Last night

Don and Will are at the Clint Eastwood movie and I am left here alone with the rest of the delicious berry/rhubarb/apple crumble I made this morning.  It is very tasty.

I enjoyed myself at the hockey game last night, but I think it was probably more the good conversation and the happiness of catching up with Cheryl and Vern that did the trick.  Not only that, but we were sitting way up high and so it was really quite peaceful watching the little figures gliding along on the ice.  Almost balletic at times. 

I liked it better than watching on t.v., because they sold cotton candy and warm cinnamon sugar mini donuts and when the players got into a fight, I’d just turn my head and you don’t have the announcer describing the blows and the close-ups of the pulpy bleeding faces and the replays and commentary and the shots of the angry faces yelling swear words with revenge in their eyes.  There was none of that dynamic, way up high in the bleachers.  Look away, eat a tuft of cotton candy and it’s over. 

All of a sudden my brain flashed to the atrocities that were committed in the Second WW.  The atrocities that are being committed today.  The desperate and homeless that are lining our streets.  Look away, eat some cotton candy, drive past. 

I went through my closet this last week and took all of the suits and nice clothes from my past that I don’t need to wear anymore because I work from home now.  Jeans and tee-shirts, an occasional pair of cords and nice top for my school visits.  Everything else, anything that I hadn’t worn in the last year, no matter how nice it was, or how much it cost, or who gave it to me, I folded them up and drove down to this charity that is having hard times with the turn down and dropped them off. 

It was a weird feeling, not to have the safety net of those power suits and what-not in case I ever needed to walk in that old world I used to be in.  Weird, but good.  Because I thought of the women that are new to this country, or out of rehab, or bad relationships, trying to start a new life, get off the streets, get a job.  I thought of them, putting on a lovely cashmere sweater and feeling confident that they would pass.  Putting on one of those kick-ass suits and saying, “yes, I can do it,“ and going in for that meeting and nailing that job. 

I was a bit over zealous.  My closet was never overly stuffed and now it practically echos.  I don’t miss the fancy old me clothes one bit. 

Anyway, back to last night.  I thought the hockey game was going to be way rowdier than it was.  With people roaring and stomping their feet and slopping beer over my shoulder.  There were cheers and such and when Matt Sudin got his first goal everyone shot to their feet and cheered and cheered for a really long time to let him know that they were so happy and pleased that he finally made up his mind and decided to join the Canucks.  They gave him two or three standing ovations and cheered forever.  Maybe the fans were hoping that if they made it really cozy for him, he’d decide that he liked Vancouver and would sign up for next year too.

I devoured the Suze Orman book, 2009 Action Plan, How to Keep Your Money Safe and Sound.  I had woken up with another hot flash so I put on my robe and puttered downstairs in the dark.  I find sometimes if I get out of bed, instead of lying there stressing about how I can’t fall back asleep, that it works better for me. 

Then after several hours have passed, I can return to bed, good and tired and fall right to sleep.  This way I associate the bed with sleep.  Before, it was getting so the minute I settled down into bed, my mind would start worrying and spinning that I might have difficulty sleeping, and then I would.

Speaking of difficulty sleeping, trying to keep up with the new economic drama and social/political goings on in the world is NOT helping the sleep quotient one bit!

Anyway, I really loved reading Suze’s action plan, because it made me feel like at least somebody is out there, trying to help the average normal person make sense of this mess.  What I loved about it was I felt it really puts practical information into people’s hands. 

She takes different scenarios and then not only says, this is what you need to do, but she actually puts the contact information right there. 

If you are having financial challenges, it would be an excellent idea to read the whole book.  You can still download a PDF of the book for free if you go to Oprah.com Suze has made it available to anyone who goes there until Thursday. 

If you don’t have time to read the whole book, or you find it overwhelming, then just do one chapter. 

Say you are scared that the bank is going to foreclose on your house, go to that chapter and your options will be laid out for you plain and simple along with what you need to do and who you need to contact.

Drowning in credit card debt?  Go to that chapter and you will get a straight forward very good step-by-step plan to get out of it.

Getting fiscally sound is very important, especially now. 

You know how I’ve said you need to have a six month safety net in savings, well according to Suze, in this economic environment you now need eight. 

I know it sounds like a lot.  It is a lot.  But it’s really important.  The unemployment figures are way higher than the government figures are stating and they are going to go up as the effect of this Fall’s economic fallout start to be felt.  The next while is going to be rocky.  I know I’ve been warning about this, but now it’s here, sitting on our doorstep and it’s even bigger and worse than even I imagined, which is saying a lot.

So, if you are at all worried about your finances, take advantage of Suze’s generous offer, download her book, and start taking the steps necessary to get your family’s financial future and safety back on track.

Wow.  I sound like an advertisement.  Let me just state for the record that Suze Orman doesn’t know me from dirt.

Happy reading everyone! 

Love, Meg xo

Posted by Meg Tilly on Sunday, January 11, 2009 in Chewing the Fat

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