I'm still here in Londontown. Since I've last checked in DH and DD have been here and gone, I've been to Prague with students and to (glorious) Nice with a friend. I will never ever complain again. It's been grand and glorious and wonderful.

And the weather this spring has been glorious. I've been very very busy, trying to juggle four classes, four preps, and my freelance project evaluation.

So, I'm off to do some grocery shopping.
London prices are still just staggering, and truth be told, I've sort of abandoned the idea of living in London itself. Even diehard Londoners are cringing at the price of property. But a smaller city might still work for us.

I've got a friend joining me here for a week starting tomorrow, so I expect my expenses will go up a bit this week. Except for France, I've been very frugal, packing lunches and bringing coffee most days. DH and DD will be back in four weeks. They are faring well as is his job. But I miss them a lot.

But it's been glorious--so much art, so much walking, some many quirky wonderful things. More later on interesting and depressing shows on food insecurity (not mine!) here in the land of London billionaires.

Hooray! DH's interview went well, and they offered him the contract. He's happy to be going downtown again as it's a shorter commute, and he loves to take the bus. Good all around.

I headed out early, scoping out a route from my flat to the Eurostar Station at St Pancras. A friend is coming over the end of the month and we're going to France, so I wanted to see the most direct route. No problem at all, a very easy bus ride to a tube station on the Picadilly Line. I'll also go that way next week to get DH and DD at Heathrow.

It was fun being at St Pancras. It's a beautiful station, and I enjoyed seeing people rushing off to catch their train to France and watching folks come in. It was so much fun, I bought a coffee and just sat for a while.

Then off to the Tate Britain. Last year many of the Pre-Raphaelite paintings I like were down as the Tate was being remodeled, but I spent a lovely day there and also saw a great photography exhibit.

This may seem silly, but I'm missing my bird feeder at home. We have magnificent backyard birds, frequently 4 or 5 cardinals at once, and sometimes even hawks. So today I bought a small bird feeder and some seed. I have a small patio out the back and thought it might be fun. I can always bring the feeder home if I want. It'll be interesting to see what kinds of birds might appear.

Some quick grocery shopping on the way home, then back here for dinner. This will be a very busy week, so I need to get some work done tonight.

I'm happily snuggled up here on my Friday off, but will go out and about later if the rain holds off. But things are not so hot (both literally and metaphorically) back at home.

DH's contract was extended, then amidst all sorts of flurries and apologies, was not. So his last day is February 7. He does have an interview this morning, so we're hopeful. That job would be at his current company's downtown location rather than the suburban one which, because of the shorter commute, would be much nicer. I'm a little worried, especially since I'm on 3/4 pay while here. But we have no debt, so only our regular expenses, but still.

There isn't much I can do from here (or there, actually), so I'm just holding down expenses, teaching my classes here and my online class, enjoying all the lovely free things I can do.

Hello my friends,
I'm back in London and it's been (aargh) two months since I've posted. But it's time to start up. It's been a very busy two months, partly for some sad reasons. I think I posted back in November that a dear friend had been diagnosed with cancer. Indeed, she was my best friend for many many years. Less than six weeks after diagnosis, she lost the fight, and it's been a very hard emotional coming to terms with it for me. My DH says I'm worse than when I lost my mom, but my mom was 91, and my friend was 49. Strangely, or perhaps not so strangely knowing this friend, I'm convinced she's haunting me, or at least hanging out with me. But that's a story for another time.

So, here I am back in one of the world's most expensive cities, but it's glorious to be back. It's getting late, but I'll post again tomorrow about the trials and tribulations of the academic budget in the Big Smoke.

Hi to you all; I'm glad to be back.

I feel like the worst of the semester is behind me. All my students are working on big projects, and only need feedback from me. Nothing new or too major to assign, and only three weeks to go.

Tomorrow my London contact arrives to do the meeting with this year's students. Unbelievably, there are three I still haven't met, so finally I'll see everyone tomorrow.

