A Number of Things

My lovely mother used to write a column for the Norwich Gazette and she called it "A Number of Things".  Like her, I don't always have just one topic on my mind to write, I often have, well, a "number of things".  So today's post title is brought to you by:

Va va voom, mother dear!
Wish I was as thin as you!

First I'm going to show you what our talented Carla made for me. I'm going to a baby shower on April 1st and look at me, I've already got the present and paid for it out of my gift fund! A blanket, ribbon blankie and burping pad.

 About a day or two after I found out that the mom-to-be was decorating the nursery in a "Peter Rabbit" theme Carla posted her new baby sets made with, what else, "Peter Rabbit" fabric backed with minky! And the predominant colour is green which is perfect as this couple isn't going to find out the gender of their baby.

Well, I mean they will eventually but not before!

 Worried about spit up Peter?? Don't worry, it'll wash out!!

Also included is a hand made card - so sweet!

That wasn't all I purchased, oh no! I had also ordered a mug rug pour moi! I loved the brown paisley materials Carla had posted recently and when I saw the mug rug she made for Makky's mom (I think!) I just had to have one for myself!  And look!

It fits on my little side table perfectly.

 And is a really nice match to my brown paisley chair where I sit to read and blog every day.

 I think this picture is upside down, not really sure, but does it matter?

It works! I love it, thanks Carla!
And I'm not done yet! Carla gave me a bonus gift! Yes she did, I know, she's so sweet!

 It's my own little whimsical wallet - isn't it so cute?? I adore it!  My favorite fabrics!

 So what am I going to use it for?

I'm going to carry it everywhere with me in my purse. It'll replace the boring white envelope I currently carry to put my receipts in. See, there's one in there already!
Thanks Carla - that was an unexpected treat!

Strange story: on Friday when I was leaving Carla's I noticed something hanging down underneath my car. I don't think that's supposed to be hanging like that - and at first I thought it was part of the car. I got down on my knees to take a closer look and saw the word "Emerson", then "play", and "record". At first I thought it was from a pile of stuff I'd taken to Talize, a second-hand store. But that didn't make any sense. I pulled and twisted and finally freed it from the car. Then I hoped and prayed that all of the car's fluids wouldn't leak out!! It was indeed the plastic front of somebody's old VCR!! One of us must have run over it and it got jammed under the car. So far the car seems to be running fine and there are no warning lights on or strange noises or odors! So far no one is admitting to running over anyone's VCR, but then Kazi drove the car last year with a flat tire and didn't notice that either...I'm not accusing anyone...just sayin'.

Finally....Closure

Kazi was sick yesterday when I got home from school so I ended up not going to volleyball, but that was ok because it turns out I forgot to register for this session anyway! Kazi had flu-like symptoms so I made a quick run to the grocery store and bought gingerale, apple juice, clear soups and soda crackers.

During that time someone left a message on my cell which I forgot at home. Gee I'm getting forgetful...isn't that the first sign of...hmmmm can't remember. Anyhoo, I checked the message and lo and behold the insurance company finally got their hands on the police report from Kazi's accident back in October. AND THE OTHER DRIVER WAS CHARGED!! Kazi can move on now - she was so happy because she KNEW the other driver and their "mystery witness" weren't telling the truth.

This also means I will be receiving a $500 check as the other driver's insurance will be paying my deductible! I'm going to put part of it on my Line of Credit and the rest into emergency savings. My goal for NO SPEND February was to bump up my emergency savings which now stands at a measly $830 so cheers all round:)

Since I didn't go to volleyball I rode my bike, but rode at lower resistance and only 15 km. Knees feel good today. It was good to give them a day's rest.

So here it is, 7:21am and I'm having a great day! Hope you are too!!

Closed for the Season ........sob....

 Brrrrrr....Lake Huron looks cold and uninviting now. Hard to imagine that only three months ago we were laying on a blanket, book in hand, squinting from the sun, having a "beach day".

 The hydrangea blossoms have all dried up but they still look beautiful.

 This is what happens to climatis in the fall - I had no idea - very pretty.

Not everything was dead and dried up however - I was very surprised to see that my geraniums were still blooming!! A sight for sore eyes indeed! My geraniums in London have been frozen by hard frosts. 

