I really don't want to go to work today. I'm not in the "I owe, I owe, its off to work I go" category - and that truly is a blessing. But still its not that I really want to quit either. I do have something due today so I'll get my butt in gear and get going.

Hopefully a couple of weeks off and focussing on the important things in life - loved ones and friends - and then I can put the recent problems at work into perspective.

I'm only at work until 3-ish today. Friends and I are going to the spa. I'm treating myself to a body wrap massage treatment and then we are all eating dinner at the spa in our bathrobes. Not frugal at all but a nice "self gift" for Christmas

So far we've raised $496. A practical problem stopped us raising more. A real basic one - we ran out of raffle tickets. I don't expect we will sell many more but i did go to Staples and pick up more yesterday . If we don't use them this year they'll work for next year!

I had hoped we would raise a couple of hundred dollars. I never dreamed we would raise this much!

Changes in how the senior management in our department want things to run are really getting me down.

Taking responsibility is being removed from our jobs. Yes we are being made to meet deadlines and the like but we are more and more just supposed to do our little part of the job - where before each of us would take ownership of a project and run with it and be responsible for the outcome).

We are being made to be cogs in the machine. We aren't supposed to bring our knowledge of the industry to the table; we are just supposed to run the numbers (of course when we do that we were supposed to have brought our other knowledge to the table..) Sigh...

Our managers are being told they can't organize such as to maximize the use of our talents. We all can do the same basic job but we all bring different strengths to the table.

I wish I was one of those people who didn't care and would just go with the flow. I wish I wasn't afraid to work hard and would be happy to coast. It is a hell of a lot easier being a cog than caring.

The good news is that I'm off in a week for two weeks. Absence won't make it go away but it will be nice to be away for a while and not have to watch the demotivation of an entire department of people.

In prior years I've organized a cookie exchange. Over the last few years less and less people have taken part. As part of the exchange we always asked for an extra dozen, made up a basket and raffled it off for charity.

This year I just organized the cookie basket raffle. People were great and baked and brought me a dozen cookies, a half dozen or a couple of dozen. Enough to make two very impressive baskets. I kicked in some personal contributions - a couple of nice trays (wicker serving trays), some cookie tins (not everyone packaged then so I took care of that (and another coworker helped out).

HR got wind of it this year (the first year for that) and gave me a table downstairs at the xmas party to "pimp" the basket. We go around and do serious collecting tomorrow!

So far we've raised over $150. Can't wait to see what the total is by friday.

The package did get there today. Yeah!

I'm glad Canada Post decided that next day delivery was today and not Thursday. The guy at the post office yesterday really did give me a scare saying next when mailed Tuesday meant Thursday...

Well according to the dude at Canada Post it is. Sent a package express post. The web said next day deliver for where I'm sending it to. Cool. A bit pricey but insured and will get there quickly, so I figured that was the perfect way to send it.

Bring it to the postal outlet. Not a "real" post office but a counter in the back of the store. They took it and said yes, guaranteed next day delivery. So it is guaranteed there Thursday. Not there Thursday I get my money back.

Until now the next business day would be Wednesay if today is Tuesday.... Learn something every day.



Same post office also wanted to charge me an extra fifty cents for using the debit machine. I had them cancel that transaction and paid cash. I don't think so...

I had to pick up an inexpensive serving tray so I popped into Walmart on the way to work today. This Walmart for some reason has a huge trampoline mounted on the front of the building (I guess with the legs cut off as it is flush against the wall). The trampoline has been there for years and its now starting to fall apart. Very classy (not) of Wallyworld to have it hanging there on the building. You think the manager would notice when he goes to work everyday that this thing is an eyesore.

Anyways it was a great trip for what I needed. Got a present for $5 less than I saw it for the other day and also got the serving trays I needed. Very cute. They weren't with the Christmas stuff but in the back crafty section between fabric and wool.

In and out fairly quickly. If you do need to go to a walmart for anything - first thing in the morning isn't a bad time at all.

What is it with security guards?

The grocery store I go to (best categorized as a wannabe walmart superstore) has security out the ying yang. Most of it is bored young teens who look like they are hoping to patrol the edge of the shopping centre so they can sneak in a smoke break. The store, of course, also has the obligatory older dude in the white neon with the flashing orange light patrolling the parking lot by car.

Then I head to the drug store where there are a couple of security guards checking out the patrons. Can you imagine the service they likely do us all by communicating quickly with each other "middle aged woman in aisle 5 just put some chocolate, advil and playtex tampons in her cart.. make sure they open another cash STAT"?

The other day when I was at the liquor store I noticed that they had the serious security there. Off duty cops working extra hours to do security. Now those were a couple of the city's finest and they more than did justice to their uniforms *fan self*. Never mind in comparison to me they were babies - Part of shopping is checking out the merchandise - one can enjoy looking

Seriously, what is with all the need for security. Or am I one of the few last honest shoppers out there? I mean worst I have done is park in the expectant mother parking when I dash in 10 minutes before the store closes or put 9 items (2 identical) through the 8 items or less cash.

