In a continuation of my previous post, for those searching for budgeting software and a new way of looking at your money, check out YNAB Pro. The 4 Rules are enough to turn most people's finances around, and the software is enough, simple, and as far away from overkill (like Quicken or Money) as you can get. Unlike the other software mentioned a moment ago, you'll actually use all the features!

Anyway. I've been noticeably absent because I've been helping mom paint her house. Oy. The eaves alone were enough to give me a back and knee(s) ache. Perching on a step ladder and/or the edge of a planter bed can't be good for you. Not to mention that the wasps were eyeing her eaves as their promised land. I think I knocked down at least 3 new nests. Thankfully the black widows that have sometimes taken up residence were much absent. (I can't stand spiders. *shudder*)

Gary lucked out and spent the weekend in Vegas hiking Red Rock Canyon. He *claimed* he had a trade show to attend early this week. Mmhmm. Suuuuure. You just didn't want to paint. ;)

Next weekend is the Balboa Rendezvous, so I will be relieved of duty...or AWOL, depending on who you ask!

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Now playing: Ella Fitzgerald - That Old Black Magic
via FoxyTunes

Happy Easter!

It was a quiet day this year as far as Easter goes. We haven't done an easter reunion in several years now, but quiet is good.

When not working on work stuff this last week, I've been working on straightening out my financial situation. I started to do this last year about this time as well, but it all went to hell in a hand basket with an unplanned root canal (stupid braces) and the death of my father, who lived in England. Now that I've somewhat recovered from those two items, I'm focusing again on getting an emergency fund built up and getting out of (bad) debt. I've found a couple of good sites from laypeople, most notably It's Your Money. From reading up, it seems my problem last year was launching into the reduction part without establishing a beginner emergency fund. Not that the emergency fund would have covered the whole of my troubles, but it would have made a small dent.

I think Gary's gotten tired of coming home from work to find me camped out in front of my computer, hashing out a budget that takes into account as much as I can think of.

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Now playing: Michael Bublé - Home
via FoxyTunes

I spoke too soon last week. I've spent most of this week without a tenant/accounting database. Or at least without one of three - the most important one, of course. It finally came back from tech support today, nearly 1/4 of its original size. So far as I can tell, everything is still there. I have to wonder exactly what it was that they compressed for it to shrink that much. (Maybe the program puts in a bunch of junk? Who knows.) At least it's working again for now.

This weekend, provided it doesn't rain, Gary and I are hoping to head out to the Anza-Borrego Desert to check out the wildflowers. I've been wanting to get out and go hiking, but it seems like I've had something going on all of the recent sunny, warm days. (Darn work.)

I did finally upload quite a few pictures from last fall to last weekend. They're up on my flickr account. Which reminds me that I need to hunt for my extra battery and memory card before tomorrow.

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Now playing: Hugh Grant & Drew Barrymore - Way Back Into Love (Demo Version)
via FoxyTunes

I survived rent collection...yet again. I think I need a t-shirt to wear to work on the last day with this slogan. This month seemed to go a bit more smoothly than most. Maybe it's because I'm not facing down a huge stack of papers in my inbox. February 29th was highly productive for me. Add to that the satisfaction of also catching up on the financial filing today for the management department (sadly left to linger since last September), and I'm a happy camper tonight.

The weather lately has been fabulous. It's quite easy to wake up early and hit the gym when the sun is shining through the blinds at 6:15 am. I'm actually kind of sad that this weekend is the daylight savings time change. I'll have to wait a few weeks for the time to catch back up to the daylight again.

Gary bought DDR (Dance Dance Revolution for the uninitiated) yesterday. He says he bought it because I kept talking about how I wanted it. I knew - and he later admitted - the truth. It's so I have something to do while he's off with his RC car. Now to get a second DDR pad so that my sister and I can play at the same time.

My copy of Rosetta Stone - French showed up yesterday. Guess I'll head home for a lesson or two in French language.

Au revoir!

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Now playing: Astrud Gilberto - It Might As Well Be Spring
via FoxyTunes

Though I missed the first few episodes, I've lately been hooked on PBS's America's Ballroom Challenge. Proof that dancing is dancing, even though I know nothing about ballroom dancing really, I was still able to predict the winners. (Why is Jive a Latin dance? I still don't understand this...) I really enjoyed the exhibition dances, especially Max Kozhevnikov and Yulia Zagoruychenko dancing to Hip Hip Chin Chin, which as soon as the song started, I announced, "I have this song." Gary gave me a strange look, but hey, I do! And I now have a new-found appreciation for it.

Moving from Latin dancing to French language, I'm getting ready to tick another item off of my lifetime to-do list. Learn French. At some point, I'll revisit Spanish, but French is currently on my radar. I nearly didn't because of the cost, but after going through the demo I plunked down the change for Rosetta Stone. Honestly, I have no desire to learn Turkish, but I now know how to say woman, man, boy, girl, eat, run, and, drink because of said demo. Well, I might not be able to pronounce it, but I could certainly read and recognize it. So long as I am willing to learn to crawl before I run, I think the immersion style of learning will suit me much better than the vocabulary-cramming and verb-conjugating days of my high school Spanish classes. (On the bright side, I am able to read the doctor's note that one of my employees brings me in Spanish...)

Speaking of Gary, he just arrived home. I've been an RC (radio-controlled, for the uninitiated) car widow most of the weekend. Well, make that the last week. I've talked him into Be Kind Rewind tonight, though. Popcorn and nachos for dinner!

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Now playing: Club Des Bellugas - Hip Hip Chin Chin (Yaziko Club Mix)
via FoxyTunes