Heavy Billing Month - October

I didn't write my book tonight but had thought about recording this excitement for several days. Let me do it before going back to sleep.

October may be the heaviest month for me to paying several large bills and my goal has been always tapping the savings as minimal as I can. 

My original plan was draw the payment for my son's tuition from savings entirely, which I did the end of September. Now, I expect to recover $2,000 in this month and November. In this summer, we didn't spend too much money on vacation, which did help me pay the significant bills in this month. In addition, I have been meticulously planning the spending, which almost ensures me to control family's daily cost to each cent. My parents don't spend much money, their largest cost probably is medical including Doctor's visits, Tests and Medications, but they are well covered by Medicare A, B, D and Washington State Apple Plan. I control my cost very carefully. However, I allow my son to spend whatever he wants, which was my parents doing to me when I was young. Excepts eating a lot, my son actually doesn't spend much money either. 

The unexpected spending this year was $11,000 on this used Mazda-5 because I wouldn't be able to keep my 16 years old van for another two years. Though I have lost money on Twitter and Gopro in this year, I had taken opportunities to cut loss whenever they rebounded. In addition, I did make a little on Zillow. So far, I have cashed out $6,500 from my trading account. My plan is cover 11K cost on the car by drawing more toward the end of the year. Loss on trading account has one benefit, I will get tax refund for 2016 to pay my 1st half property taxes in April, 2017, then I won't need to plan too much to cover them. 

Following my detail plan combined with savings for my son's educational expenses, everything should be covered through May, 2018 if there isn't any surprise when he graduates his bachelor degree from University of Washington. This plan will also cover a cross country vacation and a Jeep Compass for my son next summer. 

The bigger spending will come after if my son goes to law school: 

• At the least expense of $160,000 to cover everything if he goes to UW Law School;
• At the most expense of $280,000 to cover everything if he goes to Yale Law School.

However, if this happens, I will sell my rental townhouse in 2019 to cover everything for him. If he can get scholarship, it will somewhat help. He wants to go to other State for his graduate studies, which inevitably will increase the cost.

I feel very comfortable for my life if everything goes as planned. The worst case scenario will be that I can start doing whatever I want in January, 2022 when my son gets a lawyer's position in public sector with a salary of $60,000. He may make $160,000 if becoming an attorney in private sector. 

I am so motivated to spend my time everyday no matter if it is at work doing everything or at home doing nothing, because I have a solid plan for my life, which is very achievable. 

By the way, I may have a lot of pleasant surprises because my plan is the most conservative. Yes, I am very lazy. 

Huskies Taking Ducks in Eugene

The success of Washington Huskies is credited to their trophy coach Chris Peterson first. It sounded he refined the definition of "Men" for the team. 

Of course, Matt, the former Heisman Trophy winner could assess Jake Browning very well. What his point was Browning being a decisive factor to helping Washington sticking with National Champ.

The former Pitts and Dolphin coach made the comment on Ducks' QB. 

While uploading the clip I just snapped through my Gopro Hero 4, I keep updating this pre-game blog. It looks like a very sunny evening in Eugene and will be fantastic experiences for the fans of college football. 

The game is more critical for Washington Huskies because they must keep winning all the games to get into College Football playoff and may contend National Championship in early January, 2017. 

Another Wonderful Weekend

It's been another wonderful weekend but again, was too short. I wish I could make my every day a weekend: Watch sports and movies, go to gym to workout, write books, review theories of mathematics for my economic modelings. 

Husky Stadium was packed by 72, 027 fans on Friday night, so nothing else needs to be elaborated. Huskies crushed Cardinals and ranks 5th on AP Poll as well as 6th on Coaches Poll. How come do coaches discount Huskies? 

Baseball fans cheered for Mariners to keep coming back last night to keep the playoff hope alive. They lost in extra inning and were eliminated after such a wonderful baseball night at Safeco Field. 

Sleeping enough hours, I didn't turn on TV to watch Premier League this morning. Going to Lynnwood High School to practice soccer at 8:30am, I found all the fields were locked. I miss those days during summer break, no one used the field, so I could run through it freely because most of the time I was the only person there especially in early morning on weekends.

Seahawks beat Jets easily at Metlife Stadium, I fell into sleep from time to time in the first half, missed the first two TDs Seahawks made. Wilson started and played very well despite injured ankle. 

Going to gym to workout an hour, I had done it two-day-in-row. I need to resume it every night during weekday. So I plan to arrive at work at 7:00am, then come back home at 4:30pm. After dinner and taking rest, I will go to work out at 8pm, then come back home to write my book for an hour, finally go to bed at 11pm. 

Sounders beat Whitecaps in Vancouver, now they are most likely to secure a seat in playoff again. I hope they can win MLS Cup. 

Writing Chapter IV for an hour, I won't be able to finish this chapter until Wednesday night. 

