Fantasy Football – Let’s Give a Cheer!

This is my first year playing in a Fantasy Football league. There was an automated draft last night, and my team is as follows:

I know Warner and Owens, but, I am clueless about everyone else. So, what should I do next?

Friday Morning, Toast and Coffee

I am up unusually early for a particular Friday when I have the day off. I made that decision in light of the fact that the kids still have home school today.

I’ve scanned the usual suspects in my blog reader, and have sat down to enjoy a bit of writing, reading, toast and coffee.

mmmmm….

Conversation with No one

I am sitting in Barnes and Nobles cafe, trying to finish a little bit of work left over from yesterday. Nothing strenuous, but, maybe a bit repetitious. The cafe americano is helping pass the time.

When I arrived, I noticed an elderly black gentleman sitting at a table. In front of him, was an empty cup of coffee and a yellow legal pad. He was leaning over, talking to a couple that was situated diagonally from his table.

They were not listening. Standing in line, I took quick, furtive glances to see if he had a blue tooth headset attached, but, if he did, it was not visible to me.

The couple at the table left the cafe, and the man continues to lean over and talk to the now empty space.

As I finished my work (and my americano), he has kept the ongoing conversation. Pausing as if listening to a reply, he chuckles at something that I could not quite hear. He has given directions to Gloucester Virginia, pontificated about the state of the church and shared a memory about going to a water park.

I wonder if I could ever have a prayer life with my Father, like the one this man is having with no one.

A Rainy Day – No Kindle.

Tuesday was a rainy day. The sky was blue, the air was very muggy, but did it rain. I am not quite sure that it reached the pouring stage, but it felt like it.

In Virginia, we have the annual car inspection, where you pay $16.00 to have a licensed inspector give your vehicle the once around and the official sticker that says you are good to go for another year.

I dropped the car off, and by 10:00, I got the call: I knew the voice on the other side would tell me that I could either pick my car up or…come on, big money, no whammie!!

The tires on the right side of the car failed. The alignment on the car was off (majorly) and it had ruined those tires. He gave me a quote for the alignment, and I hung up. Cindy helped me to call around to the usual tire places to see what to expect, and then I called the garage back. He could beat those prices (and did). When it was all said and done, Inspection, Tires, Balancing, Stems, Disposal, Alignment AND reinspection, I was out $360.00.

That wouldn’t have been so bad had I not just spent $320.00 on fixing the right hand passenger window, which was beginning to slip.

Tuesday was a $680.00 rainy day. However, I stayed dry. One of the line items in my budget is “Car Repairs.” Each month, $30.00 goes over and sits in a money market account, waiting to be needed. Having been used recently, it had not built back up. However, I had been saving for a Kindle (I had made it to $370.00)…and then, there was the emergency fund.

Funny thing about having an emergency fund that can cover you for six months of expenses – once you get it, you do not want to touch it. Thinking long and hard (oh, about a minute), I came to the conclusion that there will always be Kindles. With my Car Repair Money, the Kindle money about $90.00 from the emergency fund, I was able to cover Murphy.

That’s what life is like when you live debt free – you fix what can be fixed, and you delay pleasure in order to save (or in the case of the Kindle, resave) for the items. Here is another bit of insight that struck me – I wanted my emergency fund more than I wanted a Kindle. How weird is that?

Welcome to my Blog

Prior to Facebook, I’ve kept this little blog going for my friends. It has a small circulation, and the writing is only so so, but, it is definitely will let you know what is on my mind.

And that brings me to point.

I have been ignoring my friends by not writing on my blog. The reason is simple: Facebook. FB is billed as a Social Network, where you reconnect with old friends, post your status and play Farmville. For me, Facebook became my outlook for all of the random stuff that pops in my head, and makes me laugh.

But, I started posting Notes on Facebook. Not many, but just enough to remind me that “Hey, that should really go on your blog.”

So, I am re-linking my Blogger account and Facebook. Come on in, browse past posts (say that 10 times fast).

See Ya!

C