Tri-Valley Mortgage News

This Sunday, April 11^th, I will have the pleasure of joining hundreds of fellow runners in the much-anticipated Santa Cruz Half Marathon and 10K race!

The race starts at the beautiful Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk on the corner of Beach and Main Streets. Unlike the famous "Wharf To Wharf" 6 mile race in July, this race is a northward bound round trip that starts out up West Cliff Drive. The 10K turns around at the breathtaking Natural Bridges State Beach and the half marathon goes as far as Wilder Ranch State Park. If you've ever driven up Highway 1, you know that this is quite a distance!

Although I can't boast participation in the 13.1 mile trek, I am extremely excited to be doing the 10K counterpart. The longest race I've done has been the Wharf To Wharf (see above) last summer and it was A BLAST! But it's not a full 10K (it's only 6 miles). So this will be my longest race to date - if only by just .25 mile!

Everyone in this economy needs a stress outlet and running has literally been a life-saver for me. I'm not 25 anymore (not even close) and years of dancing and other athletic pursuits have left me with painful Achilles tendonitis but I press on because racing gives me a tangible goal to strive for that I can measure with every run I take - either on my treadmill or out in the neighborhood. It's also something I can do in a reasonably short period of time - no gym to go to, no special equipment. Just me and my iPod.

If you're doing the race, give me a shout-out. If you're not and you want something fun to do this weekend, head over to the beach and watch us. Of course my family and I will be staying after to enjoy the Boardwalk rides. And after all that running, I think I can justify a Hot Dog On A Stick!

Hello and Happy New Year! I am willing to bet that many of you have resolved this year to tackle the paper clutter that can invade your space and peace of mind. There is no shortage of advice out there regarding how to go about this. I've compiled a simple list of solutions that have worked for me and can work for you too.

• Bank and pay bills online. You can sign up for your bank's online banking services and always have an archive of statements available to you. Most credit card and service companies have online bill paying options. Check out www.mycheckfree.com. You can often pay more than one of your bills using this service.
• Sort your mail before you plop it down! You will need a sorting bin and a paper shredder (well worth the small investment!). Immediately recycle junk mail. Shred any mail or offers that contain your personal information. Pieces that require your immediate attention should be filed. This step alone will work wonders!
• Newspapers and periodicals can easily pile up as well. Most people just don't have time to read everything they'd like to. If you find that your newspapers are going unread consider just subscribing to the weekend edition or perhaps you can switch to an online news service which will allow you to only read those articles that interest you. As for magazines, if you have many subscriptions consider how many you are actually reading on a regular basis. Cancel any that are just taking up space. For those that you must keep, make sure you recycle the previous edition when the new one arrives. If there's an article that you feel very strongly about reading, tear it out and slip it into the new edition.
• For tax receipts designate folders for each type of deduction (ie: Schedule A, Schedule C). Keep these folders handy where you can access them frequently as you gather receipts. Make sure each category is clearly labeled. This will save you lots of time come tax season.

I hope you will find one or all of these suggestions helpful in keeping you clutter-free this year.