I went to the grocery yesterday and bought 10 items. I will have to go back in a few days to get more things I need for the brunch, but I hope I can hold it to 10 again. It's so much easier to carry up only 10 items. I spent $22 and I bought: 2 bottles of Sprite, napkins, crackers, canned pineapple, pineapple cake mix, plastic cups, granola, white bread, sourdough bread. The Sprite is for the punch; the pineapple items are for the pineapple upside down cake.

I also gave $5 to a very nice man who often sells Street Wise magazine outside the store.

Today I went to the movies (Penguins of Madagascar) with my grandsons and their other grandmother. She treated for the movie, so I bought edible treats: $12 for popcorn and drinks.

I also spent $1.50 on laundry.

I'm feeling a little off today -- kind of achy and tired. I'm also really suffering pain in the mouth; my gum is inflamed and also, I have a popcorn husk stuck in my throat. Agony!

My bargain turkey I bought before Christmas is now thawing in the fridge. I will cook it tomorrow when it is fully thawed, and will have the family over for dinner. I'm getting kind of low on sides, but I can serve mac & cheese (for the boys), couscous or rice, and vegetables. I COULD make dressing, too, but I don't know if I want to use up my sourdough bread. I'll have to investigate my pantry to see if there are other options.

Anyway, I'll have to feel better tomorrow than I do today to take on making a dinner.

I'm really enjoying reading The Goldfinch, so that's all I plan to do with the rest of the evening!

I think ... I think ... I had a no-spend day yesterday! Except for bills that came automatically out of my account, no money passed out of my hands!

I did not make that walk to the post office. Since it was Saturday, I thought it might close early. And I was quite busy with home things. One accomplishment that feels good -- I finally got through the mountain of mail! 99% of it was junk, but I had to look for the few items I need to keep, or act upon. I also organized and put away all the gift wrap I had dragged out. Then I also did ordinary things like laundry and vacuuming and such.

My tree and decorations will stay up through December 6, the Feast of Epiphany. Mostly because my house looks its best in Christmas finery! I just enjoy it.

It occurred to me in the middle of the night that I didn't get my January train ticket when I was last at the downtown station. I still have a few days, so I may just make the free trip down to buy it. It's either that, or buy a one-way ticket on January 5 to get downtown. That's $4.75, which seems a waste. On the other hand, I'd much rather put the ticket cost on my January Discover bill!

I don't think I mentioned before that I broke the temporary crown again. It is mostly intact, but some pieces came off the back. I don't think it is worth going back to the dentist; I'll just wait it out till my appointment for the real one on January 8. But it is uncomfortable. I'll be SO SO glad when this is all over.

Today's plans -- I think I will be lazy!

My son's family came over yesterday. He set up the TV and he also got my Bose connected to the TV and my phone. Now I can play Pandora on the Bose, which is delightful! I'm listening to the James Taylor station now.

My DIL helped him a bit with the wiring, and she also put up new pictures of the grandsons and fixed some cranky doorknobs. I told them I got quite a deal! Afterwards I played Sushi Go! with the boys.

My son had me order a DVD player and some cables, which came to about $38 on Amazon. He didn't think I needed to get a Blue-ray, since I only use the player for Redbox and library loans, and Blue-ray rentals are more expensive on Redbox.

If it hadn't been for that order, it would have been a no-spend day.

Now I'm trying to figure out how to buy groceries for my New Year's brunch and keep it within 10 items. I'm tentatively planning to serve an egg casserole, home fries, fruit salad, Cheddar Bay biscuits, Monkey Bread, bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese, punch and coffee. It looks like I will have everyone -- my son's family, my nephew's family, my ex and his wife, and my DIL's mother.

And now, something sad to report. No more quests on Candy Crush! I got to level 185, and it looks like going on quests to get to the next level is no longer an option. They want me to link to Facebook and ask friends for "help." That does not appeal to me. And of course I'm not going to pay!

Later today I'm going to walk to the post office, which is a bit longer walk than my usual one to the train station. I need the exercise, and I have to mail a hairbrush to one of the girlfriends, who left it here. I'm also mailing in a $3 prize claim to the Illinois Lottery! The lottery ticket was a gift -- I don't buy them as a rule!

Edit: I forgot about the pineapple-upside down cake! I think I will substitute that for the monkey bread. It was my brother's favorite dessert, and I always think of him on New Year's Day, the day he passed. It would be a nice way to honor his memory.

I kind of like the idea of calling this Boxing Day, even though I don't celebrate Boxing Day in any way! Since I am 7/8 English, I should look it up and maybe add it to my traditions!

The kids and I had a lovely day yesterday. Gift opening in the morning, which my DIL wisely allowed to be rather long and drawn-out, so the little ones could play with the gifts they opened. At noon we had a lunch of Chicken Lo Mein and Shredded Pork with Peking Sauce. Then for dinner, we had pork tenderloin with all the traditional trimmings. About midday I took a walk with DIL's mother beside the beach.

