Allyson, thanks for posting that. It helps a lot. I'm definitely going to look into finding a counselor to discuss emotion/anxiety issues after we're back from our Christmas travels. Between the leaping straight to the most dire worst-case scenario and bottling up my emotions until they reach the explosive point, I need to learn some better coping strategies. I'll try to remind myself of what I've got going for me, and of how few of my most dire worries have ever actually turned out as badly as I feared.

We had a friend offer free babysitting tonight, so DH and I went out to a nice dinner at a place we'd wanted to try for awhile as our Christmas present to each other. And we paid cash, so I got to enjoy it without feeling like I'd be paying for it forever. We had a wonderful time (and a delicious meal--I recommend Tilth to the Seattlistas). We didn't talk about the money thing much because it's a downer, but we did talk about some of our plans for the new year, and we agreed that on Jan. 1 we're cutting up all but one of the credit cards and that by the end of that week we'll get the loan application process rolling. And if that doesn't work, then we come up with Plan B.

Susan, I recommend a very useful book called Feeling Good by Dr. David D. Burns, which covers Cognitive Behavior Therapy that you can work on without a counselor. There's a wealth of anxiety-management techniques that help a lot, especially because you have a logical streak that should respond to the work.

And there's some very good blogs out there centered around finance -- one I've heard praised multiple times is Getting Rich Slowly.

frozen waffles:

Susan, I just checked my own credit score with Experian, and noticed that the scale there runs from 330-830 and if I properly remember the score you mentioned, yours would qualify at least as the high middle... which, may not be as high as you expected, but might be quite acceptable to lending institutions!

I was pleasantly surprised by my score, considering that I'm unemployed and owe in the low 6 digits (including the mortgage), but it's nice to know that I look good on paper.

Goooooood Mooooorning from Snowpocalypsistan!!!

Highs in the teens and blowing and drifting snow with accumulation up to 10-14 inches.

I'm so glad we finished Christmas shopping yesterday because we're not going ANYWHERE today.

Kat, safe travel~ma for you guys.

Man, I am so jealous of the midwest right now!

We have rain. Cold, ugly, damp, rain. BLECH.

And I have an annoying cold.

Yeah, it's rain and temps just in the low 30s to make it extra-miserable.

I was supposed to drive to the Catskills today, but I'm thinking about putting it off until tomorrow....

They're about to take away my white Christmas! WTF.

Am at my parents', wasting time until I go meet them at church -- they had to go early for choir practice.

I'm also trying to decide if I should call the one friend from high school I'm in semi-contact with. I don't really want to see her, but I know if I don't call, I'll be the bitch in her head -- I didn't call over Thanksgiving, either. Now, I'm pretty sure she was with her husband's family for one of these two holidays, but I don't know which one.

It was 18 this morning at 7 am. But that's different than 18 at home. For one, it's going to warm up at least 30 degrees by noon. And it isn't clammy. And the sun is actually warm.

I hope you got out of Idaho ok, Kat.

We were thinking of going to Silver City, but given its size, it probably is pretty much closed on sunday. We were going to go friday, but there was a storm there (just high winds here. Got to see Arizona blow by.)

I know people here think that Colin Farrell is too nasty to sleep with, but Ewan McGregor doesn't, and who am I to fight him on the subject?

Hey, as long as it's Ewan getting the Qwell shampoo and penicillin afterwards instead of me, it's all good.