Don't go mistaking Paradise for that home across the road

In theory, our department has a "shift bid" at the beginning of each quarter.  This allows everyone the opportunity to shuffle schedules, get out of a schedule that they do not like or have some greater flexibility.  The fact that we are opened on Saturdays ads a greater importance to this event.

We had not had a shift bid since I started in September.  The company was not exactly in the position to be changing schedules for client representatives at the time.  The economy was on the edge of collapse.  Yahoo! laid off 1,500 people world wide.  There were bigger fish to fry.

But the shift bid finally came to us.  The new schedule went into effect this week.  

There are only so many shifts.  We need a certain number of people in on Saturdays.  We need enough people in at 6 AM and we need enough people still in at 6 PM.  We also need to ensure that there are enough people in the middle.

You get priority based on your performance in the previous quarter.  Or, in this case, the previous two quarters.  I ranked second in the department.  So I was guaranteed at least my second choice.  Not bad.

I now work 7-330.  Previously, I had been working 930-6.  The difference is huge.  It is hard for me to fathom the impact, already, that going in to work 2 1/2 hours earlier and leaving 2 1/2 hours earlier is having.  For the past 7 months I have battled traffic both to and from work.  I left the house and 8:30 AM and generally got home around 7:00pm.  When I got home there was little time to do anything.  I would do a short work out or run, read some from a book or do a short bible reading during lent.  Then we would have dinner, pick up and go to bed.  All of a sudden, I have hours when I get home.  There is time to do things both before and after dinner.  I have more energy.  There is sun to be enjoyed when I get home.  I love it.

I do get up at 5:20 AM now.    But I am adjusting well.  I am seeing double and longing for a pillow if I stay up until 9:00 pm.  (I am aware of the fact that it is just after 9:00 pm right now.  However, it is the weekend).   In all, it is a major improvement.

We have been taking the first part of our home buyers class.   This part of the process is designed to teach us about finances, budgeting and being responsible.  To be honest, I do not need these classes.   I could teach Ebenezer Scrooge a lesson in being frugal.   I know that I have stated this here before.  We track every single purchase that we make in an excel sheet.  The columns all constitute categories of spending.  Examples include:  Rent, Utilities, Booze, Grocery, Eating Out, Cats, etc.  The final three columns are total spent, total income and net savings (or loss).   Each month is a different low.   This spreadsheet allows us to be accutely aware of our financial situation.  If we increase the amount of money that we spend on any one item we are immediately aware.  It also allows us to set a target or goal of savings each month.  The system has been extremely effective.

We have to take this class in order to qualify for the next class.  There we hope to learn the real nuts and bolts of buying a home.

We are thinking that we may buy before the year is up.  Our original goal was to buy by September of 2010.  However, the $8,000.00 tax credit is enticing and hard to pass up.    Mortgage rates are low.  We could probably got one at about 4.5%.  Housing prices are down as well.  We are looking to spend between $175,000.00 and $200,000.00.  Coming from the northeast, it still blows my mind that you could buy anything more than a cardboard box next to a city for that price.  We are very happy with the current selection.  Here is a sampling of some of the types of houses and/or areas that we are looking at:

http://www.johnlscott.com/propertydetail.aspx?IS=1&ListingID=32105701

http://www.johnlscott.com/propertydetail.aspx?IS=1&ListingID=300058457

http://www.johnlscott.com/propertydetail.aspx?IS=1&ListingID=300122110

http://www.johnlscott.com/propertydetail.aspx?IS=1&ListingID=300018235

In other news, I have been playing in a flag football league.  There are several important points that need to be made about this.  For starters, I am getting old.  I have not sprinted, pivoted and turned like this since I was in high school.  And my body knows it.  My quads have been sore every single day since we started 3 weeks ago.  We only play once a weekend. 

As a second point, I am having a whole lot of fun.  It has been a while since i have played a sport competitively (to the extent that you can call flag football "competitive".

Finally, our team is not all that good.  We have yet to score a point.  We made it inside the 3 yard line a few times.  But we have not had success in scoring as of yet.  Of course, this does not bother.  I only thought I should point this fact out lest the reader imagine me in glorious victory on the football field.  I have no interest in painting false portraits.

I have also been running and biking more.  I picked up a good pair of running shoes recently.  I try to alternate between 1 and 3 mile runs.  Ideally, I am getting in 3 runs a week.  But the problem with my quads has had a negative impact on this goal. None the less, I would like to point out that I absolutely love running in the Portland rain.  It is a special feeling.

Just this past Saturday, I rode my bike from our house up Mt. Tabor.  There was definitely a feeling of accomplishment as I look upon the city sitting upon a bench.  This was, of course, the same bench that Lauren and I were sitting on when I asked her to marry me.

Lauren will be out of time for this upcoming weekend.  I am thinking about getting a fishing license.  I have been meaning to for about a year now.  There has always been something holding me back.  We never had the money for that kind of discretionary spending.  It was always a little uncertain if we would be able to stay in Oregon. Then it was winter.  All of those impediments are gone now.  I am not sure that I can think of a better way to spend my lonely weekend that getting up early in the morning and sitting in front a lake or stream all day.  Maybe I will bring a coke and sandwich.  Perhaps even a beer.