Now I really did it :((

[Calliecake]

Happy Birthday Missy!!!!! I hope you are Greg are having a wonderful time on the tandem this morning! I'm so glad you have been having the cooler temperatures as that has to make riding much more enjoyable. I still can't wrap my head around all the miles you have logged this summer. So so impressive. So what other plans do you have for today? Anything special? I have been helping my niece get ready to move the past few days. It's not as easy when you have a one year old wanting to have everyones attention. She is so much more fun than packing boxes! We also had a family member's birthday this weekend so it was quite busy.

Jimmianne, I hope you hear soon that your offer has been accepted. The older I get the further away I would prefer my neighbors to be. This 1/4 of an acre lot stuff is not nearly enough space. I had to laugh at your comments about the jewerly you like always being expensive. I love looking at first dibs but everything I fall in love with is over $20,000. How I wish diamind prices would crash for a day!

Marcy, Stay away from those curbs girl! I still haven't replaced my wheel that is already all scrapped up. I definately think we are candidates for a driving school that teaches you how to stay away from curbs. I swear they constantly are jumping out in front of us Marcy. I don't understand why our husbands don't undwrstand this is what is happening.

Kristie, Is your weather still unbearable? I'm so glad it has been cooler here the past few days. I just wish it would rain for a change. How have Finn and Maggie doing?

Junebug, I hope all has been going well with you. Are you looking forward to going back to the beach house? How have things been going with your mom?

 

[MarionC]

Happy Birthday to our fearless leader!

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Missy, I hope you had a wonderful birthday! Oh no for running in to someone rude on the road. I’ve been known to utter a few curse words at idiots on the road myself. It sounds like you had a very nice weekend. Rats to have a broken cable but glad you were close to home and Greg was able to fix it. He is the MAN all right!

Jimmianne, I hope you get an acceptance on your offer soon. The Sharknados were silly. We were talking they’d be great for Mystery Science Theater 3000 – the original cast of course. Cute kitty picture.

Callie, I am sure your little niece is quite a helper at packing and moving. I think curbs are fluid and move from tidal waves as our car goes around a corner. That is my story and I’m sticking to it. You did have a busy weekend.

My stalking app tells me Marty made it to D.C. I haven’t heard from him yet though. I made sure the man cave was buttoned up and found about 12 glasses that needed washed down there. Guys.

Have a great evening and Tuesday!

Marcy

 

[MarionC]

Thanks, Marcy.

I did hear back from the real estate agent. He said the sellers were "in conversation" with their bank.
I think this means that they are seeing if the bank would be satisfied with that amount instead of getting the full payment of the mortgage. It will all work out. I am hoping I can secure the house and not have to pay to have it removed until that seems like less of a hassle. There is the concern that teens would break in to use the house for parties and I would be liable for any accidents.

I feel a bling event coming on. My dd leaves for Montreal in 10 days and the distraction hunt will begin in earnest! Yes, That 20k level is just about right for the WOW factor : ( The next purchase, however, will be a "small & sparkly daily wear" event, like a simple bracelet. You know - the kind of thing we would have swooned over pre-PS. I've become such a snob! haha

Missy, how was your birthday? All the details, please...cake? presents? singing??

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Jimmianne, that sounds promising that the sellers are at least considering your offer. I concur with your worries about break-ins; if you don’t tear the house down then some how it becomes a nightmare for you. I think some of the simplest jewelry is often best. A small, classic and elegant beauty regardless of the size. I vote that you do shop for a new trinket while your DD is gone. I am a bling enabler that way.

I had a very short night. The battery in the smoke detector right outside our bedroom decided to become low at 4:30 am. Now while I feel bad for it that it no longer has the “energy” to power a smoke detector - can’t it tell me about it at a civilized hour? I shoved my earplugs in but I could still hear its piercing chirp nagging at me – replace me, replace me. As luck would have it this smoke detector is the highest one in the house. I’m short and have horrible knees; trust me I’m not getting up there to change it. Luckily our friends that live about a ½ mile from us came by with 2 ladders and changed the battery for me. It took their largest ladder. Marty tells me after they were gone he has a nice, lightweight tall ladder downstairs. Oh well, I’ll know next time. Guess what Marty is doing this weekend? Replacing the rest of the batteries in our smoke detectors.

