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[Nanci]

I hate my life.

[kelownagirl]

((((Nanci)))) Money troubles suck. But we've all been there at one point or another. Happy to say mine are behind me but I certainly hadmy fair share of gut-wrenching worry over finances. Even had to sell my house to pay of debt and buy waaay down. Hope you get things under control really soon. It will get better. I always try to remember that in the grand scheme of life, my money problems pale in comparison to the national debt. More (((hugs))) Consolidating debt certainly helped for me, as did creating a clear budget and sticking to it. (Ugh, I hate that word 'budget"...)

Of course, this is all assuming that money, or the lack thereof, is the root of your unhappiness...

[Nanci]

Pretty much. That and the 30 pounds I've managed to pack on...

Nanci

[Nanci]

But some days I wonder if I'm ever going to see my grandson before he's old enough to drive down here himself.

Nanci

[bambu101]

Glad to hear that Jennifer's back home again, and it was not a stroke.

Rest up and let your family spoil you rotten!!

[kelownagirl]

Pretty much. That and the 30 pounds I've managed to pack on...

Nanci

Don't you just hate that aspect of being female and forty? You can just LOOK at food and gain weight....

Why do you think you may not see your grandson? And where does he live? How old is he? Do you ever get to see him?

[Nanci]

I saw him once! He's way up in Minnesota. 24 hour drive. Possibly I wouldn't be gaining weight if I was sticking to my diet and riding my bike more than once a month...Oh, he's 2.5. His mother has the bird that is eating it's own leg, remember? I thought, instead of me traveling up there on the money from my big OT check from today, which wasn't that big after all, after they took out $942 in taxes/bullsh*t, I would just send her some cash to help with the thousands of dollars vet bills, but I guess that isn't happening...50, not 40.

[mimitabby]

Nanci
YOU are 50??? you look like you're 28 years old. NO KIDDING!

[kelownagirl]

50 - I was rounding down.... (maybe way down, but hey...)

24 hours, that IS a long way away. And it's tough to stick to a diet when you're feeling down - I guess the weather down there isn't as much of an issue, but I sure am finding it hard to get interested in biking right now. I'm hoping my back is feeling up to trying out the trainer again this weekend. If I don't diet ADN exercise, I can't lose weight at all...

Have you always lived in Florida?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Hey Nanci,
I grew up really ...really... poor. I know the feeling.
I have a Secret Sister Dilemma suggestion for you if you want... instead of waiting for enough money to buy your SS a big gift, why don't you give her something heartfelt and simpler instead? Listen, i have read right here on TE the evidence of your wonderful writing talents (tarbaby rat fetus, anyone?). No use denying it. Why don't you MAKE a little handwritten mini-book for her? YOu could probably make something up in an hour or maybe two. Perhaps just a few pages of some of your wonderful prose, or just random thoughts about biking, or if you draw a blank or writers block- how about just making a booklet story from your tarbaby story? Some pasted in cut-outs or rough sketches scattered about on the pages, some ribbon, glitter....have fun with it and don't worry if it is "good" or "bad"- it will be an absolute treasure regardless. Remember, the theme for November SS was "Fun things".
I'm sure she would love it to pieces (I know I would!!), and she'd be totally the luckiest SS there EVER was.

[kelownagirl]

That is an awesome idea Lisa.

[Nanci]

I think I'm 48.

I lived in MN for my whole life, except for the year I went psycho and ran away to California and got pregnant and hated it out there and moved home, UNtil my ex that we were having problems so he thought it would be better to file on me before I could file on him filed for divorce the day after we got home from a family vacation in Cozumel. Then I moved to Florida to pursue my cave diving dreams, only I didn't know my heart and lungs were so effed up that eventually it would kill me unless I quit. My high school daughter was supposed to come here with me, but she hated it/missed her friends, so I paid out $25k in child support rather than buying myself a home. I am such a dumb aZZ.

[kelownagirl]

Have you considered moving back to MN?

[Nanci]

HELL NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm dying down here, and it's only 37! Supposed to get down to 28. I have to leave a faucet running all night so the uninsulated (like everyone's down here) pipes don't freeze up. I have covered my flowers, in DECEMBER, in hopes of keeping them alive. I _can_ ride my bike any time I want. Like if I felt like it, instead of hibernating. My whole life, I hated the cold. I always wanted to live in the 30% less-salary-paying South. I love it here. I have 7 or 8 years in at my job. My sisters both have bought homes in Arizona and Colorado and Puerto Rico (so they did better than me...) to retire in, so they're not going to be there, anyway. So what's there, a bunch of snow, and my best friend of my whole life, and my kid- but now I am old and I like it HERE where it is warm and I don't have to warm up my truck and I can sit outside on my patio with my tortoises that I couldn't even HAVE in MN 11 months of the year. Plus- BF misses the snow- but he misses his Indiana snow, not my MN snow. If we moved- it'd be there. Please, don't make me have to go back to snow...

Rat Baby Tar Fetus is due to be published in this month's club newsletter. No one will probably get it. They'll just be like- that chick is weird! But I'm glad you appreciated it, Lisa.

[Nanci]

So, I suppose all you wine lovers have heard of Red Bicyclette, which I have until recently disdained for A. Being a trite name and B. Being from France, home of ex. I can tell you that the rose rocks- I think it is mostly Grenache- and the Syrah may have replaced Columbia Crest as my favorite reliable under $10 Syrah...