By: Revanche

Feels like Rip Van Winkle

November 27, 2008

Is it really Thanksgiving? Happy Thanksgiving, all!

I took to my bed on Tuesday evening, and have only just emerged for a short spell today as my fatigue permits. This is the first time I’ve really been able to form cohesive thought in any sort of linear pattern. Mutant virus, indeed! Whatever this is, it hasn’t let up its grip so I’ll likely pass on all but the most superficial examinations of the Black Friday ads. (Except for the laptop sales, friend keeps calling me with new updates and I can’t resist peeking, at least. But do I really have $600 to spend right now? Before tax? It’s not an impressive bargain but the machine is really quite nice and it’s not likely I’ll have a better deal popping up before next Turkey Day. Well, that’s a debate I haven’t the energy for, and pretty soon it’ll be a moot point.)

I did manage, however, to pay a couple bills and get the CarMax estimate from my dad who took the truck in for the appraisal for me. It’s nothing outstanding, of course, and I’d expected a low amount but actually seeing the appraisal come in at a cold $3000 still took my breath away, a bit. Wow. That little? *shaking head* I’d allowed for the probability. And knew it was likely. That amount will neatly clear the loan with a tenner to spare, or something like that. It may not even be worth the effort of taking it to the dealer for a buyback estimate, but that’ll only cost time, right? If I can muster the energy to leave the house by Saturday, it’d be lovely to have the truck issue resolved.

A few articles I’ve enjoyed in brief moments of lucidity:

Guest post by Living Almost Large at Clever Dude‘s on Thinking Poor?: it’s definitely a mentality that I’ve been weaning myself off to focus on achieving goals and a positive perspective.

Guest post by Jim of Blueprint for Financial Prosperity, also at Clever Dude‘s on Emergency Funds: Don’t know why I never get tired of thinking about emergency funds. Comforting to know it’s there? Just a couple weeks ago I debated creating a CD ladder, but committed to a single, smallish CD to help offset the lowered interest rates on my “high-yield” savings accounts.

I also liked LAL’s post on Moving for a Job: she asks questions that are very important to consider in the course of making that decision.

Frugal is running a fun little series on blogging about PF. Yep, very meta, she’s PF blogging about PF blogging. In Part 2 she asks about the spender/saver split and where her readers fall on either side of the divide. I think we’ve collectively built a bridge, myself!

Clever Dude’s co-author, Shawn, talked about his experience grooming his elderly, thick-coated dog. I had to laugh because my elderly, thick-coated dog has had to endure some similar bad-hair summers thanks to my adolescent enthusiasm and certainty that she’d rather be cool and comfortable, if a little weird looking. Turns out, she’d rather be overheated and not embarrassingly poorly groomed. Unfortunately for her, I really do enjoy the hands-on grooming, shampooing and all of my pets, so even though I won’t try to clip her coat ever again, she still gets bathed at home.

The NY Times runs an article on the New Medicaid rule that would allow states to charge premiums and higher co-payments for services and goods previously provided at no cost (I think) to low-income people. I can understand that states would need to recoup some of the cost of care in order to continue providing it, but I can also see how even nominal fees would become prohibitive. That latter point is actually what proponents consider a bonus, that people would use the services less and reduce the burden of cost and thereby freeing up the services for a greater population, but it’s also a rather cold, bottom line point of view. I can’t argue that it makes economic sense, it just can’t take the premier place in the consideration of how to address the problem.

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