Which to participate in next Saturday -

The Public Library book sale or
the Greenwood neighborhood yard sale?

Because I improved my hard drive, everything is slow enough so that I broke down and bought another 512M of memory ($59) from Memory Suppliers. I've ordered stuff from them off and on - USB drives, the last 512 M memory, an SD card if overstock.com fails. I've always been successful. Their memory configurator alone is a lifesaver. (link is in Sites I Enjoy if you need the memory configurator)

I hit it so lucky today at the thrift store. Because I'm a casual sort, what has been freaking me out for the Paris trip is that DH, MIL and I will be having a high end authentic French meal, a dress for an important occasion place...in May, when its warm. The plan was that I'd buy something there. Not that I wouldn't find anything there - - but its always been my shopping experience that desperation breeds frustration, high expense, and bad luck. When I have to find it, I won't, and that will cut into museum time. Today I found a navy blue, high-waisted sheath dress. Conservative, classic, flattering, readily accessorizable, and 10$.

A couple days ago I snapped a picture of our cherry tree.


We don't get many cherries off of it - the birds get there first. Somehow I've lived near a cherry tree for well over half of my life. We had one on the farm, my uncle had one, the rental in grad school had one, and now here. Funny story - the cherry tree at the grad school rental was so large that I didn't figure it out until a cherry hit me on the back of my neck.

So the ATM was down this morning. Instead of paying a double $1.50 in fees for using a foreign ATM machine, I went to the hated Safeway, bought 5 Clif bars 10 for 10$ and added $40. Sigh. So much for privacy.

Met with DJ friend to go through how to use the Excel templates I made that will give us a correctly formatted playlist time no matter what a DJ gives us. I volunteered to format a number of the especially weird ones ("You won't ever have to buy a coffee again," he said.) But I promised DJ friend that I would give him how much time it took me so he gets an idea of how much he owes...

Ran five playlists myself in 35 minutes. I'd be faster, but I was rusty on the first one, and it was a multi-hour one that I debated for 10 minutes how to do.

Then I went for 1.5 hour walk in the light drizzle, listening to tunes. Fun and relaxing after close work.

From two days ago, a snap of the hated fish flingers...

Saving log - $1
Spending log - $.65 milk

A no spend day in spirit, even though not quite in stats.

Finished off the other half of the footlong sub so I avoided paying lunch. I discovered the secret of preventing soggy bread on the second day - wrap the sandwich with only sandwich paper and tape - ditch the plastic sandwich bag.

Got the camera last night, so I've been taking some pictures and reading the manual. I actually did the first steps without the manual...but I'm the only person I know who reads the manual. So many menus with little icons! Since tomorrow's going to be sooo nice, I think I'll pop the camera in my bag and take a few shots.

For Tuesday, 4/3/2007
Saving log - $0
Spending log - $.65 milk +$5.45 lunch

For Monday, 4/2/2007
Saving log - $3 tip box
Spending log - $10 lunch + $8 map of Paris + $16 dinner

Went out last night - me, DH, lawyer friend, lawyer friend's partner for all you can eat Korean barbeque with the grill at the center of the table and the ring of 11 small dishes around it, 3 of them kimchees. It was meat, meat, meat, wrapped by lettuce.

Lawyer friend feels like he has a big target on his back at work. I'm going to miss him if he goes.

It capped a heavy eating and drinking weekend - wine on Friday, beer on Saturday, and beer on Monday. Yeah, its not that much, but when you rarely drink it feels like a lot.

Picked up my own map of Paris from Metzgers Maps at the Pike Market. I'd use DH's but I'd like my own. It feels a little like the spending has already begun.

Working through more of the problems with the logging songs and mixes for DJ friend. Now I have to convert decimal time (3008.987 seconds) into time time (50 min : 8 sec) and get it into Access correctly. I'm learning a lot!

Saving log - $75 from checking to savings + $35 to another Drp
Spending log - $3 breakfast, $135 for digital camera and SD card

FYI - the april fool blog colors made me reach for my visine. Yipes!

