While in Hawaii, I did have a few conversations that stood out. Because the shuttle ride to Waikiki took so long, there was another guy and me for a long time. He turned around and stuck out his hand as he introduced himself.
Turns out he had just come from a conference in Maui (Hawaii is a popular location for conferences involving Asian countries.) and was looking forward to spending a few days in Honolulu before going home. He was from Kuala Lumpur and it took him one layover and about 34 hours to get to Hawaii. I told him I've never travelled that long before and cannot yet imagine such a lengthy journey.
As he was quite well travelled we compared favourite places, best travel deals and visa requirements. Such a polite man. Shook my hand a second time upon his stop.
In Maui, I met a really sweet older gentleman (80s?) who ended up sitting beside me one afternoon. It was the only lounge seat open as there was temporary maintenance of the grounds. He promised he would not bother me (I was journaling up a storm) and that he was going to take a nap. I told him no worries. His nap lasted about 2 minutes before he asked if I was writing a book. I told him no, I was just thinking on paper.
We ended up talking for a couple of hours and he concluded we were definitely "cup half full" people. He lives in Phoenix and travels whenever he can and warned me he can talk my ear off about travel if I'd let him. We spoke about the pleasures of solo travel and how underrated it was. I told him I did my best thinking when I was alone, especially amongst beautiful scenery. He told me I will love Bergen when I get there.
Because of his age, he has had ample opportunities to return to many places over the decades and was able to comment on the changes in cities and countries. I was really interested to hear about it. And since he was such a frequent guest, he got a lot of perks. One of which was free drinks at happy hour of which he could invite a guest. So I got an invitation. I declined politely though I did get asked if he will make it into my journal. I guess he has.
Remember how I seem to get mistaken for being local when I travel? At first D thought I was pulling his leg. Now that he has personally witnessed the phenomenon twice in Amsterdam and once in Florence, he doubts me no more. The trend continued in Lahaina at a local gelato spot. I was too impatient and warm one day to wait in the long line for their "famous" shaved iced so I went for ice cream instead.
The gelato place had a good number of non dairy choices (I have 4 more months of avoidance before I can stuff my face again). I had a scoop of coconut - vanilla - cinnamon (deliciously creamy!) and Lilikoi (Hawaiian passion fruit). The fellow who served me asked what part of Maui I was from? I told him I wasn't but considered being mistaken for Hawaiian as a complement. He said I look like I could be from there.
Never dawned on me I could possibly be mistaken for anything other than what I am. D thinks it is because I give off a confident "I belong here" vibe when I am in a new place. I've never been mistaken for an Icelander. Now that would be super cool.
So the list has gotten longer: Italian, French, Russian, Dutch and now Hawaiian...
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Interesting People
The most interesting people I meet yearly seems to happen when I'm travelling. In lines, on lounge chairs, at bars. There has been some awkwardness after a great conversation as to "what next?". Never have I offered a way to keep in touch and recently I've wondered if that was wise?
Part of me feels it makes sense to keep that experience part of the trip and cherish it as such. Another part of me thinks they would make a great friend. But how to approach it without them thinking I'm trying to pick them up? Marriage status doesn't always come up in conversations and as I do not sport a wedding band, how would people really know?
I would love to have found out more about the fellow D and I sat beside on a flight to Barcelona. He and I talked for almost 4 hours (to the delight of the sleeping people around us, I'm sure) about my dissatisfaction with where I was working, how he left his place of work to do volunteer work in Nairobi. He was en route back to Nairobi to visit friends for a month.
When we got to the end of the gangway and realized we were heading in two different passport control directions, there was that moment where we just looked at each other for a few seconds before I wished him well.
Same with the fellow I met waiting at passport control last summer. He was by far one of the most interesting person I have ever met and found his enthusiasm contagious. It was the closest I've ever come to wanting to stay in touch.
Unbeknownst to him, we don't really live that far from one another. I would love to know how he made out with the distance race the weekend after and if he actually ended up scuba diving the Thames after all.
In this day and age I think people are more cautious about strangers we meet. I tend to lean to the paranoid side of the scale even though I find it easy and natural to discuss almost anything with anyone. I believe if we met, you'd never guess I was an introvert.
Part of me feels it makes sense to keep that experience part of the trip and cherish it as such. Another part of me thinks they would make a great friend. But how to approach it without them thinking I'm trying to pick them up? Marriage status doesn't always come up in conversations and as I do not sport a wedding band, how would people really know?
I would love to have found out more about the fellow D and I sat beside on a flight to Barcelona. He and I talked for almost 4 hours (to the delight of the sleeping people around us, I'm sure) about my dissatisfaction with where I was working, how he left his place of work to do volunteer work in Nairobi. He was en route back to Nairobi to visit friends for a month.
When we got to the end of the gangway and realized we were heading in two different passport control directions, there was that moment where we just looked at each other for a few seconds before I wished him well.
Same with the fellow I met waiting at passport control last summer. He was by far one of the most interesting person I have ever met and found his enthusiasm contagious. It was the closest I've ever come to wanting to stay in touch.
Unbeknownst to him, we don't really live that far from one another. I would love to know how he made out with the distance race the weekend after and if he actually ended up scuba diving the Thames after all.
In this day and age I think people are more cautious about strangers we meet. I tend to lean to the paranoid side of the scale even though I find it easy and natural to discuss almost anything with anyone. I believe if we met, you'd never guess I was an introvert.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Hawaii Tips
I used Roberts Hawaii for my shuttle to my hotel. I found them to be friendly, reasonably priced and professional. They will meet you at the end of the gangway for domestic flights and just outside of luggage claim for international arrivals. They greeted me with a big smile and a small shell lei.
Note that the closer you stay to Waikiki, the longer you will wait to be dropped off. I was last. Don't be surprised with how long it will take to traverse the 9 -10 miles from the airport to Waikiki. It took over 1 1/2 hr for me. I thought I'd have time for a swim before it cooled down and instead, I ended up trolling the streets for a suitable restaurant for dinner instead.
There are no shortage of Sushi restaurants in Honolulu. I can't believe there is enough business to support them all. I ended up eating at an Asian seafood restaurant frequented by movie stars and Presidents of the US, past and present. The food was good, not mind blowing.
Waikiki beach was different from what I had pictured in my mind. In fact, all the beaches I saw on this trip were. It could be I wasn't in the correct place, but the beaches weren't the long expansive ones. The sand is coarser than you would find in the Caribbean and the colour of the water is definitely Pacific Ocean -- Darker, with occasional turquoise.
In the case of Waikiki, the erosion was severe enough there was a good 3 - 4 ft drop to get to the water. Active effort was underway to truck in sand from drudging a nearby river so expect areas to be fenced off. The beach I visited in Lahaina Maui, had a pretty fierce (for me) undertow not far in from the water line.
I flew with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters in Kauai. Would definitely fly with them again. Regretted not signing up for another flight on time when I was on the Big Island. I would return to Hawaii just for the helicopter tours.
On their website, there are a few minutes of video intros of each island worth watching. Looks like they offer discounts for booking online. I wasn't aware of that as it was a spur of the moment thing for me.
There is a pub located in the same small plaza as the Blue Hawaiian office in Lihue called The Feral Pig. The staff there are really friendly and the menu is diverse.
Note that the closer you stay to Waikiki, the longer you will wait to be dropped off. I was last. Don't be surprised with how long it will take to traverse the 9 -10 miles from the airport to Waikiki. It took over 1 1/2 hr for me. I thought I'd have time for a swim before it cooled down and instead, I ended up trolling the streets for a suitable restaurant for dinner instead.
There are no shortage of Sushi restaurants in Honolulu. I can't believe there is enough business to support them all. I ended up eating at an Asian seafood restaurant frequented by movie stars and Presidents of the US, past and present. The food was good, not mind blowing.
Waikiki beach was different from what I had pictured in my mind. In fact, all the beaches I saw on this trip were. It could be I wasn't in the correct place, but the beaches weren't the long expansive ones. The sand is coarser than you would find in the Caribbean and the colour of the water is definitely Pacific Ocean -- Darker, with occasional turquoise.
In the case of Waikiki, the erosion was severe enough there was a good 3 - 4 ft drop to get to the water. Active effort was underway to truck in sand from drudging a nearby river so expect areas to be fenced off. The beach I visited in Lahaina Maui, had a pretty fierce (for me) undertow not far in from the water line.
I flew with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters in Kauai. Would definitely fly with them again. Regretted not signing up for another flight on time when I was on the Big Island. I would return to Hawaii just for the helicopter tours.
On their website, there are a few minutes of video intros of each island worth watching. Looks like they offer discounts for booking online. I wasn't aware of that as it was a spur of the moment thing for me.
There is a pub located in the same small plaza as the Blue Hawaiian office in Lihue called The Feral Pig. The staff there are really friendly and the menu is diverse.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Loose Ends
D and I have been busy with imagining new room arrangements at home. Now that he is pretty established with his 3 days a week working from home, we've found it necessary to carve out a bigger space, possibly in a different part of the house to permanently accommodate his office. I'd like to see a larger space dedicated to exercise as well.
Living in an older house, the room flow isn't like what people are used to in the modern, open concept homes of today. Ours is a traditional layout, except we do have one large room that serves as dining and living. We have been going to furniture stores to get ideas of room arrangement and potential desks.
What a concept -- Re-working your house to suit your needs first, guests second. It had been the other way around on our main floor for the last 5 years. There is a lot of space unused a lot of the time that can be put to better daily use. Some rooms will simply have to do double duty.
We are also looking to replace the sofas at the cottage. I want a more durable material than cotton. I'm thinking ultrasuede or leather. Leather will likely win out.
It has been a productive week. I've been busy tying up loose ends all over the place. It's always the simple stuff that accumulate like a junk drawer. Phone calls I owe to people, some over a year ago...I know... awful! Lucky they love me.
Getting off my wallet and buying a re-usable water bottle that fits in my purse so I don't become dehydrated due to stubbornness? Some days I'm not as logical as I think I am. Drop hundreds of dollars in intro flights... Yes! But $30 for a Sigg bottle? A Struggle. Now that I have it, I love it.
Eye drops for work (air there dries my eyes for some reason), getting my cell phone plan changed (you are allowed to change it, even though your contract isn't up!), replacing some old T-shirts with new ones (I went with the tried and true "Favorite" line from The Gap), more work clothing (Mexx). All Done.
I still need scotch tape and white out. I sent D and he actually came home with bottled liquid paper, not the tape stuff...WHO uses liquid paper anymore???!!! I got Laughed at at work. Thanks Man.
Living in an older house, the room flow isn't like what people are used to in the modern, open concept homes of today. Ours is a traditional layout, except we do have one large room that serves as dining and living. We have been going to furniture stores to get ideas of room arrangement and potential desks.
What a concept -- Re-working your house to suit your needs first, guests second. It had been the other way around on our main floor for the last 5 years. There is a lot of space unused a lot of the time that can be put to better daily use. Some rooms will simply have to do double duty.
We are also looking to replace the sofas at the cottage. I want a more durable material than cotton. I'm thinking ultrasuede or leather. Leather will likely win out.
It has been a productive week. I've been busy tying up loose ends all over the place. It's always the simple stuff that accumulate like a junk drawer. Phone calls I owe to people, some over a year ago...I know... awful! Lucky they love me.
Getting off my wallet and buying a re-usable water bottle that fits in my purse so I don't become dehydrated due to stubbornness? Some days I'm not as logical as I think I am. Drop hundreds of dollars in intro flights... Yes! But $30 for a Sigg bottle? A Struggle. Now that I have it, I love it.
Eye drops for work (air there dries my eyes for some reason), getting my cell phone plan changed (you are allowed to change it, even though your contract isn't up!), replacing some old T-shirts with new ones (I went with the tried and true "Favorite" line from The Gap), more work clothing (Mexx). All Done.
I still need scotch tape and white out. I sent D and he actually came home with bottled liquid paper, not the tape stuff...WHO uses liquid paper anymore???!!! I got Laughed at at work. Thanks Man.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
D's Numbers
The long awaited pension numbers have arrived and here they are:
Assuming D works till he is 65 years old, he is eligible to receive an annual retirement income of $31078 from his work pension plan.
They estimate his Canada Pension Plan (CPP) annual amount to be $12525. And Old Age Security (OAS) to be $6481.
Total Annual Income: $50084
This is a big deal for us. All I can think about is the amount of money we don't have to save because of this news. Believe me, we are grateful for that. It was strange to see my name on the pension statement because the above totals do not reflect my numbers. I'm just the spouse.
I am not expecting him to work till 65. He wants to consider "retiring" around 55 and doing contract work to allow for more flexibility for travel.
Because contract work will pay more, we will be able to bank let's say half and it will help make up for not having 10 more years of contribution.
In 3 years, D will have completed his financial responsibilities with respect to mortgage equalization. He will be able to start taking a few more weeks a year off without pay. It's all good.
Assuming D works till he is 65 years old, he is eligible to receive an annual retirement income of $31078 from his work pension plan.
They estimate his Canada Pension Plan (CPP) annual amount to be $12525. And Old Age Security (OAS) to be $6481.
Total Annual Income: $50084
This is a big deal for us. All I can think about is the amount of money we don't have to save because of this news. Believe me, we are grateful for that. It was strange to see my name on the pension statement because the above totals do not reflect my numbers. I'm just the spouse.
I am not expecting him to work till 65. He wants to consider "retiring" around 55 and doing contract work to allow for more flexibility for travel.
Because contract work will pay more, we will be able to bank let's say half and it will help make up for not having 10 more years of contribution.
In 3 years, D will have completed his financial responsibilities with respect to mortgage equalization. He will be able to start taking a few more weeks a year off without pay. It's all good.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Saturday Musings
Recently saw the movie 50/50. When I first heard about it, I wasn't going to watch it as I am not a huge fan of Seth Rogen. While on vacation, I saw an interview with him about the movie and it prompted me to re-consider. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is perfect for the role. The film is inspired by true events.
Also just finished the book: Marriage Confidential: The post-romantic age of work-horse wives, royal children, undersexed spouses, & rebel couples who are rewriting the rules, by Pamala Haag. She writes about the large numbers of "semi-happy, low stress, low conflict" marriages where the passion is gone but the costs of divorce is sometimes too high to contemplate especially when there are children involved.
I found the book disturbing and not at all humorous like some reviews describe. Read the intro and decide for yourself. Am wondering if I need to be worried about the marriage of the person who recommended this book to me. Not sure if they were hoping to start a dialogue about it. Marriages can be a touchy subject especially when you have known both parties for a long time.
Took another intro flight. D felt I ought to give fixed wing flying another go but on a different type of plane (his attempt to prevent me from doing something rash, like sell the cottage and make him go back to driving a Toyota Tercel in order to fund my helicopter habit). So he took me to the school he went to 10 yr ago for his intro flight as we were going to be in the area. It was fun. I had a young female flight instructor and she was enthusiastic. Had I had this flight as my first, I would have gone ahead with training for sure.
We did a lot. I got to handle the aircraft for most of the time and even got to taxi back. Getting a feel for the pedals was neat. There is enough of a lag where I had to compensate for over steering so the plane weaved side to side like a drunk person walking while I was figuring it out. I told her air traffic control is going to wonder what the heck is going on.
