I hope all of you are recovering well from your holiday festivities. I've got one more gathering tomorrow night and then I'm all done.
I got a new job, and my super at the job I lost said I may still have hours, which is fabulous. Granted, I'm up to seven or eight part-time jobs at this point, but that's so much better than, say, none.
In addition to getting a job for Christmas, I also got a ton of... stuff. My parents continue to spoil me exponentially with each passing year. I got the cutest cookie jar ever, a handbag that's waaaay too nice, an assortment of bath and body products, other lovelies, and the lamp I've wanted my whole life. I haven't brought it in yet because I'm having to prepare Mr. B for it. It's tacky. It's terrible. And I love it! Mr. B got me the pasta attachment for the Kitchenaid and a bunch of other kitchen lovelies. I'm very excited to try making pasta, and I'll let you know how it works out. :)
Father Christmas also handed me a bit of cash to hit the sales with, so I'm off to replenish the professional wardrobe and schedule a haircut. Happy Christmahanukwanzakah, and leave your trees up till at least the sixth!
Love,
KB
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Christmas News
Hey all. I hope your holidays are going wonderfully.
So, I'm off work at my main job (woohoo academia!)a few weeks for Christmas. I'm still cleaning houses and all that jazz. I've secured a bunch of part time work for the spring and have been feeling really good about the prospect of paying off my consumer debt, making big dents in the student loans, and whittling down my car payment.
And then I came home yesterday to an email informing me that my academic job, the one that actually pays the bills, is probably gone. The economy means that they can't pay us. Most of the jobs are revoked, and all the remaining jobs are significantly reduced in hours.
THIS SUCKS. This was a threat a few months ago, and then the situation was rectified and I was given my hours back. Now, our contracts won't be what we were told, if any of us have them at all.
Now, that being said, I'm already setting up interviews -- I have one Monday morning. I never have stopped looking for a full time job, that illustrious unicorn that comes with health insurance, a normal schedule and paid vacation. I won't have it any time soon, but I've been trying. And, since I had overloaded my schedule for spring, I have some work. Not enough right now, but some. And, since I'm on a horrendous pay delay, I have another paycheck at the end of January. These are all good things that are keeping the panic attacks from lasting more than fifteen minutes.
The upside? You're gonna see me a lot more. And boy, will the frugality tips keep coming. And you know what? We're all going to get through this depression/recession/economic flu, and we're going to be alright.
And who the hell sends out a mass email the week before Christmas telling employees they don't have jobs? Seriously!
Happy Holidays, eveyone! I hope to be back this weekend with the Christmas baking update.
Happies,
KB
So, I'm off work at my main job (woohoo academia!)a few weeks for Christmas. I'm still cleaning houses and all that jazz. I've secured a bunch of part time work for the spring and have been feeling really good about the prospect of paying off my consumer debt, making big dents in the student loans, and whittling down my car payment.
And then I came home yesterday to an email informing me that my academic job, the one that actually pays the bills, is probably gone. The economy means that they can't pay us. Most of the jobs are revoked, and all the remaining jobs are significantly reduced in hours.
THIS SUCKS. This was a threat a few months ago, and then the situation was rectified and I was given my hours back. Now, our contracts won't be what we were told, if any of us have them at all.
Now, that being said, I'm already setting up interviews -- I have one Monday morning. I never have stopped looking for a full time job, that illustrious unicorn that comes with health insurance, a normal schedule and paid vacation. I won't have it any time soon, but I've been trying. And, since I had overloaded my schedule for spring, I have some work. Not enough right now, but some. And, since I'm on a horrendous pay delay, I have another paycheck at the end of January. These are all good things that are keeping the panic attacks from lasting more than fifteen minutes.
The upside? You're gonna see me a lot more. And boy, will the frugality tips keep coming. And you know what? We're all going to get through this depression/recession/economic flu, and we're going to be alright.
And who the hell sends out a mass email the week before Christmas telling employees they don't have jobs? Seriously!
Happy Holidays, eveyone! I hope to be back this weekend with the Christmas baking update.
