Happy Birthday Nora!

Thanks, guys! We had a lie-in and had yummy breakfast at home and are now chilling out watching America's Test Kitchen. Fried clams in Ipswich for lunch and Tom-made pan-fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and greens for dinner. Also, chocolate chip cookies. Also, marital shenanigans. Also, beer. Perhaps a nap and Guitar Hero. Man, this day is not long enough!!!

(loves birthdays. mine, especially)

So, is anyone else kind of freaking out and wanting to go get all their money and stuff it under a mattress?

But I know that's not an appropriate thing to do. And technically, that would be stupid, because then I would freak out every day that robbers would come steal all my money out of my mattress. Or that my house would burn down.

But STILL.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NORA!!

It's stressful, meara. But I'm totally reassured. Bush is preparing to speak on the financial crisis. Hahahahahaha.

I'm holding tight to the fact that I haven't heard any doomsdayish news about Citibank yet (which is where all my bank accounts including my mortgage are held). Also thanking my lucky stars that I'm on a fixed-rate mortgage and not a scary ARM one.

Several years ago I looked into buying - spoke with a mortgage broker recommended by a friend and he tried to talk me into an ARM - one of those no-down-payment ones. I looked at the numbers and just said "no way", even though an ARM would have been the only way I could have afforded a place in the insane real estate market we had here. I've been grateful for being fiscally conservative ever since (or at least for the past year or so).

But this current situation - this is scary.

Toddson is SO me! A friend is a works Real Estate, and she was confident that she could find me a place. On a theater salary, in the LA area... HA! Anyhow, the mortgage broker did the same with me, "look, the only way you will be able to afford a place is do 100% financing with this ARM and that ARM and in 5 years you re-fi them together for another ARM..." some crazy shenanigans. I did the math, and calculated a 1/4% adjustment and realized I'd be broke if that happened. 1/2% and I'd be bankrupt. I asked point blank, "what do you think the odds are the interest rates will go up in the next 5 years?" "oh, well the rates keep coming down, so doubtful". Ya. I don't *NEED* a house, I just *wanted* my own place. In the meantime, the rental I have is perfectly affordable thankyouverymuch.

So glad I can do math! And know how to apply said knowledge!

My AM went down this year. ( No refi 'til we get out of the jumbo loan territory)

This could be DH's last day at work . Or not

I took this week off work-- just for rest.

In cat news -- I woke up around 1 am because my legs ached( we took down a tree)and decided to go to the couch where it is easy to elevate my legs. Percy came over to me- tapped me --and told me that his food bowls were empty. so I ave him more food.I got back on the couch and because there was no better place to be,he sat on me. Purring. expecting to be pet. no sleep for me. this am when DH got up --- more food now -- and wait -- you aren't paying attention -- so I must jump up on the arm of the chair. ( he has barely made it into the seat lately )

and I just got off the phone with DH. The guy he worked for at the hospital -- the one that agreed that he should go back to his evilcompany -- has some positions open -- with more responsibility,

I am on a roller coaster before coffee.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NORA!!!!