I made death cookies tonight for another birthday party at work. I saved out about 10 for my friend that came over tonight so I can give her some at lunch tomorrow. I am sure she’ll like that thank you gift.

Another lady from work came by tonight to pick up our old stoneware. Her mom has the same pattern we had so she is giving all of it to her.

I had a busy evening.

I hope all of you had a great day.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[marcy]

Damn Angry Birds 2. I am obsessed and stuck on level 32.

 

[Calliecake]

Hi Girls,

Missy, I hope you had a wonderful birthday! I'm sure Greg did any amazing job in the kitchen. How was your favorite dinner? We need to hear all the details of your day. My husband wanted me to tell you that since this is a special birthday you need to celebrate all week!

Jimmianne, Hopefully the bank will make a decision soon and accept your offer! I'm so excited to see your next jewelry purchase.

Marcy, I swear the batteries in smoke doctors are all set to expire between 1:00 and 4:00 AM. Your smoke detector story is all too familiar. The batteries never die at a decent hour or when our husbands are at home. A few years ago I was in the shower about 10:00 pm when the the smoke detector started going off (of course the husband is in Europe). Not the intermittent beeps, this thing was blaring. I got out of the shower and there is no smoke or fire anywhere in the house. I called the fire dept because I could not turn the thing off and wanted to know if there was a trick to making the thing stop. Within three minutes I had two firetrucks, 5 fireman and a police officer at my home. They fixed the smoke detector and changed the batteries in all the smoke detectors before they left. I have never been so embarrassed in my life. My husband teased me about it for weeks! Your friend and everyone at work are in for a wonderful treat tomorrow.

 

[missy]

Good morning girls! Thank you for all the birthday wishes! We had a great day and yes we are celebrating all week so Callie make sure Jeff knows I am taking his suggestion to heart. Haha we always celebrate the birthday week. Great minds.

Did you enjoy the time you spent with your niece(s) this week? How did the move go? Hope you are enjoying and that time is going by quickly for Saturday to arrive with your dh's return. (((Hugs))).

Marcy, I am with Callie. Those darn alarms tend to go off in the middle of the night. Why that is I have no idea but well Murphy's Law and all LOL. Glad you have such wonderful friends who are there for you! And yes Marty has some work to do this weekend when he gets home. Maybe the killer bunnies can help him while you and the bears have some tea and cookies. Of course you can always add a zero or two to the bling fund to make up for this traumatic event yanno.

Jimmianne, We are all waiting anxiously for good news re the property next door. We are happy to help you re your bling event. That is a very healthy budget so now we just need a specific item. Is it a Bracelet you want next? With that budget how about a bracelet and a Riviera necklace? That would be a lovely pair dontcha think?

I had a wonderful birthday. The weather was perfect and we cycled my birthday years in miles plus 2 for extra good luck. Then Greg and I had a dip in the bay and he cooked a lovely birthday dinner for me that we enjoyed outside. It was a perfect day.

We went out to dinner this past Saturday night 2 days before my birthday to our favorite birthday restaurant. Honestly I prefer Greg's cooking to any restaurant but I know it is important to Greg to take me out for my birthday (doesn't have to be on the exact day) so we did it Saturday night so I could spend my birthday just with him and a romantic dinner for 2.

The weather cooperated 100% and it was really just lovely in every way. During our bike ride on my birthday we took some food for the ducks and geese (not supposed to feed them but I thought just one day wouldn't be so bad right?) and it was a thrill to feed them. They are quite aggressive though and it seems they are used to being fed (I had no idea) because as soon as I walked up to them with a bag they rushed me and started begging OMG adorable. They do not go hungry that is for sure. Greg snapped a few pics. He calls it my birthday party. LOL.

Hope everyone is having a great week and as always sending lots of hugs and love your way.

 

[MarionC]

Missy, what a lovely birthday party. Are those little ducks the ones who were babies not too long ago?
How nice that you have such a wonderful DH to celebrate with ["and 2 extra miles for luck" - love it.]

