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.

Oh, those BASTARDS.

I have overdraft protection through my savings account at the bank. They charge me $3 to transfer funds to cover overdrafts. Apparently, that doesn't count debit transactions. So, last night, they cleared 2 checks THEN the debit transaction, which they bounced and charged me the $25 overdraft fee. They're so getting a call when they open!

Also, now I want a Pumpkin Latte.

I know that rates went up recently. My SiL was scrambling to get a consolidated with a lower rate about two months ago.

I've always considered student loans "good debt", too and haven't worried too much about getting them paid off quickly (but we only had one small one and the interest rate was under 6%).

Olivia has perfected a screaming banshee leap attack on Owen. Whenever he takes a toy from her, she raises her hands in a clawing motion, screeches loudly, and flies towards him. It's freakin' priceless.

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

Halloween is actually getting bigger here.

Let's not talk about student loans so I can pretend I don't have to start dealing with them in January.

My SiL was scrambling to get a consolidated with a lower rate about two months ago.

Yeah. I think the deadline was July 6 or something.