April 2010 – by Irish

Today is April fool day and I hope Scott is not playing an April fool joke on me?

Seven years ago we set out on a financial goal a savings number that we thought we could live on, when we do not have our full time day jobs. Scott my finical adviser just informed me that the goal that we set up then, we had hoped to accomplished in seven years we just made in February 2010!! *** WHOOT WHOOT!!!!

What we did not plan on seven years ago, was that we would be on a two week vacation in sunny Arizona by a beautiful pool to celebrate. When we did meet that goal!

Thanks to Scott mother and father for inviting us there.

Now for the rest of my goals for the month of March.

My “Life is Good” wardrobe also got completed!

This two week vacation in Arizona marks the beginning of my retirement celebration. It is not official or have I set a final date yet. I want to walk in this new journey in life, while I am still crawling out of the old one.

I also get to start wearing my Life is good wardrobe. It’s all starting to feel so good!

Coffee in the Morning outfit!

Friday 2nd

Good Friday was a beautiful sunny day here in Surprise Arizona! We went on a long hard hike today to White Tank Mountains Regional park.

See Scott’s blog for highlights of that hike. Ford Canyon

Saturday the 3rd

We just had a very laid back day at the Sunflower Resort. We went for walks, wrote some blogs on our hikes, and spend some time enjoying the pool and having wine.

Sunday 4th

We enjoyed Saturday so much that, we did a bit more of that today. We took some pictures of the beautiful flowers around here.

Fountains

We also had a special table set up at Scotts mother and father place. To have our wine and supper to celebrate our good luck in this beautiful mountain we are climbing, called life!

Monday 5th

Now life is going to change a bit today, unlike Saturday and Sunday just hanging out and doing one of life greatest pleasures nothing!

Now I have done this hike many times before, But the big test today is can I make it up to the top of Squaw Peak after getting a little bit older and a lot out of shape. Read this blog Scott did a few years ago on our hikes there. Squaw Peak

I made it, but not by much!

Thumbs up on the way down!

Scott took me to an Irish Pub for a Black and Tan after our hike to celebrate my success!

Scott was such a supporter of me doing this hike, there was times I truly wondered if he had a big insurance policy on me.

After a black and tan at the Irish pub, I thought I would confront him with that question here is his answer.

Tuesday 6th

As we move into our last couple of day of a great vacation we decide to relax and enjoy each other, and the sunshine, in a very comfortable spot by the pool!

Wednesday 7th

Not much good news today, we are traveling to the airport to end a great vacation!

Thanks Enie and Neil for inviting us to your little piece of heaven!

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We are back in Minnesota at work safe, but not sound.

Saturday 10th

Scott just gave me our first piece of bad finical news in a year. Many year ago the corporation that we work for gave us some stock options. For many years the little bit of stocks we had in the company made money. Then came 2008 and the big crash. We lost money in our company stocks then, and again this year. But life is good!

Sunday 11th

What a beautiful Sunday here in Minnesota! Scott and I went to yoga this morning and did some groceries. We put off a great walk in favor of watching the Masters. It was my first time ever to watch golf. It was worth it to watch Phil kiss his cancer stricken wife with a tear in his eye how beautiful!

Saturday 19th

Finally! the weekend is here it was a long hard boring week.

We are getting ready to move into our smaller, but new apartment!

I am also taking advantage of this move to do a little more downsizing! I will update you on the reason why we are moving into this apartment for a year in our May goals update:

Sunday 20th

What a great day we had here in Minnesota! We went for along walk in the park, went to yoga, we had happy hour in the sun in our back yard, and got some stuff ready for our move next Friday and Saturday.

Monday 19th

“Margaret time” update: I soaked my tired body in a nice warm bath!

Tuesday 20th

We sold our dining room table, chairs, and server today it was a beautiful set. Sad to see it go, but I must say I feel very liberated not to have to store it, or ever move it again.

Friday 23rd

Today Scott and I are leaving work early to get the key to our new apartment, that we hope to enjoy for a year! **WHOOT!

Saturday 24th

We are moving!

Monday 26th

OMG what a weekend even with all the downsizing I have done over the years we still moved stuff for three day.