In all my 3 flights, I have not been able to locate where the airport was. Not a good thing for someone considering being a pilot. Today I thought I saw a plane parked in what I thought was the airport. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a Home Depot...My instructor howled "awesome" when I admitted my mistake. I just had an eye exam not long ago and I'm supposed to have 20/20 vision. Not so sure anymore.
Also just finished the book: Marriage Confidential: The post-romantic age of work-horse wives, royal children, undersexed spouses, & rebel couples who are rewriting the rules, by Pamala Haag. She writes about the large numbers of "semi-happy, low stress, low conflict" marriages where the passion is gone but the costs of divorce is sometimes too high to contemplate especially when there are children involved.
I found the book disturbing and not at all humorous like some reviews describe. Read the intro and decide for yourself. Am wondering if I need to be worried about the marriage of the person who recommended this book to me. Not sure if they were hoping to start a dialogue about it. Marriages can be a touchy subject especially when you have known both parties for a long time.
Took another intro flight. D felt I ought to give fixed wing flying another go but on a different type of plane (his attempt to prevent me from doing something rash, like sell the cottage and make him go back to driving a Toyota Tercel in order to fund my helicopter habit). So he took me to the school he went to 10 yr ago for his intro flight as we were going to be in the area. It was fun. I had a young female flight instructor and she was enthusiastic. Had I had this flight as my first, I would have gone ahead with training for sure.
We did a lot. I got to handle the aircraft for most of the time and even got to taxi back. Getting a feel for the pedals was neat. There is enough of a lag where I had to compensate for over steering so the plane weaved side to side like a drunk person walking while I was figuring it out. I told her air traffic control is going to wonder what the heck is going on.
In all my 3 flights, I have not been able to locate where the airport was. Not a good thing for someone considering being a pilot. Today I thought I saw a plane parked in what I thought was the airport. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a Home Depot...My instructor howled "awesome" when I admitted my mistake. I just had an eye exam not long ago and I'm supposed to have 20/20 vision. Not so sure anymore.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Strange Love
There are days when I wonder if there is something wrong with me. Why am I not able to stick with a few interests for a long time? Why do I have a need to try new things? Why do I end up liking things that cost a crap load of money to participate? Why can't I enjoy something like planting flowers or vegetables instead?
It may sound like I go out of my way to search things out. And on some level I do. I have an inherent amount of curiosity guiding me through life. What I do not control is my reaction to said activity or event. Who would have thought I would love being in a helicopter but not a Cessna? That I would be almost repulsed with driving stick even though I can do it, effectively ending any hope of rallying.
I didn't know flying a helicopter would cost so much money. That piece of knowledge didn't exist in my data bank. I found that out after I was hooked. My intro flight where I clocked 30 min of flight time, cost $452. A full length lesson would cost $537.75/hr in a R22 and $819.25/hr in a R44 (what I was in). You need minimum 45 hr and closer to 60 to get your licence. Oh yeah, and your helmet is going to cost $2200.
Approximate total price for a private helicopter licence will run in the minimum $35000 range (R22 -- which isn't recommended. R44 is the way to go, so think 50K+) with a recommended 2 hrs a week in lessons = high cash output. And the crazy thing? You can't really rent one afterwards. It's not like fixed wing planes. Most people who go the non commercial route are thinking of buying one at a cost of 150K for a R22 and 500K for a R44. I can see myself visiting my little helicopter on the weekends...
Unlike Cessnas where you can pretty much fly them "forever" with reasonable maintenance, helicopters have to be completely rebuilt after 12 yrs or 2200 hrs. And it will cost around 89K to rebuild a R44. How's that for a practical hobby? Yup, I sure know how to pick them. Unfortunately it doesn't change how I feel about them. Consider yourself warned.
***Update: Here is a link to an interesting aviation internship for those living near Boston.***
It may sound like I go out of my way to search things out. And on some level I do. I have an inherent amount of curiosity guiding me through life. What I do not control is my reaction to said activity or event. Who would have thought I would love being in a helicopter but not a Cessna? That I would be almost repulsed with driving stick even though I can do it, effectively ending any hope of rallying.
I didn't know flying a helicopter would cost so much money. That piece of knowledge didn't exist in my data bank. I found that out after I was hooked. My intro flight where I clocked 30 min of flight time, cost $452. A full length lesson would cost $537.75/hr in a R22 and $819.25/hr in a R44 (what I was in). You need minimum 45 hr and closer to 60 to get your licence. Oh yeah, and your helmet is going to cost $2200.
Approximate total price for a private helicopter licence will run in the minimum $35000 range (R22 -- which isn't recommended. R44 is the way to go, so think 50K+) with a recommended 2 hrs a week in lessons = high cash output. And the crazy thing? You can't really rent one afterwards. It's not like fixed wing planes. Most people who go the non commercial route are thinking of buying one at a cost of 150K for a R22 and 500K for a R44. I can see myself visiting my little helicopter on the weekends...
Unlike Cessnas where you can pretty much fly them "forever" with reasonable maintenance, helicopters have to be completely rebuilt after 12 yrs or 2200 hrs. And it will cost around 89K to rebuild a R44. How's that for a practical hobby? Yup, I sure know how to pick them. Unfortunately it doesn't change how I feel about them. Consider yourself warned.
***Update: Here is a link to an interesting aviation internship for those living near Boston.***
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Movie Fun
One part of travelling a longer distance I enjoy are the in flight movies. Some airlines have better selection than others and Delta ranks right up there.
Since my 2 experiences being seated at seats where the in flight entertainment systems were bust, I now have developed a bit of anxiety with it. Ten hours+ is a long time to be strapped down without a movie, even for someone who can meditate for hours and owns a tablet and an iPod. Lucky for me, I had no issues this time.
On the way to Honolulu, I really enjoyed "Colombiana" and "Buck". "Killer Elite" was OK. Jason Statham made the movie much more enjoyable. Learned a lot from a documentary called "The Botany of Desire" based on Michael Pollan's book.
On the returned leg, I saw "Man on Fire" and "Love & Other Drugs". Both I would recommend.
We are looking forward to the summer blockbuster season.... No judging here please..."The Amazing Spiderman" (I think Andrew Garfield will be great in this role), "The Dark Knight Rises" (what can I say other than Christian Bale), "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" to name one other. "Avengers" will kick things off next week. I want to see "Thor" (OK, Chris Hemsworth's arms...) again before next Friday.
D and I finally went to see "The Hunger Games". I blew through the books prior. The 3rd one dragged a bit for me. But it could be I read them all in a day and I was getting tired. We both enjoyed the movie much more than expected. I look forward to the next one. Not sure if I would recommend it for younger kids.
Since my 2 experiences being seated at seats where the in flight entertainment systems were bust, I now have developed a bit of anxiety with it. Ten hours+ is a long time to be strapped down without a movie, even for someone who can meditate for hours and owns a tablet and an iPod. Lucky for me, I had no issues this time.
On the way to Honolulu, I really enjoyed "Colombiana" and "Buck". "Killer Elite" was OK. Jason Statham made the movie much more enjoyable. Learned a lot from a documentary called "The Botany of Desire" based on Michael Pollan's book.
On the returned leg, I saw "Man on Fire" and "Love & Other Drugs". Both I would recommend.
We are looking forward to the summer blockbuster season.... No judging here please..."The Amazing Spiderman" (I think Andrew Garfield will be great in this role), "The Dark Knight Rises" (what can I say other than Christian Bale), "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" to name one other. "Avengers" will kick things off next week. I want to see "Thor" (OK, Chris Hemsworth's arms...) again before next Friday.
D and I finally went to see "The Hunger Games". I blew through the books prior. The 3rd one dragged a bit for me. But it could be I read them all in a day and I was getting tired. We both enjoyed the movie much more than expected. I look forward to the next one. Not sure if I would recommend it for younger kids.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Peak Experiences
This week has been so high on the "Fun Meter", we could barely contain ourselves. Guess who took an intro helicopter flight? Yes I did! And it confirmed for me it really was the helicopter I was interested in, not just the beautiful scenery of Kauai.
I wish I could show you my flight DVD from Hawaii. Am not usually one for souvenirs but I wanted a record of the flight and commentary. Plus I wanted D to see the smile on my face on take off. There is an interior camera in the helicopter that records the passengers during certain times and because I got to sit in the front beside the pilot (you don't get to choose, you get placed depending upon weight), I am right there in the middle of the screen.
My intro flight came together last minute as I was visiting a friend for the day who I hadn't seen for almost 2 years. We live far enough apart it takes some serious planning and a day off just to meet in Toronto. When we got talking about the "what's next" in our lives, I told her how much I enjoyed my helicopter tour and how taking the flight seemed to renew my interest in flight school again.
She knew I had taken an intro flight lesson in a Cessna a few years back and wasn't inspired. Then she told me we weren't far from a school. So of course I perked right up and we went online to see about availability for an intro flight. Man did I get lucky.
The instructor told me if I could get there within 1/2 hr, there was time. We shot off like a bullet. I took my intro flight in a R44 (you could choose a R22 as well) and I'm sure I did not stop smiling until I had a chance to try my hand at hovering. Wow,was that hard. I was all over the place even though I didn't think I was moving the control much. It requires some serious touch.
The "bad" part? The $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ it costs to attain a private helicopter license. When D told a friend of his what I had been up to, his words were "I don't think she could have found a more expensive hobby.". A subject for another post.
I've decided to lump all the posts from the beginning to my last one as one batch. My early years where I wrote a lot about saving money, debt repayment and work woes. I cannot say it was an overly happy period of time outside of some great trips.
That phase did see me transition to my current semi retired/part time work status. It may also be my "retired" status if I choose to do some work indefinitely. I will continue to update my NWIQ numbers as I still find it useful.
From this post on, Version 2.0 will be about living the best life we can, now that I've regained more of my time and creativity back, whatever it ends up being and wherever it may lead us.
Thank you again for your patience while I sorted out the role this blog was going to play in my life.
I wish I could show you my flight DVD from Hawaii. Am not usually one for souvenirs but I wanted a record of the flight and commentary. Plus I wanted D to see the smile on my face on take off. There is an interior camera in the helicopter that records the passengers during certain times and because I got to sit in the front beside the pilot (you don't get to choose, you get placed depending upon weight), I am right there in the middle of the screen.
My intro flight came together last minute as I was visiting a friend for the day who I hadn't seen for almost 2 years. We live far enough apart it takes some serious planning and a day off just to meet in Toronto. When we got talking about the "what's next" in our lives, I told her how much I enjoyed my helicopter tour and how taking the flight seemed to renew my interest in flight school again.
She knew I had taken an intro flight lesson in a Cessna a few years back and wasn't inspired. Then she told me we weren't far from a school. So of course I perked right up and we went online to see about availability for an intro flight. Man did I get lucky.
The instructor told me if I could get there within 1/2 hr, there was time. We shot off like a bullet. I took my intro flight in a R44 (you could choose a R22 as well) and I'm sure I did not stop smiling until I had a chance to try my hand at hovering. Wow,was that hard. I was all over the place even though I didn't think I was moving the control much. It requires some serious touch.
The "bad" part? The $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ it costs to attain a private helicopter license. When D told a friend of his what I had been up to, his words were "I don't think she could have found a more expensive hobby.". A subject for another post.
I've decided to lump all the posts from the beginning to my last one as one batch. My early years where I wrote a lot about saving money, debt repayment and work woes. I cannot say it was an overly happy period of time outside of some great trips.
That phase did see me transition to my current semi retired/part time work status. It may also be my "retired" status if I choose to do some work indefinitely. I will continue to update my NWIQ numbers as I still find it useful.
From this post on, Version 2.0 will be about living the best life we can, now that I've regained more of my time and creativity back, whatever it ends up being and wherever it may lead us.
Thank you again for your patience while I sorted out the role this blog was going to play in my life.
Monday, April 16, 2012
So Hard
I've underestimated things yet again.
Thank you for all the comments, emails, well wishes, suggestions and requests since my last post. Even D reacted strongly when he heard of the news -- Something I was not expecting. I guess he saw what I couldn't.
When I wrote the series for Women's Money Week, it showed me how done I was with writing about work, money and debt. The reason why I started a blog. I no longer feel the need for that platform anymore.
Since I was 7, I've kept a written journal and once the books were full, they were discarded. I didn't want to risk someone finding and reading them. My pattern made it simple to do the same with this blog. Even though I've remained anonymous, I still feel oddly vulnerable.
What I didn't realize was the effect of All of You, my Readers and Commenters have had on Me. That I was also erasing and discarding Our History. And I found I was not able to do it yesterday. Getting rid of my written blabber? Easy. Getting rid of your emails, comments and valued feedback? Too difficult.
I am going to consider the idea of morphing this blog into a lifestyle and travel one. No promises as to when but I'm not erasing what I have here. You have made a lasting impression on me. Thank you in advance for your patience.
Thank you for all the comments, emails, well wishes, suggestions and requests since my last post. Even D reacted strongly when he heard of the news -- Something I was not expecting. I guess he saw what I couldn't.
When I wrote the series for Women's Money Week, it showed me how done I was with writing about work, money and debt. The reason why I started a blog. I no longer feel the need for that platform anymore.
Since I was 7, I've kept a written journal and once the books were full, they were discarded. I didn't want to risk someone finding and reading them. My pattern made it simple to do the same with this blog. Even though I've remained anonymous, I still feel oddly vulnerable.
What I didn't realize was the effect of All of You, my Readers and Commenters have had on Me. That I was also erasing and discarding Our History. And I found I was not able to do it yesterday. Getting rid of my written blabber? Easy. Getting rid of your emails, comments and valued feedback? Too difficult.
I am going to consider the idea of morphing this blog into a lifestyle and travel one. No promises as to when but I'm not erasing what I have here. You have made a lasting impression on me. Thank you in advance for your patience.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Good Bye
I've decided to close down this blog. The past 3+ years have been great and I want to thank everyone for reading and contributing and being there when I was going through some difficulties.
I need to harness back some mental time for other ventures as well as reduce my computer use even more. This blog has served its purpose and I'm excited for whats ahead.
My blog reading shall continue and I look forward to keeping up with what's on the minds of Bloggers I enjoy.
All the best to Everyone and Thanks again for the good times. It has been a satisfyingly creative process.
I need to harness back some mental time for other ventures as well as reduce my computer use even more. This blog has served its purpose and I'm excited for whats ahead.
My blog reading shall continue and I look forward to keeping up with what's on the minds of Bloggers I enjoy.
All the best to Everyone and Thanks again for the good times. It has been a satisfyingly creative process.
Hawaii Summary
My trip to Hawaii was a lot of fun. I got a good overview of the islands and my favourites were Kauai and Maui. Kauai for the landscape, where the helicopter photos from yesterday came from, and Maui for the vibe. It felt young and laid back to me.
The weather was pretty great. The winds made such a difference to the temperature. It was strange for me to see a 31 degree Celsius forecast and it feeling pleasant. Doesn't exist in my neck of the woods. But when there is no wind, you baked, which is what I'm used to.
