Life's A Bitch

Life is a bitch and so, apparently, am I. Or so more and more people seem to be saying as much. Maybe my New Year resolution will be to just remove myself from all things family. Won't be able to do that till Andrea moves out in August, but from then on out, I may just retreat unto myself.

Started a Bucket List - decided I couldn't just put down places I want to visit, each entry must be a specific want. So, instead of saying I want to go to Ireland, I asked myself, what do I want to see/do/accomplish while there? It was easy enough to answer - I want to check out Eyrecourt Castle in County Galway. So far I have about a dozen items in my Bucket and none of them cheap! 

Andrea is having her family over this evening for a Christmas gathering. I am wondering if I can fain a head ache and just stay in the bedroom. But then no one will pat Michael down at the end of the evening to see what he's smuggling out. Seven more months.

Almost Christmas

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here! Tree and all the decorations are up and looking good, Christmas gifts are bought and (mostly) wrapped, holiday boxes are ready to ship, Christmas letter is written and printed (though I still need to get copies done) and cards are addressed and waiting for letter and stamp. The mailing will all get done tomorrow. Then it is just a few more gifts to wrap and I am done. Till next year.

Hawaii Bound

Looks like we're heading to Hawaii next October! Maui to be precise (had to learn how to spell it!) I have booked the Pineapple Inn B&B for 8 nights and have sent in the deposit (which is our half of the cost of the cottage). Plenty of time, but we still need to book flights (at about $920 a person!), a rental car and the helicopter tour Shawn wants to go on and zipline we both want to go on. It's going to cost us a pretty penny, but you only live once and it's not like we have kids to leave our fortune to. I'm also going to need to find some place for Bailey to hang out - George, I'm sure will check on the cats but I can't ask him to take Bailey for that long - not with the household he's already dealing with.

I got my TSP check - my portion of Dad's retirement. It will go directly toward credit card debit. Shawn thinks it will cover the total debt but, unfortunately, it won't. It will cover most of it but I will still have about $3,000 to go. I am shocked at how it built up. It's going to take me to June or July to finish paying for it. I will SO have a party when it's done - a party with a budget!! Mom and Dad still bailing me out - that's impressive.

Speaking of - I put a $2.50 wreath on their tombstone yesterday. Tied a pretty red bow to it and used one of those insta-stick hooks. I don't know how long the hook will last in the elements, but it looked really nice - the white and red poinsettias I left last month were still there and Aunt Bobbie had gone by and left a snowman and decorative Christmas gift. I know the day will come when no one will visit their graves and leave mementos, no one will remember them. Makes me sad. And no one will ever visit my grave site - I will be forgotten before the dirt settles on my coffin. God, I hope there is a Heaven.