Category: Gratitude

Little Things for Which I am Thankful

Terri
Osito says "I know what you're thinking right now. I am just way too cute for words..."
Osito says “I know what you’re thinking right now. I am just way too cute for words…”

 

1. I took the day off on Monday as comp time for having worked six days in a row the week before at my full time job. We have this really cool option to rent cars in Boston through something called ZipCar. You don’t have to pay for the gas you use (you use their gas card and enter in some information) and you get 180 free miles per day. So I used it on Monday and drove around to five different RV dealers to look at all different types of RVs. It really helped me to figure out some priorities as to what I want in an RV. Also, I had the help of two very good online friends who are more knowledgeable when it comes to RVs than I am.  D and R, you guys know who  you are. Thank you!! (I’ll save the particulars of what I discovered for another post, because I really want to talk about it in more detail than this type of post will normally allow.)

2. I no longer have to regularly open up the gym on weekday mornings, and what a difference it has made in my energy levels! I am now back to my normal routine of being able to work out every day before work. And what a difference it has made to my morale and self-esteem. I’m happy to again be doing some of my harder “Terri workouts” that I use to put myself through. God, I cannot tell you how much I have missed working out hard! (If you’re one of those people who hates to work out or sweat, well, then you can just consider me a weirdo. No offense taken!)

3. The weather has returned to being cooler, more autumn-like in New England. Lots of leaves have fallen, which makes me kind of sad, because I know what is following in its wake (the dreaded winter), but it also creates such a homey, nesting type of atmosphere. Osito loves the cool weather for our walks, I can tell. She has an extra spring in her step, and Wednesday night, she even appeared to be running!  When your dog is 13 years old AND blind, and she starts running, you can’t help yourself but be happy. I just get such a huge smile on my face when I see her doing that. I usually yell out “You’re running, Baby O! You’re running!” (To which she is probably thinking, “duh…Mom, I know that already!”)

4. I’m feeling good enough about my moods that I have asked my doctor if we can start weaning me off of one of my anti-depressants. I take Prozac and Wellbutrin. Why two different pills? Well, they go to different receptors in the brain. Prozac has a very long half-life so that means that if you were to stop taking it cold turkey (which you really shouldn’t), it would stay in your system for about 5-6 weeks. The half life for Wellbutrin is much shorter, so I was told I could even start taking it every other day, since the one I have been taking is a tablet with timed release. I was a bit nervous to do something that seemed so drastic, so we are just cutting my dose down slowly, and the pill I am now taking is only 75 mg, and it’s not time-released. So we will see how it goes!

I think I am past that point in my life when I needed the wellbutrin. I started taking it to help me with the side effects of Prozac when I was on a high dosage for Prozac. (High doses can sometimes make you feel very “flat” – in other words, you just don’t give two craps about much at all. Everything is very “meh.”)  Whatever stressor was bothering me at the time is no longer there,  so wish me luck! It is my hope that by next fall, I will not be taking any medication for my asthma (something else we are slowly weaning me off of), and probably down to just one prescription.  It will cost me a lot less if I am successful, and also, I’d like to just take as few medications as I possibly can.

5. This weekend is the final weekend of the Topsfield Fair, and you know what that means!! (Well, actually, you don’t, but you’re about to!) That’s right, folks, think of it….Deep Fried Oreos!!! Seriously, the best thing ever in the world. It’s good enough that I salivate all year just thinking of it. 🙂  The fair also means I get to pet lots of farm animals, and see the Guiness World Record setting pumpkin – that’s right, they judge that every year in this little corner of MA.

6. Oh, I almost forgot!!! I paid $750 on my LAL loan earlier this week since this is one of those 3-paycheck months at my full time job!! So now the balance is down to $14, 017 and some change. With the next regularly scheduled payment on the 16th, that bad boy is going down below 14K!!!! Die, bastard, die!!!

7. At my part-time job, we made our sales goals for the past month, so I’m hoping to wake up to a bonus in my savings account as a result. I’ll update this post if it happens!

Have a great holiday weekend (if you’re reading this in the US and are one of the lucky ones to get Columbus Day as a holiday.)  If you’ve liked this post please hit like or subscribe! Or drop me a line below!

