July 10, 2009
What day is this? Is it Saturday? Again? Everyday would seem like Saturday if my friends weren’t mostly working during the day.
Update update update ….. My gamut of interviews is over for now and now we wait and we see. I won’t hear back until August about the most-wanted job but I’ve had good meetings with senior folks in the company and am now being totally Zen about this. If this is meant to be, it’ll happen.
I had a wonderful walk in Central Park with MoneyMateKate, and a lovely dinner with another friend I was meeting for the first time today! Funny how this trip has turned into an opportunity to meet so many new friends or old acquaintances.
My tour of a friend’s workplace turned up another set of informational interviews, and my resume is winging its way through another set of connections. It never fails to amaze me that people are willing to make that sort of recommendation based on knowing me for about five or ten minutes. Not that I’m not worth it! š
Oh, and I did extend my trip, at least until Tuesday. If the last round of meetings bears interview fruit, I have the freedom to extend again until just before Comic Con. Get this: my free ticket voucher from getting bumped from a flight allows me to change the dates of travel at will, for free.
And now, a little food porn to hold y’all over:
June 2, 2009
- I’m getting better at this cooking thing. Dinner creation: sole, quinoa cooked in a rice-like fashion, and lemon butter haricot verts! [Right, green beans. But the schmancy packaging said haricot verts.]
- And I made a luscious lobster macaroni and cheese, which I forgot to capture on digi-film because we dug in so quickly. It might even be better than my last favorite mac’n’cheese incarnation. I can think of a few changes I’d make to it, though.
- We saw UP this weekend. It was so good. Very cute, moving, a little sad (yes, I teared up), but very good.
- New shoes, 35% off, filed under budget-cheat because they were a gift. They won’t be the multi-purpose walking/casual shoes I was really looking for, but that’s ok because these 993s hug my heels and support them like a good friend. And yes, 35% off is hardly my style when the shoes still ring up to $95, so I can only take my solace in knowing that we clocked in the world’s shortest shoe shopping expedition. Walked in, looked at the wall for a minute, pointed at the ones I wanted. Not counting the time it took Dorky Sales Guy to find the shoes, the selection and decision process took 7 minutes, tops.
- New 1/2 sleeve button down shirt for work, on sale and another 20% off because the shirt was missing a button. Silly people: the shirt comes with an extra button! But of course no big-box retailer is going to pay their employees to sew on a button to save $5. So I will! Thank you.
- And my PF blogger win? We sprung for the 3-D tickets because it was an earlier showing. We used premium movie passes worth $10.50 each, and paid the 3-D surcharge ($5) with a gift card. Total: $26.50. I’m not sure what kind of math they were using for that, though, because 21+5=$26. Except we got to the theatre a little late and the place was packed to the rafters; the only empty seats were in the front row. We’re too old for that nonsense, so we went to Customer Service to exchange the tickets for a later, non 3-D showing. I offered the CS rep our gift card to replenish with $5, and waited. And waited. And waited some more. I could see he was having trouble, at one point fumbling with his own wallet, and I started to grin evilly.
I had no intention of causing trouble for the poor guy, I was just trying to save him the use of a new gift card! But, evidently, as the sweat beads formed on his forehead, I realized he didn’t know how or simply couldn’t add the $5 to the card. He returned with two tickets in hand for the later showing, a free movie voucher card, and said “it’ll be just a minute.” My friend was happy, willing to walk away with the free movie voucher which was worth another $9.50. I, however, stood firm. If nothing else, I insisted, he had to return with the gift card – we still have $5 on that thing and that’s cash value! I don’t care if the value of the voucher was almost equal to the $10 in GC that he owed, I expected that gift card with $5 back. Friend thought I was pushing it, I simply smiled and shooed him off.
Five minutes later, the discombobulated fellow returned, flush with apology, another free movie pass, and the original gift card. I graciously told him not to worry about it, confirmed that the gift card still had the remaining $5 on it, and walked away with two free movie tickets, worth $10 each, in exchange for the “loss” of a $5 value on the gift card.
I could probably have suggested that he simply load up a new card, but that would have been pushing it. He needed to towel off as it was. š
April 29, 2009
I had the world’s best homemade double-layered peanut butter cookie with a touch of oats for breakfast this morning. I scarfed mine too quickly to get a photo of it, but managed to snap one before they were all gone. Apologies for the less than stellar photography, ’twas the best I could do under the circumstances. I need the recipe for these cookies.
