. I see the deposit into my checking account cleared, so today was the day I intended to pay off the mortgage.
It's another warm July day but I headed out early on my bicycle to pedal to the mortgage bank. I was there at 8:30 am and the first customer to arrive.
When I announced I wanted to pay off my mortgage and should we alert the media, the teller looked at me with a tired look on her face, no doubt wondering what she'd done to deserve a wise-***, non-routine customer first thing in the morning.
It took her so long to verify everything with the main office and give me a written confirmation that I was able to tell her a good part of my life story these past few years.
I can tell you it's been much more interesting since I haven't been locked into a soul-scorching office routine 9 to 5, 40 hours a week. I've met more interesting people, have time to savor my everyday stuff, like biking to the bank, and I'm in physically better shape.
The teller was very envious, as she had to extend what was once a 15-year mortgage to a 40-year term. Working full-time as a teller, she confided, doesn't provide enough to live on.
So it will be more of a private celebration, sans press conference. It's a little bittersweet, as my thoughts of this day in the past included the assumption that I would be on "Easy Street" with no mortgage to pay and a full-time salary coming in. Savings into the old retirement account would accelerate and I would reach my $1 million mark in a few years.
Screeeech. Stop Reality check. It's not quite like that, but there's still a chance it could be, with just about any full-time job. I don't need to be making the big bucks. $50K a year would do just fine now.
In other news, everything in the garden seems to have gone into high gear with all this oppressive heat. String beans need picking, A baby cauliflower is forming! Squashes and zucchini growing, collards big, broccoli sending up mini heads good in a stir fry, tomatoes still green, but more of them. Basil threatening to go to seed. Snap peas and lettuce needs to be pulled out to make way for, dare I say it? More beans! Soybeans.... Picking wineberries daily now; froze one baggie, want to freeze more for winter months. Will do the same with the stringbeans.
I love it. My vegetable bin in the fridge is stuffed, and I haven't gone food shopping. Life is good. Things like this make me happy.
I have a paid off house, a thriving vegetable garden, two lovable kitties, a new p/t job. I have a lot to be thankful for.
It's official: mortgage paid off
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Happy times ahead! I've only got another $259K to go on my mortgage until I can join you!
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As Dave Ramsey would say, "The paid off mortgage is the new status symbol of choice."
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Jerry
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