I had my usual Christmas paranoia about having spent too much, and having spent too little. Wacko! Next year, I will either be entering into retirement, or already there, so spending will have to be ruthlessly re-examined.

My kids bought me a new TV, which really humbles me. I hope they got a great deal! I think they were just sick of looking at my old tube TV, to tell you the truth! My son will come and install it today.

I will have to get a DVD player now, since the old TV is a combo set. I've heard I can get them really cheaply -- I'll look around.

Today I'm just puttering -- putting things away, doing laundry, catching up on little tasks. Loving the leisurely life!

Adding my best wishes for a wonderful Christmas to all my SA friends!

Wrapped up my Christmas shopping yesterday ($93) and bought a poinsettia as well ($6). It's a little droopy, it turns out -- it's been sitting in the shop too long, no doubt!

All my gifts are wrapped. Tonight I will go to my son's house for French bread pizza and a movie, and then tomorrow morning, back again, to see what Santa's brought.

I have Mannheim Steamroller playing on my new Bose, the Christmas tree lights are sparkling, my dining room is beautifully decorated, and all is well.

Peace on earth!

Girls' weekend - done.
Tree up and decorated.
House decorated and Santa collection on windowsills.
Christmas shopping ALMOST done.
Most wrapping done.

Girls' weekend went really well, even though I wasn't feeling the greatest. I think I had some sort of mild bug that kept me tired and headachy. We went to lunch at a popular restaurant called "Farmhouse." I had eggs benedict, which is apparently becoming an addiction of mine. I took home a doggy bag of spicy potatoes and a biscuit (already consumed for breakfast this morning). I put $40 toward the total bill, though I think it was a little more than I owed.

We did some shopping, mostly at Barnes & Noble. I found some more gifts for my grandsons, the best one being a reference book on owls -- yes, my oldest grandson is very much into that kind of stuff! I think I spent $98 all together. I still need to get one more gift for my younger grandson, to even the value level, and also something little for my son and DIL.

We had chili at home for dinner, and just basically had a great time talking and catching up. The following morning we walked along the beach and then went to breakfast at a local coffee shop that serves wonderful pastries and breakfast sandwiches. I think I spent $8 there.

As soon as my friends left on Sunday I slept the day away, and I feel much better now.

I invited my kids over tonight to finish the chili (there's tons of it) but they haven't responded yet.

My grandsons actually decorated my tree for me, and helped me carry it and all the boxes up from the basement. It was so wonderful to have that help, and they did a very good job!

Now I'm just enjoying my first day of my two-week staycation. What a luxury!

Last night, between trains, I dashed into a store at the station and bought a soft winter scarf for our boss. It was just four of us contributing $5 each, so I was glad to find something for $20 that seemed right, and so quickly.

This morning I drove and filled up the tank for $19. It was only about half-down, but when gas is so cheap, I can't resist!

In one hour I will go to the dentist to get this temporary crown fixed. It feels like a have a knife in my mouth! I can hardly wait to get it done.

My DIL came over last night to borrow a pie pan, and she was in a talkative mood. I just wanted to crash, but she did catch me up on all kinds of family stuff. The most interesting -- my ex's daughter from his second marriage is expecting. What makes that interesting is that he is basically supporting her, even though she is an adult and married. I wonder what this will do to the dynamics?

My DIL also offered to have her mother and her sons come over tonight after work and help me get the tree up and the house decorated. I said I would call to make sure I am not too tired to do that!

I did get some housework done last night, so I'm feeling a little better about the weekend coming up. Both girlfriends have emailed me that they are coming, so I just have to get my stuff together and then let myself enjoy the wonderful time I know we will have.

I was eating a bagel for breakfast this morning and suddenly realized that I was feeling sharp edges on my crown. Apparently I swallowed the pieces that fell off. Gosh, I'm tired of this. I just got the temporary crown yesterday. Why do they have to be so VERY temporary? I made an appointment to have it replaced tomorrow. Which means I'll have to drive again.

I guess I will have to eat VERY soft food until January 8, when I finally get the permanent one!

Got a free dinner last night at our office Christmas party, and there will be free eats all day in the break room. In fact, there is so much food in there, I think we will all have to take home doggy bags.

I brought in fruit kabobs, because I had signed up to do so, but I really wish we didn't do so much partying with food at this time of year. It doesn't feel festive, it feels excessive. Wasteful.

My girlfriends are not arriving till noon on Saturday, so I am feeling more relaxed, knowing I have the morning to get ready. After they are gone on Sunday, I can turn my attention to finishing up my Christmas shopping and wrapping. And then get ready for my New Year's brunch. Anybody have ideas for easy make-ahead brunch foods? I really want to simplify things this year!

What a spendy day it was yesterday! The car repair cost $1102. I spent $9 on fast food. Groceries were $79. I also spent $33 on gifts. Then this morning I bought a cake for the office Christmas party tonight - $8, and breakfast for $3.

