I do. Savings = $55/month.

In February, we paid off our king mattress we financed (interest free) almost 2 years ago. That is saving us $71/month.

This month we paid off our A/C that we financed when we bought our house.  We weren't too happy when a month after moving into our house the entire unit died. With that FINALLY paid off, we now no longer owe the credit union $80/month.

I feel very happy with what we've accomplished in just one month's time.  It has been hard, but I feel more energized than ever.  Our goal for April is to pay off our Sam's Club credit card.  This is our only credit card. I made a big payment on it the other day, so it's on its way to death. I can't wait to get through these smaller debts so we can really begin the difficult process (student loans).

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Lately I am very concerned about financial matters and, frankly, the state of the world.

However, I feel somewhat reinvigorated after buying and reading Dave Ramsey's "Total Money Makeover." For the first time in a long time (possibly ever), I feel very committed to reducing our debt and making our cushion a little more comfy.

As the book suggests, last week I wrote down all of our debt and put it in a spreadsheet. I always knew that Patrick and I had a lot of debt, but I proudly lumped us into that small group of people who have very little (read: less than $1500) worth of credit card debt.  However, my arrogance led to ignorance, and I really did not truly understand the magnitude of exactly how much OTHER debt we had.  Even worse, my arrogance led us to buy our most expensive vehicle to date last Fall.  I'll proudly be paying on that vehicle forever - major sarcasm.

However, I am ready to take charge.  With the econony not improving in my opinion, I know it is only a matter of time before the sheer job luck Patrick and I have had in the last few years to come crashing down. I'm not trying to be negative, but I am trying to prepare us for that possible moment when the comfortable isn't quite so comfy. Last month we paid off the mattress that we financed on a whim 2 Memorial Day weekends ago.  Proudly, I am sleeping on a bed now that is ours and not ours + Mattress Firm via Wells Fargo. Plus, I've now added $71 per month I can send toward our next debt.  And thus our debt snowball begins.  My goal this month is to pay off the A/C we financed 3 years ago when ours died right after buying the house.  On deck for April is our Sam's Club credit card.  May's goal is to pay off the only private student loan I have, one that will never go away if I pay the minimun forever like I've been doing for years.  By May's end, we should have all of our "little debt" paid off, and we'll have put a little over $300 a month back into our monthly cushion and have paid off a little over 5K.  By then we'll be ready to take on the true debt which is our unbelievably HUGE student loan balances.... Oh, and don't forget that new car!!!

Patrick and I do not live extravagantly by any means.  We have no home phone; we have no cable TV.  We don't have smart phones, or even half way smart phones. We have a very small house (villa). But, we have an unbelievable ability to toss money right out the window. I spent a lot of time combing through our bank statement for the month of February, and I could not believe that we spent $538 on dining out!!!!!!  Yes, it's true!!!  Wow, the nice cell phones we could have snagged!  Things are going to change.  We've been clipping coupons like crazy the past few weeks, and I'm ready to rid ourselves of this crazy cycle of debt.  

 

Rewards

I'm still anxiously awaiting the start of my first full training class.  The date has been pushed back - again - and it looks as though I'll be starting on March 7th. We'll see!  I am driving up tomorrow to drop of all of my supplies. I filled up one supervisor's car and the back of my SUV.  It's a ton of stuff!

To reward my not yet completed training experience, I bought Lady Gaga tickets tonight for us.  The concert is in April.  Patrick and I are huge fans. I find this funny because we have such different taste in music, yet we both completely love the weirdness of Lady Gaga.  It'll be fun!

What a nice weekend....

