Where In The World Is Deb?

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December 24, 2003

All I want for Christmas is a Round Tuit

I mean it. In case you don't know what a round tuit is - it is what procrastinators are always asking for. "I will do xyz when I get around to it.". My grandmother had a wooden coin that said "round tuit" on it when I was a teenager.

While I don't think depression is a word that would ever describe me, I have been in such a funk lately. I have so much to do and unfortunately it directly corresponds to how little motivation I have to actually do anything. I have decided to really scale back on a few areas of my life that needed taming (namely the internet) and concentrate on setting new priorities in my life.

In other news (that is related actually), I GOT A NEW JOB!!! WOOOHOOOO! I will no longer be working 12 hour shifts that include nights and weekends. It will be an administrative job - I will be the Risk Manager/ Patient Safety Coordinator for my hospital which is an unfortunately huge job. We have a major civilian inspection coming up (JCAHO) in several months, not to mention implementing all the new HIPAA regulations (which the military has actually been doing for many years anyway). I expect that my job will be very busy but at least it will be normal hours with weekends and holidays OFF. As much as I LOVED my work here as a labor and delivery nurse, I really need a nice smooth finish to my Navy career. I start my new job on February 2nd but not until I have to do 9 more nightshifts (oh yes I did count them up).

More related news: Yesterday, I bit the bullet and talked to a financial counselor. Don't laugh, I am getting down to the wire (22 months) for my retirement and really need to get this mess straightened out. Last year I put together a will, living will and insurance policies but beyond that, I have been flying by the seat of my pants as far as finances go. I have finally gotten to the point in my life where I am not worried about bounced checks or zero balance in my checkbook or paying bills with credit cards (never really did that though) and it is nice. BUT, I have nothing to show for it. Nothing. So, after my mutual funds fiasco a few years back, I will be biting the bullet and stiking up a Roth IRA, permanent life insurance and a solid savings. The meeting took a little more than two hours to do the intake assessment. I have to go back in a couple of weeks to start putting the plan in place. I am proud of myself hahahahahaha. One of the questions the counselor asked me, I couldn't define though. She wanted to know what financial independence meant to me. I really don't know. I guess freedom from worry over where the money will come from to pay bills. I have never wanted to be rich. I don't even play the lottery. I have the luxury of a profession that is so secure that I have literally been hired over the phone before. I do know that I don't want to work outside my home very much when I "retire".

I am still in the planning stages of our trip to Garmisch, Germany. We are very excited. I will put the boys in snowboard class for part of the day so I can ski and then hopefully, they will be good enough to snowboard at least the bunny slope with me. We will be there four days. Eli already knows how to ski so hopefully he will convert over quickly. Jake has never really skiied so he is a blank slate. He gets frustrated very easily though so I am hoping we will be able to find a very patient kid instructor. I learned a few years ago that *I* cannot teach my children to ski. I simply don't have the patience for it. I also know nothing about snowboarding (wasted an entire ski season trying to learn it one year) but both boys are adamant that they want snowboard over skis. Once they get the basics down, we will be good to go and I will take over. After much soul-searching, I decided to leave the baby here with our nanny, which will be our first ever separation. I was going to take him with us and put him in daycare there but I think we would all be happier if he is with someone he loves and I trust. I wish he was old enough to ski!

I have received Christmas cards and gifts from several of my family and feel guilty (as usual) that my gifts to them are sitting behind me on the dining room table. That is really a step forward because I just didn't even do anything last year! As much as my communication to my loved ones is scarce, please know that I really DO think of you all the time. I just need to get a Round Tuit.

Anyway, that is all the news fit to report for today.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND BUON NATALE

Posted by DebC at December 24, 2003 10:52 AM

Comments

Posted by: Mom at December 24, 2003 07:04 PM