Brrr!!

What happened? I blinked and it got cold!! Yuck!! I had asked my spousal unit if he and my son could take out the air conditioner so I could turn on the heat (exotic pets don't do well when it's 55 inside!!) and he said we all 3 needed to do it. So I said we would do it this morning. Well, after giving me the bad news that changing the light bulb didn't fix the tail light that is out, he left for work. But that's okay, because I knew my son and I could do it on our own, and so we did. Took it out of the window, put it on his little red wagon and pulled it into the garage. Then we put plastic on the outside of all the windows on the lower level. My son was nice enough to climb the ladder for me!! I'm just a wee bit paranoid of this one, since I weigh more than the weight limit, AND Dad always called it "The Widowmaker" since it is a light aluminum one. Tomorrow we'll take the air conditioner out of the loft window and put plastic on the inside of all the upstairs windows. I am also planning on putting plastic on the inside of the lower levels, just for a little extra help. The electric bill is going to skyrocket again, of course. Baseboard heat on the lower level is the only source of heat we have. Nothing upstairs. Hopefully next year I will be able to buy infrared heaters, 1 for each level.

These past 2 weeks have been unusual in the household. My spousal unit has been uncharacteristically nice, and trying to be lovey-dovey again. I'm not buying it. I don't hate him, mind you. Hugs are okay, kisses are not. I want to give him credit for replacing the tail light on the van this morning. I'm also frustrated because I don't like it when he tries to fix things. He's not a mechanic/carpenter/handyman at all. But he tries to be, and that can cause bigger problems. He's been good about not overtalking me when disciplining my son (we had a couple rough nights with him this week) and making sure his side of the bed is made, and such. It's scary. It's nerve-wracking. It makes me wonder what he's up to away from home.

Yesterday we switched the car insurance to State Farm. They had a lower rate than Progressive for higher coverage and a lower deductible. We also carpooled since we were working close to the same schedule. The gal at the insurance office (who is wonderful!) mentioned life insurance and 401(k)s. We'll go back next week to see what they've pulled together. My spouse has nothing through work anymore. The only benefit he has is discount on motel rooms. That's it. So we'll look at life insurance on him that will build money over time towards retirement and getting him started on a 401(k).

I was thinking forward and realized that even though I will be eligible for a 401(k) through work, there is no reason I can't start one now, and make it the type that is a little higher risk. Buy stocks now while they're cheap. I heard somewhere that it took about 30 years to recover from the Great Depression and it will possibly take that long now. Well, I will be right at retirement age at that point. It will be perfect for me. So I will take the extra savings from the homeowners insurance (we will get a discount on that by adding the car insurance with them) and use that to build up my nest egg.

Don't panic. I know. I'm thinking ahead. I'm planning for my future. I'm being a responsible adult. Don't worry. Only for a few moments. Then I went to work and returned to normal.

I do have some positives going on, which is nice. I am still enjoying my job. That is unusual for me, trust me! But this place has such good camaraderie and I feel like I fit in, if that makes sense. I had forgotten how much of a difference that makes. It looks like I'm on track for a decent incentive check next month, if I'm figuring things right. Hopefully my supervisor will get together with me this week to go over things. (She did that last night with one of the gals from my training class, so I think she's getting to Cassandra and me this week.) That is the Christmas shopping money. In December, it will all go to debts (mostly to Dad!!). In January, 1/2 to debts, 1/4 to 401(k) and 1/4 to high interest savings, and so on.

In December, I'm going to Sanford Health for a heart checkup. Normally $875, I will be getting a lipid panel, blood pressure check, EKG and heart CT scan for $50. It's a wonderful option, and with the heart issues that run in the family, it's a good idea. I'm making it a "me" day and hoping a friend can come up from IA to make it a "girl's day out."

On that note...my son is 16 and has never seen "Jaws" so we're going to watch it today!!

~~Heather