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February 2024 Net Worth

March 2nd, 2024 at 02:47 pm

TSP $1,103,630

IRA $322,758

Brokerage $98,764

Total Investments $1,525,152

Savings $33,691

February 2024 Net Worth $1,558,843

January 2024 Net Worth $1,481,220

Monthly Loss/Gain $77,623

Other Assets:

Checking $19,386

Car $10,575-16,372 (estimates)

I added my VIN to Monarch & got a vastly different car value than the one estimated from Credit Karma. Interesting. I really don't look at my car like true asset, but it does have value. However, if I had to replace my car I'd definitely be out more money. 

I am sticking with Monarch. Mint was free, but I paid $50 for the year. I think it's worth it. I think it's the closest to replicating what Mint  was. Still keeping Credit Karma as well.

Piling up cash as I really get serious about looking at houses is a big priority. I want to be back in my hometown by Christmas. So if I'm building I need to start soon.

 

October 2023 Net Worth

November 3rd, 2023 at 12:54 am

October was not a good month financially, but I had a lot of fun. I vacationed in Napa Valley & Lake Tahoe. I got back to dancing again with salsa & bachata lessons. I walked regularly. I lost weight. I looked at future homes. I still worry & pray about my mom, but I had more to sustain & relax me.

Investments $1,240,842

Cash Savings $30,218

Total $1,271,060

Monthly Gain/Loss -$35,869

My net worth dipped below $1.3 million, but I'm not worried.  I don't know what the markets will do short term, but I have faith in investing long term. Next month I will have another $10,000 to ladder into a CD. Capital One is paying 5.3% for a 10 month CD. And my checking account is paying 5.25%.

Mortgage Pre-Approval

August 3rd, 2023 at 03:57 am

I was pre-approved for a mortgage loan. I set the purchase rate at $350k - the absolute most I want to spend - with a 20% down payment. The goal is to pay at least $100k down. My mom has offered to give me $100k, but I think it's best that I not take the money. I would rather her keep her money to make life easier for her & my dad.

I'm looking at home purchase about a year from now when my current lease ends, but at least I know what I have qualified for while I'm searching. Interest rates have really kicked up. My current rate would be 6.50% for 30 years. I hope that the rates fall before I'm ready to buy.

July 2023 Net Worth

August 2nd, 2023 at 02:55 am

I can claim an all time investment high this month.

TSP $985,217

IRA $292,627

brokerage $86,464

Investments $1,364,308

Savings $28,372

Total $1,392,680

That is $52,044 in investment gains & $52,655 gains over last month. Maybe August will be the month I see one milllion in my TSP? I'm also not far off from $300k in my IRA. I will hopefully see that sometime next year, if not this year.

In other news, I applied for a pre-approved mortgage loan so my credit score took a hit of a couple of points due to credit inquiries, but I'm still well over 800.

Expensive Month

July 29th, 2023 at 11:53 am

July is shaping up to be an expensive month, but I am enjoying myself. I had my trip to NYC earlier this month, I attended an Alicia Keys concert this Sunday, and I just booked a trip for October to Napa Valley & Lake Tahoe yesterday. I'm really looking forward to it. 

Since the laboratory where I PRN at may be bought out by the end of the year, I may not have a second job beyond December. That is fine by me. I will have more time to visit home. I have started to look at new homes being built. I supposed I should also look at existing homes, but I am excited about the idea of picking out just what I like in my home. My lease ends in one year so I would like to time my next move around the end of my lease.

I really want to encourage my parents to get a house cleaner at least every two weeks. My dad has so much on him as caregiver. I will bring it up this weekend. I might have to call in the troops (my sisters) for support.

My investments & net worth are at an all time high of $1.361 million and $1.429 million respectively. I just want to see $1 million in my TSP. Just once, even if it doesn't stay there. I am at $982k so I'm close. 

Apartment Leak

July 4th, 2023 at 09:01 pm

Thursday I was sitting in my living room and I thought I heard water dripping. I knew I had not left any water running so I figured maybe that's just what it sounds like when water is going through the pipes. I live in a second floor apartment. There are three floors. Not fifiteen minutes later I'm talking to my manager on the phone when all of sudden I hear water running inside me apartment. I get up & start walking around my apartment. 

