Okay I was wrong...

But at least I'm not too proud to admit it.

Traveling is fantastic. Central America was amazing. I mean, I really should have known. At every moment in my life that I've been most terrified to do something that something has turned out to be one of the highlight experiences of my life.

I can now say from experience:

1. Not all volcanos pour lava. Sometimes molten rocks tumble down the sides like confetti with a dull hollow thumping that even miles away sounds ominous.
2. I am the best Shithead player I know. I'm also not bad at Bullshit, Gin Rummy and HorseRace. I still can't play poker to save my life.
3. Dancing till dawn is good for the soul.
4. I don't care what anyone's book says - EVOLUTION rocks, and we did it too. The determining factor: I fed a monkey. I literally looked eye to eye with a little humanoid as it reached out two tiny hands, pried my fingers off a chunk of banana then delicately nibbled it piece by piece while keeping the kind of eye contact that gave me goosebumps.
5. There may not be any activity that brings one closer to the divine than surfing! I love surfing with a passion that knocked me completely out of my proverbial socks. I took the requisite lesson, bought a board, spent the first week paddling without much reward and wondered what the hell was wrong with me that I kept going out. However, the first time I dropped into the open face of a wave, popped to my feet and actually carved the shit out of the damn thing I thought that maybe, magically, I'd died and gone to heaven.
6. Learning to speak a second language is far easier when you don't have a choice. Sink or swim, baby. Nadé como un pescado.
7. Hermit crabs give me the creeps. Srsly.

I'm back home and into the life I left behind. I'm happier and, dare I suggest it, more complete. Time to get back to buisness and the two most pressing issues:

1. Finding a job
2. Keeping my distance from the married man that I managed, inexplicably, to fall in love with.

Gotta keep things interesting.

~Rosie

P.S. My next destination is Andalucía, España where I will study Flamenco and work on my [Spain] Spanish.

Since you asked....

I. Am. Here.
Until further notice. I am trying very hard figure out what to tell you besides these three things:
1. I made it to Central America. I've been here for almost two months.
2. Traveling - solo - has been the best thing I've ever done.
3. I am seriously considering not coming home.

Okay #3 is sort of joking. But that should tell you exactly how wonderful life is these days. Best decision I ever made. Srsly.

Okay so the truth is...

I am terrified. I'm scared. I'm chicken shit quaking in my boots yellow bellied.

I'm all about a life of travel in that theoretical, first-date, sitting around with a glass of wine kind of life speculation way. But the fact is, when I really think about getting on a plane, scratch that: buying a ticket, my stomach gets all wobbly and my palms get clammy. I click through airline ticket sites endlessly. I run searches, ostensibly to get the best ticket price, but really so trying to buy enough time so that i can find something else to do that doesn't involve buying a ticket. I've updated my Facebook status more in the last week and a half than in two years.

Part of it is just my natural cheapskate tendencies that kick in whenever faced with spending more than $500 on ANYTHING. I get plenty of teasing from the friends in that department. But here's what the friends don't know. This time, it's not about the money, it's about the fear.

See, people have this crazy idea about me: That I'm brave, curious, and kind of wily. That my stubbornness and independent streak has got me out of more trouble than I can manage to get myself into. That somehow, like the proverbial cat, I always land on my feet. And most days, I'd buy that line. My life certainly has played out in a bit of a charmed fashion: I've pretty much gotten to do everything I've ever wanted - whether I knew wanted to or not at the time - and things have always turned out alright.

Except for this travel gig. Again ostensibly, I haven't traveled much (outside of work) yet because I've been working, in school, busy or waiting for the right travel partner. So now I'm tired of waiting. I've made the time. I've saved the money and I'm ready - even if I have to go it alone. Or so I think. Then that little voice in my head starts wondering why the heck I want to travel to a foreign country where people speak a different language; what I'm running away from; what the heck I'm looking for, and if there's really something there that I can't find here.

