Wow, you’ve had a wild ride. Really glad you’re back on the Board now!
Yes indeed - and thank you!
Three big ones in 2026. Our daughter was married in March, our son and his girlfriend announced their engagement in May (we’re guessing they waited so as not to upstage his sister), and Ms. P and I celebrate our thirtieth anniversary next month.
Here’s to happy marriages all around!
As of today my mortgage is paid in full. I now own my house free and clear.
I had been paying additional principal every month, so I would have paid it off early no matter what, but a few month ago I had a bit of a windfall when the stock I owned in my previous employer skyrocketed in value after an announcement that they were partnering with Apple or something like that. So I decided it would be a good time to sell my shares, and after a few months of debating what to do with the proceeds, I decided to use it to just pay off the rest of my mortgage.
Congratulations! I remember when you bought it. I have a vague memory of a kitchen being cow patterned, but maybe I’m mixing that up with someone else’s house hunt.
Yes, that was my house, and I actually kept the cow pattern 
. I did paint the kitchen cabinets white, though. Previously the doors had been painted dark red. The previous owners had weird taste in decor.
Maybe in the coming years I’ll actually do a full kitchen remodel. I mean, I have room for it in my budget now that I no longer have a mortgage payment.