Crystal G

• Driveway is still not passable. Hoping tomorrow brings more progress. If not I'll be working from home Monday too #
• that's enough shoveling for me for now before I cough my head off. Watching I Love Lucy reruns by the stove #
• think I'm going to find what warm ratty clothes that I can and shovel anyway, flu or not. #
• looks like this will be a shoveling situation from now on, not a plowing one #
• Tried to open a window upstairs to take pictures, frozen shut, doh #
• Found ingredients for chicken and dumplings. Tractor is giving dad a hard time though while trying to plow driveway :/ #
• thinks she has the fever, and the only cure is…….no seriously I think I have a fever #
• If you took the first-time home-buyers tax credit in 2008, you do not need to start repayment till 2010 taxes are owed: http://bit.ly/aqnTtX #
• RT: @mammamania: BEST FORCASTER EVER – http://bit.ly/86uoPO #
• needs to figure out PA state vs local taxes so she can e-file and be done with it. Federal is easy, local and state? Pshaw. #
• Definitely glad I am working from home today, my cold is reaching the next level and I need to nip it in the bud #
• RT: @mint: save a little now / and you'll have an umbrella / on a rainy day #
• working for @enformeweb from home tomorrow due to impending blizzard #
• thinks it sucks running out of milk and bread just before a storm. THE IRONY. #
• DoTD: http://bit.ly/bjHoL1 (Zelda!) #
• chooses to live poor now so she doesn't have to later. People need to get over that. #
• Random Facts, if you want to know what sodas use what sweeteners: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_soda #
• 2-4 feet of snow this weekend? Really? #
• The new wine shop across the street says they can order my favorite mead. This is epically exciting since I've only seen it in bmore. #
• is feeling a bit under the weather. And it's snowing, so does that mean I feel under snow? I dunno, but I hope I feel better tomorrow #
• Here comes the snow in Frederick #
• I've risen, but I don't know if I'll be shinin today #
• home from @enformeweb, will be back there in 10 hours #
• listening to Silverchair – Frogstomp while workin late at @enformeweb #
• Hinode for lunch, bought with egg money #
• I think @INGDIRECT should post their deposit address somewhere easily accessible for when you don't have it written down at work. Please! in reply to INGDIRECT #
• DotD: http://img1.socwall.com/Abstract/General/201031014231-16396.jpg (looks like something @cdelente might like) #
• DoTD: http://img1.socwall.com/Nature/Ocean/201030014552-16381.jpg #
• "If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur" -Red Adair #
• doesn't understand why people buy unnecessary things then complain about being poor. I have no sympathy for them. http://bit.ly/aXtEzA #

Each month I want to see how many $0 days I can get. All costs are rounded.

January 01: Bi-Monthly Bill Payment Day & $26 for some business supplies
January 02: $0
January 03: $34 in gas
January 04: $45 to support a local artist, $35 for a compost bin
January 05: $0
January 06: $100 dinner at Volt for Table 21
January 07: $36 on gas
January 08: $0
January 09: $0
January 10: $38 purchase
January 11: $1489 on new brake system for mustang
January 12: $0
January 13: $15 local tax payment
January 14: $36 in gas
January 15: $0
January 16: $0
January 17: $0
January 18: $0
January 19: $20 on gas
January 20: NEW Bi-Monthly Bill Payment Day due to payroll schedule change
January 21: $0
January 22: $36 in gas, $48 random purchase for the house
January 23: $0
January 24: $15 donation to my Grove for a workshop
January 25: $0
January 26: $35 in gas
January 27: $0
January 28: $0
January 30: Paid car insurance premium 6 months in advance
January 31: $0

Days in January not spending money: 15.
Decent month. My pay scheduled changed at work, so my debt payment reports have moved to the 5th and 20th of each month. The last one of these will be next month, and then I’ll have had a year of tracking and will post the entire total in March.

See also: December, November, October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March

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Those on my Twitter, Myspace, or Facebook already heard this, but for those not on either, as of January 26th my dad’s leg is completely healed of ulcers after 18 months of failed treatments. We are continuing the Venacura medication that we started about 2 and a half months ago (the reason behind this miraculous healing) to see if it improves dad’s bloodflow enough to actually turn his leg a normal color (it’s been purple for years). Needless to say we are very happy about this, and expect that it will save us a lot of money just on gas from Dad running to the Wound Care Center all the time.