SingleMa’s ideal vacation has been my daydream for the past three months: sun, sand, shade, a hammock, books and nothing but water lapping at the edges of my sensory perception. It doesn’t have to be a Caribbean resort necessarily, but an all-inclusive would be the most sensible since I still need to be fed. And lazing about on the beach all day doesn’t leave much time for the grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning I love so much.
DogAteMyFinances’s reference to her “unemployment flu” made me smile. It’s just the name that’s funny, not the condition itself. In our circle, I don’t think anyone has been left out of calls or invitations for anything due to catching unemployment. I’m grateful that we prize each other’s company above all else, and rarely do we initiate gatherings with an entrance fee. Where possible, we’ll split the cost for the unemployed group member. When we had an at home spa day, we clubbed our pennies together to cover a third friend though she only originally came to enjoy our company. Our broke college days aren’t so far off that we can’t share. Or is that they’re far enough off that whose who can afford to be, are?
Not to dwell on unemployment, but Funny About Money wrote a lovely guide to plan plan planning for that oft-dreaded state. It’s much more helpful as a primer than my occasional spaz-outs.
@FMFblog tweeted this NY Times article: A primer on Buying Life and Disability Insurance. I just received notification that my application to increase my (verrrry basic) life insurance from work to a whopping $200k policy was approved. This policy is portable, so at the very least I’ll have that much coverage in case I don’t get my crap together in time.
Speaking of the NY Times, Mapgirl was linked by NY Times Your Money! Isn’t that cool??
My buddy-in-spending (and saving!!), Well-Heeled has decided to spend even more. Consciously, though, and on things that will make her happy, healthy, wealthy and wise. Wait, which of those don’t belong? We’ve been sharing the same sentiments about this recession [so done with it] and other related matters. I may get ’round to sharing my thoughts in a future post.
Happy Wednesday all!
April 28, 2009
CVS: Picked up another tube of Neutrogena Rapid Clear, a nostrum I’ve hopes to cut out of my life once life and skin become less stressed (on sale, $6.99);
Trying out the Neutrogena Sunblock, Ultra Sheer Dry Touch SPF 70, to ward off sun cancer once I start all that vacationing and sunbathing š (on sale, $9.99);
= $18.xx, and *$5 Extra Care Bucks for buying $15 of Neutrogena products
* ECB to be used towards two packs of Q-tips (2 for $5). I hate paying real money for cotton and paper products.
Vons: Bananas, three (on sale, 86 cents);
New white potatoes, half pound for boiling (not on sale, $1.50);
Spinach, one bag (on sale, $1);
Corn, two ears (on sale, $1.58);
Classico pasta sauce, 2 jars (on sale, $4);
Store brand pastas, 2 boxes 1 lb each (on sale, free with sauce purchase);
= $8.46
Ironic: Digging through my office supplies bag from the desk, I noticed the expiration date on the Tums for the first time. (exp: July 2009) Hah! That is completely a sign of better things to come. In my world. Where I live.
April 27, 2009
’tis back to the grindstone, m’hearties!
Glad to be bringing home a paycheck for another few (9) weeks, but not so much to have to actually do it. Here. With these people. You understand.
Had a wonderfully *waiting* weekend with the BFF et al. We’re anxiously awaiting her new bundle of joy and have bets going on how much he’ll weigh. Your positive thoughts are much appreciated, I’m worried that he’s been so quiet.
We had other good news to celebrate: her sibling is engaged and will likely be having an Aussie wedding. I promptly texted my congratulations and asked if I was invited to the shindig. š [Yes, I am.]
I figured that I should invite myself early on to guarantee that I can find a decent flight. I’ll be doing my travel research soon, it’d be so cool if I were, ah, still unemployed and able to do a NZ and Australia jaunt in the fall. [Cool minus the part where I’d still be jobless ….. priorities, priorities…!!]
Oh, and I just realized that this will be the first wedding that I’ve attended in years where I won’t be part of the ceremony. Oh, to simply be a guest and not a working participant! Fun!
Spent $6 on admission to the Fair on Saturday, another $9 on funnel cake (with powdered sugar) and roasted corn on the cob. Friends treated us to our demolition derby tickets ($8/each).
Overspending goes hand in hand with unhealthy fair food. Refrained from buying apple butter, peach butter, cinnamon apple butter, and apricot butter. Luckily, I really only had $20 in cash, so I put a couple things on my card, and stuck to cash only the rest of the time. Total spending was about $32.50.
