Month: February 2004

good news bad news

~ brixton ~ Leave a comment

Good news: My tax returns are done, and I’m getting $86 back from the state.
Bad news: I really do owe $1052.
Solution: Talk to my parents. My dad promised they wouldn’t leave me destitute on the street. I emailed them when I first suspected I would owe in, and now I’ve emailed them to see if they will loan me the money, to be repaid to them. I have a feeling they’ll be nicer creditors than the IRS.

Good news: I have a printer.
Bad news: I don’t have the cable that attaches the printer to the computer.
Solution: Trip to Best Buy just as soon as I finish my soup.

Good news: I got the paperwork from Nate.
Bad news: That means I have to pay the legal bills soon.
Solution: Sell my wedding rings. I was going to do this anyway, I placed the ad in the paper a couple of weeks ago, and today I’m seeing at least one person about them.

Bad news: I have bills due that I don’t have the money for, and I need groceries.
Good news: Mom sent me some money for Valentine’s Day to help with some bills and my car insurance. Breathing easy.
Double good news: Two proofreading/editing jobs in one weekend means $80 or so that I didn’t have before.

So things seem to be balancing themselves out. Something will go wrong, and then a solution will present itself. My money situation gets really tight, and proofreading work comes my way. I start stressing my relationship, and all sorts of lovely assurances come along. I am so, so blessed.

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v-day lament

~ brixton ~ Leave a comment

A Cup of Valentine Cheer
by Kate Geiger

Have another drink!
Every sign in every bar
Boasts discount drink specials
And old candy hearts.
Inviting reluctant singles
And those unlucky at love
To mingle and merge,
And turn on the charm
In hopes of bringing home a cup of regret and shame
To wash down stale pink-frosted cookies the morning after.
“Be mine!” they beg.
“Forever and always,
Yours truly,
Love.”
Scratch that.
Lust.
Drink up,
Buy in,
Sell out.
Good morning,
And welcome to your most expensive holiday.
The only day you will sell your soul
For a hand to hold.
So here’s to empty promises,
Mornings after
And meaningless rhymes
Scratched across cheap greeting cards.
Raise a glass
And toast the empty cynicism
Of February 14.

etc etc

~ brixton ~ Leave a comment

A long day, and I’m ready for bed.

Have I mentioned I really enjoy working with Ron? He reminds me of Dan in some small ways – not the same sort of friendship by any means, but we can talk politics and issues and what-not. I appreciate that because so much of my branch seems to be whitebread. I’m coming to appreciate the people at work more and more – Mandy and I had a great convo yesterday about a lot of things, which I really enjoyed. Again, it’s not like working with Dan, with whom I could talk about anything, but it’s better than I expected.

The reading tonight was fun – some have been hit-or-miss, but this one seemed to be consistently good, including the poem about dead squirrels. Gotta love the squirrels.

No word on the taxes yet – the CPA is prepping them, then will call me and let me know. In a related note, my lawyer called today all in a panic that he’d dropped the ball – he was v. relieved to find out he was A-OK.

Rumor in the English department has it that my belov’d Shawn is dating a different Elizabeth from the department. Hmm. Do they know that Elizabeth was one of the most common names for baby girls in the late 70’s and early 80’s? Or maybe that there are people outside the department? I was both amused and bewildered – and secretly a little thrilled, because it means people know.

Speaking of which, there was a great Friends episode on the other night – the one where Phoebe meets Mike’s parents and is totally paranoid cos she’s never done the meet-the-parents thing, so puts on this totally pretentious accent and tries to impress them, going so far as to eat veal – only to have them back-stab her and have Mike come to her defense, telling her that he loves her. I mention that because I’m supposed to meet Shawn’s parents this weekend (maybe), and I’m terrified. That’s all.

on the owing-yet-more-money front

~ brixton ~ Leave a comment

I am exhausted, and my back is aching. I must be storing all my stress there – or maybe the new pillows I got weren’t such a hot idea. Today will be a long day, and all I want to do is crawl back in bed with the boy.

8:15-8:45 Staff meeting
8:45-11ish Work
11ish-12ish Lunch
12ish-3:30 Work
3:30-3:45 Drive across town to meeting
3:45-4:45 “How Banks Work”
5:15 Get taxes done and find out how much I owe “the man”
6:00 Dinner with kids?
7:45 MFA reading at Bread Co., then out to the bars(?).