 

 

 

 

Why I Keep On Keeping On: Life is Just Too Short

Terri

A friend of mine posted a video on Facebook earlier today and it just reaffirmed my decision to keep taking steps every day toward realizing my dream. Even if some days it’s just a small step, it still counts. Because some days, you take huge steps. Like this past Monday, when I went to five different RV dealers so I could take a look at a variety of travel trailers. Some conventional, some expandable. I’ll explain what conclusions those visits helped me come to in a later post, but first, I want to share this video with you:

Woman with Terminal Brain Cancer Decides to End Her Life Nov. 1  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0eVum0weKg

When I hear stories like this, and think of how many more years I have been fortunate to live than someone like this woman, it makes me feel a few different emotions: gratitude (there but for the grace of God, go I); sympathy for this woman and her family; regret at having wasted so many years of my life living the way I thought I *should* live it, thinking that the only measure of success in this world was to achieve the conventional ideas of what is a successful life. You know, being married, having a house, a good paying and stable job, etc.

“Seize the Day. What’s Important to You? What Do You Care About? What Matters? Forget the Rest.”

These are all statements made by Brittany Maynard toward the end of this video.  Think about them, and I mean, really think about them. And then, do something about them.

I spent so many years of my life just *thinking* about what I might want to do, but that’s all I ever did was think about my dreams. Didn’t take any action beyond the dreaming part. I kept myself in debt. Kept trying to ignore that little nudge my insides would give me when I felt like something was missing, but was too afraid to really figure out what that was.  What I knew was safe, and safe was supposed to be ok. It was supposed to be enough. And a few years ago, it just wasn’t.

A few years ago, I was terrified I couldn’t make a go of things on my own. But I did. I have been terrified to make mistakes in the past, and let myself stay rooted in place. Toward the end of this summer, as you know, I bought a scooter. It was a mistake, and one that really stressed me out there for a few weeks and I felt a lot of self-loathing for having been so stupid. And then I realized I was beating myself up for being human. I made a mistake. I could keep beating myself up about it, or I could learn from it, and try to move forward. (And hope that I can sell it in the spring when people are more likely to buy one.)

Life is too short to keep beating yourself up. So, don’t do it. Life is too short for fear to be given the power to hold you in one place. So don’t let it. Life is too short to keep caring what other people think about you and let their opinions form the way you life your life. So stop caring.  Life is too short to waste it by doing things you don’t want to do. So stop doing them. Start doing what you want to do. Start doing what you love. Start doing what makes you happy.  

When you’re outside and see something beautiful, really take it in. Really absorb it and see how it makes your heart feel. How it expands. How it makes you feel at peace. That’s what I do when I hear the wind blowing through the leaves of the trees. That’s what I do when I see the waves the wind causes on the reservoir while out walking with Osito.  It’s why I get such a huge smile on my face when I see my 13 year old, blind dog start running on our walk, with no fear whatsoever.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to look at freelance jobs for research and writing. Because they are two things I’m good at, and want to be able to do next year when I’m living on the road. And to read a book that has really sucked me in, because it’s something I love to do. Read, and expand my mind.  Reading takes me into another world. It’s something I would like to do for others.  And I write this blog now because it’s something  I love to do. Writing is cathartic to me. It helps me to say things I might not otherwise be able to express. And to connect with others, hopefully.

Thank you so much for reading. Please leave me a comment below if you have any thoughts on the topic, or hit like or subscribe.

 

Little Things for Which I am Thankful

Terri

 

And then this happened....miracle of miracles!
And then this happened….miracle of miracles!