It didn't occur to me till it was all done, but I should have just taken my car home and scheduled the repair after January 1. Then that big expense could have gone on January's Discover challenge. As it is, I will overshoot December by quite a bit. But it's all done now, so I won't beat myself up.

More dumbness -- I bought breakfast on the way to work, forgetting that my boss was bringing in a free breakfast.

I just got back from the dentist, having a new crown mold made -- which is quite involved! Half of my face is numb. But I didn't owe any more, which I was relieved to know. The permanent crown will be placed on January 8. My temporary has to last till then.

With yesterday evening spent in the grocery store, I still have not had time to get ready for my girlfriends this weekend. The house is a mess, laundry needs to be done, the aquarium needs cleaning, and the Christmas tree is still in basement storage in a box. But at least I have the ingredients for the chili dinner! Hoping that Thursday and Friday evening will be enough to get ready.

I'm going to remember this next year -- not to schedule too many events so close together. I've been going full tilt since Thanksgiving, and I'm about ready to drop!

I got the call yesterday -- a new catalytic converter is needed. With parts and labor, it is more than $1000. I certainly hope this will be the last repair for a while. I know I am working with an old car, but it's hard when all the repairs seem to come at once. I sure don't want to buy a new car, and I don't want to give up the car yet, so .... needs must.

Work is nice and slow this last week before Christmas break. I have but a few tasks today, and yesterday I had plenty of time to catch up on the work that piled up during vacation. Meetings are being canceled left and right.

I did some Amazon Christmas shopping yesterday and spent about $88 out of pocket. All that's left to do is to fill some "goody" boxes (instead of stockings) and buy some little gifts to open for the grandsons. Also need to get a little something for the boys' other grandma (we are both at the gift-opening). Oh, and a little something for the girlfriends. I guess I'm not done at all. Sigh.

Got back from vacation last night. It was pretty thrifty for me, since my cousin paid most of the expenses (in return for driving her to Florida). I spent $155, most of which was for a hotel room and airline baggage fees. I also spent $275 on Christmas gifts for my son's family (and that's half of Christmas done for me! My cousin let me put $550 in expenses on my Discover card and wrote me a check, to help me meet this month's spending goal.

I had three bad surprises upon coming home. One, my son parked my car too close to a fire hydrant, costing me a $58 fine. (I'm sure he didn't notice, and he did a lot of pet care and cleanup while I was gone, so I'm not even going to mention it to him.) Two, my check engine light is indicating trouble with the catalytic converter (I'll find out today when I drop off the car at the shop). And three, our interim president at the college has announced a RIF. Nine faculty positions will be eliminated in January, but in March, even more admin positions will go. I'm nervous that I will be targeted as an almost-retiree. I don't want to retire in March!

Other than that, it's good to be home!

I will have a busy week, getting ready for my "girls' weekend" guests, but after that, I get to chill at home for two whole weeks. Blissful!

I still have Christmas shopping to do, but I think it will be an Amazon Christmas. Plus, my main gift to the grandsons will be contributions to their college funds, so, all in all, I don't think I'll do much mall-shopping. Hurrah!

Drove in today, so I can attend the Christmas program and not have to take a late train.

I noticed that my check engine light is on. In the past, that has usually been because of a loose gas cap, but I don't think that is the case now. I just refilled the tank, and the cap was tight. I put it back on tight, and the light remained on. I'll have to stop at AutoZone on the way home.

I bought breakfast at McD ($5) but I do have my lunch packed. I will probably have to buy dinner, as it will be a long day. I don't know what the gas cost; I forgot to grab the receipt. It will show up on Discover, however.

I got a message yesterday that my couch is ready to be delivered! Woo-hoo! Of course, they want to deliver on Saturday, when I will be babysitting all day. I will have to make the boys stay at my house until the delivery is made.

I did another load of laundry last night ($1.50). I think I will still have to do three loads on Sunday, but at least I am making progress.

Today's focus will be wrapping things up at work for a week's absence!

I really just wanted to crash when I got home last night, but I forced myself to put in a load of laundry, then went over to check on the grandsons. My DIL's mom kindly gave me supper and then gave me a new Christmas tablecloth she never used. It's a red tartan plaid, very nice. It may not be long enough for my new table, but perhaps I can angle it over another cloth.

When I came home, I finished up the laundry and loaded and ran the dishwasher.

I still have so much to do before I fly out of town on Monday, and Saturday will be completely taken up with babysitting. But it felt good to at least get one load of laundry done and get the dishes cleaned.

This morning I bought a muffin and a banana at Corner Bakery for $3. Cheaper than a muffin and coffee! Why was I always buying coffee? I still have the banana for a mid-morning snack. I grabbed some pizza from the freezer, so I won't have to buy lunch.