I find water pouring through the sprinkler system in my master bedroom as well as running down my bedroom walls in two spots. In the bathroom water is also pouring out that sprinkler and leaking through the ceiling. I call the rental office immediately then run upstairs.

My neighbor's door was open (so strange when there is a heat advisory out). It's nearly 100 degrees outside! I knock & when he comes to the door I inform him that water is coming through my ceiling & ask if he has any water in his apartment. He says that he turned off the water valve & walks away to check. He comes back & says he has an inch of water in his bathroom because he forgot to turn off the sink faucet. Unbelieveable!

So anyway maintenance comes & assesses the situation. I'm glad I was at home because usually at that time I'm at work. I was home early because I worked an earlier shift. The damage wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. I have a dehumidifier that they brought to prevent mold & they will come back later to repair the sheet rock.

What a mess! I still can't believe he just left his sink running. Why?! Was the stopper plugged? And how could he not hear the water running? I do have have renter's insurance, but thankfully had no damage to my personal property.



May 2023 Net Worth

June 3rd, 2023 at 02:08 pm

Yesterday the markets went wild on the news of the debt ceiling deal, but too late to improve my May numbers which show a loss from April. Again, this does not including my checking account cash which hovers around $15k or my car value.

Investments $1,230,403

Cash (not including checking) $27,157

Total $1,257,560

Loss $6,985

Additional contributions in April $3,250

Got two notices that my rent will rise by $20 on July due to increases in water collections from two elections. Not an issue, especially considering my recent raise. I just wish they would do something about my noisy neighbor, who thinks his apartment is a music studio. 

Happy President’s Day!

February 20th, 2023 at 06:55 pm

It's a federal holiday so I'm off. Not really a true long weekend as I worked at my PRN job. I slept in, then got a text from my co-worker a little after 8:30 asking me to call him. He had gone in to work on an annual report & encountered other issues. We spent 45 minutes on the phone going over how to pull reports in our server & other miscellaneous things.

Then I had my cup of coffee and my favorite cheese pastries from Trader Joe's. I tried to make a TJ run yesterday after I got off work, but they had closed early due to a Mardi Gras parade. Speaking of, Happy Lundi Gras as well! 💜💛💚

The only other things on my agenda today is to mop my floors, fold some laundry, and maybe see the new Ant Man movie. 

I contacted Mint & realized why my CD wasn't linking. With Capital One you have to authorize the linking of each account, so when I opened this account it wasn't going to link. Easy fix. Now my accounts will be ready when I do my end of the month assessment.

End of Year 2022 Part 2

January 7th, 2023 at 05:31 pm

I forgot to post my net worth for November 2022. I just wanted to note that I never count the cash in my checking account as that seems too fluid. I usually keep around $10,000 in my checking, but again, it's very fluid. Between my brokerage and savings account I have $104,106. I have that earmarked for a down deposit on a house if I wish to buy again.

November 2022 $1,209,583

December 2022 $1,158,919

My net loss for December was $50,664.

December 2021 $1.388 million

December 2022 $1.159 million

My net loss for the year was $229k, or actually $269k since I added nearly 40k to savings and investments.

The losses are a little disheartening but I became a millionaire in 2020, years before I expected to reach that goal, and I have never fallen below that. I remain optimistic about the future. Happy New Year!

Lease Renewal

December 31st, 2022 at 02:01 pm

I got notice in the mail yesterday that my lease is expiring on the 4th of February. I signed an 18 month lease for $1600 plus $32 water/service fee. The rent is increasing to $1680 and the water/service fee to $52, for a total increase of $100. When I first moved in they called it a water fee, now they call it a service fee. While I am hoping I can relocate back to my hometown before then, I may just sign the renewal for 18 months to lock in the rate for the longest time. The rate is $1680 for 13-18 months. I'll have to read what the penalties are if I need to move earlier before I make my final decision. I've been happy here other than my sometimes noisy neighbors.

Back to the Grind

August 28th, 2022 at 08:25 pm

It's back to the grind tomorrow. I took off all a last week and enjoyed spending time with my family. My sister stayed the night with me Thursday, then flew back home Friday morning. We enjoyed low-key family time, talking, having lunch, watching movies. It was so relaxing. 

