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
Read More
July 1, 2009
As much a lightly-packing ninja I fancy myself, there are always some fantastic tips out in the blogworld that are worth repeating:
From the Unclutterer:
Plan your wardrobe around a limited color scheme and choose your neutral first. I typically choose EITHER black or brown, and then plan the rest of my clothing around two other colors such as blue and tan. This way I can mix, match, layer and create a bunch of different outfits without needing a ton of items.
Use your shoes as containers. I can get three pairs of socks and my sports bra into my sneakers! Mens’ dress shoes are roomy too, as are some ladies shoes. Plus when your shoes are stuffed it keeps them from getting crushed. Bonus!
From Ms. Minimalist herself, FB:
Pack properly
Put your liquids, gels and aerosols ALREADY stuffed into that tiny little plastic bag (you can reuse them, they don’t care how new they look), and put it in the FRONT sections of your carry-on so you can easily grab them out and throw them into the bin before going through.
I have this down to an art now.
I also put my laptop in a section where it’s easy to pull out and throw into the bin as well.
My main rules about packing are:
1. Bring only what you NEED. Only one “just-in-case” top is allowed, because I have been known to muss myself.
2. Bring only what you can carry. I’m pretty darned small, and can’t expect to be helped by strangers, so if I can’t bench it, I can’t bring it.
For this nine-day trip, I’m going with browns/blues: two day dresses, two skirts, five tops. Also, two black dresses in case we go out or I go dancin’, business suit, and pajamas. A towel is stuffed into my most lightweight purse that I’ll use during the day, and the pair get packed into the carry-on suitcase, while the laptop goes into the backpack.
Five tops seems excessive, but I’ve been told to pack for hot and humid. I’d like to be a fresh smelling tourist, and I’ve got room to spare. As for shoes, I’ve got sneakers, the new pair of brown walking flats [pleaseplease be kind to my feet in NYC!], and one pair of sandals to go with the business suit and evening dresses. It’s all pretty flexible, but not as minimalist as I would like.
Since my experience with packing tends to be business-oriented, we’ll see how my business +vacation packing skills hold up.
June 30, 2009
Contributions for health, dental, other insurances, and supplemental retirement accounts are not taken from your final check; your contribution to the Retirement Savings Program is taken, and the university’s matching contribution is made. Other deductions such as parking citations, charges on your ID card, wage assignments, applicable taxable tuition assistance benefits, etc. will be deducted automatically from your final check.
Here we are!
After weeks and months of build-up, mood swings, job hunting, and all the other associated mumbo jumbo, we have survived until the final day without experiencing bodily harm (this was actually a little bit of a concern), completely losing my mind, or going stark raving mad. The latter two seem the same, but they’re not. The last option seems more permanent.
Happily, we’ve arrived. But there’s still work to do! Namely: deposit checks!! [oooh yes, *rubbing hands* I’ve been waiting for this moment.] By 3 pm of this day, I ought to receive my (a) final paycheck as detailed in the above quote, (b) a severance and vacation payout, and (c) quarterly supplemental income. I also sort of expect a (d) supplemental check to match the severance and vacation payout, but am not sure when and if that will appear. The HQ hasn’t exactly got their you-know-what in order, most of the time.
Secondly, investment accounts! My 403(b) and 401(a) are both with Vanguard, and I’ve accumulated enough to just leave them be. No rolling over, no cashing out, no losing about 40% of it.
There’s one more investment account coming due. In my first two years of employment, non-exempt employees had access to the We Think You’re Stupid Plan. I’ve spoken to the folks responsible for dealing with the now-obsolete WTYS Plan, and have found that they will roll the account balance over into my existing Vanguard account. Since they froze the plan, everyone was immediately vested! She wouldn’t tell me what the balance was at the time, but it’ll just be a nice surprise, whatever it is.
Thirdly, benefits! I’ve stocked up on my prescriptions for now, and should have enough to last me until September. Unless I have to do it sooner, I’m going to wait until about 40 days before signing into COBRA. If there’s no immediate need, and I manage to land another job, why waste the premiums? Reduced or not, that’s cash. There’s no problem with waiting since you can activate it retroactively so long as you pay the premiums for both months.
Also under this heading: life insurance. The life insurance policy I settled on is a measly $200k policy that I can port from my employer. It was the easiest option available to me, and while I’m no fan of PF guru-isms and simplifications, sometimes I just have to take the easier path so that the job gets done.
There you have it, folks. As prepped as a person can be, I’m walking out of this home away from home of the past 4.75 years and grateful that I can.
“What’s next?”