Last night DH and I hit a nice quiet bar, grabbed a table, ordered beers and food, spread out the maps of Paris, and pored over our books. It turns out that the hotel is in the 1st Arrondissement, an underhand toss away from the Palais Royal, three blocks away from the Louvre. I can immediately pick out where we're staying from pretty much any Paris map - part of the preparation. DH and MIL have been to Paris several times, so I'm the person who gets to pick what to do. Such pressure!

Tried out a freeware program for my PDA - Metro. It's a database of public transit systems of most of the major cities of the world - Paris had several databases.

Bought a well-reviewed digital camera from overstock.com, cheap because it was factory refurbished. I've had good luck with them, but I did manage to get it in time to try it out and learn it.

Scanned our passports and put the jpg file in the password protected USB flash drive. Tried out the money belt - nice and comfy. Started with packing the airport bag already. Yeah, six weeks out, but c'mon, its no fun packing the midnight before for me. It's just a recipe for forgetting something.

Saving log - $44 (from tip box into savings) + $10 rebate check + 15$ rebate check
Spending log - $5.50 lunch

Ah, free coffee. I could get used to this.

Getting a lot done at work and now I'm relaxing a bit. Had gym today, get measured Thursday. T-bill matures on Thursday too. Waiting for the next paycheck on Friday.

Waiting for DJ friend to give me some files so we can finish up with the logging.

Even found a dime in the parking lot. Steady as she goes, really.

Saving log - $0
Spending log - $.65 milk

Writing this entry reminded me of Spy Magazine. Ah, I miss that rag sometimes.

Well this weekend wasn't as restful as usual - to help DJ friend, I worked with Excel and Access all weekend, developing a way to take DJ playlists and convert them into a log. I work with Excel and Access all week, so when this weekend was more of the same, well blegh.

The log is what is holding up the start of the radio station. To stay legitimate, DJ friend gives 25% of his profits or his costs to an entity that will pay BMI, ASCAP, etc royalties if some one plays a song in one of their mixes. We have to give that entity a log of what has been played and how many people listened so they can look it over and pay who they have to pay to.

I did it ... its kludgy, not quite push button, but straightforward enough. It does what it has to do. There are a couple of other logs that other programs generate, so my work isn't quite done.

I also helped DJ friend with a couple of forceful letters so that he can get timed mixes from the DJs. Some DJs have radio shows of their own, know exactly what the score is, and have given DJ friend what he needs. The others ... well, if they want to be professional, they've got to understand what it means.

As a little barter for my weekend, DJ friend bought me dim sum lunch and gave me a prepaid coffee punch card. So a couple of weeks of free coffee.

Anywhoooo. When I wasn't in Access this weekend, I made a lot of stuffed cabbage, which we will be noshing on all this week.

Saving log - $7 tip box
Spending log - $1.65 coffee, milk

Bought a footlong sub yesterday, ate the other half of the sub today.

Mail was good and bad - the sewer water garbage bill came in on time (drat!, just when I plan for them to be late). I barely had enough of my current paycheck to pay for it, and it has left me with about 150$ for 10 days.

Chiropractor got a new billing unit. Good news, but their transition got a late start - we hadn't gotten a bill since mid December. Got a bill much bigger than I had thought (insurance has re-kicked in), and worse, it shows a non-zero number in the 60-90 day range. Time to harrump. I'll be damned if their slow transition makes me look like a deadbeat.

Paid off my credit card in full this month.

Got my two rebate checks tonight. One for $10, one for $15. 12 weeks between when I bought and when got the checks. Rebate harvesting, cutting UPC codes, mailing, and waiting for the checks is one financial tradition that I will not miss.

looks like it will be delayed another week. I'm helping DJ friend - internet radio stations in the US have to submit a log of what they've played and how many are listening every two days. The info can be pulled from a number of different logs which should and can be put in a database - my kind of project, especially since it a rush job! I'll know I've done it right when you can do it with the press of a button.

Lost a pound Tuesday. I'm now at 184!

So yesterday I made it to Suze Orman's talk at the Seattle Public Library, and it seemed like I was working on all frugal fronts:

* Picked her free talk at 12:30. If you saw her at Town Hall, you had to pay!
* Sidestepped the books on sale on the right, and dodged the Starbucks coffee and cookie on the left.

I made it to the library at 12:10, so I figured that it would be standing room only. Nope, all the front seats were packed, but I got a back seat and they expanded the room. By the time I left - a little early - it was standing room only. The audience was comprised of about 95% women, and 5% very brave men.