I've been pretty frugal, and I've also been trying to diet a bit. I've kept up with Swagbucks up to now, but imagine if we're traveling over Thanksgiving, I'll abandon the monthly goal. My Nectar Adpoints are very slowly adding up to help with my London grocery bill. I've done some Pinecone surveys and some Christmas shopping at the church bazaar. Now I just need a few days to tie up loose ends and do an analysis of things that need to be done for the semester, the London trip, home, and Christmas.

My dear friend with cancer is home, but the prognosis is not good. She's a very stubborn soul, so I'm hoping she'll let me help while I can.

It's going to get very cold here, and I've made yet another pot of turkey broth from the turkeys I roasted for the shelter. It smells heavenly here. Nothing like a big pot of homemade soup.

I'm finally thinking I'm over the worst of the semester. I have the rest of it planned out, and the best part is now that my evening class is over, I have some more time.

I went to New Orleans from Wednesday-Saturday to do a conference presentation. It went well, and the best part was New Orleans itself. I haven't been there in years, and I had such fun. The university will pay for about half my trip, but I heard great presentations, ate fabulous (and free!) food, and had at least a couple of hours for a wander around. A bunch of folks I was in grad school with were there, and some other former colleagues, so it was fun to go out with them. I didn't spend too much, tried to economize where I could, and got some work done at the airports, on the planes, and in odd snatches of time. So, I'm caught up enough and feel refreshed.

I came home to a registered letter from my adjunct employer which made me a bit anxious. But it turned out to be good news. Their IRS audit revealed they owed me a 403b contribution. Because I work there only sporadically, I don't have a retirement account with them, but apparently I worked enough in the previous year to open an account with an initial $800 deposit made by them. Isn't that peachy?

I hope to clear things up around here this week, completely catch up on work, and clean the house. Maybe I can even turn into Tinkerbell or lose that dread 20 lbs.?

Hooray! It looks like I have my numbers for London. I needed 8-10, and we should have 11 or 12, plus me! My iffy one is waiting on a recommendation from a TA. Don't get me started on TAs; I've had several run-ins with one that I'm mentoring. Ah, to be 25 and so damn sure of yourself. But wrong.

I couldn't sleep much last night; way behind in my own work, the house, and now London events. But I don't have to do much for the next couple of weeks except hold a couple of meetings. Still, my head is spinning.

Our chimney rebuild started today, but it's raining so hard, they gave up and went home. It'll be a busy busy weekend here. And hopefully a cheap one too.

I have loads to do. Paper grading is looming, and I've just finished commenting on 27 pretty awful assignments.

Maybe it's the thought of DH's job instability, the upcoming conference talk, or even (yeah!) London that makes me want to hunker down, clean the house, make soup, and prepare. Maybe it's fall?

I'll know by next week whether I'll have enough London students to go this year. But I'm cautiously optimistic. We took quite a financial hit last year as I was on half salary while there, ironically working at least as hard as at home. But I've volunteered to do an online version of one of my regular offerings in addition to the London classes. Since I'm teaching that class now, I've been trying to compose the online class for spring term at the same time. I'll regret not having the luxury of just focusing on London, but if I get everything up and operating, it should be less painful.

So, the dishwasher is humming as is the washer. Next step might be the slow cooker.

An off topic addendum: I hate banks. The $10K that I moved to Chase for their $150 bonus has earned me a whooping 14 cents in 90 days. And reading about their trading scandals and executive pay have not further endeared them to me. As soon as the bonus hits, the cash is going into the credit union.

Wow, we're almost at the end of Week 4 of the semester. That's 1/4 of the way through. I'm thrilled to report I have managed again to learn everyone's names. I live in fear of the term when I won't be able to learn 100 new names.

London recruiting seems to be going well, but is keeping me plenty busy. DD seems to be handling middle school much better this year, and although my house looks a tornado hit it, I feel on top of most other things.

