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.

If you’ve liked this post, please hit like or subscribe, or drop me a line below! Thank you for reading!

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!

 

 

Getting Rid of my Debt (What # am I up to now?)

Terri
Shhh...the baby is sleeping....
Shhh…the baby is sleeping….

I seriously have lost count. I know I have not been talking about the Debt Killing much lately and that’s because it has slowed down,while my savings has really ramped up. Now that I know I definitely want to move to WA state by September of next year (and possibly as early as August if I get accepted to the Outdoor School I mentioned in my last post), I have figured out how much I need to save to feel comfortable when making the move. I want to have at least 4-6 months living expenses saved up, a scooter (which I estimate will cost me about 2K), and have planned on saving up about $3K for the move. I figure the motor home will cost me probably about $1200 for gas alone, and I’m thinking right now my budget for the motor home purchase will probably be around 10K. I’m not expecting to get the latest model but want something dependable, and I don’t mind putting in some sweat equity to make it my “home” Ii.e. my goal is to make it feel “beachy” by probably painting the walls, and possibly the cabinets depending on what color they are to start with.) Read more →

Little Things for Which I am Thankful

Terri
The reservoir, looking surprisingly green!
The reservoir, looking surprisingly green!

This has been a vacation week from my full time job, but I’ve been keeping busy. I’ve covered an extra shift at the gym, and my author has been giving me more final work to do on the chapters, so I’m keeping my brain active too. Read more →

Little Things for Which I am Thankful

Terri

Ok, maybe these are not so little!  But the pictures included in this post are ones where I just realized the simple beauty that is always around me. I love cloudy days (good thing I want to move to the pacific northwest, huh?)

Sunset in St. Lucia - loved the clouds down there over the ocean
Sunset in St. Lucia – loved the clouds down there over the ocean

When I was in St. Lucia, if I sat still enough, I was treated to the sight of so many sand crabs digging out their homes, and I  marveled at how efficiently they worked, plus how well they blended in with their surroundings. And finally, the last photo of the sky through the trees – my ex-boyfriend got me into noticing the leaves on trees a lot more. I took this last photo below while on our field trip in St. Lucia. Because it’s so humid, the climate is basically like a rain forest. Read more →

Moving Items into the “Done” Column

Terri

photo 3 (2)

A good online friend of mine recently joked that my “Done” column was getting pretty long and I might need to start a new page. I’m cool with that! Read more →

Little Things for Which I am Thankful

Terri
Beach flowers from St. Lucia
Beach flowers from St. Lucia

Well, it was my first week back after the conference, and it was a busy one. Sorry I have not been writing much lately but I’ve been extremely busy and there just don’t seem to be enough hours in the day, sometimes. I know I’m not alone in thinking this way. Anyway, I hope that will change after this weekend. It’ll be my second attempt at passing the CES (corrective exercise science) certification exam. You need 70 points to pass, and on my first attempt, well, I got 69. My chiropractor said that’s pretty good considering I have not gone to an actual school to learn all of this. Self-learning anatomy and physiology is really hard, trust me.   I also know that I sometimes freak out when a test is timed, as this one is. (So, if I normally read your blog and make comments and haven’t done so this past week or two, I plan on catching up!) Read more →

Little Things for Which I am Thankful

Terri
Bird taking flight
Bird taking flight

Just a very quick post before I head down to the beach to take a walk along the water’s edge… (btw, I had meant to take this bird’s photo while he was stationary but as I got closer, he took to the air. I think the picture came out even better that way!)

