What Happened Wednesday

Today was a busy day.  I photographed about 20 clothing items to list on eBay, they will be in my draft section.  I tend to release about 5 a day to keep the eBay algorithm happy.  Only one item sold today.  I currently have about 111 items listed.  My eBay store is happygirlthirft if you are interested in having a look. I will put a link to my store on the sidebar. 

We continued to work on painting the bedroom.  I did the second coat of cut-in along the ceiling on two walls.  My husband finished the first coat on all the walls.   The walls were a sherbert orange.  I liked that color about 10 years ago.  It is definitely time for a change.  Now the color is a light, light aqua green.  It's pretty neutral and calming. 

Today was my grandson's 16th birthday. We went over to their home to celebrate.  The theme was Sasquatch.  My daughter does not do typical themes and decor.  We go for the less obvious.  

Have you used ChatGPT for anything?  I have found it very helpful for many things.  It helped me write my grandson's birthday card and it came up with a cover for the card.  The grandson is into auto mechanics. 

The rest of the evening was TV time after we got home from my daughter's home.  It was really a good time and my grandson loved the attention and the fun theme.  

How was your Wednesday?

Wednesday, Online Auction, Gym Time

 Time just gets away from me! I am still staying busy with tackling daily lists and running around the grandkids.  They are getting older so any time I get with them ( even if it is chauffeuring them from point A to point B) is good enough for me. 

Early morning walk with Cricket 

Yesterday, I met up with to former coworkers for a brunch at a biscuit joint. This is the second year we met for brunch since I left my position pre-covid 2019.  We bonded as teacher assistants in an elementary school that (we felt) treated teacher assistants as second-class employees.  The grunts.  That being said,
budgets have been cut so severely that there are so few teacher assistants, and now only for ESE students, mainstream teachers are getting the short end of the stick. Brunch was really good as was the company.  I really enjoy these ladies. 

My gym time has been consistent for the last 4 weeks.  This has a lot to do with my husband being home with his back injury.  I miss having the house to myself lol, and getting up at 4:30 to go to the gym, walking the dog, and spending time on the porch drinking coffee  (by myself) and enjoying the crows keeps me grounded. His being home and not really able to do all the things he wants to do is frustrating for him and for me. I know, this shall pass too. 

I am still not able to remember where I put the new spray nozzle for the hose.  It has got to be here somewhere.  I have been cleaning out my eBay room and putting together a bag of stuff that will be going back to the thrift store. I was also able to throw out some things which I know won't sell or are not fit for the thrift store.  

On the other hand, I will be going to an auction house to pick up several lots I won via an online auction. Did I get carried away? Yes.  Do I need to NOT do an online auction for a few weeks?  Also yes.  Each lot starts out at $5.00 and for the most part, you can typically win with just a $5.00 bid.  The quantity of items in each lot varies. I won a tea set that was made in Japan for $5, and another lot was 20 Horror DVD's for $5.  

Today I am headed to see the NP to follow up on the Metformin for weight loss. I have not got on the scale as I can get carried away with daily weigh-ins.  I also need to decide today if I want to sign up for online counseling, I am still feeling "stuck" and lack the ability to move on with a couple of issues.  The weight gain and LACK of counseling most likely go hand in hand.  

Off to get the day started!

Wednesday, Heat Index, No List, Crows

I have an appointment in Orlando this AM, so my list for today will be brief.  Also, it is going to be too hot to do much of anything outside. 

There were a couple of things that did not get accomplished yesterday, I just ran out of steam.  I will add those to tomorrow's list and see how it goes. 

I decided against making strawberry syrup from the tops of the strawberries.  I have plenty of strawberry freezer jam for a very long time.  Hubs tried it last night and thought it was SUPER SWEET ( it is) and made a face and added in a Yuck for effect.  

Whatever. I still like it and it looks like I will be the only one enjoying it. A little bit at a time because it is so sweet lol. 

It's the second day of Amazon Prime days, I really have not found anything I cannot live without. I do need to order more sneakers for myself and I will do that later today.  There was something else but I can't remember it right now.  

The crows came in to eat this morning.  They typically come in a group of four. The mockingbirds are still mad at them and try to attack them.  

The bird in the middle is the mockingbird buzzing by the crows. 

Not much else.  Time to hit the road and head south. 

Wednesday in Review

The stitches in my gum (post gum surgery) were removed and I am thankful it was a quick and almost

painless process. I still get to go back in two weeks for a check-up of the healing process. The area is still swollen a bit and tender.  I was instructed to continue to swish with salt water after meals.