I realized yesterday I will miss the big (interdepartmental) holiday party at work. I don't mind so much except that it is always a wonderful brunch. I never win any of the awesome raffle prizes!

Our unit is pretty lackluster about holiday parties, so I'm lucky in that there is no gift exchange or carry-in to worry about. I will bring food for the food bank drive, however.

Tomorrow is the College's Christmas concert. I do believe I will try to make it to that. I don't think there is any other inspirational program on my docket this year. And, of course, it's free!

I spent a half-hour plus in the dentist's chair yesterday, but nothing was accomplished. He wasn't satisfied with the way the crown fit, so in the end he had me make appointments for a new mold and fitting. Now my temporary crown has to last until January 8!

I do appreciate that he is such a perfectionist. I know that when I get my crown, it will be perfect.

I paid him $74 yesterday to settle up what the insurance didn't pay. I do not think there will be another bill, but we'll see. I hope I will not get charged for more office visits.

Since yesterday was Giving Tuesday, I sent $25 to my alma mater.

I also paid my professional association dues, but I will be reimbursed for that by my employer.

I bought dinner on the way home at Arby's ($7) and bought lunch at the cafeteria ($5). I am really out of the swing of packing meals. However, today I managed to bring breakfast and lunch, and I should be home early enough today to make dinner at home.

That's all my spending! Today I'm going to reserve a taxi for my airport run next week. I got an email for a preferred-customer discount from the company I use most often.

I sure hope to get some laundry done tonight. Last night I went over to the grandsons' and checked on them, but they are very happy in their other grandma's care, and while they were happy to see me, nobody seemed to particularly need my help. I may go tonight, but I'll make it brief.

I just dropped my sister off at the airport, then drove the rest of the way into work. I treated her to dinner last night at a local restaurant ($30) and I got myself breakfast on the way in ($5).

I will get my crown put on this afternoon, and I will stop to get gas before going home.

I have a ton of laundry to do! But tonight I need to check in on the grandchildren, unless I am too sore from the dental procedure.

I can hardly imagine right now that I will be flying out to NC in a week to begin a road trip to Florida. And then getting ready to host friends as soon as I get home. And I have NOT done any Christmas shopping or decorating!

This is a really busy time for me. And just think, next year at this time, I will be getting ready to wrap up my career and retire. Sounds awfully good to me right now!

My last day of vacation was spoiled by getting sick. My sister came down with the bug first, and I got it the day after. Mostly stomach cramps and "digestive issues." It was an awful drive home, but we arrived safely, and it was good to sleep in my own bed. This morning I woke up feeling fine, so I went to work.

First order of business -- I summed up my November spending:

Housing: $677
Furnishings/Equipment/Decor: $674
Medical/Health: $442
Gifts/Charity: $184
Groceries: $175
Utilities: $131
Eating Out: $107
Vet/Pet Supplies: $106
Clothing/Accessories: $100
Vacation/Travel: $90
Fares/Parking: $83
Fees/Services: $75
Phone: $51
Laundry/Dry Cleaning: $32
Gas: $20
Entertainment: $9
Personal: $9
Grand Total: $2965

The big items were buying the Bose and making a big payment on my crown.

This morning I was shocked to realize it was December 1 -- and I did not have my December train pass. I had to pay $4.25 to get to the downtown station, where I bought the pass ($76). Missed the train while standing in line, and had to take the later one. Not an auspicious way to begin the month!

This evening I am taking the grandsons out for dinner -- mainly to give their other Grandma a break. She is babysitting while the kids are in Mexico on a second honeymoon. (Really, the first, just 10 years after their wedding!)

Tomorrow I take my sister to the airport, then I'll drive to work, so that I can leave early and get my permanent crown put in.

On Wednesday I may be able to rest!

My sister, SIL and I went to an upscale women's resale shop for Small Business Saturday. I was armed with my Amex card to get the $10 rebates. At first I didn't find anything, but my SIL became my personal shopper, and found some great things. I ended up buying a sweater, two vests, a jacket and a pair of pants. Everything was 40% off, and I will get $20 off from Amex, as well, because I bought them in two transactions. The third transaction was on my sister's finds; she will pay me back. Right now I'm not sure what my personal total was, but I think it was somewhere in the neighborhood of $20-25.

Afterwards we went to Kohl's. I bought a pair of pajama pants; I think they were around $12. I don't have my receipts near to hand, but I'll figure it all out later.

This has been a really nice holiday. Tomorrow I head home. My sister will stay with me one more day and then fly home on Tuesday. Then on December 8 I'll fly to North Carolina to drive my cousin to Florida. A lot of traveling in a short amount of time!

I checked Discover this morning and it said I had reached 100% of my $2000 spending requirement and that I am on track for the bonus. However, there are two reimbursements pending, which are counterbalanced by two pending purchases (movie tickets and CVS). I have really, truly spent $2000 within the time period but I never really trust a big company -- just hope the timing doesn't mess me up.

