2003-09-08 - 1:20 p.m.
Things seem to be making a sudden upturn.
The house that we bought three years ago for $63,500 is now worth $77,000. $13,500 equity accrual in three years. Not too shabby.
This means that we can borrow enough money to pay off all the loans that have been eating us alive, pay off some old doctor bills, and still have a bit left over for vacation. The final loan application is complete and in the hands of the financing bank; now it's just a matter of waiting for the final approval. We should know Wednesday or Thursday. Got my fingers and toes crossed here, folks.
This of course is only the beginning.
I just got word that I've been given a $375 bonus for doing a good job.
Poison Pen Press just ordered ten copies of my book.
I've refinanced the minivan. Same term, dropped the interest rate two whole points. No car payment this month.
I just found those manuscript photocopies from the "Llibre de Totes Maneres de Confits", along with my half-finished transcription notes. They'd been missing for over a year. Now I can pick up where I left off on writing my second book.
All in all, things are improving.
We're still planning out the trip to New York; haven't bought tickets yet, but we're planning out agendas and prioritizing and figuring out logistics. Yeah, maybe we shouldn't do this so soon after digging ourselves out of a financial hole. But dammit, we've been under some unusual stresses these past ten months and we need to blow off some steam. We need to get away and not think about money for a bit. I want to revisit some old haunts, see some old friends, and walk around one of the world's great cities. J wants to see a place she only saw briefly as a teenager.
Obligatory baby update:
She's ten months old now, pulling herself up on the furniture and using it to support her as she tries to walk. She's also saying "mama" and "dada" (well, more like "mmammamamamamama"). It's close enough for us, though. The first time your child looks at you and says "dada", your heart melts. Then she looks at the cat and says "dada", and all of a sudden it's not quite so heartwarming. Meanwhile, the cat gives you a smug look, as if to say, "I don't have to send her to college! Nyaaaah!"
I've said it before, I'll say it again; I love being a father.