To be perfectly sensible, I'm going to Central America, not Uzbekistan. I'm only going for a couple of months. And I can speak enough Spanish as is to get by. What am I so afraid of? Maybe on a shallow level there are some of the basic issues around being a woman and traveling alone, and the newness of the whole expedition. But the bigger fears - the ones that wake me up at three in the morning - have nothing to do with physical safety.

This is one of those moments that I uncover my existentialist tendencies. It's not the worst things that can happen that I'm afraid of, or the best for that matter. It's the face that this, ultimately, my decision and everything that comes of this decision I am responsible for. That I can do this, or do not do this, but ultimately it's up to me. There's no one to twist my arm, or convince, or ask permission. Whatever I decide and whatever that means, it matters to and affects only me.

The freedom, and responsibility is simultaneously liberating and crushing.

I now have an intimate understanding of the word: angst.

Ultimately, the whole thing is an example of another existential buzz word: absurd.

No more splitting hairs. Time to pull the trigger.

What I want from this trip:

Here are my goals:

1. Do Everything.
2. See Everything.
3. Have Good Time.
   

Ha.ha. Just kidding. Srsly. Here goes:

1. Speak proficient Spanish - I have some pretty basic conversational skills.
2. Become a confident, comfortable solo traveler.
   
3. See both coasts.
4. Meet some cool people.
5. See a Blue Morpho.
6. Ride a horse on the beach.
7. Yell at a Monkey.
8. Surf in warm(er) water.
9. Put some work in on the novel.
10. Laugh, often.
    

(Okay I'm just kidding about #7. If I saw a monkey I might yell, yes, but not AT the Monkey)

Everything else is gravy. Now I'm going to take a deep breath, look at some maps and peruse my research and make a destination decision.

Stay tuned.

A few lists.

Things I should be doing:

1. Going to bed
2. Finishing my laundry
3. Taking out my contacts
4. Packing for Ptown
   
5. Stretching
   

Thing I am doing:

1. Updating my blog
2. Checking my stats (YES, I do care if anyone besides Mitch stops by for a visit - hi Mitch! - I only shout out to Mitch all the time cause the rest of you are so damn quiet)
   
3. Eating Trader Joe's French Truffles right out of the box
4. Surfing for new regular blogs to replace old faves who have retired (I'll miss you, Strange Bird!)
   
5. Looking up possible license plate personalization for my car - unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, all versions of "Sunshine" are taken.
   

Songs I'm really enjoying right now:

1. I'm Yours - Jason Mraz (yeah me and everybody else)
2. If I Were A Bell - Dinah Washington
3. Gravity - Sara Bareillis
4. Everything -Aqualung
5. Milonga Sentimental - Otros Aires

Things I ate today:

1. Homemade Granola Cereal - No I didn't make it, but I ENJOYED it
2. Turkey
3. Taco Salad
4. Did I mention the truffles yet?
5. A banana (didn't make that one either)

Things I thought about today:

1. The economy: how low can you go?
   
2. My finances: oddly good, considering the overall financial state of the country.
   
3. Politics (sensing a theme here?)
4. Handsome Fellah: haven't thought about him in a while, wonder if I'm going to run into him soon.
   
5. The trip: are we there yet? are we there yet? are we there yet?
   

Choosing a destination...

I'd just like to start this one out by acknowledging that really, all of life's problems should be this hard...

The problem is I want to go EVERYWHERE and do EVERYTHING all at once. I have literally burst into tears (twice) talking to BBGB about the trip because every time I think of traveling - I get totally overwhelmed by the sensation that I have to make this trip the BEST POSSIBLE TRIP EVER and DO EVERY SINGLE THING. At one point I think I even said (blubbering of course) "what if this is the only trip I ever take - I just don't want to regret not doing something when I had the chance."

Yes, I have ALWAYS been an overachiever. I also think hu-way too much. I know, I know. Tell me about it.