Our only potentially bad news is word of another end of project for DH. He may be out of work as soon as October 1. He's put the word out all over the company, so we're hoping for the best.

I'm giving a conference talk in New Orleans at the end of the month with a colleague. I was hoping the three of us could go, but with the job issues and a few other complications, it looks like I might have the time to myself.

We had a great time at the Study Abroad Fair today, and there was indeed lunch. Four of my former students stopped by, and we filled a sheet up with folks who are interested in this spring's trip.

I was on my feet from 8-2 and boy, am I tired. Hoping to find some great down time this weekend. Not much financial news, but we are successfully eating through most of the fridge and freezer.

Ok, I'll admit it. I'm a spoiled brat and am bored being home. I'd rather be in Minnesota with family and friends, denying the imminent onset of the semester, a passel of new students, and the early morning start times.

But here we are. We spoiled ourselves with a massive dinner tonight with fabulous vegetables from the farmers' market. The corn and tomatoes were so good. And I sort of invented a new cocktail with orange San Pellegrino, white rum, mint, and a squeeze of lime. The patio was beautiful even if the house is filled with laundry, stacks of mail, and piles of school supplies to be delivered and new school clothes to be put away. If the mosquitoes hadn't been so hungry and yet another Kate Atkinson novel waiting inside, I might've slept out there instead.

Tomorrow is the closing day of the municipal pool. Reality can wait until Monday, yes?

Oh my, DD and I had such a lovely trip to Duluth then the North Shore. And I'm happy to report it was at least moderately thrifty. We left Thursday after my tutoring, spending $71 on a motel room, but getting a $50 gas card back from them. We had breakfast there the next morning and drove to Duluth where I cashed in some hotel points that were about to expire for a room for DD, my good friend, and I to all share.

I got dining points on our dinner choice in beautiful Canal Park in Duluth. We walked along the lake and had a splendid evening. Then on up the North Shore, stopping for groceries for snacks and breakfast, but treating ourselves to a great couple meals out, and later wine overlooking the lake from our rental balcony. We hiked during the day, enjoyed the pool and hot tub, and just got caught up. I've never had such spectacular weather there.

Home and back to reality. More on that tomorrow, but letting the pleasure linger a bit first.

Yep, next week I'm going to focus on money again, but last week and this week, DD and I have hit the road. We're just back from five days in MN staying with my brother and his wife at my mom's lake place.

Long-suffering readers may remember that it's been a year since I sold my half of the house to them. They've been there almost the whole summer and are really enjoying it. I feel like I have the best of both worlds--time there when we can find it and the house proceeds. The drive was tough on both DD and me, but we're home for another 36 hours before we head to the North Shore of Lake Superior.

We haven't overspent; we've just been less focused than we usually are. You know, boxes of Dilly Bars, mini golf, more expensive bottles of wine. But I did come home to teach tonight, tutor tomorrow, do some laundry, and water my containers. DH seems to be hanging in there.

Hope to come home with a very mild sunburn, a few mosquito bites, a state park stamp in our state park passport, and two wet swimsuits.

There are about a dozen things that all need doing at the same time time, so some decisions had to be made. First, some sad news. One of my old high-school friends who always struggled with depression had died. They suspect suicide, but we're broken up about this.
The funeral is tomorrow in Minneapolis, but I don't think I can do an overnight trip and another 12-hour drive by myself only three weeks after returning.

I investigated airfares (staggering) and even the megabus, but the time is the major factor.

I also have a departmental meeting today that I should attend,but the dog's pre-surgical consult is at that time, and I'm trying to spend extra time with DD as she is really struggling with her math.

I will go in to the university today and start putting up flyers for next year's study abroad session as I promised.

But today is family and dog first.

Teaching begins again with my evening Mysteries class tonight. I'd rather be home dejunking, but especially with my summer class in jeopardy, I'm glad to have the work. I only have 11 students, but I suspect I'm a bit spoiled with all the English majors I had in England. These evening classes contain lots of folks who take lit classes only because they need the credits and spend a lot of time complaining about having to read.

