Refinance

The word for today is “refinance”. Late last year we saw some of the lowest interest rates in a very long time. Not wanting to miss out on a chance to make our retirement funds go further we jumped on the band wagon. 

Well now let me tell you the ride was time consuming! It wasn’t a new loan…we were just “refinancing”!

The process started with, what seemed like a totally new loan submission of everything we have, copies and originals. Fortunately we were able to scan and send much of the requested data (down load, complete and rescan to PDF…don’t ya love technology?), forms and copies.

As the folder grew we “slogged” onward, interrupted by a trip to Pennsylvania, and Ohio (see blog on “Speakeasy”) we received, completed and resent enough data to qualify for a TOP SECRET national security clearance!

We began to wonder how anyone can get a loan today…if the lending institutions had been this diligent in the past…“maybe” we wouldn’t have had the financial crisis we have….”ya think”?

Before this blog becomes as long as the process…we finally completed the process and closed yesterday. Was it worth it…”oh ya”. We were able to reduce our interest rate by over (2) two points!

And that folks will buy a lot of dog food for Noel.

Noel (Part II)

We last posted on December 4^th. about our new puppy…a delightful Shih Tzu fur ball named Noel (cleverly named because we picked her up on Christmas Eve…well it seemed appropriate).

Christmas is always a blur of activity, hauling out and putting up the decorations, buying and wrapping presents and our annual dinners with friends and families.  Time flew by!

Christmas Eve dawned with overcast skies and a promise of rain. We were up early and anxious to head across town to pick up our newest family member.  Arriving just as the rains arrived (no complaints as we need the rain!).  Noel had really grown, but was still little more than a handful. We bundled her up against the cold rain and headed home.

Nervous at first, a strange new home, she slowly explored her new environment, sleeping often and liking to be cuddled and held. Even strange arms are ok when that’s all you have.

Day by day she ventured further from the bedroom, where her bed was and carpet…the wood floors in the living room gave her problems at first….slipper for her little paws.

She quickly learned what the pads were for and dutifully did her business.  

She played hard, chewing on shoes, untying shoe laces and growling ferociously (well just a little growl).

Slowly she learned to follow us around the house, her little world of three rooms.

Then she was introduced to the outside world….the leaves in the yard were as big as she was!

In a short week she has adapted, grown and thrived!  Now she rules the roost, bouncing around the house and yard, captivating all, old and young, she meets, living up to her heritage of finding a lap a sitting in it.

Still going in spurts of energy, interspersed with naps…sleep, play, eat and poop (sorry but it the only way to describe).

Every day is a joy to watch her developing her character...and "she is a character!"