Suze Orman came out on time (much appreciated). 30 min talk, 30 min question and answer. It was also a book signing, so the rules were: she would sign first names only, she will sign multiple copies, she will sign old books of hers, she will not sign body parts, napkins, etc. In case you needed to know: bright lime green blazer, black outfit. Hair and teeth look fantastic - you could see them gleeming all the way up my seat.

Her talk was a bit of a ramble. She was quite happy we all came - it was raining puppies and kittens and there were going to be not one, but two anti-war demonstrations that afternoon - gave a little history of herself, why she wrote her current book. She thought that men could get something out of her book... "men, if you want to read this book, all you have to do is.." She covered the WO on the cover with her fingers. If you heard her on PBS, you've got the general gist.

Except for one thing - she announced both the secret codes in her book and she invited the book buyers to share them with friends and family. The TD Ameritrade deal holds for everybody, book buyer or not.

Saving - $0
Spending log - $3.28 bagel, coffee + $7 haircut + $8.80 pants & blouse + $11 CD

The usual... bagel and coffee and the Sunday paper, but afterward I got my hair cut. Said haircut was the 10th one, so I got it for half price. Forgot about that but since at my current rate of use (4 haircuts/yr), I see it every 2.5 years.

Then, walking in the bright warm sun, it was the library, then the thrift store, then the used CD shop. It was putz shopping, but for $25 I got fun and entertaining stuff and a little tan.

I heard that Suze Orman is going to give a free lecture at the Seattle Public Library at 12:30pm. That's in my neck of the woods so I'm going try and check it out.

Saving log - $0
Spending log - $10.66 produce stand + 36$ groceries

Blood oranges for $1.49/lb, which is unheard of, along with cheap bananas, cheap orange tomatoes, cheap grapefruit. At the HT, I picked up the cheap cabbage, more edamame, a couple of Mexican sodas, hominy, cilantro, wasabi peas, a coconut tart. Decided on the fine Irish dish of:

Chili.

Well, there are a lot of Irish in Texas. Besides, we haven't had homemade chili in awhile. Paid off the credit card in full, so these next two weeks feel like a retrenchment.

Borrowed a couple of current Paris guidebooks from a coworker, so DH and I will be poring over them for the next 8 weeks. (WOW - where does the time go?) I've planned ahead so I have my passport.

Saving log - $2 tip box
Spending log - $1 coffee + $15 chirashi lunch

Remember back in August that we had our mail stolen? And in November that the US Postal Inspection Service was pressing charges?

DH and I each got nice big envelopes in the mail today. Inside each was a nice little letter from the US Postal Inspection Service and several unopened envelopes, which, since the mail is mine, I opened 'em. Mine had the DRP letter and the CD statement that I had told them were missing, along with a wedding gift thank you. Thank G*d they were all unopened. (... and for an agnostic/atheist, I've been invoking deities a lot lately.)

The letter said that the culprit was convicted and is serving 4 years in prison. And the detective thanked us for our help.

The next time we see the married couple I'll have to mention that we *finally* got their thank you and tell them the story. Did you know that your thank you note helped put someone away for 4 years?

Saving log - $5 tip box
Spending log - $1.68 coffee, milk + $10 lunch

Booking electronic pledges and now more electronic pledges are coming in. Tis the season.

My fourth right toe is now bruised, along with a spot on my foot. Damage from the 18 lb pole was blessedly minimal.

Lawyer friend's father - who lives on the east coast - is ill with a laundry list of ailments, including several different cancers. We had lunch and commiserated. Hard to know in that situation when to visit or help in the family dynamic or even get the straight scoop on what is going on.

DJ friend's Internet radio station is nearly ready to get on the air - the liners are done, he's got a good month or two of content, the servers are working and the website is nearly done. His tasks are also so data heavy that he listens to submissions while he's working. Its a strange, but great test - if the mix can pull him out of what he's doing and he's thinking "wow", then he knows its a good mix. Every so often he gives me a couple of MP3 files. He's turned me on to grime - a mix of UK rap and drum and bass, with a lot of dark elements in it. Coolness on the cheap!

