Thursday, June 26, 2008

But you only spend it once.

I'm behind (as anticipated)! I start looking into everything way too much and it takes forever for me to decide on stuff. Must go faster. I ought to start having themes.

Day 3: $100
Interestingly enough I did just in fact come into 100 dollars. At conference I put my business card in any and every drawing I saw and lo and behold I won a $100 American Express Gift Card. Sweet deal. I'm not sure what I should use it for. But for this exercise I'm going to stick with my current bike fascination. Really these rides are taking over my life. I should write about it.
Moving on to the list:
$12 - Sweet handle bar tape with flowers so I can be awesome even tho my old tape is in fine shape. http://www.amazon.com/PRO-Flower-Bicycle-Handlebar-Adhesive/dp/B0013XPBO8/ref=wl_itt_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=IRGEV4YPQQCKZ&colid=37VD6E28CKQTZ
$30 - Sweet gloves, in blue, again with flowers. And good padding. Your hands bear a remarkable amount of weight.
$18 - Arm warmers, no snazzy designs sadly, because I get cold too easily. http://www.amazon.com/Pearl-Izumi-Seamless-Arm-Warmer-M-Black/dp/B0014ROJNM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1214498520&sr=1-1
$20 - Bike computer. So I can actually know how fast, how far, how long, etc. without bugging TR constantly. http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Bike-9-Function-Computer-Temperature/dp/B000AO9R8C/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1214500046&sr=1-2
$20 - Drop bar mirror so that I don't have to try and look over my shoulder. I really hate the whole looking over the shoulder thing. http://www.amazon.com/Sprintech-Bicycle-Rear-view-mirror/dp/B000VTQW0C/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1214500576&sr=1-4

Day 4: $200 Keeping things safe.
Firebox/safe - Just in case, heaven forbid a fire or something would happen. It'd be good to have everything together and protected. Although the whole if thieves were to think about it they could easily get everything together is annoying. http://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-Protector-1070-Cubic-Inch-Waterproof-2037/dp/B000GB3CBC/ref=pd_ts_hi_21?ie=UTF8&s=hi
External Hard Drive - 500 GB for $100. Thats pretty sweet (and over 6 times as big as my home computer hard drive.) http://www.amazon.com/Iomega-Desktop-Drive-Hi-Speed-External/dp/B000HI9O5W/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1214942398&sr=8-1


Day 5: $400 Camping
I always want more camping equipment. So heres a list of some good stuff thats been on my wish list.
$11 - Silverware in a nice roll up thing. Significant improvement over the box of random w/e and or plastic ware. http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Stainless-Enamel-Flatware-Service/dp/B0009PUQKU/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I37ZYBG70GMVRZ&colid=37VD6E28CKQTZ
$22 - Awesome blue speckled dishes. So cute. http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-12-piece-Enamelware-Dining-Blue/dp/B0009PUSPS/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2MQ6GRGD8TJ27&colid=37VD6E28CKQTZ
$75 - Actual decent cook set (pots and pans) which conveniently pack tight. http://www.amazon.com/Snow-Peak-Titanium-Compact-Cookset/dp/B000SO405O/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2JSHZFDRBMOTN&colid=37VD6E28CKQTZ
$10 - Swiss Army Knife - Doesn't everyone need one? And this one is pretty blue.http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swiss-Classic-Pocket-Knife/dp/B000FNFXDG/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I27DVSDECAKNDY&colid=37VD6E28CKQTZ
$ 90 - Screened in room - oh so good to have. Somehow my family lost all of our old ones. Which is very sad being as I question the ability of these new ones to be as awesome. http://www.amazon.com/Texsport-Montana-Screen-Arbor/dp/B00018BQSQ/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1SKDLQS41VA36&colid=37VD6E28CKQTZ
$40 - Two twin air mattresses because invariably one gets a leak. http://www.amazon.com/Intex-Prestige-Downy-Airbed-Battery/dp/B000HBIL7G/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=IJXFP1D3143HI&colid=37VD6E28CKQTZ
$25 - Good flashlight. Bye-bye cheap-o lights. http://www.amazon.com/Instrument-Maglite-Flashlight-Black-ST3D016/dp/B000IXAJVY/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I72RJKNAGKIYT&colid=37VD6E28CKQTZ
$10 - Folding Grill - yay firefood! http://www.amazon.com/Texsport-Deluxe-Folding-Camp-Grill/dp/B000MK4KUE/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1DOIAFO725IR6&colid=37VD6E28CKQTZ
$85 - Lantern and camp stove - Since the ridiculously old (yet incredibly preserved though not well maintained) lantern and stove I got from my parents doesn't seem to work I need a new ones. And I suppose because of price and convenience I'll go with a propane. http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Two-Mantle-Propane-Lantern-Case/dp/B0009PUPVK/ref=pd_bxgy_sg_text_b
http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-5430E700-Two-Burner-Propane-Stove/dp/B00005OU9D/ref=pd_bxgy_sg_img_b
$50 - Folding table - For car camping really it is quite useful to have for cooking. Especially if you have a larger group.


