dear student loan company,

It’s been a long time. Too long for you, not long enough for me, although I have used up my stack of Get-Out-of-Payment cards and there is nowhere else to run. I realize my first payment in forever is due in January and lest I forget, you have provided me with multiple reminders, in my mailbox, my email, in the sky, etc. Thank you. I guess. I can be flaky and forget. I guess I just want to say, I got the picture. I’m not looking forward to our reunion. I’m not sure there’s enough in the couch cushions to cover you, but I’ll look. In the meantime, I’ll ponder the monetary returns I have yet to see on that cute little degree I insisted on getting a few years back, as well as the things like curtains and brie I cavalierly purchased on your dime. I’m pretty sure you’re getting the last laugh on this one.

Snowflakes and Candy Canes,

penelope

Managing the "Debt"

Oopsie Daisy crops up with budget tracking everyoncenwhile which inspires me to keep an eye on mine, or procrastinate about it, whatev. And one thing we know is that your budget can blow away from you and spiral really really quickly. Because of the high apr's or I don't know, rampant eating out, gym memberships, netflix, buying new workout pants, shoes, gas, dental cleaning, trips to SF... Anyway, I rue the year 2000 when I moved to Chicago and life as I know it aka. free of debt, departed forever. Part of my subconscious desire to clean house is financial. Weirdly. A few months ago I downgraded my cellphone plan and started paying $5 for texts/and multi-media. Saved me $25 a month. Then my eyes blurred and I managed to not depress myself with the enormity of it (surprising), having doled it out in small non-scary digits... but I've spent the last month shuffling my creditcard debt to: citi 0%apr for one year then 10%. amex 5% for the entire time, and finally discover 5.9% until 2010. You can usually call them and ask if they can lower it, or just move it and the offers come pouring in bcs they want your money back- the devils. Wamu sucks the biggest ass. And I don't want to think about the transfer fees bcs I must tell myself that it's going to get lower and better and um, lower. Right? Ugh. Anyway, the last thing I've been hanging onto is my 24f gym membership. My monthly plan of $41.99 for the last 3 years, which I uh, charged to my card when I was $200 from max, and only partly employed. It was optimistic on my part. This rash though health inducing act has apparently wasted me $1600. Awesome. So today I charged $900 to my citi card with the 0%apr and started all over again- I got a new towel, and a new membership card, a tri-tiered box of vitamins and various nutritional bars, drinks and 4 free training sessions... and of course after 3 years @ roughly $25amonth. It goes to $50 annually ever there after. It's like a new day already. Sort of like when I took my ch5 test yesterday in French and true to the procrastinators code, once I faced failure I had only up to go, and it was as the cliche goes a silly refreshing breath of cool minty breeze. I even decided to apply for a fellowship. Sure it's due on the 7th but you already know why I haven't turned it in yet.

Well Anywayz, by M

There's nothing at all wrong with my teeth. Whatev. In fact he was impressed that my teeth were in such good condition after 7+ years of neglect. I have a no soda/coffee free habit, but what about this one right here?! The dentist said, well maybe it's your diet or you have a weak tooth. As if, I said. Then I said, little pits and missing tooth for no reason is freaking me out. He says, no don't freak out. Deadpan and could care less. But please do get xrays ($120) and a cleaning ($90)... sure I said, figuring that even though nothing at all was wrong with me, it was preventative maintenance and I totally had no desire to spend the rest of my refund on shoes or a new outfit. Then somehow the day sped by with a trip to Trader Joes, lunch with a fearless friend, yet another trip to the wee airport for another friend and then I went swimming... it felt decadent to be swimming at 11pm. But I loved it. The water was clear, and it was quiet, the silence deep down overwhelmed and maybe I thought I might dream tonight in French. It must be like a form of studying. The other night, in my dream, a prepatory boy spoke to me and I understood him perfectly. He said something about going somewhere- aller, (alleigh) (alleigh)... I answered back and he said, geesh you are just learning the learning the language. Uh yah, I said, I totally told you that already!

Cavities

Wah, you guys. So you know my obsession with plucking my chin hair. It like, won't stop growing you guys... while I was on the phone hearing how my friend Kerry had some hellish tooth pulling, capping and crowning at her dentist, I rather fortuitously flashed my mirror over my not so pearly whites and I observed like a little bit of my tooth missing. It's not black or gruesome looking but just looks like pitting on my incisor and little bits of my tooth missing near the gum and other tooth, and not at the bottom either, and what's with it being in the front? I mean those are cavities right? Or rather thank god it was in the front? I don't even drink soda... okay except for the diet kind and I stay pretty clear of candy...

There goes my refund except I already spent it, but whatever. Unless it's nothing. You guys, tell me it's nothing. I totally floss! Like all the time! Okay not so good on the tooth brushing but stilllll. Come on. Why can't a girl avoid the dentist and no insurance for 7 years and something life like popup spontaneouly to foil her? I do NOT understand it.