Unfortunately, the bling budget is more like 2k, but 20k sounds good to me! LLJsmom has gotten me going on Cartier and they make a nice simple one-diamond bracelet. My fantasy is to replace the bracelet watch that disappeared from my Mom's house right before she died
I have posted this photo[not a very good one] before on PS, but the story is great. My Dad loved to buy my Mom estate jewelry, so I am sure he got a great deal on this Cartier watch in upstate NY where prices are low. When I saw it I almost wept because it was so beautiful [and that was pre-PS!], but it was to go to my sister. A few weeks before she died my Mom called my sister and asked her to come get the watch. She didn't say what it was - and so my clueless sister said she was too busy to pick it up [!!!]. It was one of the things that disappeared. I always wish I had stolen it Every-so-often I go online to see if it has shown up somewhere. I could never replace it, but maybe a nice "token" bracelet someday. [[[sigh]]]

Marcy - how annoying. I hope you can catch up on your sleep right away. Puff makes the smoke alarm sound if left in his cage - a quick way out for him! There should be a better system for smoke alarms - - - if only we could invent one there would be no shortage of bling in any NIRDI household. Put your thinking caps on!

Mammatus clouds over the house last night...the best things in life are free : )



oh! forgot to say...I got the closing letter from the IRS yesterday! My Mom's estate is settled! done! 3 1/2 years of hassle - with a 2 1/2 year audit. thank goodness, these things DO end at some point.

 

[Calliecake]

Missy, Your birthday celebration with Greg sounded perfect in every way! I'm so glad you are celebrating all week. I have teased my husband for years because he really feels his birthday is so special. He celebrates all week. I used to ask him if he thought he was a six year old. I hope the weather is cooperating and you get to go biking today. I love the picture of the ducks. I have tried the past two days to get a good picture of my furbaby. Unfortunately she doesn't want to sit still and wants to sit next to me and see what I'm doing with the iPad. Treats aren't even helping her sit still. I will get one of my husband's pictures of her when he is back in town.

Jimmianne, Your moms watch is truly the most beautiful watch I have ever laid eyes on. How awful that someone took it. I also wish you had taken it. You must be so relieved that the estate is finally settled. I can't believe all you went thru with the IRS. What a pain in the neck. The cloud picture you posted is beautiful.

 

[azstonie]

Damn Angry Birds 2. I am obsessed and stuck on level 32.

Marcy, we must get you on Candy Crush!!!! I hate those chirping smoke alarm noises. You cannot sleep with them going off, you can't do much of anything until those suckers are changed out or disabled. One time in a hotel that would not come disable it in the middle of the night, Bob used a wooden hanger and basically clubbed the thing til it stopped

 

[azstonie]

What a beautiful bracelet watch, Jimmianne. You are highly evolved that you first did not take it yourself when your sister was "meh" about it and in how you regard it now. I'd be like "It's the one that got away, woe is me" hahaha.

Glad to hear your estate nightmare is ending. Its possible mine is too, the buyer of the property has offered, FORMALLY TO OUR LAWYER, to buy Bob's share. We accepted formally via our lawyer. Assuming everything goes as planned and we deed over the share/property, we could be out of this hot mess by early next week. This also means we are no longer held hostage by his brother and SIL. Please everyone, cross fingers for us.

 

[MarionC]

Damn Angry Birds 2. I am obsessed and stuck on level 32.

Marcy, we must get you on Candy Crush!!!!

Sorry about the obsession coupled with being stuck. ugh. can you find help online? or is that cheating haha

I got hooked on Wii U's Mario 3D, Then something called The Art of Balance. They were awful & wonderful. What is Candy Crush? will it make you insane???

 

[azstonie]

Stuck on a Candy Crush or Angry Birds level?
Tired of that muffin top where your waist used to be? Or the back muffin top, even WORSE!
Estate issues?
Ahole sibling/estate issues?

Try the Miss Maggie's Guaranteed Remedy for What/Who Ails You!

Take a nice restful nap and when its time to wake up, just stick your head where people can't see you! You can't see them so they must NOT be able to see you! Problems Solved!

 

[junebug17]

Hiya ladies!

Missy, I'm very happy to hear you had a great birthday, and the fun is continuing throughout the week! Love the duck pics, what lively guests you had at your party lol. Sounds like you're having a great time at the beach, I hope the weather's good and you're getting lots of cycling in. No takers yet on the beach house, hopefully soon. I cannot believe tomorrow is Thursday! Where did this week go???