Our new apartment looks really great. This will be our life for the next year!

How do I get in here no handles on the doors?

Friday 30th

It seems like every time we move we always have to buy something. This time it’s patio chairs and a little table since we have not had an outside deck for a while. Tonight we went shopping and now we are all set up to enjoy our awesome deck and view for a year, except for the flowers!

As April comes to a close it truly was a month filled with great memories and accomplishments for us!

Quote of the Month

All that truly matters in the end is that you loved and were loved!

March 2010 – by Irish

March where have you been? I have waited for you through a long hard cold winter. Now that you are finally here all I can think of is visiting family, beautiful weather, hiking, and sitting at a beautiful pool with my dear Husband Scott.

Ah! The good life!

Friday 5th

Its’ Friday night and the weekend to look forward to, after a very busy successful week at work and at home. We had to have a bottle of wine to celebrate! Oh no there goes my health goal again just so many things to celebrate.

It’s Saturday even although we have many things planned today that I would rather not do. It still feel great not to have to go into the office.

The first thing that I am going to do, that I really do not want to do today is go to yoga.

I am going to go to yoga because I want to give you a good health report in March HA-HA even thought my dear husband Scott bought us a big muffin for breakfast. Thanks Scott for your help with my health goal.

Next thing on my list to do is have my hair done, yes I do a little color every now and then, and this time I am going to have a cut. I want to look my very best when I go to Arizona to visit my in-laws. Eileen is my mother-in-law's name and I think Eileen deserves, for me to look my very best! Even though she loves me anyway. me thinks.

Had a glass of wine and a great fish supper with dear husband Scott! then watched a free movie.

“Just Married” it made me laugh, I will rated it good for the money.

Sunday 7th

Scott and I did some shopping today. I had to get a little carry on suitcase for my trip to Arizona. Scott got a new dress coat, pants, and shirt, he is running low on work clothes. With the plan for him to try and stay at work for another year or two, we had to spend some money on his work clothes. Money we hate to spend.

Monday 8th

Scott went to New York today to meet and talk with customers. Scott used to do this almost every week, just part of his job. It’s something we just do not care to do anymore.

Scott got home from New York early around 3:00. That was early enough to pick up a bottle of wine and some oriental food for his home coming celebration.

Thursday 11th

Today at work we had a big party to celebrate a successful year for our company. We had a great meal of chicken and the works! I also got profit sharing, I got 3 percent of the wages that I made last year.

Saturday 13th

We got up early and enjoyed breakfast. We are getting ready for our long trip up north to check out everything at our lake lot. We have not gone up there since we closed last October. I am excited about our road trip.

What a great time we had up north! Everything looked great at our lake lot. We went to the bar in the little town of Walker. We sat at the bar with the locals and had a beer and pizza.

Then we did a little shopping, Scott bought some shoes.

I bought some little green flip flops and a little green purse. I am having so much fun with my "Life is good" wardrobe!

Sunday14th

What a beautiful fun in the sun day! We starting it out with yoga then a 3mile walk around one of our favorite lakes here in Edina. It’s days like this that Scott and I wish, Monday would never come, or that Monday was not a work day anyway.

Wednesday 17th

Happy St Patrick's day family and bloggers.The great ladies that I car pool with to work, took me for coffee and a scone this morning to my favorite coffee shop Caribous, thank you Sonja and Karen! My dear Husband Scott took me after work to the Chatterbox for beer and pizza and a side dish of Irish potatoes. Ah! It’s great to be Irish on St Patrick's day even in America.

Thursday 18th

We got the call! Scott calls his family once a week most of the time. Scott’s mother and father do not call us very often, because when Scott calls once a week it is enough said. However when we do get a call from his family at an unusual time, for us anyway, like nine o'clock in the evening, or three o'clock in the afternoon, or 10 o'clock in the morning it’s always been bad news. That is why we call it,

“The call”

The worst of the worst calls was a few years ago, it was an early morning one. if I remember correctly it was 10 o'clock in the morning. The call said Scott your only brother Brian has been in a car accident and he is dead. Now I do not have to explain to anyone who has lost a loved one what that call is like.