 And it looks like my climbing hydrangea hasn't given up yet.

That was then...(see me in my hanging chair?)

And....this is now...

One last burst of colour from a rose, imagine that! before the snow covers everything for the next four, long cold and miserable months.

Yes, I am a summer person:)

By the way, it was very windy today but Cora did a great job on the highway - I was very pleased. By next Friday she should have her winter boots...I mean tires...on.

Bring on the snow!!

Another FREE Activity: Couch Potato

http://www.toonpool.com/

This was me today. Woke up with a splitting headache so managed to grope my way to the couch. Had some tylenol and coffee - a cure that works for me if I can get it into me early enough...and keep it in (TMI I know).

Well I kept it in but needed to repeat a couple more times throughout the day. Now I feel pretty good if I don't move my head too much. One benefit of being a couch potato - it doesn't cost a thing:)

Now I need to haul my butt into the shower - we have tickets for the latest Harry Potter movie tonight. We've been looking forward to this since we saw the last one about a year and a half ago. Just the kind of evening I need - no effort required but sitting in a comfy seat and munching on some popcorn:)

Which brings me to the real reason for this post...

Thanks for NOT enquiring about how the diet is going- I haven't even weighed myself in almost 2 weeks! It was too much to think about what with everything else going on - what was I thinking? So...fresh start on Monday....hopefully...

Weeky Wrap

http://www.integratedmortgageplanners.com/blog/

(Photo in header taken August 25th in Goderich, ON which is on Lake Huron)

News Beat: 
That sound you're hearing is my huge sigh of relief that the "accident saga" is finally over. Cora is now safely residing in her very own parking space in front of our home. Cora is a dear little thing who looks great for her age, is very peppy and has very moderate drinking habits. And even better she has already saved me a pile of dough.

Who could have foretold this little windfall:  after picking up the cheque for cc
I then paid for Cora in full and had $2,548.00 profit!! I spent $129 at Canadian Tire for a set of 4 rubber floor mats for Cora, a new "telescopic" snow brush and an Obusform Massage Cushion that fits the car seat, plugs in to the data plug and provides both heat and massage:) :) :) (I carry all my stress in my back:() ps - it also works on any chair (like the one I'm sitting in right now and ohhhh it feels so very very good...)

Once at home I immediately transferred $2,000.00 to my Line of Credit leaving $419 which combined with my current balance of over $200 in my misc budget is going to buy Cora a brand new set of snow tires to ensure a safer winter on the road. I'm so happy I could sing a showtune - aren't you glad this blog doesn't have audio??? - believe me you should be!

In other news...that $10 bill I had in my wallet since last Sunday? I put it into the Crofters Lane jar this morning plus another $5 from $$ I withdrew today to bring the jar total up to an even $300.  My hydro bill was down $10 from last month so it ended up being under budget by $28 this month - it really does pay to power off everything before going to bed each night.

Still have $150 in the gas budget so I plan to take Cora out on the highway this weekend and drive to the trailer in Bayfield. This last trip to retrieve some things we need here at the house over winter was postponed due to the accident. So I'll see how Cora handles on the highway:)

And this is exciting (to me)...I am featured this week in Angela Barton's weekly edition of Thrifty Threads - check it out!!

Heart Beat:
DD is very fearful about getting behind the wheel of a car but this weekend I am going to encourage her very strongly to drive Cora with me beside her. She learned to drive on an identical gold Cobalt so I am hoping this will decrease her discomfort level. This will be a tough one but she needs to give it a go.

Really enjoyed working with my team of 7 educational assistants this week - they really are an amazing group of people. This morning was pretty rough - Michael couldn't stop picking at a hangnail to the point he was grabbing any object he could to dig away at it - nothing we did could distract him from self-injuring and he began to headbut his EA. He lives at a group home as he has very challenging behaviours and I had to call the staff to come and administer anxiety medication.  They ended up taking him back home. Tough day, but handled well.

Back to the Future: Cobalt #3

Cora Cobalt II

There she is - I found just the right car for our needs. She's a bit older than my cc (crumpled cobalt) and perhaps a bit wiser for it. Happily she has about 20,000 less kms on her than cc so very pleased about that and she came in way under budget so I can afford to get some brand new snow tires for the dear.

