More boring life stuff
Mar. 3rd, 2008 02:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
missroseroseCrisis Time appears to be over for now. I've still got a fair amount of debt to shoulder, but it's starting to seem more manageable for each day that goes by without another major expense cropping up. I may even be able to pay it off before May, in which case I can use my economic stimulus check as a nest egg to start (gasp!) having a savings account again. Hooray!
At the same time, I'm trying to get out of the negative mindset that I've found myself slipping into recently. It makes me pretty difficult to live with (as Brian's been rather persistent about reminding me), and frankly, makes it no fun to be me. So I'm trying to think more positively. I'm also using the full-spectrum light that Adam gave us in the mornings, which seems to help some. It also helps that the weather's been occasionally brighter and sunny. So hopefully this is the beginning of a happier period.
Along the lines of staying positive, I went ahead and invested in the rock-climbing harness and shoes and membership. It's a bit more debt to deal with, but if I stick to a budget for the next couple months I think I can have it all paid off by the end of April. And in the meantime, exercise makes me feel better, and I'm more likely to go regularly if I don't have to worry if I've budgeted for a day pass/gear rental every time. (I also ordered a new vibrator for similar mood-improvement reasons, but that wasn't quite as big a monetary investment. ;)
In other news, I've been experimenting a bit with mixing drinks, and found a couple I like recently. One is the Midori Splice (one part melon liqueur to one part coconut rum to three parts pineapple juice, with cream floated on top), which is sweet and tropical and fruity without being cloying. Plus it's really pretty when you build it in a Collins glass - bright green on bottom, pale translucent yellow in the middle, opaque white on top.
Another is a slightly tweaked version of the Green River - one part melon liqueur, one part Sour Apple Pucker schnapps, and one part sour mix, shaken and strained into a cocktail glass. That one looks like something Quark would serve you, especially in the funky curved stem cocktail glasses we found at Fred Meyer - the drink itself is bright chartreuse in color with a layer of foam at the top. I even experimented a bit with garnishes, and my favorite so far is a toothpick skewering a lemon wedge between two maraschino cherries, wedged onto the edge of the glass. It tastes almost as artificial as it looks, but it's oddly tasty anyway - the sweet and sour make for a nice balance, plus it's not too heavy on the alcohol.
One that didn't work for me for just that reason was a Japanese Slipper - Midori, triple sec, lemon juice. I ended up having to pour it down the sink; the booze flavor just overpowered everything, rather than complementing it. That might have something to do with the fact that I was using Patron Citronge for the triple sec - it's good quality but pretty high-proof stuff...
I think I might start one of those index card boxes with drink recipes and garnish ideas that I like - they're usually small enough to fit easily on a card, and as I accrue drink recipes that I actually like, it'll be kind of neat to have to flip through. Drinksmixer has a "handbook" feature that does something similar, but it doesn't let you tweak ingredients or garnishes or add notes.
At the same time, I'm trying to get out of the negative mindset that I've found myself slipping into recently. It makes me pretty difficult to live with (as Brian's been rather persistent about reminding me), and frankly, makes it no fun to be me. So I'm trying to think more positively. I'm also using the full-spectrum light that Adam gave us in the mornings, which seems to help some. It also helps that the weather's been occasionally brighter and sunny. So hopefully this is the beginning of a happier period.
Along the lines of staying positive, I went ahead and invested in the rock-climbing harness and shoes and membership. It's a bit more debt to deal with, but if I stick to a budget for the next couple months I think I can have it all paid off by the end of April. And in the meantime, exercise makes me feel better, and I'm more likely to go regularly if I don't have to worry if I've budgeted for a day pass/gear rental every time. (I also ordered a new vibrator for similar mood-improvement reasons, but that wasn't quite as big a monetary investment. ;)
In other news, I've been experimenting a bit with mixing drinks, and found a couple I like recently. One is the Midori Splice (one part melon liqueur to one part coconut rum to three parts pineapple juice, with cream floated on top), which is sweet and tropical and fruity without being cloying. Plus it's really pretty when you build it in a Collins glass - bright green on bottom, pale translucent yellow in the middle, opaque white on top.
Another is a slightly tweaked version of the Green River - one part melon liqueur, one part Sour Apple Pucker schnapps, and one part sour mix, shaken and strained into a cocktail glass. That one looks like something Quark would serve you, especially in the funky curved stem cocktail glasses we found at Fred Meyer - the drink itself is bright chartreuse in color with a layer of foam at the top. I even experimented a bit with garnishes, and my favorite so far is a toothpick skewering a lemon wedge between two maraschino cherries, wedged onto the edge of the glass. It tastes almost as artificial as it looks, but it's oddly tasty anyway - the sweet and sour make for a nice balance, plus it's not too heavy on the alcohol.
One that didn't work for me for just that reason was a Japanese Slipper - Midori, triple sec, lemon juice. I ended up having to pour it down the sink; the booze flavor just overpowered everything, rather than complementing it. That might have something to do with the fact that I was using Patron Citronge for the triple sec - it's good quality but pretty high-proof stuff...
I think I might start one of those index card boxes with drink recipes and garnish ideas that I like - they're usually small enough to fit easily on a card, and as I accrue drink recipes that I actually like, it'll be kind of neat to have to flip through. Drinksmixer has a "handbook" feature that does something similar, but it doesn't let you tweak ingredients or garnishes or add notes.
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no subject
Date: 2008-03-04 12:56 am (UTC)Of course, consider the source. Maybe it's just that you haven't managed to out-negative me yet.
no subject
Date: 2008-03-04 12:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-04 06:43 pm (UTC)They can really make you mad,
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle.
And this'll help things turn out for the best.
And....
Always look on the bright side of life...
no subject
Date: 2008-03-05 05:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-05 06:12 am (UTC)The debt is solvable and May sounds good. I wonder if I could persuade you to spend all of the stimulus money on more stimulating toys to help to improve the performance of the markets and hence my investments? :)
no subject
Date: 2008-03-05 03:25 pm (UTC)Additionally, according to most studies, most people will say they're going to use their checks to save or pay down debt, but in actuality they end up blowing some or all of it - or paying down the debt only to get into more debt. So there's a good chance your investments might do well anyway. ;)