Summer

I used to love summer...long days lounging by the pool, hanging out with friends, babysitting my favorite kids ever, washing my car every week...

Now I kind of am at odds with summer, because I am missing it even as I am in it. I have to work all day in my (too-hot) work clothes, I do homework in the evenings with no time to wash my car (plus the drought won't allow that anyway), and my weekends will be spent traveling back and forth to family stuff. Don't get me wrong, I love my family, miss them terribly, and enjoy spending time with them. HOWEVER. This summer, we will have MAYBE one weekend in Atlanta. ONE. WEEKEND. Every single other weekend, at least one day of it will be spent in Carrollton and a couple of them will be ALL weekend. Sigh. There goes any concept of a relaxing summer.

Just for shits and giggles, here is our (abbreviated) schedule for the summer:

This weekend: (May 30/31): EABF in East Atlanta, and then nephews' birthday party Saturday in Carrollton, RELAX on Sunday. (Where RELAX really means catch up on cooking, grocery shopping, laundry, and cleaning).

Next weekend (June 6/7): Caleb's cousin's wedding celebration Saturday (they are getting married at the courthouse beforehand), shop for bridesmaid dresses with a friend on Sunday from 2 pm till ? somewhere not at home (probably Town Center)...I'm also supposed to be helping some friends paint their house Sunday in Paulding County but can't do both.

June 13/14: Liz and Mary and Evan (Aunts and Uncle) will be here; they will be at Jim and Barbara's lakehouse on Saturday IN WEDOWEE, ALABAMA. We will help some friends move that morning in Carrollton/Paulding County and then probably go because otherwise we won't see Liz and Evan again till October. Sunday, either nothing or painting if painting gets moved to that weekend instead. UPDATE: Caleb has to work Sunday so we will either both be in Carrollton or he will be in Carrollton that day.

June 20/21: STAY IN ATLANTA, YAY! Terri and Jesse's wedding Saturday afternoon, go out to dinner with them afterwards. Nothing Sunday (aka catch up on housework that we haven't been doing because we haven't been there for two weeks). (It's Fathers Day on Sunday but we will be celebrating with them when we see them BEFORE then so that we can eke out one measly weekend at our freaking HOUSE).

June 27/28: already be in Daytona (drive down June 26, Friday)

July 5/6: Saturday we will be driving back from Daytona, Sunday nothing

July 11/12: Saturday nothing (really catching up on housework per the usual), Sunday, Jennifer's party thing in Carrollton. (It's actually a shower, but she wants it to be more of a couples come and hang out thing). Note that I have to plan this sometime between now and then.

July 18/19: I will be gone at least Saturday night for Jennifer's bachelorette party...either all weekend in Charleston or just Saturday night/Sunday in ATL or Athens.

July 25th: Jennifer's wedding and my class reunion, both in Carrollton.

I feel overtraveled, overexerted, and like the laundry is piling up already. Sigh.

I Caved

I am now actually, REALLY, completely following Dave Ramsey's plan. I quit contributions to my 401(k) as of the paycheck I will receive on Friday and all of that money (somewhere between 200 and 300 dollars/month) will go to credit card debt. I'm sick of having stupid bills that I wouldn't have if I just paid it off.

I have roughly 8 grand in credit card debt (3 grand from appliances when we bought the house, the rest is mostly tuition). My interest rates are between 9 and 13 percent. I'm ready to knock it OUT.

I will update monthly-ish on progress with that. I might even make little graphs and stuff.