Kona coffee is really good. I now understand what the hype is about. Thought Kalua pork was OK. I think I'm just used to a stronger more bbq pull pork taste whereas Kalua pork tastes more natural.
I managed to take 6 hours of Hula and Tahitian dance lessons which was highly enjoyable and learned more about Hawaiian culture than I ever did reading a book. Hula is not about girls with coconuts and grass skirts. It is about telling a story with your hands while your hips are mimicking the waves of the ocean.
No go with learning to surf. My schedule didn't allow it.
On the way home I had layover time in San Diego so I got to explore a bit. It was really easy to get downtown from the airport. Cannot say I enjoyed my time there. There was a large police presence that day due to the season opener of the Padres. I was actually warned to watch my back.
A highlight was Anthony's seafood restaurant by the pier. Ate the best fried shrimp of my life. It was so perfectly done, the middle was almost like Sashimi. Could of easily ate my weight in it.
Forget Cessnas, I want to be a helicopter pilot...
The weather was pretty great. The winds made such a difference to the temperature. It was strange for me to see a 31 degree Celsius forecast and it feeling pleasant. Doesn't exist in my neck of the woods. But when there is no wind, you baked, which is what I'm used to.
Kona coffee is really good. I now understand what the hype is about. Thought Kalua pork was OK. I think I'm just used to a stronger more bbq pull pork taste whereas Kalua pork tastes more natural.
I managed to take 6 hours of Hula and Tahitian dance lessons which was highly enjoyable and learned more about Hawaiian culture than I ever did reading a book. Hula is not about girls with coconuts and grass skirts. It is about telling a story with your hands while your hips are mimicking the waves of the ocean.
No go with learning to surf. My schedule didn't allow it.
On the way home I had layover time in San Diego so I got to explore a bit. It was really easy to get downtown from the airport. Cannot say I enjoyed my time there. There was a large police presence that day due to the season opener of the Padres. I was actually warned to watch my back.
A highlight was Anthony's seafood restaurant by the pier. Ate the best fried shrimp of my life. It was so perfectly done, the middle was almost like Sashimi. Could of easily ate my weight in it.
Forget Cessnas, I want to be a helicopter pilot...
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Upgrades!!!
I am super pumped because I just found out one of my flight segments was upgraded to First Class courtesy of Skymiles!
Not all of my flights are eligible as some classes of planes do not have a first/business class cabin. I place this perk in the "getting free stuff" category. I paid for economy.
The other segment of this westbound leg has been upgraded to economy comfort. Normally you would have to pay $100 for this. And I'm not even going to bother checking what it would have cost to fly first class because it is likely in the $1000s.
Not bad at all for a free program.
I'm off for the next couple of weeks. Happy Easter Everyone!!!
Not all of my flights are eligible as some classes of planes do not have a first/business class cabin. I place this perk in the "getting free stuff" category. I paid for economy.
The other segment of this westbound leg has been upgraded to economy comfort. Normally you would have to pay $100 for this. And I'm not even going to bother checking what it would have cost to fly first class because it is likely in the $1000s.
Not bad at all for a free program.
I'm off for the next couple of weeks. Happy Easter Everyone!!!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Pre Vacation Busyness
You know what the sure fire way for me to get even busier at work is?
Book a vacation.
Then referrals and clients start coming out of the woodwork. I only have time to see one new client before I go and have just referred the 3rd one yesterday.
Sometimes the missed business bothers me but if I focus on it, I would never go away and that's not an option.
The flip side is the extra craziness leading up to my departure which does a more than adequate job of exhausting me and making a vacation sudden necessity.
I can empathize with those who feel dread at vacation time in anticipation of the amount of work they will come back to.
Book a vacation.
Then referrals and clients start coming out of the woodwork. I only have time to see one new client before I go and have just referred the 3rd one yesterday.
Sometimes the missed business bothers me but if I focus on it, I would never go away and that's not an option.
The flip side is the extra craziness leading up to my departure which does a more than adequate job of exhausting me and making a vacation sudden necessity.
I can empathize with those who feel dread at vacation time in anticipation of the amount of work they will come back to.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Updates
D and I finally made it up to the cottage to face the potential mess of the bag of shrimp left by mistake last fall.
I was worried it would have exploded from bacterial gases and bears would have broken in, lured by the smell of rotting seafood. We were fortunate it had just expanded with no explosion.
Now I hope there isn't a glitch with our weekly garbage pickup as it is quite warm in Ontario and it has for sure melted by now.
I'm happy to report the cottage made it through another winter with no major glitches.
We also had to stop by the airport Nexus office on the way home to get my new passport scanned into their system.
Warning to fellow Nexus users, there has been incidences where passport updates done online hasn't gotten through both systems. And I was one of them despite being assured everything was good when I called the US office.
D brought along his passport and card so we could inquire about the automatic enrollment into Global Entry available now. We were shocked to find his Nexus application hadn't shown up in the Canadian side and we had been using it for the last year...
Anyways, they took care of it and he can use Global Entry and doesn't have to got through the rigmarole I experienced at the JFK office last summer. Despite the administrative inconveniences, these programs are worth it to us.
I was worried it would have exploded from bacterial gases and bears would have broken in, lured by the smell of rotting seafood. We were fortunate it had just expanded with no explosion.
Now I hope there isn't a glitch with our weekly garbage pickup as it is quite warm in Ontario and it has for sure melted by now.
I'm happy to report the cottage made it through another winter with no major glitches.
We also had to stop by the airport Nexus office on the way home to get my new passport scanned into their system.
Warning to fellow Nexus users, there has been incidences where passport updates done online hasn't gotten through both systems. And I was one of them despite being assured everything was good when I called the US office.
D brought along his passport and card so we could inquire about the automatic enrollment into Global Entry available now. We were shocked to find his Nexus application hadn't shown up in the Canadian side and we had been using it for the last year...
Anyways, they took care of it and he can use Global Entry and doesn't have to got through the rigmarole I experienced at the JFK office last summer. Despite the administrative inconveniences, these programs are worth it to us.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Homework
I fielded an amusing call earlier today from the new district account manager of a supplier I've used for 14 years. For some reason, there is a high turnover, 3 in the last 2 years.
There is probably some sort of sales commission structure in place on top of a base salary I'm guessing. This fellow sounds and talks like he is really young and has a good amount of ego.
I would say I'm an above average user for the product he represents and as far as I'm concerned, I feel he ought to know that before calling to try and drum up some business.
The best he could do was "Would you like to do more business?". Unfortunately for him, my answer was that business was at a good enough pace for me for the hours I work.
When he finally pulled up my numbers and realized the account did not involve multiple users, he agreed I was doing good...
A bit of homework would have garnered greater respect from me. It's a good thing he has inherited an established account. He will need to improve his business skills to build future successful accounts.
There is probably some sort of sales commission structure in place on top of a base salary I'm guessing. This fellow sounds and talks like he is really young and has a good amount of ego.
I would say I'm an above average user for the product he represents and as far as I'm concerned, I feel he ought to know that before calling to try and drum up some business.
The best he could do was "Would you like to do more business?". Unfortunately for him, my answer was that business was at a good enough pace for me for the hours I work.
When he finally pulled up my numbers and realized the account did not involve multiple users, he agreed I was doing good...
A bit of homework would have garnered greater respect from me. It's a good thing he has inherited an established account. He will need to improve his business skills to build future successful accounts.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Walking Away
I've been banging my head against the wall trying to schedule a couple of out of town courses as well as ceasing delivery of local free newspapers (been working on this one since Feb).
The pieces are just not falling together well. I've got D working on it now because I need to let it go before it drives me even more bonkers. Maybe I'm not meant to be taking those courses this year.
On a healthier note, I've been working out on my exercise bike again. It is nice to feel the blood pumping. Work has been at a low moderate pace and I like that it doesn't tax me too much. It's looking like a pretty ideal level for me.
Apologies to those well versed in Hawaiian but I am having a heck of a time keeping all the cities and islands straight and what there is to see there. All the different mountains and town names are getting mushed together in my brain.
I'm behind in my trip planning. Don't even have my airport transfers sorted or booked yet and I'm scheduled to leave in a couple of weeks.
The pieces are just not falling together well. I've got D working on it now because I need to let it go before it drives me even more bonkers. Maybe I'm not meant to be taking those courses this year.
On a healthier note, I've been working out on my exercise bike again. It is nice to feel the blood pumping. Work has been at a low moderate pace and I like that it doesn't tax me too much. It's looking like a pretty ideal level for me.
Apologies to those well versed in Hawaiian but I am having a heck of a time keeping all the cities and islands straight and what there is to see there. All the different mountains and town names are getting mushed together in my brain.
I'm behind in my trip planning. Don't even have my airport transfers sorted or booked yet and I'm scheduled to leave in a couple of weeks.
Friday, March 9, 2012
WMW 2012 -- Money in Your 20s/30s/40s/50s/Retirement
Money in my 20s, specifically late 20s was plentiful. I graduated at 26 with a professional degree and I was lucky enough to get employed in a company that was just starting up and it took off and took me with it.
I didn't respect money much then. I assumed it would continue to flow to me and made no effort to save anything. It wasn't until I was 2 hairs away from maxing out my $25K line of credit (only took 1 1/2 yr of living it up) did I stop and smartened up.
The only wise thing I did do back then was go back to school (Masters) full time (academics was easy for me) in order to take advantage of a government program which allowed me to pay off my loans interest free. I managed to pay off my loans in the same time frame it took me to rack up my line of credit.
Never did I grumble about it because I was and still am so grateful for the loan. Otherwise there would have been no way I could have gone on to grad school. My family couldn't afford to help me out with educational costs.
Money in my 30s got harder. Somewhere near the middle of them, I burned out from working like a fiend. The funny thing was that I didn't know I was burning out or even could burn out. I just felt tired and angry and depressed. I thought I just needed to get in better shape. Never did it dawn on me it could be mental/emotional.
I still made a lot of money and I would say I peaked in my mid 30s in terms of income but I was unhappy. Those early years where I was in the invincible honeymoon phase were a distance memory. Almost everything was starting to or already was bothering me. I no longer wanted what I had.
And I can tell you, those kind of feelings eat up a lot of energy. And because I am a professional, I never let it show and as I used up my extra stores of energy to keep going, I slid further and further down in mood. I didn't care about how much money I made anymore. I wanted to quit and take time for myself.
It was in my 30s my current lifestyle plans came to be. I got serious about designing my life and taking steps to make it happen. I slashed my work hours so I had a chance to slow down to hear myself think.
As I start my 40th year, I'm working part time and slowly starting to appreciate what all those mortgage payments and prepayments have allowed me to do. All that hiking, swimming, skiing, travelling etc I wanted as part of my life is now available. I just need the energy to do it all.
Money from my mid 40s to 50s to retirement will be mostly on autopilot. Savings will be fairly easy as we intend to be mortgage free soon, hopefully making up for lost time. And if I continue to work, what I describe now will be "my retirement". D plans to work until his mid 50s and at that point consider contract work.
This post is a part of Women's Money Week 2012. For more posts about Money in Your 20s/30s/40s/50s/Retirement, see womensmoneyweek.com.
I would like to Thank Elizabeth Sanberg, Wise Bread writer and co-founder of GoGreenTravelGreen.com and Jackie Beck, MoneyCrush.com for the invitation to participate in WMW 2012.
This is my last post in the series but the week is not over. There are 2 more days of great topics so head on over to read more.
I didn't respect money much then. I assumed it would continue to flow to me and made no effort to save anything. It wasn't until I was 2 hairs away from maxing out my $25K line of credit (only took 1 1/2 yr of living it up) did I stop and smartened up.
The only wise thing I did do back then was go back to school (Masters) full time (academics was easy for me) in order to take advantage of a government program which allowed me to pay off my loans interest free. I managed to pay off my loans in the same time frame it took me to rack up my line of credit.
Never did I grumble about it because I was and still am so grateful for the loan. Otherwise there would have been no way I could have gone on to grad school. My family couldn't afford to help me out with educational costs.
Money in my 30s got harder. Somewhere near the middle of them, I burned out from working like a fiend. The funny thing was that I didn't know I was burning out or even could burn out. I just felt tired and angry and depressed. I thought I just needed to get in better shape. Never did it dawn on me it could be mental/emotional.
I still made a lot of money and I would say I peaked in my mid 30s in terms of income but I was unhappy. Those early years where I was in the invincible honeymoon phase were a distance memory. Almost everything was starting to or already was bothering me. I no longer wanted what I had.
And I can tell you, those kind of feelings eat up a lot of energy. And because I am a professional, I never let it show and as I used up my extra stores of energy to keep going, I slid further and further down in mood. I didn't care about how much money I made anymore. I wanted to quit and take time for myself.
It was in my 30s my current lifestyle plans came to be. I got serious about designing my life and taking steps to make it happen. I slashed my work hours so I had a chance to slow down to hear myself think.
As I start my 40th year, I'm working part time and slowly starting to appreciate what all those mortgage payments and prepayments have allowed me to do. All that hiking, swimming, skiing, travelling etc I wanted as part of my life is now available. I just need the energy to do it all.
Money from my mid 40s to 50s to retirement will be mostly on autopilot. Savings will be fairly easy as we intend to be mortgage free soon, hopefully making up for lost time. And if I continue to work, what I describe now will be "my retirement". D plans to work until his mid 50s and at that point consider contract work.
This post is a part of Women's Money Week 2012. For more posts about Money in Your 20s/30s/40s/50s/Retirement, see womensmoneyweek.com.
I would like to Thank Elizabeth Sanberg, Wise Bread writer and co-founder of GoGreenTravelGreen.com and Jackie Beck, MoneyCrush.com for the invitation to participate in WMW 2012.
This is my last post in the series but the week is not over. There are 2 more days of great topics so head on over to read more.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
WMW 2012 -- Budgeting
My husband D and I have differing styles of money management. He is more a "live for today" type of person favoring small luxuries whereas I prefer delayed larger goals such as overseas travel and real estate.
In order to reach our goals of multiple home ownership and quick mortgage pay down, we were pretty brutal to ourselves for a number of years -- ie. $20 a month allowance etc.
I manage the money for our household. My husband knows about everything and would be able to take over but he prefers I deal with things on a day to day basis.
Of course there is a cost to him for handing over the reigns like that. I'm more extreme than he is with respect to money management.
It was I who decided to go for a short amortization on our mortgages (12 yr or less). It was I who slashed and cut out vacations for a few years. And it was I who decided to max out our yearly allowable mortgage pre-payments.
I would be lying if I said this was an easy job. Who enjoys being "the bad guy"? I've warped it into a full time job as I am a control freak and like to account for every penny and (still) hate it when monetary surprises crop up.
Neither of us wish to live those uber tight days again as I still (and I'm sure D does too) have some mental scars from the whole ordeal. However by adopting some lean behaviours, we were able to have 9 yr or less in our various property mortgage amortizations.
Don't get me wrong. Every penny is still accounted for. The difference now is half my income can afford to be spending money. This was in part made possible when D started a job with a defined benefit pension plan as well as being at the tail end of mortgage debt.