I was wondering what the return would bring, since I used a lot of cashbucks to make the purchase. I was reimbursed with credit, and the cashbucks are used up. Seems like kind of a loophole, but I'm not complaining.

My family went to see the new Disney movie -- the title escapes me, but it's about superheroes. Good fun for the boys. One of these days, I'd like to take in a grown-up movie again! I bought the tickets for my crew, and my brother bought popcorn.

Today my sister and my SIL will go to a resale shop to make some Small Business Saturdays purchases on Amex. Might make a bakery stop, as well, though we are loaded with leftovers, and that might not be wise.

I sure am enjoying the view here! The lakeside is beautiful, even with bare trees and snow on the ground. There was a gorgeous pink sunrise this morning. Wish I could stay forever!

Thanksgiving was a lovely day, with good food, lots of family, games and laughter. It snowed all day, but we were cozy inside. There were 24 people for dinner, and different family groups came and went all day.

I picked up my sister at the airport on Tuesday night. Parking only cost $2, which was a big win, though I almost couldn't find the car again!

We headed up north on Wednesday morning, missing the bad traffic, and we stopped for a pancake breakfast along the way, which was about $18 for the two of us. At one point, while talking about what we packed, my sister realized she didn't pack enough underwear, and I didn't pack enough socks, so we stopped at a CVS to remedy that. I think I spent about $8 for a pack of socks.

I checked my Discover bill and have spent 99% of the $2000 required for November. Actually, not everything was counted yet, so I know I am over the top. The only spending I will do from now on is to go to a movie today (family tradition) and Small Business Saturday shopping with my Amex card.

I don't know what I did, but I hurt my knee yesterday. This would be the other knee, not the one that gave me so much trouble before. I can barely move around this morning, so I am going to work from home.

This is actually good in a way, because I will be home (I hope) when the Bose is delivered. They left an attempt-to-deliver message yesterday and they will try again today. I say "I hope" because I have to go to the airport to pick up my sister today. I hope they will not deliver while I am gone. Her plane arrives at 4 something, so it's not the best timing.

I did go to the dentist yesterday and now have a new temporary crown. It sure feels a lot better. There was no charge.

It's cold again in my condo. Clearly, whenever it is cold outside, it will be cold inside. (We had a notice from the homeowners' association that the furnace has been worked on but will work on a sensor system, meaning it will cycle on and off. It doesn't seem to cycle on very often.) I have my radiators full on; that's all I can do. I am wearing layers today; I will adjust.

Today I need to pack and make my cranberry salad. I'm contemplating taking a bag of laundry to my brother's house. I'm also contemplating getting a hotel room tonight. Since I have no couch, I will have to give my bed to my sister (she has a bad back), and sleep with her (yeah, right, I can't sleep even when I sleep alone! And she really snores) or sleep on the floor. If I spring for a hotel room, we could leave tonight, get a jump on the trip, and miss most of the bad traffic, as well as be a lot more comfortable, in separate beds. It's a thought.

I got my $100 check from Citi yesterday and put it in checking. It will help me to cashflow this month's Discover bill.

Seems like nothing is really going right now, but I AM looking forward to the holiday and the family gathering! Thanksgiving is really my favorite holiday!

This weekend was spendier than I anticipated. It began on Friday, when I got lunch at the cafeteria -- empanadas and plantains for $7. You would think something nice and soft like that would not break my temporary crown, right? Wrong. The crown is busted. I called the dentist's office, but my dentist was out, and not available till today. Since it wasn't completely broken and was not painful, I went with that.

So on the way home, I stopped at Walgreen's and got some kind of goop to patch it, as well as milk and frosting for my son's birthday party, spending $10. I ended up not using the goop, since the crown is still holding, so I might return it.

On Saturday morning, I spent $4.50 on laundry. Then I went to the doctor to have him look at the mole on my back again. That was $15 more. (He froze it again, but it's still there as of today.)

I went to the grocery to finish up shopping for my son's birthday party and spent $32. I bought a cake, since I lost a lot of time at the doctor's, and I also bought some prepared fruit salad.

The party went great, but my gift was a scream. When I ordered from his Amazon gift list, I did not realize that they showed me "bestsellers" first rather than his real picks. I bought 3 CDs and a movie he didn't want! (I thought they were kind of odd choices for him!) Well, his wife and kids want to keep two of the CDs -- one CD and the movie are going back. I had him order a game for himself in place of the returns. Bah! Since they were bought mostly with cashback rewards, I'm not sure what I'll be refunded, and the rewards are gone, so I think I lost some money on that deal.

On Sunday I went back to the grocery because my brother called and asked me to bring cranberry relish to Thanksgiving dinner. I spent $40 -- most of that going to a bottle of Grand Marnier. I guess I could have left it out of the relish, but I do hate to be cheap when my brother is providing so very much....

