I fear my fiscal responsibility is spreading to every nanobite of my brain. We've been hunting for a new place and keep reaching the same conclusion that what we're looking for is still slightly out of reach. So instead of being reasonable, we plow forward and keep recalculating how far we're willing to stretch. Then reason kicks in and we tell ourselves, "no, don't be ridiculous" and retreat back to original savings goal. Five years ago, I might have been willing to stretch my budget and comfort level. Now, fiscal security and responsible spending are these odd legitimate boundaries that I'm not willing to bypass. Wow. If I'm this much fun in my early thirties imagine how riveting we'll be in our forties and perhaps with kids. Ha. That will be awesome.
Tonight we drew a line and officially said no, we're waiting until we reach it. Responsibility makes me rootch. Oh yeah, I just broke out a Pennsylvania Dutch word. Yikes.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Translation Required
Having a spouse who travels regularly to far flung corners of the third world creates a unique balancing act in our relationship. We only have to manage for weeks at a time, not the years that military families often have to handle. But the time apart has certainly made me have a greater appreciation and admiration for the families that sacrifice their time together in service to the country.
We've learned overtime that we can manage the departure and even the time apart fairly well. Skype is a beautiful thing. When the Internet connection is spotty the Skype chat almost always works. Being flexible about the time of day we can chat can be challenging, but makes the trips easier. It's "re-entry" that is often the most challenging.
Coming off weeks of exhaustive work, sleep deprivation and long flights doesn't bring out the best in anyone. Merged with a fairly repetitive, domestic routine of work, walking the dog and cleaning isn't always pretty. I've learned that the three week barrier is noticeable. Another colleague's wife once characterized it as: week one you miss them, week two you work out a routine and by week three when they come back they are interrupting your routine. Sounds harsher than really intended, but the idea is generally correct.
The same patterns that we revert to as couples, can be maintained as individuals or radically altered when we are on our own. For most folks a few days a part might be a welcome occasional break. For most, regular departures is not ideal. I completely agree.
But when you know your life will include such a schedule, how do you evolve as a couple to make it as enjoyable and smooth as possible for both of you? The rewards of being with someone who truly loves their work is incredible. Truly living for the work, not just working to live.
Finding the right balance of get-a-ways, time at home, and respecting the transition time is important. How do you balance?
We've learned overtime that we can manage the departure and even the time apart fairly well. Skype is a beautiful thing. When the Internet connection is spotty the Skype chat almost always works. Being flexible about the time of day we can chat can be challenging, but makes the trips easier. It's "re-entry" that is often the most challenging.
Coming off weeks of exhaustive work, sleep deprivation and long flights doesn't bring out the best in anyone. Merged with a fairly repetitive, domestic routine of work, walking the dog and cleaning isn't always pretty. I've learned that the three week barrier is noticeable. Another colleague's wife once characterized it as: week one you miss them, week two you work out a routine and by week three when they come back they are interrupting your routine. Sounds harsher than really intended, but the idea is generally correct.
The same patterns that we revert to as couples, can be maintained as individuals or radically altered when we are on our own. For most folks a few days a part might be a welcome occasional break. For most, regular departures is not ideal. I completely agree.
But when you know your life will include such a schedule, how do you evolve as a couple to make it as enjoyable and smooth as possible for both of you? The rewards of being with someone who truly loves their work is incredible. Truly living for the work, not just working to live.
Finding the right balance of get-a-ways, time at home, and respecting the transition time is important. How do you balance?
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
From Page to Table
As some Midwestern right of passage, my mother has long sent me magazine subscriptions. This past year, I finally asked if she could just send me Vanity Fair and the Economist instead. She kindly agreed, but as the subscriptions are running out on Midwest Living and Better Homes and Gardens, I do still read them.
This month I was pleasantly surprised that BHG actually had multiple recipes I wanted to make. So last night as we grilled out for the first time this season (yum BBQ chicken) I also made their new potato-cauliflower salad.
