Yes!

Happy Birthday Meara!

Happy Birthday Jen!

ION, how is it that I washed my hair and shaved my legs AND packed, and I'm still running early this morning? I guess it's good, since I have to leave work ASAP.

Happiest of birthdays Jen & meara!

I have to work 9-5 this Sunday and Monday. I volunteered because I'll be traveling in October . . . I hope. The DH and I spent 1.5 hours on the phone last night trying to make reservations only to have the agent tell us after it all, when we finally had the credit card out to pay that the system would not accept the reservations! (We were trying to get his ticket on miles, and all the flights had room for him, but apparently, one is not allowed a stopover in Krakow, which happens to be where we have to go.)

Meara birthdays!

Re: Obama's statement about oil

Obama said in his speech that he wanted the US to be independent of MIDDLE EASTERN oil in 10 years. Not all foreign oil. I took note of this distinction when he made his statement in his speech last night because I thought that fine point was interesting.

Obama said in his speech that he wanted the US to be independent of MIDDLE EASTERN oil in 10 years.

That could doable. We get about half our oil from countries in the Western Hemisphere and 10 percent from Nigeria. [link] Some of those countries aren't exactly our friends, though.

Of course I spoke too soon -- both of my trains were slow, and then I was in a scary elevator that not only didn't stop, the door almost didn't open when we got back to 1. Another woman in there with me forced it open while we held onto "Door open." Yuck.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEARA AND JEN!

Ugh, Tom. I'm glad it was not so bad.

Short day for us today--YAY.

I cannot describe how much I wish I had taken today off or something, mostly because it's a short day! Is it even worthwhile to have come in? Barely.

At least the free newspaper guy appreciates me.

How many of you guys have life insurance outside of work? Especially if you don't have kids? It occurred to me I've never had a constant one. Can't work out if there's a point.

I do, ita. But it's mostly for the kids (or for replacing childcare/housework, etc. in case I'm gone). If you think there will be expenses that you don't want your family to be responsible for, term life insurance is dirt cheap and good for that purpose. Whole life insurance is much more expensive but can be used as an investment vehicle.

Some finacial advisers (Ramsey, included, I think) say if you're shopping for insurance, skip the whole life and go with term. You can invest the difference yourself. But honestly, the company I bought my policy from has a 7-8% of steady returns for a long time. At that rate, it's a decent dividend which will start paying the premiums for me after five years or so. If the policy isn't needed, when we retire, I can always cash out and take the money that has built up.

I have a mixture--a whole life policy and a term life policy. I've skipped paying for some extras (like a monthly fee for a disability waiver--it converts the term insurance to whole life and pays the premium if I become disabled). There are lots of bells and whistles that the insurance compnany will try to sell you--but they are basically money makers for them, not you.

It certainly doesn't hurt to talk to a representative and see what you think you need (NOT what THEY think you need because to insurance salesmen, you're always underinsured).