Most of us get excited over starting new things. Starting a new job or a new relationship can be very exciting and very nerve-racking. I've done both of those several times and was a bundle of nerves, albeit happy nerves! But now I'm starting something else that's new. A new life.

It actually started almost 18 months ago with the traumatic but not unexpected breakup with the man I'd been with for 15 years. Although it was heart wrenching and agonizing at the time, I can now honestly say it was the right thing and it was the best thing. I don't know that I could have said that 18 months ago and I'm so very grateful I can say that, and mean it, now.

I started this blog on December 29, 2006 and really enjoyed keeping it. I appreciated the input from all the finance savvy folks here and said more than once that I want to be like Ima Saver when I grow up. That stands.

But now it's just me and Sammy, my cat. I'm still at the same job I had when I last posted here. I'm a barista in a licensed Starbucks. I clean houses now and then on the side. And I now have a small apartment furnished with things I love. I have good friends and a supportive family. It's a good life but I'm rejuvenating my commitment to my personal finances which are drastically reduced since the breakup. I'm a lot better off than many people - I don't owe on my vehicle, I don't have a mortgage, I know how to shop wisely, I seldom eat out, and the debt I have is very small and can be paid off quickly.

My mother and stepfather have had a lot of health issues in the last couple of years and depending on how things go with them, I might have to quit my job early in 2012 and move in to help care for them. That isn't what I want to do but it is what it is.

In the meantime, I'm ready to live again and part of that is preparing for the future.

I need to re-write the information on goals and such because most of those have changed.

Anyway, that's it in a nutshell. I'm back and ready to start anew! And I'm so excited so many of y'all are still here and active!

I haven't posted on this blog for almost two years but I'm back. I hope.

I've had a major change in my life - I'm now on my own. I won't go into detail but will simply say the last 18 months have been an enlightening and educational experience.

I have to head to work in a few so this will be very short. I don't know how many of the 'old ones' are still around but I'll try to get caught up this afternoon when I get home.

or massive to us.

I haven't been around much because I got busy with work and other things. Then the man person ended up back in the hospital this past weekend. The stents that were put in back in November were 95% clogged so his interventionist put in medicated stents yesterday. The man should be out of the hospital this morning. I hope.

We have no clue how much this bill is going to be but my guess is it's going to be more than the last one. For one thing, he was in ER for 6 hours then in a room from Saturday evening to Monday waiting to see his physician. Then yesterday they finally put the stents in.

So, before November we had about $300 in debt and now we're probably well over $125,000 in debt. How discouraging. We can either ignore the bills or set up payment plans and I'm sure we'll go with payment plans but we'll probably die still owing on them.

The good news is the man person hasn't had a cigarette since Saturday and realizes this is the perfect time to quit. So, we're both going to quit. The money we save on smokes will help pay for the Plavix he's going to have to take for the next year to two years.

I'll post more later but that's where things stand with me right now.