Both of my younger siblings own homes, are married, have children and pets. While I just have a pet. It doesn't make them or me any better than the other, we've just had different life paths.

Would I like to own a home right now? Yes and no. I think it will eventually happen, but I'm not going to beat myself up for not meeting some external (mine or society's) timeline.

I'm a bohemian. My brother is a little old man who already scans his face for wrinkles. Right now, I wouldn't trade, but I can relate, Bug. Mos def. ETA: On a more shallow note, remind me to not skip trims...dude. Probably lost twenty pounds of hair. On the whole growing-it-out thing, still a not-so-much.

Ok. Got the sewing machine to kind of cooperate. The day is looking up. I might finish The World's Ugliest Quilt (TM) by Wednesday after all.

Both of my brothers are going to own houses before me. Both of my brothers are going to be grownups before me.

My 77 year old father-in-law and his 73 year old wife must still be children. My paternal grandfather was nearly 91 when he died. He never owned a house. My maternal grandmother owned houses at different times, but not consistently through adulthood, and not for the last years of her life.

Seriously, could either of your brothers handle all the grown up issues you've been dealing with in an extremely mature manner, for I don't know how many years? Seriously. Could they handle what you're doing AND buy houses?

yay Matt is at the oakland airport. that's almost home for those of you playing along

So, sudddenly, my "Available Balance" is about $2000 less ($2030.03 to be exact) than my "Ledger Balance" in my checking account. It's usually about $5 lower.

I have two possible interpretations for this:

1) Apple has charged my new computer to my debit card, and the charge hasn't been detail-reported yet. This is a happy idea, because it means my computer would probably ship tomorrow - a good two weeks before the "estimated ship date." This is not exactly a pipe dream, either - others with my ship date (and later) have confirmed shipment already.

2) Something really screwy is going on. This is a bad.

Other ideas? Does the stuff in 1 happen like that?

Hullo loves. The Maidengurl and K-Bug show is hilarious and most fun. I recommend it for everyone. (Although sometimes they're a bit TOO perceptive as I'm trying to play it cool in front of a boy.)

Yay for Deena house-having!

vw, I'm never planning to own. I like the freedom of renting, actually.

Both of my brothers are going to own houses before me. Both of my brothers are going to be grownups before me.

I suck. I feel like a total failure. This is not a good day.

My baby brother (5 years younger than me) is now married, just bought a house, and is the executive chef of a highly successful restaurant.

I'm single, rent, and not an executive anything. But I don't feel like a failure. Comparisons will get me nowhere. And most importantly, I don't believe some dictum which says I have to be married and have a mortgage and a high-powered career for my life to be "successful."

It's taken me quite a while to come to terms with that, but -- being a "success" is only what *you* define it as. You can decide that home ownership is the sine qua non for being a successful adult, and that's totally up to you.

But I think about your school, and those incompletes you finished, and the persistence in attendance that led to the iPod Of Reward, and the fact that you're working at the same time as being in school, and you're a good friend -- you're a GREAT friend, unless people around these parts are lying -- and you do all that while dealing with very real hurdles in your life.

Or, I should say, you do all that VERY WELL while dealing with very real hurdles in your life.

"Failure" is reeeeeeeeeallllly NOT the word that comes to mind when I think of you.

Gris: If the amount that is missing is equal to what you were charged for the computer (plus any other purchases you may have made since the last update), it is most likely 1). As long as you have enough cash left to live on, don't freak out until you see the detailed report.

vw: what Steph said. SO not a failure. You are in fact an inspiration.

1) Apple has charged my new computer to my debit card, and the charge hasn't been detail-reported yet. This is a happy idea, because it means my computer would probably ship tomorrow - a good two weeks before the "estimated ship date." This is not exactly a pipe dream, either - others with my ship date (and later) have confirmed shipment already.

It's probably this - that's frequently what I see when a debit card purchase is going through.