Budget

I have put myself on a budget. Not to control my wild spending or anything (I'm too poor for that) but rather to be able to afford to eat while I'm in europe. I did not think saving a reasonable amount of money was going to be this hard but it seems that even though I have cut out extra spending I still can't seem to keep any money in my savings account.

So I have taken the added step of putting myself on a limited budget in hopes of fixing this issue. On Monday of each week I will take out $100 in cash and that is all the money I can spend that week (food, going out, shopping, etc). Bills of course will still be coming out of my account but that is all. Let's hope this all works out and helps to control some of my freaking out.

heat wave

This past week going to work everyday has been a major struggle for me. It is not always a joyful prospect but normally I'm indifferent. This week that was not the case. So I've been trying to figure out what was different about this week and I've decided the weather is to blame. Starting last weekend LA has been experiencing a heat wave. It was 90 something for 3 days and all I wanted to do was sit in the sun.

Having to be inside at a job all day is one thing when the weather is not so great but the summer weather just makes me realize how much I am missing.

It's suppose to drop back down into the high 60's / low 70's again - Maybe that will help.

READ IT

This article made my head hurt but it does a really good job at making sense of the whole AIG mess (and then some). Warning: it will make you mad.

that's awkward

I like to think that I'm not that awkward of a person. I know I have my moments and am by no means suave (do people still use that term?). But all and all I would say I do ok for myself in social situations. For whatever reason though when I'm talking to someone who is very awkward I become increasingly awkward around them. I'm not sure what it is but it is not ok. Maybe I'm trying to match their level of awkward to make things less weird, or am thrown off by them entirely. This happened fairly recently and it was disturbing. My head was totally aware that what I was saying and how I was saying it was awkward but I could not snap myself out of the awkwardness. I just kept saying weird things that made it seem like this was maybe the third conversation I had ever had with a person. Maybe this is normal maybe it is impossible to remain normal when talking to an awkward person? I don't like it though; it makes me feel like I regressed back to my middle school level of social interaction.

flickR

I updated my flickr...check it.

long weekend

I love having a Monday off over a long weekend. It always feels like I some how sneakily avoided going to work ;)

bitching

Things I hate about going to the doctor (or dentist) in LA -

1. It takes at least a month to get an appointment for a check up (if nothing is wrong with you). Depending on who your doctor is it can still take 3 weeks even if you tell them you may have a potentially deadly illness (ok, I'm exaggerating a little).
2. They think it is a perfectly acceptable solution to just send you to a clinic when they can't fit you in. (to be fair I did call around and got an appointment next day but still!)
3. If you are trying to go to a gynecologist there is often a 3 month wait for an exam. I can't say how long it would take to get an emergency gynecological appointment and I hope I never find out.
4. If you need blood work or cultures done here they will send you to a lab facility, usually in a totally different location (and depending on what you are having done the lab will often send you home with a fun little do-it-yourself kit). I have been told this is not just an LA thing but I still don't understand it.
5. They have very limited hours. My most recent experience with the medical system has proven this wrong somewhat, as the place I ended up going opened at 8am. My dentist however does not take appointments before 10am. The first doctor I went to here opened at 9am but the doctor did not show up till sometime after 9:30. It is also very difficult to get a morning appointment. They usually all close by 5pm.

Ok, I realize I am bitching but I think some of these things are legitimately annoying.