After a very exhausting work week - I taught the training class, by myself, alone, all week - I was more than willing to embrace a nice, relaxing weekend.  Thank goodness that is what we had.  We were productive in a lot of ways though. We took the new car to the dealership for some regular maintenance, and I did steam clean the floors.  Okay, so maybe we weren't TOO productive, but Patrick and I spent the entire weekend together, and I'm thrilled.. :-)

Yesterday we went to Ikea.  It was a lot of fun. We went at a time when probably most people were at the parade.  Since we had no interest at all in Gasparailla, we enjoyed a quiet walk through Ikea. It's funny because every time we go there we hardly buy anything. We spent about $16.00, and as usual I was happy with my napkins that I purchased. I did find some bedroom furniture I really enjoyed, so maybe in the future we will sell our current set. I love our bedroom set, but our tastes have changed somewhat. I'dbeen wanting to go to Ikea again for quite some time, but it's been sort of difficult emotionally since my sister and I were planning to go to Ikea the weekend she ended up hospitalized and.... well, you know the rest of the story. I am happy we finally made the trip.

Wednesday is what would be Kelly's 46th birthday.  My family and I are donating to the SPCA - her favorite cause - in her name. It's hard to believe that it's almost her birthday, and even more hard to believe that in March it will be one year since she died. I'm not sure where the time has gone. Such a cliche but true. I am very thankful in a lot of ways that this past year has gone by in a hurry. Though there is no right or wrong grieving period, I knew in my mind that things would be considerably easier to deal with at the year mark. And, while I think of my sister every single day and miss her terribly, I no longer have the stabbing gnawing feeling in my stomach.  Sometimes, but not constantly. I think back to those days where I would sneak away and cry every day, and I'm beyond elated to know I've moved forward. In fact, together, my parents and I continue to move forward, and I think we are even close than ever before. I wish I could say the same for my brother, but some things you cannot change.

Today Patrick and I ran some errands and had lunch at Tijuana Flats. I'm not really ready for work tomorrow, but now that the training class is over, I have to begin to prepare for my own very first class. It's tentatively scheduled for
mid-February in Ocala. I had a great experience with this last class, and I'm amazed at how exhausted I was from training 18 adults all week. I definitely need to build up some endurance!

Blog of random thoughts.

What a nice weekend, only I wish it didn't have to go so fast. Tonight I made ziti for dinner, which is my all time favorite thing to make because it's oh so simple.  And, including bread, it only cost $6 to make for 2 people. :-)

We also enjoyed our economy wine - Oak Leaf from Wal-Mart (one of the only driving forces to get me into a Wal-Mart). $2.97 a bottle, and it's surprisingly delicious.

Today we've been discussing home improvement projects.  It's definitely that time of year (tax time) where we're willing to do a little around the house. I have to admit most of the year we're rather reluctant to do too much.  This year we have to replace the little white fence in front of our villa, and I'd love to accomplish an indoor project as well.  We'd love to replace these sliders and put in french doors.  My Dad even said he would help.  We'll see though. :-)

Maybe then we would enjoy our back porch a little more.  For now, it's just wasted space.
I would also like a new front door some day, but I doubt that'll happen any time soon.

We had a great time over MLK weekend in Sarasota, as usual.

We really like the Hotel Ranola where we stay every time.  It's funky and non-traditional, and the only hotel in downtown Sarasota.  The Saturday morning farmer's market downtown is incredible.  It's a must do for us every time. I hope we can do another mini weekend away soon. I'd really like to go to maybe Epcot before it gets warm again.

Things

This year is off to a quick start!  By the end of this week, we'll already be halfway through January!  Crazy.  My new job is going well.  I'm still sitting through a training class that will run the remainder of this month.  It's useful to watch the trainer (who ironically was my trainer when I was hired, so I know her well) train the class, and I am helping a lot with the hands on computer stuff.  I'll be able to teach a little bit of the policy in coming weeks, so I can get the hang of it.  I think once I get into my own personal groove and style, I will really enjoy the job.  While I miss my unit, I do NOT miss supervising, and being responsible for only myself is a dream.  Yes, I am responsible for the training class in many ways - training them so they can pass their tests, etc- but once they graduate from class, they are no longer mine. I'm also anxious to see what my downtime will consist of since I will not be training classes back to back.  Since it's a new position, I know there will be lots of things to work out in the coming months.  My first class will be in Ocala, and I'll be there for a month to 6 weeks.  It'll be a long haul, but I'm looking forward to it!