I'm pretty fond of her already if you hadn't noticed. That's because she is identical to a gold 4door cobalt sedan I leased for 4 years (2005-2009) previous to buying the black cobalt coupe last year. Except she's a wee bit newer. I loved the test drive - everything was exactly where I remembered it to be and it was like putting on a well-worn but well-fitting old pair of gloves. So I think I'll call her Cora - comfortable sounding old-fashioned name.

I found an ad for Cora online a couple of days ago and found the low kms, sedan model and low price very appealing but when I drove to the small car lot yesterday no one was there. I looked over the outside of the car and it looked well cared for.  I was really disappointed no one was there to help me but carried on looking at other cars.

Today I looked at one with VERY low kms for the same price as today's find plus it was loaded with options, but when I went to see it it was obvious that it had had a collision at some point as both front quarter panels were ill-fitting replacements and THAT was very disappointing as I was hoping for a real find. Not meant to be.  On a whim I thought I'd drive by the small dealership and see if anyone was there and that's when I found Mike!

I liked Mike right away - he seemed like a regular guy - unpretentious, self-deprecating sense of humour, very accommodating without being overbearing. He wasn't at the dealership yesterday because he was sick and he's in business for himself - no employees but a mechanic - so he had to close shop for the day. I test drove the car at 2:30pm and by 3:00pm had it at Harry's, my mechanic, to check it over. Other than one small link to be replaced "my guy" said it's in great shape! So I drove it back to Mike and signed on the dotted line. Once his mechanic replaces the link Cora is mine, all mine:)

And just in time. I will return the rental car tomorrow and have them drop me at Mike's to pick up Cora all certified and E-tested and shiny clean. Then it's off to put new snow tires on it at Harry's.

I just texted DD to let her know about the "new" old car and she's tickled as can be that it's the same as the one she learned to drive in. I'm hoping that will help her feel less anxious when she finally gets behind the wheel.

So thankful that we can now put that awful chapter of life behind us. DD is whole and healthy, we'll be back on the road once again with Cora who I'm sure will last the four years I need her to until I retire. 

The Hunt Continues...

http://www.amandajocharms.com.au/sales/CHARMS/Medical_Dental/1900/An_Arm_And_A_Leg_Charm/

Day One of the hunt for a replacement car that fits within the budgeted amount is over. I drove a few cars that were either too expensive or too crappy. Still looking for the middle road - a decent car with fairly low mileage that only costs an arm instead of an arm and a leg.

Going to see someone who is selling their cobalt privately tomorrow. I am hoping they didn't make a mistake on kijiji about the mileage because it is VERY low.  I haven't bought a car privately for a loooong time but am willing to try. I don't think I can talk to another used car salesman again tomorrow - I need break. But I only have the rental til Thursday night so the pressure is on...

But enough for now, must put my weary body to bed...
Cheers everybody:)

Crumpled Cobalt

This was my car. Got a call from the appraiser this afternoon and it is officially a write-off.  I accepted the appraiser's offer and I was pleasantly surprised that:

• he included credit for the new tires I had just put on in August without me having to haggle
• the quote includes the tax on the lump sum amount as well, which I didn't expect but very much appreciate as our beautifully-named tax in these parts -"Harmonized Sales Tax" - amounts to 13% , yup, you read that right, on car purchases
• he told me I could pick up my old license plates at the autowreckers, aptly named "Impact Auto Wreckers" and when I arrived I found that someone had hammered the worst of the dents out of them saving me the cost of replacing them (if you look closely at the photo above you can see that the front plate is bent right in half)
• the lump sum was about how much I was hoping to get but was afraid they'd lowball me - so now I must get busy and find a replacement car - the insurance company lets me keep the rental for free for 3 more business days so must have a "new" car by the end of Thursday

The insurance company has still held back my $500 deductible as the police report is still being audited. If they find in my daughter's favour then I will receive an additional $500. I am looking at that as a windfall if indeed I get it - I am NOT including it in the price of my replacement car so here's hoping!

Stay tuned...