Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Home Is Where........?

The title really says it all. While I will always look kindly on this last year and a half for having brought me my three children, it's been a very rough stretch that I am not at all sorry to see go. Financially speaking, it's not been kind in any way. We really got hosed by the contractor who was supposed to put on our addition, then my wife was laid off for six weeks following the birth of the kids, and we then went down to one full-time income. To say the least, our finances are stretched.

The only real way we can salvage this situation is to sell our house. This will allow us to pay off our second mortgage and about 70-80% of our credit card debts. We are currently looking at houses in more rural areas that will actually increase of living space and cost much less per month on our mortgage. It sure sucks, but we at least have this option and flexibility available to us so that we can get back on solid ground.

In other areas I think I've finally wound down from the holidays and I'm ready to get back to a more consistent pattern of life. What this means for me is a return to working out, a chance to read casually, write more frequently, and begin the long process of culling out items I no longer use or want and in the process make some extra cash.

An interesting twist on the whole Barak Obama presidential campaign today. Instead of letting his intentions of forming an exploratory committee to examine a run for the Presidency, he released a video on YouTube. I don't know who his campaign people are, but that was very savvy. In that one move alone he's thrown down the gauntlet in my mind that he's going to be the "modern" candidate who can appeal to the younger voters as well as the established voting class. Without taking a stance, I find that type of gamemenship to be fascinating and fun to watch. It's like a great chess match and this was one hell of an opening move.

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