Over the years we've been together I've learned to enjoy the lattes and D has experienced the feeling of having large goals actualized -- Something he had never bothered to strive for as he thought them too reachable.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend people follow our extreme ways. It was at many times a very unhealthy way to reach our goal of a healthy, sustainable and balanced life. I lost sight of forest while getting all caught up in the "pay things down in the fastest time" game.
This post is a part of Women's Money Week 2012. For more posts about Budgeting, see womensmoneyweek.com.
This was supposed to be my last post in the series but I found time to participate once more tomorrow! The topic will be Money in Your 20s/30/40s/50s/Retirement.
In order to reach our goals of multiple home ownership and quick mortgage pay down, we were pretty brutal to ourselves for a number of years -- ie. $20 a month allowance etc.
I manage the money for our household. My husband knows about everything and would be able to take over but he prefers I deal with things on a day to day basis.
Of course there is a cost to him for handing over the reigns like that. I'm more extreme than he is with respect to money management.
It was I who decided to go for a short amortization on our mortgages (12 yr or less). It was I who slashed and cut out vacations for a few years. And it was I who decided to max out our yearly allowable mortgage pre-payments.
I would be lying if I said this was an easy job. Who enjoys being "the bad guy"? I've warped it into a full time job as I am a control freak and like to account for every penny and (still) hate it when monetary surprises crop up.
Neither of us wish to live those uber tight days again as I still (and I'm sure D does too) have some mental scars from the whole ordeal. However by adopting some lean behaviours, we were able to have 9 yr or less in our various property mortgage amortizations.
Don't get me wrong. Every penny is still accounted for. The difference now is half my income can afford to be spending money. This was in part made possible when D started a job with a defined benefit pension plan as well as being at the tail end of mortgage debt.
Over the years we've been together I've learned to enjoy the lattes and D has experienced the feeling of having large goals actualized -- Something he had never bothered to strive for as he thought them too reachable.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend people follow our extreme ways. It was at many times a very unhealthy way to reach our goal of a healthy, sustainable and balanced life. I lost sight of forest while getting all caught up in the "pay things down in the fastest time" game.
This post is a part of Women's Money Week 2012. For more posts about Budgeting, see womensmoneyweek.com.
This was supposed to be my last post in the series but I found time to participate once more tomorrow! The topic will be Money in Your 20s/30/40s/50s/Retirement.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
WMW 2012 -- Saving & Investing
Savings for my husband D and I have always meant more than just money in an account. First and foremost it is about building a sustainable lifestyle encouraging health and balance.
I am not an expert investor or day trader. We diversify our holdings with my working with an investment advisor investing in more aggressive stocks, D self managing his own value based investments and we have low fee ETFs and tax free saving accounts with ING.
The largest portion of our net worth is real estate related. We own 3 properties without any family help, lottery winnings, or rental income. And are within 3 yrs of having everything paid off.
The main reason this was possible is due to where we live. In our area of Ontario it is possible to own a spacious home for $285000, a true cottage 3 hrs away for $83000 and a ski condo (not timeshare or fractional) in British Columbia the size of a tiny hotel room for $78500.
So for the price of a moderate house in a major city center, we get to enjoy a lifestyle that a lot of people think belongs to the rich and famous and we are neither of those. It is a bonus our cottage has almost doubled in value in the last 10 yr.
I just turned 40 and D is 44. We are fortunate that D will receive a defined benefit pension. Our monthly costs aren't as much as you may think as we are pretty good with conservation. Since D can work remote, we can be up at the cottage or out west without him having to take too many days off.
Because we are able to scale our expectations we found options that are manageable financially.
If anyone out there dreams of an additional property, it is worth spending the time searching the mls and driving around new areas that aren't shown in the dramatic makeover section of the newspaper.
There are lower cost options. And if anyone is considering a move, really consider this: The less a house costs, the more money you have left over to live with. There are opportunity costs associated with each major financial decision.
It is also worth researching job opportunities in a smaller city or town center. The key is the amount of money you are left with. Don't just focus on the salary. High monthly carrying costs can eat up everything.
We still have ways to go in the retirement savings department because of the money we've imparted into real estate. We feel by doing so, we are really investing in us. A great life now and along the way versus later.
This post is a part of Women's Money Week 2012. For more posts about Saving & Investing, see Savings & Investing Round Up.
I am not an expert investor or day trader. We diversify our holdings with my working with an investment advisor investing in more aggressive stocks, D self managing his own value based investments and we have low fee ETFs and tax free saving accounts with ING.
The largest portion of our net worth is real estate related. We own 3 properties without any family help, lottery winnings, or rental income. And are within 3 yrs of having everything paid off.
The main reason this was possible is due to where we live. In our area of Ontario it is possible to own a spacious home for $285000, a true cottage 3 hrs away for $83000 and a ski condo (not timeshare or fractional) in British Columbia the size of a tiny hotel room for $78500.
So for the price of a moderate house in a major city center, we get to enjoy a lifestyle that a lot of people think belongs to the rich and famous and we are neither of those. It is a bonus our cottage has almost doubled in value in the last 10 yr.
I just turned 40 and D is 44. We are fortunate that D will receive a defined benefit pension. Our monthly costs aren't as much as you may think as we are pretty good with conservation. Since D can work remote, we can be up at the cottage or out west without him having to take too many days off.
Because we are able to scale our expectations we found options that are manageable financially.
If anyone out there dreams of an additional property, it is worth spending the time searching the mls and driving around new areas that aren't shown in the dramatic makeover section of the newspaper.
There are lower cost options. And if anyone is considering a move, really consider this: The less a house costs, the more money you have left over to live with. There are opportunity costs associated with each major financial decision.
It is also worth researching job opportunities in a smaller city or town center. The key is the amount of money you are left with. Don't just focus on the salary. High monthly carrying costs can eat up everything.
We still have ways to go in the retirement savings department because of the money we've imparted into real estate. We feel by doing so, we are really investing in us. A great life now and along the way versus later.
This post is a part of Women's Money Week 2012. For more posts about Saving & Investing, see Savings & Investing Round Up.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
WMW 2012 -- Relationships & Money
My husband D and I have what we believe to be a fairly rare financial understanding compared to other couples we know.
It is our goal to be equal financial partners. What that means for us is equal contribution to assets as well as debt repayment. For some this philosophy can mean buy a home based on the lower salary. Personally I believe this to be a pretty smart move.
We both came into our relationship with homes and assets. I had a higher amount. When we made the commitment as a couple, D sold his house and we lived in my house until we found our home. In our case my husband needed to catch up. Neither of us had any consumer debt.
As we are both self made, it doesn't surprise me that D truly wants to own half. So he is currently paying what is left of our mortgage and car as well as an "annuity" to me equal to the amount I've overpaid.
I overpaid because we wanted to be debt free faster. If I could have done another year of mortgage pre-payments we would have been done in another year or so. But I had had enough of it mentally and emotionally.
We also believe in being each other's "back up". We make roughly the same now, so should one of us suffer an emergency and cannot work, the other can carry things without too much of a hiccup.
I am quite conservative with respect to monetary risk and surprises. And we're wise enough to know stuff happens anyways despite the best preparation. So we do what we can to mitigate risk.
We have accounts that cover the future cost of roofs, appliances, home improvement, cars as well as a year's worth of expenses. There is a small life insurance policy equivalent to the amount outstanding as we have no dependents.
This post is a part of Women's Money Week 2012. For more posts about Relationships & Money, see womensmoneyweek.com.
It is our goal to be equal financial partners. What that means for us is equal contribution to assets as well as debt repayment. For some this philosophy can mean buy a home based on the lower salary. Personally I believe this to be a pretty smart move.
We both came into our relationship with homes and assets. I had a higher amount. When we made the commitment as a couple, D sold his house and we lived in my house until we found our home. In our case my husband needed to catch up. Neither of us had any consumer debt.
As we are both self made, it doesn't surprise me that D truly wants to own half. So he is currently paying what is left of our mortgage and car as well as an "annuity" to me equal to the amount I've overpaid.
I overpaid because we wanted to be debt free faster. If I could have done another year of mortgage pre-payments we would have been done in another year or so. But I had had enough of it mentally and emotionally.
We also believe in being each other's "back up". We make roughly the same now, so should one of us suffer an emergency and cannot work, the other can carry things without too much of a hiccup.
I am quite conservative with respect to monetary risk and surprises. And we're wise enough to know stuff happens anyways despite the best preparation. So we do what we can to mitigate risk.
We have accounts that cover the future cost of roofs, appliances, home improvement, cars as well as a year's worth of expenses. There is a small life insurance policy equivalent to the amount outstanding as we have no dependents.
This post is a part of Women's Money Week 2012. For more posts about Relationships & Money, see womensmoneyweek.com.
Monday, March 5, 2012
WMW 2012 -- Entrepreneurship / Making Money
My goal for this series of posts is to describe my life the way we are living it as a basis of comparison with the many other ways out there you'll get to read about over the week.
There are no right or wrong ways to design your life. Couples like us without children tend to lead lives that look different than those who do. Those who live in larger city centers have completely different numbers to work with than those of us in smaller cities or towns.
I believe there is huge value in reading and experiencing other ways to live because inevitably I learn something new and end up incorporating or modifying it to work for us. This is one reason why I love to travel so much. You see what is possible.
I am a one person part time entrepreneur in the health care field which means I do everything from answer phones to bookkeeping on top of working with clients. Full control can be a double edge sword.
My career took a drastic change a couple of years ago when my prior office, where everything was done for me, raised the rent to a point where it no longer made sense to stay. It forced me to step up and truly go out on my own.
My goal has been to work the least amount of hours I can while making the amount of money I would like. I realize not every one's job or career can be scalable like mine.
It goes against entrepreneurship to consider working less and making less money. My goal has never been to be the richest person. I don't have enough desire to work that much to make a goal like that happen.
My goal is to have an interesting life packed with world travel along the way. As time went on, my hours got trimmed and trimmed reaching where I am currently -- 12 hr direct client time, 8 hr admin, making a third of what I was at my peak. This has taken the last 14 yr to evolve.
I cannot see this schedule becoming leaner. Any smaller would mean retirement. It is no coincidence my decreased hours have coincided with better money management. The more adept I became at handling costs, the less I needed to work.
There are a lot of pros with being self employed. The most obvious are tax benefits. In my case, the ability to create office hours that jive well with my energy level is priceless. I do my 12 hr of client time over 2 afternoons and the my 8 hr admin is split over 4 mornings.
Lifestyle balance is something I work towards and am consistently pursuing. The route to what I describe today was not without major potholes. There have been many years where it was literally trial by fire. I've suffered severe depression and professional burnout. Effects of both I am still managing today.
This post is a part of Women's Money Week 2012. For more posts about Entrepreneurship / Making Money, see Entrepreneurship / Making Money Roundup.
Tomorrow I will give you our take on Relationships & Money.
There are no right or wrong ways to design your life. Couples like us without children tend to lead lives that look different than those who do. Those who live in larger city centers have completely different numbers to work with than those of us in smaller cities or towns.
I believe there is huge value in reading and experiencing other ways to live because inevitably I learn something new and end up incorporating or modifying it to work for us. This is one reason why I love to travel so much. You see what is possible.
I am a one person part time entrepreneur in the health care field which means I do everything from answer phones to bookkeeping on top of working with clients. Full control can be a double edge sword.
My career took a drastic change a couple of years ago when my prior office, where everything was done for me, raised the rent to a point where it no longer made sense to stay. It forced me to step up and truly go out on my own.
My goal has been to work the least amount of hours I can while making the amount of money I would like. I realize not every one's job or career can be scalable like mine.
It goes against entrepreneurship to consider working less and making less money. My goal has never been to be the richest person. I don't have enough desire to work that much to make a goal like that happen.
My goal is to have an interesting life packed with world travel along the way. As time went on, my hours got trimmed and trimmed reaching where I am currently -- 12 hr direct client time, 8 hr admin, making a third of what I was at my peak. This has taken the last 14 yr to evolve.
I cannot see this schedule becoming leaner. Any smaller would mean retirement. It is no coincidence my decreased hours have coincided with better money management. The more adept I became at handling costs, the less I needed to work.
There are a lot of pros with being self employed. The most obvious are tax benefits. In my case, the ability to create office hours that jive well with my energy level is priceless. I do my 12 hr of client time over 2 afternoons and the my 8 hr admin is split over 4 mornings.
Lifestyle balance is something I work towards and am consistently pursuing. The route to what I describe today was not without major potholes. There have been many years where it was literally trial by fire. I've suffered severe depression and professional burnout. Effects of both I am still managing today.
This post is a part of Women's Money Week 2012. For more posts about Entrepreneurship / Making Money, see Entrepreneurship / Making Money Roundup.
Tomorrow I will give you our take on Relationships & Money.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Home Stuff
Our home insurance renewal has arrived and this year it comes to around $1700/yr for all our properties. I don't know if that is considered high or not. We chose a high deductible $1000 - $2000 to keep rates low.
I go through fits and starts but I'm currently into reading and have devoured 3 books. The latest read is "Quiet The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain. It's good.
I'm a closet introvert. I make my living being an extrovert and the discrepancy can be exhausting.
D and I researched potential future careers for me should I decide to do something different. We've looked air traffic controllers and technical writer. Both careers would suit an introvert.
In other news, Women's Money Week is starting on Monday. I have been invited to participate and write about one or all of the daily topics from a personal viewpoint. Next Mon - Thurs, I will be devoting my posts to this group effort.
I go through fits and starts but I'm currently into reading and have devoured 3 books. The latest read is "Quiet The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain. It's good.
I'm a closet introvert. I make my living being an extrovert and the discrepancy can be exhausting.
D and I researched potential future careers for me should I decide to do something different. We've looked air traffic controllers and technical writer. Both careers would suit an introvert.
In other news, Women's Money Week is starting on Monday. I have been invited to participate and write about one or all of the daily topics from a personal viewpoint. Next Mon - Thurs, I will be devoting my posts to this group effort.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Efficiencies
I'm pretty pleased with how my business procedures are right now. It's quite efficient. Over the last 3 months I've managed to shave off another couple of hours from the admin section, making it 6 hours/week.
Over 95% of people make their appointment online which cuts my phone time way back. When it comes time to renew my cell phone plan, I'm choosing a much smaller one for sure which will help reduce my business costs.
As much as some people like to complain about the inefficiencies of our government departments, I must say, those comments do not seem to apply to the passport division. My new passport came back today! That was fast (under 2 weeks!).
Next I will be updating my Nexus card info and supplying it to the airlines for my various upcoming trips. It seems like everyone needs your info in advance nowadays.
Over 95% of people make their appointment online which cuts my phone time way back. When it comes time to renew my cell phone plan, I'm choosing a much smaller one for sure which will help reduce my business costs.
As much as some people like to complain about the inefficiencies of our government departments, I must say, those comments do not seem to apply to the passport division. My new passport came back today! That was fast (under 2 weeks!).
Next I will be updating my Nexus card info and supplying it to the airlines for my various upcoming trips. It seems like everyone needs your info in advance nowadays.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Passport Renewal & Health Checks
I decided to renew my passport sooner than originally planned because I had the time last week. In anticipation of future travel plans requiring tourist visas, I requested a passport book with extra pages for $5 more than the regular price.