But the fact is, I've only been out of the US twice and this trip means so much for me - literally and figuratively - that it's sometimes difficult to avoid this huge wave of expectation that sweeps me right out of "oh excited about the trip" land and into the scary sea of "please don't let me waste this opportunity."

I can't decide if I want to backpack the whole trip, or settle in to a few sweet spots for longer stays. Hostel, tent or hotel? Spend the whole trip solo, or hook up with other travelers? Pacific or Carribean? Decisions, decisions!

This is the part where the seasond travelers should be laughing. Of course it's impossible to see and do everything, and of course I'm going to miss some things and experience others I can't possibly have planned for sitting in my bed blogging about my travel neurosis. It occured to me that maybe I'm just looking at this backwards. Maybe I should just outline things I really want to say I did or accomplished this trip, use that to define where I go, and let the rest sort itself out.

Saving is sexy... (and I'm not talking about abstinence )

Can't believe I'm almost at a year from establishing my first real set of financial goals. (Better late than never). You may have noticed I -finally - got my charts setup in the sidebar so you can follow along. They are actually current as of this post.

Happy to note that the Uh-Oh Fund is now 100% complete. Although my Travel Fund isn't exactly where I was shooting for (yeah, so, uh about that $1k a month...) I'm not super stressed because I was able to pay down much more of my debt than I planned - and I set that goal higher than I really needed it to be intentionally. I'm also thinking about ratcheting down the length of my trip. More on that later.

So the good news: I've eliminated car payments, along with over sized insurance premiums, paid off all but two of my revolving credit accounts (the two remaining are have the lowest interest rates) Now to look forward...

I still have to work out my travel details, and I realize I've been hesitating because I wanted to see where my money was at. With just over two months till departure, it's time to start making some plans and hammering out the details. You know, small details, like: where to go and what to do when I get there!

I shouldn't love this movie as much as I do....

It's a full on, unrepentantly romantic, two epic plot bonanza squashed into one big beautiful scenic mess of a movie, rife with cliches and the standard cast of good vs. evil characters.

And still. I'm sure about 90% of my love is for the land - that continent as depicted is one big glamour shot. The rest I reserve for the love story that manages not to be entirely trite for all it's standard hollywoodness, or the way that the legalized system of racism was not shied away from but faced with an honest, if a bit "happily ever after," eye.

So I do. I do I do I do.

This movie makes Titanic look like a teenage melodrama cloaked in historical fiction - oh wait, it was a teenage melodrama cloaked in historical fiction - and totally redeems Nicole Kidman from that ridiculous "Far and Away" debacle.

And the shot of a sudsy Hugh Jackman bucket rinsing his immaculately beautiful chest - while gratuitous, thinly veiled soft core porn - has absolutely nothing to do with my review. After all the scene was what Daniel Craig's beach shot was for Casino Royal: icing on an already delicious cake.

That is all.

A lifetime in Californa and I don't pick up a surfboard till I get to Washington, what gives?

You heard that right. Considering all my life I have been a CA girl, including the snowboarding and living on the beach for almost 10 years, and I NEVER picked up a surfboard.


Until Saturday. Friends who know about my upcoming trip to Central America decided to give me one more activity to do when I get there (like I'm gonna get bored or something?) So LegalGirrl and her man and I piled into the rig and headed to the Peninsula. Turns out LegalGrrl's man is major surf guy and he's got her so into it she has a spare wetsuit and board for me.

Yes. Wetsuit. Complete with booties and a hood. Which keeps one from the clutches of hypothermia but also makes one look suspiciously like a seal. I couldn't help hoping as we walked out into the waves that there were no hungry sharks cruising the area. Or Orcas. (Although I was relieved reading recently that the local pods are have quite refined palettes: they prefer salmon to seal.)

but, I digress...

Surfboards on the roof isn't exactly subtle. In line for the ferry we met a couple deciding between Neah Bay and La Push. At the gas station LegalBoy struck up a conversation with a fellow surfer. By the time we arrived at the campsite (after stopping for gas and groceries) we had met half the people there somewhere along the way.

