May 20, 2016
Mood: Inspired
- We put everything on our SPG card for the Starwood points that earns. And yet knowing this, I’m still surprised when I review our credit card charges mid-month and see a $1000 total, think “oh, only $1000.” ONLY? Well, yes. Food, utilities, baby supplies, household supplies, car maintenance, gas, medical stuff, dog food and medications, everything goes on that card. “Only” $1000 is pretty good. My reality is so weird now.
- Come to think of it, I don’t know why AmEx is so nice to me. They only make $95 per year from me and I net at least 3-5x that amount in hotel room reward redemptions annually.
- I notice that Amazon has changed their return process so that they have two options: refund to original payment method, or Amazon gift card. They don’t tell you what the original payment method was, and it defaults to Amazon gift card. I’m sure they were counting on this: I was in a hurry processing my last return and assumed it was paid for by a gift card to begin with so I zoomed right through that screen. Pay more attention than I did, especially if you’re returning big ticket items. You want that money back in your pocket!
- Blackout blinds! Does anyone have them? We’ve been thinking about them for a while and I’m not ready to commit yet. I’d love to know if you’ve had any experience with them or recommendations.
- PiC said to me this week, after some family time: I don’t want to leave (the family) and go to work. I would rather stay home and raise the JuggerLB, so I fully support any plans for early retirement. Music to my ears! Of course, I conduct our finances as though he was fully on board with quitting his job in ten years anyway, it’s just nice to have his enthusiasm about the prospect. And I like that after family time he wants more family time, not to just get away from us like some people.
- As usual, when the whole family came down with some sort of viral junk, JuggerBaby recovered in about 4 hours and the rest of us geezers were laid out flat. Baby germs are the worst!
:: How did you fare this week?
May 13, 2016
Mood: winding down
- The refi was completed last week and I’m still basking in the feeling of completion. FIVE MONTHS of work, finalized!
- I impulse bought a lovely purse at a boutique shop. Not a thing I normally do, but once in a while you spot something that fits your needs perfectly. All week I’d been squishing everything into an old wristlet that JuggerBaby has been using as a chew toy / teething ring, and idly thinking that I ought to keep an eye out for something more functional.This thought usually leads to nowhere but while running an errand with a friend, I spotted just the ticket: larger but not too big (too big is relative – I love “too big” normally because I like the possibility of carrying EVERYTHING I need), wristlet and cross body options, soft sturdy material, a good variety of pockets with safe places for my keys, pens, cards and even sunglasses. So pleased with it, I don’t even harbor guilt for buying it on the spot instead of deliberating for 4 years as usual.
- I finally understand what my fair skinned friends experienced in the harsh Southern California summers of yore. Instead of turning my usual peasant brown after a couple hours outdoors without sunblock (an accident!) I’m now peeling and feeling like I’m shedding my skin. I’m too old for these new, gross, experiences!Maybe instead of complaining I should be grateful it only took 5 days to hit the peel stage?
- My soul thrills for Hamilton’s Tony nominations. Loved this article on Leslie Odom, Jr. and will hope with everything in me that he renews his contract and comes to play in San Francisco and we get to go see him.
- We took a few days just for family time and I’m physically best but my soul feels rested. I had forgotten what that felt like.
- Samantha Cristoforetti, I doff my cap to thee. She wore the first Star Trek uniform into space!
How was your week? When’s the last time you were sunburned?
May 6, 2016
Mood: Resolved
- Healing is hard. I battled my way through a pain spike for days, losing miserably because sometimes you can only win by not fighting, and this is a concept I totally stink at. How do people just veg and do nothing? I made myself lie down and give in to the urge to pass out at least once a day when JuggerLB was napping. It was bizarre but effective, the pain spikes were less severe and a little bit lower for each spike, the jagged aches were a little less intense for every 8-10 hours of sleep. Bless PiC for taking the brunt of the Unstoppable JuggerLB’s onslaught so that I could get that precious sleep.
- Friends depicted LB as the Unstoppable JuggerBaby and it’s so apt I haven’t been able to stop calling hir that ever since.
- I scored 48 on the Do you live in a bubble? quiz. What do you score?
