August 9, 2007
If you watch any movies on opening night this summer, make sure that Stardust is one of them.
It’s a perfectly amusing movie blessed with good writing and surprisingly heavy star talent that actually lends their weight to the rhythm of the movie rather than causing one end or the other to be lopsided. There are pirates, there are princes dead and alive, witches and fairy. There’ll be a young man, and young woman, and a few more where they came from, all trying to capture the same thing, if they only knew it.
It will be lovely. I assure you of this. It will be lovely, and encouraging more such well-written and creative work, if Stardust does well enough to prove to the Hollywoodian powers that be that good movies are a Good Thing. Or it won’t, but at least you’ll have had the satisfaction of a wonderful time.
I’m saddened to say that CashDuck will be closing next week. Kira has done a great job with the site, and it was certainly one of the cleanest, most user-friendly site I’ve frequented.
It’s been good times, Cashduck!
As the organizer of bridal parties and bachelorette parties in the past, I’ve always paid my way and a little more for the bride if we were going out, and for some, if not all, of the supplies involved in the party. At the time, I was also usually a broke college student as well, so I always took the bride at her word: “Please don’t get me a gift, I just want you there.” Was that a terrible faux pas? Obviously, I was both very close to the bride and very very financially stretched just buying the dress and paying for the activities so I didn’t feel terrible about being very honest about my circumstances. Now that I’m a professional, still struggling, am I obligated to swing the pendulum in the other direction, spending more than I ought just because I never have before?
The other thing is that I want to do a gift right, if I’m going to do one at all, and have passed on the gift-giving occasion in favor of a more appropriate, personal gift at a later date before. Of course, my friends and I are casual people about the gifting thing. If anything, I would rather give the happy couple a really nice 1-year anniversary gift celebrating the true date of their marriage if I can’t give but a token gift now. After all, only the three of us (and all of you!) know when they really got married, and that feels much more personal.
August 6, 2007
I didn’t go into work today on the premise that I’ve have more Ma-sitting to do, but she and Pa are off to get some of her labwork done and she doesn’t need me for that. Still, my body is rebelling so it’s a good thing I got that extra rest to ease the aches in my old bones.
Meantime, I do have some goodish news on the financial front. What? That’s what this blog is about?? š
1. My Chase rewards check came in: +$50
2. Lil Boss reimbursed me for the gifts for coworkers from Con and for my transportation: +$125
3. Lil Boss also gave me my cell phone stipend: +$50
4. The Banquet TMF rebate came in: +$7.99
I’m still waiting on:
1. 8 months overdue Cardoffers check: -$60
2. Payout from DealBarbie: -$21
3. 2 months worth of payment from Bro: -$1400
4. 4 months of loan payment: -$4000
And it turns out that the mysterious thousand dollar deposit into my checking account really was from my uncle (yay). But it’s not for me (boo). It’s for his father in law who doesn’t have a bank account. I ought to start charging transfer fees if they’re using me as Western Union! How does MsMini’s Money sound? Oh, kind of like I want to just TAKE their money, huh? Let’s not explore that further. š
August 3, 2007
there’s a mysterious deposit to my checking account. It’s labeled “Customer Deposit,” which means it was an in-branch deposit, for one thousand dollars, originating from another state. While I have relatives in that state, I don’t have relatives who have that kind of money, who have my checking account number, or who would unexpectedly make huge deposits for me. Do I?!
The bank can’t give me information on the deposit over the phone, they can just send a copy of the deposit slip, and that’ll take 5-7 days to arrive.
Huh.
That’s weird.
Still waiting for my cell phone to ring with some news. Any news. She’s being seen at the hospital right now, and I’ve got friends at the county hospital on call this weekend in case of problems. Just waiting to hear anything.
And I shouldn’t have had turkey for lunch, I’m full, sleepy and worried.
Also, I have to make a decision about this trip to Baltimore on Sunday. Go? Stay? Shouldn’t this be obvious?
July 18, 2007
BoyDucky’s been (let himself be) suckered into depending on United’s E-fares that publish the week of the weekend he’d like to travel. The last time he got complacent and found that United wasn’t going to fly him down to SoCal for less than $350, his coworker came to the rescue reminding him to use Travelocity’s last minute package deals that include airfare and car rental.
This time, however, he’s completely out of luck. Not only did lastminute.com, and various alterations to his itinerary still not turn up any good flight options, he was too late to buy the $166 fare I found, using more inconvenient airports, on farecompare.com. Now that it’s just a couple days before he wants to travel, options are much more severely limited.
If h’s determined to come down this weekend and work out with his team, it’s going to cost at least $250. *shudder* This is why I’d rather make arrangements far in advance and have a plane ticket I can live with that (< $150). I'm so glad that he's already got his tickets for the next weekend (Con weekend). We simply can't afford to keep flying him down at such exhorbitant prices!
And I can’t wait until we’re in the same city.
