While Numbers can't Lie, they are often Mistinterpreted...

I've been looking at the numbers all weekend. Income versus spending, credit versus cash, and time remaining versus deadline. The biggest question, however, is "sooner or later?".

I've been dreading this calculation. The preponderance of my life and my plans distilled down to simple facts and figures that lead to approximation of a date. I've been waiting for that date to come since I was 9. I never really had a chance until the last year, when I was finally making enough to set aside a satisfying savings.

I had hoped for $6000 by the end of 2007, I failed, but not terribly far off. I've been whipping myself since then, thinking that I might be able to accomplish this primary goal before year's end. As it stands today, I have $6500 tucked away of the $7500 I need to pay for SRS. I'm close, so tantalizingly close I feel justified in whipping myself all the more to make it.

Yet, there are many other factors to consider than just the cash involved. I have to consider air travel for myself, and hotel costs for two. Dad has offered to pay for my Aunt Kathy's ticket, and she's offered to pay her expenses to the best of her ability. That's still $3000 I'd need in cash or credit. Use of the latter isn't an issue so much as I'm against the idea of using my credit. I'd rather have it paid in full than to pay the interest. I need vacation hours and sick leave hours if I am to maintain full income while I'm away for three weeks -- short term disability pays only 60%. If I were to take that, I'd suffer a few weeks of losses as my expenses are higher than 70% of my income.

What really seemed to decide the matter for me today was work. I sent my schedule coordinator a question what would be the best time of the year to be away due to a "medical procedure". She sent back her response.

"The first three months of the year."

January, February, or March. Given the four to six month waiting list, and the time I'd need to build up emergency money and lose 40 lbs, I'm looking at 10 months.

If I had my way, I'd be on a plane tomorrow and be done with the entire blasted affair. Unfortunately, the numbers are against that. They quietly urge, "later, not sooner". I am certainly not happy with the wait, but that's all it is, a wait. I've waited this long, I can wait a bit longer.