I found a recipe for stollen that was easily adaptable for vegan (just had to subsitute margarine for butter) and tried it last night. Anyone who is German or of German descent likely has heard of stollen - its a very rich yeast bread made at Christmas time. It is quite labour intensive to make as it is a yeast bread. Its filled with almonds, orange and lemon citron, raisons, currents(sometimes) and depending on the recipe marzipan.

Stollen was always part of my Christmas growing up. When I got older I took over baking it from my mother. In the stress of the last years I haven't made it at all. This year it was important for me make this.

It burnt when I was cooking it. The recipe was 375 for an hour. Crispy crunchy black on the outside. I did some websurfing and found other recipes at that temperature for 30 minutes and other ones at 300 for an hour. Joy of Cooking's recipe is 350 for 50 minutes.

I think I'll try again (after sampling a bit of the inside to see if I need to make ingredient substitions)

A picture of stollen shamelessly stolen from the web to show you what this looks like (mine being lump of dark brown/black).

When cooking careful what you put in the sink. I don't know what I was thinking but in the middle of making stollen, I was washing up some dishes and realised I decided the rest of the sugar in my container of sugar needed to be washed...

A total "duh" moment.

One of the things that makes me irritable is going to the grocery store and finding food that is expired or about to expire.

Last night I thought I had done my shopping then realised that I needed 2 other items. So I popped into the grocery store to grab them.

I wasn't impressed by the packed to the gills display of sour cream that had a best before date of December 6th. I know that you can usually use items for a day or so after the best before date but I really don't like a grocery store that displays food that shows they don't manage their inventory well.

I took the minute or two to find someone who works in dairy to let them know and they *said* they'd have it off the shelf ASAP. I didn't hang round to see if they did.

Buying stuff that is expired or will expire in a day or so just adds to my grocery bill. If I am doing to add to the bill I'd prefer to do it with some exotic foodstuffs and not stuff that could make me ill.

I really need to just toss out junk mail rather than read it.

I got a leaflet from Blue Cross for their Health Insurance package. No medical, no questions no nothing. Limited benefits (limited is almost too generous a description but I can't think of words that are more limiting than limited) but like that would be surprise with this type of product. Was looking to see if I could get it and milk it for all that it is worth. Hey, what I can I say I'm that type of girl.

Never did finish that calculation. I was looking at the small print (I work for an insurance company - when you help create small print for the products your company sells you look for the small print in other company's products). The small print was pretty hilarious for this one. The price quoted is only for people ages 18-39. Everyone else has to call in to get the price and maybe have medical proof of not needing coverage. Like I want to call a call centre that has this urge to sell me insurance I don't need.

Excuse me while I go find the circular file for this offer...



Click on her (dare ya)

I got a response from Hertz. The folder they gave me for my rental car in Oct claimed that every car has satellite radio. Unfortunately the car I rented did not have that feature. I was stuck listening to some pretty boring AM radio on my trip

The pertinent part of their response:

Thank you for letting us know about the difficulties you encountered. We appreciate the opportunity to review your concerns. We sincerely apologize for the satellite verbiage on the rental record folder you received. We appreciate your bringing this matter to our attention. The management involved has been directed to investigate and determine the source of the problem so that appropriate corrective action may be taken.

I like they did reply to my specific complaint. They rate much higher than K-mart in how they responded to me.

I love this survey company. In the last two weeks I've just done two surveys for them. They are always so prompt to pay too!

I have never in my life balanced my chequebook and have no plans to start.

I save off of the top (automatic debit) for retirement, have a small
emergency fund, and keep a healthy balance in my chequing account (I'm blessed I don't live paycheque to paycheque). All my bills but two are taken from my account automatically. The two cheques I write are for the first of the month.

I look at my statements when they come in. Usually I can figure out what I've spent. Never seen anything weird on them. They get then get filed.

I do meet with a financial planner 2 or 3 times a year to go over where my investments are and I may tweak things then. The rest of the time I don't think about it at all. Sometimes I may open a statement but that's what the meeting is for. I don't have to.

I have two short term financial "things to do". One is to figure out approximately my Jan 1 raise and put the entire raise into savings. Once I figure out the added amount I'll get the automatic withdrawals
changed and then I can forget about it again. The other is to bring up my emergency fund to a larger amount. But I get a bonus in Feb most years - so that is on the backburner until then.

I feel wrong doing it this way but it works for me. I have no need to get more exact. My geek side thinks about balancing to the penny but its not interesting to the rest of me. I have no problems doing it this way. If it ends up being a problem I'll change. I refuse to add to my guilt or things to do...

What is it with gas prices?

Every day in the am gas is about $0.88 to $0.90 a litre.

Every day coming home from work gas is around $0.80 to $0.85 cents.

It makes me feel like starting one of those "boycott gas" emails... you know the ones.. Let's not buy gas on Nov 15th.. (picked a day in the past on purpose so not to start one with this rant". I'd of course modify it to don't buy gas before noon. If it is too early to have a drink, its too early to buy gas...

Shouldn't really be complaining too loudly - I bought gas last night *gives self a gold star*. The price on the sign was $0.84 but the price on the pump was $0.82 Woo Hoo!