Then came the call a few months ago, it was about three o'clock in the afternoon. The call said, Scott your favorite uncle has died another day in mourning.

So on Thursday the 18th when we got the call at nine o'clock in the evening, we knew it was “The call”. Lucky this time the caller said the basement of your family home has three inches of water in it.

Now we know how much Scott’s mother loves her stuff. We rushed off at nine o'clock at night on a two and a half hour trip one way to try and save the family stuff from any more damage. We did it, hours later we had the stuff safe on higher ground, with a few hours sleep we drove back to get to work. What a night!

Tuesday 23rd

We are finally on vacations! Our two week vacation has 4 parts to it.

Part One: We are going from Minnesota to Surprise Arizona where Scott’s mother and father own a little house in a retirement park for 4 days.

Part Two: Next on our list is to visit my sister who lives in the Mesa area, for two days.

Part Three: It’s to Tuscan for two days.

Part Four: Back to Surprise to spend a day with Scott’s family before they leave to return to Minnesota after their winter in Arizona. Scott and I will enjoy a week alone in Sunflower Resort compliments of Scott’s family. Thank you Eileen and Neil.

Follow along with us on this Trip!

We starting out our vacation with yoga at our gym, then back to the condo for lunch and a cocktail. We are ready and waiting for the taxi to take us to the airport.

Scott’s mother and father picked us up at the airport and we are having our first happy hour with them in sunny Arizona,

Thursday 25th

It’s been beautiful and sunny in the 70s the last few days. Scott has been working on projects for his family!

Scott what a son you are!

Scott always gets an audience when he works on a project some of the local women came to keep an eye on the work he was doing.

Friday 26th

Now that we have gotten Scott’s family project out of the way we are starting to see some free time. Off we go on a beautiful hike! It sure feels great to be back in the desert and it is so beautiful with all the wildflowers after all the rain they have had in Arizona lately.

Scott climbed up the side of the rocks to get a better picture of this waterfalls!

Saturday 27th

Part 1 of our trip is over already, time sure fly's when you are having fun!

We are on to part 2 a visit to my sister’s in Mesa.

Scott was making a little video and asked my sister or I if we wanted to say something. I foolish enough asked him which one of us was the sexiest. If you cannot hear his response to that question on the video he said the dog. Look at the expression on my sister and I face to that answer. I think this video could win a prize!

My sister and her husband own a beautiful home in a beautiful mountain side overlooking Phoenix.

We had a great time together hiking, happy hours, and just getting caught up on some family gossip!

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Of course Scott had a project to do there also. Jeff and Angela needed some computer lessons. What a man you are Scott! Jeff will not be getting an A on his lessons anytime soon look where he is looking.

As the sun goes down over Phoenix, we end a visit with my sister and her husband. Thank you Angela and Jeff for adding memories to our trip 2010!

Sunday 28th

We leave Phoenix today for a two day visit to Tucson. We are staying at the Embassy Suites. What a cool place this is.

A very pleasant surprise for me was we got free happy hour from 5:30 until 7:30 with snacks. We took full advantage of that.

Monday 29th

Today was a hiking day in beautiful Sabino Canyon. A must to see for all hikers or none hikers, please see Scott’s blog for a better idea of its beauty.

Sabino Canyon

There so many beautiful water falls!

There was some strict warnings about the dangers of mountains lions which scared me to death!

After nine miles of hiking our free happy hour at the Embassy suites was short and sweet!

Tuesday 30th

Today we leave Tuscan after a very memorable two days.

Wednesday 31rd

Part 4 of our trip is here and we are back at Scott's mother and father's little house in Sunflower Resort in Surprise Arizona.

We were welcomed by the Easter bunny.

Scott’s getting instructions from his mother how to close up her little house after we leave here. “I’m not thinking about that time yet!”

Scott gets a goodbye hug from his mother! Have a safe trip home! Eileen and Neil.

March has come to an end, but not her memories! Follow us into April for more excitement on our four part vacation!

“Spend Your Life Wisely”

Retirement Fears?

Help me please!  Have any of you had any fears about retirement? 
  
