There's always a reason to celebrate when it reaches Memorial Day.  It's the first holiday I get off since New Year's Day.  Seriously, the five-month (almost six-month) stretch is such a killer!  But, woohoo!  VACATION.  and of course, I'm not doing anything much, just hanging out with family.  ah, paid vacation, so nice.

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Remember last year when it was FREEZING and RAINY at my brother's graduation?  How funny was it that it was rainy this year, too?!!  I drove past Highland High last night on my way home and all the parents had umbrellas and all that while crossing the street...I couldn't help wondering if Highland did the Rainy Day plan, where the student body would be split in half: one half to the auditorium, the other to the gym.  Who knows.  The stadium lights were on, so i'm assuming they forged ahead and the graduates got soaked...again.

So, i'm wondering if next year will be rainy, too?  Keep it in mind, guys!

Also, I found a back way onto the Highland campus, from our neighborhood.  So cool.  When we have kids and they go to Highland, they will have an easier way to get there.

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Speaking of high school, I got a notice for my 10-year reunion.  It costs $89/ticket!!!!!!!!  who in their right mind wants to pay that much for dinner and socializing?  NOT ME.  I think it would be fun to see old classmates, but seriously...$89.

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School is officially over.  Providence's graduation is this coming Tuesday.  It's exciting.  This year there are four girl graduates.  Since Paul has been at Providence, I've realized how cool it is to go to a small school.  It's so much more personal on graduation day.  You really know all your teachers and they really care about you.  Anyway, there are pluses and minuses to private Christian schools.  This is definitely a big plus.

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I've joined a book club.  My small group ladies have formed one with some other women at church.  I'm really excited to be participating in a book club again.  In college, a group of friends and I started one.  We all took turns choosing a book and leading the discussion.  Mine was The Westing Game.  It was fun, but life got too busy and we stopped.  And one of my roommates thought it was so dorky.    Whatever.  Anyway, we're reading Reading Lolita in Tehran, if you want to follow along with us.

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On the book publishing front: I finally submitted it for review (review is regarded loosely because they don't review content, only format) and now am waiting for the proof copy (that I got for free!).  I hope it looks great.

Happy Long Memorial Weekend!

I took a nap after I got home from work and then didn't wake up until 7:30p.  And then Paul and I went to this fantastic sushi place, Takara, near us (I got a gift certificate from restaurants.com)...SO GOOD.  I am still reliving the experience.  yum yum yum

So, a few things:
1.
Remember how I read Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover, and then I embarked on his steps to get out of debt and manage money better?  Well, it's been a full year, so I'm going to report what happened.

Step 1 was to have an emergency fund of $1000 readily available (no problems there).

Step 2 was to pay off all debt except the house mortgage.  We paid off the Toyota within the first month because we had the savings.  This is where Mr. Ramsey employs the "debt snowball," meaning that you take what you were paying for the first loan and apply it to the second.  Once the second loan is paid off, then you take the money you were paying for the first & second and apply to the third loan, etc.  So, you get a "debt snowball" and pay off your loans faster.  Plus, any extra money you make, you put it into the loan.

So, after doing this for a year, and with the help of the US Government (tax rebate), I just paid off the Honda yesterday!  woohoo!  That means, the Honda was paid off in two years instead of four.  I am never buying a new car again.

We don't have any more loans, so we are debt free (excepting the mortgage).  YAY!

Step 3 says we should save 3-6 months expenses.  So, we'll be working on this for the next year or so.

The Budgeting Worksheets: there are probably more sophisticated forms out there, but Mr. Ramsey's works pretty well for me.  I carry them with me to work to update with expenses.  I check our bank accounts almost everyday and enter data into Quicken.  If we go over the budget one month, I try to make up the difference in the next month.  It's been great, seeing all of the expenses we have to have plus all the extranneous (sp?) stuff.  I like the paper method better than Mint and even Quicken isn't that great.  Maybe because I don't know how to use the tools?  Or maybe because our expenses change from month to month?

Lessons learned:
* You HAVE to budget for extranneous stuff...shopping for clothes, books, movies.  Even if it's not that much, you still need it because you will go out.  It's inevitable.  I tried not doing it a few months and it doesn't work.
* If you have paychecks every two weeks, on the months with 3 checks, split the check and put half toward one month's budget and the other half toward the next month's.  It is so much easier not to overspend this way.
* Don't rationalize!  I find myself rationalizing on spending on the 3 paycheck months or on months with bonuses or on months with tax rebates.  You can get into trouble this way.
* I found that even though the budget is tight on some months, God always provides a little buffer.  It's something unexpected that comes in and it makes me appreciate my life.

2.
I am self-publishing a book.  Because I finished Nanowrimo and won, I get a free copy through this self-publishing website.  So, I'm treating it like I would actually sell it.  I'll have a listing on Amazon.com, I get to set the price, and everything!

It's been a huge learning curve, trying to figure out the lingo of book publishing.  Apparently the "inner" is the inside of a book.  Self-explanatory, I know, but initially I thought it was the inside of the book jacket.  LOL.  And formatting the inner is a PAIN IN THE BUTT.

I have a new respect for publishers.

I have three readers: Paul, Becky, and Esther.

Paul just finished his read-through.  It takes a poet to let know when you've been too wordy.  haha.

I will let you know when it is available for purchase.  :)

And I'm wondering if it's too hasty to be thinking about putting up an author website?  Does that sound vain?  I think it does.

3.
I lost the diagram to our sprinkler system.  Who would have a record of what valves do what?  The sprinkler system company?   Trial and error?  ugh.

4.
How does Steph manage to post on Xanga everyday?  I can't find that many things to write about.  :P