Lessons

After six long months of unreturned phone calls, threatening letters, and negotiation, I have finally received a check from the moving company for my "lost" bike.  I still secretly check ebay on a weekly basis to see if my old friend shows up for auction.  I have also managed to stay true to my resolution to not eat out for lunch at work anymore.  While my intake of orange chicken has decreased, my intake of real oranges has increase.  Probably a worthwhile trade off.  I find myself reassuring my pleading stomach that this will all be worth it.  I don't think he believes me.  So that, with the $35 dollars I save in cancelling my gym membership result in $85 a month going to my fund.  

I recently taught a course and earned another $300.  I was thrilled!  The next day my family set out on a cross country flight for my sister's wedding.  Less than 24 hours after having $300, baggage fees and car rental fees/insurance ate away at all my profits.  Not a good day morale wise to say the least.  Couple it with the fact that this all went down at about 2 AM in a rental mini-van, kids screaming and my mother giving me less than helpful directions from the back seat to the hotel.  I'd ask, "Where do I need to turn?"  Her response: "Well, when your father and I came, we originally turned left a block before hand, but we discovered an easier way..."  To which I would respond, "That's great, but do I need to turn left here?"  Mom: "There is an entrance coming up and it is a quick way into the hotel parking lot, but there is also another way in...oh yes, that back there is where we turn."  

Needless to say we missed the turn and by then, the kids were not the only ones yelling in the car.  We eventually made it. My wife was mad at me for yelling at my mom and I was still out $300.  Here is what I learned:

1) Nothing good ever happens at 2 AM and I just seem to end up owing everyone an apology even though I'm the one out all the money. 

2) Things never work out the way you plan.  Consider the running total to my bike fund:

+300 -300 :( +85 +300 = $385 and a long ways to go.

3) Patience is a very hard quality to develop.

4) Rental car insurance is the biggest scam!