I still had two stops to make. At PetSmart I bought more kitty litter and three-day fish pellets, and I also got a supersize litter pan. All that was $32. Then I went to Kohl's to use my Kohl's cash. I ended up buying a Christmas wreath for my door, $11 after using the Kohl's cash and getting the wreath half off. It will look a lot better than my morning glory wreath, which is very summery! I couldn't find anything gifty or anything else I really needed.

So, it will be back to the dentist this afternoon -- probably another charge. I may not get that Target gift card on Black Friday -- I may have already met the $2000 by then!

My Bose is supposed to be delivered today. I wish I could have stayed home to accept it, but the broken crown made that impossible. I hope they will be smart and leave an attempt-to-deliver notice!

This morning, when I got to the downtown station, I realized I wasn't wearing earrings. Now, ordinarily, I would not let that bother me, but today we are having a very important meeting with the new interim president. I dressed very carefully today and I didn't want to spoil it with bald earlobes!

So I went to Hudson News, where they had a 2 pair for $20 sale. I picked out two, since I could really use new earrings anyway -- or the second pair may be a gift; I haven't decided. Anyway, when the price rang up, the 2 for $20 price was not in the cash register. I pointed out the sign to the cashier, and she gave me the employee discount. So they were only $18! So at least I can feel good about getting a deal.

I will have to buy lunch today, too. I did have some cranberry bread in the freezer to bring for breakfast, but there was nothing ready for lunch. I would say I'm slipping, but I can tell you exactly what happened -- my unit is so cold, I am going to bed almost as soon as I get home, just so I can get under the covers. (A comforter and two quilts!) I am going to call maintenance today. This is ridiculous. The trouble is, I know the radiators are working. I think they have set the thermostat low to save money. But I will call and see what I find out. At least the temperature will climb this weekend, so I may have a few days of comfort. But what's going to happen when the polar vortex hits?

Anyway, I am getting nothing at all done in the evenings because I am too cold to function. I can't even read in bed because my hands are too cold outside of the covers!

So, back to the meeting today. Our new interim president is scheduling meetings with all the various departments, but the boss of each department is not invited, so that everyone can be open about their thoughts on the college, the workplace, the future, etc. A smart move, I think, but it's not going to work for our department, because our boss WILL STILL BE THERE! Not the VP, who is the figurehead, but the exec director who actually runs the place, and runs the VP. I have referred to her in earlier posts as "mean girl." Yep, she's planning to be there, so everyone will be zip-lipped as usual. A shame.

All this will be easier to bear knowing that I only have to put in one more year. Then I'm done with office politics forever! Hurray!

Yesterday I ordered the Bose wave system. It was approximately $600, for the version that hooks up to a computer/phone. It also plays CDs and AM/FM radio. Has an alarm, too, though I won't use it for that! I got a $50 discount and free shipping.

I didn't have a chance to give shipping instructions in the process of ordering, so I emailed the company afterwards to stipulate that I do not want it left in the vestibule! The box it comes in is clearly marked, which makes it a theft target. I would hope the carrier's policy is not to leave such an item without placing it into the recipient's hands, but you never know. I will gladly go to a UPS site and get it a few days later rather than risk having someone take it.

That worry aside, I'm very excited! I can hardly wait to start playing my music again!

Before I ordered the Bose, I called the upholsterer to find out when the couch will be ready. It will be done in December, so I knew that expense could be shifted to the December challenge. For November, I have already spent $1719. I will spend $300 on a Target gift card on Black Friday. So I am pretty much done with November. I will have gas expense for Thanksgiving, but otherwise will try to tow the line on spending. (Except for my "free" spending on Amex on Small Business Saturday.)

So it looks like December expenses will be -- upholster, Florida trip, Christmas, dentist. In January -- the last month of the challenge -- I will have to get my mattress and box spring. And I may be able to fit a new TV into either December or January, depending on how expenses go.

I will have made all my big purchases, and will be more than ready to be frugal again!

I'm going to retire at the end of 2015. I will started drawing Social Security in August, when I reach full retirement age. But working those few extra months will give me a nice boost. Plus, I will get the full benefit of my employer's medical coverage and will be able to finish my board term (it is a professional association and board members are supposed to be fully employed in the field).

So, a little more than one year to go. The countdown is on!

I do not think the museum job will materialize. I've had a misunderstanding with the former boss who is at the museum. It is not really my fault or hers, but an awkward situation I won't go into. Anyway, I think that will be enough to count that opportunity out -- and I never thought it was a strong possibility anyway.

Nope, I'm just going to get ready for retirement. That said, I do hope to find some freelance work in my field after I retire. It is a good field for that.

Last night I mailed my sister's package ($14), bought gas (forgot to grab receipt, probably about $25 -- it will post on Discover later), and bought dinner ($6).

