...I've seen it a thousand times on make-overs on tv. They usually ALWAYS shorten an older woman's hair and the result is that she looks younger somehow.

My Official Makeover Theory is that dramatic change is what is attractive. If you could give a short-haired woman long wavy flowing locks everyone would love that too.

And a side of pie maybe?

Mmmmm. Pie!

See, initially I read this as Ple. And it still made perfect sense.

Meanwhile - Yay! Half Term Holiday! Yay! AND I'm going on holiday! To Egypt! Which - yes, I could have gone somewhere new, but I left a suitcase with my neighbour, and this way I get to go and pick up stuff, see friends, NOT spend lots of money on accommodation/doing stuff and then it means I don't need to go home via there at Christmas (which was my plan), and that frees Christmas up for going home via Germany, with my wee sister. Christmas markets. Carols. Mulled wine. Gingerbread. Yay! Germany is a more festive bet than Egypt, gotta say...

Did I tell you that they don't make pumpkin spice lattes at the Starbucks here? They laughed at me in the store when I asked for it! Laughed, I say! It was a crushing disappointment, as that is my favorite Starbucks drink.

Germany is a more festive bet than Egypt, gotta say...

It so is! If you go to berlin, they have multiple little *villages* of Christmas. It's awesome. Great place for gift-shopping too. And you seriously can't beat crepes with nutella made right in front of you while it's snowing.

I'm surprised your rate on your loans is that high. You should be able to do better than that. Unless you have no other debt, I'm not sure that's the greatest use of your money.

Is 7% high for this type of loan?

Well, I've only ever taken the standard deduction before because it's more than I would get by, say, deducting loan interest.

It seems to me that when I was paying off my student loans, they had me pinned against a woolly mammoth there was no deduction at all, but I could be uphill-in-wintertime-barefooting that memory.

Gronk.

I mean, TIMELIES!

Everyone needs to wake and play with me for the next hour, 'cause I don't think I see the Internet again until dinnertime. Crazy over-scheduled self!

Gronk. I didn't sleep well at all last night between Teacup Guy snoring and my coughing fits. I can' convince myself that getting out of bed is a good idea, but I can't fall back to sleep.

Damn, that was a nail-biter of a game at the end.

DH was watching the game--I don't normally watch but the end was so exciting, I had to. Wow. Go Cards!

Did I tell you that they don't make pumpkin spice lattes at the Starbucks here? They laughed at me in the store when I asked for it! Laughed, I say! It was a crushing disappointment, as that is my favorite Starbucks drink.

Pumpkin is not popular in Europe, sadly. It's a decidedly American taste. My Iranian friend says Persians call them "lazy zucchini" and don't really eat them, either.

The lack of pumpkin and Halloween might be the only thing that turns me off of Ireland.

I'm going to Pittsburgh later today to visit a girlfriend from college. DH gets to spend the whole weekend by himself with the kids. They should all be alive when I return but my expectations for how the house will look are not high.

Oh, Cashmere, have fun!

Cindy, the deduction is pretty recent - maybe the last three or four years?

My loans originally started at 8.5 or so, but in the consolidation frenzy of the past five years, there are some much better rates available. I think I now pay 4.5, which has made things much less of a burden.

It seems to me that when I was paying off my student loans, there was no deduction at all, but I could be uphill-in-wintertime-barefooting that memory.

They made student loan interest deductible the year after I paid off all my loans.