09-09-09

What a cool set of numbers, huh? September 9, 2009.

Funny how a year, a month, and a day ago (on 08-08-08) my first book, "Love and Brimstone," was released by Amira Press. Cliched, but it seems like yesterday. A lot's happened since then, and still happening.

I'm looking at the calendar and cringing, however, as I count down the months until my husband is eligible for retirement. I have this inner voice screaming at me, "Write more, write faster!" as I do the math in my head and try to figure how much extra I need to reliably be earning to make up the loss of his income when he can retire.

And I do want him to retire. Dammit, he's earned it.

So while yes, a little of my earnings go into savings (much less than should be, I admit) a goodly chunk of extra that I earn right now is being funneled into long-neglected home repair and improvement. My roof is, literally, held together with some strategically-placed tar patches (by yours truly). It's a thirty year-old house and the original roof. (Barrel tile, very expensive to replace.) I'll have to bite the bullet either this fall or before next summer and have it replaced, but it'll have to be shingle, meaning reinforcing hurricane straps that are probably not up to current code.

The floor saga continues. The living room is done except for some edge trimwork. Still recovering from that so I can do the two bedrooms. I REALLY need to invest in new windows and hurricane shutters. (I have pre-cut plywood and Plylox clips for my shutter system right now. Not bad, but would rather have real shutters.) My A/C system is getting by on a wing and a prayer. Both bathrooms and the kitchen need serious upgrades in plumbing, and my kitchen cabinets are, literally, falling apart.

And on and on.

So I'm trying to find the balance, all while budgeting in my head, knowing that this is my very small window of opportunity.

I did "splurge" on a new laptop this past spring, but considering I need it for working, it wasn't exactly a luxury item.

Then again, if the apocolypse nuts are right, I won't have any worries after 2012 is over. *LOL* (Ooh, maybe I really should get busy with the whole "write more, write faster" thing then!)