Speaking of having to read, I came home from the library with another big pile of books yesterday. I read three books last week. How fun is that?

I also took a very long walk this afternoon. I've sort of decided that I need to tackle two things that never seem to get done. I need to lose about 20 lbs, and I need to get my house consistently clean and clutter free. Thus the long walk and the continuing piles of things I'm finding to get rid of.

Last night I cleaned some files as I was searching for a short story copy I'm using tonight. I tend to keep multiple copies of teaching materials, but recycled a pile a foot tall.

Did I report I finally did the taxes this weekend? We filed for an extension as we were still in the UK when the deadline rolled around. We're getting a refund, but think I probably need to adjust withholding as this will be our last year claiming a mortgage interest deduction. I'm glad to have that done!

I spent half the weekend on the road, driving to Minneapolis to pick up the dog at my brother's home. They've been dog sitting since DD and DH came to England. I spent some $ on gas (much cheaper in MN), a small lunch each way, and dinner with friends on Friday night. Yesterday DD and I were invited to a tea party, and I bought a cute rose planted in a tea cup for the hostess. I think that was our only spending.

The more expensive news is the dog's impending medical treatment. She jumped off something at my brother's and tore her ACL. We're headed to the vet in an hour to find out that news. Ugh.

So, I have ongoing tasks for the week that need prioritization. They include pulling together class materials for my summer classes, starting our delayed taxes, picking up around here, finding a cleaner, hiring a painter for the house exterior, and starting a massive dejunking. I guess I did start the dejunking yesterday by giving a friend a big bag of DD's outgrown clothes. But much more to come. And I need to sell some things on ebay.

Also to be done is the drawdown of all the food DH bought while I was gone. He buys far too much food and the freezer and cupboards are bursting. So menu planning must be done.

I'm giving myself a grocery budget of $50/week until we can get through this food, and an ebay target of $150. I want ten bags/boxes of stuff out of this house by the end of the week. I'm still working on capstone projects and have to show up at the university with my spending report sometime this week, but first, an hour of purging.


There's more England news on the horizon, but I'll wait until tomorrow to elaborate.

Well, I'll admit, I did come back kicking and screaming, but I'm back. Back to piles of mail, piles of laundry, a house that clearly my DH didn't clean for months, but we're safe and sound.

However, I suspect it will be quite a while before I "really" come back.

A friend asked me about highlights and low times, and except for one especially awful student and my DH throwing his back out last week, I can't think of a low point. I missed my family, but Skype was great. Don't tell anyone, but I really like the peace and serenity and cleanness of living alone. Especially in London. Always.

On to cleaning, buying Turbotax, and trying to stay off Facebook and quit looking at photos.

Only a week until DD and DH arrive, so I'm doing all the London things that I love, but that he's less than enthusiastic about--antique shopping, theatre, etc. and saving all the things we all love like museums and history for after their arrival.

I'm still rather amazed at how expensive groceries have been. On Tuesday I spent 25pds on groceries, and all I have left is tangerines. I do eat almost every meal here or pack lunches, but still, it's expensive.
My new pleasure? Chili beet(root) for on top of salads.

But the good news for us is the exchange rate. The pound has fallen 8.5% against the dollar since January. I'm going to start putting almost everything on the American credit card (which we always pay off) to help take advantage of that.

The British economy seems a bit worse than the American at this point with a new budget coming out next week. Several friends are facing layoffs, and there are plenty of cuts in benefits.

Off to the British library!

Two trips since last I blogged, and I'm about to go out the door in a minute.
I spent five days in Barcelona with an English friend and my MN girlfriends. I'd never been to Spain before, and may I just say, this is one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen. On the thrifty front, we rented a flat, ate some breakfasts there, but really spent very little time there. We went out exploring every day, ate great food, drank wonderful wonderful cheap wine, saw fabulous art, and took public transportation everywhere we didn't walk. I even braved the Tube and bus home from Heathrow with a very big suitcase so no unnecessary transportation costs.

