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It seems we are in instant summer already. And with that, I found an incredibly tiny nymph tick on my calf. I don't think it was engorged but it was attached. I am mailing it to our state ag experiment station where they test ticks for free. It's a miracle I even found it, but I've been wearing a knee brace on my left leg after bruising a tendon at the gym, so as I was taking this tight-fitting brace off, I saw the tick on my leg just below it. The brace, I think, kept it from...
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My car has been repaired and the auto shop delivered it to my home. That was really nice; it meant that my son didn't have to arrange with someone else to pick it up. The cost to me was my $500 deductible. The car looks great. Too bad I can't drive it!
My 7-day transit pass ran out, and I figured out how to register my card and add funds to it. I decided to add $40. Since then I've taken several trips -- twice to the grocery store (where I spent $66), one to the library, and one...
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I submitted my resignation yesterday. It's crazy to even type that! I will miss my school, my students, and co-workers, but am very excited for the adventures that await us!
We traveled to Tennessee over the weekend last weekend and drove all over Eastern Tennessee looking at houses. We met with two different realtors in two different areas and found a home we couldn't get out of our heads. We saw the home on Friday with the realtor, drove by it again by ourselves on Saturday,...
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So I didn't get the position I interviewed for but at least I went through the process. A little disappointing but at least it went quick. Old house is on the market and we're starting to settle into the new place. We've got two weddings to go to within two weeks and then we can really start our summer. I hope our hold place sells quickly but it's almost been a week and only two showings. We might have priced it a little too high. I've got classes this summer in preparation for...
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So I've had a lot of large life changes happen over the last few months.
I did get a job at the library one day a week and I love it! Gives me a little spending money and I get a break from my kids and some peace and quiet. The job is super easy and I have a lot of downtime to read or play on my phone or whatever. 
I GOT accepted into the experimental lung procedure for my rare disease! I'm still trying not to get my hopes up, and I don't have a date yet but I'm told likely...
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So I bought a car last week.  DH's car was totalled at the beginning of the month and we haven't replaced it.  Well we sort of did but not really.  We are planning on replacing his 2016 Subaru Legacy which we got paid out $16k with a 2021 Tesla Model Y for about $33k.  Haven't found the right one year but that's what the plan is.
That being said I was driving a friend two weeks ago and said I was looking for a car and she said "i'm looking to sell mine." ...
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Things have been crazy busy lately. We took on a foreign exchange student from Belgium back in December whom we love, but is has added one more layer to our already hectic lives!
We sold our house in the only state we've ever known to move across the country to the unknown. Our house has closed and we are technically renters for the next two months... and also homeless (because we haven't found anything yet).
We have even had a very difficult time getting back to look at homes...
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So I ended up cancelling last thursday our trip to Zion and Bryce Canyon because the Narrows was closed and unsure if they were opening.  I didn't want to do a trip that honestly the highlight was the narrows.  The national parks website says it's partially opened today but I would really want to do everything and hope it was calmer than just below the opening number.  So instead I rebooked the trip for next memorial day and crossing my fingers it's better next year.
Instead...
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Both the 401K and the IRA were up substantially from the last time I checked.  New amounts are below:
$153,554.59 401K
+_15,225.66 IRA
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$168,780.25 New Retirement Total
-160,553.96 Old Retirement Total
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$__8,226.29 Total Gain to Retirement
The Emergency Fund got to small deposits.  One was $2.32 at the beginning of the month in interest.  The other was what was left at the end of payday one for May after paying all the...
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Yesterday and today I got out my Ventra card and tried out public transportation. Yesterday I took the train to the library, where I checked out a couple of books, and checked up on a book that I have returned, but that seems to have disappeared. It's still checked out to me. I spoke to one of the librarians, and they said they are looking for it -- will do three sweeps before they consider it lost. I know I don't have it. The only thing I can figure that MIGHT have happened on...
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I feel like I haven't had a moment to breathe this week.  There has been an appointment every day and there is one tomorrow.  So far they have been one's where we have been kept waiting twenty to forty-five minutes past the scheduled appointment time and then the appointment seemed to run long.  Except my therapy appointment, which was on time.  And boy did I need that.  It's been cancelled 3 times and it has been six weeks when I usually go every two weeks. ...
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The appointment with the neurologist went well. I passed all the tests. I am neurologically fit. The doctor wondered why I had even been sent there.
When I checked in, the receptionist asked for an ID, since my license was marked as "expired." I was glad I had my passport card with me. It was perfectly acceptable.
I paid a $45 copay and spent $6 in the facility's coffee shop.
Yesterday I took flowers and candy to DIL, who is recovering from surgery - $27.
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I decided to cash out the majority of my brokerage account. I sold $100k of $103k. This is my house down payment so I wanted to put it somewhere stable. This plus the $35k I had saved in savings will be my house down payment. If my mom can afford to give me the $25k that will push it up to $160k, but I'm not relying on it after her medical bills starting coming in.
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My dad texted me & my sisters Saturday around noon to say he had taken my mom to the ED and asking me to come. I left work immediately, went home & packed a bag with more clothes than I thought necessary at the time, then hit the road. Turns out I'm going to use all those clothes & more. They admitted her that night & yesterday (Tuesday) she had back surgery.  We won't be going home today, maybe tomorrow. And maybe not straight home, but in an inpatient rehab...
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First of all, a big thank you for all the positive remarks on my last post. Life has changed quite a bit, but I can say lots of positives have happened. I think one of the hardest things is to tell friends of the changes and I consider you my friends although I've not ever met any of you.
I'm living about 40 minutes from where I used to live in a rural setting. Close enough to a small town, but very peaceful. One big change is there is not recycling so I'm working on figuring...
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This morning I mailed my license back to the SOS. It's already cancelled, but I guess they like to have the actual license in hand. I walked to the post office, since I didn't want to put even a defunct license into a mailbox -- but the post office was closed. I think it was due to construction in the area, but there was no sign on the door, and their website said it was open. Frustrating. I ended up walking to mailbox anyway. Since it was due for pickup in a few hours, I thought...
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Today was one of those days I couldn't figure out what I wanted to do. The sun was in and out, but mostly it was overcast, which nixed the idea of yard work as it was kind of on the chilly side without the sun's rays.
I have a press release to write for one of my volunteer gigs, but I just wasn't wanting to focus on that. Instead, I tidied up a bit (housework always comes last around here), did some laundry and took a late afternoon walk, and then a friend of mine offered me some...
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I went to Los Angeles last weekend--really a 5-day weekend from Wednesday to Sunday.  I visited my sister, who lives in the house I grew up in, for the first time in 5 years, and also saw my one remaining aunt and one of my two first cousins on my mother's side and his family, as well as one high school friend.
I was fortunate enough to have company on the flights out and back.  The trip actually came about because my supervisor at work has family in L.A. too, and she...
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8 oz room temperature salted butter (do not microwave)
2 to 3 tsp granulated garlic (not powder), adjust to taste
1 to 2 tbsp dried Italian seasoning (or at least basil, oregano, and parsley) adjust to taste
Put ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix with a whisk.  You can use a stand mixer or hand mixer on 2 or low, or just a regular old hand whisk, but if you do use a regular whisk I advise using a small one with close set tines and shake it out every few strokes. ...
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