Yesterday I bought lunch at the cafeteria -- I had string cheese and raw vegetables to eat, but I just didn't want them. I ordered a meal that was posted as $3.99, and I thought that two sides came with the entree. But at checkout I was charged $5.99. I'll have to look more closely. The meal was a strange one -- baked pasta, chipotle potatoes and grilled vegetables. Huge portions. I ate the pasta and took the sides home, where I used them in an egg casserole. I didn't have milk or cream or cheese for the casserole, so I substituted blue cheese dressing, and it was pretty good! And it puffed up and browned so prettily. I will get two more meals from the casserole, by wrapping the leftovers in tortillas.

In order to combat my cravings for hot food at lunchtime, I stopped at Walgreen's on the way home and bought two boxes of Hot Pockets($5)which I brought to work today. Also earned 1,000 points -- not sure what I can use them for, but I'll find out. Anybody use Walgreen's points?

Once home, I did a load of laundry ($1.50). I spent a chunk of the evening pulverizing my homemade dishwashing powder, which had solidified into a solid mass. I decided that storing it in a jar would be better than in the plastic tub, but first I had to make it powdery again. That took some work with a hammer and a rolling pin. Luckily, I don't think I lost too much down the sink!

This morning I wanted to stop at Corner Bakery in the station so bad, but I resisted. When I got to work, there was apple strudel in the break room, so my discipline was rewarded!

Tonight I'm going out to dinner with a friend at a mid-priced restaurant. Not sure what I'm going to have but I'm thinking soup and grilled cheese would hit the spot and might not be too expensive.

My Verizon bill hit - $54. (prepaid phone) Lately it's been averaging $35 a month, which is good.

Today is my son's birthday, but we will celebrate on Sunday with a dinner at my house. He has yet to turn in his menu request.

Oh, and I did some Christmas shopping on Amazon -- mostly toys for the grandchildren -- and have not yet spent a cent, thanks to MyPoints and Discover rewards. I think I am getting close to using them up, however.

One of my tasks this weekend is to pull out all my stashed gifts and make a plan for who gets what, and what I still need to buy. I can't believe how suddenly Christmas has come upon us! Like it does every year!