November 13, 2008
I went outside exactly zero times Sunday. Not to enjoy the sunlight, not to bask in the gusty windiness of the day, not to buy eggs. And I needed the eggs for breakfast.
Instead, I read the news. For hours. Read blogs, commented, read emails, even replied to a couple of them. Received multiple Twitter-like phone calls from a friend whose day out seemed more traumatic than my day in, thoroughly justifying my recusal from the outside world: I’m at the mall with my significant other, and her relatives. They’ve been shopping all day. I’ve abandoned them for the Apple store. They’ve been invited to dinner, can I hide out at your place later?
Instead, I spent hours on the internet, perusing sites that needed perusing, completed online tasks (3 of them!) that needed completing. Even initiated another project that I don’t quite have time for but will be good for me, I think. Discussed plans with a girlfriend I’ve not spoken to in ages. Chatted with another friend who I have snailmailed recently. Nearly completed a letter of recommendation for yet another friend, which probably doesn’t count since I’m not actually done with it. Unsuccessfully tried to initiate a GChat with another friend who is probably still trying to figure out GChat. Ah well.
And, discovered that in the recesses of one of my bookshelves, I still. Have. These. Does anyone on earth still have an old GameBoy that plays these games??
Filled a sack of Things to Discard, and Things to Give Away.
And collected stacks of books that I can bear to part with. I even found my old retainer! Which makes me think, I should call my old orthodontist, my teeth are … er, on the move again after many years of freedom and I should hate to think all that expense (thanks Mum!) and pain (thanks, Mum) were for naught. (I’m a little irritated that my dentist removed my permanent retaining wire two years ago without so much as a by-your-leave. That’s why the teeth are shifting.)
In my own little world, progress was made. Not a ton, but y’know. Enough to justify a day, almost.
November 11, 2008
A routine is a good thing, but when it causes you to forget things at home when the routine is altered just a tiny bit, it’s time to start paying more attention.
Mornings aren’t my strong suit so I minimize the number of things I have to remember before leaving the house. Normally works pretty well: only keys, phone and headset, and a book are taken out of my handbag each night, and they go right back in on my way out. Except I received a phone call in the middle of getting dressed, put the phone down on my desk instead and walked out without it. Dangit. Now I keep hearing other people’s iPhones dinging and chiming and wanting to check mine.
It probably wouldn’t be a problem if I’d not had unconfirmed plans to have lunch with a friend today. Or if I didn’t need to text a friend for his mechanic’s phone number. Or if I didn’t go home in the pitch black darkness with potential late-running trains. Boo. While I never wanted to be dependent on a tech device, it sure would be handy.
November 3, 2008
Just read this NY Times article, Forming a Club to Share Financial Wisdom:
I’ve long lamented the fact that there aren’t as many money clubs as there are book clubs. Plenty of us would be more successful in meeting our financial goals if we met regularly with a small group of like-minded people to lay our finances bare, from incomes to debt to our spending foibles. It would be one part Debtors Anonymous and one part Weight Watchers, a bit like the investment clubs that were popular in the 1990s but with every part of our financial lives under the microscope.
What I didn’t do, but should have, was try to inspire an international movement around the idea. That’s what five women from Vancouver are trying to do with their new book, “The Smart Cookies’ Guide to Making More Dough” (Delacorte Press), and Web site, smartcookies.com.
Much of the book offers fairly basic financial advice, and it will probably resonate best with young women. The silly name, meanwhile, might turn off serious-minded people.
But that would be too bad, because theirs is a story of guts and grit, of five women who leaned on one another to rein in individual money habits that were fairly destructive.
At first I thought, that’d be awesome! And it would be. But what I’d want even more than a money club is a career club, one with members at various stages of their careers. I’d certainly love to get together with people who are financially wise for cross-mentoring but I’m at the stage where, mostly, I’ve got a good handle on the basics and much prefer to discuss at more advanced levels topics like career planning, investing, understanding the stock market, estate planning, insurances, real estate, etc. (Heh, estate planning. I plan to have an estate, someday.) This blog and reading about a hundred other PF blogs scratches the personal aspect of my finance itch rather well whereas I’m ripe for professional development.
What do you think? Would you want to start a money club? Or is there some area or topic that would more effectively contribute to your life?
October 28, 2008
Evidently, the universe cares about me getting my work done, and your collective opinions: the meeting has been canceled!
Fantastic!
October 23, 2008
How bad is it when you’d rather work than go to lunch with higher-ups because you know that the outcome of the lunch has already been determined, thereby negating the need for the lunch? I mean, it’s gonna be good food and good food is my weakness.
But I’d rather be at my desk, having a lunch of herbs. Sad.
October 15, 2008
Has anyone else received this email? My spam filter is easily fooled, I guess:
From: Tax_Refund@IRS.gov
Subject: IRS : Tax refund value is $252.60
Date: October 15, 2008 9:46:17 AM PDT
To: undisclosed-recipients: ;
Reply-To: do-not-reply@IRS.gov
Dear Applicant:
After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity we have determined that you are eligible to receive a tax refund under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Tax refund value is $252.60.
Please submit the tax refund request and allow us 3-6 days in order to IWP the data received.
▪ If you distribute funds to other organization, your records must show wether they are exempt under section 497 (c) (15). In cases where the recipient org. is not exempt under section 497 (c) (15), you must have evidence the funds will be used for section 497 (c) (15) purposes.
▪ If you distribute fund to individuals, you should keep case histories showing the recipient’s name and address; the purpose of the award; the maner of section; and the realtionship of the recipient to any of your officers, directors, trustees, members, or major contributors.
To access the form for your tax refund, please click here
This notification has been sent by the Internal Revenue Service,
a bureau of the Department of the Treasury.
Sincerely Yours,
Director, Exempt. Organization
Rulings and Agreements Letter
Internal Revenue Service
Note:
▪ If you received this message in your SPAM/BULK folder, that is because of the restrictions implemented by your ISP
▪ For security reasons, we will record your ip address, the date and time.
▪ Deliberate wrong imputs are criminally pursued and indicted.
© Copyright 2008, Internal Revenue Service U.S.A.
Obviously, inputting ANY data in the form they provided would be a mistake, as the IRS doesn’t typically evaluate your fiscal records nor contact YOU to give you a refund. File under: scam, spam and too good to be true.
October 14, 2008
Wow. I was having a really bad morning plagued with doubts, insecurities and a desperate need not to be at work/around negative people so we decided that the solution to my problem was to eat the rest of my birthday cake. There was about a quarter of a round, three-layer cake left and so I dug in.
Someday, I thought, I’ll learn that eating sweets is not the answer. “Someday” might be today…. I’ve had too much cake. But at least my mind’s in a different place now. A really sugared-up, distracted sort of place, but a wholly different place.