As for -my- knee, it’s almost back to 100%. I can straighten it and walk fine now, but I can’t press it backwards and sometimes I get sore if I sit too long. I expect it’ll just take more time to get to 100% again but I am very happy not to deal with the tendinitis anymore.

I went to get my taxes done last night by my cousin since we wanted to do them together for practice. Retirement accounts still mix us both up, and I really need to sit down and practice more. Finding the time is another story, however. They will hopefully be finished tomorrow, but it’s looking at about $1500 back, which is all going to the interest debt. I suspect it will be paid off in full in March, but I will still need to keep an eye on my dad’s use of it. Looking at November and December, he spends between $900-$1000 a month on it, which is about what I put on it every month, so that’s why it’s been stalling the last month or two. In theory I’d like to get his spending on it down to $200 or so, but the way he’s been having vehicle trouble lately I dunno.

I’ve been pondering opening up a checking account for him instead of letting him use my credit card. That way I can put a set amount into it and he’ll know what he has left to spend. I’m willing to experiment with it at least, till I can come up with a solution that works for us both.

Either way I am going to start paying off the last person that donated our down payment in March, and all freelance money I bring in will also go to that so I suspect it’ll be paid off sometime in the summer and then I am throwing all my extra cash towards the mortgage and into savings/retirement. I look forward to the day where I my extra money is going towards savings and not towards a debt. I’m slowly but surely getting there.

Some folks also have been asking me some financial questions that I’ll probably start organizing into actual blog posts and relate to my personal experiences at the very least.

I am very glad the holidays are over. We had my paternal family over last weekend for a holiday get-together, and I’m just glad to have all the Christmas Clutter down. Clutter drives me batty in general, having to deal with it for 2 months messes with my head.

I’ve been starting to think about what I want to accomplish this spring as part of my Imbolc and Equinox celebrations. Here’s a small list anyway:
- Complete my Nature Awareness essays for the CTP
- Make significant progress on the Grove Membership Manual
- Continue bringing in more money for our year-long fundraiser at the Grove
- Start putting money into my home improvement account again for bringing someone in this spring to see why the basement is leaking during heavy rains as well as a new hot water heater (my 2010 projects)
- Maybe start putting together things for a yard sale this spring when tourist season opens up
- Explore a little more of Gettysburg
- Tons of other small remedial tasks that are on my todo list

Here’s to a progressive and healthy 2010 I love it so far, despite some setbacks (new brakes anyone? ). But I’ve become an eternal optimist in my years it seems.

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Some general updates from lately.

• Put my car in the shop on Friday to get some brake work done. I suspected it needed heavy work, and I was right. But unfortunately they have to keep it till Monday to fix it. It will cost me about $1400 for everything, since I’m essentially redoing the entire brake system. I had intended on getting the work done next month anyway with tax returns, but didn’t want to wait that long. Fortunately with an emergency savings it is taken care of no sweat, and the taxes will still be coming in so it all works out.
• Dad and I had family over last night, from my maternal side. I got to see a relative I haven’t seen in 10 years or more, and his beautiful wife.
• My knee is feeling loads better. I can walk without pain now, but still with a bit of a limp. Sometimes it gets stiff if I’m sitting too long but I’m being careful with it.
• We had to replace the boiler at the Grove recently. Cost us a big chunk of money, but fortunately I’ve been working on a $20k fundraiser for the next year so it will replenish that and then some. I look forward to the day when I have no debt but the house and can donate more regularly myself. At least now this one is more efficient and will save us money in the long run.
• I enjoyed a Table 21 dinner at Volt, home of Top Chef contestant Bryan Voltaggio this past Wednesday as a celebration for my raise. We got 21 tasting courses, which I will write up a detailed blog about hopefully later today.
• I am working on a list of things I want to accomplish this year, and am looking forward to 2010 being as awesome as the last 4 years have been.
• The sweetheart has been especially awesome lately. I’m very blessed to have him as a support and encouragement system. He’s constantly giving me perspective and balance.

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We suspect another month or two and my father’s leg will be fully healed of ulcer wounds. We are likely going to continue the new drug to see if it helps more with the lack of oxygen that gets to his leg and maybe it will actually start to heal and not be purple all the time. (Putting the rest behind a cut in case people get grossed out)
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