Then a busy week teaching with double lectures one day, replenishing my skimpy larder, then off to Stratford upon Avon yesterday with a student group. I've done the Shakespeare/Anne Hathaway deal twice before, but enjoyed it again. It's been VERY cold here with a nasty wind, but I walked the High Street in Stratford and found a wonderful cookware shop, and at another shop bought a fleece for 70 percent off. That, a nice lunch, and a long conversation with another faculty couple finished off a very pleasant day. Now off to a lecture and to a bunch of used bookstores.

Very "chuffed," as the Brits say, that while waiting for the bus yesterday, three different folks asked me about bus routes. I must look like I know what I'm doing--and could actually answer their questions.

I miss my family, but they'll be here in a month!

First, a caveat. I'm not feeling very frugal. I've been wallowing in art, roaming all over, and I'm not used to cooking for one. My DH eats every scraping of leftovers I can excavate from the fridge. But I'm also feeling the pinch of this expensive glorious place.

I'm off to Spain on Tuesday and have a work drinks (will they have snacks?) do tomorrow night, so I'm trying to use up all the bits and pieces in my fridge.

While I was grading yesterday, I roasted the half bulb of fennel and the lump of butternut squash that's been rolling around since last Sunday's lunch. They'll be the anchor of tonight's dinner. It's very rainy and nasty today, so I cut my walk short and am spending the day class planning.

One of my constant issues is the extreme slowness of the bus. It can take 45 minutes for me to get to the university. But my transit pass only covers zones 1-2 on the tube, and Highgate is Zone 3. I haven't yet been able to rationalize the extra couple pounds this would cost, so I bring a book, look out the window, memorize the bus stops, and sometimes sigh a little. But on Tuesday, I need to get to Heathrow for my flight so will have to top up my Oyster card. The TFL (Transport for London) site is very good, so will spend some time later figuring out how much that will cost or if it's possible to get a regular London bus all the way out there. I sort of doubt it.

I also need to figure out the best place to change money. I usually just use the ATM, but we're getting into Barcelona late-ish, and I want some cash in hand. My suspicion is that the PO offers good rates, but I'll check.

Scottish girl mentioned this site that is very much talked about. It's all about food waste and is pretty darn interesting. http://england.lovefoodhatewaste.com/content/love-food-hate-waste-london

My promised post on the charity shops will follow later. Must dry off and work a bit.

I've done some thinking about how folks spend and save around here.
Because energy is more expensive, there is a lot of emphasis on energy awareness. My homestay students tell me they're always urged to turn down heat, turn off lights, duplex print, etc. None of these are new to anyone, but they are certainly more emphasized.

I've also noticed the increasing emphasis to pay attention to food waste. Because food is a bigger part of people's budget, there are lots of articles and supermarket tips on how to stretch things, particularly meat. Many supermarkets charge for bags. I've also seen lots of articles on how to use up things like the last bit of mustard, dabs of vegetables, etc. As with the energy savings, none of this is new, but it's much more stressed.

That said, the lunch places are jammed and I hardly ever see anyone bringing in a lunch--well, except me.
The student office here, cognizant of the cost for students, has installed a microwave. I'm refilling my travel cup with water regularly. Everyone also seems very aware of the cost of transportation, especially with the huge rise in train fares. It would save me 20 minutes to take the bus to the tube, then the tube the rest of the way. I've discussed this with folks in the office, and virtually everyone moans about it, but takes the bus.

There also seems to be increasing stratification, just like in the US.

Tomorrow's topic? Charity shops!