ok thats a start at catching up. I've still got lots to go however.




"Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once."

Monday, June 23, 2008

It's not your salary that makes you rich.

This morning catching up on my blog reading I found this: Abundant Life Spending Spree.

I was intrigued and decided I should like to play along.

The premise is that starting with $25 on day one (which was technically Sunday) I'll imagine what I would like to spend the money on. From there on the amount is doubled every day. There's no repeating items.

The reality of me sticking with it daily is questionable. But it could be fun and can't hurt to try, so here goes nothing.

Day 1: $25
With $25 I would buy a pair of bicycle shorts because this summer I am dedicated to becoming a kick butt biker. And as a part of this I fixate upon wishing I had the proper equipment.

Day 2: $50
To continue the trend with $50 I'd get a good bike jersey, in bluebird of course. Really its kind of crazy how quickly one can spend money on this stuff.




"It's not your salary that makes you rich, it's your spending habits."

There's something about shadows.

I am a lurker.

I faithfully read *counts* 9 blogs. In fact I'm nearly obsessive compulsive about it. See I have them all set up on a tab of my iGoogle page. (I <3 google). So when people post things they rather instantaneously appear on that page. And being as I nearly go out of my mind at work I often pull it up to see if there are any new distractions.

Most of the blogs I read are about personal finance. Last fall when I was embarking upon my new self contained personal finance quest I stumbled upon a blog. It was fascinating, well written, and informative. I spent a number of days reading a year or two of back logs. Once I was caught up it was fairly anti-climatic. What was I supposed to do now?

Gradually I found more blogs. They are all, at least in part, in the vein of personal finance. Being as I am obsessed with personal finance this works for me. In actuality having found these people was amazing. I still don't know anyone else in real life who is as fixated on this stuff as myself.

But now we return to my original statement: lurking. You see I read these blogs, keep tabs on these peoples lives, and yet I don't ever leave comments or anything. Ok, thats an exaggeration. In approximately I'd say 8 months of reading I've left a grand total of 3 comments ever. It's kind of weird. I know them and about things they are doing and thinking about, and yet they don't know me.

That's blogging for you right?

Anyways I decided to write this because I'm steeling myself up (and or justifying my creepiness) to comment again today. Rock on.



"There's something about shadows because you make your own mind up about what's lurking in them."

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Life is what happens.

I feel pretty much utterly overwhelmed right now.

Luckily its not a completely bad thing because a lot of it is fun things that I want to do.

First things first however. Last week, from early Tuesday to late Saturday, I was off to a conference for work. It was at Denver, rock on. National Performing Arts Conference of which the League of American Orchestras took part. In general I don't really have a way of categorizing that experience. It was good, I suppose. Realistically I need to write up a whole big something on the whole experience. But alas I've so many things I should write up and yet it hardly ever happens. Anyways the trip basically just left me a bit overwhelmed and my head spinning and in a way I think I've been kind of reeling from it the past few days.

Other than that I kind of feel like I'm being pulled in a lot of different directions:

1. Little One (aka my best friend) invited me to go with her and her family to Wildwood NJ this coming weekend. So in interests of seeing her I obviously said yes. Unfourtionately it's a good bit of driving and basically kills the weekend. Plus it lead to all this other stuff. - Plans have a way of doing that don't they.

