And the world goes round and round

Yep, it keeps on spinning, and my life continues to spin with it. One day I keep thinking it will settle down and stop being a top, but I'm not too optimistic about that anymore.

So my cuz is better, although very skinny. She lost a lot of weight in the month that she was sick, so now I'm trying to fatten her up. (At the same time that I'm trying to lose weight again - makes cooking interesting.) She got fired from her job bartending, not a huge deal as she wanted to leave anyway, but a crappy thing to do when she was really ill.

As a result, we're basically living on my income right now. I joked before about feeling like a single parent when she was ill and I was coming home and taking care of her, trying to make her drink and eat. But now it's more about working overtime to meet the bills and feeding 2 people and 2 cats on about $50 a week. (Surprisingly, I'm doing it. I am the master bargain grocery shopper, I am, I am.) She's looking for a job, but it's going to be tough. Discrimination in hiring is outlawed in this country, but I know what she's going to face as a transgender person trying to get an office or retail job.

You know what's kind of strange about being really skint? I eat tons better than when I have more money. I don't drink nearly as much wine (maybe once or twice a week, and then only a bottle). I eat fresh meat and vegs and fruits, flavored with herbs and spices and sauces. I cook from scratch, not from a box. Maybe I should write a new diet book, but what could I call it? The Money Diet is already taken. Maybe "The Overdraft Diet" or "Skint Is Slimming; a Budget Diet". Anyway, I've been eating well and have lost 3.5 lbs since Saturday. Not too shabby.

And the money picture is filling in well. Working overtime this week and next, I'll have all the bills paid up to date, rent paid up to date, and money for my weekend excursion to New York to meet up with the internet freaks. But then, of course, I had to cut it close to the bone again - I got a Movado watch that I've been lusting after for years off eBay yesterday for less than $200. I'm super excited to get it, but of course it does make things a bit tighter again for next week. Ah, well, you only live once and I intend to enjoy it as much as possible!

In other news, my car Bianca suddenly decided to go again, so that's put off the repair costs there for a bit. Thank God I don't drive that much anymore, because gas prices here are getting really ridiculous. I know they're not as bad as a lot of places in the world, but they've increased dramatically and I know that it's hurting a large segment of the population.

I've finally got a security pass for the building and office, even if it is only a temp one. I got it 2 weeks ago to work over the weekend and was supposed to give it back on the Monday, but of course I didn't. I'm a bad, bad temp and I still have it. And I intend to keep it until the person in charge of the security cards asks for it, with the full support of the group I'm working with. So there! Bwahahahahaha! I think she knows I still have it, though, and just doesn't want to say anything. We'll see.

Our cable went out at home, so no internet there until I pay it on Friday. Actually, the cable company kind of screwed up. At first, we still had the first 13 channels, enough to keep us mildly entertained. Then, all of a sudden, yesterday the rest of the channels up to the 60s started working. I was very excited thinking that maybe, just maybe the broadband would be working again, but alas, no dice. So I'll just have to suffer and watch crap tv and Netflix movies until Friday.

Still no BSG. Haven't seen him for at least 2 weeks now, maybe 3. Either he's going in earlier or he's moved. Maybe he's trying to avoid me. Maybe he wasn't really flirting with me at all. Maybe he even moved to get away from me. Alright, that might be going a bit far. It would be nice to see him again, though.

And to end, here is my new addiction: http://animal.discovery.com/cams/pandavidr.html. Go watch the panda cub. Especially if you're in a crap mood. And don't say I never gave ya nuthin', alright?!