 

  1. Oh thank God, it’s Friday. I worked on Sunday at my full time job on Sunday and it’s been a super busy week for all of those in my department so I couldn’t find a day to take off to use my comp time. So I’m taking it this Monday and am going to rent a zip car and check out RVs at the dealers near me! I’m super excited!  Going to do some searches of their inventory this weekend so I can plan out my route, and also not drive more than 180 miles in the process. After that, I have to pay extra.
  2. The weather this week in Boston has been pretty similar to what I think it will be like in the pacific northwest. Lots of rain and grey skies. It was very eye opening. Between the realization of the past few weeks that the scooter was not right for me, and the weather being kind of cold and raw, at times, I realized I really do need to go the travel trailer and crossover/small SUV route next year. I also realized it was very worth spending about $80 (on sale) for a rain jacket from Eastern Mountain Sports about a month ago. Riding a bike in the rain with the right gear is so much better than wearing just a windbreaker which, while it breaks wind, isn’t even water resistant.
  3. As I’ve been thinking more and more of what I want in a travel trailer, I’ve also acknowledged the fact that I really don’t want to have to buy some large honkin’ truck. A smaller one, maybe, or mid-size SUV, but I really don’t want something like a Yukon Denali, or Chevy Suburban, etc. So, I need something very light-weight, but still with enough room for all of my animals to be comfortable. I also need a tow vehicle in which I can let them out of their carriers, but still keep the vehicle organized in such a way that there can be barriers between the groupings of (1) Max and Sebastian, (2) Callie and HoneyBun, and (3) me, Osito and Bonkers. Osito insists on being on my lap, and Bonkers doesn’t travel so well in a carrier, so I want him to be close to me in case he gets sick. We’ll be like a traveling zoo!
  4. The realization in number 3 has reignited an interest in me to minimalize, minimalize, minimalize! In so doing, I’ve come across some pretty good youtube channels including this one, Unconventional Living.
  5. Take a look at the photo above. Aren’t they both beautiful?? Max is the one who is sort of facing the camera, and he’s the diva. You’ve seen pics of Bonkers before with his cute little ears. 🙂 I’ve NEVER seen them sit this close together before, and not have one growling or afraid of the other (that’d be Bonkers being afraid of Max in case you’re wondering.)  Seeing this made me feel hopeful that maybe I can really do the RV life with all of them and not have hell breaking loose all the time! I know that when you put animals in different physical situations, the hierarchy between them can change over time. So maybe there will be peace on earth, ta da!

Today is a day when a big payment will be made to my LAL loan. As you may recall from an earlier post, October is one of those amazing months where I get three paychecks, yay!  It allows me to make a big payment since the other day I realized that on a normal month of just two paychecks, I lose about 28 or 29% to taxes and other costs, like retirement deductions, etc. So that brings me down to about 70% of may paycheck being my take home pay. Out of that amount, I live on about 52% of it. So really, I’m living on about 1/3 of my gross pay! 

How much do you live on out of your gross or take-home pay? 

If you’ve liked this post, please hit like or subscribe, or drop me a comment below! If any of you have comments on the fiberglass travel trailers, or great tow vehicles, I would love to hear them, too! 

 

Little Things for Which I am Thankful

Terri

I know this post usually comes out on a Friday, so please forgive me. I pretty much crashed on Thursday evening, early, and didn’t have a chance to get anything written on Friday. And then it was the weekend! Read more →

Little Things for Which I am Thankful

Terri
#4 in my list. Rush Hour on the Charles.
#4 in my list. Rush Hour on the Charles.

It has been a very long week, and I’m just fighting to get through to October at this point at work, when I can start to breathe a bit more easily at work. It’s this way every year, so I am a bit used to it, but I haven’t always worked another job that required me to be at work at 5:30 am two days a week in the past, plus the freelance work. I’m not complaining, but it has just taken a toll on my energy. I’ve not worked out as much as I used to, and I can feel and see the difference in my body. Just some days I have had to prioritize sleep, as in like this morning. (I ask you, who gets 8 hours of sleep a night??)

