Opportunity

Because so much of my musical inclination is stuck in 1992 (and how nice is it that this sound is considered 'new' again). I've found my new favorite band - Yuck. Yep, that's their name, Yuck.

Due to my year-long sabbatical from purchasing music on iTunes my dear friend Chris sent me a flash drive filled with records, old and new, for my birthday. This is where I found a folder titled Yuck. I thought it was music he didn't like but that he thought maybe I would. I looked it up, Yuck is an actual band! They sound like a British Soul Asylum with Sonic Youth overtones. Nice. There is so much music on this drive I don't think I'll even want to look at iTunes for a couple of months. Thanks, Chris!

A little bit of serendipity occurred on Thursday last week. To spare you all the silly details suffice it to say I need to quit doing something that I've been doing for over 20 years in order to get my health in order. As I was resigning myself to this fact I got a call from my friend, Mary. I've known Mary for going on 20 years and a couple of months ago I asked her if she could possibly get me an entry into the Colorado Half Marathon. She helps organize the kid race for the event. I rarely, if ever, ask for free entries into things but I thought it was worth a try since the $90 entry free was not part of my austerity plan for the year and I knew Mary wouldn't be offended by my asking. Long story short, I got one!

Getting this entry requires quite a bit of training, training that I can't do while doing the thing I need to stop doing. So there ya go - I need to stop doing something bad for me but I now have a goal of something I want to do so the quitting will be easier. I'm looking at it not as I can't do this thing anymore but instead as I get to run the half marathon again!

And training starts today.

Down With Complaining

I've long been a glass-half-full type of gal. I truly believe in the power of our thoughts and that our lives can be a manifestation of said thoughts. (Not like if I just think of owning a totally refurbished Karmann Ghia it will magically appear. More like, 'what you focus on expands' type of thinking.)

Lately, it seems there's a lot of complaining going on. Not like there's a shortage of things to complain about but it does seem like there's been a proliferation of negative thought of late. What with unemployment, insurance reform, the holidays, Katy Perry's divorce, the 2012 election getting under way, and my neighbors insistence on parking in front of my house, there's a lot of shit to be pissed off about.

New Year's resolutions always seem to be about what we're going to quit doing,s as I was reminded of in church today. I've had plenty of resolutions of things to quit doing over the years and sort of have more this year by cutting out concerts, traveling, 5K races and buying anything new. When I first thought of my 'year of austerity' I spent a lot of time focused on what I wasn't going to be doing - I made a list so I would remember everything. At first, I was a little sad thinking about what this year was going to be like without all of my normal activity. At first.

Soon after I made this list of things I wasn't going to indulge in during 2012, I found myself getting a little excited about the possibilities ahead. How I was going to have to be more creative in my thinking in order to keep myself entertained and fulfilled, how there are so many free things to do in the town, how I could spend more time being crafty and making things for friends, how I could run more, how I could read some of the books I've been putting off, and so much more.

I am choosing to focus on cutting my debt in half - that's it. Nothing Earth-shattering but still important to me. By focusing on the positive fulfillment of cutting my debt I can look at saying no to an event or concert or whatever as a good thing and not look at it from a point of lack.

It's all how you look at it, or think about it.

I still can't stand it when my neighbors park in front of my house but that's another story.

Sidenote: Cadence needs his teeth cleaned. The quotes I got from a variety of vets in town ranged from $287 to $850 not including blood work, extractions, etc (why do they even give you a low number when it doesn't include everything?). Let's just say that Cadence and I will be taking a road trip to Cheyenne for a complete dental cleaning including all the incidentals for $250 - $350. In an effort to focus on the positive, I will spare you my diatribe on the ridiculousness of spending $850 to get my sweet Cadence's teeth cleaned. Now I just need to find something to do in Cheyenne for the day while I wait.

New Goals - New Headache - New Year

This austerity plan is kinda hard (she says, whining). While the Greeks march, I sit at home wondering how to have fun on zero budget. It's actually not all that bad, yet.

I've spent the last month or so looking at my budget every which way possible and have cut lots of things out and reduced others and I've already said no to a variety of activities that would've normally been in my 'fun' budget. While cutting away, feeling groovy and a little too sure of myself and my goal to reduce half of my debt by 2013, I, of course, got shot down a couple of notches by crap that I have really no control over. I got my January mortgage bill in the mail the other day and for no reason I can see, Bank of America is tacking on $10 a month to my escrow payment. Why for, I ask? I was going to give them a jingle but figure that will be a colossal waste of time. I think it's because they believe my taxes are going to increase in 2012. Whatever, there's not a damn thing I can do about it.