Yawn. That’s all I have to say. I’m going to have to skip on the going out, sadly enough. One, I don’t have the money, and two, I’m not going to be awake. I’ll be lucky if I stay up through the reading. Shawn fell asleep last time – so cute. 🙂

And on the owing-yet-more-money front, Nate IM’ed me last night to say that the paperwork is on its way. Just a little more time…..

~ brixton ~ Leave a comment


Last night was nice – bummed around here and played online for a while, adjusting the color scheme and what not – took a shower, then went to Shawn’s for 24, where we learned more about the terrorist baby, who just reallllly complicated a relationship. I made French Onion soup all pretentious like, complete with a little crust of bread and melted mozzarella cheese. Tasty. Friends was super great – the one with Joey reading Little Women and when he gets sad (or scared), the book goes in the freezer. A good plan. I hung out there til about 10:30, then headed home.

Today? Work, calling the guy about the editing, emailing the lawyer, cleaning my apartment, hoping for mail, then meat night tonight with the kids. Nicole is coming, as is (maybe) CandyPants, so it should be fun!

~ brixton ~ Leave a comment

A new color scheme, all springish and such.

Did you know it’s difficult to buy cranberries when it’s not the holidays?

No mail since Saturday. That’s weird.

Hmm.

~ brixton ~ Leave a comment

I am so freaking tired. I think my eyes will close of their own volition in a matter of seconds. I’m kind of glad the boy took away my Dr. Mario and gave me a back massage that I thought would literally break my back cos now I lack the will to do anything. Just sleeeeeep.

Not a bad day, all in all. Work was crazy-crazy, but I balanced and survived. That’s why I’m a supa teller. Moonstruck with Shawn, then home for Dr Mario and tasty food. I made some muffins for breakfast after Heidi mentioned tea and muffins. Tasty. Mmm, now I’m thinking about breakfast and wondering if I can convince the boy to have breakfast on the glider when it’s nice out. Took him home a few minutes ago, and now am midly sedated and lacking the energy to put the computer down and move to the other room. I would just sleep here but it would be murder on my back.

Thanks, U2:

You say you’ll give me
Eyes in a moon of blindness
A river in a time of dryness
A harbour in the tempest
But all the promises we make
From the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you

~ brixton ~ Leave a comment

Holy crap, this is great.

It is freaking gorgeous out today. The sun is shining, the snow is melting (a little), and there’s a nice breeze without the sub-arctic chill we’ve experienced the last few weeks. For some reason walking across Lot J on the way into work in the morning reminds me of London – maybe it’s just the exhaust fumes from the commercial loading zone combined with the still of the city before it comes to life – but it feels familiar in ways that have nothing to do with my daily routine.

I’m really tired. I went to bed right after blogging – it was freezing cold in my room, but I bundled up and went right to sleep, only to wake at 5:30 with my heart pounding and my whole body shaking. Strange, strange dreams – it took me a long time to get back to sleep. So I’m dragging a bit this morning, but not as badly as I expected. I thought some food might perk me up, so I scraped up some cash and am having lunch at Za’s.

Anyone have any suggestions on work I can do from home to supplement my bank-o paycheck? Sarah suggested abstracting, but I haven’t been able to find any info online. I need to supplement my cash flow, but I don’t want to work every night of the week, which is what I’m afraid of if I get a “real” job. I like the rhythm of my week – Monday night lounging, Tuesday 24, Wednesday night meat, Thursday night family dinner, Friday night with the boy. I’m spoiled, I know. Anyway, any ideas are appreciated. 🙂

waitangi day

~ brixton ~ Leave a comment

Happy Waitangi Day! It seems strange to have the holiday pass without talking to Eva, as the celebrations in our house were initially her idea. Ah well, things change. I don’t know what more I can say.

I’m still tweaking it and adding photos, but you can see my photo album here. Let me know what you think! I pulled the photos off my old domain, as well as a few other sites I’ve maintained over the years. More photos of the apartment to come soon.

Serious cabin fever. The snow needs to go-go-go. I don’t know what will kick me out of this funk other than a hella lot of sunshine. Too bad my vacation doesn’t come for another couple of months. This weekend should be nice, though. Dinner tonight with Sarah, Hannah, and CandyPants – then tomorrow dinner with Oday and a few other random people. I’m ghetto-po’, so not having to pay for meals out is a good-good thing.

I look fabulous today, just so you know.