Jimmianne, I hope things work out with purchasing the house, and I'm so glad your mother's estate is finally settled, it must feel wonderful to be done with it all! And I hear you on jewelry prices…I'll be looking around on a website, see something and think "ooh that's pretty!" - then I'll look at the price and do this I definitely think you should treat yourself to a little something That is just awful that someone stole your mother's gorgeous watch, I'm so sorry about that. The pic of the clouds is so beautiful! Yes, the best things really are free.

Marcy, well, tires and a windshield aren't the most exciting purchases but it's still nice to have new ones haha! And isn't it so weird that those smoke detector batteries always run low in the middle of the night? I'm glad your neighbors were able to help you out. So sorry Angry Birds 2 is pushing you to the brink! Those games can get really addicting. I used to be obsessed with Tetris. And those Sharknado movies are a hoot! They're so bad but you can't help but watch them.

Kristie, fingers crossed that this estate nightmare is over for you soon, what a relief that will be. I so hope things are settled soon so you and Bob can put this whole mess behind you.

I think Maggie is on to something haha! Omg that pic and your post cracked me up. I'm going to try that the next time life starts getting to me, which will probably be tomorrow lol.

Calliecake, oh yeah, I'm looking forward to heading to the beach! It's only for a few days but it will nice. Things are ok at my mothers, some days are better than others but overall not too bad. Thank you so much for asking sweetie. Anything special going on for you this weekend?

As usual, not a whole lot new with me, just did some errands and a little housecleaning - ugh, could I be more boring I did meet a friend I hadn't seen in a while for lunch today; it was good to see her again and we had a nice time catching up.

I haven't checked in in a while so I'm sorry if I missed some stuff! Have a good night everyone!

 

[MarionC]

Az, I think your Maggie has the answer with her Remedy!

June, glad you are doing well and having some calm times. Sometimes I have to remind myself that boring is not all that bad because it means things are going along smoothly. Watched the 1st Sharknado again last night - like being in the mind of a 10 year old boy : )

Jewelry prices - I know! I've been scrolling through every website and suddenly there will be something nice - and it's always hugely expensive. Quality is not cheap! ... Ignorance is bliss?
My idea of heaven would be a huge estate shop full of tempting sparkly things just waiting to be discovered in a town that is out of the loop on jewelry prices. I sort of had that with my local place, but it's gone down hill. The only thing she has that I want is a Chaumet necklace and earring set - it is gorgeous - but also priced too high. Deals are part of the fun!

The house next door is mine, in all it's glory haha. They countered a little higher and I said OK. I would have gotten it anyway, with reservations, but when my agent said I was competing with a local attorney who was going to fix up the place for his brother who had "fallen on hard times", there was no question that I should bite the bullet and buy it.

Hi to everyone this morning

 

[missy]

Woohoo Jimmianne!!!! So thrilled and happy for you!!!
This calls for a huge celebration!!!!

 

[MarionC]

Woohoo Jimmianne!!!! So thrilled and happy for you!!!
This calls for a huge celebration!!!!

Hey Missy, thanks! You are right - it IS something to celebrate.
Let's have a champagne & wild tear-down-the-house party. Woo-hoo!

 

[missy]

Kristie, so happy your appointment went well yesterday!!!
Haha love that Maggie pic and wise wise saying. LOL maybe that really is the best way with some things. Sending you buckets and buckets of good luck dust for a finally completed sale and good riddance to you know who!!!

Callie, I have said it before and I will say it again, you are the sweetest most generous person and biggest hugs to you. I am so lucky to have you NIRDIs as my friends. I cannot express fully how fortunate I feel to have you girls as my dear friends.

Junie, boring is GOOD. Very good! To me boring means peace and calmness and has nothing to do with who you are as a person. So glad your mom is doing OK and I am getting excited for your next beach getaway. Also sending you lots of dust for a successful sale of your no longer lived in beach house.

Hi Marcy, LLJsmom, Sharon, Orsi and everyone else who may be reading.

Hugs to all you girls and hope you enjoy this lovely Thursday! Leaving you with an up close and personal pic of yesterdays geese/duck adventures as Greg was changing a flat on the bike. No food but they are curious creatures nonetheless and had to check it out. Haha.

 

[missy]

Woohoo Jimmianne!!!! So thrilled and happy for you!!!
This calls for a huge celebration!!!!

Hey Missy, thanks! You are right - it IS something to celebrate.
Let's have a champagne & wild tear-down-the-house party. Woo-hoo!

I'm in! WooHoo!!!!