Now what made me feel like I'd have a relaxing time in London? I'm prepping assignments for three classes, grading three, lecturing two, and squeezing in lots of fun. Wednesday we had our first British Life and Culture class, followed by an absolutely fabulous production of War Horse at the National Theatre. I walked back to my bus stop with a colleague since it was such a gorgeous evening, but didn't get in until after midnight, skyped with family, and finally to bed at 2. And up again at 6:30 to teach two classes that next morning. Brilliant and exciting, but I got some groceries on the way home, admired the fabulous view over London from Muswell Hill, came home and fell asleep on the sofa. Horrible to say, but I spent the gloomy day inside today to get caught up with grading and prep.

Good news? I AM caught up and have assignments ready for the next week. Tomorrow some more exploring and then shopping for my Sunday lunch with friends.

I'm aiming for a better job prepping because the next three Fridays I'll be off on day trips or in Spain. Fabulous? Yep. Busy? Yep!

Although I seem to be eternally battling a cold, I had an interesting weekend. My classes are going well, and I'm staying in most of the day today to get things set for the week.

I find I almost always need to plan my outings around the bus and transportation schedules. Although I woke up feeling sniffly on Saturday, I had a long list of things I wanted to do and which had to be done to prep for this week. So off I went up the hill, taking a different bus than I usually do--this one to London Bridge Station. I loved the route--through Islington to the "city" of London, then across the river to Southwark.

I'd been reading about Borough Market--a real foodie haven, and it was MUCH bigger than I anticipated. It was also jammed with people buying all sorts of produce, honey, fruits and veg, meats of all kind from wild boar to ostrich. There were many stalls selling all sorts of prepared food including exotic sausages, paella, rabbit sandwiches, veggie dishes, wine and champagne by the glass. I bought some jams from Devon for gifts (lovely man), some leeks, golden beets, carrots, and parsnips. I bought some Asian chicken noodle soup for lunch, but though I wanted to taste everything, many of the prepared foods were expensive--though it would be a fun way to spend the day.

Then I took a long Thames side stroll which probably didn't do my cold any good, but there was a fire juggler performing, and it was a beautiful sunny day. Then to the Gloucester Road tube station where I plan on starting tomorrow's class. A short walk from there is Virgina Woolf's childhood home. I ambled through Kensington then on to the National Portrait Gallery to scope out the Woolf stuff there. They have a new exhibit and a great digital archive that really helped plan my class.
Then to Oxford Street heading toward my bus home where I got more meds and kleenex and various items at Superdrug. Then a quick stop into Marks and Spencer Foods for their special dinner offer--a four course prepped dinner for two with a bottle of wine for 10 pounds. Not a particular bargain, but I figured it would stretch me into three days plus.

I came home so tired that I didn't eat anything but had a long hot shower, skyped DD and DH, and went to bed. I'll have the dinner stating tonight.

Sunday I spent with my in-laws on the Isle of Wight. It was my F-I-L's 87th birthday and although I knew it'd be a long trip, I had to go. After scoping more bargains and ignoring DH's advice, I left early to get a bus from Victoria coach station to Portsmouth. DH always took the train, but it was 20 pounds cheaper and as fast on the bus. I took a different bus to get to Victoria, but was inordinately proud of myself for figuring it all out. Then the ferry from Portsmouth. We had a lovely lunch at my favorite waterside pub, birthday cake and gifts later, then back to London. Again, a couple of new buses, but I was pleased it all went well. I am feeling so confident about my ability to work out the buses. I used to love the tube, but it's so wonderful to watch the world on the bus. Home after 10, but managed to stay awake for more skyping and prep for tomorrow.

What an adventure!

That's about the size of it! Lots of stuff to do including scanning class materials for London, organizing and planning those classes. Lots of stuff stuffed in the suitcase. We broke down and bought a new suitcase. Our old ones were showing the signs of lots of traveling. I bought an ultra lightweight hard case. I hope it survives ok. Plus I'm stuffed up, as I've been fighting (really fighting) a cold since Saturday. It doesn't feel like a cold; it feels like the flu, but I had a flu shot? No signs of it in DH or DD thankfully. This morning I got DD off to school, sat in the family room chair and fell asleep for two hours. I felt horrible when I got up, but a cup of coffee, a piece of toast, and three ibuprofen seem to have made a dent in it.

