it can't be

guess what time of year it is? 

I swear, it can't be here already.

Here's my financial tip for the day, if you ever want to buy a notebook, crayons, markers, or other school/office supplies, whether you are a teacher or not, you should buy them like you are a freakin' hoarder in August because this stuff is cheap baby.

You don't want to miss the fire dancers.

Let's go back in time.


Picture it.  Sicily. 1925.


Hold up, Sofia Patrillo.  I'm telling the story here.  Don't go back that far.


Picture it.  Hawaii. 2008.

We are actually standing in line to go to the luau I speak of in the story.

Lee and I had just spent a lovely day on the beach in Maui and had plans to go to a luau later that day.  The master is going to take a nap and I am in charge of important stuff like calling to pay for tickets to the luau and watching synchronized swimming in the 08' Olympics.


I am on the phone with the travel agent lady and I ask her about paying for the tickets.  She informs me of different prices for different seating areas.  There is a cheaper price for your basic seats and a higher price for some "upgraded" seats.  As I contemplate, a la Rebecca Black, (Which seat should I take? and all that) I ask the agent if she thinks it's worth it for the better seats.  Are they that much better?  Why should I pay more?


And she says, "I would sit up closer, You don't want to miss the fire dancers!"


Fire dancers? This is pretty exciting stuff.  I think about waking Lee up for a second opinion, but decide against it since he is the grumpiest person on the planet for about 15 minutes after waking up.
I buy the upgraded tickets. You know, YOLO!


Lee wakes up, I tell him the story, and the ever-budget-minded man/voice of reason is disappointed with my choice.  I soothe his irritation by telling him it will all be worth it for those wonderful fire dancers.


We drive to the luau.  We wait in line.  We get inside.  We find our seats. Our more expensive, premiere, up close and personal seats, only to discover every seat in the house is basically equal.  There is nowhere that you can see better than anywhere else.  Thanks a lot. Lady.


Herein lies where I was wrong.  Lee was right.  And a tradition is born.  


Every time I am offered something to buy that is upgraded or seems unnecessary, Lee gives me the same sage financial advice and I will share it with you now, for you and your children to benefit from.


"Don't forget.  You don't want to miss the fire dancers."

mo money mo problems

This is what it looks like when Biff tries to tell me to stop blogging and take him for a walk.

I try to remind him that it's 90 degrees out and he will just lay down in the shade after a while and pant for at least a half an hour following it, but he just doesn't understand reasoning and logic?

Whatever happened to cooking for two tuesdays? Nobody knows.  My computer has a few files with pics of dinners waiting to be shared, but somehow it just never happens.  So what does any good procrastinator do when in the middle of a project and you have been stalled? Obviously, any good procrastinator knows you should start a new project.  Am I right?

So, a new feature/theme is about to enter this blog.

Wait. For. It....


Finance.


And it will be fun. shockingly. mostly just little anecdotes about funny experiences related to budgeting, reading a plethora of finance novels, and some pretty common sense crap that you should already know like: don't spend money you don't have. you know really deep stuff like that. maybe even some Suze Orman. Where did those capitals come from? I thought they were on strike for this paragraph? Weird!

Did you know I almost changed my major from elementary education to accounting at the last second, but somehow I decided against the change.  It was a close call, that one.  Sometimes I dream of crunching numbers all day in a cubicle while actually secretly playing tetris a la Office Space, but then I realize there wouldn't be any ten year olds to say really awesome things to me like,

"It looks like you had a hole in your skirt and tried to sew it up yourself?" (maybe because I did)

or

"What is that on your chin?" (a pimple)

or

"I think you should bring Biff to school." (me too)

or

"What is a romantic movie to go see in the theater" (What?! Why?!)

Needless to say I love my job.   And I am not an expert on money, but for some reason I feel like telling you some funny stories about money, lattes, living in trailers, and fire dancers. It will all make sense later.  I'm just trying to reel you in.