 

sunset on St. Lucia
sunset on St. Lucia
  1. I’m very thankful to have spent the time with friends again in the Caribbean, and that my presentation (seemed) to go well earlier this week. It was cool to see all these librarians who usually work in a formal setting getting up and stretching and laughing amongst each other.
  2. I met a librarian who my school really wanted to interview, but because of timing and other circumstances, it didn’t work out and she got hired elsewhere. She was really cool and she said I inspired her to start working out again. 🙂
  3. I’ve been worried about my furballs, and one in particular, this week, Bonkers, because he was sick. But my roommate (and her boyfriend especially) took care of him and he seems to be recovering well. I am so glad that he was not alone when he got sick and that someone who really cared about him was there to help him out, get him all cleaned up, made sure he was eating enough canned pumpkin, etc.
  4. I’ve been able to swim in the near-bathwater-temperature of the Caribbean every day this week. Many of the people around here take it for granted but I never would.
  5. There have been a family of cats that live at the hotel area where I am staying – they’ve been super cute and a lot of people here have been feeding them (although they still look a bit on the skinny side), so they’ve made me feel a bit less like I am so far from home.
  6. I am thankful to be returning home to my furballs. I have really missed them.
  7. I realized by being down here that I think the pacific northwest will definitely be  a good match for me. It was very overcast here in St. Lucia yesterday, and I loved it. I’m definitely ok with some grey days as long as I know it won’t be raining nonstop and also that the sun will eventually come back. As long as I won’t be freezing to death on all of those really grey days, I’m good to go. That’s the difference between the northwest and the northeast. In the northeast, it can just become absolutely miserable.

I will write more over the next few days, and add in lots of pictures of St. Lucia.  I put a few on facebook but that doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of how many I took!  (The little guy below was pretty friendly – we met him on our tour on Wednesday afternoon and he even let me pick him up and hold him!)

My buddy from our tour
My buddy from our tour

Little things for which I am thankful

Terri
She sleeps.... (just try not to say "awww" when you look at her picture...I dare you!)
She sleeps…. (just try not to say “awww” when you look at her picture…I dare you!)

As  I sat down to write this, my little calico Callie came over and started rubbing all up against my computer, so she starts off my list – I’m so thankful for all of my animals and their continuing to remain healthy even as they age. I like to think I have something to do with it, by giving them good food and a good home where they feel safe and can sleep as much as they want. Or, they could just have really good genes. 🙂

I’m all packed up and ready to go on my trip to St. Lucia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I know people think all I do when there is sit on the beach, but really, our conference is a good couple days with events at night as well, so I won’t have much free time after my first night there, until pretty much my last day there before I fly back. But don’t worry, I’ll still take lots of pics of the beach for all of you!! (Do I sound like I”m gloating?? Well, ok…maybe a little….lol)  I’m thankful my roomie is here to take care of all of the furballs – makes me feel a lot better to know their environment doesn’t have to change just because I’m traveling. Especially for Osito, that makes me very thankful. She tends to get nervous when she is in a strange place, which is understandable with her lack of vision.

With the help of two very good friends, I am feeling pretty good about the decision I made this week, to move to Washington State by next fall, if my savings plan works out the way I want it to. My hope is to start attending the National Personal Training Institute in Renton, WA in September, for their 6 month program. It’s $6300 if you pay it all up front, and it lasts for 6 months. The program consists of 300 hours of classroom time, and 200 hours of hands on time, which also includes an internship. They do have a program here around Boston, but really, I want to meet people in the field where I will be living, so I’ll put off attending until I move.  One of my brother’s lifelong friends lives out there now, and he’s been super helpful in answering all my inane questions.

With the decision to move, I have put off my decision to buy an RV or a tiny home and land. Since I don’t know for sure where I will end up doing personal training with clients, and I’m not familiar with the Seattle area, it just doesn’t make sense. Plus, I looked into the campgrounds near the Seattle area, even the state parks, and it would still end up costing me at the very least around 500 but more likely closer to 750/800 a month to rent a spot. I can get an apartment for about 650-700, I think, so financially, it just makes more sense to rent at first. Plus, WA does not have income tax, and Seattle’s minimum wage is $15!!!!  But they make up for that lack of income tax with very high property taxes. Just something else to think about.  I

