I was lost....

Or just busy.

It's been forever.  I always said I wouldn't do that, disappear from my blog.  How hard is it to come up with something to write about?  But the longer I was away, the harder it was to come back.  It has been a very long time since I wrote... Months.  I wonder if anyone missed me...

What have I been up to?  Glad you asked!

• Replaced the heat pump including a/c and furnace for both our tenant's condo and our own. Does a heat pump always include the a/c and furnace?  I don't know.  I'm not up on the lingo. I'm not 100% sure what a heat pump actually is and what not but it needed done.  We have been in our condo for 10 years and our electric bill has always been through the roof. Like $400 per month this winter for 960 square feet.  The salesman said we should see about half that this winter.  We were guaranteed 1 full year to change our mind because we went with a company that was a little bit more pricey than others but they have a good rep. So we added just under $17,000 in debt to replace these two HVAC systems.  But it needed done.   We should get a rebate from the electric company.  It was supposed to be $500 per heat pump but they changed the rebate program within days of my first checking it and now it sounds like we'll only get $400 back instead of $1000. Total Bummer!
• My work is still rocky.  We've had four rounds of lay offs.  My best guess is the fifth round is coming sometime in the next month.  I've spent most of my free time sending out resumes and applying for jobs.  I actually ended up going on an interview and running into my boss at the same interview!  We interviewed for the same job... as far as I know neither of us got it. At least I never heard back for a second interview.
• Started my own business.  If I spent every spare moment applying for jobs in the past 3 weeks, before that I spent every spare minute starting my own business.  I absolutely love working in marketing but unfortunately my current position doesn't really allow for me to put everything into practice that I have learned.  Especially online marketing.  So I actually built an entire eCommerce site myself with the help of WordPress and WooCommerce.  My goal for the store isn't to make sales, but to really put into practice all the online marketing that I have learned about in all the classes and workshops that I have taken recently.  
• I lost track of my food waste for the year.  
• Wine tasting weekend - Mr. R and I are going away all day Saturday and part of Sunday to go to a whole bunch of wineries with some friends.  It shouldn't be too pricey for a weekend away.  We paid $159 which includes our suite, a bottle of wine and a $25 gift certificate for dinner, and breakfast.  So we just have to pay for wine tastings.  Our friends are picking us up in their convertible and driving the hour to the hotel and driving to all the wineries.  My friend's husband can't really drink so it worked out great.  We'll buy them some wine to make up for it.  Or at least buy my friend a bottle of wine.  I'm a little uncomfortable going on this trip because I feel like my job is so in limbo right now, but we planned this months in advance and already have the money saved to pay cash for the weekend.
• My Dad is coming to visit in 2 weeks.  It's the first time he's been home in about 3 1/2 years. I'm really excited but am planning to spend lots while he is here.  Ohio is so boring compared to California so my sister and I have been watching for lots of fun stuff to do.  We have a cook out planned and a day at a "fun park" for the day with miniature golf, bumper boats, go carts, indoor play ground and bouncy houses.  I bought passes for the fun park for every one on groupon and saved a HUGE amount of money.

So that's it.  That was months of my life summed up in a few paragraphs.  How have you been doing?