The Poorer but Wiser Girl

Vacation is over, time to start vacation.

Yesterday I only worked 8 hours. I kind of liked it. I was able to spend the rest of the day catching up on everything. I've finally mailed the graduation card to my god-daughter (okay, yes, it's been sitting on my desk for the last 2 months, staring at me, daring me to put in a gift card and mail it off, and I just never scraped it together in between the action films, oceanography and blood thing, okay? OKAY? Yeah, I've been on my own back about it, sure) -- and I'm mailing out bills today with the few pennies I still have in my checking account.

Dude, if it wasn't for President Bush giving me the gambling incentive check I don't know what I would have done in Vegas -- although we did have two really, really wonderful days poolside. Usually we turn bright pink on the first day and can't go out again, but this year we were able to double our pool time and that was sweet. The kids want me to come down at Christmas and go with them to Pala. And I'd like to, sure. I like hanging out with the girls, but something tells me the funds will be missing and I'll be one of those sad sacks putting the retirement fund into the Lucky Lemmings machine, crying every time it comes up with "consolation 2" on the bonus spins.

On the plus side, I finished a book (!) while traveling -- Sarah Waters' The Night Watch -- and started Barbara Ehrenreich's Bait and Switch -- a nice little story about getting into the corporate world and how a degree and experience won't keep you employed in the corporations. I thought it would be a good balance to starting my last year of college.

But first ... I'm going to watch the Criterion High and Low. Sheryl, you are way too good to me. It tingled in my hands when I opened it.