  1. I am so thankful for all of the helpful comments and advice so many of you have given me this past week. You have no idea how much they are appreciated.  They have made me feel like I’m more a part of a community and I very much appreciate that. (This weekend, I plan to post my scooter on some of the RV forums and put together a flyer I can post on Monday on the bulletin boards at work. I also live close to another college, so I’m going to try to find out where I can post things there too.)
  2. Today is Pay Day from my full time job! YAY!! The reason I get excited is because I go and check my online savings account and see those account balances growing. I changed the nickname of one from “auto/scooter” to “motor home repairs” and that balance will continue to grow today. I am very lucky that the full time job pays every two weeks and the part-time job also pays every two weeks, but on alternating Fridays, so I feel like every week, I get to check and see those savings increase. It’s a good feeling, knowing I am saving for my future. Not just living paycheck to paycheck. Plus, I think I have figured out a way to eek out a little bit more of my budget to go to savings, so I will be changing my direct deposit at work today.
  3. I have a bit of work to do for my author this weekend, creating bibliographies for our chapters. It can be tedious, and my author admits that, but I’m one of those weirdos who actually doesn’t mind dealing with inane details such as “should this be in italics ofr small caps?” Perhaps it’s because of my day job, when I have to try to help people find things, and having (or not having) good information in a citation can make or break you. And you know what? It pays. It pays well.
  4. The photo above is of the Charles River during “rush hour.” I’m thankful to ride my bike home rather than sitting in traffic. I was able to stop and take a breath while traveling from one job to the other last night. I find that if I can sit and be still for even just a few minutes, it helps to ground me. Stresses minimize themselves, if only for a moment.
  5. This one is a longer one that I can’t put into just  a few sentences.

    Because I work where I work, I have the opportunity to meet with people from many different countries and walks of life. This can be good and this can be really bad. There is a lot of entitlement to deal with, and that’s one of my major pet peeves. I have never been taught to think of myself as better than anyone else, and as I always tell people, if I ever turn into “that person” just take out a gun and shoot me. I’ll know why you are doing it, no questions asked.

And I digress….so one of the good things is that occasionally, someone pretty cool comes along. Sometimes it’s a student with whom I stay in touch after graduation (you know who you are if you’re reading this), and sometimes it’s a very down to earth person who realizes that yes, even the “small people” are important too. That is the case with my lunch buddy from Monday afternoon. He has reached the pinnacle of his legal career in his country (and I’m not exaggerating in saying this) yet he made time to take me to lunch. Me, the lowly librarian. I helped him and made him feel welcome when he first arrived at my school as a visiting scholar three years ago. Ever since then, he has made time to see me when he is in town. He even sent me an invite to a very important event in his legal career, so I have it taped up to my wall in my office, in  a place of honor.  This same man also went out of his way to invite all the graduate law students from his country to dinner the next night. Please understand, these students pretty much worship him. You can’t say his name without their jaws dropping open.  He defines what a “Class Act” is, in my book.

But the greatest thing about this person – he has not changed. Success has not changed him one bit. In fact, he’s even more aware of who his real friends are. When I told him about my plans for next year, I prefaced it with “you might think I’m nuts to do this, but….” He told me that he didn’t think I was crazy, just very brave. (In his country, it’s not like it is here, where people can sometimes just say “you know what? This career isn’t working out for me…I’m going to now try “x, y, or z.”)

I told him what I do like about my job and he said “then you definitely have to do something in customer service, or dealing with people.” In fact, I am finding that this year, knowing it’s going to be my last, I am relating to people in a different way. I feel like I’m being more “real, or more me” and less the image that I think this place wants me to put out.  I even told my friend that part of the reason I had always liked him was because he didn’t put on any airs or act like he should be treated any differently than anyone else, even though at home he’s pretty much a superstar.

So, I’m thankful for people like him in this world. For his understanding that it’s ok for me to not necessarily follow the path that everyone expects me to take. He made me feel less silly in turning away from what I have achieved to pursue a new type of life. And again, I’m so grateful to all of you who left comments for me, especially this week, about the RV lifestyle. I appreciate all the support. Very much so.

If you have liked this post, please hit like or subscribe, or drop me a line below. I try to respond to all of them.

 

 

 

Little Things for Which I am Thankful….wellll……

Terri

Yep, the “welll…..” says it all.  It’s been that kind of week.

Ok, first, a picture of my kitty cat, Bonkers, aka, the Bonk Man. He’s mentioned in number 6 below so having his picture here is not completely random. (And it occurs to me I may have used it before, but hey, he looks super cute in it, no?)