–Jed Bartlett, West Wing
June 29, 2009
Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg
[Image and Recipe courtesy of Closetcooking.blogspot.com]
Ingredients
1 pound thick asparagus (trimmed)
4 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
parmigiano reggiano to taste (grated, optional)
balsamic vinegar to taste (optional)
Directions:
1. Spread the asparagus out in a single layer on a flat baking dish.
2. Roast in a preheated 400F oven until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and reduce the heat to medium.
4. Crack an egg into a bowl and pour the egg from the bowl into the water and repeat for remaining eggs.
5. Let the eggs cook until the whites are set but the yolks are not, about 2-3 minutes.
6. Arrange the asparagus on plates and top with the poached eggs.
7. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle on some parmigiano reggiano.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s no secret I adore
Closet Cooking and Kevin’s cooking style. Some of his very best recipes are just so simple and delicious! It’s unfortunate that the 99 cent bundles of asparagus have been so rare this summer because I can’t imagine getting tired of this dish any time soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Guys, I almost did not survive that wedding on Saturday. I love my friend to death, and I love that she was so very non-Bridezilla about most of the arrangements. She had her sis in law set up make-up shop and help all 5 gals with their faces, one of the bridesmaids was an absolute wizard with the curling iron. My amateur photographer friend was late, thereby delaying me, and she didn’t bat an eyelash. None of that mattered.
BUT.
It was so so so very laidback that she didn’t bother to hold rehearsal. I knew that, but figured she’d briefed the wedding party. Wrong. I kid you not, our instructions were “no sunglasses, and MOH/Best Man go last!” The kid I was paired with told me he didn’t know where he was supposed to go once we made it up the aisle!
We made it through the ceremony, then lost the MOH to something she’d had for lunch, and gathering the family for photos was literally like catching goldfish barehanded. Everytime I snared a parent, another sibling disappeared. Gathered grandparents, and lost the bride’s parents!! Happily, daylight lasted long enough to get just about all the group pictures they wanted. The weather was perfect, cool with a breeze, but never cold.
Which leads me to the killer bit: that meant everyone hung out, and the DJ played music for-ev-er. And this cute little girl wouldn’t let go of my hands, much less let me sit down between songs during the dancing, and guys? Four and a half hours of dancing in heels? I wanted to die Sunday. Just die. I’m too old for this, and am officially retiring from the bridesmaiding business. You heard it here: I’m hanging up my last bridesmaid dress for good.
June 27, 2009
Griping on the phone about a recent Walgreen’s gift card purchase, I couldn’t understand why they actually require you to use either a debit card or cash. “Lucky I actually had some cash on me,” I grumbled, “what a waste of time that would have been to have to go home and come back again!”
The 4-minute drive distance aside because, yes, I am that lazy and gas conservative, I hate hate hate purchasing anything with cash. We know how cash disappears from my wallet; it’s my biggest PF blind spot in budget tracking. And using cash means no 5% cash back on drugstore purchases on the Chase CC. Boo and boo.
More griping ensued along the lines of “and they only offer a $50 GC option online. What is this? Do they just NOT want you to spend money there??” Given some of the attitudes encountered by fellow couponers and bloggers, this isn’t a totally unjustified question.
Then, “Ugh, I probably would have just called it a day, since I wasn’t going back to the bank to withdraw more cash so I could buy the darn thing. I never use debit cards, I don’t even know my PIN!”
“…… Didn’t you say you went to the bank?”
“Yes.”
“……. ??”
“What?”
“Isn’t that the same PIN?”
“As the what? …. oh. OH. *sigh* I’m an idiot.”
In my defense, for some reason I was thinking of my credit card cash advance PIN. I have no idea what those are because I never use them. Can I be forgiven for completing forgetting that I can use my bank card as a debit card because I never ever do? No, because I constantly see people using their debit cards and think to myself, “I don’t like debit!”
Had a stupid moment lately? Please do share! 🙂
June 26, 2009
Penne in Spicy Tomato Sauce (Penne all’arrabbiata)
[Image and Recipe courtesy of Delish.com]
Ingredients
* 1 pound(s) whole-wheat penne
* 1 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
* 3 clove(s) garlic, finely chopped
* 1/4 teaspoon(s) crushed red pepper, or to taste
* 1 can(s) ((28-ounce)) plum tomatoes, drained
* 1/2 cup(s) freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
* 1/4 cup(s) finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
* Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, crushing them roughly with the back of a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
3. When the pasta is ready, drain and return to the pot. Stir in the sauce and place the pot over high heat. Stir until the mixture sizzles. Remove from heat. Add cheese and parsley; toss well. Taste and adjust seasonings; serve immediately.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Again, with the whole wheat pasta. I know I grabbed this from the “healthy” section but how much am I compromising by using regular ol’ semolina pasta?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m trying to pack for the New York trip and my girlfriends are telling me that I should be thinking of lighter clothing like skirts and dresses. That’s all very well, but I need pockets! It’s almost a pathological need, really. But on second thought, why DO I need pockets? It’s not like I’m working and need to carry … pens … around. (Ok, why do I even need pockets at work?)