What I didn't expect about the surfing scene was the community. And it certainly wasn't the OC crowd. Each one of the characters I met was unique and interesting, running the gamut from weekend warrior professional and his family to one guy who spent six months surfing his way up and down the Pacific Ocean (we had a nice chat about some Central American surf spots). What really struck me was the genuine passion that brought them out on a rainy fall weekend, wetsuits and all. What and the heck was everybody so damn excited about?

Then I had my turn. But first: getting into the wetsuit. Now I know why seals are BORN with that skin, cause getting in and out of the thing is nearly impossible without major assistance. And by assistance I mean Legal Girl pulling as I lean all my weight the opposite direction. It probably didn't help that she's about two inches shorter and 20 lbs lighter than I am. Needless to say, I'm going to have to go up a size when I get my own suit.

There was something terrifying and exciting about walking into the surf the first time. The shock of cold water, combined with the force of waves pushing against my knees, then my hips, and finally my chest, until I was gripping the board and leaping up to clear them and finally belly down and paddling. We spent the first hour or so inside the breaks, with LegalBoy just pushing me into waves as I practiced hoping up into standing position.

Once I actually managed to stay up I discovered the sensation wasn't that much different than snowboarding. The exchange of balance in motion felt quite similar. After I was up a few times we headed out past the breaks. It was much harder to get up - okay so I didn't get up once on my own - but LegalBoy's strategy gave just enough of a taste of that smooth, floating sensation to keep trying. I grew to love the attempt, as much as the actual riding. Just as wonderful was sitting out on the past the waves with the beach and the distance between new and old friends. There's nothing like being balanced on the board and watching rain begin to fall on the water while waiting for that perfect wave.

I only lasted about an hour before one attempt landed me in a bit of a beatdown under my board and the wave, letting me know I was done for the day. Fingers and toes frozen, I still couldn't wipe the grin off my face. The great part of being so cold was that even the tepid shower water felt fantastic as I peeled off the suit and rinsed the salt from my skin. And after the day out there was a campfire and a nice meal, before I crawled into my tent for the best night of sleep I can remember.

Alright Legalkids, you win! I am totally hooked. Only I think I'm going to save my next outing to sunny and warm central America. I could really learn to love that.

Post-Election Election Fatigue

I have to say that I'm feeling a bit WORN following the fervor of recent election. Without all the election coverage there's this void that leaves me feeling empty and a little relieved. What did I do with my lunch hour and break times before I scanned spent the time scanning the news for the latest campaign updates. Not that the media hasn't tried to immediately fill it with speculation on everything from Obama's plans for Gitmo and whether or not Mrs. Obama is the second coming of Jackie O.

In any case. Bush is officially a lame duck, Palin is back in Alaska (although she still appears not to know her head from her ass), the economy is still in the toilet, Iraq is a mess. Don't get me wrong, as a nation we still have a long way to go, baby, but for tonight I sorta feel like this:


(If you haven't seen Oscar before, you aren't watching enough YouTube at work.)


I'm abstaining this week from political news consumption. YouTube, here I come.

This I believe: LANDSLIDE

'Nuff Said...

More great political cartoons, here...

Attn, my peeps: An election day courtesy reminder...

(and yes, D - I promise to behave WHEN Obama wins. But I might not be able to pass up the opportunity to do the Cupid Shuffle at LEAST once in my office. I promise to close the door.)

Good Day, My People – It dawned on me that Obama could actually win this thing. If that happens, there will be a lot of people (some of our co-workers included) who will be afraid that an Obama presidency will usher in the end of days. They'll be watching us on November 5 ^th (the day after the election) for signs of the end times.