2. Well since I was going to be in town to get to LO's (thats totally my new acronym for my friend, she'd hate it) I realized I definately needed to stop and see one of my amazing high school friends. She's getting married next summer and I'm one of her brides maids but because of living apart it seems like I've been absolutely no help to her. Plus she and her man just bought a house so I totally need to see her new place. Trying to fit that in around the plans with LO could be interesting. I sent her an e-mail late last night as like a heads up I need to call you and she sent out a group email that I'd be in town. I do love my penguins (hs friends).

3. As horrible scheduling would go M left for his hometown on Saturday, aka the morning of the same day I got back home in the evening. He won't be around til Thursday. It's definately the longest we've not seen each other since right after the new year. And I quite miss him. So seeing him on Thursday is a must being as I up and leave again right away. Plus....

4. Dance class is on Thursday. The first time I went left me hurting for days. But I'm kind of excited, though still nervous, about it. So I'm planning on going for both Ballet and Modern.

ok those things are all kind of haphazardly connected fairly well. Here are more things thrown into the mix:

5. I've officially taken up biking. Two weekends ago I completed the 20 mile ride around the greenbelt here as part of a big ride/fund raiser thing. I was nervous about it and like would I make it, but it was actually rather easy. There were 3 pretty bad hills in fairly steep succession right at the end which kicked my butt, but I still rode. And I wasn't even sore the next day. I was going to write about that too. I am a total loser. But I'm off point. So now I'm really thinking of trying to do 2 other serious rides. They are both MS Society Fundraisers. The first is mid-July and I'm thinking 50 miles each of 2 days maybe? The second is the "MS 150" or 2, 75 mile days from Philly to Ocean City and back. Awesome, go me! Except I really do need to train and get in shape for this. Which leads to todays evening activity of a ride. I'm thinking from home to the belt and all the way around back. Thats nearly like 28 miles (?) though. Completion is questionable.

6. My roommate (who is in need of a good acronym)'s mother for some reason wanted her and I to come up and visit the cabin that her parents bough and have dinner. We visited near when they first bought it and there was some talk of possibly camping up there but I still don't quite understand the come for dinner idea. We're going tomorrow evening.

7. Jo-Ann Fabrics has good sales. Craft stores are rather like book or music stores which I hate because I love them so much and just want everything. But a hint to you if you ever want to make any kind of clothing Jo-Ann's fairly frequently has patterns on sale. Generally just one brand at a time. But anyways I went last weekend and got $10 patterns for $2. And this week if I get there before Saturday I can get some more for only $1.50. Sweet deal. Plus I'm thinking I'll buy the fabric for one project to do sometime (because I obviously have time for such a project), there are some 50% off coupons and such that I also have from them. I put forth a motion to TR (The Roomate, there we go) to stop on the way to the cabin. The motion past.



Holy-moly thats all just the next like 6 days and only includes external matters v. the piles of internal lists I have for myself.




"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

In life, there's no safety net.

So I'm going to take a dance class on Thursday. It's an adult ballet class. Supposedly the classes have people of mixed levels and are rather transient so a beginner should be ok. I dug out my old beat up ballet slippers yesterday. Hopefully I'll not look too terribly foolish.


On Monday I picked up my flute for the first time in months. I impressed my new roommate. But I didn't impress myself. I've lost the natural fluidity that I had about it. Trying to play hurts. I'd really like to get back into lessons to get in shape again.


I started calling lapsed subscribers today. The deadline to renew was Monday. It only took 3 calls before I was hung up on.




"When you're young, your whole life is about the pursuit of fun. Then, you grow up and learn to be cautious. You could break a bone or a heart. You look before you leap and sometimes you don't leap at all because there's not always someone there to catch you. And in life, there's no safety net. When did it stop being fun and start being scary?"

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Un-reccomendation.

Things I do not reccomend doing number 1:

Setting up a tent in ones garage by ones self.



Its pretty much a miracle that I managed to get it up so well.