It's safe to say that CJ and I both love the library. We make at least one trip to the library every week, if not more. If we didn't go, we'd easily have a $100+ line item in our budget just for books. CJ goes because he loves to read and he likes discovering new music artists. I go for two reasons. One, I have a horrible habit of buying a book, reading half of it, starting another one, and then forgetting about the first (even though it may be an excellent book). Mostly though, I see it as free shopping.
My last read was How Starbucks Saved My Life. The deal is, this guy has a successful career in PR, loses his job, has such low self-esteem about his career that he goes off and has an affair, gets said mistress pregnant, doesn't have health insurance, can't provide for his youngest son, finds out he has a small brain tumor, and is so desperate for some sort of income that he gets a job at Starbucks. I was initially intrigued, and then annoyed, and then just flat-out bored. There were some interesting truths about humans in general -- our need to be loved, accepted, successful, all that. What annoyed me was that the guy name-dropped all the time. I suppose it was an illustration of what his life used to be and how it was supposed to make his book better, but really, I don't care about his encounters with Jackie O. or Ernest Hemingway. Yes, interesting individuals, but not really in his context. It wasn't the worst book I've ever read, but I wouldn't recommend anyone else pick it up though, either.
At my friend Betsy's suggestion, I picked up Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief as well. It's a series, very Harry Potter-esque. Basically the kid is a hero, the son of a Greek god, and he's sent on this mission to retrieve Zeus' stolen lightning bolt. It was different, and I can't help but think the author was very inspired by Harry Potter, but I guess it held my interest enough that I've picked up the second book in the series.
Cookbooks are my favorite books to check out, though. I don't cook too often, but I love browsing through cookbooks, writing down the recipes that sound good, and returning them. I don't like having a lot of cookbooks around the kitchen, as I prefer to use a recipe card. But, I did check out a Taste of Home recipe book last week and saw so many recipes I liked that I had to go out and buy the cookbook itself.
And now that spring is even closer, I've checked out some gardening books. I always hated gardening when I was younger. (MOM, it's because you would bang on my window at 7 am on a Saturday morning so I could pick green beans. If you would have let me pick them at like noon, I wouldn't have hated it so much.) It's a little different when you're an adult and can do whatever you want, I suppose. So, we intend to plant a garden (maybe splitting it in two, since we don't have a flat yard), and I'll pick my own green beans whenever I darn well please. I'm sure gardening isn't rocket science, but I guess I don't know if you should start growing some plants inside and then plant them outside later, or what. And, we got a pressure cooker/canner for the wedding, so I need to figure out what can be canned or not. I'm definitely becoming more domesticated.
I made a trip to the library today and have a bag full of books and a few DVDs to watch, so I should close out here for now...
2.28.2009
overnight visitor
We've known for awhile that our cat, Bridget, is pretty special.
She's more like a dog than a cat on some days. She follows us around like a dog half the time. We even play fetch together. (Seriously.)
I gave Bridget a "bath" the other night. (Yes, those quotation marks were intentional.) It's this foam, rinse-less stuff. She wasn't too impressed, but she survived. When I told CJ the next morning, he replied, "So that's why she's acting weird." She was in the kitchen with us when he said that, and I was like, "I don't think she's acting weird." THUD. She got so wrapped up in playing with a bag that she underestimated her proximity to the cabinets and hit her head.
Last night's trick particularly impressed me, though. We keep the door to our bedroom shut, because I want to minimize the cat hair on our clothes, and besides, I don't want to be bothered by an impatient, needy cat while I'm trying to sleep. So last night, I woke up to a bunch of meowing and bells ringing next to the bed. She's opened doors before -- shoved them open, more like it, if they weren't shut properly -- but how in the world does a cat open up a latched-shut door??
She's more like a dog than a cat on some days. She follows us around like a dog half the time. We even play fetch together. (Seriously.)
I gave Bridget a "bath" the other night. (Yes, those quotation marks were intentional.) It's this foam, rinse-less stuff. She wasn't too impressed, but she survived. When I told CJ the next morning, he replied, "So that's why she's acting weird." She was in the kitchen with us when he said that, and I was like, "I don't think she's acting weird." THUD. She got so wrapped up in playing with a bag that she underestimated her proximity to the cabinets and hit her head.
Last night's trick particularly impressed me, though. We keep the door to our bedroom shut, because I want to minimize the cat hair on our clothes, and besides, I don't want to be bothered by an impatient, needy cat while I'm trying to sleep. So last night, I woke up to a bunch of meowing and bells ringing next to the bed. She's opened doors before -- shoved them open, more like it, if they weren't shut properly -- but how in the world does a cat open up a latched-shut door??