It ended up costing me $92. Money well spent, in my opinion. Total came to just over $100 including my passport photos. And I'm good for another 5 years. I chose to keep my cancelled passport as a souvenir.
This past week was full of appointments. I got my teeth cleaned and my eyes checked (finally!) after 5 yrs. Teeth and eyes are both good -- Phew!
We are really lucky to have extended health care that covers 80% of most check ups. My eye exam cost $98 and my teeth check and clean came to $99.
My final Naturopathic appointment is this week. I started eating the foods I've avoided the past 5 months to see what effect they have. Eggs and dairy do bring on nasal allergies within a couple of hours so now I know.
It ended up costing me $92. Money well spent, in my opinion. Total came to just over $100 including my passport photos. And I'm good for another 5 years. I chose to keep my cancelled passport as a souvenir.
This past week was full of appointments. I got my teeth cleaned and my eyes checked (finally!) after 5 yrs. Teeth and eyes are both good -- Phew!
We are really lucky to have extended health care that covers 80% of most check ups. My eye exam cost $98 and my teeth check and clean came to $99.
My final Naturopathic appointment is this week. I started eating the foods I've avoided the past 5 months to see what effect they have. Eggs and dairy do bring on nasal allergies within a couple of hours so now I know.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
You Never Know...
In the category of "You never know unless you ask...",
- I got flight miles credit for 2 flights I wasn't supposed to get but the agent made an exception for me! I was supposed to have been a member of their program prior to the flights.
- I received a discount of $400 on my trip to Norway when I decided to call and ask if I was eligible for an advertised price reduction. Turns out if the final payment date has not occurred, you are!
What a great way to start the weekend.
Friday, February 24, 2012
What I Want?
If someone was to ask me right now what I've "always wanted", my answers would be:
- electric curlers (since I was 7yrs old)
- A large wooden box of professional art supplies (since I was a teenager)
- to take one month off without guilt (since I started working)
The first 2 on the list can be achieved pretty quickly. I've just not taken action on it. The last one has been a mental hurdle for years. No idea when I'll be brave enough to make it happen.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Getting Organized
I am in the midst of getting my info together to calculate capital gains on the stocks I sold last spring to buy my car. I am not organized enough to find the price I sold them for easily so I've sent an email to my investment advisor.
Depending on what my taxes will be, I may or may not get a tax refund. Right now, without having all of my investment receipts yet, I am running at about a $700 refund position.
Meanwhile, I have been neglecting my 2013 book keeping for my office. That is on the agenda today. Along with various odds and sods such as hemming pants and clearing my paperwork off my treadmill so I can actually use it!
Depending on what my taxes will be, I may or may not get a tax refund. Right now, without having all of my investment receipts yet, I am running at about a $700 refund position.
Meanwhile, I have been neglecting my 2013 book keeping for my office. That is on the agenda today. Along with various odds and sods such as hemming pants and clearing my paperwork off my treadmill so I can actually use it!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Work Lessons
The two weeks out west has taught D & I some lessons. Neither of us enjoyed him working from home full time.
It could be an issue of space as our spot there is very small and there is no relief for ourselves from each other when his work gets tense. Plus it has potential of ruining the whole environment. You don't want to associate a great place with stress.
One solution will involve D taking holiday time while we are out for 50% of it. It will affect rest of the year vacation allotment and will translate into D going to Europe once a year vs. twice. I think he is OK with it as he loves to ski.
Another idea we are considering is buying another small unit in the same building so our living space will be split into sleeping unit and working/socializing area.
This idea only makes sense if we aren't planning on moving out permanently.
It could be an issue of space as our spot there is very small and there is no relief for ourselves from each other when his work gets tense. Plus it has potential of ruining the whole environment. You don't want to associate a great place with stress.
One solution will involve D taking holiday time while we are out for 50% of it. It will affect rest of the year vacation allotment and will translate into D going to Europe once a year vs. twice. I think he is OK with it as he loves to ski.
Another idea we are considering is buying another small unit in the same building so our living space will be split into sleeping unit and working/socializing area.
This idea only makes sense if we aren't planning on moving out permanently.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Travel Languages
I'm not leaving anything to chance this time. When D and I went to Berlin, I left it up to D to learn enough useful German.
When push came to shove, D froze and started speaking French which didn't get us very far. I don't want a repeat of the stress of putting together words from our phrase book trying to book a cab for 5 am.
People told him he needn't bother because everyone spoke English. Not true. We didn't meet anyone who spoke English to us. Not even the cab drivers. And the restaurants we went to didn't have English menus.
I've used those "All Audio" courses before with success and I've started with the German one. D has decided to use Rosetta Stone. Between the both of us, we ought to be more successful this time around when we get to Munich.
Because we'll be heading back to Amsterdam too, I also want to learn some Dutch too. D's passing on this one. I managed to order french fries in Dutch the last time but failed miserably with ordering an ice cream cone.
When push came to shove, D froze and started speaking French which didn't get us very far. I don't want a repeat of the stress of putting together words from our phrase book trying to book a cab for 5 am.
People told him he needn't bother because everyone spoke English. Not true. We didn't meet anyone who spoke English to us. Not even the cab drivers. And the restaurants we went to didn't have English menus.
I've used those "All Audio" courses before with success and I've started with the German one. D has decided to use Rosetta Stone. Between the both of us, we ought to be more successful this time around when we get to Munich.
Because we'll be heading back to Amsterdam too, I also want to learn some Dutch too. D's passing on this one. I managed to order french fries in Dutch the last time but failed miserably with ordering an ice cream cone.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Funny Story
I got to meet some of D's ski buddies and one of them had a great story to share. He was on a plane home from a business meeting and the company had paid for him to fly business class.
He was in the aisle and some other guy was sitting by the window. During boarding, he noticed that the flight attendants were overly attentive to the fellow by the window. He just figured maybe that is just how things were in business class.
When general boarding occurred, he saw many people stop and look. D's friend thought maybe his fly was open or he had spilled food on his shirt but neither was the case.
The last straw was when a flight attendant asked the fellow by the window whether he'd like to watch the landing in the cockpit. This was pre-911.
So he asked the fellow what his name was.
He replied, "Matt Damon".
To which D's friend said, "So, what do you do?"
"I'm an actor."
"What movies have you been in? Anything I would know?"
"Good Will Hunting, Bourne..."
"Sorry..."
And they proceeded to have a nice conversation for the duration of the short flight from Boston to Toronto until it was time for the cockpit viewing.
When D's friend got home and told his wife, she freaked out, as would have I.
He was in the aisle and some other guy was sitting by the window. During boarding, he noticed that the flight attendants were overly attentive to the fellow by the window. He just figured maybe that is just how things were in business class.
When general boarding occurred, he saw many people stop and look. D's friend thought maybe his fly was open or he had spilled food on his shirt but neither was the case.
The last straw was when a flight attendant asked the fellow by the window whether he'd like to watch the landing in the cockpit. This was pre-911.
So he asked the fellow what his name was.
He replied, "Matt Damon".
To which D's friend said, "So, what do you do?"
"I'm an actor."
"What movies have you been in? Anything I would know?"
"Good Will Hunting, Bourne..."
"Sorry..."
And they proceeded to have a nice conversation for the duration of the short flight from Boston to Toronto until it was time for the cockpit viewing.
When D's friend got home and told his wife, she freaked out, as would have I.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Scandinavia
I've spent some time looking at this site by Hurtigruten. Their trips to Greenland are inspirational! A place I'm looking forward to visiting someday.
But first thing is first. I'm going to complete my visits to Scandinavia with a trip to Norway this summer. Planning to do some hiking and will likely be moved to take many many pictures as I sail through the fjords. Wish this trip could have included Svalbard. (I want to see an Ice Bear...)
This will be my "big" trip for 2012. Big referring to cost. Scandinavia isn't known to be cheap. But at least I will only need one currency.
But first thing is first. I'm going to complete my visits to Scandinavia with a trip to Norway this summer. Planning to do some hiking and will likely be moved to take many many pictures as I sail through the fjords. Wish this trip could have included Svalbard. (I want to see an Ice Bear...)
This will be my "big" trip for 2012. Big referring to cost. Scandinavia isn't known to be cheap. But at least I will only need one currency.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
West Coast Cost
Happy Valentine's Day! Can you believe D and I couldn't find any Cinnamon hearts at the mall? Maybe they just aren't popular anymore?
We spent a day in town grocery shopping as well as checking out one particular neighbourhood in our research of potential places to move to. There was going to be an open house in the afternoon.
Here's what we concluded. The walk ability of the neighbourhood was great. Everything we use on a weekly basis is within a 15 min radius. We would be getting more in terms of specialty grocers.
The curb appeal was OK. The developments were in a transition zone between commercial and residential.
We both loved the "west coast" architecture. There were 2 bedroom, 2 bath 1450 sq ft condos with outside balconies/patios ranging from 450 - 1400 sq ft. The outside spaces and interior light were fantastic. Pricing started at $364000 with condo fees around $260/month.
Should we wish for single family homes, the prices would be in the $450000 - $700000 for a 3 bedroom, 2 or 3 bath with a double car garage (starter home) in a nice area. Nice area meaning near or part way up a mountain, golf course, winery.
So we would be up sizing in price and downsizing in space. Living up at the resort would be at least $150000 cheaper. Now we know what the price of poker is.
We spent a day in town grocery shopping as well as checking out one particular neighbourhood in our research of potential places to move to. There was going to be an open house in the afternoon.
Here's what we concluded. The walk ability of the neighbourhood was great. Everything we use on a weekly basis is within a 15 min radius. We would be getting more in terms of specialty grocers.
The curb appeal was OK. The developments were in a transition zone between commercial and residential.
We both loved the "west coast" architecture. There were 2 bedroom, 2 bath 1450 sq ft condos with outside balconies/patios ranging from 450 - 1400 sq ft. The outside spaces and interior light were fantastic. Pricing started at $364000 with condo fees around $260/month.
Should we wish for single family homes, the prices would be in the $450000 - $700000 for a 3 bedroom, 2 or 3 bath with a double car garage (starter home) in a nice area. Nice area meaning near or part way up a mountain, golf course, winery.
So we would be up sizing in price and downsizing in space. Living up at the resort would be at least $150000 cheaper. Now we know what the price of poker is.
Monday, February 13, 2012
The Amsterdam Story
D's boss is apparently still laughing over a story he told him about me in Amsterdam. I thought I had written about it but searching back here it appears I hadn't.
Also found out my subject tags and history search didn't work that well either but that's a different problem for another day.
The story begins in Berlin when I discovered and fell in love with a yogurt made by Movenpick. It tastes like whipped cream and my favourite flavour was mandarin orange/lime combo. I'm sure my cholesterol level shot up with each tablespoon but I didn't care.
In a land where you could buy a pint of beer at a grocery store for .35 euro, spending a few euro dollars per small cup of yogurt was a bit of a stand out. And again, I didn't care. I ate as many as I could. I don't drink milk but am a serious lover of whipped cream and cream in general.
Fast forward almost a year later when we visited Amsterdam and stayed on a houseboat. Imagine my delight (I believe I even let out a small scream of surprise) when I saw a large container of the dutch version of the Movenpick yogurt. Same coloured container, with the same print of the mandarin orange and lime slice on the front. I bought 2 each only costing over a euro each --cheap!
As soon as we got back, I tore open the tub and started scooping it down. OMG, did it ever taste good! D tried a couple of tablespoons and agreed it was so creamy and yummy. In my mind, I was trying to figure out where I could find a houseboat to buy and move to Amsterdam.
I was a 1/3 rd of the way down the 900 ml tub when I said to D I was going to dig down to the bottom to get to the fruit to balance out the creamy taste. So I dug and nothing. There was no fruit. I had manage to almost consume half a tub of whipped cream that tasted like the Movenpick yogurt.
It never occurred to me to google "slagroom" until now. I just assumed it was whipped cream and used up the rest of it (and 2 more containers) in my morning coffee (I don't drink morning coffee but happily did so as a whipping cream delivery system as D called it). Apparently I was doing a dutch thing without knowing.
Also found out my subject tags and history search didn't work that well either but that's a different problem for another day.
The story begins in Berlin when I discovered and fell in love with a yogurt made by Movenpick. It tastes like whipped cream and my favourite flavour was mandarin orange/lime combo. I'm sure my cholesterol level shot up with each tablespoon but I didn't care.
In a land where you could buy a pint of beer at a grocery store for .35 euro, spending a few euro dollars per small cup of yogurt was a bit of a stand out. And again, I didn't care. I ate as many as I could. I don't drink milk but am a serious lover of whipped cream and cream in general.
Fast forward almost a year later when we visited Amsterdam and stayed on a houseboat. Imagine my delight (I believe I even let out a small scream of surprise) when I saw a large container of the dutch version of the Movenpick yogurt. Same coloured container, with the same print of the mandarin orange and lime slice on the front. I bought 2 each only costing over a euro each --cheap!
As soon as we got back, I tore open the tub and started scooping it down. OMG, did it ever taste good! D tried a couple of tablespoons and agreed it was so creamy and yummy. In my mind, I was trying to figure out where I could find a houseboat to buy and move to Amsterdam.
I was a 1/3 rd of the way down the 900 ml tub when I said to D I was going to dig down to the bottom to get to the fruit to balance out the creamy taste. So I dug and nothing. There was no fruit. I had manage to almost consume half a tub of whipped cream that tasted like the Movenpick yogurt.
It never occurred to me to google "slagroom" until now. I just assumed it was whipped cream and used up the rest of it (and 2 more containers) in my morning coffee (I don't drink morning coffee but happily did so as a whipping cream delivery system as D called it). Apparently I was doing a dutch thing without knowing.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Life Spectrums
I watched a powerful documentary last night on depression that struck a deep cord within me. Here's the link to it, it has been divided into 5 parts with a couple of commercials at the start. Really worth watching. I haven't re-watched it but hope it is the entire show.
On the other end of the spectrum, I discovered Men's Journal magazine just before Christmas, en route out west. Never bought it before but I was drawn to it (beyond the Daniel Craig cover...). In depth articles and I like how the small print above the title says "Live the Interesting Life".
On the other end of the spectrum, I discovered Men's Journal magazine just before Christmas, en route out west. Never bought it before but I was drawn to it (beyond the Daniel Craig cover...). In depth articles and I like how the small print above the title says "Live the Interesting Life".
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Clipping Along
Aside from a pretty annoying (probably dehydration) headache, I've settled out here pretty well. Cannot say I'm motivated to do much even though the ski conditions are pretty great. It's nice to be able to the flex the "do whatever you feel like" muscle.
It takes a few days for the rest of my business banking to be completed due to the length of time required for money to be moved from one place to another to another. Yeah, it got done this morning.
I've also decided on something fun money wise. That annuity D has started paying me, for my overpayment towards the mortgage?
I'm going to take the first year of it just for myself. In all likelihood, I probably would have spent 30 - 40% of it had I not put it away so by the time the dust settles, I may end up drawing 4 yrs worth.
It takes a few days for the rest of my business banking to be completed due to the length of time required for money to be moved from one place to another to another. Yeah, it got done this morning.
I've also decided on something fun money wise. That annuity D has started paying me, for my overpayment towards the mortgage?
