It pays to be married to a true obsessive. When Maria picks a task, it gets done quickly and correctly. This is our third crack at the piggy bank – we skipped a night or two.

The goal is to help us get a four-day vacation sometime this Spring by the ocean, either in New Hampshire or Southern Maine. N.H. is a lot cheaper, we counted $659 so far, and there are still some coins to count.

We think we can get to $800; if so, that will cover most (not all) of the four nights in a hotel.

We can pay for the rest.

When I got divorced, my lawyer told me I’d never have a lot of money again. He was right, but we have enough, and we are very content with our lives. I just learned to grow up and think differently.

My therapist – who I have been talking to on and off for 17 years – I first saw her about the same time I started this blog –  she is the one who broke the news to me that I wasn’t married any longer.

I didn’t have a clue. That was the shock of my life, but only the first of many to come.

It was time to grow up, and I’m still working on it.

Today, I had my second gym visit and did 30 minutes on the treadmill. I am sore, but I have begun getting looser and even thinner. I am taking responsibility for myself, money,  health, and marriage. And even photography.

My blog has never worked; it is a labor of pure love.

That means looking ahead and saving pennies which will add up to four nights in a nice motel. I  was never happy when I had a lot of money. I used to go to Florida and stay in fancy hotels; those days are over.

We have both loved our quiet days of sitting on a beach and listening to the ocean. I might even bring Zinnia; Maria says it’s fine as long as I walk her every morning and night. Okay, maybe not.

I am happy most of the time now. My life is far from perfect, I don’t believe in that, but it is full of love, passion, work, and meaning. What more could I want?

Over the weekend, we’ll polish off the pig and see where we are. Next week we’ll make some reservations for May or June. Then we can start saving for food and drink.

We both need a vacation. And some lobster dinners. It’s time. Big storm tomorrow; we might get to use that generator this winter after all.