2.22.2009
it's not worth it.
I'm done with taxes.
I'm not really done. I'm just done dealing with them myself.
When I first started working, my aunt helped me do my taxes, using the simple 1040 EZ form. At some point during college, I started doing my own taxes. Turns out it was easy enough.
Then I got a real job. I made charitable contributions. I started to pay back student loans. And the kicker, I signed up for a Health Savings Account. I'm a big proponent of HSAs ... until tax time. The HSA is always, always the piece that messes me up. And then this year, I bought a house and paid interest on the mortgage.
My HSA doesn't give me the information I need. My bank didn't send me the correct form for my mortgage. And my 2007 tax return is nowhere to be found. All these documents can be retrieved, but it will take at least two weeks for the IRS to process my request, and who knows how much time I'm going to waste on the phone trying to get the correct information from the banks.
So I decided it's not worth it.
It's not worth the two Cadbury Eggs and the 4 Peeps I downed, thinking that somehow that jolt of sugar was going to make the tax filing process happy or joyful or whatever. It's not worth tearing my house apart to find one document that isn't there. It's not worth the headache and the high blood pressure.
And that's just for my taxes. Although we can't file jointly for 2008, I told CJ I'd do his too. He didn't buy the house, nor does he have a HSA, but he has student loans, 3 W-2s, rent payments, union dues...
From here on out, our tax preparation is going to be someone else's problem. I'll pay ... I don't even care how much.
It's nap time.
I'm not really done. I'm just done dealing with them myself.
When I first started working, my aunt helped me do my taxes, using the simple 1040 EZ form. At some point during college, I started doing my own taxes. Turns out it was easy enough.
Then I got a real job. I made charitable contributions. I started to pay back student loans. And the kicker, I signed up for a Health Savings Account. I'm a big proponent of HSAs ... until tax time. The HSA is always, always the piece that messes me up. And then this year, I bought a house and paid interest on the mortgage.
My HSA doesn't give me the information I need. My bank didn't send me the correct form for my mortgage. And my 2007 tax return is nowhere to be found. All these documents can be retrieved, but it will take at least two weeks for the IRS to process my request, and who knows how much time I'm going to waste on the phone trying to get the correct information from the banks.
So I decided it's not worth it.
It's not worth the two Cadbury Eggs and the 4 Peeps I downed, thinking that somehow that jolt of sugar was going to make the tax filing process happy or joyful or whatever. It's not worth tearing my house apart to find one document that isn't there. It's not worth the headache and the high blood pressure.
And that's just for my taxes. Although we can't file jointly for 2008, I told CJ I'd do his too. He didn't buy the house, nor does he have a HSA, but he has student loans, 3 W-2s, rent payments, union dues...
From here on out, our tax preparation is going to be someone else's problem. I'll pay ... I don't even care how much.
It's nap time.
2.19.2009
cat update.
I get asked about how the cat's doing all the time, and I always answer with, "Ehh" or "okay." I'm still glad we got Bridget, but she's not like a dog you can take for a run or play too much with, as she can pretty much do almost everything on her own and then just likes to bug us when she's bored.
I find one habit particularly annoying, though. When CJ reads (which is frequently), she likes to be around him. Be is the key word there. She's patient, quiet, content. The second I open up a book though, she's all in my business. She walks around the book and stands on my chest so her face is right in mine. And then she stays there. And then we repeat the whole process. Eventually she gets the idea that I don't want her right up in my face, but she still wants attention, so she'll push the book out of the way or start to chew on the edges. Needless to say, I don't get much read around here anymore.
I guess she has two annoying habits. Every morning when I walk out into the living room, there's always at least one new sock or glove on the floor, if not more. I have no idea where she gets them, but I get a little tired of having to continually pick up our clothes. CJ said it's just her reminder that I need to do laundry.
I have found one thing she's good for -- hiding CJ's stuff.
Real quick as a background, I should explain the Christmas 2008 story. CJ worked both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. He walked into my room on December 26th, and instead of a Merry Christmas wish, a kiss, or even just a hello, he immediately shoots me in the face with a nerf gun. He thought it was hilarious, of course.
Shortly before the wedding with my nerves shot anyway, I hid his little styrofoam arrow things. Bridget found one this week, played around with it for a few days, and now it's conveniently gone. I should probably give her the others too, and somehow convince her to tear up the nerf gun while she's at it...
