Vacay	December 18, 2006

I usually send out e-mails like a crazy person this time of year, but I haven't been so on-the-ball lately. Here's info on my upcoming travels:

I'm hopping on a plane insanely early on Thursday (the 21st), and flying to Cedar Rapids. I'll be there that night, then on Friday I'm driving up to South Dakota to meet up with my mom, then there will be a few days of driving around between Brookings, Aberdeen, Watertown, Mitchell, and Sioux Falls.

I'll come back to CR on Christmas Day, probably eat some dinner with my family, and at least contemplate hitting up the Washington High School reunion that is a trip to the Irish Democrat.

Tuesday through Thursday, I'm just bumming around Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, and this is when all of you in the area should make every attempt to hang out with me. I fly back to DC on Thursday night.

Friday, I shall sit on my ass and do nothing all day. Saturday night I have a multitude of parties to attend. And Sunday is still up in the air (there has been some general discussion of hitting up the Black Cat for New Year's Eve, but I am still open to suggestions).

Now you know - I'm sure you've been waiting with baited breath!

The plan	December 15, 2006

I don't believe that everyone has to come up with a New Year's Resolution, but I'm in the habit of doing so. They've ranged from weight loss to better flossing habits to things even more trivial. But the most recurring of resolutions is the expressed desire to be more financially responsible. Which I shall again be making this year. But I'm thinking that expressing it here, in no unspecific terms, may make me more likely to follow through.

So here are the rules:

1) AT LEAST 10% of each paycheck goes to savings. Hopefully more.
2) AT LEAST 75% of all off-cycle earnings (annual bonus, tax refund, and the like) goes to savings and/or unusually beefy student loan payments
3) No use of credit cards, except for real, actual, bona-fide emergencies.
4) Crap I want (clothes, electronics, CD's, and the like) will be placed on a list. Items must sit on the list for at least three days before I buy them (so as to eliminate impulse buying). Items can only be purchased with cash.
5) I will go out to lunch no more than twice a month.
6) I will get Starbucks no more than once a week.
7) I will only buy makeup when I am out of something and need to replace it
(your Clinique Bonus Time does not constitute my makeup emergency).

And the hope is to accomplish these goals by the end of the year:

1) Balance-free credit cards
2) Big 'ole dent in student loan debt
3) I will have amassed a nice little money-for-braces pot (the braces shall be purchased in calendar year 08, I've decided, after my next chance to enroll in the enticing flexible spending account for health care).

and here's the big one...

4) I will have purchased a car with a respectable down-payment (this, I am thinking, shall happen in the summer?)

Wish me luck, ya'll!