About sixteen years ago, I met him for the first time. My trainwreck sibling brought home this adorable puppy he had no business adopting because he had not one thing in his life that wasn’t a mess. I was furious at my sibling – he didn’t even take care of himself, how could he drag
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February 20, 2008
Sad people do spend more money. I’ve been in Las Vegas since Sunday working crazy hours.
Meetings run from 7:30 am to 3 p.m. and continue again from 6 p.m. until 11 or later through cocktail hour and dinner. All this professional socializing, while sick, has been taking a major toll on my energy, and I’ve also been stressed by relationship woes.
So, I bought this gorgeous red thing last night because I’d only packed modest, comfortable clothing, and nothing worthy of going out like we decided to do at the last minute. Shops here are RIDICULOUS expensive, and I couldn’t believe that I thought, “Well. $36 for a dress …. uh …. isn’t … that … bad?”
Ack! Thoroughly defeated my own scheme of making sure that I spend nothing while away on this trip to alleviate the crushing weight of bills waiting for me back home. Doh!
February 14, 2008
Tylenol Cold and Cough liquid (Cool Burst, tastes disgusting): $6.99
Tylenol Chest Congestion tablets: $5.89, with a 10% discount
Generic for Nyquil: $8.99
Hall’s Cough Drops: $1.99
(2) 1/2 gallon cartons of OJ: $6
Regular Extra-Strength Tylenol: $7
Halls Defense Tablets: free, supplied by friend, boss, anyone who doesn’t want me sharing my germs
= $36.86
I’m so thankful for my FSA … I’d be pretty aggravated if I were paying for these out of pocket entirely because I wasn’t prepared to be sick for upwards of two weeks.
February 13, 2008
So …. remember the split pants? I was so proud of myself for fixing up the pants, and everything, and then I got lazy. I was supposed to stitch up the split “seam” with needle and thread but didn’t, and then foolishly decided to wear the jeans today.
*sigh*
So I’ve got a little breeze going on here. Wish me well, blogger family, as I walk around with my shirt pulled waaay down low.
*eyeroll* This is so typical of your slightly scatterbrained resident ducky.
Edit: I had a little flashback to Sunday night, looking at a portable sewing kit. “Should I put this in my bag? Hm, nahhh … “
February 12, 2008
In my haze of coughing instead of sleeping at night, and working instead of resting during the day, I realized I have never had to pay taxes before. It’s always been a refund, large or small, and so I’ve never had to consider this question:
How should I pay my taxes?
As I mentioned before, I think it’s going to be a hefty sum. As a matter of principle, I hate to pay by check. Should I look into using a credit card and do they always charge a convenience fee? If they do, the only way it might be worth it would be to have a high percent of rewards (at least 5%) to offset the fee. Whatever the case, I’d like to make sure that I maximize this “purchase!”
In other news, this is one of the nastiest colds I’ve ever had. It’s been a week, and I think I’m getting worse. At least it’s not the flu!
February 9, 2008
As it turns out, I didn’t properly track my non-W2 income in the form of bonuses and supplemental income as well as I thought I had.
All the paperwork is here in front of me, and I may very well be getting soaked on my taxes this year. Let’s see, nearly 30% of my total income was paid as “miscellaneous income” documented on a 1099. Since I didn’t anticipate this, I’ve only paid approximately 8% on total income this year, and only have my filing status as Head of Household with 1 dependent to help keep the tax bill lower. Yikes!
I’m not eager to find out what the real bill will be, but not knowing is making me a bit itchy. Guess this means I’d better get this paperwork to the accountant and let him work his magic soon.
February 8, 2008
I don’t pick up known or blocked number calls. When I get them, and strangely on the iPhone I actually have the urge to pick up those calls now, I tend to get annoyed when the caller doesn’t leave a message.
It’s probably not a really fair, or rational, reaction, but even if I don’t pick up for perfectly valid reasons, I hate not knowing who called.
February 7, 2008
It’s definitely been one of those weeks. Bills looming, wee little paychecks scrambling to keep up … you know, the usual.
Except ……
I’ve been coming down with this cold for days, with a nasty, bone-rattling cough, swollen throat and sneezes two times too big for my body.
Then…..
Every single day this week, I’ve hurt myself somehow. Two days ago, I nearly broke my hip running into the edge of Coworker’s desk coming out of the kitchen, then took out the same side again on the restroom doorknob yesterday. And, of course, the entire office is laughing at me now because I hit the door frame with my elbow going to wash my hands. I think the secretary’s going to burst something, she’s laughing so hard. I’m like a gawky 13-year-old.
And ….
Ergonomics? Nah. I can’t stop trying to sit with my legs crossed for the life of me. My physical therapist, whom I haven’t seen in three MONTHS, told me to stop doing that because it’s not good for my posture. When did I get old enough to have posture problems, by the by?? So I’m firmly planting my feet on the stepstool that keeps my feet level, otherwise they’d be dangling a foot off the ground. Firmly, with conviction. Only to find my right leg sneakily, slowly, steathily creeping back ’round to cross over the left leg. Stop! Why is it so hard to break habits??
