The heat is on!

Over the past few days, the weather has dipped below freezing...and by dipped, I mean it's well below! This is no Edmonton at -30 where your nose hairs freeze (crazy people!) but a solid -14 warming up to a balmy -11 still requires several layers of clothing dug up from the abyss of a 'winter tote'. It was a beautiful morning and a perfect day for Gladys to get her heat fixed! Have you ever had to drive is sub-zero temperatures INSIDE YOUR VEHICLE??! There's nothing like a touque, gloves, scarf, winter coat AND a quilt wrapped around you just to keep your own blood focussed on warming your vital organs while you drive anywhere. Oh, and it's best to not breathe too hard (or sing too loud) so your vision of the road isn't hampered by seeing your own breath...not because the wiper blades are frozen and can only seem to clear the windshield in those 'why do wipers even wipe there' places. Anywho...Gladys got her thermostat replaced today! Yay! It's all exciting to have heat, let me tell you! It's just too bad that my drive to and from work is only about 7 minutes and it takes about 10 minutes for the ol' girl to pump out some heat! I'm sure proud of her every time she starts up, though!

Now, to change gears and talk about something the same but different...

Living in the basement. Basements have a unique temperature all to their own. In the summer, it is the ideal place to sleep because it can stay quite cool. In the winter, it is not the ideal place to sleep because it can stay quite cool. I think it's about the 8th stair down that you can literally feel the cold creep through your socks. For the past several weeks, I've had to 'pre-heat' my room with a floor heater. If I failed to do this, well, it's achingly cold. Even if I do pre-heat the room, I have about four blankets on my bed and crawl in with a sweater and socks on (and sometimes if I'm lucky, I'll have one of those microwave beanbag thingys). Tonight was just the same. Half way through the Biggest Loser (that show makes me cry...like c-r-y!), I had to pause it and run downstairs to brave the elements to allow at least 2 hours of pre-heat to take place. Phewph. Little did I know that Mom had a little surprise for me! I was the last one off to bed (as usual) and doddled downstairs with my already cold feet so I knew it was going to be a rough start to sleeping. As I'm picking up a few things off my bed, I'm befuddled that they felt warm. I'm thinking, 'this is odd that that measly floor heater has reacted with these clothes to make this one area on my bed really warm'. And then I flip open the covers after recognizing that my top blanket is not there and my quilt is upside down to discover AN ELECTRIC BLANKET!!!!!!!!! I squeeeeealed! Mom had planted the blanket in the afternoon and turned it on this evening so it was (and is while I type this) toasty warm! Mom was wondering what was taking me so long to get in bed but after I squealed I heard the footsteps and a knock on the door. She dove into bed and we had a good laugh and enjoyed the toastyness together!

Oh, what a day! Happiness is in the moments!

(and I want to mention and thank everyone who have shown interest in Lambie Love. I'm still figuring out the cost but am totally willing to take orders if you seriously want one. Small, medium or large...email me! rachel.a.peters@gmail.com)

You know it's winter when...

...the snow that ends up on the floor mats from your boots when you get in your car doesn't melt throughout the day (or is that just because the heat doesn't work in my car?)

...you can see your breath while driving in your car...even after 20 minutes! (or is that just because the heat doesn't work in my car?)

...you bundle up in a quilt, touque, gloves, scarf and winter jacket just to drive to work (or is that just because the heat doesn't work in my car?)

...don't even get me started on the windshield wipers freezing.....

Seems to be a theme here. Pretty sure I'll be getting my thermostat looked at this week. And every time I think back to that time I had seat warmers, I smile and am very grateful for my Gladys. :) She's a trooper and has a great stereo system. Not to mention I won't be getting stuck on our driveway this winter...fun times.

Getting there

It takes a plan and it takes time. Throw a little sacrifice in and you'll get there. "There" is a big big place but, to simplify, the 'there' I'm talking about is dumping my debt. I wouldn't consider that I'm in a huge hole (and I'm super thankful about that!) but it still needs to be taken care of.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of paying off my student loans!! PRAISE THE LORD! Now, it wasn't huge but even with the automatic payments each month it wasn't going away. Good ol' Gladys comes into play here for without the so-called 'sacrifice' of driving her instead of my comfortable heated-seat Subaru I would not have been able to get rid of these payments.

The other sacrifice, which I would rather call a blessing, is that am able to live at home while I sort out my life. It's a sacrifice for my parents, no doubt, and I am incredibly thankful that the door is open. With a little more debt to organize payments for, and the freedom to live at home in the process (and be fed unbelievable meals!) I'll be debt free within 6 months! WooHOO!!

Set up a plan, live below your means and you can do it too! It's going to be worth it!

Her name is Gladys

Gladys Pickle, actually.

I sold my car today and fell back ten years in time -- it's been quite a day! First of all, the timing of it all has been such an answer to prayer. I have been trying to sell my car for a handful of months so it's quite a relief to have a lot more money in the bank. I've also been taking a financial course on becoming and living debt free and, after not having a real job for so long, I really needed to unload the debt I had with my car in order to start my 'snowball effect' of erasing my debt. My heart hurts just a little bit today and I can't believe it's actually gone (en route to Prince George, in fact!) but I'm over it...it has gone to a happy family! Yay!

And here's how I fell back in time.....I bought a 1992 Subaru Loyale wagon for $700! Ha! The insurance cost more than the car! I know I'm not that sharp with math so I'll explain how buying an eighteen year old car gained me ten years. It was ten years ago (and more) that I had the privilege to drive a 1989 Subaru wagon and this one is almost identical! Same colour and everything! It's almost weird to drive it -- makes me feel 21 again! It just turned 300,000km and already had a name! I bought it from an Italian hippy who wanted to sell it because he was going traveling (like back to his homeland to see family) and he said that her name is Gladys. And is she ever a Gladys! I love it...I mean, her! When we went to get plates on it, the lady picked out the license with the letters 'PKL'...naturally for Pickle. So that's her name! Gladys Pickle. Oh, and I also got a membership at BCAA so I'll be covered.

She purrs.

She runs.

And she has a sweet aftermarket stereo system with an ipod attachment.

I'm literally laughing all the way to the bank!

If you knew me back in university days, you know exactly what she looks like! haha...what a dream!