Today was the first day since DD's end of school we've had a normal week. After a bit too much spending on our Massachusetts trip, we've re-learned lessons about traveling with friends. We need to do our own thing and have our own priorities in line. I was happy we got a room with a kitchenette in Cape Cod as we ate dinner in one night and several breakfasts in. Besides the cost, it meant the Brit DH got to watch the World Cup!

After returning home, our friends stayed with us for another week, including a night away in a nearby city. They didn't blink at spending $175 for dinner for two. They're lovely generous people for us, bringing us back bottles of wine and a case of beer. But man--they're spending habits make both me and DH nervous.

I've done a textbook review for some extra cash and sold a few things on Craigslist which were cluttering the basement. It's going to be an expensive summer and I need to think of lots of ways every day to save and make some small cash. No university paycheck until October!

The hamburger I was thawing for tacos today turned out to be two frozen NY strip steaks.
Not our usual Tuesday night fare, but a not-unpleasant surprise.

Our library was filled to overflowing today as they had the coolest kids' program with naturalist David Stokes. Who knew that a bald guy with frogs on his head could make me laugh so much? A lovely free afternoon's entertainment.

I sold a book today at half.com for $54 so will add that to the challenge. After a long hiatus, maybe I can make things up!

I spent my day off prepping for next week's classes, correcting papers, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, and some more cleaning. Our occasional cleaning person was so unreliable I've taken it over, and I must admit, I hate it.

But we save her expense, I got loads of things done including depositing some odd little checks. Apparently Best Buy charged us too much sales tax for our digital converter box so we received an apology and a check for $1.12. Now there's an economic stimulus.

My big payoff for all that work is finding a CD I thought was long gone. Yes, that is Mark Knopfler you hear in the background....

Besides not spending even a slim dime today, the word has come down that I may get my full load of teaching after all.

That means about another $5K so that that would make me very very happy. Cross your fingers and say your prayers that it actually happens.

I got an offer from a publisher today to do a textbook review for $150, and finally the conference reimbursement showed up, so it's been a very rich day.

And I pushed myself back onto the treadmill after a week off. I'm also as happy about that as about the money.

I've cleaned out DD's dresser and some things are going right on to ebay while others are bound for freecycle.

The ebay items I have listed are (mostly) selling, and I sold a book this weekend too.

Except for the staggeringly high airline ticket I bought for DH to go to England in August, it's been a NS day. But man, do I miss $500 plane tickets. We're sending him alone since $1300x3 is just too awful to contemplate.

Record rain all around here so we're grateful we're not buying sump pumps or chain saws to cut up the trees that litter the streets.

It may be lovely and all that, but another 13" of snow has made me feel less like a princess and a whole lot more like Grumpy.

Child and I shared a snow day off from school, and I got a few things done.
Plus--nothing was open so it was a NS day.

DH got stuck in the driveway, or rather off the driveway tonight, and even the village snow plow ended up in the ditch. It took two front-end loaders to haul it out.

But the mailman got through: apparently neither snow nor sleet not dark of night could keep him from delivering two lovely survey checks totaling an awesome $15.

But where is spring???

Man, we've had a bad ole winter here in the Midwest. And today was supposed to be the start (make that restart) of my walking to and from the free parking.

I rather diligently parked in the free spot, only to leave in a massive downpour. Luckily I'd stashed an extra umbrella in the office, but I was none too happy to walk 6 blocks in a February rain.

Three weeks left of my double dose of teaching evening classes, and except for the hallowed cup of coffee, it was a NS day.

I'm still busy rooting around on the shelves and in the freezer for dinners. Except for perishables and a few treats, I'm sure I can make it through another few weeks without buying much.

It was indeed a NS day, although I had to order books for next term's classes. Although the university is SUPPOSED to get me desk copies, they never get around to it until it's too late to use them for class planning, so I got them used on Amazon. I had Christmas credit left over, so didn't spend anything there.

I also spent some time moving funds around, and plopping more into my Roth for 2007. But man, it's ugly when I compare my year-end totals to those a mere month later. I keep telling myself it's the share totals in the mutual funds that count, and that I can buy more shares not that they're cheaper, but ouch. I avert my eyes.