I drove to work this morning in order to avoid the street-sweeping parking dilemma, and so I could bring a package to mail (way too big and heavy for the train). The package is books (that I've already read) for my sister and shirts (which I find at Goodwill) for her husband. This is a regular thing I do for them. They need all the help they can get, but it is so hard to help them because they are so childish and wasteful. This is something I'm comfortable with.

I believe this is the last round of street-sweeping this year. Now we move to the snow schedule, which will mean moving the car for plowing whenever we get 4 inches of snow. I do get text messages from the city about when to move the car -- I would never keep up otherwise!

Yesterday I spent about $40 on CDs and a DVD for my son's birthday. I signed up for a free trial of Amazon Prime so I can get free 2-day shipping. So now I have everything I need for his birthday except the cake!

I found a dime in the station yesterday -- my first find in a while.

I forgot to say -- it was $40 for $65 worth of stuff -- I had Discover cashback rewards to help pay!

It was a nice weekend. On Saturday, we had my grandsons' eighth birthday party. Just family -- he already had his "friend" party. Since I had already given the Medieval Times outing as a birthday present to both boys, I just gave him a couple of "doodle" books (finish-the-picture), a key chain, a card game and an ornament. The other gifts were not as showy as I thought they might be. We had chili and a simple lemon cake. A good day!

Before the party, I did three loads of laundry ($4.50) and grocery-shopped ($72). I also bought a Street Wise magazine from a vendor ($2). My good deed.

On Sunday, I stayed in all day, except for one trip to the dumpster! I made homemade beefaroni and cranberry bread, as well as an indulgent bacon-and-egg breakfast for myself. My son and the boys came over in the afternoon to watch the Bears game. The boys tried the beefaroni but it was too spicy for them (I flavored it for myself, not expecting it would be shared). My son liked it, though! We all had popcorn during the game, and the boys wheedled me out of granola bars, their favorite treat at Grandma's. I wish I could give them cookies and treats like a real old-fashioned Grandma, but my son's family is very strict about the boys' eating habits. Even the granola bars are frowned upon.

When I grocery-shopped, I bought a 12-lb frozen turkey for $6.14! Not sure when I will cook it, but I expect the meat to last for quite a few weeks once I do!

Next weekend we will celebrate my son's birthday. He always wants chipped beef on toast, so that's nice and economical! I have a game for him in my game stash, but otherwise I am not ready gift-wise. I'll check out his Amazon list today. I may have to give him a gift-is-on-the-way coupon. His real birthday is on Thanksgiving weekend, which is why we are celebrating early, and why I am caught short.

Got a cute birthday picture of my granddaughter in her new pajamas, playing with her toy food in her play kitchen. So nice of my DIL to make that special effort to thank me!

I got my Amex card registered for Small Business Saturday. I've got a list of places to shop -- I'm ready to go!

Well, it's pay day, and I made my mortgage payment and paid off my Discover bill. I am trying to pay off the Citi bill, but their website is not working, so I'll do that later. In order to pay off these two big bills, I withdrew $500 from the slush fund. Hoping I can cash flow next month's Discover bill.

I got my $100 bonus from Citi -- that is, I got it rolling -- I don't have the check yet. I had problems ordering it because of my problematical address. I have a 1/2 in my address, which many software programs convert to "5" or to "12" and then my mail is mis-delivered. So aggravating. While I was ordering the check from Citi, the system refused to process it because of the "invalid address" -- which their software had created -- no duh! There is no 5365, I agree. Please put in the address I gave you and there would be no problem! Geesh. I really can't stand it. I did finally talk to a representative but it took an hour of waiting. I'm still not sure the problem was solved, but the rep says so.

So my snowflakes have now increased by $100!

In other good news, we got a memo from the President yesterday that there will be an across-the-board 3% raise in January. I think that may have been announced, or alluded to, before, but anyway, it's good to know I'll have a LITTLE extra coming in.

We will also have the capability to set aside pre-tax dollars for mass transit expense, starting in January. That should help a bit, too.

I've decided I'm going to get the $300 Target gift card on Black Friday (with the 10% discount). That will help with the Discover challenge, and then will help after the challenge, too, when I'll be going back to frugal living.

And I think I will get the Bose. That, the $300 Target card, the crown, the balance on my couch re-cover, and my regular living expenses should total a bit over $2000. The Bose will be my Christmas present to me this year. (I always like my gifts to myself the best!)

In December, I'll have another dentist payment, trip expenses, and Christmas gifts to meet the $2000. In January, the last month of the challenge, I will get the mattress & box spring. I'll squeeze in a new TV and DVD player if there's room, financially. That's my plan.

Then it's back to austerity, but with an extra $400 to sweeten the deal.

After adding in this month's Discover Cashback Bonus, I exceeded $1000 in snowflakes! Woo hoo! Last year I logged about $800, and the year before, $500, so I am working my way up every year! I haven't checked to see if my Citi bonus is there -- that will bump it up!

