Today is the last day of this stay at home. Tomorrow off to the sands of the Sahara – I work there.
The last day home is always a busy day. I have my haircut and try to get a lot of those little things done that seemed to just not get into the main list during the time here. Today was no different. I gathered up all the recycle stuff and took that to the recycle-collection. It was about to overflow our containers here. Then went for a little breakfast, as I had some time before the barber shop opened at 9:am. While at McDonalds (yea I don’t eat right but I have a think for the McGriddle and usually need one per trip home), I caught up with the guy that I call to do some painting around here and told him I wanted to get the decks power washed and coated when I get home. Told him to call me if I don’t call him by April first. Want to get another coat of water seal on them as it has been about 2 years since the first coat went on and they are starting to discolor a little so good time to clean them up and get it done.
Got my haircut and discussed the Stillwater and Global problems as well as how bad the weather was last week. You know you can cure all the problems of the world at the barber shop. After that I started down town to donate some stuff to the Salvation Army clothing store. Just about ever time home I find some more stuff that I can haul off or donate and today was no different. On the way to the downtown area , where the collection for the Salvation Army is, I saw this Motor Home.
I remember these from the 70’s when we had the great embargo and gas costs were skyrocketing – all the way up to a dollar a gallon! Shortly after that and for a few years the car manufacturers were putting out smaller everything and fuel efficient vehicles. This was to meet the need of the RV crowd back then – I think they go over 20mpg. At the same time they were building VW-rabbits that ran on diesel and got up to 50mpg and Honda’s that got 35 to 40npg. I had a VW Dasher – (bigger than the rabbit but not much) and it got 34mpg nearly all the time. What happened to all that efficiency? Guess we started requiring cleaner air and hanging more stuff on the cars so they naturally get less now with all the advancement in technology… go figure.
After this little run down memory lane, I made it to the drop off , then checked the bargains and Walls bargain center – they didn’t have anything I really needed – was looking to find some of the cheap deck coat I got 2 years ago… fat chance. I left that and headed over to main street and saw a store I had not been in that might have some Valentines stuff. Sure enough they had some pretty items so I just up and bought Sherrie a bud vase and a cute, single bell chime. Then I rushed on home.
While home, I had to check business email and had a couple of things that had to be done ASAP… You know everything for them seems to be either late, or needed last month. Why can’t some of them do a better job of planning out their work so I don’t have to rush and do things at home? Anyway got that done and by then it was time to get back to pick up Sherrie for lunch. She got her Valentines gift, and we had a Mexican “fast-food”lunch – typical for us on week days.
After I dropped her back at work I made it over to the Wal-Mart gas pumps to fill up the jeep so it has a full tank while I am gone. Leaving the tank full is better than partial as it limits the amount of air and water condensation that can build up in the tank during long periods of “waiting”. Anyway I put some gas treatment in the tank ahead of the gas so it will also help a little. Once that was done I headed home and put the jeep to bed – locked in the shop garage. I checked all the stuff running and turned off all the things that I could turn off, especially the battery charger on the motorhome as they had been charged up so they should be ok and I have switched them out of one so they should not have much, if any, draw on them.
I then proceeded to get a few more minor things done, like count out enough pills to take for my meds, get my stuff packed and check the clothes I will wear on the long trip over. I think I am packed, but if not, oh-well.
Then at 5:30 , after Sherrie got home from work, .we turned around and went back to our Financial peace class for lesson number 3. This stuff it growing on all of us and has some real application, we just need to get into the practice and carry it out – budgeting, control of money, eliminate debt and cut up credit… all good value things for controlling your money instead of it controlling you.
After class, I talked to Dad before he takes off tomorrow to spend a week with my sister and checked they had gotten most all the things done he needed before he did all this.
That was my day, boring for most, regretful for me as I hate to be heading back to work so soon but since we are not debt free and independently wealthy I will have to work to pay off all that stuff we didn’t need but wanted in our lives. Tomorrow is the day from Hell dealing with airlines, travel, airports, rude people and long hours to get totally wore down so that I can drag in late the next night and crash before starting my 5 weeks of 12 hour days, every day, so I can come home and do it all again. This part of Life before retirement sucks so life after retirement will have to be better. – WD0AJG