My affection for cauliflower, the often neglected or velveeta coated veggie, is life long snack companion. I'm always happy to see it in a recipe. I used croutons instead of the bread sticks, and french onion dip because I couldn't find the chive dip it called for, but all in all a good recipe that I would add a little tabasco kick or more pepper. Definitely making it into the summer rotation.
This month I was pleasantly surprised that BHG actually had multiple recipes I wanted to make. So last night as we grilled out for the first time this season (yum BBQ chicken) I also made their new potato-cauliflower salad.
My affection for cauliflower, the often neglected or velveeta coated veggie, is life long snack companion. I'm always happy to see it in a recipe. I used croutons instead of the bread sticks, and french onion dip because I couldn't find the chive dip it called for, but all in all a good recipe that I would add a little tabasco kick or more pepper. Definitely making it into the summer rotation.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Leaving Money on the Table
To be fair, I still don't quite understand why these individual families need 900 cans of rotel, hot sauce, and years of tooth brushes. I mean, even if the sleep medicine is free with the coupons, what are you going to do with 150 bottles of it? One family mentioned donating some items to a food bank (guessing tax write off), they all have these massive warehouse-style pantries in their houses. I digress.
On a weekly basis we purchase very few brand name products. There are very few coupons for fresh produce. I buy generic store brand a lot. So the end result has been not even looking for coupons, just store card sales. I'm realizing though with a little effort there are likely other savings to be had.
So I'm on a mission to inventory what products we use the most of and to figure out if there are coupons out there. The weekly circular doesn't really have brands we use that often. Any recommendations from other largely organic shoppers out there?
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Beach Plan
You would think this is a post about exercising to get ready for the beach. You would be wrong. We're headed to the beach with the whole family in late June and we need to meal plan for the week to keep the trip on the cheap. So, I'm in search of the perfect meal suggestions. Breakfast at home, lunch on the beach and dinner at the house. Nothing particularly glamorous, just easy beach food. Suggestions welcome.
Breakfast Ideas
Lunch & Snack Ideas
Dinner Ideas (largely for the grill)
Breakfast Ideas
- Fresh fruit (whole and for smoothies)
- Cereal
- Granola w/ yogurt (and fruit, why not go parfait crazy)
Lunch & Snack Ideas
- Lots of cut veggies
- Welches fruit bites
- Sandwiches, but what type?
- Need more choices that can be consumed on the beach...
Dinner Ideas (largely for the grill)
- Balsamic marinade pork tenderloin with wilted spinach
- Burgers with grilled onions, blue cheese, spinach
- Cauliflower and potato salad
- Hotdogs (duh)
- BBQ Chicken
- Grilled veggies (zucchini, asparagus, peppers)
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Babble With Little Substance
That title is truth in advertising.
Not that my blogging record for this month's Nablopomo was intact before blogger went down, but the two day forced hiatus didn't really help improve my track record. At any rate, climbing back on metaphorical blogging saddle...
Now appearing briefly back at home, DH. Yea! For a mere five days the continent has decided we can have him back here before he flies out again. Three trips so close together means interesting work for him, but lots of long hours and writing to be done. Not sure how much we'll see of him awake and not with his nose to the laptop. But here is better than not so we'll take it. And note the "we" in this little babble is me and the dog. When you spend weeks on end with just a canine companion you resort to referring to the pairing as "we," so pathetic.
The hunt continues for a proper house, but we keep striking out or getting out bid. So send good karma our way. I keep telling myself that we're saving more every month we don't find something so really there's no rush.
Operations recipe sort and picture books will be in full effect when DH takes off again so get excited.
Not that my blogging record for this month's Nablopomo was intact before blogger went down, but the two day forced hiatus didn't really help improve my track record. At any rate, climbing back on metaphorical blogging saddle...