The other setback is that I've desperately needed a new bed for at least a year now. I've been sleeping on an almost 20-year-old mattress left over from my last relationship. I think even my dog Cadence was over it as he's been sleeping on the love seat in my bedroom instead of in his rightful place next to my head. After a bit of research, I purchased the cheapest but highest quality bed I could afford and will be making interest-free payments of $65 a month for all of 2012. Fuck. I am sleeping better but still - fuck. It's not like I can buy a used bed - ewwww.

One way I save money is to buy Groupon or Living Social coupons for things I already would be buying. I saved a bunch on Christmas gifts, have saved on food, a massage, entry into the Denver Zoo for me and my junior partner, etc. I use these social buying coupons like I do pretty much everything else - if I need it, I'll buy it, look at it or pursue it. Otherwise, I'm not all that interested. I don't go to the library unless I'm in need of a specific book, I don't troll the Internet unless I'm looking for something in particular - the definition of a particular word or phrase, where something is or how old someone is, Ryan Gosling, for example. (I will say that since I've discovered Pinterest I am trolling a bit more but I'm still looking for stuff - ways to make something cool, ideas for work, etc.)

Since the advent of the cell phone I've heard various people complain about 'not having time' to deal with whatever piece of technology is being talked about. I recently heard this about Groupon when I mentioned a great deal to someone at work. This person said they didn't have time to deal with Groupon, 'it's too much work.' You get the idea. I've always been annoyed by this statement in regards to technology - or anything for that matter. It's not like someone is holding a gun to your head telling you to buy an iPhone, download iTunes and buy the latest Beyonce record. Like most things in life (at least for now), using technology is a choice. If it doesn't fit into my life and somehow make it better, I'm not doing it. YOU TOO, have this choice! Really, it's just laziness. I can say this because I've been this person - slow to sign up and check out something new because I'm afraid I won't understand how it works. This is valid but really no excuse nowadays. You can figure pretty much anything out as long as you have access to an Internet connection - library anyone?

Happy New Year!

(Sidenote - today, I'm writing this from a local coffee shop where some old dude sitting across from me talked to himself for about an hour as he read the paper. He got ready to leave, put the paper aside and proceeded to zip up his pants and buckle his belt which had been undone the entire time. Weird.)

Plaid Friday

I'm way too literal for my own good sometimes. For the last month I've seen signs and ads all over town about Plaid Friday. I knew it was referencing shopping local but I was confused by the Plaid part. "Plaid Friday? What the hell does that mean?"

I quickly found out, in a room full of people, when I mentioned to everyone that I didn't get it. Lots of laughter ensued and I felt like a goofball. Duh!

So, what a great idea it is to encourage shopping local, small businesses and calling it Plaid Friday instead of Black Friday. Genius!

I believe that I wrote last year about how I feel about Black Friday so I won't rehash - too much. Suffice it to say, I think it's hideous and the last place I would want to be is in ANY store on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Plus, it pisses me off that retail workers don't get one FULL day off to spend with their families or do what they like. It was brought to my attention that a lot of retail workers want the extra hours and I get that but I bet you dimes to donuts that most of those folks did not make double time or even time and a half for working amongst all the crazy fuckers (and I say that with love) that absolutely have to buy a whatever at 10pm on Thanksgiving night. I realize some deals are too good to pass up but, really?

I had to buy some milk on Thanksgiving day on my way home from work in order to make my green bean casserole and I was happy that King Soopers was open but I would've been just as happy to go to 7-11 to buy it. I thanked the young man that checked me out at King Soopers for working and told him that I remembered the days when nothing was open on Thanksgiving except 7-11 and the like. He was about 22 or so and said he couldn't imagine stores not being open on Thanksgiving Day.

In the post-apocalyse if another life form happens upon the U.S. and wonders what people were like in 2011 they'll find giant buildings full of items not necessary to sustaining life and they'll scratch their heads and think, "No wonder they didn't survive, they were consumed by their stuff."

Working the Plan

Listening to the new Mayer Hawthorne record and thinking about the simple pleasures in life - sitting in a coffee shop, drinking a mocha and listening to a little Blue-Eyed Soul is certainly a pleasure. So, too, will be planning my Italy trip after significantly reducing my debt.

Since my last post I've put a lot of wheels into motion. I've reduced my 401k contribution at work, stopped my IRA contribution, reduced or stopped a few charitable donations and even cut my Netflix in half. Sure, the Netflix is only a $7 savings per month, but as they say, it all adds up, right!? I've also turned down a few fun things - an invite to a Bronco's game ($45), entry into the 2012 Colorado Half Marathon ($90), a 4-mile run on Halloween ($30), and most significantly, an airline ticket to see dear friends in February ($210). The objective is to send that 'saved' money to my debt and I'll be starting this with my next paycheck.