I find one habit particularly annoying, though. When CJ reads (which is frequently), she likes to be around him. Be is the key word there. She's patient, quiet, content. The second I open up a book though, she's all in my business. She walks around the book and stands on my chest so her face is right in mine. And then she stays there. And then we repeat the whole process. Eventually she gets the idea that I don't want her right up in my face, but she still wants attention, so she'll push the book out of the way or start to chew on the edges. Needless to say, I don't get much read around here anymore.
I guess she has two annoying habits. Every morning when I walk out into the living room, there's always at least one new sock or glove on the floor, if not more. I have no idea where she gets them, but I get a little tired of having to continually pick up our clothes. CJ said it's just her reminder that I need to do laundry.
I have found one thing she's good for -- hiding CJ's stuff.
Real quick as a background, I should explain the Christmas 2008 story. CJ worked both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. He walked into my room on December 26th, and instead of a Merry Christmas wish, a kiss, or even just a hello, he immediately shoots me in the face with a nerf gun. He thought it was hilarious, of course.
Shortly before the wedding with my nerves shot anyway, I hid his little styrofoam arrow things. Bridget found one this week, played around with it for a few days, and now it's conveniently gone. I should probably give her the others too, and somehow convince her to tear up the nerf gun while she's at it...
2.15.2009
quelf
I do believe we discovered the most ridiculous game in the world -- Quelf. We played with Eric and Leah last night, and I think it might be awhile before I play it again. (CJ, however, loved it.)
At this point in the game, I was required to attempt the splits. This is about as far as I got.
And here's Leah running around the kitchen in slow motion. For at least half the game, she had to sing 99 Bottles of Beer, until she got to the end or until she rolled a three. She got down to sixty-something bottles of beer when she finally rolled a three. (Sorry, forgot to turn this one the right way around before I uploaded.)
Eric had to bah like a sheep before every turn. Whenever it wasn't his turn, he had to have one hand on the ground at all times. And then he had to put a sock -- a sock puppet, rather -- on his hand and give it a name: Lola. In this picture, he had to draw three lines and some random shapes and give to CJ, who in turn had to make a drawing that might appear in a children's story.
Forgot to turn this one the right way too (and I'm too lazy to go back and redo it). Before every turn, CJ had to write down one four-letter word that we could no longer use without a penalty (and then he got to move forward a space every time we did). And about halfway through the game, he pulled a card that required him to repeat everything he said. Thank goodness he didn't keep that up all night.
At this point in the game, I was required to attempt the splits. This is about as far as I got.
And here's Leah running around the kitchen in slow motion. For at least half the game, she had to sing 99 Bottles of Beer, until she got to the end or until she rolled a three. She got down to sixty-something bottles of beer when she finally rolled a three. (Sorry, forgot to turn this one the right way around before I uploaded.)
Eric had to bah like a sheep before every turn. Whenever it wasn't his turn, he had to have one hand on the ground at all times. And then he had to put a sock -- a sock puppet, rather -- on his hand and give it a name: Lola. In this picture, he had to draw three lines and some random shapes and give to CJ, who in turn had to make a drawing that might appear in a children's story.
Forgot to turn this one the right way too (and I'm too lazy to go back and redo it). Before every turn, CJ had to write down one four-letter word that we could no longer use without a penalty (and then he got to move forward a space every time we did). And about halfway through the game, he pulled a card that required him to repeat everything he said. Thank goodness he didn't keep that up all night.
2.14.2009
everything has its place
Sorry, but I have to take a moment to brag on CJ.
First, he installed shelves in our closet, which I'll eventually get around to painting. I haven't put everything in its place, but now our shoes, sheets, and bags all have a place.
Then he made a shelf for our entryway, so our guests have a place to hang their coats. He didn't make the W -- that was an engagement gift from Eric & Leah. And now the infamous Whitehead coat of arms has a place too.
And this is my Valentine's Day present -- a trunk to hold all of our blankets. We didn't receive duplicates of things on our registry, but we received at least four blankets or afghans, in addition to the five or ten we already had, so now they have a place too. He spent so much time out in the garage, and for once, I had absolutely no idea what he was doing.
On a side note -- seriously, if anyone has any suggestions about that tax credit (see below, if you haven't already read it), we're listening to anyone who has an opinion ... because we can't make up our minds.
Happy Valentine's Day.
First, he installed shelves in our closet, which I'll eventually get around to painting. I haven't put everything in its place, but now our shoes, sheets, and bags all have a place.
Then he made a shelf for our entryway, so our guests have a place to hang their coats. He didn't make the W -- that was an engagement gift from Eric & Leah. And now the infamous Whitehead coat of arms has a place too.
