Thursday: Refi and R&R

Our appraisal is set for Wednesday.  I have already talked directly with the appraiser and let her know that we do not have carpeting down on the stairs or hallways.  She has no idea that we haven't had carpeting down on the stairs or hallways for the past 4 years but, hey, I won't tell her if you won't.  The reason for the absence of carpet is trifold ..... we have an aging pet who pees on carpet given the chance, a roof that had a serious leak right over the stairs and a bathroom that I definitely wish to remodel in the spring.  The bathroom leads off an upstairs hallway and I do not want workmen traipsing up and down the stairs on new carpet.  Naturally.  The appraiser is OK with the fact that the stairs and hallways are missing carpeting because the 'cost to cure' is low.

All of our paperwork is in at the lender and with escrow.  The person at the bank handling our refi paperwork is pissed with me, probably because I'm calling out all the junk fees and refusing to pay them.  Like I said, I don't mind paying some of those fees because it would be ridiculous to expect the bank not to make any money but I have caught this loan officer out in an outright lie, trying to excessively pad the back end.  There was a time when I would've signed those papers without even reading them, without even considering the cost of the loan, but those days are long past.  I am expecting an accounting for every single dang fee at the end of this process and those fees had better be fees that I've already agreed to pay or they had better be fees that make sense and are reconcilable.

I've been paying bills and paying attention to our personal finances over the past week.  My credit score with TransUnion is 699.  HaHA!!  One more measly point and I will officially be in the 700 credit score range for the first time ever.  The spouse lags behind me because he has one extra line of aging bad credit than appears on my report so that's a bummer.  Next month sees one of those aging lines drop off so perhaps then we will both be in the 700 range....

I received a call a couple of days ago from one of the friends that I have decided to cut off.  She was drunk and slurring on the voicemail and, although I know that she is going through tough times and probably needs some support, I am in two minds as to whether or not I should call her.  My past behavior is embarrassing to me, humiliating, and I know that she has gossiped about me to mutual friends and acquaintances.  It would seem that she has been gossiping for the past decade, relaying my reckless behavior, my hoarding and spending, my 'what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas' weekends of yore.  You know, I don't need that shyte.  If I don't feel that she can be trusted, then I just have to recognize that this friendship has run its course.  It happens.  The spouse keeps prompting me to call her so that he can listen in and catch up on the escandalo gossip ... he's worse than any woman LOL  I've told him that I don't need or want the drama in my life, that I've moved beyond needing to know all about everyone else's crap in life.  I'm just not interested in playing along just to retain friendships that probably should've died a death a long, long time ago.

As far as my relationship with the spouse goes, we are going from day to day with an eye always on the fact that we will be out of here just as soon as we are able.  We have been communicating well this week but I realize that we are moving into 'that' stage of life during which we are really beginning to feel our mortality, the pointlessness of having to work for a wage and the fact that we are running out of time to waste.  Thank goodness we don't have any major health issues to deal with at the moment aside from excess weight (both of us) and too little exercise (the spouse).  He is having to work some deadly long hours just lately and that leaves precious little time for his exercise routine.  I worry about his lack of exercise but I understand that he is just too tired, mentally and physically, by the time he comes home to jump on the treadmill.  I, on the other hand, am slowly reducing weight and really getting into my hour+ of daily treadmilling.  I am getting close to weighing under 200 pounds, the occurrence of which will mark the first time since 1998 that I have weighed in below 200.  This is a mental milestone for me, it's huge.  If I can get below 200, the rest of the weight loss will be a total breeze.

I am spending this weekend at the home of a family member at the beach.  Two days of R&R while the spouse goes to work.  I feel guilty but I've got to get out of here for a break if only for a couple of days.  It'll be relatively inexpensive .... no hotels or big food bills and we (the relative and I) are planning freebie things to do ..... walks on the beach, window shopping, a free show at one of the theaters with tickets already bought for us.  Should make for some fun girly time!

Oh, and Happy Valentines Day or as my best friend in the UK says, "Happy VD!" LOL