I had a terrifying experience on the spillway Monday night coming home. There was a tanker trucker that came up behind me, no headlights, with hazard lights flashing. I didn't know why his hazard lights were on. Had he lost his brakes? He was so close that I got over as I was scared that he was going to run into me. Then he started coming into my lane & blaring his horn. It was terrifying. He had plenty of time to get over before he was on my tail, which was why I moved over. I really should have called the state troopers. He had no business driving so haphazardly without headlights at night on a dangerous over-water bridge. I was in tears by the time I got home, but so thankful that there was no accident. My heart felt like it was going to come out of my chest during the incident.

In better news, after 3 weeks of diet changes, exercising, and weekly Ozempic injections my blood sugar is running consistently within range. Three weeks ago no matter what I ate my glucose was high. I was worrying that I would never get it under controls. I get my labs again in 3 weeks so my doctor can make sure there are no advisers effects from the Ozempic.

The right move at the right time

July 11th, 2022 at 12:43 pm

Once again I realize that everything came together at exactly the right time for me. I think I mentioned how my neighbor got in contact with me to get the statements for our closed homeowners association accounts. They were closed when they fired the management company after they realized that they were paying other HOAs expenses from our accounts. They initially said that we would have to pay $850 for the statement, but after repeated requests for an invoice they just gave them to me when I stopped in this Friday. Hallelujah! That's an expense that the HOA couldn't afford. 

After work yesterday I met my neighbor to hand over the statements. He says it's been a nightmare & he's telling them that he's stepping down at the next HOA meeting. I don't know how I last over a decade as an officer. He's been on the board for less than 2 years. It will be 2 years that he bought his condo in December.

They are battling both roof leaks & termites. I asked him where the termites were & he told me that my unit was one of the units infested! Several years back my neighbor 3 doors down had an infestation, but I've never had an issue. He said that you could barely open your door this year when they were swarming in May. They are the aerial termites.

I am so thankful that I sold when I did. I don't think I will ever buy into a condo association. Having to get dozen of owners to come to a consensus before you can take care of your property is a struggle that I won't miss. I had one owner tell me that he was voting no on a dues increase because he couldn't afford it. Understandable, but I had already explained to him that we could not maintain out property without a dues increase. Dealing with people who actually couldn't afford to own their homes is not a good situation. It seemed to happen fairly often even though the condos were very affordable. We also had a high tenant to owners ratio which is another negative.

Looking back, selling whe I did was absolutely the right decision.

Condo-free & loving it

July 3rd, 2022 at 11:48 pm

I can't recall if I blogged about this, but an office from my former condo association contacted me several weeks back. It seems that our management company was paying bills for other associations out of our account. They fired them of course, but also wanted an audit done.

That's where I came in as I was one of two owners that was on the old accounts who could request the archived statements. The other person being elderly & maybe at the onset of dementia. I still do not have the statements. They had to be requested from their archives then my former neighbor needed an invoice to get the new management company to cut a check.

The strange thing is now the bank is not responsive, which is frustrating. I am not getting calls returned & when I went into the bank on my day off I was told to return. I got a strange vibe & I now wonder if they are dragging their heels because they are worried that the association may hold them partially liable. I don't know the reason, but I wish o could get this completed so I can be done with this.

The association is anxious for the records as well as they are needing money for other projects like roof leaks & termites. I have never been more thankful that I sold my condo. It was so stressful living there & dealing with all these never-ending issues. I am thankful to be renting & never having to worry about maintenance or since. Yes, it's much more expensive (and rising), but I don't know if you can put a price on peace of mind.

Speaking of rent, I recently checked out the going rate at my apartment complex. I am paying $1600 plus $32 for water. The lowest priced a 2 bedroom unit is currently listed at is $1930 and water has gone up to $47. I only moved into my unit last August! It's unbelievable how quickly prices are rising.

Retention Incentive Update…or not

May 22nd, 2022 at 03:36 pm

I have mentioned that we signed a retention incentive agreement back in the beginning of March. It still has not been paid. This week we all got our personnel files updated with the retention incentive document & it looks like it will be paid retroactively. However, they forgot to put a percentage so now it's in question whether we will actually get it.

I can laugh about it, because I'm not struggling to pay my bills, but it's such a calamity of errors that occurs sometimes. For all the benefits of working for the federal government, the amount of bureaucracy is astounding. I understand we need to be accountable, but sometimes the costs seem to outweigh the good.

