Purple Nurple (Wait, does that mean something rude?)

Want to know a wonderful way to start a Monday morning? Have your shiny new PURPLE iPod delivered!



I have so missed having an iPod, particularly when I'm on a crowded subway or at the gym. And this one is sooooo pretty. Plus, since I ordered it online, I got to have something engraved on it. After a few google searches and much thought, I went with this Cervantes quote: (I feminized it.)

She who sings scares away her woes.

Isn't that awesome!?

Now I'm anxious to play with it and excited to try some of the new features, including the video feature! But what, pray tell, do I buy to watch on it? I don't want to buy a movie for $20. You can rent a movie for under $5, but then you only have 24 hours from the time you start watching it to finish it. I will totally do that next time I'm going to be on a long trip. (Maybe to, oh I don't know, WHISTLER!) Then I thought I could buy an episode of a TV show. Maybe one of the "Pushing Daisies" episodes I've recently missed! But it turns out that I could only buy one if I was American. Canadians can buy episodes of "Degrassi: TNG" and "Corner Gas." Stuff like that. No thanks. It's going to have to be a music video. I just have to decide which one...

Other than my fun new electronic device, it's been a pretty standard Monday. STILL no money in the mail! Every day I anxiously open up the mailbox, but nothing. Sigh.

Hey, what do you guys think of my new ads? It's another advertising network and I'm hoping to earn some more money, so feel free to click on them. They're much prettier, don't you think?

Okay, I have to do some writing. And then maybe some "Project Runway" viewing. And most definitely some Apple Store shopping.

Total debt: $2731 and a bit
Spent today: $3.50-ish (A crusty baguette to go with leftover soup!)

Sorry if I'm boring you

I am SO happy to report that I don't have the dreaded Sunday Night Feeling, mostly because all of my productivity. I am so glad that I just took the weekend to catch up. I think I'm about 90% caught up, which is probably almost the most anyone can feel in this ever-changing world. (I didn't mean for that to sound deep...)

Between all the "doing" that I did this weekend, I also had a lot of downtime to balance things out. (I only have the two-hour finale of "Project Runway" left to watch.) The only problem with my low-key weekend is that I have nary an exciting thing to blog about.

So my goal this week is to ramp up the excitement for you guys! I promise, I'll do my best.

Once again, I think I'm going to go to bed early. Don't judge me!

Total debt: $2731 and a bit
Spent today: $8-ish

I should cut down on my partying

It's just after 10pm on a Saturday night and I'm about to go to bed! Seriously. I got to work last night and did a bit of writing, plus laundry and other required household chores.

This morning I was up bright and early at 7:30am with thoughts of all I needed to accomplish running through my head. And it's been a productive day! I got groceries, took the cat to the vet, ran some errands and wrote the first draft of the article that's due this week. Then I finished another article, folded the laundry from last night and did a whole bunch of other stuff. (And when I needed some down time, to recharge, I watched two episodes of Project Runway on YouTube that haven't aired in Canada yet. Why wait if you don't have to?)

All that to explain that I'm exhausted, so I'm going to go to bed and do a bit of reading - magazine reading, which is part of what I need to get done - and then call it a night, so I can attack tomorrow with the same amount of energy.

With any luck, I will feel more pulled together by this time tomorrow night. Fingers crossed!

Total debt: $2731 and a bit
Spent yesterday: Just under $10, but it was leftover from the week before!
Spent today: $80-ish. (BIG grocery shop)

Hurry up and wait

I am feeling very overwhelmed these days. Ever since my vacation in early September, I just haven't felt on top of my life. Do you know what I mean? It's like I'm two (or three or four) steps behind at all times, trying to catch up. And I hate feeling that way! I like to be at least half a step ahead of the game.

I know, I know - cry me a river! Lots of people walk around feeling like I've been feeling all the time. But it's not for me, I tell you!