Don't you just love his ears???
Don’t you just love his ears???

Let’s start with the draft of a post I had started yesterday, but didn’t get a chance to finish due to my running from one job to the other:

“I’m feeling like I am in a bit of a funk this week, and I’m not sure why. This morning I started to try writing it out in my journal because sometimes that helps. But I’m just feeling, well…really, bleh. Meh. You know the feeling. You just don’t give a shit about much.

My apartment is a mess, and usually this would bother me enough to spur me into action. Today? Yeah, not so much. Was supposed to work out with my trainer this morning – my last of ten sessions. Decided I felt like crap and just couldn’t do it this morning, so I cancelled. Feeling exhausted, even though I went to bed last night around 8:30, and only got up around 4 a.m. this morning. That’s more sleep than I normally get during the week nights.  Been drinking more coffee during the daytime, and not liking the fact that I think I need it to make it through the day. Usually, I only drink it at home and then just toughen up during the daytime.”

  1. I am thankful today to not be in such a funk.  After I wrote that yesterday, I made myself kick my own ass into gear. It was hard, and definitely slow-moving, but I got moving nonetheless.
  2. A family member of mine ended a relationship this week. Without going into details, let’s just say if I ever come upon this other (now-ex) person in real life, they are going to get a good ass-kicking, because no one makes a sibling of mine feel the way my sibling did, NO ONE!! (Seriously, people, there is a reason some people refer to me as the Tasmanian Devil. Don’t get me pissed off!) (Just kidding…welllll…..) LOL (Really, I am very protective of my younger sibling, so when someone puts that sibling down, I get really upset.)
  3. It is finally Friday. I seem to be including that a lot in my lists lately….hmmmm
  4. I’ve felt really adrift lately, not exactly sure where I want to be next fall, but just knowing, not here. Been getting really down thinking of what the workamping salaries might be like. But I realized this morning, I can make it work, I just have to work really hard at also getting some sort of online thing going to create a bit of a buffer zone, financially speaking.
  5. The scooter – oh…the scooter…those of you who are friends with me on facebook know already – I just don’t feel comfortable riding it. In fact, I’m downright scared. Yes, after getting the motorcycle license and everything. I just get this feeling in my gut when I’m on it, that I shouldn’t be. So, now I’m trying to sell it, either via craigslist, or even possibly to a dealer.  Only thing I am grateful for is well, at least now I know what I DON’T LIKE, and what I DO LIKE.  For me, that’s the simplicity of my electric bike. ❤
  6. This morning, my Bonkers, my white cat with the funky ears that make him look like a teddy bear, came up to me and sat on my lap. Although he loves for me to pet him, and he purrs a lot, he’s never done that before. He got all snuggly this morning too. I hope it’s a forecast of more snuggles to come with him.

So anyway, there you have it, folks. I hope your week has been better than mine. But I do know that overall, I’ve got it good. I really can’t complain. Sometimes, the tired part of your brain just takes over and makes you whine. Which is annoying.

So anyway, if you have liked this post, please hit like or subscribe, or drop me a line below. I especially appreciate the comments, as I really want to establish or help grow a community on here. I love talking with and (hopefully eventually) meeting with people that I feel like I really connect to.

Have a great weekend!

 

 

 

 

 

Little Things for Which I am Thankful (go hug your mom)

Terri

purpleflower

I like watching documentaries, and I like finding things to see for free. Sometimes the documentaries are not necessarily the most uplifting, but it’s those documentaries that can be grounding.

I know that my mom and I didn’t always have the best relationship. In fact, I stopped talking to her for about 8 months after my split from my ex-husband. I felt like she just couldn’t understand me and what I was going through, since I had been the person to leave the marriage, and not the other way around. I should explain – I grew up in a single parent household after I was about 8, and we lived with my mom. Our dad was still in our lives, but she had us most of the time.  At the time that it was just us four and the dog, she had been out of the workforce for about 12 years, and only had a high school education.