I wanted to treat them to lunch on Sunday for putting us up and all, but didn’t get the chance to. I did run their dishwasher for them, though. Imagine that, an Asian using the dishwasher to wash dishes! Such a novelty.
The real plan is to trade them manual labor (babysitting, cooking and cleaning) later this summer when I have time on my hands. We’ve been such close childhood friends that we’ve never practiced such etiquettely habits as host gifts and bringing wine to gatherings before, I guess there’s no reason to start formality with practically-family.
April 23, 2009
Nickel’s article, Economy Got You Down? Pig Out! made me laugh out loud. Just this weekend, I was taken to the grocery store for snacks for the week because, “food is the only thing that makes you happy, at work.”
Too right!!
Forget the whole losing-your-job bit, now I have to listen to coworkers scheming to move their cash out of accounts to “prove insolvency” so they can claim their bit from unemployment and food stamps. Yeah. They’re planning to really make the most of this situation by defrauding the system to the highest extent. Money, and keeping food on the table, is not the least of my worries, but this is just wrong.
Anyway, since there’s absolutely nothing I can do about it whilst they’re plotting, I’m preventing an irrational reaction by feeding my soul. And not incidentally, my mouth š
So if Nickel’s citation is true, “The calmer you feel, the less likely you’ll do something irrational,” bring on the comfort food!
This week’s treats stashed in my “drawer of inappropriate starches” (Topher, Dollhouse):
Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger Cookies
Lemon Zest Luna Bars
Middle Eastern flatbread, and tzatziki (which is actually quite good in a breakfast burrito!)
Honey whole wheat pretzel sticks
Hmm…I’m lacking salty stuff. I’ve finally developed a taste for salt and vinegar chips which I used to hate! FB keeps talking about golden Oreos on Twitter, though, and that’s tilting the imbalance further in the direction of sweets.
I’ve also soothed my agitated soul by watching Psych and Burn Notice during my off hours. Friends with a ready supply of DVDs and comic books are great, I never watch TV in my normal life so this is like a free, at-home hiatus.
Of course, then I get to figure out how to repay friend for the loan and support. ’tis a cycle!
What nice things are you doing for yourselves these days?
April 12, 2009
Status: Food coma
Having nothing better to do on a lazy Sunday, I trotted ’round to the local Fresh and Easy in pursuit of a 77 cent/lb ham. The only available specimen was a hefty ten pounder, which I hoisted into my cart, and added a jug of apple juice and honey for good measure. The latter two items were for my honey-apple glaze, the idea for which I must thank the iPhone + Google.
For the record, I’ve never ever cooked a ham before. Fair warning.
The already-cooked ham was dutifully wrapped in foil, and placed in a roasting pan which, miracle of miracles, only took me ten minutes to find.
[Might I point out that this is 90% of the reason I don’t cook? It’s simply not my kitchen, and for all that I’m heartily grateful that my dad cooks 99% of the time, his idea of housekeeping and organizing is levels away from mine. And I cannot stand to cook in a messy kitchen, so as soon as the ham was wrapped and popped into the oven for the first-stage, 3-hour roast, I commenced 3 hours of dishwashing, kitchen cleaning, drain deodorizing, and grocery shopping. And cleaning out the fridge, packing food into actual containers instead of left willy-nilly on plates. Ugh! Also, matched up tops and bottoms to plastic containers.]
After the third hour, basting of the uncovered ham began, as did vegetable prep. I found this awesome recipe for new potatoes and green beans from A Veggie Venture. I didn’t want two pounds of baby red or white potatoes, so I opted for the (cheaper) loose, bulk Yukon potatoes. Tasted delicious, but I realized the reason you want the babies during the last step of cooking: the cut-up cooked potatoes got a little smashed in transition. But that didn’t affect the taste one iota.
I added rice and scarfed immediately.
Man. I’m a good kid. I made a great dinner and left the kitchen cleaner than when I started. Oh, and did I forget to mention home-made yellow cupcakes?
[No frosting, too sweet for my aging teeth.] I had to substitute olive oil for veggie oil, but that didn’t affect the taste.
Ham, $8
Juice, $2
Honey, $3
Green beans, $1.50
Potatos, $1.50
Cake, $1.50
Cleaning supplies (dish soap, vinegar, baking soda): $7
Total Cost: $24.50
