Shredding the Past

Despite dire weather predictions for these two days off I was able to get everything I wanted to do done, plus a couple of extras not in the original plans.

Though it was not very sunny yesterday it was mild and that lifted spirits everywhere. Took a walk on the boardwalk at sunrise. Got the usual errands out of the way, did some window shopping, (for the wish list)  stopped at the book store to pick up a back-ordered purchase. (More on that at a later date.) In late afternoon while doing laundry I was feeling a wee bit Irish, (Irish Cajun? anything's possible!) so made a traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner. A small brisket and head of cabbage, a few small potatoes, carrots and onions made for a great change of diet and delicious, too. And I listened to "Donnybrook" all the while. It's a musical based on the film "The Quiet Man" and it's fair to say it wasn't exactly a hit.  I like the music.

I went hunting online for a locking file cabinet (everyone is scared stiff about Identity Theft here) and/or a fire-safe to keep the all important documents safe from theft or fire. While I was at it, I searched for a reasonably-price paper shredder, you know, for home use, but both of these items seem to have shot up in price since I lost the ones I had to my Ex in the move from the previous life.  I printed a few items that caught my eye and decided to check local stores this morning, which I did. 

As luck would have it I found the Shredder seen online at Staples for $40.00 less (store sale) so I snapped it up for $20.00. Printer paper and binder were also on sale.  So, I am set for the season. The file cabinet however, was a different story.  Prices have shot up and quality has decreased even on name brands, to a point where one can dent the front panel with a finger.  So I doubt the locking system would be of any value.  A can opener would certainly give one access to any valuables contained therein. I think the best move is to keep a lookout for an older one at a garage sale, or thrift shop.

While I was out I filled up the car which cost $29.00 for about 9 gal. of regular unleaded - and that was with the .20 discount per gal. from my supermarket points card. OK, so the last time I filled up was January 5th, but still, that's a lot of money these days. I am fortunate that I can walk to work and only use the car for errands once weekly, so that helps.

Connected the new shredder and am very pleased with the performance and resulting confetti. The machine is also quieter than I remember when shredding multiple sheets.  Good news all round. 

The not so good news is that while shredding old credit card statements I came across an account opened for the promotional value - no interest for 1 year - because the Ex had run up a lot of bills on one card and wanted to pay it off due to high interest.  Here's the dish: I opened the account in January, 2006.  Wrote a check for the full balance on his card ($3100.00) and promptly got sick, had surgery and was out of circulation for about 5 months.

During that time he made small payments monthly, went public with his new relationship, and started the plans for a new house while I was sedated and on high doses of Prednisone.  Prednisone was a big part of my life for well over a year and I suffered many ugly side effects. When I discovered all that had gone down I was il-prepared to cope with all of it and promptly forgot about having paid off his bill using my "new" account. The no-interest ended in 2007.  It took over THREE years to pay off that balance and I am only now discovering how much more I was screwed than originally thought.

Oh well, it is what it is.  Threshold of Revelation, and all that...

The rain seems to be over and the sky is making a great effort to clear, at least partially.  It's close to 60'F so I may take another stroll on the boardwalk this afternoon. The crocus and hyacinth are popping up and green is spreading everywhere.

Who knows? Maybe I'll arrive to find a tax refund check in the mail box.  I can dream, can't I?

And so it goes.
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