And this is my Valentine's Day present -- a trunk to hold all of our blankets. We didn't receive duplicates of things on our registry, but we received at least four blankets or afghans, in addition to the five or ten we already had, so now they have a place too. He spent so much time out in the garage, and for once, I had absolutely no idea what he was doing.
On a side note -- seriously, if anyone has any suggestions about that tax credit (see below, if you haven't already read it), we're listening to anyone who has an opinion ... because we can't make up our minds.
Happy Valentine's Day.
2.12.2009
great tax credit debate
CJ and I have spent much time weighing our options and we can't figure out what to do. So, for everyone who claims to read this blog, now's your chance to weigh in.
The government is offering a tax credit for first-time home buyers who purchased a home during certain months of 2008. I fit. It's for $7,500. The catch is that you have to pay it back, $500 a year for the next fifteen years. But it's interest free.
We initially thought this wasn't such a good idea. What happens if next year, we owe the government say, $800 on our taxes, plus we have to pay an additional $500 back? I think we've set some good saving goals right away, so I'd like to think this wouldn't be a big deal. Not to always plan for the worst, but you never know where life could lead us.
On one hand, we're enamored by this shiny $7,500. It could, in one swoop, take care of all of our home improvement needs, wishes, and desires. I could get a new kitchen floor, fresh carpet, new doors and doorknobs, a new patio door, new kitchen appliances, and two -- count them, two -- refurbished bathrooms. CJ could get some new tools and we could fix the landscaping and plant a garden. Oh, and there's also that lawn mower that we actually will need come spring. Yes, these improvements would make our house more enjoyable. Garden and tools aside, these are improvements we realize we need to make to improve the home's resale value. We're not going to sell for five more years at least, but we're talking about a lot of money here, so we have to
budget accordingly. And, if we make these changes now, we can enjoy them now, instead of making the changes to sell and then not getting to enjoy the house as much.
But on the other hand, we could take the $7,500 and pay down some debt. It's not as fun at all, but it's reasonable. It could take a significant chunk out of CJ's truck payment or a large amount of money I owe on my house. Without crunching numbers, it could save us money in the long haul.
So, what does everyone else think? Home improvements, pay down debt, or just not take the credit and chug along saving and paying down debt as usual?
The government is offering a tax credit for first-time home buyers who purchased a home during certain months of 2008. I fit. It's for $7,500. The catch is that you have to pay it back, $500 a year for the next fifteen years. But it's interest free.
We initially thought this wasn't such a good idea. What happens if next year, we owe the government say, $800 on our taxes, plus we have to pay an additional $500 back? I think we've set some good saving goals right away, so I'd like to think this wouldn't be a big deal. Not to always plan for the worst, but you never know where life could lead us.
On one hand, we're enamored by this shiny $7,500. It could, in one swoop, take care of all of our home improvement needs, wishes, and desires. I could get a new kitchen floor, fresh carpet, new doors and doorknobs, a new patio door, new kitchen appliances, and two -- count them, two -- refurbished bathrooms. CJ could get some new tools and we could fix the landscaping and plant a garden. Oh, and there's also that lawn mower that we actually will need come spring. Yes, these improvements would make our house more enjoyable. Garden and tools aside, these are improvements we realize we need to make to improve the home's resale value. We're not going to sell for five more years at least, but we're talking about a lot of money here, so we have to
budget accordingly. And, if we make these changes now, we can enjoy them now, instead of making the changes to sell and then not getting to enjoy the house as much.
But on the other hand, we could take the $7,500 and pay down some debt. It's not as fun at all, but it's reasonable. It could take a significant chunk out of CJ's truck payment or a large amount of money I owe on my house. Without crunching numbers, it could save us money in the long haul.
So, what does everyone else think? Home improvements, pay down debt, or just not take the credit and chug along saving and paying down debt as usual?
2.09.2009
just because I should update
Again, not too much is going on in our neck of the woods.
When he's not at work, CJ has kept busy with woodworking projects. Today he finished a box, our utensil tray, and a shelf for the entryway, complete with hooks. I'm particularly excited about the shelf, because now when we have guests over, they can hang up their coats instead of draping them on the furniture or putting them on the floor. And, as if that wasn't enough, he also installed new shelves in our closet. While our house is big enough for the two of us, it lacks in storage...which basically means I don't have enough room for my shoes. But now I can put up all of our shoes, plus store bags, sheets, and other random things. I think I married well.
