I borrowed that title from a TV show that deals with helping people dig themselves out of personal debt.  It’s amazing how quickly it gets out of control if you’re not paying attention.

Today I made the last payment on my debt management account!  That means no more credit card debt.  No more line of credit.  Not even a car loan.  My money is pretty much my own, and it feels as though a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders!  This has been a long time coming.  The separation agreement laid out which debts were mine, and I’ve been aggressively paying them down so I could get on with my life.  And with this final payment…

I’m free!

Crossing another item off my Steve 2.0 list!

I put up a poll last month asking people what their next smart phone purchase would be, as I’m getting fed up with my current Windows Mobile phone.  As of this post, the iPhone is the current leader.

So last night I stopped into Future Shop and tried playing with the iPhone for the very first time.  There’s only one word that comes to mind.

Frustrating.

I’ve never touched an iPhone before, so I know that there’s going to be a learning curve, but I couldn’t believe how horrible I was at trying to navigate and input text.  I say “I” because I know that it was me, not the phone.  I like techno-gadgets, but I felt like Shrek trying to use the interface with a pair of clubs for thumbs.  Apparently I drag my thumbs as I move from one key to the next.  That works fine for my current phone with a real keyboard, but that just does not work on a virtual keyboard.  It was maddening.

I’m still not ready to write-off the iPhone, but after last night’s quick experiment, I’m thinking that a Blackberry might still be a better fit for my needs.

I saw something interesting come through on my Twitterfeed today.  Freespots is a network of free public wireless access points throughout the greater Saint John, NB area.  The site has a fairly lengthy list of participating locations, and includes a Google maps view for easy reference.  Most of these locations are local restaurants, but there are still a couple of general areas where one can go and sit and not feel obligated to purchase something.   I even noticed a car dealership on the list, which would have been perfect when I had to sit and wait for hours while my car was being serviced.  Unfortunately I don’t drive a Mercedes.  Yet! (Actually, the Lexus dealership had better be on this list soon, or I won’t be impressed, when it comes time to get my new car. You’re on notice, Lexus!)

It’s nice to see an initiative like this start to gain some traction in our fair city.  I hope that it continues to grow, and prove profitable for the local businesses offering this useful service.

Decided to take the kids to a movie this weekend.  Wow.  What a shock that was!  Two adults, 2 children, some popcorn, drinks.. and a grand ole total of $61.87 later..  Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs! I stood there, holding the payment slip in my hand… $61.87.. for a movie?  That’s insane.  It’s no wonder that people download these things… although there seemed to be a fair number of people in the theatre.

The movie was pretty good.  Not $61.87 worth of good, but when I looked over at the kids, they appeared to be enjoying it.  There were plenty of little things intended for adults, so I had more than a few chuckles.

I had read an early review that complained that the movie got very “preachy” about half-way through, and I could see that.  It wasn’t really something that bothered me, but there was definitely a moral message being conveyed.

All in all, I enjoyed it, but I certainly could have waited until it came out on DVD.

Was it any surprise that Tara-Jean won the title as Canada’s Favourite Dancer on Sunday night’s finale of So You Think You Can Dance Canada? Nah… I don’t think so.  I think that I would have been shocked had she not won the competition.  And I don’t think that I’m alone.  The general feeling of most people that I talked with prior to Sunday night’s broadcast was that she had this thing locked up.  And good for her.  I think that she deserved it.

Now to wait for the cross-Canada tour to come here in December.

Today is one of those rarest days in Life.

It’s a day for inner reflection.

A day to measure the distance traveled.  Obstacles overcome.  The Journey ahead.

It’s a day of memories.  What ifs.  Runaway dreams.

But more than anything, it’s a day of Celebration.

Is there anything more heart-wrenching that getting your hopes up for your favourite hockey team, only to be let down yet again!?  OK, sure.. there are a hell of a lot of worse things than that… but for us Leafs, the proverbial kick in the balls year after year doesn’t get any easier. 

This year, we’re in solid last place.  Not last in our division.  Last in the entire league.  But that’s fine… we’ve got nowhere else to go but upwards!  It’s a long season, and surely there’s gotta be a team out there that we can beat!  Right?

Until that happens, I have to wear my thick skin, while listening to the Canadiens fans babble about how much less they suck than the Leafs!

Here’s a little something floating around the office…

Championship Sports Rings:

Pittsburg Penguins:

Pittsburg Steelers:

Toronto Maple Leafs:

Thick skin…  must wear the thick skin…