Was at the grocery store tonight to pick up a couple of things and looked around and realized how many beverages people buy. Flavoured water is big business - be that drinking boxes, pop/coke, juice, milk, coffee or tea from your favourite local coffee house etc...

Want to save money. Drink water or add your own flavouring to water (drink crystals, tea, make pot of coffee at home etc).

Even milk - if budget is important buy powdered milk and make it up yourself. You can get a bag of apples or oranges for what you can pay for a carton of apple or orange juice.

Or realise when you buy the convenient mixed for you products that you are paying for ease and convenience.

That's the name our family uses for our gift exchange game. We play this at our extended family christmas gathering. I think others may have more sedate names for this.

Each adult buys a gift for the exchange. Usually about $20 to $30. Regifting is allowed from prior years. "Action Figure Jesus" has been a feature of our exchange for few years. Each year he shows up again in pristine condition. Seems whoever gets him wants to share the joy...This year other gifts were drill set, memory box, dvd, toaster (my contribution), mixing bowls etc.

Each person draws a number. First person picks from the pile. Second person can steal the first person's gift of pick from the pile. If someone has their gift stolen they can't steal (although in the past we have allowed one "bonus steal" - makes the game go on a long time) but pick from the pile.

We have blast playing this and look forward to it each year. We enjoy it more than exchanging names. Takes a while to play - lots of laughing and joking.. Amd way way more frugal than buying a gift for each person.

For the kids we all contribute toward a gift for each of them and one person gets the wishlists from the parents and buys and wraps for each of them. That way everyone leaves with one gift and the focus is on fun and reconnecting and not on getting stuff.

click on the spreadsheet and the right picture appears

Dangerous retail therapy.

There is a chain of stores here called Len's Mills that sells quilt store fabric for non quilt store prices. Now this is still considerably more than you'll pay for quilt material in the US. Somehow fabric crosses the border and doubles in price. I know we have more taxes here but still it doesn't make sense.

Anyways, headed out to Len's and enjoyed a good couple of hours looking through their material. Bought some more of the yellow and pink that they have that I use for the baby quilts I make. They are running out of it and since they buy closeouts...

I got annoyed by one of the quilt kits they were selling cause the sample shown had different and better quality materials than the actual kit. Too bad because it was really cute. They had another sample that I almost bought the kit for then realised I had a couple of the materials at home (or a close enough substitute) - so I just bought the main fabric.

Picture of the front and the back of quilt I made for my nephew.

Stopped in to a Tim Horton's for a coffee after the quilt store visit and found a coupon insert in a pile of flyers on the table. I scooped the inserts, naturally

For some reason in this market coupon inserts aren't even guaranteed if you get home delivery of the paper - they are almost never in the editions in the stores.

No I have no idea why smart source are stingy with flyers here. Seems a stupid way to promote the companies that advertise through them.

Our extended family Christmas get together was yesterday. A good time was had by all

Total of 23 people - short by three people who weren't there. It was the first Christmas without Mom so I'm counting her as one of the missing. My boyfriend and an uncle didn't make it. Both of them were down with the flu/bad cold. Of the people that were there most were little tikes. The eldest child was 13, then 9, two 5 year old, and one 4,3,2 1 and a 6 month old! It was a lively gathering But at a house that is totally childproofed so no worries there!

We keep the presents down to a minimum. Most of us contribute to the kids gift (each child gets one gift at this event), and each adult brings a gift for the Killer Kringle game that the adults play. Reducing Christmas presents in this way has been a godsend. The focus is on being together rather than "what did I get". My contribution to the Killer Kringle was a toaster Felt like I was going to a bridal shower when I bought that but it was a popular item being stolen at least once - a cousin needs a toaster it seems

My contribution to the food was a make-ahead carrot dish - I've just posted the recipe to recipezaar and am waiting for it to be approved - as I mixed a few recipes together to come up with the finished product. Got lots of good comments on the dish. Easy and not too expensive. Would have been less expensive had I swapped baby carrots for regular carrots and taken the time to cut and peel them, but I was a bit strapped for time.

Went on a bit of a shopping spree last night. My frugal guardian angel must have had the night off.

Liquor store
*3 bottles of wine
*2-4pks of Mikes Light Hard Lemonade

Clothing store
*top on sale that fit really nicely
*necklace and earings to match top

Salvation Army
*two relish dishes to take to family gathering as I dont have any and in case they don't return home

Grocery Store
*toaster for Killer Kringle gift
*containers for Xmas gift
*relish tray items (pickles, onions, olives, mushrooms)
*corn
*carrots and jam for veggie dish for potluck (carrots glazed with citrus)
*chicken wings and pasta salad for supper


Didn't use coupons (though likely not many if any for what I bought). Didn't really shop for the best deal. Let the lady at the clothing store pressure me into the necklace and earings (though they are cute).

It is still raining. I'm tired of it raining.

Last night came home after the vets and my head was pounding. I was so fed up of migraines this week that I took a percocet. The rest of the evening was spent in a happy daze on the couch!

Mao was excellent with his pills and eye drops this morning though he did not seem to be amused when it was done.

Did a quick shop this morning of some of the things I need for tomorrows big family 'do'. I'll do the rest of the errands tonight.