I mailed my granddaughter's birthday gift yesterday - $16 postage. I had a new shrink-wrapped package of play food I bought at a garage sale, and to that I added a pair of pj's (also new, also from garage sale), a skirt and top (truly new, a Kohl's deal), and three pairs of tights (new, from Goodwill). I think it made a nice assortment for not a lot of money.

My grandson's birthday party is this weekend. My big gift was the Medieval Times trip, but I have little gifts to open, too. Some "doodle" books, a card game, a key chain and a special Christmas ornament. I'm going to suppress the urge to get something else. I know that others will give him "big" gifts, which will make mine look puny, but as I said, my big gift was already given.

I bought breakfast today at the station - $4.

I am thinking of getting a Bose system. I have been without any musical player/radio for a long time now. I see that Bose has a player that also attaches to a smartphone, which seems like a smart option to me. I have really missed my music and would like to play my CD's again. And I like the idea of something very small but with good sound. Still thinking...

I'm also turning over the idea of getting a new TV. My current one is a tube TV (perhaps the last one in the universe?). It still works. But I don't know how long it will last, and I've been thinking I should probably upgrade to a flat screen while I have the money. It won't be an option after retirement. And I do love my movies.

Both of these things have come to mind after I let go of the idea of a washer/dryer. But I'm not ready to pull the trigger yet!

I took the day off yesterday. Since I was getting my temporary crown, which I knew would be a long appointment, I decided I might as well take the day and get other things done. I began the morning getting my blood drawn at the doctor's office. They are checking for cholesterol levels and thyroid function. I tried to get my shingles shot, too, but I have to make an appointment for that. I'll try to get it along with my follow-up appointment for the lab results.

Since it was a fasting test, I was starving afterwards, so I went around the corner to Le Peep. I had a coupon for 50% off an entree. Final bill for a skillet breakfast and hot apple cider was $8, but I left a $2.50 tip, based on the original price. Never stiff the poor waiter when you're getting a deal!

I had three Kohl's coupons -- $10 off, $5 off, and 30% off. I combined them and bought two bras, two pairs of socks, and a top and skirt for my granddaughter's birthday for $61. Still seemed rather high to me, given the discounts, but whatever. I'm happy with the purchases.

Then I went to the luggage repair place and picked up my Samsonite suitcase. It was there getting new wheels. It cost $60, but the bag is in great shape and is a quality piece, so worth a good repair. I could buy a new bag for $60 but it would not be such a good bag.

I had some lag time before the dentist's appointment, so I went to Goodwill. Found three shirts for my BIL, some classy ornaments to use as gifts, and a toy dragon for the toy box - $17 in all.

Then I went to the dentist, where I spent a grueling afternoon and paid $353 for it! Which is probably only half the cost it will be in the end. The tooth which needed the crown was a big problem -- mostly filling with a thin wall of enamel, and the filling went under the gum line. I was lucky not to need a root canal. I also had a cracked filling replaced in the adjoining tooth while I was under the Novocaine. Even with just the temporary crown in place, that side of my mouth looks so much better! I will pay the balance of my payment when I get the permanent crown on December 2; the total will depend on how much insurance pays, but I expect I've only paid about half.

After the dentist, I bought a big milk shake for dinner. I'm going to to be very careful with this temporary crown, because I don't want to keep going back to get it replaced -- that's happened to me before!

I was exhausted when I got home from all the dental stress! I went to bed early, feeling pleased that I got a lot done!

It's here! It's here! My "new" dining room set is in my dining room! It looks wonderful and I am thrilled. I will post pictures after I get my couch back so you can all get a sense of my charming little condo!

My brother brought it down from Michigan and drove back the same day. Right away, in fact. He wanted to get home to spend time with his wife before she left for the week (she commutes to Houston, no kidding).

He allowed me to treat him for lunch, but would not take money. He says we will "settle" later, because he feels he should contribute to my sister's airfare for Thanksgiving. However, I can tell it bothers him that she does not pay her own airfare. He understands her less than I do, and I don't blame him, she's hard to understand! But paying for her to come for Thanksgiving was my gift, and if he doesn't really want to contribute I am fine with paying for his gas, etc. It really was an incredibly nice gesture.

We had lunch at the local pie shop and it amounted to about $20.

My new set seats six comfortably, and I also have a new hutch, which I've already decorated with my crock collection and some teapots. There are several drawers in the hutch which I have yet to fill. More storage space! Mind boggling!

My son and nephew did most of the work of hauling the old set out and the new set in. They also took two of my air conditioners to the basement. They forgot the one I had already taken out of the window -- I think maybe I can handle that one myself.

I did three loads of laundry - $4.50 - and on Saturday I bought lunch at McDonalds - $4. I did not grocery shop, but tonight I'll be picking up a few items at Walgreens. I may shop for veggies in the station, too, if I have time between trains.

Tomorrow I'm scheduled to get the crown, and I think I will take the whole day off and get my blood work done in the morning. I am going to be tested for cholesterol levels and thyroid function.