if you love something, set it free

One general rule I live by: you should give away what you hold dear, because it is only in giving that it will return to you (and you will appreciate it more when it does!). I'm not a metaphysical believer, but I do think life has a cruel way of reminding you of your pettiness when you least want to hear it. Plus hoarders are unattractive.

Most things, like love or maple syrup or books, are easy to give away. Money....not so much for me. My husband joked when we first started combining finances that he used to be the miser in every situation. Now it's me. Perhaps an inevitable bit of my personality? - the same bit that makes me good at science or planning? (I'll elaborate more on that tomorrow). Whatever propels me to budget and finance and planplanplan has started to rub off on others though, so at least I'm giving something useful away.

Over the last year or so, I have met with four friends with different financial personalities and issues (one still studying, one a homeowner/artist, one young professional working in the non-profit field and the fourth about to move where her boyfriend was going to school). Together we worked on budgets, short-term and long-term goals. I think each of them, during our "session", told me they wished someone had sat down with them ages ago to teach them this stuff (life pie, income potential, interest rates, etc). It got me thinking that my job at the university might be just the right arena to round up willing young souls who might be interested in learning what "prime + 2.25%" actually means.

I held off advertising around campus in the Fall because it isn't until second semester when students really feel the financial pinch. Ideally, it would be a casual round-table discussion on financial vocabulary and basic concepts, where I would steer conversation, chip in with my knowledge and serve donuts. :) Perhaps this week I'll actually book space and make up a poster, something I've been putting off due to vague feelings of "who-do-you-think-you-are-itis". Inferiority complex - pipe the fuck down, I'm just trying to help.

Last January I had 14K in student loans left. After reading a bunch of these personal finance blogs, I excitedly proclaimed 2011 to be the year I cleared all my stupid debt off (!!) I was going to punch my debt in the face too!!

Needless to say, I failed.

January 1st 2012: my balance sat at 4,000. Eight more excruciating months at current payment rate. Gah!

So here's to July 1st, 2012! The day I hopefully kick the last of that debt in the face. Meet me out back behind campus, mo-fo.

the funk in the air

After my trip to California, I entered a phase of utter non-productivity. I came home to a broken washing machine, a car primed to fail the yearly safety inspection, and had somehow lost my hair dryer before even leaving for my trip (how does one lose a hairdryer?!?)

So to recap: greasy hair, stinky clothes and shitty car.

I went to a great music festival, which involved staying out until 2 AM during the week, drinking way too much crappy draught beer and otherwise picking "fun" over "responsible". I ate mac and cheese one night for christsake...it was an entire week of processed food, packaged in cardboard and plastic. Just gross.

Questionable content

Then sometime after watching Mission Impossible at the local theatre (but before watching Limitless), the funk broke. I think it was associated with getting this stupid piece of very important paperwork (aka SPOVIP) off my damned desk - FINALLY!- after three months of working on/off on it.

I unpacked my luggage (for real), used the on-campus laundry facilities to clear the 6 foot pile of laundry, and started digging through the ten inch pile of crap on my desk. I've been clearing invoices for the business like a champ, recuperating money we've been owed for six months. There must be good financial karma associated with this drudgery, and I keep whimsically thinking that my bosses will be so appreciative that they'll cut me a bonus cheque for all my hard work. More likely scenario is that I have to ask for a bonus, which I've also been psyching myself up to do. I'll post here about how that works out after the SPOVIP is legally binding for all parties (ie I cross the paperwork finish line).

It will look just like this.

So the next week I'll talk about some of the stuff I've been up to that hasn't made it to this blog: dealing with the car, personal finances, the martial arts class I took, the science I'm teaching myself, the house progress. I'll probably post music too, because the best way to remind myself off cool new finds is to scroll back through this here blog. So with that:

It ain't dead yet

This is the week I post once a day. My bloggy-muscles have atrophied...time for some PX90 shit.

75 cents

(The spell has broken, I am productive once again. I think perhaps it just takes two weeks to recover from the West Coast mentality. Haha)

MORE FIERCE

FIERCE

On my day-long paperwork slog, I've taken a short lunch break to peruse the Golden Globes coverage. May I just say one thing?

I have stylish-alien envy, because Tilda Swinton makes me feel totally inadequate at everything.

jubilance

is a singing redhead with dimples

Bonne Fete

Sent my 28th birthday looking for lighting options for the house, eating a boat of sushi (plus some more!) and hanging out with friends. Listened to this and drank a winter warmer at the local watering hole.

Good day for an eighties baby.

( I owned and loved one of these puppets when I was a kid. It's actually over two feet long.)

West Coast life

I am in San Francisco, and I am feeling better. I hiked up this mountain today, had sushi for dinner and might go see an "old Asian guy" sing country and western. Tomorrow I'm going to go shopping and then to a music show in Berkeley. Two more days :)

update: travel with a head cold

Got whacked with a cold yesterday afternoon, flew with dripping red stuffy nose and pounding sinus. Watched Contagion on the plane. Couldn't drink any free booze (well...I had a clamato) or taste the first class meal.

My mission tomorrow morning (upon waking up from the Nyquil haze I am about to induce) is to find soft kleenex. I'm missing the talks tonight and a bonfire by the beach because of the illness...I'm not impressed.

yes please

California Thursday to Thursday. The wind was especially biting this morning, brr. Oh and I'm flying first class, by a strange pricing fluke on Air Canada. Maple Leaf Lounge here I come :)