I'm also continuing the not-buying-anything-new paradigm. This has really become a way of life for me now. I do buy new things on occasion but whenever I need to buy something I try to get it used first. For Christmas I'm trying to find things that I can make. Beginning with the New Year I will severely limit the new item purchasing back to 2010 levels in order to put even more towards my debt.

Is this all just a smart way to live or am I simply bored and need a challenge? I think its a little of both, maybe more of the latter if I'm honest with myself. Either way, my hope is when 2013 roles around and I turn 45 I'll have a reasonable amount of debt and will be able to plan the trip I've been thinking about for years. Fingers crossed.

The Snake is Ready to Bite...

and before it does I need to get my shit together. This is what I woke up thinking this morning, not quite in those terms but I woke at 7am with a decidedly unsettled feeling that I've had for a few days thinking, "I have to get my debt under control or I'm going down."

I will not share with you the amount of my debt but I will share that while I've been saying for quite some time that most of it is from maintaining my life - car repairs, house crap like broken dishwashers and washing machines - in truth, most of my debt is from having fun. It's true. I like to go places, see things, run 5K's and 1/2 marathons, fly to my 25th high school reunion in Michigan and do a 5K while there, spend Christmas away from Fort Collins, travel to see a band in New Orleans, give to multiple charities, buy new Dansko and running shoes (at at least $100 a pair), buy more pairs of black pants than any woman should own, spend about $15 a week on iTunes (really?!), etc. You get the idea. I have a fun, fulfilling, awesome life and I spend a lot of money to have it that way - a lot of 'money' that is in the form of a little plastic card. I do spend money on my house and car, the car more than the house of late, but if I'm being truthful with myself, I spend my money on fun.

I'm turning 44 in a couple of months and then about a year after that I'll be turning 45. As a 45th birthday gift to myself I want to travel to Italy to ride my bike for a couple of weeks, see the Giro d'italia and have some fantastic adventures. It hit me this morning while sitting in church that I will not be able to do this unless I get rid of most of my debt. So, in order to have future fun I will be discontinuing current fun for one year.

This is certainly more of 'deal' to me than not buying anything new for a year. I can already see myself saying 'no' to stuff and not liking it one bit. I will get to see just how awesome my life is while doing without what I think is fun. I'm always up for a challenge and if I can do this I will be duly rewarded. Not only day-to-day but with a fabulous trip to Italy. Talk about delayed gratification.

A Lifestyle Center Friday Night and an Advertising Epiphany

It was bound to happen, especially since I dissed the whole Lifestyle Center concept in my last post. I found myself enjoying good company, supporting a great cause, AND buying used items at, yes, you guessed it, a freakin' Lifestyle Center. And on a Friday night nonetheless.

I went to a preview party for a tag sale fundraiser for the local Junior League with a few friends. It was held in a shelled out space at the very same Lifestyle Center I referred to in my last post. I ended up with some good bargains, chatted with friends and at the end of the evening found myself rocking out to "Don't Stop Believing" by an 80's cover band. Not only dancing and having a blast but belting out all the words to the ubiquitous Journey song from my youth. Sidenote - why are those guys still touring? I hear that damn song more than I did when it was new. God, isn't there anything better to play on the radio these days? Anyway, while I was dancing in the middle of the Lifestyle Center, I realized I was...at a Lifestyle Center. I briefly felt like I was on an episode of Weeds without the pot.

A couple of weeks ago I saw a great film named Art & Copy. If you have any interest in advertising, design, logos, Mad Men, or words in general, this movie is worth a watch. I never wanted to end up like Herb Tarlek, selling cars or, my worst nightmare, vacuums or mattresses. As much as I fought being a salesperson, that is really what I am. I've had two fairly direct sales jobs where I sold newspaper advertising. I had a hard time finding social value in selling an ad so I clung to the ad development as something noble in itself. When freedom was allowed I could work with a great designer and sometimes come up with something decent that I didn't hate.

While at my first ad job I found a quote that I still have stuck on the same sticky note on my fridge, "People read what's interesting, and sometimes it's an ad." This film helped reaffirm this notion for me. Remember the cool as hell VW ads from the 60's? Some of the Nike ads are simply brilliant whether or not you buy their shoes. I have one of their ads featuring Marilyn Monroe, again on my fridge, and it does make me feel good to be a girl.

While I clearly have issues with our consumer culture and that we're bombarded with advertising messages from the minute we open our eyes in the morning, if I think of these ads as someone's ideas as opposed to 'the man' trying to overtake my life and make me buy something I don't need, I feel a lot better about advertising in general. Because really, all of the ads are someone just trying to sell us on their idea, trying to get us as excited as they are about it. Sometimes they write an interesting ad for their idea and sometimes they don't but either way, the person's idea is behind it. Vacuum and mattress ads excluded, of course.