hazardous materials

Actually, yesterday was a pretty good day overall. Spent some quality time with the kids, filed my tax return (expect a refund of $2402 fed/state combined), got another job nibble, naptime was a bit annoying but whatever.

The lingering effect of yesterday, though, is pain. (PAAAAAIIIIN! </Shatner>) Just a few days ago dchenes was talking about how easy it is to get paper cuts in this dry winter weather, and yesterday I got a doozy. I'm talking deep gash, copious amounts of blood, numerous four-letter words yelled out, the whole bit. I bandaged it overnight but today I'm letting it "breathe" and it's really bothering me, dammit. I may have to bandage it again, respiration be damned. (Yes, I gave birth to two children without medication and have six tattoos, but I become a wimp in the face of a little finger pain. so sue me.)

Adding insult to injury, the piece of mail that inflicted this grievous wound upon me turned out, when finally opened, to be a letter from Keyspan urging me to convert my home to gas heat. Which, in case you haven't been paying attention, I just did two weeks ago. Argh! That's it Keyspan. You're off my imaginary xmas list. I salute you with my bloody finger. Wanna guess which finger it is?

counting my chickens

I haven't even gotten my tax refund yet, and I know I shouldn't spend it all at once, but there are three big things that I'm almost certainly going to do with it:

* pay anotherjen to come and help me finish the cleaning/organizing of my apartment -- we accomplished so much on the "cleaning committee" day but there's still more to do. And Jen has been so kind about donating her services, but it isn't fair to keep taking advantage of her generosity like that.

* join the Society of Technical Communicators (STC), the biggest trade group/union for tech writers. The more I move around in the employment world, the more it seems that not being a member is to my disadvantage. It'll get me info on salary surveys and such stuff, plus job listings that aren't available elsewhere, and of course the networking opportunities. It costs $150 to join, which seems like a lot, which is why I never have. But then I've never really needed to. And it's probably tax-deductible(?).

* buy a new computer. Mine is old and showing subtle signs of its age. I'd like to upgrade before it goes kablooey. In particular, the CD burner appears to be dead, which is really unfortunate. (Although my printer has suddenly, inexplicably started working again.) My mom said she would contribute some money to this as well, as she has had a bit of a windfall due to complex gymnastics related to my grandma's finances. (Any advice on what to get and/or where to get it would be welcome.)

So all of those things, I think, are good uses of my money and pretty easy to justify.

The same can't be said for the other thing I dearly want, which is a tattoo to commemorate Ruthie's birth. I got a tattoo in honor of Isaac around his first birthday, and have always said I would do the same for #2 (same design, but with her birth-sign symbol). But it's an expenditure I probably shouldn't make right now. Since my and Ruthie's birthdays are so close together, maybe I'll do it then and call it my birthday present to myself.

Isaac says the darnedest things

(Isaac playing on my bed, bouncing all around)
Isaac: Uh-oh!
Me: What?
Isaac: That thing fell down there. (indicating the space behind the bed)
Me: What thing?
Isaac: It's that thing that you put under your boobs.
Me: .........my bra?
Isaac: Yeah!