I wish I could report a windfall, or a payoff, or some kind of success with money, but I am just in a holding pattern right now. It is less than a week till payday, when I can start feeling like I am making progress again. My variables are at 14%. I haven't bought much of anything so far this month.

The lamp I ordered (last month) arrived yesterday, and surprise! It was much smaller than I thought it would be. I obviously didn't look at the dimensions very carefully. I like it, and I don't want to pack it up and send it back, so I found another place for it. I moved some other lamps around, exchanging shades, and I've arrived at a temporary solution for the space in the living room I was trying to fill:



This is the new lamp, in an unexpected spot -- the bedroom -- but I like it!



Down the road I will find a bigger lamp for the living room, but I'm saving my money for now until I get the ceiling done.

Tomorrow morning I plan to take up English Castle's suggestion and take my car to AutoZone. There is an away game in the evening. I hope I can go. It doesn't start till 7 pm, so I'm taking Deet!

By the way, that string hanging down from the shade is not a cobweb! I hadn't cut off the tags yet because I wasn't sure about it yet.