Is it just me? Am I just weird needing pockets?
What is it with needing/wanting the comforts of home on this trip? I want my ergonomic pillow, my laptop, my backpack. None of these are necessary. The benefit of staying with friends, other than not having to pay for a hotel, is getting to use their stuff and not toting it with, duh. Except for towels. I’ll bring my own so they don’t have to provide one.
In return for their hosting generosity, I want to take them out for drinks and/or dinner (their choice). Does anyone have any suggestions? I’m going to have to treat at least 3 friends. And any suggestions for frugal daytime entertainment for me?
June 25, 2009
Spaghetti with Tuna and Tomato Sauce
[Image and Recipe courtesy of Delish.com]
Ingredients
* 1 can(s) ((7-ounce)) Italian tuna, packed in olive oil
* 3 clove(s) garlic, finely chopped
* 1 can(s) ((28-ounce)) plum tomatoes
* 1/2 teaspoon(s) crushed red pepper
* 1 pound(s) whole-wheat spaghetti
* 4 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh parsley, divided
* Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
1. Drain tuna in a sieve set over a small bowl, squeezing to press out as much oil as possible (reserve the oil). Break up the tuna with a fork and set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the tuna oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes with their juice and crushed red pepper; break up the tomatoes with a fork. Simmer over low heat until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in tuna and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain it and return to the pot. Add the sauce and 3 tablespoons of parsley; toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and serve immediately.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the interest of conserving time and money, I’m not even going to try and find Italian tuna. Let’s hope it doesn’t make a significant difference. We do have an Italian deli and specialty store just up the street though …. ergh, we’ll see.
Has anyone had good luck with whole wheat pasta? In the past, it’s just seemed too chewy and kind of a chore to eat. Should I be boiling it a few minutes longer for a more normal version of al dente?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stupid fee: Contrary to what that first CSR told me, Chase won’t be removing that finance charge after all. Gar. I’m rapidly spending my travel money. Of course I would pull a boneheaded mistake like that on one of my largest balances. It’s a mark of my apathy that I’m not as mad as usual, nor am I going to cut Chase off – it’s been a long time since they last made money off me. At least not until I get my next $50 rewards check, half of which goes to pay back this fee. In the meantime, the next month’s balance has been paid off as well.
Since that money’s spent, though, I’m rethinking getting one of my dresses tailored in time for NY. It’s not strictly necessary for NY, but I can’t wear it until it’s been altered. Debate: do it now after having wasted $25, so I can get more wear out of it? Do it later since it’s not in the budget?
Can’t wear the dress until it’s altered, and the only difference between spending the money now and a month from now is whether or not I get a job. Spending the money now doesn’t affect the job situation unless I wear it on an interview and land the job. 🙂 Then again, it’s cash in hand if I don’t get a job. Ok, I’m waiting.
June 24, 2009
Turkey Piccata
[Image and Recipe courtesy of Delish.com]
Ingredients
* 1 lemon
* 1/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
* 1/2 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
* 4 turkey cutlets (about 1 pound), each cutlet sliced in half across the grain
* 2 teaspoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 clove(s) garlic, minced
* 1/2 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 1 tablespoon(s) drained capers, rinsed
* 1/2 teaspoon(s) sugar
* 2 teaspoon(s) butter
* 1 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh parsley
* 12 caper berries for garnish (optional)
Directions
1. Remove skin and white pith from lemon with a sharp knife. Working over a bowl to catch the juice, cut the lemon segments from their surrounding membranes. Chop segments coarsely and reserve with the juice.
2. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Lightly dredge turkey in the flour mixture and pat off excess. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey to the pan and cook until the outside is golden brown and the interior is no longer pink, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and keep warm.
3. Add garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for several seconds. Pour in broth and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any browned bits. Boil for 1 minute. Stir in the reserved lemon segments and juice, capers and sugar; cook for 30 seconds longer. Add butter and swirl the skillet until it has melted.
4. Spoon sauce over the cutlets, sprinkle with parsley and pepper. Garnish with caper berries, if using.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lemons. I love lemons. And capers. And turkey. Good moist turkey, mind, not dried out white meat.
That is all.
As much a lightly-packing ninja I fancy myself, there are always some fantastic tips out in the blogworld that are worth repeating:
