**I mostly feel in limbo, which is primarily why I haven't been too bloggy.

Waiting for refinance to finish (will it ever???)

& should get paid overtime mid April. So can see where our cash balance shakes out. (We met some long-term cash balance goal at 12/31, but so many expenses this time of year - plus some home improvements, etc.).

Ideally we can greet May with a three-figure monthly mortgage payment, and a hefty savings account, and maxing out IRAs. At which point we are going to seriously sit down and discuss some priorities with how to move forward (I may have 20 competing ideas/goals, so it is a little over-whelming. Little things we have put off too long - $100 here and there that I think we can justify now - always the usual medical, vet, orthodontia bills to consider - as well as bigger long-term financial goals).

Work is too busy to focus on much else, so I guess I would be happy if refinance shakes out by April 15th.

Then I can see where we are at, and move on.

On the refi front, I was assigned a new loan processor (after much complaining), who was very responsive, and then just disappeared off the face of the eart. I also got a direct mail advert from a company who said to call even if we were *in the middle of a refinance.* I am thinking I might give them a call. Last broker was great, but just isn't offering the best fees/rates. Sure, you get what you pay for. But at the end of the day, if *this* loan ever closes, I really won't care about the hassle - I will have gotten the best rate. I just worry too much that this will never close. Aaarrrgggghhh. I am not feeling I want to go with last broker, even if I know it will go smooth. The rate just isn't good enough... His sale is "pay no fees/higher rate so you can just refinance later." I told him I don't want to refinance later - so we disconnect there. He might reconsider knowing I literally went elsewhere, though, so maybe I should just call him and grovel. He's always in the back of my mind for a smooth/fast refinance. I just expected more from my credit union. *Sigh*

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Tonight dh and I are going to a concert. We used to go to concerts all the time, then prices got insane.

We were both delighting in the reasonableness of this concert. (Blitzen Trapper). Which is why I would tell you we are going.

It hit me this week that this was a milestone for dh. He has been so down on concerts since losing hearing in one ear (brain tumor). I think what happened was he had some hearing problems in other ear last year, and the hearing test tech sensing his distress reminded him that all he will need is a hearing aid to restore hearing in the deaf ear, for the long run as technology is going. There is already one that would work for him. It's crazy expensive and not worthwhile, now. But it reminds him he can enjoy a concert and not worry about being 100% deaf in his old age. Which has been a worry for him, at times. He is super sensitive about preserving the hearing in the other ear, that is for sure.

So, I think this is a good step - you got to just get out and live a little. I am so happy to see him looking forward to a really loud indoor concert! Music and movies - those are his passion - so this is a really good thing.

How do I feel about staying up 4-5 hours past my bedtime on March 5? Taxes out my ears? Not thrilled, but happy for dh. I don't think I really know any of their music, either. But I can appreciate a good concert, so I am sure I will enjoy.

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Next two weeks are busy!

**LM starts piano lessons.

I am not sure how I feel about this. MIL wants to pay. Dh is pushing it. LM is very musical and will love it for the long run. But he is reluctant and I worry about pushing it too soon. Then again, the whole thing for me is wanting the kids to have a music foundation so they can play any instrument later, if they choose. I taught, and it is virtually *impossible* to teach adults music. It's so much easier when the brain is young. So, we might have just had to push it in a couple of years anyway (he is a person who will be musical, whether he admits it now or not). Dh is good at that stuff - glad he is handling it.

The other thing is BM is doing more of a classical/traditional training. I don't know if that will be best for LM. But I do want him to learn to read notes/basics. I will be searching out more improvisational type teachers I am sure, for the long run. BM and I are more classical/by the book types. LM will be a "play it by ear/creative" type, for sure. He's got clearly a natural talent for music. He is too young to know what he wants. He is 6 & 1/2. The kids' piano teacher was a 1st grade school teacher though, so I think she's a good place to start.

**Parent/teacher conferences next week

**Kids have dentist appointments

**I felt like odds were that refi would close next week. Probably too early, BUT, my calendar looks insane next week. So, seems when it would happen. I've we got various appointments every day.

**Dh made an appointment with a local dentist. I've been in denial since my lifelong dentist retired. I've tried a couple of dentists up here in the past - SO SCAMMY. Wanted to bill me thousands of dollars for work I clearly did not need. (A decade later, teeth are as perfect as always - without said work). Anyway, I sent dh to test out this guy. I googled "conservative/honest dentist" and this is all I Can find. My friends all have dentists of the scammy variety. The ones I saw came highly recommended! Ugh! Thank goodness for google. Anyway, IT's been a year since we had our teeth cleaned, and it is starting to drive me nuts. Dh can't be seen for another 6 weeks or so. I need to call and book an appointment. I can cancel it if his appointment goes bad, but I don't know if I can wait until June. I've never missed a 6-month-checkup in my life - it's time to get a good cleaning and polish in. *Fingers crossed*

I'll probably have a cavity or something for my extreme denial - should have done this in the summer. I have just been dreading, and kind of hoping my parents found someone good. {They haven't, and are in the same boat}. Since we kept a dentist 100 miles away for so long, I would do it again for someone honest. We are lucky we found a good dentist situation for the kids. We should actually ask them for a recommendation too, when we see them next week. They are pediatric dentists, so won't work for us! I don't know how on earth we lucked into that situation. IT's been perfect for BM and retired dentist approves of their work thus far. BM has needed a lot of work - he inherited the worst from both of us though - so it's no surprise and we have always had a solid second opinion.

If nothing else, dh has a dentist friend who was appalled at the scammy dentists I saw about a decade ago. We may end up going to him if we can't find someone more local. We went to him for a third opinion at that time. Heck, maybe he knows a good dentist who has moved to Sacramento - we should probably ask. Odds would be good - people always moving up here.