Today was my monthly haircut appointment.  I have been seeing my stylist for 33 years, which may tell you we are similar in age.  We both graduated in 1978, but from different schools.  He cuts hair in Orlando, and I live about 30 minutes north of Orlando but will travel to see him for a haircut and a highlight when necessary. Pretty sure I will be blonde forever lol.  

Afterwards, I hit up Publix for beef bones for bone broth.  We have been using chicken feet for bone broth but for the last two weeks, we could not find any chicken paws at Walmart or SavALot. I like the chicken bone broth better flavor-wise, but for now, we will have to make do with beef bone broth. I use the InstantPot to make the bone broth, and it really makes quick work of it.  My husband and daughter swear by it, my husband says it helps joint pain and my daughter says it is great for gut health. 

The second stop of the day was Target. After dropping off the Publix groceries, I went to Target to stock up on toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags, paper plates, and Gatorade.  The paper goods were bought in prep for hurricane season. Just one less thing to worry about if and when a big storm comes through. I also picked up another watermelon, the one we got from Walmart earlier this week was kinda tasteless. But we are going to eat it anyway. Hopefully, this melon will be better.  We enjoy watermelon as a nightly snack, so I try to keep it on hand. 

The summer afternoon storms are here and they definitely cool things off.  Temps are in the high 90's with high humidity.  Outside chores are completed in the AM, walking the dog, watering any plants that need it and start cleaning the vinyl fence panels in the back yard.  I haven't counted them, but maybe when I am done I will let you know how many and how long it takes. It is a yearly chore that I try to get done before it gets too hot, but I  put it off until the heat gets here.

If you live in the south or are experiencing high heat, what do you keep your thermostat set at to keep your house comfortable and to not break the bank?

We try to keep our AC set at 78 degrees and keep the fans going to keep it tolerable and afforadable. 

Happy Thursday!

It's Official

 Yep, it's official.  I submitted my "retired status" to the ultrasound licensing board, ARDMS, and I have
officially closed that chapter of my life.  To be honest, the door was pretty much shut for the last couple of years.  I have not scanned a patient or stepped on a college campus as an adjunct.  It feels pretty good.  I have always entertained the idea of going back to actively scanning but that is as far as it got.  It was always a thought, not an actual action. 

Now what?  Pretty much the same as before.  I will continue to work on my online reselling business and I may, just maybe pick up a part-time job after the holidays to supplement our income.  There is money in ultrasound, but I am not able to handle the stress of the job.  Who knows?? I may not be able to handle the stress of any job anymore.

 This morning I am working on the pile of mail that accumulates on the counter.  It was definitely getting out of control. Most of the pile is going into the trash as junk mail and filler material from actual bills.  I still like getting paper billing notices even though I monitor all of my accounts online.  Maybe that is the old school in me.  I did see where our auto insurance is going up $30 a month.  That is motivation to see what else is out there.  I think I can bundle my auto with my homeowners and save a few bucks.  I will need to follow up with our agent. 

The rest of the day is filled with wrapping up a few gifts, prepping more graham cracker houses so the kiddos can decorate them this weekend.  I am meeting a Sunday School friend for lunch downtown.  I am so lucky to be in this class, they are a mature group of ladies with so much wisdom to share about life.  I love them all so much.  

They have filled the gap of losing my mother 9 years ago.  Mom was more about her than me, and with the help of my SS ladies, I have learned to let go of some of that resentment towards my mom.  The rest of the resentment and healing will have to come from therapy.  Which I will be starting again soon. So there is that. 

Time to pack up eBay packages and get them to the Post Office.  

Have a great day and be good to yourself. 

Transfer Tuesday Paying Debt 10/12/21 Better Late Than Never

 

                   

                             

Hello Tuesday!  This is the day that we make an extra effort to pay down our debt and slide into retirement debt-free .  Most every Tuesday we apply extra cash (whether it be BIG or small) to our outstanding debt.  This helps keeps us aware of and accountable for our debt. And it all makes a difference.

Our only debt is a HELOC with an interest rate of 2.24% The minimum monthly payment goes towards the PRINCIPAL and the INTEREST.   I am chipping away at the balance until we sell my deceased mom's house that is currently being used as a rental. At that point, we will pay off the rest of the balance.  Until then, I will be sending in payment to this debt and/or to my taxable investment account every Tuesday. 

MONEY MOVES THIS WEEK

Previous balance on last Transfer Tuesday Post  $64,058.42

eBay 10%     $15    

Posh, Mercari, Bonanza Payout $150.42             

New HELOC Balance:   $63,893.00

We have chipped away $30,000.00 since September 2019

Every little bit helps.  

When we started paying down the debt in Sept 2019 we were at $95,853.00

How was your Transfer Tuesday? 

My inspiration for Transfer Tuesday is Pennies Not Perfection