(Note, my use of the term “only” is non-judgmental, I am using it in comparison to my father’s bachelors and masters. I do not look down on anyone who didn’t go to college. In fact, sometimes, I think those people are much smarter than me, as they don’t have the student loans I still have all these years after I am out of school. My current salary may (or may not) be higher, but so much of it goes out the window every month for payments, that I definitely don’t live like someone probably would who made my salary without debts.)

The two documentaries I ran across were produced by HBO, but you can see them for free on YouTube.

HBO Documentaries: Paycheck to Paycheck

HBO Documentaries: American Winter

The reason I bring up my mom is because of a line in the Paycheck to Paycheck movie. She mentions things that you do if you’re a mom. You give up things so that your kids are taken care of. And I know my mom gave up a lot. She was in her mid-40s at the time and started cleaning houses so she could work and be home when we came home from school. And, for a while, she kept her working as a housecleaner secret from us. At the time, I thought it was because of shame, but I could be wrong. Let me just tell you, when you are in your 40s, like she was, your body can’t keep up to that kind of work for a really long time, especially if you weren’t in really good physical shape to start with. (Mind you, she wasn’t overweight but she wasn’t in shape to run marathons either. She was like most people her age.)

So anyway, instead of writing up a list today, I’m just going to leave this post at my being thankful for my mom and for having raised me the way she did. None of us ever got into drugs. We know the value of a dollar. We are self-respecting adults. She taught us to be hard workers. Actually, she (along with my grandma) taught us a lot of things. I don’t know if she will ever read this, but I’ll just say thank you, Mom, I think you “done good.” 🙂

As always, if you have liked this post, please hit like or subscribe, or join me on facebook!

Little Things for Which I am Thankful

Terri

Oh my God, thank GOD it’s Friday, people. I am just exhausted this week. Could be the working of many jobs has caught up to me, or the 90-some degree heat we had this week, or the walking of my bike yesterday in the heat when it got a flat tire, or the fact that I have been leading tours to new LLM students all week, but I’m definitely a tired lady right now. But it’s been a good week too.

1. I paid $300 on my student loan and was rewarded with seeing that damn bastard LAL Loan balance go below $15K. Whooppee – that’s about $6K paid down on it in 11 months. While that may not seem like a lot, I’ve paid off a total of about $10K in debt over that time period while also saving a fair amount. When I add the two numbers together, it makes me really happy. It tells me that I am capable of really cutting my expenses and prioritizing, especially when the situation warrants it.

2. You read above that I got a flat tire on my bike this week. Yep, that kinda (ok, it really) sucked. It was really hot out I was not super close to a bus stop at the time. But I am thankful that (a) it was not out of the realm of reason to walk to a bus stop and (2) the fact that a bus was even an option. In a lot of other cities, I would have been royally screwed, and had to walk the bike for miles.  Also, something told me before I left to not worry about the extra weight that a bottle of water would give me – just to go ahead and fill it up. Thankfully I listened to my gut!

3. I’ve gained some new readers this week, and it’s definitely making me feel like I’m more and more part of a community out there. A community of people who have decided that maybe the “expected” way of life isn’t necessarily the only course you can choose. It helps to keep this in mind as you explain to others who know you in your regular “sticks and bricks” life that don’t quite necessarily grasp why living in any other way might be desirable. Not that I care what others think, mind you – if they don’t like the idea of living in a motorhome or think it’s “trashy” – well, they’re entitled to their opinion. Doesn’t mean I have to listen to it or allow it to have any effect on me. (It’s so freeing when you finally don’t care what others think!)

4. There have been a few very hot days this week but the others have been, well, just amazing. Very low humidity and such gorgeous breezes. I just sat down by the reservoir with Baby O on my lap yesterday and thought of how lucky I was to be able to enjoy it.  And, of course, she brought smiles to the faces of many people walking by. One person even said “thank you!” to me.

5. My Bonkers is feeling a thousand times better this week. Took him back to the animal hospital this week so a doctor of internal medicine could check him out, and they retested him for anemia. Luckily, the anemia he had last week seemed to be gone – his body had just slowed down making red blood cells while it was fighting everything else going on.