Happies,
KB
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Holidays on the Cheap
Wow. It's December. I pretty much missed Halloween, which totally threw off my holiday barometer. Then Thanksgiving came late, and here I am still with pumpkins strung about my apartment, no tree, and no shopping done. Oh, and like EVERYONE ELSE in the country except for the tools that wrote that article in the Times about throwing a "budget" party (to the tune of $30 a head), I am freaking worried about my finances. With academia, I get what I like to call mandatory unpaid vacation for almost a month, and employment is shaky for summer. While I could toss some cash around this holiday, I need to sit on it for hard(er) times and keep paying down the unholy amount of debt I've amassed over the five years. Hey, I'm working on it quite well. Just sayin'.
So how to handle this situation? Well, most of my nearest and dearest are getting various combinations of delicious Cinnamon Bread (I can make two loaves for about a dollar -- recipe to follow), other assorted baked goods, and bargain-basement knickknacks I've picked up over the last few months at ridiculous discounts. The parents and Mr. B. get a little more.
So how do I make bread for a dollar? Easily. Granted, I'm blessed with two things many people are not -- a Costco membership and a Kitchenaid stand mixer. (Both results of Mr. B.) 25 pounds of flour at costco is about seven dollars. Two pounds of yeast is between three and four dollars. A giant container of Saigon cinnamon? Three dollars. I don't even know what I paid for the ten pound bag of sugar. I do know that I fell over laughing when I saw it contained over 1500 servings. Anyway, the bread recipe I use, which I will post soon, calls for about five cups of flour, a little butter, 2 packs of yeast (I need to refresh myself on the conversion -- five spoonfuls or something), a little water, and a little sugar. The dough hook does the work, I let it rise, divide it, roll it, melt more butter, brush it, and sprinkle cinnamon sugar over it. Then, roll, rise, and bake, and you have two loaves of ridiculously delicious bread at less than a dollar. One of the bakeries in town sells it for $6 a pop. I really need to open a shop.
Anyway, more on holiday frugality to come.
So how to handle this situation? Well, most of my nearest and dearest are getting various combinations of delicious Cinnamon Bread (I can make two loaves for about a dollar -- recipe to follow), other assorted baked goods, and bargain-basement knickknacks I've picked up over the last few months at ridiculous discounts. The parents and Mr. B. get a little more.
So how do I make bread for a dollar? Easily. Granted, I'm blessed with two things many people are not -- a Costco membership and a Kitchenaid stand mixer. (Both results of Mr. B.) 25 pounds of flour at costco is about seven dollars. Two pounds of yeast is between three and four dollars. A giant container of Saigon cinnamon? Three dollars. I don't even know what I paid for the ten pound bag of sugar. I do know that I fell over laughing when I saw it contained over 1500 servings. Anyway, the bread recipe I use, which I will post soon, calls for about five cups of flour, a little butter, 2 packs of yeast (I need to refresh myself on the conversion -- five spoonfuls or something), a little water, and a little sugar. The dough hook does the work, I let it rise, divide it, roll it, melt more butter, brush it, and sprinkle cinnamon sugar over it. Then, roll, rise, and bake, and you have two loaves of ridiculously delicious bread at less than a dollar. One of the bakeries in town sells it for $6 a pop. I really need to open a shop.
Anyway, more on holiday frugality to come.
It's Over, Phil. Farewell.
Dear Phillip,
People said I'd never do it, and I bet you thought I wouldn't, too. But the time has come. I have to end this.
You've never been good for me. I met you years ago. I mean, we've been doing this on-again, off-again crap for a decade. And yeah, there have been some times when we've been tight, for years even. Especially during college, O.H., and that rough patch of grad school. And when times were hard, I relied on you.I always turned to you, Phil. You and Mr. Coffee. But MC never let me down. Why did you?
Dammit, Phillip. I should have listened. My friends told me you were no good. My parents threw a fit -- they were really worried about the effect you had on me.
You've been holding me back, Phil. I turned to you always; I was always there. But what did you do for me, Phil? You made me feel like crap! You made me feel sick! Yeah, whenever we'd get back together, it would be good at first. But then, I'd start to feel the real effect, Phil. When I needed you, you would just burn up into a puff of smoke. And you always came around when I'd drink. What's up with that, Phil? You'd show up when I was studying. I couldn't get away.