And I forgot to say, I love that watch and I am so sorry about the theft/loss of your dear mom's watch. (((Hugs))).

 

[junebug17]

Congratulations Jimmianne, that's wonderful news! So glad it all worked out!

 

[azstonie]

Congrats, Jimmianne!

Now knock that sucker down.

If you feel like you can't afford to, consider all the parties that will happen there, the squatters (who do have rights, btw), etc etc. Potential lawsuits, insurance hassles (if you think your insurance is high now, wait until there's a claim on this place).

Contact the local Fire Department and offer them the house to use for training exercises in housefires---they will burn it down for you and thus leave much less to remove/easier/cheaper removal costs for you.

Plus, you will hopefully have hunky firefighters hanging around

 

[MarionC]

I think Azstonie must be the code word for "Astound-me" haha
I love all your ideas. Esp. the firefighters

 

[marcy]

Hi NIRDIs!

Callie, I think you hit the nail on the head about batteries know to expire in the middle of the night. Why would it be when it’s convenient, right? That’s great you had so much help and quickly when your smoke detector was going off. That is strange it wouldn’t quit; did they think it just went bad?

Missy, birthday weeks are a wonderful idea. I am glad you are having a great time. I did pick up a few packs of 9V batteries tonight. I’ll put Marty and his rabbits on that task tomorrow! I like your thinking on adding some more $$ to my bling money. That is awesome you had the ducks and geese celebrate with you. They may watch for you the next time you ride by.

Jimmianne, your mom’s Cartier watch is gorgeous. What a shame someone took it. Too cute Puff makes the smoke alarm noise to get out of his cage. He has you trained all right. Your cloud photo is terrific. Congratulations that the IRS is finished with the audit of your mom’s estate and that is finally settled. What a hassle for you but what a relief. I guess you can find videos online to help get through Angry Bird sections; I usually have Marty do it for me. My little nephew could probably do it with his eyes closed. I’ve heard of Mario but haven’t heard of the Art of Balance. I rarely play games but I like to have some mindless activities sometimes. I am so excited you got the place next door. This is really your lucky week!

Kristie, I am thrilled to hear Bob’s estate and the massive headache you’ve been going through could be over by next week. I will be crossing my fingers, toes and teddy bear paws for you. Then hopefully you and Bob never have to deal with your BIL and his horrible wife again. I haven’t tried Candy Crush yet but I should. I turn down the sounds on Angry Birds. I love Maggie’s idea of getting away from it all. Very cute picture.

Junebug, yes those little games are addicting. I was pretty good at Tetris on slow computers; once they got faster I was pretty bad at it. I like Bejeweled (weird there huh?) Yes those Sharknado movies are a hoot. I am glad you had a nice time catching up with a friend for lunch. Those girlie lunches are good for the soul.

I had my monthly training class at the community college today so I got to come home 2 hours early. Woo hoo! I went to Penneys and got a hair cut on the way home.

Marty is on his way home. Yippee!

Take care.
Marcy

 

[azstonie]

Thank you, Marcy, and thank the bears and please ask the killer rabbits if they are FOR HIRE just in case things fall though

Jimmianne, not a joke! Where I live, the Fire Department uses donated homes to train firefighters in. They are very happy to have a chance especially to train the newbies in a 'real' house fire.

 

[Calliecake]

Jimmianne, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! I love Kristie's idea about the fireman using the house for training purposes. Sounds like the perfect solution and probably a lot less expensive. They tear down party also sounds like a good idea.

Missy, I hope you are enjoying your time off. What do you have planned for the next couple days? We're you able to go riding today?

Kristie, Maggie is adorable!!!! Does she go to this spot often?

Marcy, I'm glad you were able to come home early today. Has Marty been gone for a long time? You are correct about the smoke detector being faulty. We ended up replacing all of them in the house about a week after the fireman incident.

Junebug, I hope you are doing well. Trust me when I say the older I get I realize more and more that having a boring life is really a good thing! As long as everyone is healthy and happy life is wonderful!

 

[LLJsmom]

Hi NIRDIS!

Hit and run.
Jimmianne, congrats on the neighboring property!! Yay!! And hope you find new bling soon. So sad about your mom's watch. Happened to my grandma too. Huge oval jade in a double halo. Lost week she passed away.

