My editor gave me an assignment to write my July column about how to balance retirement savings with real-time needs of your family. I thought it was an appropriate topic for me to tackle because one of my goals for 2013 is to get our financial future in order.
I got some recommendations on financial planners from friends and Jamie and I recently set an appointment. She had sent numerous documents for us to fill out and I was eager to sort through everything. Her offices are on the other side of town and we gave ourselves a half-hour buffer to get there.
Then we ran into traffic on I-25.
No worries, we’d still probably make it on time. We turned onto Colorado Boulevard and the address wasn’t getting any closer.
“Oh no! Google maps was wrong. It’s not right off I-25,” Jamie lamented. He turned around.
By this time, we were going to be late so I emailed the advisor. A few minutes later:
“Wait. The numbers are going up instead of down. We’re going the wrong way.” AGAIN. Seriously?!
By this time, we were both feeling stressed about the timing. He barked something to me about the directions (confirming we could NEVER be on The Amazing Race together), turned on his right turn signal, eased into the next lane and BAM! We side-swiped a car that had been in his blindspot.
SERIOUSLY?
We pulled off to a nearby parking lot, ensured the poor woman he hit was OK and surveyed the damage. The front end of Jamie’s car was smunched and he had hit her right around her driver’s seat door. We swapped numbers and insurance and somehow made it to our appointment only 25 minutes late.
And then proceeded to sit down and talk to her about how to plan for retirement while balancing real-time emergencies.
The irony of the situation is not lost on me.
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 