Massive lists and lists of lists everywhere here.

Well, maybe not "working" on them, but thinking about them. I would like to think of a new substantive goal now that the house is paid off. Fully funding the retirements plans doesn't have quite the jazzy appeal I'd like, though we'll certainly do that.

I'm also in the early stages of freaking out about leaving in 15 days. But I'm also working on that. DD and DH are back to work and school, so I'm off to do some errands.

First errand of the day? Join the local credit union. I've been itching to dump the big banks for a while, and this seems opportune. Their debit card has no foreign transaction fee, so it seems ideal.

But as usual, my mind is bogged down in minutiae. How many pairs of socks do I bring? What should I buy there? Seriously, you'd think I'd never left the house before.

We came back from MN last night. We had a lovely Christmas with my brother and his family. My only mishap was our thrice-repaired tire gave it up on Monday morning when I was driving to have breakfast with my girlfriends. I didn't want the uncertainty of it, so just got the darn thing replaced. Another $120 in a very heavy-repair-bill season, but I felt so much better having it replaced.

We all got great gifts. My nephews have started brewing their own beer, and we enjoyed their home brews. Even DD was happy with her gifts. We slept late this morning (8!) and lazed around, spending part of the afternoon at the dentist. I'm looking forward to a few lazy days, cleaning up around here, and then getting ready for England.

Have any of you been to Barcelona? Some friends want me to meet them while I'm in the UK--and we'd welcome any advice you've got.

I'm feeling reconnected. We received Christmas cards for a couple of long-lost friends today, the call from my aunt the other day, and lots of random encounters at the university make me feel more in touch with life than I've been for a while. I'm now officially glad classes are over.

I spent four+ hours at a Study Abroad Faculty meeting today, complete with scary stories about disappearing students, assaulted and assaulting students, students off their meds, students drunk, students left behind in foreign countries, etc. But the university handed me the official packet today with everyone's flight information, passport copies, medical emergency forms, and a UK-compatible phone. I guess we're going! As a matter of fact, we're going in five weeks.

No money spent today; I've just been grading and grading.

I really haven't meant to be so absent, but these busy days just fly by. So what's my news? I've figured out my London flat rental. I've paid my new landlady 1/3 of my rental. My traveling girlfriends want to go to Barcelona in February and have me meet them there. The university looks like it still won't pay me for one of my classes, and I'm in the midst of negotiating with them to get them to cough up the thousands they now owe me.
I've been spending too much to try to get things done. I need a couple quiet days (or weeks) to get things back to normal.

Thinking about patient saver, nika, and all you in the path of the storm.

We drove to Minnesota over the weekend, visited the attorney, and sold my parents' lake home to my brother and his wife. We spent the weekend there, and I think I've worked through my issues with selling it.

I don't really want to own it, but it holds so many memories that I'm happy he has it. There's so much upkeep on a lake property, and he has the time and inclination to do it. They have their boats there, and we had a great time eating, drinking, playing cards, and tootling around the lake with them.

I deposited the personal check from him in the bank yesterday and am waiting for the bank to clear it. I have the feeling they won't clear it before September 1, so I'll end up paying my September mortgage payment. I asked the manager to see if they could clear that amount by Friday, and he said he'd call, but nothing yet.

In less lucrative news, I started a new class last night with only four students. I've never taught a class that small, but I have taught that Women and Literature class six or seven times, so it should be ok.

I also attended a seminar for our Common Reading Experience program at the university. They're reading Persepolis, a graphic novel about growing up in Iran during the Islamic revolution. I'm enjoying it a lot, and I do hope my incoming freshman do too.

Lots of meetings this week and lots of back-to-school shopping for DD. Again, a big thanks to all of you for helping me through the house selling quandry.