Missy, happy bday!!! Love romantic dinners for two. . Hope you and Greg had a fabulous time.

Kristie, yayyayahayah!! Hope estate gets finalized and cray cray BIL AND SIL go away. Keep us up to date. Love the pic of Finn.

Callie, Junie, and Marcy - hiii!!!

Just recently found out money will be really tight until end of year. Wish me luck that everything will turn out ok. Won't go into detail here, but just wanted to let it out. work recently got busy and spending lots of time dissecting Killer Angels, book on civil war, with my son. He is going to DC this coming school year and he needs to finish this college level course on the book this summer. It's killing me too.

Listing to Mists of Avalon. LOVE AUDIO BOOKS, AUDIBLE. read it in college. Rereading. So good but crazy too. Sex, religion, politics, feminism, homosexuality, rampant in King Arthur's court. Did you know Lancelot was gay? (Per author's retelling of the legends . And Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot had a threesome?? LOL!!!!!

 

[missy]

Good morning girls!

Jimmianne, I got so excited yesterday when I found out you bought the property next door I forgot to say congratulations on finishing up with the IRS and your mom's estate. That is major and I know a huge relief so more to celebrate.

I love Kristie's idea with the firemen training on your "new" house as a way to get rid of it in a financially savvy manner and as a way of meeting cute firemen. I LOVE firemen but what girl doesn't. LOL.

Oh and I LOVE your idea of heaven with the estate jewelry shop and amazing prices. Let me know if you find one haha.

Marcy, so glad Marty is coming home today. That was a short business trip so YAY for those! Much better than the long trips for sure! Woohoo It's Friday and the weekend is almost here and your dh is almost home so YAY for that!

When I was housebound/no weight bearing because of my broken leg I became addicted to Candy Crush. However now I cannot even look at it. Brings back those not so pleasant memories. As far as Angry Birds I could not even play that game as it annoyed me LOL. So I stuck with Candy Crush during the first few months I could not go anywhere. I shudder thinking of being stuck at home with those online games that kept me company. Goodbye to bad rubbish IMO. However YMMV and I respect that so good luck in getting as far as you want.

Callie, more cycling is on the agenda. We are taking advantage of the amazing August weather. I know the heat and humidity is due back later today and through the weekend (and through much of next week I believe ugh) but we are making the most of the lovely days as they are right now.

Do you have any plans with your dh when he comes home tomorrow? I know it had to be burning hot where he was and I bet he cannot wait to get home to you and your sweet fur baby!


LLJsmom, thank you for the birthday wishes! We are enjoying my birthday week. How fast the birthday year comes and goes right? LOL I may be 50 but I feel more like 5 still.

I am so sorry you are having some financial issues and I am sending you lots and lots of good luck dust for everything to be resolved sooner rather than later and for only good things to come for you and all the NIRDIs. I am hoping for peace, happiness and health for all of us. Sending you lots of hugs and love and I know everything will work out. (((HUGS))).

 

[LLJsmom]

Girls, I am so mad at my husband right now that I cannot see straight. But I think I am also being unfair. I can't say why I'm mad and it's nothing that can be remedied. It was nothing done out of malice or intentionally. I'm so mean and unreasonable. I want to walk right up to Cartier and buy another bracelet and have him figure out the consequences. But I won't. It's like cutting off my nose to spite my face. I need to be rational.

 

[azstonie]

Girls, I am so mad at my husband right now that I cannot see straight. But I think I am also being unfair. I can't say why I'm mad and it's nothing that can be remedied. It was nothing done out of malice or intentionally. I'm so mean and unreasonable. I want to walk right up to Cartier and buy another bracelet and have him figure out the consequences. But I won't. It's like cutting off my nose to spite my face. I need to be rational.

I feel ya, LLJs. I've been pretty PO'd at DH over this estate garbage and it exposed some weak points in our way of problem solving as a partnership and not unilateral decisions

Life is not fair and sometimes its not the last thing your spouse does but ITS THE LAST TIME you feel like you can stand it or its the combined weight of the past and then that last straw hits and KA BOOM.

Don't give a piece of jewelry bad ju ju, wouldn't it be better to have that Cartier bracelet given to you with a box of chocolates and a quality bottle of wine or champagne, dinner out, etc.?

I'm sending dust for peace in your spirit and also good financial dust too. IMHO nothing is harder on a marriage than money problems.