I haven't posted much lately.
Mostly because I'm working a ton and don't have a lot of time.
Partly because I'm more than a bit weirded out about the fact that a representative from Comcast responded to my last post.
And then somewhat because, frankly, I haven't had a lot to say.
So, here is a short-hand version of where I'm at lately:

I'm loving work, but missing being home.
I'm glad my kids are grown, but wish I still had little ones at home.
I'm happy I'm going to be a grandma again, but worried about my daughter's health.
I wish I could travel around the country in a van, stopping anywhere I want to, coming home when I want, leaving when I want.
Our wood floors are refinished. Yea.
Our carpet is still not (completely) in. Boo.
Remodeling is never-ending and sucks the peace out of my life.
I miss my Aunt and my mom and dad.
I miss my son the most.

On another note, because my computer is dead I am using my hubby's Mac and I have NO idea how to post pictures. Hopefully, I will learn because this blog is boring without pictures.

digging a trench?

My cable bill went up. Well, more to the point, my Comcast bill went up, which includes my cable and internet service. Awhile back I had our cable shut off; just completely shut off, for about 6 months. My Comcast bill went from approximately $75 to $45ish, for cable alone. When I signed back up they were running a special and I was able to "bundle" the two services for about $65. When that six month special ran out, the bill went up again, so i called and after some negotiating basically got them to reinstate the special price so that once again I was paying about $65 a month.

Now, again, that special price has expired and my bill is now $100 a month for cable and internet. Too much. I am once again going to call and try to renegotiate my price.

My point? I never knew it was possible to negotiate with companies such as Comcast for the price I paid, until I tried to shut off my service and they came back with all kinds of offers in order to keep me as a customer. It helps to have a bargaining chip...I was more than willing to shut the cable off altogether. Now? Our local Public Utility District has fiber optics available in our neighborhood, all we have to do is dig a trench to the road from our house...which I am happy to do if it means my price will go down.

We'll see how it goes...

fits me to a T

"I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing."

~ Agatha Christie


ht: candy

the tax man cometh...

I found out a couple days ago that our property taxes this year are going to be approximately $15,000. Divided on a monthly basis our property tax payment would nearly mirror our house payment. I am at a loss. How is it I have to pay the government so much money to live in my own house? Our house will be paid off in six years, but the taxes will never be paid off.

I love my house, and even more I love our property. I could rebuild the house on another piece of property, but it wouldn't be the same. It isn't the house I would miss...it's the lakefront lots. But, is it worth it? I'm in an in-between place...hating the price of living here, but not wanting to leave; not wanting to disrupt my life anymore than it's already been disrupted the last few years, and not wanting to add anymore stress to an already over-loaded life.

I told the hubby that maybe it's time to go buy a 40-acre chunk of land, put in a garden, buy a cow and some chickens, and live off the land. He said the taxes would probably be too high.

work, work, work

Looking at the calendar I guess it's been three weeks since I last posted on here. We were gone for almost a week on vacation, most of which was spent sleeping since I was 1.exhausted and 2.sick.

We got home and I spent the next week working every day and then took off again for three days to Portland, OR for the Women of Faith Conference. It was excellent, as usual, but again, I came home exhausted. I'm noticing a recurring pattern here.

The last week has been spent working, working, working. Our hard work has begun to pay off, though. Slowly I've been able to make some improvements at our laundromat, including some new equipment, hiring a new employee, seeing some long-awaited improvements done on our building, and streamlining some procedures in order to make us more efficient and better-managed.

Business has been picking up and income is improving. It's a good thing. At least it was. I won't even get into what happened today. I will say that working with family is sometimes difficult.