I've been sticking to my budget for the first time in years. So much so, that today, I thought I'd treat myself to some Panda Express at lunch. I checked the checking account balance, and was down to my last $20. Payday is tonight at midnight. Well, I didn't want to transfer any money from either of my other accounts, so I went home and had a crappy sandwich and two cookies for lunch instead. It's not glamorous, but it is disciplined!

To add to my boring existence, I must see my mother tonight after work. I have to program her remote control. She just got that new-fangled digital cable hooked up, and 400 channels are too many for her arthritic thumb to click through. I'll narrow her "favorites" down. She probably doesn't need the NAASCAR channel...

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I don't like the new Barnes & Nobel they just opened in my town. All style and no substance. I'm bummed, because we watched them build the thing, and marked our calendars for opening night. I mean, it's a good looking store. Tall. Two looooong escalators and marble floors, dark wood. Little reading areas (where you have to sit next to total strangers and read - ewww!). Problem is, there aren't very many books! I'd have thought with all that space, it would be just stuffed full of good reads. No. The thing is all walls and empty space in the middle. Plus, they put a Starbucks in it. Big frickin' whoop! Like there's not (and there ARE) 4 other Starbucks right near there. And the place is lousy with yuppyies, all wandering around with cellphones and kids, all acting like they've never seen books before. Nah. I'm going back to Borders. The carpets may be dirty, but they're all about the books!

November 13, 2002