I get a message about an "invalid page URL" when I log in, so I had been thinking for the past 3 or so months that I wasn't able to post--but then I discovered that, even if I get that message, if I just go to the blog page, I am indeed logged in. So this is just a quick catchup for March and April of 2021.
-Work has been busy, as it always is this time of year. Busy is good, but I am looking forward to things slowing down a bit over the summer.
-I am now deep into reviewing for my CFP exam, scheduled for July 8th. I take a review course that starts June 11, and there's about a thousand pages of "pre-study" material that you are supposed to get through before the live review. I'm currently about 400 pages in. I started meeting (virtually) with a group of half a dozen other people preparing to take the exam at the same time, and that meeting starts off my Saturdays and usually gets me into the mood to dig deep and study for most of the weekend. Not today, though.
-The biggest news is that my beautiful cat Bridget passed away on April 14th. She was my quiet kitty and generally the one in better health. I noticed in late March that she had developed a cough and that her appetite had decreased. I took her for a vet appointment and they took x-rays and diagnosed possible pneumonia, possible pancreatitis, and some worry about possible cancers in both areas. I opted to treat her with antibiotics for a week first to see what that did. Her cough decreased, but so did her appetite, so I scheduled her for an ultrasound to get better diagnostic information. I was thinking that I would get more information about what was going on and, assuming she had some kind of cancer, learn what the prognosis was and then baby her and keep her as comfortable as possible and have her euthanized after a weekend, a week, or a month. But she passed there in the parking lot of the veterinary clinic while I was waiting for them to come out and get her (covid restrictions). Bridget hated going to the vet with a passion, so she avoided her last visit. The house seems strangely empty with just one cat rather than two. But with all Buffy's health woes, I won't adopt another cat until she too is gone, for fear that the stress of a new companion would be worse than the stress of spending more time alone.
-I am now fully vaccinated (as of this past Wednesday) and will be going to dinner at a friend's house for the first time in over a year. I also had dinner at another friend's on Monday, and braved going into an actual store for the first time since last summer. I'm also planning to start walking more regularly with a friend who is a "snowbird" and who just came back up to PA from her winter digs in Florida. And I can start going back to grocery shopping in person after having had them delivered for an entire year!
-Financially the year is off to a good start: assets up about 7% (including savings as well as income and capital appreciation), debt down nearly 9% (though I am worried about having to potentially replace the washing machine and about having a potentially expensive plumbing repair this month), and overall net worth currently up nearly 60k since the beginning of the year.
-Have to finish filing my taxes. I drafted them last weekend but need to review the recovery rebate credit calculation. Once those are done, I stand to receive about a $1,500 refund.
I wish I remembered how to add a picture since I would love to add one of Bridget.
May 1st, 2021 at 09:17 pm 1619903825
May 2nd, 2021 at 03:48 am 1619927338
It's funny seeing everyone getting their vaccine over there we have just started here and a couple have gotten blood clots from it (1 died) so now hardly anyone is showing up for the vaccine...not that it matters to much we havent had much of it in the community for the last year..so no hurry for us to get it...although it is coming flu season so we will be getting our flu shots this month
May 2nd, 2021 at 09:37 am 1619948259
Congratulations on getting your vaccine.
May 2nd, 2021 at 01:46 pm 1619963202
May 2nd, 2021 at 02:40 pm 1619966441
May 2nd, 2021 at 07:09 pm 1619982551
May 3rd, 2021 at 09:24 pm 1620077095
May 9th, 2021 at 05:18 pm 1620580717
Good luck on your studies. It sounds like you are preparing well for your exam.
May 15th, 2021 at 02:56 pm 1621090573