“Do the next thing”

Well, every so often I think Christmas and remember that it is coming.  I think it’s the decorated tree in our living room that reminds me.  Or, the repeated times that I’ve found myself at Walmart this week and the parking lot is filled and the lines are long.  Oh, yeah, it’s Christmastime.  Besides that, here, “Christmas” amounts to that tree I mentioned, and a black plastic garbage bag in my bedroom labeled, “Christmas.”  It’s labeled as such so that after the pest guy comes and goes and I wait 48 hours, vacuum the whole house, thoroughly of course, I can find it quickly as I begin to open the 50+ black and white trash bags and put our lives back in order.  Depending on how things go, I may just open that bag.  Or not.  It doesn’t have enough in it.  Ok, it has my little family covered, and Julie’s as well.  That’s it.  I missed the craft fair where I was going to pick up the cute little thank you gifts for all the special, faithful people who do little or big things that we benefit from.  Then there were going to be cute new cool things that I was sure to find at that annual event for my wonderful aunts, Gram, Mom, Dad.  Yeah.  Right.  That didn’t happen.  Coming out of the fog of recovery from falling my down the stairs on the morning of the craft fair, I was well on my way to finding those boot straps and planning a walk down Front Street in Bath.  Of course, whatever day I chose for that it was going to snow soft big flakes and the quaint shops would have yielded all the types of things that I didn’t get to look for at the craft fair.  Well, my week has gone, and that hasn’t happened.  Who knew that my Christmas gifts and White Elephant tradition might morph into one as I’ve been forced into this clean sweep.  Goodwill is happy.  The Bath landfill will receive it’s share, too.  Last night I commented to Fran that we’re all set for the movers to come.  No, of course we aren’t moving, but it is reminiscent around here of moving prep.  The difference is that our life has been packed into black and white trash bags rather than banana boxes.  So, while doing this big purge, to the sound of the washer and dryer turning non-stop, and one visit so far to the 24-hour laundromat, I’ve found a few things I think I’ll wrap as gifts for at least one of those whom I’ve done no shopping for.

So, what’s going on at the Simmlers’ anyway.  I’m laying it all out there to tell you we have been fighting the blight that has embarrassed and humiliated me.  Bed Bugs.  Seems our frequent travels south and stays in hotel rooms yielded more than we paid for.  After a two year long battle that we thought we had licked, we’ve finally called in reinforcements, (read $$$,) and they will be here at 11:00 today to treat the house.  Then they will be back quarterly for a year.  I write this to tell you that if you ever think you have them, don’t try to fight them yourself with concoctions from the internet.  Call in the professionals right away.

It was Saturday morning, (yesterday,) at 7:00am, BC, (Before Coffee.)

My heel slipped, and next thing I knew my feet kicked out from under me, arms were flailing and about the 6th step down my hands/arms finally found and atached themselves to the balusters of our stairs.  Too late, my tail bone is probably fractured.  Fran was at National Guard Drill, Micah was on the way out the door to a building job, and Anna was expecting a ride from me to her table at the craft fair.  I had a million plans for the commencement of Christmas prep.

Micah transported Anna, and the other ladies at the fair were there for her. Adam, fortunately, got his learners permit on Wednesday, so after confirming that the chiropractor was indeed coming to town on errands, he agreed to see me.  He didn’t adjust, but ordered xrays.  Adam drove me from place to place with me coaching him as it was his first time driving the van!  (Funny, he couldn’t drop me off at the door because he can’t drive alone on a permit!) The chiro later called to say he’d viewed the xrays and that unfortunately it wasn’t a dislocation that he could treat; he saw nothing out of place.  He would call me when the tech had read the images to confirm his suspicion that it is a hairline fracture.  I’m now waiting.

Once I sit, I stay a long time because its the transition of sitting or standing that hurts.  Once I’m in place I’m ok.  Bending to pick things up HURTS.  So, I don’t do it.

Anna has assured me that I don’t have to advertise for elves to set up Christmas here…she said she’ll take care of it.  She’s almost 13….can you believe it?

Diane

I found YNAB in late December of 2006.  We were well on our way in the process of paying down our debt. I knew we needed a plan to make the job of tracking our spending easier and faster.  I dreaded those days of flipping paper pages balancing accounts.  A Google search brought me to You Need A Budget.  Well, I already knew that, in fact I already had one.  It was just a bear to manage.

This software is more than software; it teaches and guides you through the murky turbulent waters that often occur in our financial lives.  The reality is that life happens.  No budget can be a cookie cutter copy each month.  What worked in December might not work in January.  This is a reality that I knew, but just couldn’t fully embrace because my budgeting system didn’t allow it.  This one did!