I've had two weekends of theatre going. Last weekend we saw two ballets: Swan Lake & Don Quixote. This weekend we saw the musical Mean Girls. The Covid-19 numbers are picking up, but I'm vaccinated and boosted and I'm trusting that if I catch it my body will be able to fight it. Of course, I'm also hoping that I don't have to find out how well my body can fight it. 

I bought an air fryer! I'm not a big cooker & it's been sitting in the box for a few weeks now as I contemplate whether to keep it. What do you make in your air fryer? 

Heavy Spending Month so far…

April 21st, 2022 at 08:41 pm

This month has had some big spending due to work expenses, most of which as being reimbursed for our laboratory's recognition week. I also paid the first installment of next season's theatre tickets.

I'm excited about the season which includes: Six, Moulin Rouge, To Kill a Mockingbird, Lion King, Tina, Pretty Woman, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Fiddler on the Roof. I passed on the season option of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I've seen it before (as I've seen many of these shows) and the holidays are busy enough as is. If the Christmas show was White Christmas I probably wouldn't pass it up. I love that movie. ☃️ 

Our Easter was nice & quiet filled with good food and beautiful spring weather. I love this time of year before it gets crazy hot. I am trying to think of a getaway before the temps start rising. I would say Maine, but we already have our trip to Maine booked for this fall. I am looking forward to it, rustic as the trip may be. I have been wanting to visit Maine for a while. Maybe I will venture further north, like Quebec. 🇨🇦 

We have not yet received our retention incentive, but I continue to work overtime and my PRN job. This month is also a 3 paycheck month, so yay! I'm not making any big money moves right now, but I may get back to adding to my brokerage account for a future home purchase. Right now it stands at $75k.

 

Another Payday

March 18th, 2022 at 03:31 pm

Another payday and I had forgotten how nice it is to have the ability to bring in extra income when needed. This Saturday I'm going in to do more training at my PRN job, then Sunday I'm working OT at my FT job. My weekend partner - I'll be working the weekends opposite her - is on the schedule to work weekends through the end of April. That's great because it means plenty of training time for me, as well as I don't have the obligation to work Easter Sunday. 🐣🐰

Our incentive pay wasn't on this paycheck, hopefully it will get coded in time for the next paycheck.

I am home today awaiting a furniture delivery. I ordered this furniture in August & it was supposed to arrive back in October/November. They still have to replace the damaged furniture delivered in October, but I just got another notification for a delivery next week. I wish they could have gotten it all coordinated for one delivery, but I'm just glad to finally have everything taken care of. My sister had to just sleep on a mattress when she came to stay with me at Christmas. 

The market has been up, but who knows for how long in these times of uncertainty. I had been avoiding news, but when at my parents' this week I watched the news with them. It's horrifying what's happening in Ukraine. I pray that this conflict & others come to a swift end and that justice is done to those that perpetrate violence. 

 

Happy Thanksgiving! 🍁🦃🍽

November 28th, 2021 at 04:24 pm

I see the website has been upgraded in my absence. I like what I see so far!

I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving. Ours was quiet as usual. We continued our new tradition from last year of Rock Cornish game hens instead of turkey, along with ham, cornbread dressing, carrot soufflé, and my homemade cranberry sauce. I usually do the fresh snap beans with potatoes & bacon, but my dad said to just cooked the stir-fry veggies we had in the freezer. Fine by me! Everything was delish & I'm eating my leftovers today. 🍗🍖🥕

My last two paychecks have had OT on them & that adds up quick. I'm always surprised by how much of an impact it has, but at a rate of 1.5 pay plus the shift differentials, it is significant. Much better than my pay when I had two PRN jobs. Work is about to get busier as my lab manager retires at the end of the year & I am the assistant lab manager. 

I traveled for the first time since 2019! My friends & I met up with my sister in New York. We had a great time. We saw 4 shows, ate great food, & did a ton of walking. 🍎🚖🗽

I have two more trips booked: Nashville in January & Maine next fall. 🎸🪕🦞⛵️ It is also my parents' 50th anniversary this summer so we may do a family trip.

I thought I might hit a million dollars by the end of the year in my TSP, but then the market pulled back due to Omicron. It still may hit those elusive 7 figures in 2021, we shall see. 

