Poor Me. (not really)

The good news is that I no longer have to worry about what to do with all the extra cash my investments earned the other day. They lost it all over the last two days. Sigh. Easy come... easy go

I'm now, officially, a Dash-a-holic. Dash is the name of the little mini appliances. My griddle got lost in the Amazon system and it ended up that the griddle/grill/waffle iron combo was cheaper and delivered faster so I got that instead. So, yes, now I own 2 waffle irons and a griddle and a grill. And I'm delighted.

This morning, I heated up the bacon on the griddle and then cooked the egg while the hash browns were getting crispy in the waffle maker.



So fast. So easy. So much more simple than using pans and the stove. And so delicious?

I cleared out a home for them all in the cupboard and a place for them to work on the counter. We are a happy family. I think there will be a cheese burger for lunch. Griddle and grill. Maybe even tater tots in the waffle iron.

Yesterday the governor opened up inside dining in half the state - our half. It's limited and restricted and I'm sure not going to do it but it's a step in the right direction. Of course, we've had the step before and then had to roll back. But maybe, with the vaccine rolling out...

I got an email yesterday from the expensive gym at Pike Place Market that they are having a fire sale for adding new members between now and March 31. I'm not sure their pool is even open and I am sure that even with the fire sale, it's too expensive for me. But, I'm going to call today and ask. If the join fee is small enough and the ability to cancel easy enough, I might consider. I can't see actually going to swim until my second vaccine is in play but it would be nice to have a pool to swim in again.

I have a stash of those single use plastic grocery bags that they were forcing us to use for a while back in the sewing room. They turn out to be perfect for used litter. Biggie decided they were also perfect cat toys. Last night, at some point, he separated the bundle and placed small piles of them around the house. And, he's also taken on the project of pulling stuff off the bottom shelf in the hallway.So my todo list today is Clean Up Biggie's Messes.

I use a money manager program called Tiller. It goes to my bank and credit card accounts and pulls all the details and puts them into a spreadsheet and then slices and dices the data so that I can easily and continually see where my money is and what it is doing. It's a very cool system I found about 18 months ago. One of the reasons I liked it initially is that it has a very vibrant and active community of users and staff who answer questions and swap ideas in a forum every day.

I have been active in the forum since I first started using the program. I've learned so much about finances and spreadsheets from all of the entries. Mid-last year, I got an email one day saying my annual fee had been paid by Tiller. Turns out their forum tracks use and if you answer enough questions and ask enough questions and read enough, you get to a forum level that they then pay your fee! I was delighted.

Then this morning I got an email saying that my forum activity in the last three months had been such a help, they were sending me a $50 Amazon gift card. Way to keep a happy customer even happier!

And speaking of happy, I just read the coolest news story. Apparently late last night, a freezer failure made 1,000 doses vaccine unusable after 6 am today. So, word went out. A couple of hospitals marshaled a bunch of nurses and pharmacists lined up and put in some calls and by midnight there were lines waiting. The story went on to say that a Seattle firefighter and a hospital staffer's boyfriend were among those who just showed up to help out. Not one dose of the vaccine was wasted.

That just tickles me.

No, no, we really do not want you

The gym at Pike Place Market does not offer up contact via email or text. Only phone. So I called. I got a really really snippy young sounding woman who said she would send me an email with questions I had to answer before she could provide information. She hung up on me.

I got the email which said she needed (no email frills here)

DOB
Where you work
Where you live (if downtown)

Seems like asking me that shit on the initial phone call would have been an easy way to save a step but whatfuckingever. I replied.

She responded with a note telling me that the first 50 people who applied got the intiation fee reduced from $335 to $149 and after that my monthly fee would be $119 before taxes (which around here means $132). Did I want a tour? Let her know. She could do it today at 1:30.

Such kindness, such class, such encouraging communications.. NOT.

I wrote back that I was only interested in swimming and already had an opportunity to swim in their pool so no tour needed. But I would like info on if the pool was available and what hours with what restrictions. If not available when do they expect it to be? Also what are the policy and procedures for canceling a membership. Please?

(Their pool is short - 20 yards - and old and in a dreary no-window basement. The only thing it really has going for it is that it is salt water. I'm pretty sure my lungs don't hate it but I really want to make sure I have an out in case I'm wrong.)

That was 3 hours ago. I guess she doesn't know the answers and had to research. No response.

Regardless, it's pretty clear they do not want me as a member. I think the sentiment is pretty mutual.

Biggie 2021

The Flickr album of all the days.

The Friday Five for 29 January 2021

1) How is your year going so far?

Fine. A whole lot like the last 9 months of 2020 but with fewer surprises.

2) Have you gotten vaccinated yet? If not, when do you think it's likely to happen?

Yep! Round 1. I have an appointment for Round 2 on February 19.

3) Are you bored or are you busy these days?

Not bored or busy. Just regular fine.

4) Is this pandemic good or bad for your finances?

Actually, I've saved a bunch of money since last March. I'm not leaving the house so I'm not shopping or using gas. I have yet to check my Amazon spending against previous years but I'm guessing it's much the same.

5) What are you missing most these days?

Swimming, shopping in thrift stores and eating in restaurants.