What’s top of my mind: Vet bills are expensive.
Last Friday I dropped little Scout off at the vet to get her teeth cleaned.
When I have dogs going under anaesthetic, I like to get as much done while they’re under as possible, so I also asked for her toenails to be cut and a warty thing on her back to be removed.
It turned out that she needed 4 teeth removed, poor baby. The bill was $1,040.
Ouch.
The idea is that this is a pre-emptive strike against her having bigger problems down the track. Also, now that she’s an only dog, I can give her a bone without causing a fight. Clean teeth and sweet breath for the win!
Where I’m going: Back to Mum and Dad’s later this week.
I had a quiet chat with my parents a few days ago and we’ve agreed that the time has come when I’ll start to oversee their financial affairs more closely. It was a conversation I was on tenterhooks to start, but to my relief it went very well.
The last thing Mum wants is to start to learn about all things financial in her mid-80’s and Dad can see the logic in having someone else helping with the day-to-day running of their finances.
My sister and I are in constant communication about everything relating to their health and well-being, so I’m hopeful that this next stage of their lives will run smoothly.
Where I’ve been: Bunnings.
It seems that every time I host a get-together, I feel the need to go somewhere the day before and drop a couple of hundred dollars on plants to make the place look nice. Last weekend was no exception.
It was fun, though, and now I have pretty plants and flowers to look at.
What I’m reading: Liz Nugent.
‘Our Little Cruelties’ and ‘Lying in Wait’ are the two books I’ve read since falling in love with ‘Strange Sally Diamond’ a few weeks ago.
I tell you what though – after reading these novels, I’m starting to get a bit concerned about the upbringing Liz Nugent had! Haha!
I really enjoyed them and want to read more of her work, but don’t read them if you need a happy, uplifting story full of puppies and kittens.
What I’m watching: A luxury travel show on Binge.
I’m hoping to get ideas for new places to travel to in my two years of crazy travel. Not the hotels, which look insanely expensive, but the countries. The funny thing is that the show is sponsored by Silversea, which is the cruise company Megan and I went to Alaska with.
What I’m listening to: Joan Armatrading on Spotify.
I clicked on a suggested playlist of Joan Armatrading, which alternates her songs with other people’s. I’m enjoying it. I saw her in concert when I was at Uni and I love her voice.
It’s amazing how many lyrics I can still remember.
What I’m eating: Leftovers from the party.
The best part about hosting a large gathering, apart from having the excuse to buy lots of plants, is the leftovers.
I didn’t have to cook for two days.
What I’m planning: A Little Adventure.
I suddenly realised that I don’t have a Little Adventure planned for October. November is DEFINITELY taken care of, what with the Ligas’ Crazy Road Trip, but I have a couple of weeks to get out there and go/see something new.
I have a couple of ideas.
Who deserves a ‘thumbs-up’: Dad.
Dad’s entering a scary stage in life, where he is realising that he has to relinquish control of things and start letting his daughters take over the reins. He’s handling it – not perfectly! – but much better than I thought he might.
I hope I haven’t jinxed us by writing this down!
What has made me smile: The number at the end of this ‘Wednesday W’s’ post.
I got the idea from Urspo’s blog. He’s been doing them for years and I thought I’d have a crack as well. Considering that I don’t do them when I travel, and there are 52 weeks in a year, I guess I can say that I’VE been doing them for years, too.
I like that these days, they’re a little slice of what it’s like to have a very unstructured retirement. I’m writing this at 10:14 AM, sitting on the couch in my pjs, having had my morning coffee but still to have breakfast. I’ve done my 3 morning puzzles and fed Scout, so I haven’t been totally lazy…
Dad Joke of the Day:
So glad to hear your dad was receptive to sharing the financial stuff. Since my mom lived with us, one of my sisters handled her finances. Having all her account info and logins was so helpful after our mom passed. The one thing we learned (in the US) is that a child may have power of attorney to handle financial matters, but that ends with the death of the person. So we still had to do some estate things we didn’t expect. It made me put together a document of financial info and logins for my daughters.
Yes, I have all that info for my children too. I did it when I went to North Korea – just in case I didn’t get out!!!