this and that...and a question for you

So, we're going to try to be financially responsible this year. We're not horrible, but it's taken us years to become as responsible with money as we are (and we could definitely still use some work). This afternoon, I'm working on updating the budget and on balancing the books.

I've closed one of my credit card accounts, leaving me with only one! (Yes, this thought excites me.) I thought it would be difficult, that the company's representative would try to talk me into not closing the account, but that just didn't happen. Thanks be. I'm not sure what kind of negative effect closing the account will have on my credit, but I'm just not willing to keep an account open just to play the credit rating game. And, having the account open presents too much of a temptation, although it's a temptation we haven't fallen into in a while. The account was basically an annoying little bill (monthly fee for checking my credit...ha!) every month. A waste of money.

Now, if only I had a super-high-paying job that still allowed me the time to keep Pic out of school, I could pay off my biggest debt and all would be well in my financial world. I'm okay with the long term nature of that debt, though.

My goal for us is that we become those people who can actually set a goal and save the money to reach that goal. I'm mainly thinking in terms of travel here. We have never been those people and I've always been a bit disappointed in us because of it.

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Now for something completely different: I masticated a burnt peanut today. The shell was pretty dark and the peanut itself basically looked like a black bean, but I figured, "What the heck. How bad could this be." Ugh, ack, blech! Disgusting! I'm just using my experiential wisdom here to benefit anyone who might be reading this. Prego*.

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Enough of that. I'm pretty sure that our microwave broke yesterday. We barely use it anyway and we keep it unplugged when we're not using it, so it's not even good as a clock, but I'm not sure that I only want to have a rangetop and oven for heating food. So, what experience do you all have with toaster ovens? I've kind of wanted one for a while, but I really didn't want to own a toaster oven, a microwave and a toaster. I'm thinking that if we do get a toaster oven, we'll rid ourselves of our toaster that I can no longer clean all of the crumbs out of.

So, toaster oven? Thoughts, please.

Grazie.

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* Yes, I know, it looks like I'm suddenly interjecting pasta sauces here, but "prego" is "you're welcome" in Italian. Seriously.

musical monday: 'it's early to rise, early in the sack'

I can't remember the exact story, but it goes something like I used to be kind of infatuated with John Denver or I was obsessed with this song. Probably both.


"John Denver - Thank God I'm A Country Boy (LYRICS + FULL SONG)"

This song so does not describe my life (y'know, aside from me not being a boy). I still like it, though. And, I'll take some fiddlin' and a jig anytime.

telephone

We were in the car today and Pic was playing with Cardo's phone when it started ringing. We had just pulled into a parking lot. Instead of Pic passing the phone forward to the front seat, Pic answered the phone. We heard, "Hello. Good, how you? We're here. We just got here." [No, I didn't mistype there; Pic really does say a somewhat slurred version of "how are you" that comes out something like "how you."]

Cardo and I were giggling in the front seat. Cardo asked her why she answered the phone. Usually, the only time she'll answer a phone is if Cardo is calling home or my cell and I assure her that it's him. Today, though, she responded, "It was my turn to answer the phone! You always do it!"

I'm sitting in the den catching up on e-mails and skimming through my Blogger dashboard. Cardo's phone just rang and I heard Pic answer it (apparently she's not asleep) and wake Cardo up to tell him, "Papi! Someone would like to speak to you." (I'm not sure who's calling at one in the morning.)

We might have to be careful with this. Who knows who she'll have conversations with.

today in five acts

* started reading Their Eyes Were Watching God

* fantastically productive work hour

* bus, bus, bus (as Pic slept, generating a cozy heat against me)

* board games with Pic (Dinosaur Train, Candy Land, a Go Fish/Candy Land hybrid that only makes sense to us...and perhaps not even then)

* L is for Lawless, dishes, laundry, Diane Rehm podcast with Amy Chua as guest [um, yes, all at once...it's a busy act and then the curtain falls down]

musical monday: 'wherever i'm with you'

"Home - Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros Acoustic Cover (Jorge & Alexa Narvaez)"

'twas a very good day

Today, I slept in. (Ah, glory be!) Pic did, too. I've got a catch-as-catch-can attitude about sleep lately. Sleep and I have our problems, so we're trying to work out some kind of working relationship.

We stopped by 5th St. for a leisurely brunch. (Every meal with Pic seems leisurely. She's got her own slow food movement going on.) After that, we headed over to the library where Pic and I played a bit and she and her friends colored once they arrived. We had a recycling education presentation one of the other homeschoolers set up through Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful. The kids, although a bit on the eager side when it came to questions and comments*, really seemed to enjoy the presentation and the woman leading the discussion worked really well with them.

After we finished up there, a few of us headed over to a nearby park for a little while. We had to take off when we realized there is no bathroom at the park (argh!), but Cardo and I did get in a nice hour-long walk after availing ourselves of some other facilities. (Pic rode along in the wagon.)

It's entirely too early for us to be home, but here we are. If it weren't as cold and if night didn't roll around so early, we'd have walked longer (well, I would have). Perhaps tomorrow we'll party into the night...

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* That's totally my issue. Every time Pic raised her hand and then blurted out her question or comment without waiting to be called on, I wanted to rush up to her and explain the whole hand-raising concept. (Am I a bit of a control freak? No. Not just a bit.)

what's on your reading list?

As you can (kind of) see, this morning Cardo was studying his car manual and Pic was catching up with Kinsey. I was relegated to the RN&R.