March 26 is the date that jumps out at me. And who knows, grime might pay.

Saving log - 2$ tip box
Spending log - $1 coffee (didn't have the nofat or the lowfat milk, so I didn't buy milk) + $6 lunch

Now that life is quiet at work, it means that its quiet in the refrigerators, so I went back to my get a foot long, cut in quarters, nosh for couple of days trick. Planning ahead here - Thursday we have a lunch-time meeting discussing our 403B. I'm not sure whether this is a couple of times a year update thing or something more serious, but now I can have something to eat while I listen.

Dropped an 18 lb bar on my foot in gym. Ow! My trainer got a promotion, which means that her price is going up a bit, and apparently I'm a good enough customer so that I get a grandfathered in price break. Yay boo! She is worth it and she shouldn't but herself up for sale. But it does mean that I'm going to fool around with my numbers or get a training buddy to make 12 sessions last 2 months.

Right now rent has gone up slightly, so will the credit card, and now this. Time to squeeze a bit more out of the routine on all fronts. At least the HT flyer has some good deals on groceries.

The Ha Ha in the title comes from the preliminary results from Seattle mail-in vote on viaduct or tunnel. I voted for neither; it turns out that a majority of Seattleites did the same. Traffic sucks, but the voters here have been so disrespected by the governor, the mayor, and the powers that be on all fronts for years that two no-s was really the only way to go. Bwwwaphlt!

Saving log - $2
Spending log - 1.62$ coffee, milk + $10 lunch

Noticed that I rarely finish my 16 oz coffee, so I decided to get the 12 oz coffee, which drops my cost about 40 cents.

This evening, I actually read one of the offers my bank mailed to me. If I, baselle, just used my debit card 40 times in 6 weeks, I could get a plane ticket. Oh boy! Spend twice a day for 6 weeks and then get the opportunity to spend even more in a foreign place.

Got to look away before I shred!

Saving log - $1 tip box
Spending log - $1.50 coffee + $8 lunch

For tinapbeana - My favorite electronics tip:

Look at the brand of what you've bought and then hunt down the user forum online.

For instance, my MP3 player is an iRiver H10 20 Gb. The iRiver forum I use is here where you can find enthusiasts - people who probably have either tried doing what you want to do, have learned the secrets, or best of all, have solved your problem already. Often there is a "wiki" which is a cross between a FAQ and a better written owners' manual. A fabulous, free resource. So fabulous and free that you should consider looking for forums before you buy any electronic device.

Saving log - $2 tip box
Spending log - $1.50 coffee + $20 lunch + $9 mucinex

Woke up this morning almost, but not quite, normal and thinking that maybe, just maybe I might be well by the weekend.

Since it is the last day of the month, it was the last chance that I had to deposit my tip box drippings after work. So I did so at a freezing ATM at 6:30 tonight. I put in $44 from the tip box into savings and took out $40 from checking. Ridiculous when you think about it - why not short circuit the whole thing - deposit $4? Same thing, right?

But that's what savings looks like. Its important to save the $44, not the $4, now matter what it looks like. If you save the $4, you only have the 4 and the other 40 goes poof. If you save the $44, you have the full 44. Saver's alchemy to know that its not the same.

Savings log - 0$ tip box
Spending log - $1.50 coffee, tip + $4.50 soup for lunch

I was busy today so I went home to the news that the stock market's down big, big, big today. (-416).

Just because I wanted to know how a 416 point drop meant to me, I figured out that I've lost a bit over $3700 today. Who knows, it might be worse tomorrow or in the days to come.

Correction or crash, I've got to be philosophical about this.
From reinvesting dividends, my Drp portfolio is still in the black.
3 out of 4 of my drp stocks were (not now) close to their 52 week highs - bad because if you want to buy good company stock, you want to buy when the stock's cheap.
I have a fair amount of cash and T-bills (paying at 5.2%) to buck me up.
And 3% corrections to the stock market used to happen quite often, every few months or so.

Stocks go down, stocks go down. Repeat and note that its time for a glass of 3 buck-chuck wine.

So close that I bought DHs Saturday breakfast to celebrate. The pinkeye disappeared and while the cough hasn't completely gone away, I'm not coughing every 30 seconds. Still have the earache at times. For awhile last week my head felt like the plane would never land.