Now appearing briefly back at home, DH. Yea! For a mere five days the continent has decided we can have him back here before he flies out again. Three trips so close together means interesting work for him, but lots of long hours and writing to be done. Not sure how much we'll see of him awake and not with his nose to the laptop. But here is better than not so we'll take it. And note the "we" in this little babble is me and the dog. When you spend weeks on end with just a canine companion you resort to referring to the pairing as "we," so pathetic.
The hunt continues for a proper house, but we keep striking out or getting out bid. So send good karma our way. I keep telling myself that we're saving more every month we don't find something so really there's no rush.
Operations recipe sort and picture books will be in full effect when DH takes off again so get excited.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Sorting Party
Sounds way more glamorous than "I spent my weekend going through papers and finding storage solutions for stuff." So my "sorting party" was a little like losing a bet. A few months back we created a new workspace in the loft for DH and quickly his paperwork began forming a moat around the area.
Compounding the paper lake was a separate sort we also completed of miscellaneous items that we had identified as needing or wanting to keep, but they had no proper home. DH had agreed to handle the paperwork, I had said when that was done I would deal with the rest.
My dislike for clutter finally made me cave. I spent several hours not only sorting through a hodge podge of college papers and portfolio materials, but also piles of DH's research. For the record the new fancy hotel workspace model the company has moved to where no one actually has an office is reeking havoc on our space. So delighted we can become the storage facility for papers that need to be kept for future projects, but can't be kept at the office because they eliminated all of the file cabinets. Brilliant.
So my Saturday/Sunday sort struck me as productive because I can see the floor again upstairs, but also made me wonder "how much of this do we really need?" There's that weird balance between not wanting to be a hoarder and also not wanting to get rid of literally every item the second you have no immediate use for it.
Are there reasonable standards for how much one should really have or hold on to? Holiday decorations are always a point of wonder for me. We currently have four boxes of Christmas decorations, one holds the tree, and the others are full of ornaments and various other decorations. It strikes me as too much, but I keep thinking that I'll use more of it. No?
Sure our china and crystal are still packed up and take up space, but that doesn't bother me. It's the seemingly random boxes of "memory" stuff that I fear could overwhelm us. We have at least three boxes of photos or mementos from the past 12 years and prior. So do I take the time to make them all into books now? Minimize the space? How many childhood stuffed animals should we really hold onto?
I don't want to dispose for the sake of disposing, but I also don't want to be a warehouse for things of no use and no true sentimental value. How are you handling what to keep and what to not?
Compounding the paper lake was a separate sort we also completed of miscellaneous items that we had identified as needing or wanting to keep, but they had no proper home. DH had agreed to handle the paperwork, I had said when that was done I would deal with the rest.
My dislike for clutter finally made me cave. I spent several hours not only sorting through a hodge podge of college papers and portfolio materials, but also piles of DH's research. For the record the new fancy hotel workspace model the company has moved to where no one actually has an office is reeking havoc on our space. So delighted we can become the storage facility for papers that need to be kept for future projects, but can't be kept at the office because they eliminated all of the file cabinets. Brilliant.
So my Saturday/Sunday sort struck me as productive because I can see the floor again upstairs, but also made me wonder "how much of this do we really need?" There's that weird balance between not wanting to be a hoarder and also not wanting to get rid of literally every item the second you have no immediate use for it.
Are there reasonable standards for how much one should really have or hold on to? Holiday decorations are always a point of wonder for me. We currently have four boxes of Christmas decorations, one holds the tree, and the others are full of ornaments and various other decorations. It strikes me as too much, but I keep thinking that I'll use more of it. No?
Sure our china and crystal are still packed up and take up space, but that doesn't bother me. It's the seemingly random boxes of "memory" stuff that I fear could overwhelm us. We have at least three boxes of photos or mementos from the past 12 years and prior. So do I take the time to make them all into books now? Minimize the space? How many childhood stuffed animals should we really hold onto?
I don't want to dispose for the sake of disposing, but I also don't want to be a warehouse for things of no use and no true sentimental value. How are you handling what to keep and what to not?
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