New Beginnings

Andy and I attended the final hearing yesterday for the financial section of his divorce from the Ex. We didn't end up having to go into the Judge's chambers as the two of them managed to come to a settlement that only needed to be signed and witnessed in front of the judge.

The sad thing is that after two long years she finally agreed on a lesser deal than Andy had put forward in the beginning - a bit annoying as it could have been settled more in her favour a long time ago without the outrageous solicitors fees (especially as hers are likely much higher). All this so that Andy would walk away with only a quarter of what the house is worth. Either way, we are moving on, something we have been trying to do for over a year now. We no longer have to deal with her and her behavior in regard to financial and can begin saving money for a down payment on our own house.

If your up to a challenge, or May be just a bit bored, you might want to try this link. See if you can achieve what couldn't quite manage. Something tells me I will go back to it until I do succeed.

The Joy of Reading

Lately I have been polishilng off 1-2 books a week. I have always been mad about reading, ever since my mother first read to me as a baby. I'm not overly fussy about what I read, so long as the plot is captivating enough to hold my attention and its well written. Both Connor and Alex ask me on a regular basis why I read so much. Unfortunately they are not children who like to read. However because they are so used to seeing me read, they will from time to time ask me if I have something they might like to read, especially Connor. Just last night he asked me if I have always read and when I answered yes, he replied with 'why do you like to read so much?' My response was to ask him why he likes TV so much. His answer was because he can see the pictures... I told him with a smile that I too can see pictures when I read, only I get to make them up myself.

After this discussion I got to contemplating the thought of how much I actually do read, and why. Reading accomplishes a number of things for me: it takes me away from my troubles, somewhere where I can focus on the occurrences in someone else's life; reading helps me to relax just before going to sleep at night; reading takes the place of just sitting in boredom while in waiting areas or on long car journeys. But the plain truth of the matter is, I just love to read. Sometimes it is a bit worrying that I prefer to stay in and read than socialize or converse with someone, however this is a rare event, basically only when I'm engrossed in a fantastic book. I suppose I have never found my reading to be unusual or something to think about until now, as most of the people in my life were advid readers: Mom, Dad, Tawny, Dawn, my former boss Kristin, etc. Here's to all the readers out there who share in the love of a good book! Long may you continue to find solace in your books, as well as expand the grey matter!