Yesterday I went to Hobby Lobby & Michael's looking for a Christmas tree. I had thrown my tree out last year as it had seen better days. I got a 7.5 ft pencil tree at Michael's and a tree skirt at Hobby Lobby. Michael's was much less crowded than Hobby Lobby. The pencil tree will take some getting used to, but it's decked out in rose gold, gold, & silver this year. It's a very pretty color combination, if I do say so myself. 🎄

My birthday is next week & I will probably have a quiet dinner with my parents. 🎂

 

End of Month October 2021

October 30th, 2021 at 04:48 pm

I hate losing a blog just as I'm trying to post it! Ugh.

Friday was the end of the month as far as investing so I've been crunching my numbers already. I'm such a numbers need that I really love this time of month. Mint has my net worth increase for the past 30 days by $118,900. This is incorrect, but I attribute it to having a lot of money moving through accounts & my mortgage being paid off due to selling my condo. I also was having issues updating my credit union accounts last month.

My calculations show a gain of $68,616 for October. it's a good thing to do your own calculations and not just rely on the budgeting apps as they can be wrong. I love my Clever Fox budget planner and am already looking for next year's planner. Last year they were pretty late releasing their products. It seems like they would want them on the market by Black Friday, but choices were limited or even sold out in December last year. 

Yesterday's paycheck was larger due to coming in that one Saturday for a few hours. Next paycheck will be even larger because I picked up some evening hours for OT. Our evening shift differential is 10% and weekends are 25% base, on top of the OT rate. It works out pretty nicely. Also, we have shift incentives because we are so short. I'm happy to have the extra money & to help out.

My trip to NYC Is rapidly approaching. I have missed the city so much. I last visited the summer of 2019. We fly out on Veteran's Day. My sister is taking the train up from DC. We have tickets to 3 shows and reservations at the Met and a couple of restaurants. 🗽🚖🍎🎭

I have lost 13 pounds in the past month, but I will indulge a little on my trip. I have been pretty strict on plan with the exception of this Thursday when we had our Halloween office party. 🎃👻🍁🍂🥳

How is the weather where you are? Here it finally turned cooled yesterday. I'm glad that my dad gave me some gumbo for my freezer when I visited this weekend! His gumbo is of course my favorite gumbo. 🥘

October Check-In

October 23rd, 2021 at 03:10 am

My investments are almost back to the high of September 6th. Today they stand at $1,300,918 which is almost my entire net worth with the addition of my car & cash savings. 

I applied for a PRN position (you knew I couldn't stay away from a second job for long!), but turned it down when they told me the per diem rate, which was the same rate I was paid in 2008. You'd think with all these healthcare shortages that they would up there rate.

This past Saturday I did some OT at my hospital and that rate is more than twice the per diem I was offered. Our ENW supervisor, who is desperately short-staffed, asked me to work as much as I could so it looks like I'll be pulling some OT. One good thing about my promotion is that by losing my supervisory status I can make time and a half overtime, whereas I used to just get comp time. I am always in use or lose territory with my annual leave by the end of the year, so I don't really need to earn more time. 

I am setting into my new apartment. Furniture keeps trickling in & I am doing a little updating in my decor. I had some rowdy upstairs neighbors, but after a few complaints it looks like they have settled down. The leasing agent said she would contact the dad. I guess that worked. It's super annoying to be kept on weeknights by kids who have their daddy to pay their rent. The rest of us have to get to work in the morning!

Budgeting & New Mattress

October 9th, 2021 at 02:28 pm

I took some time this morning to update my budget in Mint. So many categories were obsolete now: homeowners insurance, alarm system, property taxes, student loans (which I paid off over 4 years ago!). Then others needed to be adjuste: mortgage & rent, which more than doubled. 

One of my credit union accounts won't update in Mint, which is frustrating because it's my largest cash account. It is, however, updating in Personal Capital.

I finally figured out how to add my car value in Personal Capital this morning. It's crazy because the Kelley blue book value today is almost the same as it was when I bought it 5 years ago. Supply & demand, I suppose. I think this is the first time in my lifetime that cars have held their value. Usually they are rapidly depreciating as soon as you drive them off the lot.

My new mattress will be delivered today. Mattresses have become quite expensive, but at least I get interest free payments for 4 years. The furniture will be no payments for one year. I don't expect to pay for that long on the mattress, but will take advantage of the one year payoff for the furniture.

My furniture went from expected delivery in October to full delivery expected in January. I should get some pieces this month. That is one thing that hasn't changed: furniture deliveries getting delayed. They blame it on the pandemic, but I remember prior orders. I'm looking forward to getting my second bedroom & sun room (office) furnished.