You're bad for me. I know it. You're really an addiction. For years, I thought I needed you. But I don't. Man, I know I'll be ok. Yeah, it's hard. There have been some days when I've thought, "Just once. For the good times, man. Just a little fix." But I know that as soon as you touch my lips, it'll be the same old crap, man.
You've been bad for me since the day TB introduced us in high school. HIGH SCHOOL, MAN. Granted, you weren't a habit for me till college, but it started way back then. I should have known better. Everyone told me you were bad for me, but I just HAD to try you, and see what you were all about.
It was a mistake, Phil. We're through. People say, Oh, but the holidays will be hard. Oh, you'll miss it. Whatever, man. I'll be okay. I'll be fine without you. I'll walk a little more quickly, drink a little more coffee, probably be nervous for awhile. But Phil, I'll be fine without you. It's been three weeks. I only caved once, and I threw you out as soon as I realized my mistake. I can do this, Phil. I don't have to go back to you.
And as for the holidays, there are some other old pals. Jimmy Beam, Jack Daniels, George Dickel, Johnny Walker -- those guys, they'll be there for me. I can moderate with those fellas. But not you, Phillip. I just don't know when to quit with you.
So this is it, Phil. Don't come around. I mean, I know I'll see you out and stuff. I'll just have to avoid places we used to spend time together, and when friends bring you around, I'll just ignore you. Maybe have a Dum-Dum instead.
Goodbye, Phillip Morris. I loved you while it lasted, but you were bad for me.
KB
People said I'd never do it, and I bet you thought I wouldn't, too. But the time has come. I have to end this.
You've never been good for me. I met you years ago. I mean, we've been doing this on-again, off-again crap for a decade. And yeah, there have been some times when we've been tight, for years even. Especially during college, O.H., and that rough patch of grad school. And when times were hard, I relied on you.I always turned to you, Phil. You and Mr. Coffee. But MC never let me down. Why did you?
Dammit, Phillip. I should have listened. My friends told me you were no good. My parents threw a fit -- they were really worried about the effect you had on me.
You've been holding me back, Phil. I turned to you always; I was always there. But what did you do for me, Phil? You made me feel like crap! You made me feel sick! Yeah, whenever we'd get back together, it would be good at first. But then, I'd start to feel the real effect, Phil. When I needed you, you would just burn up into a puff of smoke. And you always came around when I'd drink. What's up with that, Phil? You'd show up when I was studying. I couldn't get away.
You're bad for me. I know it. You're really an addiction. For years, I thought I needed you. But I don't. Man, I know I'll be ok. Yeah, it's hard. There have been some days when I've thought, "Just once. For the good times, man. Just a little fix." But I know that as soon as you touch my lips, it'll be the same old crap, man.
You've been bad for me since the day TB introduced us in high school. HIGH SCHOOL, MAN. Granted, you weren't a habit for me till college, but it started way back then. I should have known better. Everyone told me you were bad for me, but I just HAD to try you, and see what you were all about.
It was a mistake, Phil. We're through. People say, Oh, but the holidays will be hard. Oh, you'll miss it. Whatever, man. I'll be okay. I'll be fine without you. I'll walk a little more quickly, drink a little more coffee, probably be nervous for awhile. But Phil, I'll be fine without you. It's been three weeks. I only caved once, and I threw you out as soon as I realized my mistake. I can do this, Phil. I don't have to go back to you.
And as for the holidays, there are some other old pals. Jimmy Beam, Jack Daniels, George Dickel, Johnny Walker -- those guys, they'll be there for me. I can moderate with those fellas. But not you, Phillip. I just don't know when to quit with you.
So this is it, Phil. Don't come around. I mean, I know I'll see you out and stuff. I'll just have to avoid places we used to spend time together, and when friends bring you around, I'll just ignore you. Maybe have a Dum-Dum instead.
Goodbye, Phillip Morris. I loved you while it lasted, but you were bad for me.
KB
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