And yet, I keep pursuing and taking on more freelance work. I'm loving all the freelancing! I just need to get a little more on top of it. Which is why I (sadly) cancelled my plans tomorrow night. I was supposed to have a little pot luck with two great women I am still just getting to know. And I was really looking forward to it! But when I laid in bed last night fretting about everything I need to accomplish this weekend, I realized that sometimes we have to know our limits. So I'll see them next week instead. And this weekend will be all about playing catch up and then slowing way down and chilling out a bit.

It's very, very needed.

But right now I'm going to go and watch "The Office." It's my favourite, but I'm sad that the DP is still at work! It's one of the only shows we watch together. Alas!

Total debt: $2731 and a bit (They tell me the money is coming!)
Spent today: $20.65 (Kitty litter and I totally bought Japanese food for dinner. BUT I got lunch for tomorrow out of it as well. Yes!)
Weekly total: $80.10 (Way under! Yay me.)

And the winner is...

I had such a good night. Sadly I missed my choir rehearsal, because I was at my first travel/tourism event for the new magazine I'm working on. It was a swanky - and delicious - dinner put on by Tourism BC and full of reps from ski resorts all over the province. There were many interesting conversations about skiing and just life stuff that we all have in common as human beings. Plus I won a cozy sweatshirt from one of the resorts as a door prize.

But then something unbelievable happened. When it came time to pick a winner for the grand prize - a 4-night ski vacation in BC, including accomodations, air fare and lift tickets - they picked my card.

THEY PICKED MY CARD!!!!!

I still can't believe it. So then I had to go up and pick a card from the hat to determine which of the resorts I would be going to. And I picked Whistler!

So, the DP and I were planning on a tropical vacation this winter, but instead we will be heading west and strapping on some skis. (And taking a beginner lesson or two, because I haven't skied in a really long time!) Oh, and when I mentioned that my family is all in BC, they said they could book the flights so that we could extend our stay in Vancouver.

I don't know what I did to deserve such a happy thing, but I'm going to grab it and not look back!

Total debt: $2731 and a bit (Still no money in the mail!)
Spent today: $7.33 (Food stuffs)

Short week update

I'm back and as busy as ever, so this post may be a tad on the short side. But I can make up for it with some photos!

I hope everyone had a lovely long weekend. The weather here in southern Ontario was unbelievably gorgeous.
We saw some cows:



Including this cute little trio:



We spent some time in nature:



And saw the stunning fall colours:



I took lots and lots of pictures:



And Daphne survived two big car rides, but just barely!



It helps to hug her.

Hope everyone got out to vote today! I guess we'll find out soon enough what the outcome is. Let's hope the whole country is on board for some change.

Total debt: $2731 and a bit (Still waiting on that money in the mail...)
Spent Saturday: $0
Spent Sunday: $0 (I'm always well taken care of up north)
Spent Monday: $5.38
Spent Today: $32-ish (Lunch out and some groceries)

Unstuck! or Welcome to the 2s!

Today is a very happy day for many reasons.

1. I made a nice big loan payment this morning, so there will be a new number at the bottom of this post. It's getting lower all the time! I'm waiting on some money in the mail, so hopefully it will get even lower before long. I'm seriously starting to think of life post-debt, which is new, weird and wonderful.

2. I have secured 1.5 new freelancing gigs with a new client! It's 1.5 because one of them has been assigned and I've been told that the other will be assigned next week. I love making new connections and having them translate into more work. I've never thought of myself as a workaholic, but maybe I am. Or maybe I'm just narcissistic and like seeing my name in print ;-)

3. IT'S A LONG WEEKEND!!! A long weekend that involves turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce, which are totally my favourite savoury foods. The DP and I are heading north tomorrow, so there will be no blogging, but there will be pretty fall colours, family time, and probably too much to eat. Let's be honest.

And without further ado...

Total debt: $2731 and a bit (!!!!!)
Spent today: $14.72 (Some celebratory beverages, meaning a bottle of wine and a chai latte.)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I'm thankful for all of you.