Still no job, I am looking but without a car as I have mentioned before it's tougher.
Reflections on the past year and the coming year.
Last year was a shocker to be sure. Publicly, politically, personally everything had surprises around the corner. I remember back in the spring last year that I felt something big was going to happen, a lot of big things happened but that feeling was very personal. I caused my own big change and I can only hope that the next step will be more carefully thought out and a step in the right direction. Which direction I have yet to figure out.
Christmas was surprising. I thought I would be sitting at home doing mostly nothing or be on the computer and actually a planned outing happened. We had the tickets to Sea World and actually went.
I had been feeling kind of off the day or two before Christmas. That sort of 'off' feeling of biological workings were not functioning correctly. I couldn't put my finger on it but was feeling bloated and full. We went to IHOP for breakfast which was fine, made me feel even more full. Had a blast actually, got to ride the Manta which is one of my favorite all time roller coasters. Got to see a 'reindeer' in the Santa's Village area (where the former Budweiser beer garden was, shows you how long ago I was there). I put that in quotes because there was a handler there that explained what exactly they were. I thoroughly enjoyed his information because I learned something I didn't know before. Reindeer are actually caribou, in a harness. Caribou are a LOT smaller than you would think. About the size of a pony and as some who are reading this know they drop their antlers at different times of the year. Winter for males and summer for females so the photo below of the animal and an antler, he just shed that a week before. The handler also had the second one that had shed just the day before. Really amazing! So, given that timing, all the 'reindeer' for Santa are FEMALES. (Yes some of you who know all these factoids bear with me.)
That was another first, had never been to Sea World during Christmas.
(Edit, forgot to finish my side note about not feeling well)
We met up with Katie's mom and stepdad at a local Chinese restaurant, the food was good but I was off my feed still. By the time I got home I felt like I was going to burst open, one end or the other. Didn't sleep well and the next day.... yeah. Apparently blockage had occurred and it started moving again. I'm not sure exactly what caused it but I'm only now feeling better but still have that overstuffed feeling even though everything is 'moving' normal. Watching my food now and eating less because I'm feeling full most of the time.
I am getting my brain warped (yes that's right) around my next big life change of moving out on my own. Totally alone... somewhere. Have to wait for money to come in the next month or so before I can consider looking for a car. Already moving forward with getting my 401k dealt with. That's another funny thing. I checked it about a week ago and I was about $37 shy of $23k. I checked it day before yesterday and it said I had $23,001.90. Woohoo! That was so weird, then I get my email statement and it's at some odd $22,000something again. Okay so I figure that it's the quarterly end, fees and such but apparently between those two dates of checking the amount there was a loss of about $80 some dollars. Fees are only about $5. I don't understand investing, all these years I've just been putting money into it from my paycheck, filling out the same paperwork every year and getting my statement.
Now I need to find someone I can trust, hopefully with my bank so I don't have to have money I need in a different spot.
Oh the good thing is I turn 59 1/2 in April so getting things set up and ready by then is a good idea. That's the first break point where I don't get penalized for early withdrawal.
I hate math and numbers. Banks scare me. Nice place to have money but dealing with forms and all that is one of my big anxiety points.
In the meantime, still making jewelry and putting it up on Etsy. Finished a commission for a coworker for earrings and necklace. Katie is finally back in the swing of her polymer clay so she cranked out some holly leaves and gingerbread men. For that after Christmas stuff..yah know.
She's promising some spring and valentines items so will be looking for that. I still need to make a necklace for her mom and sister for the wedding.
That's the other thing that's ramping up as well is wedding prep and plans.
Geez.
Okay, need to go get some food and walk around a bit.
Thank you all for all your support and encouragement both with words and gift cards.
"Sometimes in the winds of change we find our true direction." - Anonymous.
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