I forgot to mention in my last New Years reflection post that my budget is entirely in limbo at the moment. Not sure what will happen with payroll tax holiday the rest of the year, not 100% sure refi will go smooth, and don't know if I get any raise this year, etc.

Anyway, once I get my salary figure in the next two weeks, I will revise the budget. Mostly not sure what I have to do with $70/month medical insurance increase. Usually raise barely covers it. At least once I get salary nailed down I can do a budget with current mortgage, and revise it if/when refinance finalizes.

If refinance goes well, my new mortgage goal will simply be to pay more principal than interest, on a monthly or annual basis. I don't even know if I care so much about any further paydown or my "mortgage free age 45" goal if we can immediately commit to paying down more principal than interest. I think I could be content with that, and obviously that would go a long ways to an aggressive payoff. With the refi, thing is I wouldn't have to commit as many resources to the mortgage as I was planning to, and will be paying it off faster! Woohoo!

Of course, payroll tax holiday will continue to go to mortgage. I am not spending it or anything, just need a plan B if I can't put that to mortgage all year.

I wasn't paying attention - our state disability payroll tax went down 0.2% for this year. Woohoo! How did I miss that? Will increase my paycheck by $10 per month. I'll take it!!

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I got an enticing job offer today in my e-mail, from Liberty Tax Service:

"Be A Tax Animal," the e-mail subject said.

"Are you interested in working in an office where everyone is committed to your success? A place where the customers feel welcome? Were food and beverages are served and everyone is happy."

Well, why didn't you say so? Food and beverages served? Sign me up!

I mean, what the heck does that mean? LOL.

Anyway, I noticed the typo when I showed it to dh. Were food and beverage is served.

Too funny.

Where everyone is happy! The cheese is just too much with this statement.

I think I will keep my day job.

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Our neighbors had a New Years Day party, which was awesome. LOVE our neighbors.

This is dh and I: "So do not want to go to a big party, but will go for the kids. They will have fun."

In the end we had a GREAT time.

I figured something out too. There is this one woman friend of my neighbor who I just don't quite *get.* She is VERY nice. Too nice. I met her right after dh's brain surgery because took the kids to some party where I didn't really know anyone and she was very nice and talked to me quite a while. But she creeped me out a little bit because I didn't know her from Adam, but she sure seemed to know all about my husband and kids, etc. But balance that with the appreciation of someone being so nice and friendly to me when I didn't know anyone and just got my husband home from brain surgery. The creep factor was very small. Anyway, for the first time since always seeing her in passing, we had a really nice in-depth conversation. #1 - I REALLY like her. #2 - I think I kind of put my finger on some my reservations with her. Her and her husband look a fair amount older, and maybe just seem a little bit out of place. IT sounds terrible on some level because I sure as heck know a lot of older parents. It's not just the age. They just always seemed out of place to me, and that might just be some of it. But then I find out last night that neighbor's husband is 48. & so what dawned on me is that it sure as heck makes a lot of sense that they are friends. (Before, I didn't quite get their relationship?) Though my neighbor could easily pass as 20-something, she is 40-something, and apparently her husband is very near 50. The realization? Dh and I are the ones who are severely out of place! I find that funny. Which I think is one reason we get a lot of awe from a woman like her (which comes off a little creepy especially when you don't even know who the person is?). It's like 30 is the new 18. We are so YOUNG!! How did we do all this SO YOUNG!?! (I had kids at 27/29 - was hardly on the super young side, in my opinion).

But I suppose this is one reason why we like the group so much. I think we identify on a huge level with waiting and being emotionally and financially ready to have children. We just didn't have to wait so long to get to that point, ourselves. & I am only really realizing just how huge the age gap was there. I had no idea - everyone else generally looks so young.

So, from now on I will wonder who is wondering what the heck dh and I are doing there and wondering why *we* seem so out of place? LOL.

Anyway, found out this other family we know with kids the same age as ours, moved in behind us. Small World!

I LOVE my neighbor to death - but she is a beat down working mom who always just looks so exhausted. She put together this giant dinner for like 50 people yesterday and since all the kids are BOYS around here, let 15 or so rambunctious boys run through her house. Good for her - but I ain't going to do that. EVER!

So she mentions my wonderful next door neighbor and how we really need to get together on a monthly basis. Wonderful idea - just get something on the calendar. I thought she meant just the three of us, for dinner. So I offer to host. Then she starts mentioning the entire neighborhood. I am like, "Well, this was great, but it would have to be a potluck if I am hosting." & then I thought about it later and thought, "Yeah, I don't think so." The nice thing is during the summer we could just meet up at the pool and make it super casual. But I don't want all those boys in my house! So I am thinking of just inviting her and at most 2-3 other families end of this month, and just leave it like that. I was also thinking of another couple of families I would probably invite, anyway. I think if the core 3 of us want to do something like that, and we can invite whoever *we* want to, sounds like a good idea, but to have a "entire neighborhood" party every month is a bit much. So, will have to think on that. I think it's a great idea, but I know no one else I particularly interested in inviting the entire neighborhood to their house. Takes someone special. OR crazy!