Years ago. I  wondered many times what life would be like if I did not have to go to my laborer’s job every day. When I say laborer, I mean I punch a clock.
In the beginning years as a young girl, I had to walk two or three miles a day to and from work. On many of those long walks back home after work, I used to day dream about winning the lottery even though I have never bought a ticket. It was just fun to dream about living in that world of money and just being able to do what  ever you want in the day. Even thought many time in my dreaming I would ask myself what would you do if you win lots of money? Would I run into work to give in my notice or just never show up again. Most of the time I would be home and that dream would end before I ever had the answer to that question.
Or maybe in my subconscious mind I just wanted to stay a laborer.
Its been 50 year since I started this life of a clock puncher. Life has never changed for us clock punchers. I have only missed  work one time in 50 years, I was sick with food poisoning that day!  I have never missed work for any other reason, unless  it was time off for vacation, which always had to be approved by my supervisor.
I have seen some clock punchers who have had to call in because they were sick, family problems, or bad road conditions. These people can be on the list for being fired or laid off. I have seen many fired people going out the door crying not knowing where their next meal will come from.
On the other hand, some of the salaried people I've seen recently (especially those in upper management) their life has gotten easier. If their child is sick, or they are sick, or bad road conditions, not to mention every holiday like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and any other long weekend, or just a nice summers day, (The list could go on and on)  we will get that  familiar E-mail, saying:
“I am working from home today” You can reach me on
e-mail,  or call my cell.

It seems they never have to take a sick day, or a vacation day, because they are sick. It seems they never have had that fear of getting fired because they have to miss work. They can just say:
“I am working from home today”  You can reach me on
e-mail or call my cell.
On top of their already big salaries, they do not have to worry about losing a days pay, like a clock puncher.
Now where am I going with all this rant?  The truth is it is not a rant its just real life!  So why have I planned to retire for the last three years and just could not do it yet, even though my Social Security check would not be that much less than I get now?
It’s just who I have been for so long.  “A clock puncher.”

 
I am starting to get afraid that this is what I am going to hear when I do retire.

Well my friends this is the year 2012. No exact date yet.
I am going to give up the jobs I worked at for over 50 years as a clock puncher.
Finally: I will be able to say!
You can reach me on E-mail, or call my Cell!

Blue Ox Tow Bar

Tow Bar for the coach

I had checked a couple of places and gotten quotes to install a tow bar and base plate on the coach and jeep and both places I checked said about $1,700-$2,000 without a brake system. It looks like I can buy the parts on the internet for about $1,200 so I planned on doing it myself and pocketing the extra money.

After doing the research on tow bars, it appears that most people think that Blue OX is one of the best products out there, so we purchased a Blue OX Acclaim 10,000lb tow bar and a base plate for our 2008 Jeep Liberty. We purchased them on the internet and paid a fair price for the tow bar and base plate. They arrived promptly and had good installation instructions. The instruction indicated that an experienced installer could do it in 4 hours. I have read blogs of people that have done it themselves and they indicated that it is a full day job, so I set aside the whole day for the job.

The job is really 2 parts. First putting on the base plate, then wiring the taillights. First thing in the morning I pulled the jeep into the garage at the lake and started removing the bumper shroud according to the instructions. It was a bit of a task but nothing terrible and soon the bumper shroud was out on the lawn and we were ready to install the new Blue Ox base plate.

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Here is the base plate ready to go onto the frame.

A little drilling is required to get a couple more holes in the frame, but then the bar bolts right in.

Bolted down tight with “Loctite Red” to hold the bolts in place, the base plate is now installed.

Now the bumper shroud just needs to go back on for a completed base plate job.

After two tries ( The first time I forgot an important part.) the jeep is whole again, and true to the advertising from Blue Ox you can not even tell it is on unless you look really close.

It took about 3 hours to put the base plate on, so right after lunch it was on to getting the tail lights hooked up. At first this seems like it should be a fairly simple task, but as it turns out finding a safe path to run the wiring harness from the front of the jeep to that back was a big job on our 2008 Liberty. It ended up taking several hours just to pull the wire through the convoluted path and wire wrap it tightly to the frame.

Finally as the afternoon was about over the job was complete, with only a few swear words and a couple of scraped knuckles.