That magic number

My bank account balance and my credit card debt are at the moment roughly equal. I'm at that magic number!

And last week I got my "stimulus check" from the U.S. govt. (So-named because we're supposed to do our patriotic duty, spend it at Walmart, and save the U.S. economy. Like when we went to the mall and saved ourselves from terrorism after the 2001 terrorist attacks by buying new pants.)

Despite the magic number, I propose that we all donate a portion of these checks to worthy causes. The govt. ought to spend this "stimulus" money on homeless people, who it serves very poorly in general, so I'm giving $50 of my check to Coalition for the Homeless. And another $50 to Barack Obama's campaign so that we can get out of endless war. The rest I will use to maintain my magic number. Screw consumption on government orders!

Who will you give your "stimulus" money to?

(By the way, did you know that if you're not currently registered for credits at a university, you can't get a student loan? Huh.)

Canoe NJ

Yesterday we canoed on the Wading River in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. As a little kid, I drove through the Pine Barrens with my Mom. We stopped at a diner in what seemed like the middle of the night, and Mom told me that the people in the next booth, who appeared from their dress and hairstyles to be living in the nineteenth century, were Pineys. Since then, I've been fascinated by the Pine Barrens, and I wanted to take CC there.

On the river yesterday, we saw no Pineys but did see lots of moss. CC took my picture with some giant moss. The moss provided us with moral examples of success against adversary. CC was sad about our impending move from our lovely house (I am too), but we canoed past an island of all moss, and I said, "Look at that moss, I bet it was sad when it had to start growing on that island, but now look at it!" I hope that she felt inspired by the moss. I did!

We canoed around some islands in the Wading and up a narrow, nearly impassable branch of the river. This enabled me to demonstrate my canoeing special technique, which I call "move it out of the way." In this technique, when we come to an obstacle in our path I climb out of the canoe and into the river, then wrestle the fallen tree branch or whatever is blocking the river onto the bank. Then return to canoe and proceed with paddling. This technique is not endorsed by the Ontario Recreational Canoeing Association.

When it started to rain a lot, we were undaunted, because we knew that in just an hour a bus from the canoe livery was coming to pick us up. Not like the night we were stuck at the Lake of Stimulus, home of the World's Largest Leech.

Later yesterday, I fell in a cranberry bog. Then we left the Pine Barrens and bought ice cream from an insolent teenager. Today I have a cold, yuck!

House girl

I am not working on my dissertation. I have to do more stuff to it before I file it in a few months. But right now I am like, 'F you, people, I am not working on it.'

So I need a new professional identity. This could be being CC's house girl. While CC works all day, I could clean the house and make cookies and move the plants around the dining room and that kind of stuff. Then, when she is done working, I could say, "Honey, how was your day?"

But CC refuses to do this.

Despite her refusal, yesterday I went to the grocery store in the morning and bought lots of groceries. Many old ladies shop at 11 am. Also house girls! I felt a sense of accomplishment. (Groceries pictured.) Right now I am doing the dishes (pictured).