Happy New Year!

It's 2015!

Today is the eight year anniversary of my official start date for my current job.  What an amazing eight years it's been.

Today is also the second anniversary of the day B. officially joined the Army.  Two years ago today, he left with the recruiter.  That was a hard weekend.  His departures don't really get easier - it's only a few days away and it already feels 'sad' for me.  He wants to go to Perko's for breakfast on Saturday - just the two of us.  It's our 'thing' and I appreciate that he makes a point of setting aside some one-on-one time for his mom.

H. just woke up at 6PM after being out all night.  He got home at 6AM and headed for bed and slept twelve hours.  His days and nights will for sure be turned around for a couple days.

I spent the day re-working our budget.  It's amazing the things you learn just by writing it all down. Haven't done that in awhile and things have changed since my last sketch out.  Tomorrow, we are going to the bank to switch the checking account our debit card hits which will revolutionize our budgeting.  It's a small change but making it will eliminate a lot of moving stuff around as the month progresses.  Having a visual reminder of what things come from where and when will also help tremendously.  I've got a notebook set up to write down expenses as the month unfolds with hope that if we continue to write it all down, we will identify other places we could shift things around.

We're having lively discussions about what accounts to tap first.  It's a conundrum.  No right or wrong answers and a reminder how blessed we are to have different choices to make.

Of course, the largest budget derail-er is the six foot tall young man still living with us - but that's OK for now.  He plans to start looking for work pretty soon and fingers crossed he finds something.  If he stays here, he will pay us room and board as soon as he's employed - and we hope he tries to save up and find a roommate - but that's a ways off.  I feel glad in some ways that he's OK with being here - that we've created a home and an environment where he feels he wants to be - or at least can be.  I'm as proud of that as I would be if he'd left the nest immediately at 18 and done his own thing.  Home is a wonderful thing to have in your life - with people you want to be with.  There's a lot to be said for that - for all of us, all around.  Sure, I want him to leave the nest.  But he can nest here as needed. And that will pretty much always be true - though I hope the nest stays shorten and end at some point. I look forward to him being a visitor someday.  Someday.....whenever that is.

The Rome trip is officially planned including upgrading to the more legroom flights for the two of them.  It's a long flight and comfort is important.  We will start planning Paris next -

I've felt pretty OK today - my nose is red and I cough a bit now and then.  We've kept the Keurig running (and have had to refill it a couple times) with herbal tea and hot cider pods.  The biggest pain (literally) is a cut on my left thumb - acquired from the slicing attachment for the food processor.  It's in a horrible place and reopens and bleeds with the slightest bump.  Hard to pull up your pants without using your thumb(s) but I'm learning.

We didn't do a mad-dash donation run yesterday - we spent a good chunk of the morning at the vet with Chloe and I just decided to let it be - whatever the tax bill is, we will be fine.

It was so, so cold here today that we skipped taking down the outside Christmas stuff - but we will need to get to it shortly.  I noticed when I was taking stuff out of the garage to take to the hospice thrift store in Jackson - thus making the trip count in more ways than one - that we have a ton of Christmas stuff that J. didn't even take down from the rafters!  We really should go through the bins and get rid of stuff we won't use anymore.

Note:  'Make It Count' is one of the Titanic slot machine bonus rounds - so the pun was intended.  J. always texts me 'Make it Count' when I'm in Jackson.  :-)  It's our catch phrase.

Additional Note:  I didn't play Titanic much this trip 'cuz it's so expensive to play.  I enjoyed a new machine that's 88 cents a pull and had a blast -

Chloe is begging me to pick her up and I don't want to do that....her tummy is really tender and it's hard to lift her up to my lap in a way that won't strain her tummy.

Only three more days of the break - time flies.