2.25.2011

The Joy of Car Ownership

Two weeks ago I sent the final payment for our Saturn VUE to the finance company. A week later we got a check in the mail for the fifteen-cent overpayment we apparently made. It is nice to not owe any more money on the SUV. Now instead of making car payments, we get to spend the money on keeping the vehicle running.

Yesterday I took the Saturn in for an oil change and to get a tire repaired. I ended up taking home a vehicle which not only had new oil and filter as well as a patched tire, but also a new timing belt, a new battery, and new transmission fluid. Fortunately I only need to take it in for an oil change about ounce every five or six months, so barring anything unexpected happening to the Saturn, it will be at least that long before we have to spend any additional money on its maintenance.

2.23.2011

Becoming More Active

This morning I weighed myself again for my weekly Weight Watchers weigh-in, and once again my weight was up. It was down less than a pound from my weight at the beginning of December when Weight Watchers started its new Points Plus program. There are two things that have been holding me back in being successful at losing weight -- not carefully tracking my points and not getting exercise. That will change beginning today. Today I rode my bike for twenty minuted on my new bike trainer. Twenty minutes doesn't seem like a very long ride, but I figured it was a good start considering that I haven't been on a bike since the final day of RAGBRAI in 2009. Also, I did my bike riding during my lunch break from work, so I didn't really have the time to ride much longer than that.

I also will be more careful about tracking my points. I know I have said this before, but I think I can do it. I even recorded the two Carbury Creme Eggs, 4 Points Plus points each, that I had this evening. One of the hardest parts of tracking points is keeping up with them when I am away from a computer. It would be easier to do that if I had a smart phone, but that will have to wait.