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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June 24, 2008
Happily, two bits of great news: I got confirmation from a friend that I can use his lodgings for my trip to San Diego this July. A couple friends will be joining me, and normally that would require a hotel room for them, costing about $130 for a motel that’s none too near our destination. This is a great convenience! I have to find something cool for him there, or think of something cool to give him. I don’t know what to give a man who can afford to live in NYC and maintain a condo in downtown San Diego, though. Any ideas?
The other thing is the truck registration was unexpectedly $12 cheaper! I went online to pay the bill today, and noticed the reduced price. It’s nearly enough to offset the increased airfare. Yay!
That wasn’t the best display I’ve ever made. The coworkers were all chattering, and I with them, about twenty minutes ago as I had a snack, and all was fine.
I went back to grab something as I’d delved deep into my work, and needed something from the other room, and found them deep into yet another animated conversation. This after the secretary couldn’t be bothered to get off her personal call to answer the dang phone that was also another personal call for her. They were still laughing and talking, despite knowing they had tasks that were due immediately.
They greeted me excitedly, “Revanche! Look!” as they went to show me something on the computer and my stress of being on deadline for three major projects, simultaneously, snapped. I started to ask, “what?” but found myself going straight into “Is NO ONE else on deadline? Is it JUST ME??” Then walked out.
Geebus.
Thanks to this doggy, who is blurred because he can NOT stay still, our tomato plants have been moved out in our front planter. I wouldn’t think that’d be the best place for them, but it seems like they’re thriving in the sunlight and non-doggy-thrashing zone.
At $2.49-$3/pound, I’m glad to have our own little patch of veggies. It took me a while to figure out which general vicinity to photograph, but I finally found it!
I still can’t spot our cucumbers, but Pa says they’re growing too, despite my visually-challenged skepticism.
Yikes, it’s already nearly the end of June! Two weeks ago, I realized that June had well and truly started, and if I was going to visit Portland and Phoenix this summer, I’d better get my tuckus in gear!
I missed my chance to make the Portland trip this month, and the Phoenix trip in August, so I thought to cram them both into August. Then I was informed that I was attending a wedding in August with BF. Hmm….. August will be insane if I go on a trip every weekend. Yes, the opposite of relaxing. Also, there’s a sporting event to be attended in October, also for BF. Portland will have to happen in August, Phoenix will probably get pushed to September, I believe. Work is claiming one of my weekends in August, so there’s just more than enough going on that month.
So there’s a lot of travel juggling going on. My travel budget this year is a wee one, so I have to be very creative in mixing award flights, gift cards, and real cash money.
The wedding flight ran $149, just within the $150 budget I’d allowed. I wanted to buy it immediately, and use the $100 GC for the October flight. But I didn’t take my own advice because I wanted to consult with BF about dates and times before I purchased the tickets. He’s still out of town, but I just guessed and purchased the tickets before they went up more than the $15 they already had. *tsk* Yeah, the price went up. No, I’m never going to learn.
I might as well get that SW gift card now so I have the GC and discount code ready at hand when I have to purchase the October flight.
There’s a quiet voice inside me whisper-screaming: Hey!! Skip one of those trips and use the money to pay bills! BILLS!!!
I’m ignoring that voice. I’m ignoring it.
The temptation to skip it all and leave the money in the travel fund “just in case” is overwhelming, but I just don’t see how I can renege after promising over and over that I’d visit these friends for the last few years. The PF blogger in me keeps saying that I’m going to use up ALL of my travel money by October and then what’ll I do? Things at work are still chaotic and I’ve got no plans for replenishing this fund. But that’s what the e-fund is for, Chicken Little. The sky’s not going to fall down if I go and have a nice weekend with childhood friends, and it very well might if I go back on my word!
Terrorism isn’t the reason I’m going, though. If I don’t do it this year, I might never. If I talk myself out of a promise this year, I very well may do so again next year. There’s never going to be a perfect time, at least not for the next ten years because I imagine the perfect time is something like, I have 5 months’s worth of vacation time, $100,000 in the bank for nothing but pleasure, etc. Not. Going. To. Happen.
As it is? I have nearly 180 hours of vacation time. I could be out on sick and then vacation leave for two months.
I’m going to play, dangit.
June 23, 2008
If anyone in the Southern California area didn’t have the news on, they probably still realized that it was hot-hot-HOT this weekend.
The news reported on the heat every five minutes: Boy it’s hot out there. Let’s go out to so-and-so at [the beach, the beach or the beach] and report on exactly HOW hot it was. They’d throw a few international travelers on, who all say, of course, they’re here for the CA sun so they love the 104-107 degree weather, and then back to the studio to talk about how hot it still was.
That got old really quickly.
A couple nights ago, it was in the nineties at midnight. Tonight? There’s a coolness in the air I haven’t felt since I stood in front of the air conditioning unit at work. Since I was at a friend’s house, friendsitting all weekend, and basking in their 68 degree, air conditioned house. Since two weeks ago, before this insane heat wave.
Thank you, weather, for finally giving us a break from the constant, stifling heat.
We managed to survive without turning on the a/c once. Thank heavens, because the bills are already cripplingly high.
I don’t know if this is common, but I’m always MUCH slower to replace items that I’ve foolishly misplaced or lost. It’s a combination punishment/hope that it’ll turn up reaction.
I’ve been without my iPhone earphones with microphone set for about a week and a half now because I still can’t believe I was dumb enough to misplace them – I used them everyday! It’s sooo much more convenient than holding the big fat iPhone to my head, and I can much more easily multitask with them. Alas, they still haven’t turned up, so I finally decided that, despite the recent expenses, I need to spend five dollars and get another set.
Unfortunately, Meritline’s not having quite as good a sale on them as when I last looked, so now I’m going to have to wait even longer. Just so long as I get them before July 1st, when our new cell phone laws go into effect.
June 22, 2008
Not to steal Citibank’s thunder, but my curiosity got the better of me. Wamu’s offering an online CD for a slightly shorter term and lower rate. I’m not sure that there’s any real benefit to accepting the lower rate for a month less term, but here ’tis:
Minimum deposit to open and obtain APY is $1,000.00. To obtain the APY for the effective date on the day you apply, the Online CD account must be funded within seven (7) calendar days. If received on or after the eighth calendar day, the then effective date APY will be applied. Certificate of Deposit accounts earn a fixed interest rate and APY for the selected term. Fees may reduce earnings. Penalty for early withdrawals apply. Restrictions and limited servicing apply to Online CDs (See, details above). Programs (including, without limit, fees, rates and features) are subject to change without notice.
If you’re willing to take a much longer term, to the tune of 48 months, you could opt for their 4-year CD at a rate of 4% APY/3.93% APR.
These are online CDs only.
I did like their online savings rates, though. For accounts with less than $10,000, you earn 3.3% APY/3.25% APR. I suppose accounts with more than $10,000 earned more interest once upon a time, but the rates are the same for both categories right now.
