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Archive for October, 2008

"Trash Out" video

October 27th, 2008 at 08:19 pm

Here's the link to that amazingly awful video on SoCal trash outs. If this isn't an indictment of consumerist culture, but still so sad on so many levels.


http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/july-dec08/foreclosures_10-23.html

Target Under $100

October 26th, 2008 at 01:24 am

In some sort of miracle, I got out of Target under $50 today. Target almost always gets $100 out of me, so I feel very lucky. Plus, I went into Old Navy to return the shirt they'd overcharged me on last week (which I found cheaper at Target), and they handed me a $5 off coupon for "Freaky Fun Day." End result--a pair of free socks for me. Not a major thrill, but good enough for today.

Did anyone else see that Lisa Ling report shown on NewsHour where she followed companies that "trashed out" foreclosed homes? I think you can see the clip at PBS.org. It was an unbelievable look at the consumerist economy and the things people leave behind. It's worth taking a look at.

Buried in Work and Bath Puffs

October 23rd, 2008 at 08:03 pm

I really shouldn't attempt creative crafts. I have the utmost respect for all of you out there in SA land who are good at it, but it's just not me.

So, as usual, I've started two projects at the same time. First--grade 100 midterms. Second--make a pink poodle costume from a pattern in a magazine out of bath puffs.

Now I've got pink bath puffs all over the family room and can't figure out the simplest directions. I will report on the results, but at this rate, it won't be done till Christmas.

Very Autumnal

October 20th, 2008 at 04:01 am

It must be the weather, but I'm having a lovely weekend. After church today DD and DH and I went to a fall farm fest. DD had the best time feeding goats, petting those supercilious llamas, and jumping around on bales of hay.

I read a couple of free lance projects for $75 a piece and made an apple cake when I got home.

DD also got a free pumpkin and her face painted yesterday at Trader Joe's, I got great deals at Bath and Body Works, and we watched some of the History of Britain with Simon Schama courtesy of the public library.

My personal triumph for the weekend involves, of all things, destinkafication. I bought a couple of Brooks Brothers sweaters at a yard sale last week which reeked of moth balls. It took me almost a solid week of airing them outside, but the smell is finally gone.

Soup's on

October 17th, 2008 at 06:29 pm

Today's chilly day has had me stationed at home to make soup from the leftover chicken, apple cranberry crisp, and stir up a batch of bread.
I'm doing laundry and aiming to put up some of that 3M plastic over some windows over the weekend.
Because it's only one day a week that I'm not at school, I love these domestic days.

It's nice and cheap too with the oven warming the house up. The house is full of good smells, and maybe it'll be cleaner too by the end of the day. I'm a happy home mouse today.

Lots of Wasted Time

October 15th, 2008 at 10:52 pm

I was late renewing my driver's license, but finally got over there today. I spent (aaaargh) almost 2 hours there waiting for them to stamp a form, take my eye test, and snap a picture. If I hadn't brought papers to grade, I'd have gone crazy.

No real money news for today--only out-of pocket expenses were $50 for groceries, $39 for DL , and my regular $1.50 for coffee.

I hope to have a more scintillating blog entry soon, but today was wait wait wait.

Today's Good Deed

October 14th, 2008 at 07:16 pm

Here's today's good deed:
I had an opportunity to reclaim one of my canceled classes for spring term, but it would mean that a colleague would be below half time and would lose her health insurance.

I can probably take the hit, but saddle her with out-of-pocket health insurance? Nope.

So I deferred, hoping to pick up a summer class or something else to make up the deficit. Plus--canceling an 8am class may mean an extra 30 minutes of sleep for me and the hassle for my husband of taking child to school every day.

I feel so virtuous and would like to take a nap to celebrate, but I have a class until 10 tonight.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Credit Crisis Jokes

October 13th, 2008 at 06:38 pm

I enjoyed these jokes from the BBC website on the credit crisis:

For Geography students Only: What's the capital of Iceland? Answer:
About Three Pounds Fifty...
John Green, Chessington, Surrey, UK

Latest news, the Isle of Dogs Building Society has collapsed. They've
called in the retrievers.
Jez, Frodsham,UK

Quote of the day (from a trader): "This is worse than a divorce. I've
lost half my net worth and I still have a wife."
Sottovoce , Cambridge, UK

But it does help to see the market up a bit!

La La La La

October 12th, 2008 at 11:44 pm

I've decided that all this economic news is too depressing for me. Yesterday's arrival of the quarterly retirement account statements was just too ugly. So I'm ignoring it for a bit and getting on with the rest of the goodness that life can offer. I'm not going to change my investments and will keep to the 403b and IRAs, but I need to take some of the stress of the market devastation out of the forefront of my brain.

So la la la la....

First things to save some money

October 9th, 2008 at 05:59 pm

Yesterday's blog revealed that one of my spring classes might not actually run.

So, I've decided a preemptive strike on expenses by canceling the daily paper.
We also get the Sunday paper which I'll keep and the Sunday NYT which would be torture to do without.

But the daily paper almost always appears at the university, so I'm canceling that as a first swat.

Now, let's see, what's next?

Crossing my Fingers

October 8th, 2008 at 11:07 pm

The University is going through one of its budgetary crises, and I've just been told one of my spring classes has been delisted.

Now frequently they solve these, but I'm not counting on it this year. For me it means about a 25% drop in income. I'm crossing my fingers that it actually "makes" as we say.

In the meantime, what expenses can go?
Hmmmmmmm. This may require some deep thought.

Large Sighs of Contentment

October 1st, 2008 at 11:58 pm

Today paychecks from both my FT and PT jobs hit the bank account. I'd transferred some emergency fund money into our checking last week to cover some expenses, but we are more than fully solvent on current income again.

I've been pretty good about eating lunch at home and I do think the morning oatmeal helps me make it through 3 hours of teaching without keeling over.

And yet another sigh of contentment because I see our local grocery chain has extended the double coupon promotion on Wednesdays indefinitely. Not a huge deal, but it does probably save $5 a week. Hey with that, I could probably buy an investment bank!