Not sure why, but I’m not questioning it but I woke up this morning in a really good mood, even though I’m working on the day before a long holiday weekend and am working this Sunday. Some people might hate to work, and I do love my free time, but every day I work now, I just keep telling myself, it’s money I can set aside for the future. For my new life, when I likely won’t make anything close to what I am making now, but will be more free to follow my heart. I can’t wait!  In the meantime, I will just be very envious of my older brother and sister in law – check out their blog – It’s Not a Slow Car, It’s a Fast House – they are going to be living in their van, Alta, starting in 35 days!!

By the way, in case you are curious – I’m going to be shopping for a scooter this weekend, and this is one of my possible choices (isn’t she pretty??!!):

Sym Fiddle II 125

Photo courtesy of Alliance Power Sports
Photo courtesy of Alliance Power Sports

If you have liked this post, please hit like or subscribe, or join me on facebook! And I love hearing from you, so please do leave me a comment! Have a great Labor Day weekend if you’re in the US and if you’re outside the US, just have a great weekend then!

 

Musings and Memories (and little things for which I am thankful)

Terri
My Bonkers/Bonk-Man earlier this week at Angell Memorial. He looks so sad....
My Bonkers/Bonk-Man earlier this week at Angell Memorial. He looks so sad….

I meant to write my usual “little things for which i am thankful” post last week, I really did. But between working all of my three jobs, and taking a motorcycle class this past weekend (ahem, I passed!!) it just didn’t happen. So, yes, that was a really exciting weekend for me! Met a lot of nice people and had a lot of fun. And I survived!!

So, um, why did I take a motorcycle class?? Well, I want to buy a scooter (which technically is a motorcycle, just one with an automatic transmission). In MA, if you want one that is more than 49cc, or goes faster than about 25 mph, you need to have a motorcycle endorsement on your license (if you’re like me, and already have the regular Class D one.) I saw the class was being offered this past weekend when by luck, I didn’t have to work either day, and I signed up. Yes, it was $285, but it was money well spent. You spend about 9 hours on the bikes out of the two days (which is a lot, trust me) and the instructors are so patient and helpful.

So….musings….I was thinking as I was on my way to the class this past Saturday morning – just what would my ex-husband say if he saw me now? Or my ex-boyfriend? Neither would probably believe it. And that’s important to me because it shows how far I have come! 🙂 I am so NOT the person either of them knew!

A favorite song of my ex-boyfriend was Pontoon by Little Big Town. I had completely forgotten that I had it downloaded on my iPod until it started playing on Monday morning while on my run. And you know what? It was bittersweet. And that tells me that I am healing or more possibly accurate, have healed from that time in my life. I remembered the good times, how he used to turn the stereo up a lot louder every time it came on and how he used to smile when he heard it. (He may have been born in the SW part of the US, but he is a southern boy through and through!)

But that’s it – I only thought of happy times with him, and while I was sorry it didn’t work out, I know it’s for the best. My heart and my mind are in tune with each other on this. It was when I started dating him that I realized there is a way of living without debt.  And he introduced me to Dave Ramsey and his philosophies (of which I agree with many, but not all), so those are two really good things that  came out of that relationship. He also taught me that yes, I am loveable, and can actually care about someone again.  That’s saying a lot because after my divorce, I was worried I wasn’t worthy of anyone else’s love, and that I was destined to be alone for the rest of my life. The difference between now and then is that these days, I’m ok with being on my own for what will probably be the foreseeable future.

You will see from the picture above that my Bonkers, my elder statesman, made the acquaintance of some doctors at Angell Memorial Hospital, which is very well known in this area for their level of care. I took him to my vet on Monday, thinking all he needed was an enema (lovely, I know.) I was bit worried because his bum looked sore and he had just had an enema two weeks before. So, long story short, he needed to go to Angell, where he could be sedated and looked at by a few doctors, one being a surgeon, to see if he had a hernia. Thankfully for him (and my wallet), he didn’t have a hernia. So instead of looking at what could have been a bill for $3500-4000, I got one for $1680. Relatively, a bargain!