My investments for Q3 were up, partly because I invested the profits from the sale of my condo just before the end of the month. Since it's only 5% on my portfolio I decided to try something a little different & invest in Vagaurd's high dividend yield index fund. It's pretty new having began in 2019. It will be interesting having a new fund to follow.

Money Invested from Condo Sale

September 30th, 2021 at 09:18 pm

I was able to transfer the funds from the sale of my condo to my new brokerage account just in time to invest before the end of the 3rd quarter. The proceeds ended up being just 5% of my total investments so I played with the investments just a little rather than sticking to my usual index funds. I still selected an index fund, but not the total domestic stock and total international stock index funds I'm currently invested in for my IRA. 

After living in my condo for 15 years, it's interesting that my equity was such a small amount of my net worth, when I always read that most people's net worth is largely tied up with their home. I'm not anxious to own again, and I've done much better selecting mutual fund investments that investing in my home. That's not to say that I'll never own again, but I always been told that renting was throwing away money. I don't have that perspective now.

No Longer a Homeowner

September 19th, 2021 at 05:46 pm

I am no longer a homeowner! Closing went off without a hitch. Just a small glitch when they got my new street address wrong, but that didn't delay anything. 

When I was searching to see what my credit union's hours were I found that they had opened a new branch even closer to the title company's location with later hours. It's an interaction center which was a new thing for me. My mom said her credit union is the same now. You walk up to a screen that is something like an ATM, and you interact with a teller via video. I'm sure the tellers feel a lot safer. 

My money is on hold for a week then I have access to it. All this time I've been thinking about how to invest it & I'm still undecided. The market has been kind of blah lately so maybe this is the perfect time to invest.

Today is closing day

September 17th, 2021 at 02:22 pm

After a one week delay, today is closing day. I'm excited, but a little nervous. I think more nervous than when I bought my condo for some reason. I'm heading there this toning to make sure that I have the mail box key identified correctly. Then my parents' may have an extra key, which I will pick up. My realtor has a set as well. I hope the bee buyer enjoys the condo. It was good to me for many years.

I'm still undecided about how to use my funds, but I will definitely invest some of the money from the sale of my condo. I am not thinking to buy anytime soon.

I am looking forward to traveling again. I have a trip to New York planned over Veteran's Day weekend. I have my flights & hotel booked. I also booked my hotel & flights for Nashville in January. I've never been to Nashville & I know many people love it. I just booked the flights yesterday using miles that are expiring in January. I had enough to book first class tickets so that will be a treat. 

Have a great weekend.

 

Got Power Back!

September 11th, 2021 at 09:42 am

Thursday afternoon my apartment complex got back power. I was so grateful! I never realized that I could sweat so much doing absolutely nothing. And then to add insult to injury, it would be hotter inside than outside! I now have all my creature comforts back: air conditioning, hot showers, & internet to binge on Netflix. When I moved I got rid of cable & got first an antenna (tried 2 & returned both) then I got a Fire Stick. I loved it so that I am getting one for each television.


The day before I got power I had met with a friend that came into the city. She does insurance claims so she was deployed to New Orleans. She had been in Lake Charles still working on Hurricane Laura claims. I borrowed a battery fan & lantern from a mutual friend of ours. She also lent me another lantern & several batteries. I was so thankful. Tuesday night I would wake up as soon as I fell asleep due to the heat. Wednesday I finally had a restful night. But I'm happy to longer need any of it!

My closing has been rescheduled for this coming Friday, the 17th. I hope everything goes smoothly over the next week.

Closing Delayed

September 9th, 2021 at 01:10 am

I was scheduled to close on the condo this Friday, but it has been delayed due to the lender not having everything accounted for. I'm disappointed as I was looking forward to closing that chapter & getting some cash to invest, but I have no other choice but to be patient. It was a rather short closing date target to begin with, maybe a little too ambitious.

I came back to the city yesterday morning. My apartment complex has few residents staying here. It makes me feel a little nervous, but I don't get out after dark. We are still under a curfew from 6p-6a.

Last night without power was miserable & it looks like it may be a week or more longer before I get back power. Outside my window is the Jefferson Parish office buildings which ran on generator power all night. So close, yet so far away. I was envious to say the least.

