July change

It wasn't a big change month here.  One lonely little roll of toonies for a total of $50.

It will go to finish paying off the charge for kitty's surgery.

I leave you with a picture from my sister's little cabin rental where we are camping this weekend.  You can see her scooter on the right. We think this may be her last year she is able to camp. Very bittersweet.

Week 4 of holidays

This week felt busy and not laid back like the first week did.

I did my walks as often as I could. I cut my grass and my parents'.

I went out to my sister's Sunday for a family work bee. She has so much going on and is so far behind. DH spent two hours on the riding mower cutting her grass.  DS1 spent a couple hours in her labyrinth, which was terribly overgrown. Whipper snip to the rescue.  DS2 worked on her hedge which leads from her yard down to the highway.  I went in and did a week's worth of dishes and laundry from when she had all  her grandkids there. Mom and dad helped sister out in her pea patch picking 11 10 gallon pails full.

Then we went out and helped work the pea sheller, which I had never seen in action before. It seemed to take forever, but nowhere near the time it would take to hand shell that many peas.

We finished at mom and dad's with a lovely BBQ.

Despite all my walking and water drinking and 90% of the time excellent food choices, I did not lose. I maintained. I was bummed. I know it is 'that easy (finger snap) for me to fall off the wagon and go back to eating like I used to and the weight would climb back on. I was hoping for a loss again this week before heading into a long weekend of camping where food choices are much more delicious with many many more calories and fat.  I am fearful it would throw me totally off and my good habits of the summer will just be memories. It's happened so many times before.

RRSP Update

When last I wrote in May, my RRSPs had made some gain from the previous quarter.... a welcome sign. We left off with it sitting at $11 438.00

My statement this time shows $11 563.99.

A small gain, but at least it was a gain.

Third week of holidays

I saw a lot of DS1 during this week. He was home last Thursday to pack up and head off to his four day music festival. They left right after the Eric Church concert and got home in the wee hours of Monday morning. I had the crockpot going will pulled pork and had a pasta salad ready. They were ravenous when they woke up.  We got all the laundry done, tents and coolers cleaned out and his vehicle washed and ready to go.

I saw him again last Tuesday night as he had dentist appt #2 early Wednesday morning. They got home and had caught the Pokémon Go bug. It was funny watching them go out on the bikes hunting together. Wed morning was his dentist appt. Two wisdom teeth out and a filling. While he was in the chair his gf and I went out so she could catch a few poke. When we got back DS was choked we had gone without him. He was so funny with his mouth half frozen, full of gauze, cracking jokes left and right. The ladies in the dentist office had tears in their eyes. What a kid.  I sent him back to his gf's house with homemade beef barley soup and his prescribed Tylenol 3s. She sent me a pic later of him asleep on their couch with her two year old niece sitting on him 'reading' a book to her sleeping Uncle.

I have been doing a few more walks. I long for longer ones but when I get home and hit the bathroom right away, I know I made the right call doing a  shorter ones.  DS got re-added to DH's insurance so hopefully a cheque for his first dentist visit comes soon. We mailed those forms last Fri. His one yesterday was sent straight from the dentist to insurance so we may well get that cheque before the first one.

I was bad and went to the school on Tuesday. There was no one in my wing, not even cleaning staff. I was checking to see if my floors were waxed. They were so I set my timer and spent two hours moving my furniture back into my room and arranging it how I think I want it to be for the first month. I left a list for myself for the next time I go in, so that I use my time efficiently.


I read some this week. Went online and hunted for ideas for new units I want to do.

I watched what I ate and I drank a ton of water. And I lost weight.

Week 2 of holidays - appointments and paperwork oh my

In a sharp contrast to week 1 of holidays, week 2 was much busier, with more appointments and a ton of money put out.

Last Friday I finally upgraded my old IPhone4. It had been failing for over a year. The little round home button only worked sometimes. Texts were getting lost. The battery was draining at ridiculous rates.I had upgraded my IOS as much as it would let me but most of my apps needed a higher IOS to work (banking, fitbit, WW, news etc) It served me well though. Not one crack or scratch on it.

They finally reduced the 'cost' of a 2 year plan to $0 for a 5S so off I went. They tried to talk me into a 6S but that was $268 and I was not willing to pay that. I ended up paying just under $100 in total. $25 for the activation fee and the rest for a vehicle charger and an otter box. I used $50 from my VISA reward points to pay off half of the fees, and the other $50 I had saved up so the device didn't cost me anything. We shall see how much it changes my bill. My old plan was grandfathered in as long as I had the old device. They transferred all my contacts and pictures for me so that was a bonus.

DS1 came home from camping Sunday with tooth  news. He had a massive toothache which turned out to be  infected wisdom teeth on the top and bottom of his left jaw. It had been a long time since I had  him at the dentist. Bad me. Our actual dentist wasn't at the clinic anymore. He had retired. I know getting through on the phone is tough so I went in person at 8 AM Monday morning and got DS an apt for Tuesday to get things checked out...and booked myself in for a long overdue checkup and cleaning as well. DS needs three additional appointments to take care of the mess in his mouth. Good times.

Better still was the fact that he was no longer covered under DH's health care plan. Once you are 21 you age out unless you send in documentation that the kid is in college. I did it for my plan but DH did not for his. So I sent DH off to his HR rep on Tuesday to get DS added back in. The HR was new and didn't know............. much. I had to go in to explain what needed to be done and gave him the paperwork he needed to send off for proof.  Even though DS was covered under my plan, he has to go through DH's first, as DH's birthday comes first in the calendar year. My plan will refuse to cover until DS is re-added to DH's plan.

So I paid $176 outright and we have to wait til the plan is fixed and then we can start the paperwork. First to DH's plan and when that cheque comes back with whatever % of coverage, then I submit the rest to my plan. It is time consuming.

On Tuesday, DS and I headed to the dentist and then off to the city to get his passport renewed. I prefer going in person in case there are any problems on the form. We can fix them immediately. They do dozens a day there so they are well versed in what is needed. That cost $160 plus $22 for passport pics. I paid half and DS paid half.  Assuming he doesn't lose it or have it stolen, his next renewal is when he is 31 so I think he can handle that on his own then :-)

Wednesday was a double dentist day. Our cat is very sick and needed two teeth extracted. For those who aren't pet parents or who don't like cats, this will not be an expense that makes sense to you. For us, she has been part of our family for 10 years this fall and while I didn't like paying the cost, I did. We go on frugal for gas and groceries and any and all extra money went to this cost. Just under $700.  The next morning she was already her old self, happy and purring and rolling on our laps.  My dentist appointment and cleaning was $159. Not great news - 2 cavities, so back I go on the 26th to get those taken care of. I paid up front for it and the dentist office sent it straight off to my insurance, which will cover all of it. Hopefully that cheque arrives soon.

Last Sunday I had all the children home. It was great. I cooked DS's favourite meal and baked muffins and cookies for them both to take back with them for work. DS1's 'mother in law' won't take any $ for keeping him there, so I send things like laundry soap, TP, cookies and muffins and meals ready to go in the crock pot.

There was little reading this week. Lots more 'running around' and taking care of forms. I spent little time on my patio but we did have a fire one night and I got to relax there, watching it.  I walked though colitis was not very cooperative.  I watched what I ate. I lost weight. It was a very different week than week 1, but it was a good week.