show me the money

As a very hands on person, I like the idea of investing in gold, rather than the 'on paper' stocks and bonds. To be able to see the gold and know that it's real and worth what I put into it...and will be far into the future, feels right to me. Okay, I've been influenced by my dad, he believes in investing in gold. Has collected coins of all sorts for many years. This has served him well and there is an ease that is not seen in the stock crowd.

My dad is in good company too, aside from all the people who are currently benefiting from gold investments, gold has been a source of wealth since ancient times.


This doesn't mean turning in my gold jewelry in for cash. I'm looking at buying actual gold and building a real portfolio. How very grown up of me.  Such a late bloomer, it is clearly time to give some thought to the future and not just what I'm doing next Saturday!

Winter Break

Winter break, time to regroup and refocus for the remainder of the school year. Check out online tutoring if need be.  The chance to breathe is good. The opportunity to really look at the kids academic strengths and weaknesses is priceless. As a teacher in a charter school, I'm very aware of the holes in teaching. Classrooms are designed to cater to the average student, driving the ones that excel to boredom and the ones that struggle in the dust.

Math problems are the enemy in my home and we could all use a little help, okay, a lot of help and math answers while we're being honest.  Online math tutoring is really the best I can do for my kids. I cannot be counted on as an authority. Getting by in math is not enough with the level of math knowledge they need. 

Good one-on-one tutoring is going to be needed for precalculus help and without a doubt statistics help
because personally, I don't even know what would be involved in their statistics class.

Now that my son is fairly clear on his direction, he knows there will be classes that he will most definitely need to do excellent in. Getting some chemistry help will be paramount to his success. There is no way he can build the best transcript possible without pulling his chemistry and math grades up.

I love the idea of online tutoring. Teens have such wacky schedules there is no way we can commit to yet another appointment. Being able to pop in when there is a need, is awesome and completely fits with our life.  

 

Good Bye Goodie Two Shoes

New Years Resolution....No more Little Miss Nice Girl....it's time. ( yes, this is an early resolution...I like to plan ahead) 

Wishing on a star

  


I'm dreaming of a Myrtle Beach resort.... baby it's cold in here.

Unseasonably warm weather in Ohio, has allowed me to keep my furnace off completely. The kids know I won't turn it up until there is actual snow on the ground...and since we are yet to see snow, no heat.
But since temperatures hit the low teens...I gave in and went to turn it on a few days ago, just to be nice.

Nothing. Turns out the furnace is broke. This is not good. Christmas shopping is nearly complete and they money is all wrapped up in pretty little packages now.

Knowing people, who know people, who know people is always handy though and the furnace guy is on his way. Yeah.

So the house will be cozy again...or cozy enough...and I can go back to planning my trip to the oceanfront Myrtle Beach Hotel...there are very nice New Year's Eve packages. Since I don't care so much if it's warm, heading to a resort in Myrtle Beach in January sounds like a plan. 

Walking along the beach, making New Years resolutions, wishing on a star..fish...

 

Road Trip!

Like moving, road trips are the most fun when it's spontaneous and slightly whacked. The improbability of hoping in the car and traveling cross country with days notice makes it even more fun.
Knowing your car is supremely important, check the oil, remember to look at the gages, fill with gas occassionally....and if there is an issue, take it in.

San Francisco auto repair is what I'll be typing in once I hit the opposite coast. Checking out all the possible places ahead of time is simply a good idea. Knowing where to service the Honda accord  is something my girlfriend and I should have checked out before hitting the road last time. 

We've learned the hard way for sure!  Thelma and Louise we are not....but in order to keep the adventures coming I'm willing to learn. Or at least learn where to find a guy to replace a timing belt on the fly.

Since you asked

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  On the way to my brothers house for dinner, I was asked what I really wanted for Christmas. My response was...hmmm, I really don't need anything in particular, am completely content with where I am and what I have. Actually, I've been quite focused on giving STUFF away, to make life easier, and help others. Going shopping has never been a 'fun' thing to do, shopping=entertainment, is just not me. And as far as gifts go, I'd so much rather spend time with people, go for walks in the woods or along the lake.

BUT, and this is a BIG BUT, if money were no object, there is one thing I would very very very much want...very much....a HYDROWORX swim spa.   Yes, this would be the the ultimate gift. No, it would be the uber gift. Honestly the one thing I would splurge on if I ever had money fall in my lap....book contract, inheritance, lottery...

Their line of exercise pools are simply the bomb. Athletes of all stripes use these for training and therapy, Pittsburgh Steelers, LSU, Texas Tech, University of Kansas, Manchester United.....  Swim spas speed recovery and the resistance training looks to be so, well, I'll admit it....FUN.

Running on a water treadmill looks incredibly more attractive than braving the elements day after day. And the very fact that I'd have to slip into my bathing suit before working out...would make the actual working out more of a priority!  Yikes, talk about incentive.

Every since I started playing roller derby, I've realized how soaking in a hot bath can help those beat up limbs. Imagine the feeling in a home swim spa, complete with jacuzzi and aquatic therapy equipment. Just sitting in a hot tub isn't enough....being able to keep working out when my muscles are too sore to strap on the skates or hit the trail would be amazing.  I really love this idea and would be more than willing to give up a room in my home to make this happen...you know, since I've been getting rid of stuff left and right anyways.   

So, forget the jewelery, slippers and other token gifts...pool the money and 'surprise' me with the ultimate gift!   Since you asked...

chowda

While I'm fantasizing...and feeling guilty for bashing the US....a little, Spain, come on now....Anyways, I have to wonder sometimes why I stay landlocked in Ohio, when there are so many gorgeous places to live in the States.
If you count the Great Lakes, then I'm not completely landlocked...but the so called "North Coast" is small potatoes compared to the Atlantic or the Pacific.
Maybe I should look into Boston Real Estate. Near the harbor..I'm sure my midwestern accent would stand out like a sore thumb, darn speech classes....but I don't talk to too many people.
Boston Lofts look perfect. High ceilings, downtown, ocean views...ahhhhh.  I even like sweaters and love Chowda. That was clearly the highlight of the Red Sox game for me a few years back, listening to the concession workers hawking "chowda", "any one want some chowda" "chowda here"
That amused me. (baseball rarely holds my gnat like attention span)

Bushari Group Real Estate
will be getting a call when my book goes best seller...I could find some Boston luxury real estate, a nice loft like this one, slip on a warm sweater and wander down to the harbor to contemplate my next masterpiece....  

 

or just step out of my tiny house in Cleveland and imagine...