My friend is an insurance adjuster & she got into town last night. The Air BnB where she is staying got power a few hours after she got into town. After work I went by & picked up a battery operated fan, batteries, a couple of lanterns, & some hurricane snacks. So thankful for her & the mutual friend that lent her the fan. I am now shopping online looking to buy the same to get me through the next hurricane. 

if I don't get power back by Friday I will head back to stay with my parents for the weekend. I can sleep in peace for a few nights & wash my clothes.

Hurricane Ida Aftermath

August 31st, 2021 at 05:26 pm

My loved ones are all okay. We lost power for less than 24 hours at my parents' home. My apartment is without power & under a boil advisory for the foreseeable future as is most (all?) of Jefferson Parish. I am back at my parents' home after venturing into the city to check in at the hospital. After I learned of the water situation I requested leave for the week. I hope the situation will be better in a week, but as I understand it, it could take up to 6 weeks to get the power fully restored in Jefferson. With a boil advisory I would need power for my apartment to be habitable. There is also a curfew from 6p-6a daily. I just left my apartment at 6p yesterday, after picking up some things & cleaning out my refrigerator. There was no way that I was staying the night. I'd rather risk getting stopped, but thankfully it was smooth sailing all the way back to BR.

New Orleans had a total black-out after the storm blew through & the mayor is asking people who evacuated to not return. I was told there was some looting going on, which is another reason I wanted to leave before dark.

It's still hard to get gas in Baton Rouge, but it is available if you're willing to wait. I don't plan on going anywhere until maybe Laber Day so I'll wait. Hopefully it will be more readily available. 

This truly was a devastating storm. Thankfully there were not many lives lost, but the damage to infrastructure is pretty significant. The (huge) bright spot is that our levees held.

I will see if anything gets postponed with my condo sale. I went by yesterday morning after the storm & all looked well.

Hurricane Ida

August 27th, 2021 at 05:33 pm

We have a hurricane headed this way. It is expected to make landfall Sunday as a category 3. I am prepared as I am going to be at the point, but I will make one last trip to the store & gas station when I get off work this afternoon. Hopefully it won't be too crazy. I just want to grab any last thing that I can think of. Stay safe with these fires & hurricanes out there! 💨🔥

Moved & Sold Condo

August 20th, 2021 at 09:57 pm

Thank you for the kind condolences on the passing of my cousin. It still feels unbelieveable. We had the funeral on a Wednesday night & the gravesite dismissal the following morning. Immediately following the dismissal I got on the road to pick up the key for my new apartment. I had packed my car with some cleaning supplies & some important papers that I didn't want transported by the movers. I made it back to my condo that night.

The following morning I was up at 5 to finish last minute things. I still wasn't finished when the movers arrived after 8, but I was done well before they had everything moved. They didn't have the additional wardrobe box on the truck like I requested, but other than that things when pretty smoothly with the exception of a little damage to my footboard. The entire move took 8 hours. My mom thought that 5 hours would be too long, but I was actually surprised that we got it done it only 8 hours.  I had a lot of boxes & moved from a 2 story condo to a second story apartment. In August. In south Lousiana. It was hard work. Many of my boxes were books. I gave away plenty of books prior, but still had a good number of them. Maybe before my next move I can let go of even more of them. 

So move day was Friday. I was hurting so much the next few days that I couldn't turn over without groaning. Then Sunday I was back at the condo to clean before pictures & pick-up more items that I had left at the condo. I still didn't clean as well as I'd like & the carpets needed a good cleaning, but we got the pictures done Monday morning. Tuesday morning I had the carpets cleaned & Thursday morning I had a lady come in to clean the condo, including the refrigerator & oven. Thursday evening my realtor had the first showings scheduled. Friday afternoon I got an offer at full asking price, waiving an inspection & not asking for any of the repairs that I was trying to get approved through my insurance. What a relief! I was so estatic, especially considering that another unit had been on the market for almost 2 months. That same weekend the other unit also went under contract. I believe it was one of the buyers that viewed my unit. I think that commission should go to my realtor as she was really hustling so to speak to get my unit exposure. Closing is scheduled for September 10th.