I didn't go into work on Friday, but I was out and about a bit more. Took care of some business at the gym - and I weighed in at 186. At -2 pounds the flu/pinkeye eating plan is a winner.

Finished with picking through my MP3s, then reloaded my player. There were enough dups, mediocre and ickily ripped MP3s that I managed to get 17 Gigs down to 12. Being sick made me ruthless.

I didn't spend much money but one thing financial hit this week - our yearly lease is up and rent is going up by $45/month. We'll have to decide whether that's acceptable or whether the rental market is soft enough and our ambition is high enough that we move. Its the first rent raise in 5 years. My first impression is that we stay. Ambition is in short supply lately.

Spending log - 3.74$ mocha + 1.73$ croissant +2.50$ bag of salad +7.00$ pinkeye drops

Whatever I got, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I woke up this morning with the earache, the serial cough, the sore throat, and most embarassingly of all - pinkeye! I mean cripes, kick a girl when she's down. But I'm a lot more energetic today, so I decided to dress warmly and carefully, then step out and go somewhere. I mean with the pinkeye, I have to wash the sheets, the pillowcases, the towels - why stay home? Discovered that the fresh air helped to control my cough, and while the mocha was delicious, my appetite is still not there - only ate half of my croissant.

Thanks for the earache advice. What seems to be working for me is a combination of 1 aspirin and squirting into my ear a .3% solution of hydrogen peroxide (topical rinse strength). Hold for a few minutes, then mop up the excess. The only side effect that I've been experiencing is that what I've been coughing up and blowing out has been foamy. The plumbing's all connected as it were.

Within 1/2 of a Gig of music to review before I wipe my MP3 clean of files, and then re-load with reviewed files back on.

Sick again, at home still, no spend day again. I did manage to step out today and get the mail, plus I risked identity theft by putting my Netflix envelope in the mailbox. Right now its all about the coughing, tiredness and earache in one ear. And surprisingly its the earache that's bugging me the most. Anybody have a frugal earache cure?

Well this flu does put a crimp on spending. I've had two no spend days in a row because I've spent most hours asleep. Should also work well with the weight loss plan, too - with my appetite gone, I've eaten a small meal or two a day, and for the rest, its water, water, water.

It's hard to believe that pandemic flu would be even worse.. how could I possibly feel five times worse than I do now? But if it is, I have to think of this week as a dry run. When I get better, I'm going to move most of the bottled water inside. Its in the storage shed a couple of yards away but I don't feel up to getting it.

I'm also going to try out a couple of electrolyte recipes and see what they taste like. Mostly they call for sugar and salt and water. Simple enough, but its rough enough to cook when you're sick, then try following an unfamiliar recipe.

What I have right now, so I've spent only for over the counter items and soup. Other than my temperature spiking at nearly 102, not much is happening. I've the perfect sick project - I've been going through my MP3 music and picking out the stuff that didn't record well, that I hate, or that is too long.

So much for planting peas on President's Day.

Today
Savings log - $4
Spending log - $2 coffee, milk + $8 lunch + $8 takeout

Noticed that the rhododendron next to the front door is in bloom. It blooms in pink every year in February because its sheltered and its next to two dryer vents. Didn't cost me a thing - what a priceless pleasure and far prettier than a groundhog. The flower buds did get nipped from last month's freeze though. I'm thinking about getting some pea seeds and plant them this weekend. The rule out in Seattle is to plant peas on President's Day.

Left my bus pass on the living room end table and it went downhill in the morning. I did manage to get what I most wanted to get done this week. I got hit up for some flowers to a co worker at work, so I scooped up $5 in change from my tip box and sent it off.

Last Sunday I filled up my MP3 player, so I've been listening to what I have and have been pruning it. Listened to about 3.5 Gs of tunes and I have 12G more to go. I know how my DJ friend feels!

Got the post-chocolate hangover? You know, where you are bouncing off the wall from the chocolate with the knowledge that the acne will come in a couple of days?

Feb 13, Tuesday
Saving log - $9 tip box ($4 mine + $5 for the MP3 case I sold to DJ friend)
Spending log - 1.50$ coffee + 5$ lunch

After a great day of work yesterday, I got pounded today. Everybody was needy and calling. Sigh. It was nice to get the $5!