With our new leadership now in office, I am also very concerned about the future of our jobs.  This is the first year I was every truly concerned.  But, to keep the inner peace, I am trying to remind myself that no matter what happens, we will survive, and there's no use worrying about things right now.  I just need to keep myself away from tallahassee.com/floridacapitalnews.com, which has nothing but speculation after speculation and is enough to drive anyone crazy.

Next weekend we're going to Sarasota again for our 3rd annual Sarasota MLK weekend.  We'll be there 2 nights.  Even though we snuck in an extra stay this past October, I still want to go back.  I absolutely love the hotel where we stay, and I love the downtown area.  Since we've been so many times we can truly relax because we're not running around trying to see/do everything.  It's a nice kind of familiar.  It'll be our last long (scheduled) weekend until Memorial Day - ouch.

Sundays

This year I would like to make Sundays a little more meaningful for us - something to look forward to in the week rather than dread.  Right now, Sundays always seem to signify the transition back to work, while Saturdays are usually filled with fun and a more carefree attitude. I'd really like to spend less time with cleaning/errands and more time enjoying the day. 
Sundays always begin with Sunday morning coffee with Patrick and the bassets.  It's definitely my favorite part of the day because it's so peaceful, and we all just sit on the couch waking up and talking.  Well, okay, Patrick and I are the only ones talking, and the bassets are cuddling....

It is also the one day where I (mostly) let Patrick sleep in a little bit. I still wake up at my annoyingly early times, but I usually let him sleep until 9 - usually. I don't mind it so much because it gives me a little more alone time.  And, on cooler mornings such as this, I open the front door and let the air come in while I unload the dishwasher and start the coffee. 

So, sadly, today is going to be one of those days where it's the typical Sunday.  Our house needs to be cleaned, and one of the vehicles needs an oil change. I am going to start coming up with ways to enjoy this day a little more in the coming weeks. 

New Years Eve

New Years Eve was a quiet twist compared to our usual activities.  I will say it was a welcome change, and one I'll likely repeat in coming years.  As usual, we reflected on the night we were engaged which was 12/31/2002.  Hard to believe 8 years have passed since that day, and this was our 9th NYE spent together.

We enjoyed a bunch of food and basically relaxed the night away... We actually didn't make it to the champagne, so that will be tonight's treat. Our table decor included the centerpiece from Michelle's wedding, and the candle lighting it inside is from Jeff's wedding.

Patrick's 24 hour marinated steak was huge. I, of course, didn't eat this, but I loved my gnocchi with vodka sauce. 

Patrick poured the sauce on in a heart shape for a special touch. :-)

We loved the yummy wine Jeff sent us with our Christmas package.

It went great with the cheese, olives, and other munchies.

Especially dessert!

Even the bassets enjoyed some steak and gnocchi!

Today we are all rather lazy and haven't even left the house - very unlike us.  It's definitely the time where we pause and realize our vacation is winding down.  I will say the past 11 days have been fabulous.  While we didn't do much, it was so nice to have the time to recharge our batteries.  Now I can begin a new year and focus on my new job without feeling completely run down.

I have a few resolutions for the new year:

1. Pay off some debt.  I have about $2600 in debt that I can realistically pay off (unlike our student loans, for example, which will never be paid off). This will free up almost $200 a month.  I could use that extra money.

2. Try to give my worries the "Will this matter in..." test.  If it won't matter in a month, a year, five years, I will try and table my anxiety to the best of my ability.

3. Be a better wife.  Patrick always deserves that from me.

4. Losing weight is a lifelong battle, but I've just got to mention it. :-)  Specifically, I'm going to try and increase the yoga and walking.