Bridget is doing fine. For Valentine's Day, my mom bought her a present -- a Pedi Paw. It's like those Ped Eggs they make for humans, but you can use it to file down cats' nails. Bridget hated it (surprise) and only let CJ get one claw done. She then she spent the rest of the night either hiding or ignoring our offers to pet or play with her. For a cat who is normally so needy -- and, you'd think attention deprived, the way she acts -- she must have been really mad. Either way, she seems to have forgiven us today.
That's it for another week.
When he's not at work, CJ has kept busy with woodworking projects. Today he finished a box, our utensil tray, and a shelf for the entryway, complete with hooks. I'm particularly excited about the shelf, because now when we have guests over, they can hang up their coats instead of draping them on the furniture or putting them on the floor. And, as if that wasn't enough, he also installed new shelves in our closet. While our house is big enough for the two of us, it lacks in storage...which basically means I don't have enough room for my shoes. But now I can put up all of our shoes, plus store bags, sheets, and other random things. I think I married well.
Bridget is doing fine. For Valentine's Day, my mom bought her a present -- a Pedi Paw. It's like those Ped Eggs they make for humans, but you can use it to file down cats' nails. Bridget hated it (surprise) and only let CJ get one claw done. She then she spent the rest of the night either hiding or ignoring our offers to pet or play with her. For a cat who is normally so needy -- and, you'd think attention deprived, the way she acts -- she must have been really mad. Either way, she seems to have forgiven us today.
That's it for another week.
2.01.2009
happy february
It was a fairly uneventful week for us, but I figured I'd post anyway, since people read the blog...
I caught whatever sickness CJ had last week, and I only went into work on Monday and for part of the day on Thursday. For the most part, I've just had this killer migraine-like sinus headache for the past week. I ignored CJ's advice to go to the doctor on Friday, thinking I'd be fine if I just had the weekend to sleep. Of course then I've barely slept all weekend and the headache just kept getting worse, so I ended up at one of those CVS One Minute Clinics this morning. It wasn't ideal, but I wasn't about ready to go sit in an emergency room for a headache, nor do I have any more time I can take off work. Besides, it was quick and cheap and they gave me the same drugs my doctor probably would have prescribed. It probably won't go away overnight, but at least I can head back to work tomorrow morning.
For the few hours I felt fine this weekend, we ate at the Oceanaire as part of the Devour Downtown deal, where you get a three-course meal for $30. We're fairly certain our waiter snubbed us because we weren't dropping hundreds of dollars like everyone else. It took us two and a half hours to eat, and our waiter only came to our table maybe four times -- once to get our drinks, once to take our orders, another time to tell us they were no longer making our appetizers, and then at the very end to give us our bill. I didn't tip well, and we have no intentions of going back.
We also had the fire department's annual awards ceremony last night. Given that CJ has only been on the department for a few weeks, he didn't get any recognition, but it was at least nice to meet some of the people he works with and for me to also get a better feel for what the fire department is like (I'm still learning).
I better close down and see about cleaning the kitchen and reclaiming my spot on the couch to watch more episodes of House...
I caught whatever sickness CJ had last week, and I only went into work on Monday and for part of the day on Thursday. For the most part, I've just had this killer migraine-like sinus headache for the past week. I ignored CJ's advice to go to the doctor on Friday, thinking I'd be fine if I just had the weekend to sleep. Of course then I've barely slept all weekend and the headache just kept getting worse, so I ended up at one of those CVS One Minute Clinics this morning. It wasn't ideal, but I wasn't about ready to go sit in an emergency room for a headache, nor do I have any more time I can take off work. Besides, it was quick and cheap and they gave me the same drugs my doctor probably would have prescribed. It probably won't go away overnight, but at least I can head back to work tomorrow morning.
For the few hours I felt fine this weekend, we ate at the Oceanaire as part of the Devour Downtown deal, where you get a three-course meal for $30. We're fairly certain our waiter snubbed us because we weren't dropping hundreds of dollars like everyone else. It took us two and a half hours to eat, and our waiter only came to our table maybe four times -- once to get our drinks, once to take our orders, another time to tell us they were no longer making our appetizers, and then at the very end to give us our bill. I didn't tip well, and we have no intentions of going back.
We also had the fire department's annual awards ceremony last night. Given that CJ has only been on the department for a few weeks, he didn't get any recognition, but it was at least nice to meet some of the people he works with and for me to also get a better feel for what the fire department is like (I'm still learning).
I better close down and see about cleaning the kitchen and reclaiming my spot on the couch to watch more episodes of House...
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