Sproing!

That would be me, springing forward after a good night’s sleep. Thus begins the two- to three-week period of adjustment which is the onset of DST.

As I posted on Facebook, I am so thankful that I do not have to explain DST to a small herd of dairy goats, whose udders ran on a schedule all their own. And who let me [and the neighbors] know if I was one minute later than they thought I should be.

In the spirit of leveraging technology, I just discovered the shopping list feature which accompanies the online weekly specials at a grocery store to which I have a reward card. I opted to read the text-only version, which is neatly categorized, and in half the time it takes me to browse through the print version that arrives in my mailbox weekly, I had compiled and printed a list of three items to take to the store after work tomorrow. I cherry-pick at that store, buying items only when their specials are less than what I would spend at my regular grocery store, or if I need something they carry which is not carried elsewhere. [Which reminds me that I am out of Texmati rice; I need to scribble that on the list as well.]

I have dutifully clicked on the pink button for donating mammograms, which is a nice way to begin the day. Can’t quite decide what I want for breakfast this morning; it’s good to have so many options.

I was talking with my friend Jill about incremental progress on our respective financial goals. I am nearing the end of the first quarter of strict budgeting, and I am looking forward to getting the quarterly statement from my credit union early next month, showing how much I’ve paid off and what remains to be paid. I have an spreadsheet here at home to track my progress.

I can feel myself reaching that point where I tell myself I’ve been good for a very long time, and I deserve a splurge. And bonus time is fast approaching, which tends to knock a hole in my financial self-discipline because all of a sudden there is money!!! that does not have to go for rent or utilities or gasoline or comestibles. It is the time of year when the song of the eBay is heard throughout the land: come away, my love [and bring your PayPal with you].

I think it just might be different this year. She has way more self-discipline than I do, and I am hoping to learn from her good example. One of the things that she does, and I think I want to follow this example, is to put up beans in quart jars for an instant dinner. X amount of dried beans, Y amount of boiling water on top of them, pressure canned for Z minutes. Much cheaper than the canned beans that I love [which are on the shopping list for tomorrow night], and all I would need would be a pan of cornbread to have a complete protein. Plus, the jars are reusable, while the cans need to be recycled. Cheap, fast, and easy. Unlike me.

I did do one small splurge yesterday. I bought a small bottle of pancake mix, the kind where you add water, shake, and pour. Generic, of course. So this morning I have spent half an hour or so frying up pancakes in real butter, since the first ones in each batch are always meh until you get the temperature right. I will wrap up the ones I don’t eat, which will be the vast majority of them, and save them for later in the week. And I will wash and save the container for the next batch.

Mmm, breakfast is was ready, in a small lake of real, grade B maple syrup, which I prefer to the gourmet stuff. And it was good. I will definitely do this again, and soon.

I am going to have to get creative with the church knitting today, as the yarn I wanted to use, needs to be wound into a ball, and my ball-winder is on the far side of the studio with about 15 boxes between me and it, and the needles I would need are midway, inside the armoire which I cant get into because of those same boxes.

And I am going to have to get moving, because I have a meeting with Bishop in about an hour and a half.