To keep the peace and keep a lot of folks from getting nervous, I think we should develop a list of acceptable celebrations and behaviors we should probably avoid – at least for the first few days:

1. No crying, hugging or shouting 'Thank you Lord' – at least not in public

2. No high-fives – at least not unless the area is clear and there are no witnesses

3. No laughing at the McCain/Palin supporters

4. No calling in sick on November 5 ^th . They'll get nervous if too many of us don't show up.

5. We're allowed to give each other knowing winks or nods in passing. Just try to keep from grinning too hard.

6. No singing loudly, We've come this Far By Faith (it will be acceptable to hum softly)

7. No bringing of barbeque ribs or fried chicken for lunch in the company lunchroom for at least a week (no chittlins at all) (this may make us seem too ethnic)

8. No leaving kool-aid packages at the water fountain (this might be a sign that poor folks might be getting a breakthrough)

9. No Cupid Shuffle during breaks (this could indicate a little too much excitement)

10. Please no Moving on Up music (we are going to try to remain humble)

11. No doing the George Jefferson dance (unless you're in your office with the door closed)

12. Please try not to yell----BOOOO YAH!

13. Try to refrain from saying “I know there’s a God, I know there’s a God” when McCain supporters walk by your office or cube.

14. Attempt to be understanding when McCain supports are overheard using Florida Evan’s famous words; “Damn, damn, damn!!!”

15. Just in case you're wondering, Doing the Running Man, cabbage patch, or a backhand spring on the highway is 100% okay.

If I've missed anything feel free to add to the list. I just want to make sure we're all on the same page when Obama brings this thing home on November 5 ^th ."

Debt Reduction Calculator

I found this nifty (and FREE!) little doo-hicky online the other day and thought I'd pass it along:

http://www.vertex42.com/Calculators/debt-reduction-calculator.html

Actual Screenshot:

It's a debt reduction calculator (spreadsheet available in Excel and Open Office friendly formats) based on the "Debt-Snowball" strategy. So I'm a bit new to the strategy, but basically it involves calculating how much of your income you can put toward bills a month, paying minimums on all revolving debt EXCEPT for the lowest amount, which you devote the "snowball" or minimum plus excess budgeted debt repayment amount every month until it's gone. Then you move to the next lowest debt, and so on.

(I know, I just made that sound hella complex. For a more thorough definition, try here.)

Apparently, lots of financial planners recommend this strategy for a couple of reasons**:

1. Paying off debt a lot more quickly and/or paying less interest overall* depending on how you structure the snowball effect.

2. Psychologically, this strategy is more rewarding than others. Because the payment effort is concentrated on paying off one bill at a time (aside from meeting the other minimums), it's possible to see results sooner (i.e. fewer bills overall). Since success encourages repetition - a sort of Pavlovian response I suppose: the reduction in number of bills becomes the strategies own reinforcing reward.

In any case, I've been informally doing this kind of debt payoff for the last year. Although, I confess it hasn't been really well organized. I tended to throw my snowball at whatever bill just FELT most pressing that paycheck. As a result, my efforts haven't been as efficient as they could have been, although I have substantially reduced my overall debt this year by about 40%. After putting the spreadsheet through it's paces (somebody smarter than me is going to have to check the math on this one) I'm really pleased to have a single place to store, track and set some goal payoff dates, as it gives me some focus.

Also, the spreadsheet gives LOTS of options for how to set up the snowball strategy: highest interest, lowest interest, greatest balance, lowest balance, etc. and a cool dropdown that calculates how much interest and how long it would take to elimiate the debt using each stratgey. I peeped out a few other spreadsheets and this one just worked best for me.

Anyone else using a similar spreadsheet? What do you recommend? Built your own?

What's been your experience with the Debt Snowball Strategy? Success stories? Caveats?









*Infact, if you have good financial discipline (which I am developing), an alternate strategy is to structure the snowball payoff by highest interest rate - thereby reducing



**(Disclaimer: Please be aware I am neither a psychologist or a financial adviser, so anything I say here is purely my own speculation based on research and trial and error. Don't fuck up your finances and blame it on me. Consider yourself warned.)