I’ll also slow down my debt repayment for a bit to stockpile savings.  I will still make at least double payments on the private loan.  I think I’m better at stockpiling savings, and then if I can, pay a chunk of it before I move. We’ll see. The plan is still evolving, but with my friend L’s help, I saw last night it’s financially feasible for me to do this, and (hopefully, which is my word, not hers) not have to touch the money I’ve already saved for the tiny home.   Honestly, my fascination for tiny homes began when I saw people living in these tiny apartments. So now, I’m hoping my unattachment to things will help me find a small place out there that will also hopefully be easier on my wallet.   It’s going to all be about living simpler. I’m excited at the thought of downsizing my space even more.

I’m grateful for boxes. Why boxes, you ask? Well, they give my animals something to do, which is entertain me with their silly antics! I got lots of packages delivered this week (I get their pet food online), so there has been much exploring being done by my boys, Max and Sebastian.

I’m feeling like my life is coming together, like I’m figuring out my purpose. And it’s a good feeling. I  hope you will all have a wonderful fourth of July!

 

 

 

Little Things for Which I am Thankful

Terri
If you know Boston at all, you know where this was taken.
If you know Boston at all, you know where this was taken.
  1. I am so thankful for my friends, both new and old, in person and online. You know who you are. I’m grateful for all the questions you throw in my direction when you feel I might have my head stuck in the clouds about my dreams, because they keep me down on this earth. And I’m grateful for your ability to make me smile and laugh.  You teach me that it’s ok to dream, and not be like everyone else. And that if you work hard enough at it, your dreams CAN become your reality.
  2. Air conditioning, folks, plain and simple. Yesterday, there was 93% humidity in the Boston area at one point. In case you live in a climate where you never see those kinds of numbers, well, let me just tell you, it’s GROSS. You basically walk outside, take a breath, and wonder why you ever bothered to shower that day already.
  3. It has actually been really nice to have a roommate these last few weeks. While it’s been an adjustment to having someone else around, she’s pretty respectful, and so is her partner, and when I walked into the apartment last night, she was doing some exercises, so I got to teach her a few things and correct her form on some others. It was nice to see her doing something which I love so much, and to realize, you know, I really can help people with this. I may feel like a fraud some days, not having the hands-on experience yet, and I definitely don’t know everything there is to know (and won’t even claim to do so), but it’s something to work on. When you know everything there is to know about a subject, then it gets boring. Luckily, my current field, and my next one (notice I didn’t add in the word “hopeful” after next…I AM going to make it happen) are fields where lifelong learning is involved.
  4. Baby geese!!!
    Baby geese!!!

    I came in late to work on Monday because of an appointment and because our policy is either you make up the time or have to take an entire half day off, I took the half day. It allowed me to spend time on my way home just gazing at the Charles, sitting (and laying part of the time) on a park bench, as if I didn’t have a care in the world. And I truly didn’t for that short period of time. I was still enough that even the baby geese felt safe enough to walk right past me.

  5. I am so very grateful for the view below and the cloudy skies. A lot of people don’t like having an overcast day. But for me, I enjoy them. First of all, I LOVE running in overcast skies. In sun, I literally feel like I am going to wilt. And also, they make me appreciate the sunny days all the more. I’m grateful for this realization because it has really helped me to focus and decide on an area of the country where I want to move. At least a state and a few regions of that state anyway. More on my decisions in a later post…..dum dum dum….. (by the way, I was touched with how many of you responded to my request for information on WA state. Thank you…)
  6. I think I have made a few decisions this week about the direction of my life over the next year or 18 months and while they are a bit terrifying, they’re also exciting. Might involve slowing down some of my paying off of debt so I can bank a lot in savings, but I’ll keep at both goals. I”ll explain in a later post.

 

:-)
🙂

 

As always, thanks for reading, and I hope you will all have a great weekend if I don’t post over it (although, I’m in a writing mood so you never know…)

If you’ve liked this post, please hit “like” below or subscribe or drop me a line! Thank you!!