Waylaid

OK - been gone for the longest time.  Sort of got thrown into a tail spin in early March - found myself in an emotional spiral over what I percieved as a  - I don't know - Betrayal? Abandonement? I actually schedule a counselling session over it, which I then cancelled, because the girl got sick.

Which has kind of been my month.  One or more of us have been very ill all month, I have been incredible busy - picking up tons of overtime, working in my little clinic (which I am probably going to close in June),  barely keeping up with social obligations and gymnastics doings.  Did I mention my stress level?  Anyway - things are settling, and I have come to a few realizations:

#1  Being a Grown Up SUCKS! - Now that I am make real money for the first time ever, I have to make decisions.  Retirement.  Health Insurance.  Debt management.  When your pay does not cover your basic, necessary bills, the extra money that shows up now and then is like a drink of cold water.  You use it, enjoy it, relish in the short lived luxury.  Now that my paycheck is consistently bigger than my basic bills I have CHOICES.  I could enjoy the money - I could really use furniture that I'm not the third owner of; window dressings;  an actual vacation that doesn't involve kid sports, camping or visiting family; or - I could put money into the 401K that my company will begin matching after a year - pay off the credit cards that the darling man used to make the house livable when we bought it, pay on the principal of mortgages and student loans.  Responsibility will win - kicking and screaming perhaps - but my sister is a consistent influence, and the original life plan of having the little girl support me in my old age is right up there with winning a lottery.  But seriously - making twice the money should not result in zero lifestyle change.  At least I'll have some kind of future - and the good new is that I did not invest BEFORE the economy tanked.


# 2 - having people that love you makes up for just about everything.


Easter approaches - last year we fed 97 of our closest friends and family :-), this year we will probably break 100.  Plus I have a week off, and since I don't have the kidlet full time, I'll get lots done, and it will be more smooth than ever before.  The boy child and his friend cleaned up the yard (for a price - there is always a price) and the "sorta daughter" cleaned my house today (pretty), so I believe I'll be all ready.

So that's the recap - I'll be glad when March is behind us.  April looks to be much brighter!