I'm going to take the first year of it just for myself. In all likelihood, I probably would have spent 30 - 40% of it had I not put it away so by the time the dust settles, I may end up drawing 4 yrs worth.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Travel Tales
I'm writing from our hotel room. Our flight landing was aborted yesterday due to fog. So we spent the night at a hotel graciously provided by the airline.
As usual, there are the people who insist on complaining. Our new flight won't leave for a few hours so we'll be able to enjoy lunch here before departing.
D and I have somewhat confirmed our next trip in the spring. We will be returning to Germany and the Netherlands for 2 weeks.
I am awaiting the rental contract from the apartment rental company. Flights have been booked. Because it is spring, prices are higher. You pay more for warmer weather.
What balanced the higher flight prices was finding newer apartments more competitively priced making the over all trip cost reasonable.
As usual, there are the people who insist on complaining. Our new flight won't leave for a few hours so we'll be able to enjoy lunch here before departing.
D and I have somewhat confirmed our next trip in the spring. We will be returning to Germany and the Netherlands for 2 weeks.
I am awaiting the rental contract from the apartment rental company. Flights have been booked. Because it is spring, prices are higher. You pay more for warmer weather.
What balanced the higher flight prices was finding newer apartments more competitively priced making the over all trip cost reasonable.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Gaining Time
Well I decided to deactivate my Facebook account indefinitely. I don't like the sounds of the new changes and am not thrilled with having to spend time figuring things out from a privacy perspective each time an update comes down the pipe.
Before I did so, I cleared out all my photos and any description on my profile, leaving just a bare bones profile to close down.
It may be naive to think somewhere my info still sits and I didn't really permanently erase everything I thought I did especially when I can come back anytime just by signing in. So should I need to contact someone, I still can while revealing what I think is minimal info.
I'm looking forward to gaining back more time.
Before I did so, I cleared out all my photos and any description on my profile, leaving just a bare bones profile to close down.
It may be naive to think somewhere my info still sits and I didn't really permanently erase everything I thought I did especially when I can come back anytime just by signing in. So should I need to contact someone, I still can while revealing what I think is minimal info.
I'm looking forward to gaining back more time.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Clean Up Continues
Continuing in the spirit of clean up, I called a couple of places to put a stop to flyer delivery to our house, hopefully starting this week.
The process was simple enough. They ask for your name and number and tell you it is instant -- Fingers crossed!
When we go away for a couple of weeks, we pay to put a hold on our mail. But the flyers and local papers keep coming so you end up coming home to a full mailbox.
I guess we can ask someone to come by to pick up mail and flyers and when we had in house cat sitting, that wasn't an issue. Now that we don't, it has become an issue.
I don't like anyone having access to my house, even for checking purposes. Strange, you are probably thinking, but I don't. We don't have anyone check in on our other places either.
I figure I'll just deal with whatever comes.
The process was simple enough. They ask for your name and number and tell you it is instant -- Fingers crossed!
When we go away for a couple of weeks, we pay to put a hold on our mail. But the flyers and local papers keep coming so you end up coming home to a full mailbox.
I guess we can ask someone to come by to pick up mail and flyers and when we had in house cat sitting, that wasn't an issue. Now that we don't, it has become an issue.
I don't like anyone having access to my house, even for checking purposes. Strange, you are probably thinking, but I don't. We don't have anyone check in on our other places either.
I figure I'll just deal with whatever comes.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Another Book Recommendation
The geography of bliss : one grump's search for the happiest places in the world by Eric Weiner.
A lighter funnier take on the subject.
A lighter funnier take on the subject.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Getting Balanced
I find people who don't bother to listen and remember really frustrating to be around. All of a sudden I am in the midst of being bombarded with them.
It is really hard for me not to take it personally. The Buddhist in me says experience it, do not judge or get involved as it will pass. Deep breaths.
On a unrelated note, I had a light bulb moment this week. I suddenly realized just how much creative balance I had built into my life growing up.
The amount of music and art at that time was a saving grace to me. Art and piano lessons for 11 yrs made sure it represented a good percentage of my week and served to balance the academic stressors.
I have been without a significant creative side to my life since I started my career. This week, I actually sat down at my piano and started to play again (Chopin Nocturne). It was so enjoyable. I felt immediately the stress relief and tears of joy with finally using a different part of my brain again.
When we were in Nice last fall, I used D's sketch book and did a quick sketch just for fun. I'm a painter at heart but had suddenly felt like drawing. It makes me really happy to see that side of me coming back.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
A Good Morning
For a change, I decided to take an early morning walk to do my banking. Usually I go in the evenings but the mild winter we've been experiencing has made for dry sidewalks and clear roads.
It was very pleasant. Saw a different piece of city life due to time of day. Postmen and construction workers going to work. Didn't realized how many people took public transit. Nice to say good morning to people.
Since we've been house hunting out of province, our eyes have been extra open to what we have here. It has so far made us more appreciative.
D has voiced his concern for my potential boredom from not having my career anymore. He also feels having my income is very valuable and that a fun job might not be as fun as it is in my mind based on my history of being self employed and in control.
It was very pleasant. Saw a different piece of city life due to time of day. Postmen and construction workers going to work. Didn't realized how many people took public transit. Nice to say good morning to people.
Since we've been house hunting out of province, our eyes have been extra open to what we have here. It has so far made us more appreciative.
D has voiced his concern for my potential boredom from not having my career anymore. He also feels having my income is very valuable and that a fun job might not be as fun as it is in my mind based on my history of being self employed and in control.
Friday, January 20, 2012
De Cluttering
D dropped off 2 garbage bags full of our clothing to our local donation center. He said it felt good to be free of it. I think it is a great continuation in our lives to rid ourselves of excess stuff.
Though I'm having trouble with convincing D to part with some books. Since moving over the ebook side of things, my attachment to novels have all but disappeared. However I do own a few beautiful coffee table books I will keep this time around.
Looking around our house with the mindset of potentially moving does make clutter decision making easier. It is a great exercise whether one is moving or not. We've gotten broad quotes on cost of a cross country move. Sounds like a lot to me so I'm thinking less is less.
Though I'm having trouble with convincing D to part with some books. Since moving over the ebook side of things, my attachment to novels have all but disappeared. However I do own a few beautiful coffee table books I will keep this time around.
Looking around our house with the mindset of potentially moving does make clutter decision making easier. It is a great exercise whether one is moving or not. We've gotten broad quotes on cost of a cross country move. Sounds like a lot to me so I'm thinking less is less.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Rude Delivery Guy
I made a complaint to Purolator yesterday. It was my 3rd encounter with an angry and rude delivery guy who is impatient and making up delivery rules I was sure wasn't true. So I called him on it as well as with customer service.
Customer service sided with me and the district manager will be getting in touch with us to resolve the issue. All I want him to do is to do his job without complaint or confrontation. His job isn't rocket science. I'm fine with never seeing him again.
Customer service sided with me and the district manager will be getting in touch with us to resolve the issue. All I want him to do is to do his job without complaint or confrontation. His job isn't rocket science. I'm fine with never seeing him again.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
New Home Buyer Expectations
D and I like to watch real estate shows, especially ones featuring first time home buyers. Once you've seen a couple of them, it is easy to pick out the trend in what people "ought" to be looking for in a new home.
On the flip side, as a fairly seasoned home owners, makes us wonder what's wrong with us because we didn't think to look for some of those list things that are so important to the first timers.
We don't have granite counter tops in any of our properties. Nor was it a requisite for buying a house. There have been some fiery tempers displayed on the show from the lack of them. And what is wrong with Corian? They cost similar to marble but won't stain like marble can.
Those people haven't learned that stone counters don't have anything to do with the quality of food that comes out of the kitchen. Granted, it is a nice look.
What is the issue with "pop corn" ceilings that some have? The trend started as a way to diffuse light in a bedroom or dining room so the ambiance is more gentle. But everyone hates them.
I think people just get in their head to like this or don't like that because they hear others doing and saying the same things, instead of thinking for themselves.
A starter home is a starter home. Some of these peoples' budgets almost make me laugh. They expect the world (3 - 4 bedrooms, 2 + baths, great neighbourhood, large amount of green space, hardwood floors throughout, finished rec room, granite counters, stainless steel appliances, large back yard, double or triple car garage) for $125K in Texas or the Mid West (almost doable) or $350K in Toronto. They would be lucky to find a town home in Toronto. I can't believe what you can buy in Texas.
In a pretty small kitchen, granite counter tops are a $3000 - 4000 upgrade. Whereas I'm thinking that same money can go a long way to towards things that would really increase quality of life, like a backyard patio set, BBQ, fence, furniture etc.
On the flip side, as a fairly seasoned home owners, makes us wonder what's wrong with us because we didn't think to look for some of those list things that are so important to the first timers.
We don't have granite counter tops in any of our properties. Nor was it a requisite for buying a house. There have been some fiery tempers displayed on the show from the lack of them. And what is wrong with Corian? They cost similar to marble but won't stain like marble can.
Those people haven't learned that stone counters don't have anything to do with the quality of food that comes out of the kitchen. Granted, it is a nice look.
What is the issue with "pop corn" ceilings that some have? The trend started as a way to diffuse light in a bedroom or dining room so the ambiance is more gentle. But everyone hates them.
I think people just get in their head to like this or don't like that because they hear others doing and saying the same things, instead of thinking for themselves.
A starter home is a starter home. Some of these peoples' budgets almost make me laugh. They expect the world (3 - 4 bedrooms, 2 + baths, great neighbourhood, large amount of green space, hardwood floors throughout, finished rec room, granite counters, stainless steel appliances, large back yard, double or triple car garage) for $125K in Texas or the Mid West (almost doable) or $350K in Toronto. They would be lucky to find a town home in Toronto. I can't believe what you can buy in Texas.
In a pretty small kitchen, granite counter tops are a $3000 - 4000 upgrade. Whereas I'm thinking that same money can go a long way to towards things that would really increase quality of life, like a backyard patio set, BBQ, fence, furniture etc.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Mobile Working Possibilities
It has been a big news week. D got the OK to be able to work remote from anywhere in Canada! We have been working/waiting on this for a few years. Our heads are spinning with possibilities and we have been busy with pro/con lists as well as searching the mls.
One of the potential big issues with leaving Ontario for me is my career. It would mean retirement. I'm not keen on starting again in a different province doing what I have been doing. So that would mean more "fun" jobs what will likely pay no where close to what I've been accustomed to earning.
We have come up with a couple of "sub- full out" move away plans. I call them our chicken/toe in the water plans as a way to make liquidating assets and moving easier.
D and I have different time lines. He would like the move to happen within 3 - 5 yrs. I'm thinking asap because that is how I tend to be. But I also realize the lifestyle we have been able to enjoy with me working too.
We are planning to spend some time with Realtors found in the east and west Canada (leaning west) before making a firm decision. This is shaping up to be an extra interesting year.
One of the potential big issues with leaving Ontario for me is my career. It would mean retirement. I'm not keen on starting again in a different province doing what I have been doing. So that would mean more "fun" jobs what will likely pay no where close to what I've been accustomed to earning.
We have come up with a couple of "sub- full out" move away plans. I call them our chicken/toe in the water plans as a way to make liquidating assets and moving easier.
D and I have different time lines. He would like the move to happen within 3 - 5 yrs. I'm thinking asap because that is how I tend to be. But I also realize the lifestyle we have been able to enjoy with me working too.
We are planning to spend some time with Realtors found in the east and west Canada (leaning west) before making a firm decision. This is shaping up to be an extra interesting year.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Travel Necessities
My passport is nearing its expiry date. In my research into faster ways to get it renewed, I stumbled upon this super visa service site which not only helps you get travel visa (for a fee of course) but has the handy chart of the world's visa requirements.
Check out the requirements for a Brazilian tourist visa for fun...
Because a lot of countries have requirements that your passport validity must extend 3 - 6 months past your departure date, I always feel like I am getting jipped 6 months. This time around, I'll be cutting it closer.
When I come home from Hawaii, I'll have 6 weeks to get a new passport before my probable next trip -- Nothing booked yet but I'm looking.
Now that I've studied the world visa chart, I've decided I'm going to tackle the countries that don't require a complicated or expensive or time consuming visa application first. Mentally I'm lumping countries into easy, moderate and hard.
It would be great to find a similar chart for travel immunization and combine the two to get a realistic view of what it will take and the real costs of going to those places.
Check out the requirements for a Brazilian tourist visa for fun...
Because a lot of countries have requirements that your passport validity must extend 3 - 6 months past your departure date, I always feel like I am getting jipped 6 months. This time around, I'll be cutting it closer.
When I come home from Hawaii, I'll have 6 weeks to get a new passport before my probable next trip -- Nothing booked yet but I'm looking.
Now that I've studied the world visa chart, I've decided I'm going to tackle the countries that don't require a complicated or expensive or time consuming visa application first. Mentally I'm lumping countries into easy, moderate and hard.
It would be great to find a similar chart for travel immunization and combine the two to get a realistic view of what it will take and the real costs of going to those places.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Cost : Purchase Price
Our recent plumbing bill brought an important point to light. At first I felt the $332 bill was too high. We were charged a 3 hr labour rate when it didn't take 3 hrs.
Additional time was charged for travel. I was a bit miffed about it. We used someone from out of town because they were good. Next time we'll find someone good locally.
But what I wanted to get to was this. Even though the bill was $100 higher than I was expecting, the cost of our house maintenance as a percentage of the cost of our house is actually pretty small.
When we started to think in those terms, it was easy to evaluate our other properties in the same way we would consider car reliability. So our main house is like the Honda of homes. Very reliable, minimal maintenance costs.
The cottage and ski condo has been higher maintenance relative to its cost so more like German cars -- fun but there is a much higher cost to maintain. With respect to the ski condo, we haven't had to fix anything per se but I'm using the yearly condo fees as the measure.
Over the 9 plus years of cottage ownership, we've replaced the well, the pump, the stove (fridge is next) and the roof. Some people may add the cost of gasoline to get there and back. And in our case, we have the monthly cost of the Turbo Hub.
I'd like to think that most of the big capital costs for that location are done and should last a long while. Other things like newer windows and bathroom are a want and not a must have, just like landscaping.
Additional time was charged for travel. I was a bit miffed about it. We used someone from out of town because they were good. Next time we'll find someone good locally.
But what I wanted to get to was this. Even though the bill was $100 higher than I was expecting, the cost of our house maintenance as a percentage of the cost of our house is actually pretty small.
When we started to think in those terms, it was easy to evaluate our other properties in the same way we would consider car reliability. So our main house is like the Honda of homes. Very reliable, minimal maintenance costs.
The cottage and ski condo has been higher maintenance relative to its cost so more like German cars -- fun but there is a much higher cost to maintain. With respect to the ski condo, we haven't had to fix anything per se but I'm using the yearly condo fees as the measure.
Over the 9 plus years of cottage ownership, we've replaced the well, the pump, the stove (fridge is next) and the roof. Some people may add the cost of gasoline to get there and back. And in our case, we have the monthly cost of the Turbo Hub.