Google is hiring advisor for acquiring Twitter. I always believe Google is the most strategic player in this game. Facebook insists on growing Instagram, otherwise it would be another right fit. Users can share their thoughts and opinions on Twitter in real time, then update the detail in their Google blog to elaborate. This is only one of the thousand examples why Google bidding for Twitter makes perfect sense. 

Ok, I am really tired and need to sleep...

Weekend too short

Massive killings in Burlington on Friday night bothered me too much. I checked online to try to find out any updates whenever I woke up. Watching PL matches in the morning, I didn't go to gym before lunch but went there to work out for an hour in the afternoon. 

Watching Huskies game on Saturday night, Mariners game at Twin Cities on Sunday, Sounders match in Carson and Seahawks game at Centurylink Field, of course all on TV, I was so thrilled that all Seattle teams won. 

Sunday was my son Ricky's 21 years old birthday, and he had moved back to his dorm at UW on last Friday. After Seahawks game, I drove to his dorm to pick him up because I planned to drive him to Feast Buffet close to our office building in Renton. In Europe, the drinking ages are much younger and in China it has never been enforced, but in US, he was only allowed to do it on and after this birthday. He drank a bottle of sake while eating a lot of foods. 

Dropping him back to his dorm, I went back home pretty late and tired, so didn't write anything for my book this weekend.

It's 9:50pm on Monday now, I started writing Chapter IV - At the Sea half an hour ago but won't write more tonight. Pat and Kristina will be on the ship from Hirtshals to Bergen while recalling the two nights both families staying together in Paris in 2012. I didn't write Kristina and Antonio's 1990 US East Coast trip in Chapter III, so will capture it in Chapter IV. In addition, I may add Pat's visiting Chicago and NYC in X'mas 87 in this chapter as well. 

Recently, I repeatedly listened Hosanna, which inspires me so much. However, I found another song by Hillsong: Across the Earth, is equally inspirational. 

OK, I will go to sleep in ten minutes but write 2,000 words every night to wrap up Chapter IV on Friday...

Thunderstorm

Yesterday, on my road back home, I heard on the radio a thunderstorm hit Bothell. Arriving at home, I caught it from my dad that the earlier thunderstorm washed our neighborhood very hard. I wasn't sure if it only fell down in our area. Anyway, I didn't notice that in Renton while I was in the office.

It triggered me to recall the harsh thunderstorm to hold me returning the rental car at Arlanda in last July. As soon as I walked out of the airport where the hotel was located, the harsh rains dropped. 

Today, I found this website following my blog.

Don't be mad, that will be just a novel.

As promised, I will be living in those three places for a year... Let's shoot for...2026. 

Weekend to be gone

It's the last two hours before the weekend is gone. I meant, in two hours, the clock will hit midnight. 

I am not sure if I achieved a lot during this weekend: Driving my dad to buy Chinese grocery while my son and I picked up other stuff at Costco. Then we had a delicious spicy lunch at Sichuan Garden in Lynnwood. Watching Sounders overcoming Whitecaps, Huskies crashing Vikings, I baked Ribs in the oven my son picked for late dinner on Saturday night. 

Sleeping from time to time this morning, I didn't go to gym as planned. Seahawks lost to Rams in LA, which wasn't a surprise to me. Actually, on Friday night, it was raining relatively hard, which gave me a chance to check if the leak was fixed by Chris two week ago. I forgot to mention that I asked him to help check it out after my dad said to me there could be leak on the ceiling in their toilet, part of their big bathroom attached to master bedroom. Harsh rains two-day-in-row might cause the issue then. Chris climbed onto our roof to check but didn't see the problem, he filled some stuff up around the ventilation fan. As today's proof, he fixed it. Super.

I wasn't able to finish Chapter III of my book but will wrap it up by Tuesday night as far as I can estimate the progress. As I said, the majority of the scenes was in Bologna and New England back in 1990, in addition to nowadays in Denmark. I had written 8,000 words for this chapter so far, 2,000 more to go as planned.

Ok, I am about to go to bed pretty soon. I have steam pressed all five shirts and pants for the next week, so no more needs to be done tonight. 

Weekend in front of eyes

Finally, we all see Weekend just in front of eyes. EPL, MLS, NFL, NCAA are on the pipeline. Mariners are getting into Wildcard race tightly, so I may watch their games during this weekend.

Of course, I plan to finish Chapter III of my book - Return Scandinavia by Sunday night. It will describe Pat and Nana driving through Denmark while retroactively telling the stories having happened in Bologna and New England in later 80s before they met in 92. 

The other night I shared a part of Chapter II of which actually was rewriting of my post in Chinese on my blog on Sina almost ten years ago. It described a scene in winter 2006 at Arlanda. So, I don't need to remind the readers it nothing related to anyone or anything I even hadn't known back then. 

Ok, Drinking up Coors Light and Taking a nap, then get up to write. Weekend is delicious, even Friday night is juicy too...