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So we are trying to move, but first we are trying to sell our house and second we are trying to find a coastal town we like/does not cost a million dollars to live at, and third we are trying to figure out what portion of a million dollars we are willing to spend if we do find a coastal town we like/does not cost a million dollars to live at.
In that spirit, Derrick and I decided to take a little road trip to the coast to check out our options.
It is a drive that reminds me of South Dakota, but without the Wall Drug. In other words, there is nothing to look at except fields. I will admit there are hilly mountains, which is more than South Dakota can say for itself, but it was still really boring. We filled the time by listening to Dave Matthews too many times and by talking about finances.
Derrick (the math genius): "So those types of loans only require 3% down but then you have to pay PMI's. So if you bought a house for say, $300,000 you only have to pay 3%."
Me: "Wow! You only have to pay $3,000? That's so cheap!"
Derrick: "Mmm. Uh. 3% of $300,000 is $9,000...but, you were close. HA."
And this, friends, is why you never want to invite me over to balance your checkbook.
So we visited towns. I got a little carsick. I ate too much clam chowder. I found ONE mostly expensive cute coastal town that I would not mind living in. Then, we decided to go home instead of staying to enjoy the beauty of the crashing waves at sunset.
We were trying to save money, so we opted out of a hotel stay. We turned our little Honda back towards the hills and said goodbye to cool weather and sea air. We started to talk about houses, and finances, and I finally learned what a PMI is, and why we don't really want one.
Deep in conversation, I glance out the window and notice that we are...NOT going the right way. We drove 10-20 minutes past our turn off. We turned around and went back, and I made Derrick stop and buy me a soda, because I was exhausted. I asked him if he was going to get gas, and he said, "Not here, it's debit only". Some people are obsessed with 3% rewards on their card I guess.
We got back on the road, and started driving through Nowhere's-ville again. Cows walked by, the tall grasses waved in the setting sun. Derrick kept talking about "options and percents" and I was lulled into a stupor from the math talk. Me no likey math talk.
"AHH! We forgot to get gas!"
Folks, we were in the middle of nothing with a red line on our gas tank. I said we should turn around, the nearest gas station was a half an hour away if we kept driving and I was pretty sure that going back would bring us closer to civilization. My husband decided to drive on. He turned off the air conditioning. It got dark.
We started to approach the rolling hills and my cell phone service went out. I started laughing, and screamed, "We're on an ADVENTURE!"
Derrick said, "You're just excited because you have something to write about on your blog. Are you wanting to blow a tire too?"
"No! I'm not getting paid to write on this thing! I'm not crazy. Mild funny is all I'm going for here."
Five minutes later, we climbed the hill, and I started to perspire because the car had gotten HOT. As we descended, Derrick put the car into neutral. I stopped laughing and started to chew on my straw.
I am happy to report: Thanks to Derrick's "green" driving and stellar skills, we made it to the gas station.
The end.
Wait! I almost forgot the gratuitous picture of Derrick that I like to post whenever I talk about him!
