Howdy Strangers!
It feels like forever since I have posted. In the past (almost!) two weeks, we packed up our house and moved a whopping 1/5th of a mile away from our old house. Though it is close, it feels like a whole new world over here.
Just to give the highlights of the move:
- We hired movers because we are lazy and didn’t want to impose on our friends to schlep our 250 lb treadmill up and down several flights of stairs. When the movers arrived, they were three guys over 70 years old. I felt so awful about making them carry our heavy stuff, I had to leave and not watch it. Also, I was afraid someone was going to call the elder abuse hotline on me. They did a great job though.
- M has been very dramatic about her saaaaad feelings about leaving the old house. I get that, I am sympathetic to a certain degree. I have patted her back as she wailed and knashed her teeth about NOT. WANTING. TO. MOVE!!! But there is a limit. We left a nice “Welcome Home” on the chalkboard in our old kitchen for the new owners, and M lost a chunk of my sympathy when she marched up to it on our final walk through and scrawled “YOUR STUPID” under the nice “Welcome Home”. Girlfriend got in a little trouble for that one.
- In happier M news, her new bedroom has an interior window where she has set up shop and is selling her remaining Christmas candy for $.25 or $.10 a pop. She is making a killing. She apparently learned her marketing strategy from successful crack dealers everywhere: she gives customers their first piece for free, but after that you have to pay.
- L seems completely unimpressed by moving. She settled right in like a champ and is stoked to have a candy store in her VERY OWN HOUSE. Now, she just needs to find a way to earn some money so she can buy all M’s candy.
- Mr. A and I are gearing up for a new project. My parents gave us a lifetime subscription to Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University for Christmas and we are getting ready to start our classes. I think we are going to do the online version because it is hard for us to commit to a single night a week. Once we start, we are going to try to make an audacious savings goal for the next year. Only saving a hefty chunk of cash is going to make me feel like the hassle of moving (twice!) was worth it.
Anyway, my dear blog-reading friends (if anyone is still out there), I am going to try to post four more times in the next four days. I have a lot of backlogged thoughts and there has been a lot of other stuff going on too. I missed you guys!
i don’t even know where you live any more! i feel untethered somehow…
YAY! Great to hear from you! I hope M quits whining about the move very very soon. Can’t wait to read the next four posts.
Gosh, you know how jealous I am about your foray into Dave Ramsey land. I cannot wait for you to start the course, you should make it a weekly feature for the 13 weeks of the program.
Talk to you soon, good luck unpacking.
i am going through dave ramsey’s thing now. i go to a forum on it actually. we have not been able to give up one night a week either, as we have other commitments.
here is the forum i go to. lots of tips to save money and stuff.
CONGRATS ON THE NEW HOME!
ok i tried to post it but your thingie is to smart so i will put it as my url in this one even though it is not my forum!
I’m psyched that you’re liking your new (temporary) location, although it’s weird not being able to imagine you guys there. Also, I must admit I’m slightly surprised about Dave Ramsey– are you giving the spiritual angle any thought, or ignoring that for the salient financial info? Either way, there was an article in Atlantic Monthly about him that made him sound pretty level-headed.
Yeah, I am totally skipping all the religious stuff. Debt-free is going to be our new religion. I am hoping we can get started in the next couple days.
So glad your move is complete. I’ve missed your blog.
But they won’t be able to see you roll your eyes when they quote the bible at the online version of Financial Peace University!
My husband is addicted to Dave Ramsey. I think he makes so much sense (especially vs. Suze Orman), but some of his latest shows have bothered me a little. Last night, we were listening to a post-holiday episode of his show where the caller gave Dave’s book to her brother and sister-in-law as a Christmas gift. The sister-in-law was fairly offended (i.e. at the implication that they might have money troubles), and Dave went on and on about how the SIL must have emotional problems. Seriouly, he wondered if the SIL was unstable and overreacted to things in general. Um, if someone gave me a weight loss book for Christmas, I might be a bit offended. Wait, maybe that just underscores the emotional problems point Dave was making, heh…
‘I felt so awful about making them carry our heavy stuff, I had to leave and not watch it.’
Hahaha I knew you’d come back and make me laugh! M’s candy selling idea is almost as genius as that pyramid-scheme-with-money she invented back when I first found your blog.
…wait I think it was a chain letter with money….anyway very entrepeneurial! I look forward to hearing how Financial Peace University goes, I have vaguely heard of it but I don’t think Dave Ramsey has reached my side of the Atlantic.
I’m here. Welcome home.
I missed you, too! Can’t wait to hear all about it (we bought a house too but have not sold our old one yet.)
you’ve talked a lot about your grad school debt. just wondering if now in retrospect you and Mr. A. wish you would have done something differently. are you planning on your girls not having to take out loans for school? you seem to be a saver and a planner so this is something i’m sure you’ve thought about…
Glad the move went well. Let the search of the dream house commence!
You know we’re big into Dave Ramsey (hubby having worked on his team for five years, and all). There’s nothing like being debt free and being able to save/invest/spend lots of money!
I feel your pain — we moved 5 times in less than 5 years (twice across the Pacific) and the last time nearly did me in.
The “YOUR STUPID” made my day. I kind of felt that way about the family that was moving into “my” last house, even though they seemed perfectly nice. How dare they take my place!!!!
that.is.so.funny
Now I have to look up Dave Ramsey.
Congratulations and good luck! I don’t agree with everything Dave Ramsey says (especially “the only way to financial peace is to walk with Jesus”… um, I think Muslims and Jews and even atheists can probably accomplish financial peace!) but he does have a lot of good ideas.
Glad your move is over for now. Enjoy your new home. Thinking of you and wishing you the best
I’d punish her too, for bad grammer. What is our children learning?
I don’t think you will enjoy Dave Ramsey. He is a freakin’ Conservative.
Congrats! Seriously, doesn’t M understand that You’re is a contraction. Man!