I'd like to think that most of the big capital costs for that location are done and should last a long while. Other things like newer windows and bathroom are a want and not a must have, just like landscaping.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Food Rant
I've entered into the cranky phase of my dietary change. The first month I felt great, then cheated a few times while in France and once before Christmas (client gave me some homemade peppermint and chocolate bark) and since then I've felt less than great.
D went through it too and has since moved to feeling pretty good. I hope I move through it soon.
I've tried some soy alternatives and the only thing I really like is Starbuck's Cafe Mocha with soy (no whip). The soy and sherbet ice cream bar was awful and soy creamer made my tea taste horrible.
I miss table cream, whipped cream and cake and pizza like crazy! And our kitchen desk is piled up with tins of cookies and chocolates given to us we cannot eat (will be given away).
This must be what withdrawal feels like. Other than the above, can't say I really miss eating eggs or almonds or pineapple or peanuts or clams.
D went through it too and has since moved to feeling pretty good. I hope I move through it soon.
I've tried some soy alternatives and the only thing I really like is Starbuck's Cafe Mocha with soy (no whip). The soy and sherbet ice cream bar was awful and soy creamer made my tea taste horrible.
I miss table cream, whipped cream and cake and pizza like crazy! And our kitchen desk is piled up with tins of cookies and chocolates given to us we cannot eat (will be given away).
This must be what withdrawal feels like. Other than the above, can't say I really miss eating eggs or almonds or pineapple or peanuts or clams.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
D's First Prepayment
D's post tax bonus showed up today and we are pretty happy about it despite the large tax bite (about half). Once the 2012 tax season rolls around, we'll get some of it back from the overpayment.
We applied most of it (I like round numbers) to "the car portion" of the mortgage. I prefer to keep the two separate in my mind. It was D's first prepayment experience and he now knows what it feels like to make a decent dent into the number. He liked it.
There was some back and forth as D debated whether he could afford the time off to come with me to Hawaii. In the end, he didn't want to use up so many holiday days (11) for this trip (Hawaii is not in his top places to see) so he is holding out to see where I go next 'cause he's pretty sure there will be another.
We applied most of it (I like round numbers) to "the car portion" of the mortgage. I prefer to keep the two separate in my mind. It was D's first prepayment experience and he now knows what it feels like to make a decent dent into the number. He liked it.
There was some back and forth as D debated whether he could afford the time off to come with me to Hawaii. In the end, he didn't want to use up so many holiday days (11) for this trip (Hawaii is not in his top places to see) so he is holding out to see where I go next 'cause he's pretty sure there will be another.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
A New Year
We were really glad to have gone out at Christmas time. Originally the plan was to stay home and have a quieter time but this past season was the quietest we had primarily due to the economical slow down.
We experienced minor amounts of noise and just moderate crowds vs previous years where there were slews of kids running up and down the hallway. As selfish as this sounds, we enjoyed it. Tried a couple of new restaurants this year.
There were enough people to make the resort festive but not so much we got irritated. I'm sure the resort would have liked to be busier. We'll be back in about a month to help out the local economy.
Our new year's eve was spent on the plane home. We found a restaurant open for breakfast on New Year's day and ate a good meal there, followed by afternoon movies. Great way to begin another new year.
The only coming home surprise was a mailbox stuffed with mail. We paid to have our mail held (to give the illusion we are not away) so D is going to look into speaking with someone about what happened, how to prevent it, and getting our money back.
We experienced minor amounts of noise and just moderate crowds vs previous years where there were slews of kids running up and down the hallway. As selfish as this sounds, we enjoyed it. Tried a couple of new restaurants this year.
There were enough people to make the resort festive but not so much we got irritated. I'm sure the resort would have liked to be busier. We'll be back in about a month to help out the local economy.
Our new year's eve was spent on the plane home. We found a restaurant open for breakfast on New Year's day and ate a good meal there, followed by afternoon movies. Great way to begin another new year.
The only coming home surprise was a mailbox stuffed with mail. We paid to have our mail held (to give the illusion we are not away) so D is going to look into speaking with someone about what happened, how to prevent it, and getting our money back.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
This Year Next Year
I don't have any desire to write up my annual review. My mind has already transitioned to 2012. The next 2 yrs of spreadsheets are very similar. I guess that means I am not expecting month to month life to change too much.
We don't have any lofty financial goals, just keep plugging along with monthly savings. Not expecting any major changes in work. Outside of full retirement, my work load is as small as it is going to be. Hopefully D's work will continue to be predictable.
I want to continue to simplify our home and life next year. Already have a list going of donation items for when we return home. No firm directions for 2012 travel. I tend to let opportunities guide me, finances pending. Our yearly return to France is the only set thing.
Happy New Year Everyone!!!
We don't have any lofty financial goals, just keep plugging along with monthly savings. Not expecting any major changes in work. Outside of full retirement, my work load is as small as it is going to be. Hopefully D's work will continue to be predictable.
I want to continue to simplify our home and life next year. Already have a list going of donation items for when we return home. No firm directions for 2012 travel. I tend to let opportunities guide me, finances pending. Our yearly return to France is the only set thing.
Happy New Year Everyone!!!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
1st Trip 2012
The first trip for 2012 has been booked. Destination will be Hawaii for a couple of weeks. I've never been and am excited to get an overview of the islands.
I'm quickly finding out that helicopter tours are what people rave about and are the scenes from which people think of when Hawaii is mentioned. Not surprising, they are the most expensive tours. I'd like to take some surfing lessons. And eat some great local food.
Can't believe it has already been a week since I last worked. It hasn't felt like that long and it will be another week before I return to work. Not going to rush the time. I'm enjoying not having a schedule. This year was full of running around.
I'm quickly finding out that helicopter tours are what people rave about and are the scenes from which people think of when Hawaii is mentioned. Not surprising, they are the most expensive tours. I'd like to take some surfing lessons. And eat some great local food.
Can't believe it has already been a week since I last worked. It hasn't felt like that long and it will be another week before I return to work. Not going to rush the time. I'm enjoying not having a schedule. This year was full of running around.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Quality Issues
Against my better judgement, I purchased a "no name" hand held massage device to replace a 14 yr old one one its last legs. They are excellent for sore muscles after work or workouts. We have one at home too.
At the mall the other day, we weren't able to find an exact replacement. So in desperation, I bought one that didn't look too durable (from one of those stores that well stuff you see on TV commercials) without checking on the return policy. Once we got it back home it worked for less than a minute.
I called and spoke to the gentleman who helped us and was told they didn't have a return policy, just an exchange one. The news didn't impress me but it was my fault for assuming. I don't want another one and have found some other things on their website we will exchange for tomorrow when we return.
Contrast that experience with a phone call I made to Bose this morning inquiring if they service and sell replacement ear cushions for my noise cancelling headphones.
I had a couple of instances on flights in this year where I experienced shocks to my right ear during an in flight movie. The gentleman I spoke with helped me troubleshoot whether that was caused by a faulty line or not.
We narrowed it down to the 2 prong connector that some planes require and he promptly sent me a replacement for free. My job was to use the headset with my iPod and computer to see if I can reproduce the shocking feeling. If not, then the headset is fine. It has been fine.
What a different experience dealing with a company that stands behind its products! I thought I was going to be buying a new headset ($399 + tax) and now I will just be replacing the ear pads for about $40 instead with shipping free, plus the free 2 prong adapter.
He really was discouraging the idea of my buying a new headset. That's not what you expect nowadays. Should the day come I need to actually consider a new set, I can buy just the headset part, (use my existing battery and line) for just $109 + tax. So I would never need to spend the original amount again. Pretty awesome news!
I'm going to buying their in ear bud headphones as well. The ones that come with iPods are in my opinion, pretty awful. Plus the rubber around it disintegrated ages ago. I've been using my Blackberry ones.
At the mall the other day, we weren't able to find an exact replacement. So in desperation, I bought one that didn't look too durable (from one of those stores that well stuff you see on TV commercials) without checking on the return policy. Once we got it back home it worked for less than a minute.
I called and spoke to the gentleman who helped us and was told they didn't have a return policy, just an exchange one. The news didn't impress me but it was my fault for assuming. I don't want another one and have found some other things on their website we will exchange for tomorrow when we return.
Contrast that experience with a phone call I made to Bose this morning inquiring if they service and sell replacement ear cushions for my noise cancelling headphones.
I had a couple of instances on flights in this year where I experienced shocks to my right ear during an in flight movie. The gentleman I spoke with helped me troubleshoot whether that was caused by a faulty line or not.
We narrowed it down to the 2 prong connector that some planes require and he promptly sent me a replacement for free. My job was to use the headset with my iPod and computer to see if I can reproduce the shocking feeling. If not, then the headset is fine. It has been fine.
What a different experience dealing with a company that stands behind its products! I thought I was going to be buying a new headset ($399 + tax) and now I will just be replacing the ear pads for about $40 instead with shipping free, plus the free 2 prong adapter.
He really was discouraging the idea of my buying a new headset. That's not what you expect nowadays. Should the day come I need to actually consider a new set, I can buy just the headset part, (use my existing battery and line) for just $109 + tax. So I would never need to spend the original amount again. Pretty awesome news!
I'm going to buying their in ear bud headphones as well. The ones that come with iPods are in my opinion, pretty awful. Plus the rubber around it disintegrated ages ago. I've been using my Blackberry ones.
Monday, December 26, 2011
The Electronic Cleanup Continues
I cannot adequately express how much better I feel since clearing out excess email subscriptions and old emails.
In this dense electronic age, I've found myself increasingly bombarded with self and non self inflicted emails. What a time waster it is just servicing it daily. As my emails can also be read on my Blackberry and tablet, I'm potentially dealing with them three times.
I've opted to cancel forwarding all my email accounts to my tablet. I'm going to look at it for my phone as well. The clean up continues!
Next up will be Facebook. I'm not a huge user and I use it to keep in touch with friends that I am not able to see in person. Thus my list isn't large and I love looking at others' photos as most of my friends are out town/country.
I think I will also eliminate some peoples' updates -- those friends who have a habit of updating every minute of their day thus clogging up my news page. Or those people who have decided to use Facebook to continually sell stuff.
D and I had a simple Christmas dinner this year. We had giant shrimp cocktail followed by homemade bacon potatoe leek soup and a candy apple. Hope everyone is enjoying their Christmas holidays.
In this dense electronic age, I've found myself increasingly bombarded with self and non self inflicted emails. What a time waster it is just servicing it daily. As my emails can also be read on my Blackberry and tablet, I'm potentially dealing with them three times.
I've opted to cancel forwarding all my email accounts to my tablet. I'm going to look at it for my phone as well. The clean up continues!
Next up will be Facebook. I'm not a huge user and I use it to keep in touch with friends that I am not able to see in person. Thus my list isn't large and I love looking at others' photos as most of my friends are out town/country.
I think I will also eliminate some peoples' updates -- those friends who have a habit of updating every minute of their day thus clogging up my news page. Or those people who have decided to use Facebook to continually sell stuff.
D and I had a simple Christmas dinner this year. We had giant shrimp cocktail followed by homemade bacon potatoe leek soup and a candy apple. Hope everyone is enjoying their Christmas holidays.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Settled In
I've been out west for the last couple of days. Takes a day or two to roll with the rhythm of this place. The snow is squishy and easy to ski on.
It will be a green Christmas back home with local ski resorts not at full opening yet. I feel bad for those businesses because they are relying on holiday business and I know a few kids who were looking forward to the holiday time ski and snowboarding camps. Not to mention the tobogganing and tubing fun.
I'm also wrapping up final 2011 expenses with what's left of income. We are anticipating some more expenses next week ie. new convection oven and pillow for me. On the list for this location was a new TV but to our surprise, we found out it wasn't the TV to be blamed for the bad picture.
It was the quality of the cable here. They must have fixed/upgraded it because the picture is much better so no new purchase needed. We are rocking a 22" CRT from who know how long ago -- came with the condo.
Merry Christmas to my fellow bloggers and readers. Here's to another great year!!!
It will be a green Christmas back home with local ski resorts not at full opening yet. I feel bad for those businesses because they are relying on holiday business and I know a few kids who were looking forward to the holiday time ski and snowboarding camps. Not to mention the tobogganing and tubing fun.
I'm also wrapping up final 2011 expenses with what's left of income. We are anticipating some more expenses next week ie. new convection oven and pillow for me. On the list for this location was a new TV but to our surprise, we found out it wasn't the TV to be blamed for the bad picture.
It was the quality of the cable here. They must have fixed/upgraded it because the picture is much better so no new purchase needed. We are rocking a 22" CRT from who know how long ago -- came with the condo.
Merry Christmas to my fellow bloggers and readers. Here's to another great year!!!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Preparedness
I just got off the phone with my insurance company. We went over some scenarios I had with respect to the different types of potential water damage.
In order to be mostly covered (mostly because there are exclusions we cannot buy coverage for), we would need to to upgrade our coverage by about $240/yr. I said yes.
A couple of friends of ours found themselves in flood damage situations recently. One had the right type of coverage and the other one didn't and is currently spending a lot of money just in the clean up phase of their basement.
We have a hybrid of coverage of our friends'. As we all have different insurers, our respective packages are slightly different. So the exercise was partly topping up and adding on to our existing policy.
Next up will be re-evaluation of our extended health care and life insurance policies. Each year, for one month, D's company allows such change. We will be coming up to that time shortly. I've been given the chart with all the categories but haven't the time to really look at it yet.
In order to be mostly covered (mostly because there are exclusions we cannot buy coverage for), we would need to to upgrade our coverage by about $240/yr. I said yes.
A couple of friends of ours found themselves in flood damage situations recently. One had the right type of coverage and the other one didn't and is currently spending a lot of money just in the clean up phase of their basement.
We have a hybrid of coverage of our friends'. As we all have different insurers, our respective packages are slightly different. So the exercise was partly topping up and adding on to our existing policy.
Next up will be re-evaluation of our extended health care and life insurance policies. Each year, for one month, D's company allows such change. We will be coming up to that time shortly. I've been given the chart with all the categories but haven't the time to really look at it yet.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Moderation
What a long couple of weeks. D had been putting in 60 hr weeks as he had been asked to help out with a few extra projects due to teams being short staffed. It gave him a nice taste of how life would be at the next job level.
We talked about the pros and cons of him working towards the next job level and pay grade. There is an overlap between pay grades and he is already well into the next one but his job level is not which really only affects bonus percentages.
Neither one of us feel the next level up positions are worth going for. He doesn't want to work those increased hours or have to check his Blackberry on weekends. We are happy with his bonus structure and all that extra work for an extra couple of percent at the end of the year doesn't pay off in our minds.
He doesn't have to work more and neither do I. Our savings rate would obviously be quicker if we both did but I've already done my sprint money wise. D and I are going to take the rest of they way like an ultra marathoner -- moderate and steady.
We talked about the pros and cons of him working towards the next job level and pay grade. There is an overlap between pay grades and he is already well into the next one but his job level is not which really only affects bonus percentages.
Neither one of us feel the next level up positions are worth going for. He doesn't want to work those increased hours or have to check his Blackberry on weekends. We are happy with his bonus structure and all that extra work for an extra couple of percent at the end of the year doesn't pay off in our minds.
