There is way too much going on in my life right now!
We’re refinancing our home, after years of having to eat an additional mortgage and fees because of unforeseen costs associated with being a sandwiched between a dying parent I cared for in her home and a daughter who decided to attend college a year earlier than we had planned while I was away with my dying mother in 2007. 2008 impacts nearly decimated us financially.
I bought a different car yesterday, a van actually, trading-in my 2009 PT cruiser and getting a 2011 Toyota Sienna that will allow my husband and I and our 100 lb. mastiff, our Buddy, a working PTSD companion dog, to drive across the country and back during the next month somewhat comfortably as well as hold twins us and parents of twins at the same time.
Hubby and I are planning a cross-country drive to celebrate our years together. During this trip he will drive to Salt Lake City where I will fly in after BlogHer and meet up with him so we can make connections for the rest of the trip. Then we will visit Yellowstone, visit both daughters, one son-in-law, one-son-in-law to be, our twin grand daughters aged 3.5 year old, spend a couple of days with the hubby at Niagara Falls in celebration of 25 years of marriage (to each other!) cross into Canada so Hubby can attend a conference, then drive along the north side of Huron and come back through Detroit where Hubby was born, zip through Fort Wayne and say a quick hello to a couple of my family members, put flowers on my parents’ graves, and then drive to Indy to say hey to friends, stop at Cahokia Mounds, and just drive through the IL to AZ part of the trip as quickly and quietly as possible. I have experience with progressives not being very welcome there. Fortunately Hubby and I both “blend in” very well… he with his flat-top and me with my flabby curves that suggest a lot of apple-pie making.
We got quotes for a new HVAC system this past week from a few companies. Do I really need to say any more?
Had to meet up with the house sitter(s) and go through procedures. My kitties will wonder what happened to the lady who used to feed them. The house sitter says they will be buddies and sleeping together within a couple of days. My cats are very loyal. I think it will take them a week before they forget about me.
There are still at least a hundred items on my #BlogHer14 prep list; of them, I will get to about 15. But that is okay because all I really need to do is to get on my flight to the Bay Area and everything else will take care of itself.
The prep/packing for the Niagara Falls cross-country trip will be more problematic as the van packing will be finalized by Hubby. Shudder. He runs a multi-million dollar chemistry lab and research group, but practical daily planning is not his forte.
I wonder how others prepare for the annual BlogHer Conference?
Carol Cassara
Well, I’m darn glad I got on the list early! Holy crap you DO have a lot going on! Niagara Falls is an hour from Rochester, where I grew up and all I can think of is “Slowly, I turn, step by step…” do you remember that? See you soon!
Nancy Hill
LOL. Hubby loves that routine! No Abbott and Costello psycho re-enactments allowed…. unless we do a video selfie!