I'll kick off the Friday Chat

I hope you have a good weekend, Michele.  :)

Nothing special planned here.  Date night tonight.  I'm so ready to have a break from cooking dinner.

Gabby tried to steal one of Ruger's toys today at work.  He let her know that his toys were his toys with a big growly bark at her.  I admit I laughed when I saw her spinning her wheels on the tile getting away from the area.  lol  

Yea for Friday!!!  Today I have made my last payment on my van, woohoooo.  Those who know me well know how long it takes me to make the decision to make a large purchase, this is a momentous occasion.   I had not had a car pmt for a very long time and gave myself headaches about getting a preowned new vehicle.   It was a good decision, just like the heat pump that took me 2 years to research and replace, lol.   It's strange that I am like this now cause when I was much younger I was a "spur of the moment" kinda gal, lol.

It was good seeing Johnny from yesterday.  

Callie it's good seeing you too, you should come up for a breather more often.  

Of course Bugsy thanks for starting my day off with a laugh.

Michelle sounds like you have a fun weekend coming

We are having a sunny but breezy 67 degrees today, supposed to get some much needed rain tomorrow.  I think...shhhhh I wont say it very loud....it's almost spring :)

Oh I forgot to mention....  there is a mom and daughter BMD Mix at the local shelter.   They have not come from good circumstances, it breaks my heart.  Knowing what I know now about how far Hot Shot has come since we have had him I would love to give these girls a home.  But...I cant so I will post a link in rescue.

super sunny but was a cold start this morning - Bugsy said it was perfect mole-hunting weather.

We have a nice outing planned tomorrow evening. It includes a bit of a drive which makes me nervous on St Patrick's day weekend. I was hit once by a drunk driver - a hit and run - on St. Pat's and I don't like driving much on holidays since!

Congrats Gin!!

Have fun Michelle

Karen, I feel the same way about holiday driving.  A comedian who I really love (W. Kamau Bell) is coming to Portland and I was all set to buy tickets until I realized the show was on St. Patrick's Day.  A 60 mile drive up and back, very late, on a work night, would be bad no matter what, but dealing with the downtown area and traffic on a party night like that made me decide to skip it.

Ginger, I saw the photo of those dogs -- they look so sad.  I wish I could take every dog like that home.  I hope they're rescued by a wonderful human soon.

Enjoy your date night, Jackie.  Michelle, I hope you enjoy the weekend with your friend and the birthday dinner is fun.  Tonight I'm staying home to finish our tax returns (wild Friday night!).  Tomorrow I'm looking after a friend's dog and doing some yardwork.  Sunday we're trying to firm up plans to connect with some friends, maybe at one of the many taphouses that are popping up all over town these days!

Forgot to say congrats Ginger on the last van payment.  It feels so good to pay off something like that.  Cause for celebration!

As for your slow process about making big purchases, I am exactly the same way.  It took me about 18 months to decide what car to buy -- I had a spreadsheet summarizing cars I was considering and everything!  DH is a very impulsive spender.  Needless to say, we've had many a "discussion" about major purchases!  

We hit 60ºF yesterday.  Now, a storm is heading our way.  Gotta love March.  Our ground is too hard yet for mole hunting.

Put Lugnut out in the front yard on his rope while I made coffee.  Looked out the kitchen window, and Lugnut is running around in the back yard.  Changed the rope around.  Set him out this morning for his constitutional, he started knocking on the door after a while.  I opened the door and he came in dragging about 5 ft of chewed off lead.     I have a 10 ft log chain that weighs about 30 lbs.  Maybe it will hold him.

I have dead wood hanging in a couple of trees.  I have a chainsaw, but I need to evaluate the cost of an ambulance run against just calling a tree service.  

Wifes' car is back from the body shop.  One of her friends clipped it in a parking lot.  The car gleams.  They washed and polished the outside and detailed the inside.  Looks new again.

The joy of no car payments.  That is why I drive a 1997 F150.  It starts.  It runs good.  It's paid for.  

Off to see the grandkids.  Introduce them to Lugnut.  Grandson was close to Piper.

A spreadsheet for car buying? Lol I thought I was bad! I can't make decisions like that either. Maybe I should also do a spreadsheet. Congrats on paying off the van!

We have training tonight which was postponed from Wed due to the WI term storm that hit. Today is beautiful, sunny and nearly 50. A local TV crew called me and are going to come film our training tonight. Good for the team but I so don't want to be on TV!

Tomorrow is a massage and I am finally getting the photos I paid for from the photographer. She really ticked me off. Never met any schedule she promised to meet. Always said she sent stuff when she really didn't. If she doesn't show up for our meeting this sat I am taking her to court.

Julie, some of my friends have nicknamed me the "Spreadsheet Queen" because of my history with using them for just about everything.  It was very handy for car shopping.  I could compare side-by-side the cars I test-drove (and still considered buying) by the key factors that were important to me.  

It totally annoyed my husband.  When we were in the test-drive mode, we went to a dealership and talked to a stereotypical sales guy who wanted me to buy the car as soon as the test drive ended.  When we arrived, I had told him we were only in the fact-gathering stage and would only be driving today, not buying.  He actually said the words:  "What will it take to get you to drive this car home today."  I said, "You can give it to me free, otherwise I will not be driving it home today."  The guy looked at DH (as if it were up to him to change my mind).  DH said, "She's not kidding.  She has a spreadsheet at home that she has to analyze now that we've driven this car."  

Doug, enjoy your visit with the grandkids.  I bet they'll be thrilled to meet the new puppy!  Way too much cuteness in one place, I bet!

Tracy, you and my husband would be great shopping together. lol   I do think it's very smart.  Love what you told the car salesman.  :)  

Doug,  I hope your grandson gets a little cheered up by the visit from the pup.  

Lol Tracy that is too funny. I need you with me next time I go car shopping!

I actually hate car shopping -- it was a terrible stress, and I kept thinking that if I did my research rigth, I'd get a car that would last me as long as possible so I wouldn't have to go through the buying process for a LOOOOONG time!  That was over 12 years ago, and although it's got some issues now and then, the car is still going, so fingers crossed I won't have to dust off the spreadsheet for a while yet!  

Tracy - LOL! I don't make a spreadsheet, but definitely am a list person. You know, pros, cons, can I afford it, etc. I could almost drive myself batty. Oh wait, already there.

Been busier than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest today.

I get my tooth Monday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just in case I hadn't mentioned it.

Have a good weekend!

Tina, I often suffer from "analysis paralysis" --- which is a related condition to driving one's self batty!

At least you weren't as busy as a one-armed wallpaper hanger.    My cousin always uses that phrase.

If Deb were here Monday, I'm sure she'd have some kind of special drink to offer in celebration of your new tooth -- it's name would involve a reference to pearly whites or sweet tooth or something like that!  I miss Deb and her drink specials.