Savings Setback or Success...you decide:

The beast started clunking during braking a couple of weeks ago. The queen of ignoring potentially expensive car repairs - aka, moi - thought better of her usual tack because this time it involves BRAKES and one NEEDS THOSE TO WORK and took it to her favorite Car Guys in Ballard.

Good news: the thumping was actually just a loose bolt in the Control Arm.
Cost to fix: $0

Bad News: the bolt was probably rattled loose by the warped rotors. Oh and by the way, when was the last time you had a complete brake job?
Cost of complete brake job: $600.00

I could have bought a bicycle for that. A NICE bicycle. Unfortunately then I'd still have a car with bad brakes. Instead, I tapped into the "Uh-oh Fund" which is now depleted but has officially served its purpose. I didn't have to tap into my travel fund or engage any credit.

Now I have even less of an "uh-oh" cushion so the heat will be on to pinch pennies and do my best to avoid any further uh-ohs. In any case, there is no point in worrying - In theory, it doesn't really matter I guess as long as I'm doing the saving. And I am, and it's WORKING!

My verdict: I'm considering it a success because I had an unexpected expense covered without engaging ANY credit - or having to put myself on a Pho diet for the next month.

What cha think?

5 Things...

5 things I was doing 10 years ago:

1. Deciding on a college.
2. Driving the "coolest car ever" (at least at the time) : A 1985 Ford Thunderbird, with the Turbo Charger.
3. Dating my first boyfriend EVER.
4. Exercising hunter/jumpers and dreaming of the day I'd ride on the US Equestrian Team.
5. Picking out my dress for senior ball.
   

5 things on my to do list today:

1. Go to yoga
2. Finish my laundry
3. Pay that annoying traffic ticket
4. Watch the rest of the Weeds Season 2, Disc 3 so it can return to the 'Flix, enabling a new disc will magically appear!
   
5. Clean the bathroom
   

5 snacks I love:

1. I'm with you Mitch, Peanut Butter rocks my world.
   
2. Reese Peanut Butter Cups (Mitch, that's a two for two. Were we separated at birth?)
   
3. Chicharrones. Nasty, I know, but sooo good.
4. Apple slices. (Really, they're like crack to me)
5. Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Truffle
   

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:

1. Buy my mom a house
2. Pay for my dad's medical bills
3. Travel around the world for a year
4. Take cello lessons every day
5. Quit "working for a living"
   

5 places I’ve lived:

1. Virginia
2. Portland, OR
   
3. Florida
4. Idaho
5. California
   

5 jobs I’ve had:

1. Shit shoveler (work in barns, shovel some shit)
2. Summer Camp Counselor
3. Riding Instructor
4. Newspaper delivery
5. Telemarketer (for about 10 minutes)
   

5 people I tag:

1. All that you can't leave behind
2. English Major's Money
3. Kill the Goat

And two random people who visit this blog and don't ever make a peep! You know who you are!

Electric Mini Pilot Program Announced

Be still my beating heart, for true love hath arrived:

Pilot Project with 500 All-Electric Minis in Three US States :

2008-10-20 - BMW plans to test a fleet oft some 500 all-electric Mini models
that will be made available to select private and corporate customers as part of
a pilot project in the US states of California, New York and New Jersey. The
Mini E will give its world premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19
and 20, 2008. It will be powered by a 150 kW electric motor fed by a
high-performance rechargeable lithium-ion battery, transferring its power to the
front wheels via a single-stage helical gearbox. More...

For you, dear sweet my love, I have but one tender question:

When can I get one? When can I get one?When can I get one? When can I get one?When can I get one? When can I get one?When can I get one? When can I get one?When can I get one? When can I get one?When can I get one? When can I get one?When can I get one? When can I get one?

"Joe the Plumber" is a real guy...

