Thursday, October 28, 2010

Decisions .... no, Decisions!

I've been thinking about these decisions for a year so this is no thoughtless process here.

First on the list: something has needed to be done to my 30 year old bathroom for well, a long time. Tiles are loosening, the soap dish fell out of the tiled wall long ago, the bathroom sink vanity/cabinet leaked for a while and so the floor of the cabinet is disintegrating and some wall board damage near the bathtub shower area. So, there is going to be a remodeling project to fix the WHOLE THING AT ONCE.

After a few weeks of weighing options, I signed a contract with a reputable company I know and we’ll schedule a date when the materials come in. They said it would be just about 2 weeks before they would call me. No debt is involved, just funds I thought I would use for this and some small home improvements. Once this is done, it’s DONE for another 20-30 years, unless I decide I don’t like it and want something else! I sincerely doubt I will tire of it and want another one though. This is also the biggest and most expensive project to be done.

Second, after that will come getting rid of old carpet. I’ve been boxing books--my endless supply of books, it seems-- in anticipation of that. I also have to move all the stuff out of the bathroom that isn’t attached to a wall!

third,there is a storage unit place about a block from me I’m going to visit to rent some space for a couple of months. They are offering a free month’s rent when you sign up for their month to month agreement. I’ve used this place before to store stuff.

Fourth, I’ve planted some lettuce (Romaine) and a bell pepper plant this week. The containers are all in the front of the house for the winter as that is where the sun is that they need. Some of the containers are moving in next to the other flowering plants in containers that flourish year round.

I get greens from the CSA but I really like having some lettuce around all the time.

Fifth, I have a list and things to keep me busy in the next few weeks while I ignore all the political stuff about the election next week. But I did vote and send in my ballot.

Actually there's a lot to want to ignore these day. Corn, oats, wheat and rice have
gone straight up in price since June. People want to invest in something that gives them a return and savings and equities aren't doing it these days so commodities are a big thing to give a return. People always need to eat.

Since I don't get to a grocery store every week these days, I don't track prices of some items like I used to week to week. I go like 2-3 weeks. It seems to me these price rises aren't showing up yet in stores but they'll have to eventually.

peace, shamba

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Heat is GONE

Looks like it's over for this year, nice storm in today and outlook is for next 10 days in 70s and low 80s. We can turn the AC completely off!

Also, picked up romaine lettuce and bell pepper plants to plant in containers in the next few days.

We'll see how that works out.

peace, shamba

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

the walls are moving in ... it seems

Seldom in my life have I felt so squeezed I couldn’t find money in my resources for normal/expected increases in daily life. But I feel some economic walls moving inward the past couple of weeks. It’s like I’m watching them actually move and it’s totally unnerving.

Mostly it’s because of many things, property taxes are one. They went up this year, that was expected, but more than I thought. And this is the time of year that my health insurance opens enrollment. This year there are no new plans but the same as last year although I could change plans if I wanted. I don’t want to change but the cost isn’t staying the same, it’s gone up by $40-50 (?) a month. I expected some kind of increase but that seems a lot at once!

As soon as the health care act passed this summer, I received a letter from the state retiree’s plans that warned us all that this would only increase costs including our premiums. I wasn’t really surprised but seeing the costs going up is anxiety provoking. Of course, the co pays will go up as well.

Fortunately, I don’t have lots of meds to take but I have a chunk of stainless steel in my right hip joint that I can’t go with uninsured. As temporary as it was, that year or so with a hip deteriorating saw me going more and more disabled and that’s a frightening feeling. The replaced hip was like a miracle to me postponing aging and disability for a lot more years! (Knocking on wood!) My hip is good is good but it may required revision someday, and my other hip is wearing a little more all the time and maybe I’ll need that replaced someday.

And I’m a few years away from Medicare, and what form will that take by then or not???

And there’s some increase in my taxes coming in 2011 that I have to talk to my accountant about before the end of this 2010.

What I'm personally afraid of is having to do without way beyond what I know how to do! And then doing without even more and more and more down the line.
Doing without can be relative depending on what your normal economic levels are. I've done without at times in my life, but they are nothing compared with what others have had to do without, like really no money for anything but food.
I've always been able to have the right kind of food and enough of it. I cut other things out of the budget at times but never had to worry about food. Whatever I cut out was a matter of time before things got better and I could spend on those things again. And maybe now there will be no better times for a long time or not in my lifetime?

just some serious thoughts today,

shamba

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Storms came but storms went ...

Black, thick low hanging clouds over the valley today. Foreacast said probabilities of off and on thunderstorms and rain throughout today with temps about 85degrees.

I had some errands to do so I plotted my route and started out . I didn't get very far before it started raining, then pouring then fogged up windows and thunder and lighning so I pulled over in an office parking lot to wait it out. I haven't done that in several years but I could not see anything for fogged windows and the rain.
then it started hailing, so I pulled the car around behind the building and some trees to keep the hail from hitting the car. About pea-sized hail, no damage but a lot of noise.

The parking lot was filling with water rapidly and the center of the lot was the low point and it was deep enough to have waves!

I must have waited 20-25 minutes before some rain let up and I could see how deep the water was ... about 6 inches but I didn't want to wait for another rain band to come. I put the defroster on to get rid of the fog, ran window wipers and proceeded to come home.

My house got a lot of rain but no damage but there are outtages and wind damage and who knows how many accidents all over town. Needless to say, I didn't get my errands run but the car isn't covered in dust anymore. Storms should move through by by early evening.

peace, shamba