But, it’s all worth it in my book to see him sitting in his cat bed and looking out the kitchen window. It’s amazing how even just one day at home and he looks so much more relaxed than he did yesterday when I picked him up. He knows he’s home. (He needs to go back for a check up next week just to make sure everything’s healing ok – he also had a rupture) but that’s just a quick in-and-out visit. 🙂  I am so glad he was taken care of, and he’s feeling better. I’m so grateful for the amazing care they took of him, and also that they called to update me on his progress at least twice a day. This picture was even texted to me by the hospital on Tuesday night – how sweet was that? It came with a note that said “good night from Bonkers.” And I’m so grateful to his regular vet for having called me tonight to check on his progress after she got the report from Angell about him.

My author is now on vacation until the beginning of September so my work will die down in that area just as the school year ramps up. She was also very pleased with my work that I did over the past few weeks, which always makes me feel good to hear. And, I’ve been given a few extra shifts at the gym through the month of September, which definitely comes in handy with Bonkers’ vet bills. And last but not least, I am very grateful that I have taken care of things in my life so that when this emergency came up, I wasn’t panicked about how I was going to pay for it. I knew I could. A few years ago, when my Chloe got sick, I was worried about if she would need surgery and how I would find the funds to pay for it. (Luckily, it didn’t come to that.)

My apologies for not posting my weekly gratitude post last week – as you can see, it’s been an insane two weeks! But, it’s all good. It’s all forward progress, even when the obstacles are thrown into your way. It’s just a matter of how you deal with them that changes. With that, I wish all of you a great weekend.

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Little Things for Which I am Thankful

Terri

Sorry I’m late in posting this today – it’s been a busy week, and I expect to be busy through the weekend. Yes, I’ll be working a lot, but I don’t want to let my author down. I’m lucky she has a lot of faith in me and my work product, and I’m not about to disappoint her.

Without a thought to his own safety, my boy Sebastian (with his buddha belly) protected me from the big, bad, paper towel roll!
Without a thought to his own safety, my boy Sebastian (with his buddha belly) protected me from the big, bad, paper towel roll!

1. TGIF. This was my first week back after vacation. Got paid today so I can afford to pay off Bonkers’ most recent vet bill. Almost $400 but he’s feeling better and that is all that matters.

2. Like I just said above, it’s pay day. Thank you, God. I decided to sign up for a motorcycle safety course, as I want to buy a scooter and if it’s over 50cc, in Massachusetts, you need to have a motorcycle endorsement on your license. Since I’m looking forward, I know I will likely need more than a 50cc to travel the roads out in Washington.  I plan on taking and hopefully passing the permit test this coming week, so that if I successfully complete the safety course, I can get my  license right then and there. From what I understand, I can ride a scooter at the course if I so choose, and that’s the plan.  They also provide helmets if you don’t yet own one. I figure this way, I can also test out which scooter or what type of scooter I can work best with.

So what about the electric bike you ask? I plan on keeping it for the time being until I buy a scooter. My plan is to buy the scooter toward fall when people tend to mark them down, price-wise, and don’t want to have to store them for the winter.  I won’t likely ride it much in the winter, if we get a lot of snow again, but I’d like to have it for the spring when I get the motor home (if all goes to plan.)  What I am thankful for, though, is that I could afford to sign up for the course, and also that it is held at a location that I can get to via the commuter rail and then a short walk. And I have next Sunday off because they need to do repairs at the gym!

3. I’ve had my apartment back to myself this past week.  It allowed me to deal with stressors as they came up in a way that is hard to do when you have a roommate. Some people just do better on their own, and I guess that’s me. And I found I was able to focus more on my freelance research, and be more productive in the mornings. I wish my former roommate well if she’s reading this.

4.  I received a notification that the newest issue of Motor Home magazine, to which I subscribe, was available. Yes, I’m that much of a dork. And here’s the great thing – I really don’t care what anyone thinks!

5. An online friend of mine has a son that just graduated from high school, and he’s in an area of California that is facing those horrible forest fires. So far, he’s safe, so I’m thankful for that.  It might be the last thing mentioned in today’s post but it’s the most important.

I hope you will all have a safe, or productive, or lazy-daze weekend – whatever it is you want for yourself! If you’ve liked this post, please hit like or subscribe below, or drop me a line!