And Jon Stewart - as per usual - makes the funny out of it:






(Strange Bird: I think we're still right on about there being something wrong with a guy like this getting picked as the American 'norm'), IMHO)

Will the real Joe Six Pack please stand up?

No doubt you've been hearing all about the quintessential American "Joe Six-Pack."

Frankly, I'm wondering just who the hell is this guy and why the hell is he suddenly the prime character in this election. While watching the last debate tonight, with both candidates addressing "Joe," it took me a minute to realize exactly whom they were referring to.

Furthermore, the average - everyday "Joe Six Pack" is the same dude candidates have been pandering to for the last, oh say 200 years. The single issue, god-fearin' hard working male that has been making the decision for EVERYBODY else for HUWAY too long.

And, what the heck do REAL hard working American men think about being reduced to the guy in the photo above?



Cause frankly I'm exhausted by the labels and oversimplifications.

What a long strange trip it has been...

About a month ago, someone very close to me died.

I'm not going to euphemism it or get maudlin: He died and his dying changed my life. For the last seven years he was a confidant and partner in crime. And now he's gone. He's not someone you would know about because I never posted about him here: Although he liked reading my zany two cents on everything wasn't a wasn't a big fan of being part of it, and out of respect I never mentioned him.

I think he would forgive me today, because all of this is just by way of explaining - why I've been gone and where I've been. For the last month or so I've just been - getting by. He wouldn't have been pleased. He would have wanted the road trips and beach adventures, and park days to go on. I know all this, but without him, just wasn't doable.

The last time we spoke, there were three promised I made to my friend:

1. Quit being so hard on myself.
2. Travel, Travel, Travel - see EVERYTHING... and
3. Keep writing. Finish the book, write about the travels, keep blogging, whatever...just don't stop telling stories.

So here I am, keeping my promise.

Last weekend I hiked Mt. Si for the first time. It was the hike we always meant to do together when I moved to Seattle but never seemed to be meet up up early enough to avoid the "uphill version of Greenlake" sensation lots of people attribute to the popular trail.

The trail was 4 miles one way, almost entirely uphill. I couldn't help laughing to myself as I rounded the corner of yet another steep switchback headed what felt vertical. THIS is the real reason we never "did the Si." Too damn steep. But when I got to the base of Haystack (aka the novice hiker's summit) the view was breathtaking. From the Olympics, to Rainer and the faintest hint of what may have been Mt. Adams I had that top of the world feeling that reminded me our best moments in being together.

Adios, mi amigo - via con "huevos."*






* Correct phrase is actually "via con dios" - go with god. The "huevos" is a long story that became a bit of an inside joke. Please expect to be looked at like a retard if you actually use the expression "via con huevos" with any spanish speaking individual.

That is all.

Goodbye, car loan!

It gripes me to no end sometimes that I actually had to take out a loan on the car when I bought it - I decided I'd rather have the cash than just buy the car outright. Mistake #1. What I wasn't factoring in was the cost of all the extra insurance (comprehensive) added to the interest which cost me more in the long run than just doing without that cash on hand in the short term.

Duh.

The sweetest part was realizing once I did the math last night that after downsizing my insurance coverage and paying off the car - even with the price of gas in my guzzler - it's still cheaper for me to keep the rig at the moment than to make a down payment on a gas sipper and start the whole cycle again.

Plus I'm still seriously considering selling the beast before I leave for traveling and transitioning to a car-less existence on my return, which would be ultimately better for my budget and the environment than even a Geo Teetotaler (or whatever they're calling the Metro these days)

I live in a big enough city, with reasonable enough public transportation that getting where I need to go shouldn't be a huge issue without my own set of four wheels. Better then that when I come back I'm planning on actually moving INTO the city, rather than staying out in the 'Burbs.

The California girl giving up her car still sounds a bit sacrilegious to me, but times they are a changing and I'm learning to appreciate the new opportunities change brings. Still hanging onto my keys though, at least for the near future.