Much going on...

**Dentist appointment Friday in Bay Area. Clean bill of health. (I wasn't nervous about our appointment, but am crossing my fingers for the kids in February). BM has horrible baby teeth (very cavity prone). Anyway, I worry if LM took after BM. I have never been cavity (or problem) prone. Dh - not as an adult. Paying thousands in dental bills (fillings) was nothing I planned for because nothing from my personal frame of reference. So I am holding my breath a bit, hoping for some improvement since the last visit. & hopiung LM fares better as he nears the same age.

I am more worried from a health perspective, but yeah, the financial stress would follow if he was still getting more cavities!

**We also had our first 2009 doctor visit. It went exceptionally well though.

Anyway, for one, our HMO is coming under fire for not getting people in fast enough and stupid stuff like that. I read the newspaper articles and I am thinking, "Do they have the right HMO? Huh? Since when is it hard to get in? For ANYTHING?!?" But anyway, this is probably not the BEST example. Because this is about the most serious thing we have called the Doctor about in a long time. But we dropped off LM with Grandma Tuesday night and she called to say she was concerned he was urinating every 15 minutes. We didn't know what she was talking about and figured she was exaggerating. Plus he gets in these phases. Figured it was the stress of staying with MIL or something. Don't get me wrong, he was in great hands, but she can be a little crazy all the same.

Anyway, we saw him Friday after our appointments and he was running to the bathroom every 10 minutes. Egads.

So Saturday morning we called the doctor at 8am and we got in at 10am. I was very confused though. I figured this must be something really bad that he is being rushed to the doctor. I felt horrible that it had been 4 days before anyone called the doctor. I mean, MIL didn't exactly make clear how worrisome his behavior was. & anyway, I figured they'd send us to the lab first. So why are we going to the doctor?

Well, we went in and they did lab tests in the office. It took about 2 minutes. I guess it's been a while since I went in for any lab tests. Holy Cow! This is the way to do it! Doc came in and said they had screened him for kidney infection or diabetes and he was negative on both (sigh of relief). So he tries to tell us it is "potty training." I remember I wasn't concerned because he had done that during potty training, BUT that was AGES ago. It was different when we saw it firsthand, you know. So I wasn't very pleased with the results at that point. OF course, the doctor said he would examine him anyway, and in the end it turns out his privates were just iritated. Now, that makes sense. Just gave us some cream, instructions to keep the area extra dry, and sent us on our way.

Wonderful experience. Plus, it's not the first time we have had to rush to the Doctor in San Jose. So makes it all the better.

Anyway, when we returned to Grandma's house she said, "$20 well spent." Ugh. It was more like $200, but yes, VERY well spent, thanks! ($20, I wish! LOL).

The funny thing was he was getting better anyway Saturday. I mean, he way toned it down. So, it was kind of moot. I think it was clearing up on its own. If we had driven down Saturday to pick him up I think we would have chalked it up to crazy MIL or something. Like, what is she talking about?

**I went bike shopping with my dad yesterday and am eyeing a $400 bike. Will see... If nothing else, I have narrowed down what I want to look for in a bike.

I looked at a very sleek top notch (by my standards) bike for about $440 at quite a hoity toity place in San Jose. (Actually the lower price range of the bike I wanted). I made a mental note to actually buy my bike in Sacramento. I may be able to get something a little cheaper since Sacramento is not the playground of the rich as much as the Bay Area is.

I found something similar for about $380 at another shop. It wasn't quite as sleek looking, but had about all the same features. & was the most comfortable thing I have ever sat on. Ever. LOL. I also preferred it in the sense as I think the other one would be a larger theft target. I don't want to get mugged for my bike, for sure. (& yeah - it was about $60 cheaper).

Which leads me to another conundrum. I think in the end I may buy 2 bikes. One for around the neighborhood, and one I may actually keep inside the house and only use on longer rides. If I buy this bike, I would just have to be extra careful with it.

Then again, $400 for a bike that should last a good 20 years and is so high end, is not bad. Technology has gone a long way since I last avidly biked.

But then again, it's only worthwhile if the thing doesn't get stolen. & you know, we generally try not to draw attention to our larger purchases. But a bike is harder to hide.

Anyway, before yesterday I wasn't quite sure what I wanted. So now I know. If I end up with a $400 bike, I will probably take a year to save up for it and shop around.

I am also going to look around for a hitch so BM can ride on the back. Either something that can connect his bike when he gets tired or in more dangerous conditions, or an actual wheel, pedals, handlebars thing that attaches to the back. It might be expensive to get something safe. & certainly no rush. But yeah, biking can be a pretty expensive hobby. For now, I just want a bike. & we will go from there. No hurry, at all. Time is something that seems to get more abundant with time. So during tax season there is no rush. When the heck would I ride? But as the kids get older, something I Want to get back into. So, certainly no rush here. But I am really excited all the same. The thing was a beauty! I decided to go with a hybrid. It weighs a whopping 27 pounds. I mean, the thing just weighs nothing.

I did largely decide yesterday I would like to go brand new with the bike. For various reasons. Though I will still keep an eye on the classifieds now that I have a better idea what I want! Certainly not the worst plan to go used until I know for sure I will get back into biking. But it's hard to get back into it without an approproate bike, etc.

I am still extremely dissapointed we don't have the foothills in our backyard, here, but I will make do. I realize that flat riding isn't the worst. & if I can get a bike I can take it with me to San Jose (we go enough). & once in a while
I can take a half hour drive out to more hilly rides. I am warming up to it as I have been having so much fun with my crappy $20 Craigslist bike.

---------

Anyway, I don't remember the last time I wanted to buy something over $100. BUT dh told me there is nothing on his buying horizon this year (nothing large, and there usually is - all the time). So, it just might work out. My turn to be extravagant for a change.

Yes, it does feel a little odd to be looking at these bikes when the economy is in the toilet. But what can I say. We didn't over-spend the last decade, so it's not really much of a biggie to us. In the end our consumption is about where it has always been anyway. At a pretty sustainable level.

----------

Today I am just working and taking a deep breath before next week. Finished all my W-2s and 1099s well ahead of schedule, BUT there is individual tax returns to begin and Corporate tax returns and all sorts of stuff to do on top of the regular workload. So yes, I do feel a little stressed!