Opened up the bi-monthly electric bill and got a brutal surprise - $184! We had the same usage patterns as last year. Somehow every year its never a pleasant surprise.

I also paid into a Drp this month and a wrote a check to finish off paying the credit card completely. I plan on putting another $300 into ING this month.

Feb 14, Wednesday
Saving log - $1.50 tip box
Spending log - $1.50 coffee + 15$ lunch + 2.00$ snack + $17.30 CDs

Sigh. I got $40 last night and I spent it all by tonight. Last Sunday afternoon, the new CD store wasn't really open but the door was - the owner was talking to a friend - so DH and I walked through. We couldn't buy anything but the owner let me lay-away what I liked, to pay when he officially opened. I found 2 CDs from my young-college-hood. Tonight he was open for real and I bought them for real. It dates me, buying CDs in a brick and mortar store. Even the owner was my age, with a touch of gray. In a few years buying a CD will be like buying a buggy whip. He also had vinyl. Got to tell DJ friend about it.

DH and I both enjoyed the chocolates. Again, Valentine's Day is like most other holidays - it arrives at the back end of my paycheck, when you get paid on the 15th and last day of the month. So far, only Labor Day is the only exception.

Saving log - $.50
Spending log - $2 coffee, milk + $7 sundries

My assistant took me out to a Thai lunch today, and I went to the chiropractor. Gave DJ friend one of my carrying cases for my MP3 player (he's giving the same type of MP3 player to his wife) and he offered me $5 for it. Nice. When he pays, I'll put it in tip box.

Slight frugal tip: a big cell phone case often works to house an MP3 player.

Several items that we were looking for in the last two months finally came, so work came in a little torrent. I was productive and the day went by fast.

Wrote the check to MIL for the plane ticket for Paris. (1007$) For large purchases like this I under withdraw from my savings in a round number ($1000) just to keep things tight.

Saving log - $0
Spending log - $3.28 bagel, coffee

Lots of vegetarian chili, delicious Mexican sodas (tons of sugar) and a decent Super Bowl game. No really, really memorable ads, though, IMO.

Our hosts now have a 3 month old puppy, which was cute and active and nippy. We also got 10 fresh chicken eggs from the Duvall friends, with a promise that we'll come out and teach them how to waterbath can.

When I was in their bathroom, I weighed myself...something I still dare not do at home. 182. We'll see Tuesday whether that scale is, ahem, optimistic.

Saving log - 0$
Spending log - $3.28 coffee, bagel + $9.56 groceries + 40$ Drp

Sick today. Called my trainer and my boss last night - I was tired, achy and cold with the shivers, running a bit of a fever.

This morning I was a bit warmer with a sore throat, but well enough so DH and I were out and about a little bit. Hit the coffeeshop for an hour and then we went to the rental property agent (aka landlord) to pay rent and the sewer water garbage bill (50% this time - they got it right), and also to discuss renewing the yearly lease. Last stop was the grocery store to get soup and high-fat comfort food.

Most of my afternoon was spent asleep. I did hear the locks on our door being changed. A couple of days ago DH came home and found mud tracks in the kitchen. He called the landlord who hadn't sent anyone out. We didn't have anything stolen, but both DH and the landlord made the decision to change the locks.

Saving log - 2$ tip box
Spending log - 2$ coffee, milk + $13 lunch

Well, its busy again at work, major horsefly swarm, all the complicated projects coming at once, everybody wanting to talk to me to "understand" some of pledges that we process. If I did them right, I have to shake my head and hit the DND button. Time to me to do and to get 'r done - your wanting to understand is only slowing me down.

I did manage to have lunch with lawyer friend and gang. Lawyer friend is depressed and is on the outs with his bosses, screenwriter friend is definitely being outsourced and demoted in title (but with two bonuses after 5 months - take the money and run, my friend), finnish friend found a new love, and I'm going to Paris.

Well, it is a couple of days from being the most depressing day of the year - which was last Monday. Its supposed to be the most depressing because its Monday, the credit card bills are due from the holidays, short days, and you've bombed out on your resolutions. They forgot about Wednesday being "hump day", when everyone takes it out on you!