Two years later I still mention YNAB to whomever I can.  The stress of running the checkbook down to pennies each month until the next paycheck is gone.  The guilt from overspending the budgeted figure on clothing or food here or there is gone.  Not only did Jesse’s plan help me fine tune my goals, it provided navigational tools that helped me making adjustments when life throws you financial challenges.

A great part of the plan is that it takes you from where you are, no matter how bad your money situation seems, and encourages you into believing that conquering your debt is a possible task!  Our debt is down from six digits to a low four digit number and there is a light at the end of the tunnel!  I can’t wait to try YNAB 3 to see how much more work Jesse and his team have done to make it even more user friendly!

“Sure, I’ll go the whole two hours.”

Hey, that new store they put in where Reed party used to be on Pleasant street has two flags out front. A British flag (I think) and a US flag. The US flag is on the right and is lower. I’m thinking that might not be the right presentation, but I’ll have to check.

No, not Maine Street Brunswick parking! I avoid on-street parking most all the time. Backing out into that traffic is stressful. Maybe the student driver sign will help….oh, he’s making him do it a second time? Even when I used to drop Adam off at Chemistry class above Keith Field Classical Goldsmith, I parked in the Tontine Mall parking area to avoid the backing into traffic thing!

We head up Route 1 toward Bath. A car passes with a familiar yellow bumper sticker. Hmm, Fran has that sticker. Hey, that guy’s wearing a hat like, wait, that’s probably Michael Pajak. Safe passage, Michael!

Hmm, Adam barely fits in this car. His head is about an inch from the ceiling. When he looks left he ducks to see under the top of the door trim. What is this car, anyway? I’ll have to find out and make a note.

We keep going up to Wiscasset. Good thing it isn’t summer time, or we’d spend Adam’s whole 2 hour driving stint between Woolwich and Edgecomb! Wonder if they’ll ever decide to build a bypass. We take a left. Wait, Pegeen McConnell lives on this road somewhere. We were there once, I should recognize it, but I missed it. Isn’t there a campground somewhere down here? Downeast or something. That was a long time ago with the Grovers. My first taste of bacon wrapped scallops, fresh from the sea and cooked over a camp fire.

We eventually turn left in Dresden. Ahh, I know this route. To take a right you would go to the house the Horsman’s rented for a while. Hmm. The river looks high, I guess from the rain we got on Saturday.

We’re near the intersection of 127 and 197; oops, there’s a “Yes on 1 sign.” Jacki or Jonathan, can you go get that so Stand for Marriage doesn’t get fined? Couldn’t very well ask the driving instructor to let Adam pull over for me to get it.

Ouch, I am reminded of Jeff Foxworthy’s redneck. Has he been to Maine? Yikes. Does my yard look like that? I now resolve to do whatever is in my power to fight redneck curb appearance in favor or modest or invisible curb appeal. Tomorrow. Maybe.

Oh, I didn’t know this road cut over. We’re headed back to 197. I remember the day we were in that cemetery. Mr. Russell. I think of your Dad every so often, Jacki.

There’s Jacki McKeen’s road. Oh, good thing it’s not flooded. I didn’t hear that it was, but with all that rain it could have been. Good thing Diana McKeen only had to worry about frogging her Fair Isle today and not a flooded driveway!

Wait, we’re crossing to Richmond. Before we know it the Coast Guard Icebreakers we’ll be here on the Kennebec to usher in spring. Ok, yeah, winter has to settle in and freeze it first. We could have brought the meal Anna made for the Horsman’s after all. Then it wouldn’t have been so fun for Anna and Micah to visit them and their new baby Emma, though.

It was fun eating at the Railroad Cafe with the ladies back in October. I wonder how Susan Trott is feeling. Too bad we didn’t get to see her in the Monmouth play since the accident was two days before.

The library is there, so that means that the Horsman’s house is…..there. There it is; that is sooo cute! Just like the picture they showed me when they stopped by a couple months ago. God really blessed them with just the right home at the right price at the right time! Welcome Baby Emma!

Onto the highway, moving back into our stomping grounds. About 30 more minutes to kill. Whoa, I hate getting off of 295 toward Lisbon Falls. It’s a tight spot and there are always cars with the right of way. Just like getting off in route 1 in Brunswick. Well, he did fine. Shiver.

Hmm, glad he knows this area is strictly 40 mph. Oh, look, case in point, policeman with lights flashing talking to someone who didn’t know it was strictly 40 mph.

Ivanhoe. I’m pretty sure the Sprague’s still live here. I remember seeing Carli at the polls on election day. Maybe she lives in Bath now.

Whew. Ok, it wasn’t as grueling as it could have been. I didn’t fall asleep. Adam did well driving.

I applaud you if you got through this whole monologue of my mind. Your reading this is what it was like for me to ride in the backseat of a driver ed car for two hours. My mind just wandered, wondered, and remembered.

I can’t believe our trip to Stratton/Eustis now just a memory.  I’m so GLAD we have pictures!