I've been busy getting settled into my apartment. The grounds are beautiful with a creek, fountains, and gazebos, as well as a beautiful pool. It's a nice spacious 2 bedroom/2 bath with over 1300 square feet. The carpets are new & the walls freshly painted. I finally have enough room in the kitchen for more than one person & enough storage to get all the appliances off of the counters. I made a coffee & tea bar in the kitchen, which I can't wait to invite guests to use. The living room has a large sitting area off of it where I will put a desk. It's got a lot of closet space which I have made use of: a coat closet, walk-in closets in each bedroom, very deep linen closets in each bathroom, and another closet off of the sitting area where I am storing all of my Christmas stuff. The washer & dryer are a huge upgrade from my set, which I included in the sale of the condo along with the refrigerator. I am planning to purchase another bedroom set as I sold my nearly 30 year old guest bedroom set to my friend's daughter. She's in college & just got her first apartment.

My new neighborhood is full of shopping & restaurants. The shopping center adjacent to the apartment complex includes Hobby Lobby, Home Depot, Ashley furniture, and a Starbucks. Then across the street is a plethora of other big box stores and restaurants. The parish office building where I can register to vote & conduct other business is also across the street. Everything I need is in a very short radius from my apartment. On moving day when I was looking for a gas station to buy the movers some Gatorade I found the post office which is also very close. There is the same family of hospitals that I used to PRN at in the neighborhood as well. I don't plan to pick up another job at this time, but it would be convenient.

The commute has been great as well as they have an express way into the city which keeps me off of the interstate. I'm very happy with my relocation so far in all aspects. Getting on the interstate to head back home is convenient & I've already been back a few times since my move. I'm looking forward to my family staying with me from time to time when I get my guest bedroom furnished.

 

Lost my cousin

August 1st, 2021 at 08:02 pm

I was off on Monday. Tuesday morning we had a supervisors' meeting then I met with my supervisor to discuss updating a policy. My mom called & left a voicemail during the meeting. Then my dad left a text message to call them. I excused myself from the meeting then as I knew it was something urgent. When I called my mom told me that my cousin had passed away. She & her fiancé had tested for Covid-19 & were recovering at his home. She lives with her parents, but once they tested positive she moved out to quarantine. On Monday she started to feel bad, then that night she started to have issues breathing. By Tuesday morning she was gone. It took her just that fast. She was 41.

My aunt & uncle lost their youngest daughter at the age of 30 only 3 years ago. Two of their three children gone in just 3 years. It seems unbelievably cruel. My uncle had C19 last fall & was hospitalized twice. Once for the virus, the second time for getting a blood clot due to the treatment. He was taking all precautions & had no idea how he got it.

I last saw my cousin on May 1st when we had an outdoor birthday party to celebrate my aunt's 70th birthday. She was beautiful inside & out and had her life ahead of her. Her doctor recommended she not get vaccinated due to having Crohn's disease. I don't know what concerns her doctor had, but hindsight is 20/20. I wish she had been vaccinated.

I am off this coming week because I was preparing to move as I have been for weeks. The funeral is Wednesday night in New Orleans. I will attend, but I'm nervous about my parents attending even though they are both vaccinated as am I. I will drive back to Baton Rouge that night, attend the gravesite service in the country the next morning, then head to New Orleans to start moving into my apartment. 

I pray that you & your loved ones remain healthy.

Still Purging & Packing

July 24th, 2021 at 06:16 pm

It's amazing what you can accumulate in a home after 15 years. I moved into this home with only the bedroom set I had in my parents' home. I have accumulated so much stuff, some that I didn't buy myself & never used. Such as a silver gravy boat. I don't even make gravy & if I did, I wouldn't serve it in silver! So that has been my life the past 3 weeks. If anything will cure me of my love of shopping it's weeks of having to give things away. 🛍 

I hope to get repairs done soon so I can list my condo soon after I move out. It's so hard to find reliable people that follow up. 

My rent will be more than double my mortgage, which I can afford & am okay with. Since I applied 3 weeks ago they have already raised the rent by a few hundred dollars. (On another note I hope I don't regret passing up on the 3rd floor unit with the vaulted ceilings & skylight.)

My 401k rollover has been deposited in my TSP. It was only a little over $1k, but I'm glad to have the money consolidated in my TSP. I was being charged a $1.25 fee for what I'm not sure. It's not much, but I try to avoid any fees.

Stocks were up & down this week, but ended up at a high. My accounts are at an all-time high. 

Investments $1.193 million

Net Worth $1.335 million


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