Crossing my fingers...

I signed all the papers yesterday, and my realtor is submitting my offer on my very first condo! Freaking out a little bit at the thought of mortgage payments every month...it's definitely going to be a lifestyle change. But on the other hand I've spend countless hours amusing myself at work today by surfing Ikea. I have visions of hardwood floors, pedestal sinks, and glass tile backsplashes dancing through my head.

Soapbox time!

First of all, I am tipsy. Yes, today was a company lunch day. And as has become my tradition with these company lunch outings, I got a bit toasted. Tanked if you will. Perhaps 2 sheets to the wind. It all began with the lovely cocktail, then the champagne... Anyway, I have come to the realization that there is no use fighting it at these things. Plus, it makes everyone else so much more interesting.

Today I would like to climb onto my soapbox for a rant about weddings and all the ridiculous, self-centered, materialistic, entitled attitudes that go along with it. But rather than go on and on myself, please read this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/fashion/24skin.html?_r=1&ref=fashion&oref=slogin

I realize that this article represents an extreme, but it serves to illustrate my point in a dramatic way: weddings are ridiculous affairs, and brides are entirely too self-centered and materialistic. Just because you're getting married does not mean that the world has stopped and suddenly centered its axis around you. It does not mean that you have a right to expect your friends and family to spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on you, or to expect people to be at your beck and call. It should be about celebrating your life with your partner, and not about seeing how much swag you can get out of it. It does not mean that the world suddenly has to look the way you think it should, or that your friends should be tortured by wearing ugly dresses and layers of disgusting foundation. I think everyone needs to wake up and remember what a wedding should really be about: two people, celebrating their love and commitment. It's a bonus if your friends and family celebrate with you.

Deal of the day tip: Happy hour! Have a favorite, expensive restaurant, but you can't afford to go there once a week, or even once a month? Call them up and see what kind of happy hour deals they have!!

Gasp...I've joined the hordes

Yes, I have joined the blogosphere. Not because I think my life is particularly interesting or because I think people are waiting with baited breath to fall upon the pearls of wisdom that fall from my fingers, but because I entertain certain notions of grandeur. For example, I believe I am the one of the greatest, if not the greatest, deal hunters in the world. You want to know how to get 2 for 1 tickets on Fandango? I can tell you. Want to go to Europe but you think our dollar is just too weak? Think again. I can get you there for cheap, and keep you on a budget when you're there! Second, I find cool stuff to do. And I figure, I can't do all of it, so why shouldn't I share my cool-stuff-to-do finding skills with the world wide web? Finally, I like to get on a soapbox once in a while. Blame it on genetics. Oh, I almost forgot. I also have a newly discovered skill as a "hypermiler," although I will humbly admit that I am nowhere near as talented as the true experts.

So today's deal of the day tip will be (combined with a travel tip): Planning a trip? Spend some time surfing fare consolidators, but don't forget Orbitz. I've found some of my best deals on Orbitz with diligent surfing. But snatch the good fare up as soon as you see it, because it will probably be gone the next day. For example, this past February my sister and I went to Switzerland for $500 roundtrip...AND we were in economy plus.

Best mileage/gallon to date: 38.6 mpg