He doesn't have to work more and neither do I. Our savings rate would obviously be quicker if we both did but I've already done my sprint money wise. D and I are going to take the rest of they way like an ultra marathoner -- moderate and steady.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Mortgage Brokers
Plumber did return and the job was completed well. No idea what the bill will be. Will be budgeting around $300.
I've heard a couple of horror stories about mortgage brokers recently. One of my friends who had a 1 yr term had an impossible time reaching his broker to talk about renewal. Finally, with 6 days left till the deadline, went directly to the bank who handled it for him.
The other story was from another friend who upon being told they were "approved" for a mortgage, went ahead and bought a house and now with a week left till closing, found out they weren't really "approved" and because of the extent of paperwork outstanding (the deal was signed 3 months ago), the deal may not close on time.
My one and only experience with a broker came from a recommendation from D who used one for one of his house purchases. When I spoke with him, I found him to be abrupt and when I could not get a firm answer on the pre-approval process vs the approval process, I ditched him and went back to my banker who was able to assure me I was really approved and can go in firm (back when I bought the cottage).
Are brokers making so much money they can afford to let deals and relationships go sour? Is there so much business going on that details like required paperwork can run 3 months behind?
I've heard a couple of horror stories about mortgage brokers recently. One of my friends who had a 1 yr term had an impossible time reaching his broker to talk about renewal. Finally, with 6 days left till the deadline, went directly to the bank who handled it for him.
The other story was from another friend who upon being told they were "approved" for a mortgage, went ahead and bought a house and now with a week left till closing, found out they weren't really "approved" and because of the extent of paperwork outstanding (the deal was signed 3 months ago), the deal may not close on time.
My one and only experience with a broker came from a recommendation from D who used one for one of his house purchases. When I spoke with him, I found him to be abrupt and when I could not get a firm answer on the pre-approval process vs the approval process, I ditched him and went back to my banker who was able to assure me I was really approved and can go in firm (back when I bought the cottage).
Are brokers making so much money they can afford to let deals and relationships go sour? Is there so much business going on that details like required paperwork can run 3 months behind?
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
All Adds Up
No plumber. Truck wouldn't start. D was not too impressed. Rescheduled for today. Good thing was the city did come out to identify where the water shut off was and tested it. Now we know it won't interfere with any future driveway replacement plans.
One of our windows has developed a crack in the glass. I hate losing a pane of original glass but we have been told the replacement is "pretty simple" (famous last words..). Probably won't get around to fixing it before our holidays.
End of year spreadsheet balancing always starts off fine and then all hell breaks loose. Extra expenses crop out of nowhere and I cannot even blame it on buying presents as we don't have gift exchange in our family.
I'm scrambling to figure out why now? D needed a new winter coat. His down jacket leaks the equivalent to one duck's worth of feathers with each wearing. We scored a great down North Face jacket at a really good price because it was last year's style (who cares?).
I put in a vitamin re-order. We have a few medical appointments what won't get reimbursed until later. We have gone out for a couple extra meals. It all adds up and it messes with my neat spreadsheet.
It would be easier if I didn't have every penny accounted for but the temptation for mindless spending is higher when all I see is an account with money in it.
One of our windows has developed a crack in the glass. I hate losing a pane of original glass but we have been told the replacement is "pretty simple" (famous last words..). Probably won't get around to fixing it before our holidays.
End of year spreadsheet balancing always starts off fine and then all hell breaks loose. Extra expenses crop out of nowhere and I cannot even blame it on buying presents as we don't have gift exchange in our family.
I'm scrambling to figure out why now? D needed a new winter coat. His down jacket leaks the equivalent to one duck's worth of feathers with each wearing. We scored a great down North Face jacket at a really good price because it was last year's style (who cares?).
I put in a vitamin re-order. We have a few medical appointments what won't get reimbursed until later. We have gone out for a couple extra meals. It all adds up and it messes with my neat spreadsheet.
It would be easier if I didn't have every penny accounted for but the temptation for mindless spending is higher when all I see is an account with money in it.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Water Issues
D was pretty embarrassed on the weekend when he went to identify himself as a winner of his purchase. I teased him with the thought of getting his picture taken. As with most winners, he turned around and spent (planned) what he had won as we needed pillows.
We had a plumbing issue later that day when D went around testing taps in an attempt to remember which taps we will be closing for safety purposes before we leave to go out west. In previous years, we hadn't taken this step but have recently read it is a good idea to close the water to toilets and washing machines.
D took it one step further and touched the main tap coming in from the street. So now we have a small leak. A plumber has been called. D rigged up a system to it drained into our basement drain using our dehumidifier bucket which has a hose attachment.
No idea how much it will cost to replace the tap but the city will have to involved because our main water has to be turned off before any work can be done.
We had a plumbing issue later that day when D went around testing taps in an attempt to remember which taps we will be closing for safety purposes before we leave to go out west. In previous years, we hadn't taken this step but have recently read it is a good idea to close the water to toilets and washing machines.
D took it one step further and touched the main tap coming in from the street. So now we have a small leak. A plumber has been called. D rigged up a system to it drained into our basement drain using our dehumidifier bucket which has a hose attachment.
No idea how much it will cost to replace the tap but the city will have to involved because our main water has to be turned off before any work can be done.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Paring Down
I'm a bit stunned because my estimate taxes I did using my yearly online software is showing a refund this year, much larger than the $60 odd dollars I got back last year.
Didn't think my numbers were that different from last. In fact I made more money but my expenses must have gotten bigger too. Right now I'm not seeing it but I'll be looking at those numbers many more times until filing.
I must have missed something. If it turns out I didn't, I'll hold off claiming my rsp donation until next year.
Am in the growing out phase with my hair. Had enough with bangs and shorter hair. Found it to be fun but way higher maintenance. Long hair costs less for me. So back to long it is. Plus I can donate it again when the time comes.
To get a handle on the amount of paper (trees) we seem to get in the mail each month and the feeling of having to read a whole pile of stuff, I've been paring down on our magazine subscriptions.
I cut out 2 last year, just decided not to renew a 3rd and have one left which won't expire for another year -- Considering cancelling and getting some money back. Meanwhile D has added 2 so we are going to have a talk about it.
Didn't think my numbers were that different from last. In fact I made more money but my expenses must have gotten bigger too. Right now I'm not seeing it but I'll be looking at those numbers many more times until filing.
I must have missed something. If it turns out I didn't, I'll hold off claiming my rsp donation until next year.
Am in the growing out phase with my hair. Had enough with bangs and shorter hair. Found it to be fun but way higher maintenance. Long hair costs less for me. So back to long it is. Plus I can donate it again when the time comes.
To get a handle on the amount of paper (trees) we seem to get in the mail each month and the feeling of having to read a whole pile of stuff, I've been paring down on our magazine subscriptions.
I cut out 2 last year, just decided not to renew a 3rd and have one left which won't expire for another year -- Considering cancelling and getting some money back. Meanwhile D has added 2 so we are going to have a talk about it.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Answers Finally
Well, the decision was made for us. D's bonus is going to be cashed out this year. The account D opened back in Sept to house any bonus monies was supposed to include a fax in of the paper copy which D was not aware of.
It was due Nov 30th. Had he done it, the entire amount would have been sheltered and a tax receipt would have been issued. Now that we know, we have till Nov 30th of 2012 to get that fax in for next year's bonus (hopefully).
An interesting discussion came out of it with one of D's colleagues -- The only one D found (outside of the finally locating someone in the pension dept) who had knowledge of how this all worked and has chosen not to take advantage of it.
He is anti RSP and likes knowing what his bottom line is all the time so non registered investments is his preferred vehicle. He figures you either pay tax now or later. You may as well get it over with now.
I can respect that. Plus, having a good pension will mean a higher tax bracket come retirement so you stand to pay potentially higher taxes later. Made us stop and think about D's retirement big picture vs mine. Maybe this fax error was a blessing in disguise.
It was due Nov 30th. Had he done it, the entire amount would have been sheltered and a tax receipt would have been issued. Now that we know, we have till Nov 30th of 2012 to get that fax in for next year's bonus (hopefully).
An interesting discussion came out of it with one of D's colleagues -- The only one D found (outside of the finally locating someone in the pension dept) who had knowledge of how this all worked and has chosen not to take advantage of it.
He is anti RSP and likes knowing what his bottom line is all the time so non registered investments is his preferred vehicle. He figures you either pay tax now or later. You may as well get it over with now.
I can respect that. Plus, having a good pension will mean a higher tax bracket come retirement so you stand to pay potentially higher taxes later. Made us stop and think about D's retirement big picture vs mine. Maybe this fax error was a blessing in disguise.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Clipping Along
We haven't made it up to the cottage yet to check out how things look after the plumbers did their thing with the plumbing. I'm still a bit scarred from the mess they left a few years ago. Last year was good. If the weather holds, we'll be heading up this weekend.
On the receiving free money front, D's roll continued with a couple more gift cards totally $70 courtesy of Sporting Life Bikes and Board store where he purchased his road back a couple of months ago.
Maybe this is an emerging trend as neither of us have been given such gifts after purchase before. I'm sure there has been some study done showing how much more people spend if you give them free money...plus the feeling of goodwill you get for the establishment.
Part of my down time work yesterday involved getting a quote for new attic insulation for the cottage. I don't know the breakdown of the parts of the job yet but I'm guessing the bulk of the $3000 - $5000 quote range is for labour. It seems high to me. I was mentally budgeting no more than $2000.
We are still waiting for D's 1st pension statement to magically show up. We've been told Nov, Dec and now it is officially Apr/May. It's frustrating when no one seems to know when that happens. Why the secrecy? Or perhaps it is because people don't track it so it doesn't matter when it appears?
As we are trying to get answers about D's bonus savings options, D is finding most people are relying on it to pay for Christmas and even though they know (vaguely) of the sheltered route, only one person he has talked to so far have taken advantage of it.
On the receiving free money front, D's roll continued with a couple more gift cards totally $70 courtesy of Sporting Life Bikes and Board store where he purchased his road back a couple of months ago.
Maybe this is an emerging trend as neither of us have been given such gifts after purchase before. I'm sure there has been some study done showing how much more people spend if you give them free money...plus the feeling of goodwill you get for the establishment.
Part of my down time work yesterday involved getting a quote for new attic insulation for the cottage. I don't know the breakdown of the parts of the job yet but I'm guessing the bulk of the $3000 - $5000 quote range is for labour. It seems high to me. I was mentally budgeting no more than $2000.
We are still waiting for D's 1st pension statement to magically show up. We've been told Nov, Dec and now it is officially Apr/May. It's frustrating when no one seems to know when that happens. Why the secrecy? Or perhaps it is because people don't track it so it doesn't matter when it appears?
As we are trying to get answers about D's bonus savings options, D is finding most people are relying on it to pay for Christmas and even though they know (vaguely) of the sheltered route, only one person he has talked to so far have taken advantage of it.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Down Time Work
I'm rarely sick and when it happens, it is usually because I've overdone something and got out of balance. So I've spend a lot of time today clearing email clutter. It is amazing how much time it takes me. I aim to do it once a year but realized I hadn't done it last year. Multiply by 3 addresses and the process has eaten up lots of minutes. The day is flying by.
We got lots of good news yesterday. D got the numbers corresponding to his tiny raise and bonus. The raise is approx $30 per pay cheque. His bonus is just shy of $10K which surprised both of us. Don't worry, we are not complaining!
As mentioned in an earlier post, we have to put it into a registered savings vehicle in order for it not to be taxed at almost 50%. D told me he can only do it for 85% of it. The other 15% has to be taken as cash so therefore be taxed fully. The sheltered 85% will garner a tax refund which he will put towards the "car" portion of the recently consolidated mortgage/car loan.
I came home from work to find a Christmas card from my Capital One MasterCard. Inside was a $15 gift card to a department store. When have you ever received free money from a credit card company? Especially when the card is free? First time for me!
Later in the evening, D got an email from a department store we shopped at on the weekend stating we won our purchase! He filled out something online with our receipt code and voila, he won. Now, our purchase wasn't large or anything, under $40. It doesn't matter though!
We got lots of good news yesterday. D got the numbers corresponding to his tiny raise and bonus. The raise is approx $30 per pay cheque. His bonus is just shy of $10K which surprised both of us. Don't worry, we are not complaining!
As mentioned in an earlier post, we have to put it into a registered savings vehicle in order for it not to be taxed at almost 50%. D told me he can only do it for 85% of it. The other 15% has to be taken as cash so therefore be taxed fully. The sheltered 85% will garner a tax refund which he will put towards the "car" portion of the recently consolidated mortgage/car loan.
I came home from work to find a Christmas card from my Capital One MasterCard. Inside was a $15 gift card to a department store. When have you ever received free money from a credit card company? Especially when the card is free? First time for me!
Later in the evening, D got an email from a department store we shopped at on the weekend stating we won our purchase! He filled out something online with our receipt code and voila, he won. Now, our purchase wasn't large or anything, under $40. It doesn't matter though!
Friday, December 2, 2011
What the Heck?
Are you serious?! I asked my computer when it started to not like the 2nd new battery yesterday.
I'm going to keep it plugged in and charging even though it isn't really charging to see if things snap magically back to life. Not impressed.
There are 5 more work days until holidays so I'm not going to worry about it. The computer is usable when plugged in. So I'll just have to bring the charger with me to work until I figure out what to do next.
Just put the old battery in and it likes it...what the heck?
End of year is exciting for me from a bookkeeping perspective. I get to see soon whether I owe tax or not. Last year's projections were pretty much spot on. I got about $61 back from the government.
I'm expecting next year's income to be smaller so I'll be happy to cut back on my quarterly tax payments/savings.
I'm going to keep it plugged in and charging even though it isn't really charging to see if things snap magically back to life. Not impressed.
There are 5 more work days until holidays so I'm not going to worry about it. The computer is usable when plugged in. So I'll just have to bring the charger with me to work until I figure out what to do next.
Just put the old battery in and it likes it...what the heck?
End of year is exciting for me from a bookkeeping perspective. I get to see soon whether I owe tax or not. Last year's projections were pretty much spot on. I got about $61 back from the government.
I'm expecting next year's income to be smaller so I'll be happy to cut back on my quarterly tax payments/savings.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Temptation
Whenever I "declare" something, the universe seems to send an automatic temptation to test my resolve. This came in the form of a cyber Monday sale courtesy of KLM.
Pretty incredible to consider you can fly round trip to Istanbul from Toronto for $749 taxes in, considering I just paid $690 to fly out to BC. I didn't budge but did search out apartments though.
Not this time, D says, there's many more chances to come! He doesn't believe I will be able to hold out for long.
D had errors made on his last flight and didn't get all the award miles expected. But a couple of emails later, it was corrected and he is on his way! He was quite impressed with Delta and their efficiency.
Pretty incredible to consider you can fly round trip to Istanbul from Toronto for $749 taxes in, considering I just paid $690 to fly out to BC. I didn't budge but did search out apartments though.
Not this time, D says, there's many more chances to come! He doesn't believe I will be able to hold out for long.
D had errors made on his last flight and didn't get all the award miles expected. But a couple of emails later, it was corrected and he is on his way! He was quite impressed with Delta and their efficiency.
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