December 28, 2007

Ooh, burned by the future MIL

It’s almost sort of funny now, but a few days ago, I wasn’t nearly so amused by the conversation I had with BoyDucky’s mother. She’d been almost forcefully cheerful and friendly to me all day – highly unusual, in fact, has NEVER happened before – but I assumed it had nothing to do with me. Apparently, she was just setting me up to get me to ride with her and BoyDucky to their business, so she could give me a piece of her mind. So we could have “a discussion,” I mean.

The highlights were as follows:

1. You two need to make a decision about marriage. NOW.
2. You can’t keep living in two separate cities. Unless you’re not getting married, then it doesn’t matter.

** I couldn’t help myself, I clapped my hands and said, “Oh that’s an option? Great! We’re set then!” As you can imagine, I got a LOOK from BD.**

3. You need to find a job in Northern CA, regardless of how well you’re doing at the current job because one of you is going to have to make sacrifices. *ahem* SOME people actually quit their jobs, have kids, and then come back to their jobs years later.
4. You need to stop “chasing the money” (that’s what it’s called when you’re working instead of popping out the babies) and put your family first. (ie: yes, the family I don’t have yet because I’ve already got my hands full!)

** I was still just laughing at this point, saying “sure, one of us can stay at home. BoyDucky! He’d LIKE to stay home with the kids. I’ll work really hard, get some major raises and be the breadwinner.” That screwed up her tirade for a few minutes. She regrouped, though. What a trooper! **

5. You should just quit your job here and, if you can’t find a job like you’re doing now, just go be someone’s secretary. You’d probably be good at that.

** Laughter stopped. **

6. What are your parents doing? I think your dad should just get some job somewhere and work for someone. Or maybe he just won’t lower himself like that. What’s your mom doing? etc. etc. etc.

** The funny left the building. **

I keep hearing that I shouldn’t have high expectations for a MIL, that some MsIL NEVER become reconciled to the DIL until they’re practically on their deathbeds (in one case, literally) but is it really so unusual for a MIL to have a little respect?

Leaving aside the whole can of “how dare you judge my parents when you know nothing about them” worms; I doubt that anyone who had any respect for me would suggest that I dump everything I’ve labored so hard to accomplish to go have babies on their say so. Not because it’s a priority for me, but because she wants grandkids and the other kids aren’t giving it up. Is this a generational thing? The one that dictated the older generation would give everything up to have kids and take care of them? I highly respect my parents for the sacrifices they made, and return the favor in kind, but giving up everything for kids I don’t have (and maybe, don’t want) yet is not happenin’.

Besides, it’s just not practical. I already have two dependents, and taking away my income to live on BD’s doesn’t work at all.

Is this as laughable to anyone else as it was to me? Or does it just sound familiar?

Ok, I guess it’s not that funny now that I think about it. Just kind of sad. But boy, she got me good with that secretary thing. After all, it was just a probably that I’d be good at it! All kinds of implied insult. *eyeroll*

November 26, 2007

New Scam: Internal Revenue Service, Subject Line: Tax Refund (Message ID: A29R113)

On Thanksgiving, the scammers thought they’d give me a bit of holiday cheer by sending this cute little message:

And because I’m a mean girlfriend, I immediately checked the IRS website to confirm that it was a scam (which it is), then called BoyDucky over to take a look at the email without telling him what it was. I knew that he’d think it was kosher simply because I didn’t say it wasn’t. But he’s got to learn more skepticism! It’s my mission to foster suspicion and paranoia in my compatriots so that I don’t have to worry about them. And you. Don’t fall for the IRS scam, folks, it’s not worth the $109 they claim you’re owed.

Oh, by the way, if you do click on the link, it looks pretty good until you realize they used Comic Sans on the image. That’s just not IRS-style, scammers, they use HELVETICA.

I reported the link, and now the site is tagged with a warning that it’s probably a fraudulent site. That’s pretty cool.

November 15, 2007

Making better use of my time

Not that watching the end of Michael Bay’s Transformers wasn’t a great use of my morning commute time, but now that I’m done, I could start spending that hour doing something that is more productive or educational. I can’t concentrate on learning a language if I’m not also reading and writing at the same time (I did try some foreign language podcasts), so another option is reading the Wall Street Journal.

I recently tossed out a teaser letter from the WSJ that offered the print paper for $99 a year. I wonder if I can find better rates online?

For 26 weeks, they offer:

Print only: $59
They say I would save 75%, “plus 1 week free!” (When I click on subscribe, it says that I will receive 27 weeks, total, so it’s not just a bait and switch involved with the discounted price vs. newsstand price.)

For 52 weeks, they offer:

Print/online combo: $125, plus 8 weeks free
Print only: $99, plus 2 weeks free
Online only: $79, plus 2 weeks free

At 6 issues a week, if I subscribe for 26 weeks, I’m getting 162 copies for $59, which equals: 36 cents each.

OR I could get:

Print/online combo at 360 copies for $125 = 35 cents a copy, plus online access.
Print only: 54 cents per copy
Online only: access to the current issues and archives.

The online only version isn’t an option because it doesn’t help me on the commute unless I get internet access gadgets, which isn’t a cost effective solution.

Hmm…then again, given my current cash crunch, spending money at all is not a good solution. It’s time for some creative funding. Normally I deplore the use of any mileage for magazine redemptions, but I do have number of Alaska Air miles that will likely expire before I fly Alaska again. Maybe I can redeem those!

November 2, 2007

The more you have, the more you waste?

Time, in this case. Probably money, too, but today’s topic is time. Ever since the OT tap was turned off at work, I’ve had two extra hours every night to myself. The routine was, for time immemorial: Get home at 8:15. Eat dinner: 15 minutes. Take shower: 15 minutes. Tidy up, and get into bed: 15 minutes. Talk to BoyDucky? Some time between 9 and 10 pm, if it works out. My schedule used to frustrate him because we had a short window in which we’d get to talk, or miss each other completely because I had to sleep as close to ten as possible. Getting up before 6 am just isn’t easy. Yes, the whole 8 hours a night thing seems terribly spoiled, but I promise that it’s for the greater good. The more sleep deprived I am, the punchier I, and the worse the arthritis, get. In the pursuit of non-sausage fingers and the avoidance of bum knees, I try my best to get the eight hours in.

Now that I get home around 6:15, there’s a whole lotta futzing around on the internet that accomplishes absolutely nothing. Inevitably 9:15 rolls around and there I am, unshowered, unfed, and unready for bed. The morning alarm is still set for predawn because I still have the 1+ hour commute so it’s not like I’m getting off all that easy with the “8 hour day.”

I have GOT to get it together and either do something useful with that extra time like exercise, cook, or actually get some wedding planning done! *igh* I don’t wanna, though. Maybe I’ll let myself have a few more weeks of doing absolutely nothing useful after work. After all, I’ve got about three years of downtime to catch up on!