- On a quest to annoy me to pieces, my craptacular phone’s trick this week is to keep turning off Mobile Data. STOP THAT.
- This may come to you as a surprise but we didn’t win a million dollars. Or even a $5 gift card.
- Last minute bonus: OUR REFINANCE IS COMPLETE. Wahoooooo!
Happy Friday, y’all! How was your week? What’s on for your weekend?
April 29, 2016
With a firm nod at Jana’s rechristening of her Friday posts to the Friday Six-Pack, a few thoughts to close the week.
- My soul is chafing against all the things I need to get done, all that things that must get done but take time. It’s rebelling against the ever growing list of things to do, and it wants to shed all responsibility and run wild down the street in the rain. I don’t blame it. I can’t do it, but I don’t blame it. We all need to cut loose on occasion. Even if, in this case, it can only be in my imagination because no one is spending on frivolity for a few months.
- No one needs to make and hand sew name tags into their toddler’s clothing on the off chance that a second shirt will go missing at daycare. No one has TIME for that. (But I want to.) Because labels are cute and I have a serious problem with loving labels. 98% of LB’s clothes are hand me downs and will be handed down to the next baby. Name tags only have temporary purpose, and will be useless after ze outgrows this pile of clothes. (But I want to!)
- All of my Amazon money, now and $300 into the future for perpetuity, is dedicated to household supplies so, no, I still can’t buy those 10 books I really want. (But I want to.)
- I can, and must, wait for a sale before buying that replacement professional lightweight handbag. It’s nonsensical to pay full price just to have it now when it will go on sale again eventually. (My last one, much beloved though it is, is flaking and looks like it’s got bag leprosy. Not professional at all.)
- I took a couple days off this month and it was so nice not to think about work at all, I think my brain forgot to come back.
- The Refinance That Took a Lifetime: still in progress. Naturally. But I will not be defeated!!
- LB’s teething and fever cycles this week destroyed me. My entire body feels like it’s a sea of molten lava.
- There are already 50 work emails waiting for me before 9 am and that’s just not right on a Friday.
In good news
We have houseguests this weekend so the timing of this flare-up stinks but I hope with a lot of breaks through the day, and a good night of sleep (cross your fingers for me!), tomorrow will be recovery mode and not sinking ship mode.
:: What’s your good health regimen? How do you beat back feeling like crap right before the weekend? Have you got any fun plans for this weekend?
July 18, 2008
For the past few weeks I’ve been up and at it every single day: working (tons), talking to a select few about possible future plans, exploring options, doing a lot of contemplation and consideration. Planning planning planning for Comic-Con and my business trip. Putting some major time into blogging, logging friend time. Basically, I’ve been a busy beaver at effecting some real change in my life. After all, if you’re unhappy, right? More on that later.
It’s taken its toll, though. Last night I turned on my laptop after getting home, started to work on a couple things and found myself lying on the floor talking to BF on the phone like I was a kid home from school with no homework.
That’d be a sign that I’ve been too intense for too long. I’m giving myself a small break tonight: I don’t have to do anything on the career front, the selling the truck front, or the alternate income front. I am formally giving myself permission to enjoy Friday night. Just hang out with some old friends and catch up. If networking happens as part of it, fine, if it doesn’t, fine. I can get back on the horse on Saturday.
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and fun plans!
June 6, 2008
and thanks for all the fish!
My top 5 referrers:
1. Ms. FB of Fabulously Broke in the City
2. Wanda of Well-Heeled
3. EC of Not Living on Ramen
4. Saving Diva of Saving For a Home of My Own
5. Sense of Sense to Dollars
I hope everyone had a good Friday and has a great weekend!
I walked home from the station and I’m BEAT. Might have had something to do with carrying 30 pounds of stuff, and being tired to begin with, but I don’t have the energy to do more than blog and flip through the Trader Joe’s catalog right now. Gourmet Steak Burgers with Cheese, Peppers and Onion … mmmmmm …. at $6.25 for five patties, it almost sounds like a good week’s worth of lunches for a couple bucks. But that’s just tired me talking.
April 25, 2008
I certainly didn’t see that coming. Sitting in my old spot by the window, but not with my back to it, exposed me to the unexpectedly worst aspect of this space: acute senioritis.
O Summer!