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Staycation

August 27th, 2008 at 03:21 pm

I think reality has sit in with dh - I think he has decided not to go to the Bay this weekend.

Anyway, I read my fellow local blogger maismom said she was thinking "staycation" for the 3-day-weekend.

I certainly have the same plans.

I guess this is where I feel blessed to have a flexible job (something I really wouldn't have any other way).

I notice more and more over the years how the masses pile up their cars on 3-day-weekends and head out.

Sounds absolutely horrific to me - the traffic and crowds. We try to limit our vacations to 3-day-weekends that aren't 3-day-weekends for everyone. Or maybe just shortened weekends - avoiding the crowds.

So, as usual, I have no Labor Day plans. I think it is a great time to stay home. Big Grin Perhaps BBQ and do so stuff local. But no, would not be one to go camping or head out of town for the weekend. Blech.

The state fair is going on, but in past years we weren't impressed and as we are pinching pennies it is not something we are planning.

I think this is the last weekend the pool is open so we will hit the pool, maybe 3 times, and we may visit Fairytale Town (a few minutes drive - which will probably be empty anyway). & there will mostly be hanging out at home. Not much else I rather do. Though it may be a good time for a local hike - depends on the weather. That is something to think on.

I am planning on taking the week of Thanksgiving off which isn't terribly exciting, but is also not a huge travel time on that M-T, or the weekend before (on the roads). So we will have to think on how we may take advantage of that time. BM will be out of school. I was also thinking of taking a couple of Fridays off in December - we will probably do some traveling then. Monterey and/or San Francisco, with or without kids.

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Reminds me, as much as I don't do crowded 3-day weekends, I am also not a fan of traffic. Ugh!

I don't know what it was Monday but it was TRAFFIC everywhere. It really sucked. No doubt contributed to my grumpy mood. Seems to have been an isolated incident. I wonder if school was starting back or what, for many people. It just seemed everywhere I went...

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Anyway, I am officially sick but it is very mild. Dh said he thinks he got it too. The kids would never slow down to let us know - I should probably look in their throats to see if they are suffering the same fate.

It's 7am and BM is still asleep. That boy is whooped. (The kids delight at waking up before 6am, usually. It's strangely quiet at this 7am hour).

I still didn't get any sleep because at 1am LM let out a scream in his sleep. I think him? I don't know - the kids have it out for me. It's been that way every night lately. I was awaken by weird noises the other night just to find them fast asleep.

LM I give kudos too - he is usually too fearful to get up and potty on his own so he just whimpers or calls us quietly. I hear it all though - dh just sleeps through. So last night I awoke at 2am (the witching hour lately) to a door slam. Not only had LM gotten up by himself, but he closed (slammed) the door so the light wouldn't bother anyone. Probably at the request of dh. Which is fine, except it was a bit loud. BM and dh were none the wiser. I would not say I am a light sleeper, but no, I can not sleep like the dead like those two. Gah. & when it comes to the kids - yeah - I hear everything. It's a mom thing. Dh, bless him, was always great with the kids when they were infants, night shift and such. BUT sometimes it wasn't helpful because I would often wake up just BEFORE the kids did or often I would hear them and he wouldn't. Which only helps so much. If you're wide awake anyway, and your spouse is snoring away through the screams, might as well get up. Wink The last few nights were very deja vu in that regard.

I figured LM would need help anyway so up I was, last night.

I can't help but wonder if I got a night of uninterrupted sleep, if my sore throat may go away. *sigh*

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The kids have doctor checkups this week, and BM has his first dental fillings. Ugh. What a $$$$$ week it is. Though dh and I did joke we would get billed for these doctor appointments in a year. Not too much to stress over. They are maddening. The bills trickle in slower than molasses. I think it has been over 6 months since our ambulance adventure with BM and still no bill for the ambulance? It's maddening to me to have no idea how much it cost. The only plus is it may cost 0 because BM may use his entire deductible in the interim. & if we don't use ours, we may come out ahead. Imagine that?

Yeah, not holding my breath. But wishing and hoping, all the same. Could really use a lot of that medical savings for dental bills.

Hey they plus side is this is good for our taxes. My tax bill is going down by the second. OF course even that isn't terribly exciting at a 15% tax rate. For every $1k we spend on dental bills, we save $150? I guess it's like a built-in 15% discount.

Our medical deductions may be more than the max HSA anyway. Not what I would have wished, but yeah, we're not going the HSA route this year. For sure. At best we could have put $3k away, instead we will probably get to deduct $5k in expenses. (portion over 7.5% of our income - lucky us. Our medical expenses & premiums (including dental) run 15% gross income. I am just trying to look at the bright side). I am most definitely getting a tax refund - overwithheld by a few hundred, at this rate.

6 Responses to “Staycation”

  1. Broken Arrow Says:
    1219849300

    Staycation. Nice!

    Yeah, I absolutely refuse to take road trips on weekends like that. I just stay local.

  2. thriftorama Says:
    1219851322

    Gee. I didn't even realize Labor day was coming up. I am out of the loop.

    We're trying to think of a short weekend trip we can take in October, when the in-laws come and can watch the bean.

  3. Maismom Says:
    1219851573

    I agree about the State fair. It's hot, over priced, and too many unattractive vendors.

    btw, have you ever been to Aquatic center on Sunrise Blvd. off of hwy50? It is Sac State operated facility but open to public, and you can rent canoe & cayak really cheap.

  4. monkeymama Says:
    1219869084

    We went in 2005 and just had a horrid experience there too - everything was so unorganized. Though I do admit my biggest complaint is the heat. Wink
    No on the aquatic center, but funny you mention because we went on a Folsom hike and parked right next door at a state park (we actually turned into the aquatic center by mistake, first). They have a great bike trail over there and we loved watching all the boats. It was really nice. I don't do boats because I get sea sick, but maybe some day when the kids are older - it looked like a great place.

  5. zetta Says:
    1219876491

    Any idea if there is there an income phase-out on the medical deduction?

  6. monkeymama Says:
    1219932187

    Which one?

    For itemized deductions the medical bills (and insurance premiums) just have to be over 7.5% income. Harder to deduct anything, the higher your income gets. The only other phase out off the top of my head is your itemized deductions get phased out at (very) high income levels.

    Our health insurance premiums just happen to be 7.5% of income (we switched to a HDHP), so everything we pay out of pocket, above our premiums, is tax deductible, this year. Makes it easy to keep a running tally in my head.

    For the HSA, no. It's a great tax tool because there are currently no income limits on the tax deductibility. But probably not what you are asking - I think you said you had great benefits and so would not go the HDHP/HSA route.

    I have blogged a few times we would prefer not to use a HSA, though I was open to seeing how the year went. BUT we would embrace it if my spouse worked, because our deductions above 7.5% income would be much less on 2 incomes, and it would be a great tax shelter if we had everything else maxed out. But for now on one income in the state of Cali? I'd rather itemize. Not like I have money left to save for medical after paying 15% of my gross, or so. Though I understand I could put it away and then pull it back out, but California makes the whole thing a nightmare since the do not recognize HSAs. I'd still have to itemize for state, etc.

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