cold-type ick, Kristin? If it's cold like, grab some Cold-Eeze, stat. Might fend it off so you can enjoy your vacation.

OMG, I am so stupid full of food I think I might 'splode. This is what happens when I go out for both lunch and dinner! And when there's a wedding shower in the office that involves cake!

Man, I miss having savings. We used to have savings. Then we bought a house. That et up the savings and made sure we didn't get too far in replacing them.

OMG. SO FULL, y'all. I think I need to lie down somewhere and just rub my belly for a while.

Not going to find anyone as cool, though.

Aww.... *scuffs toe in dirt*

If it makes you feel better, I'd rather go with you. Bars.... shudder

btw, I still have your tookies.

No, it's good. It's really good. I hope that someday I can get to that point.

Well, I'm really, really cheap, and I only eat out once or twice a week. So that probably does it.

Cash, yeah. It's this fun thing that's been going around--it starts as fatigue and sniffles, turns into a nasty sore throat, and then becomes full-on congestion, cough, headache and general misery. I'm at the fatigue (just woke up from a three-hour nap and am still tired) and sniffles phase. We do have Cold-Eeze, so I'll start sucking on those too.

Well, I'm really, really cheap, and I only eat out once or twice a week. So that probably does it.

Well, sweetie...no, your salary is what probably does it. And the lack of other expenses, which rocks.

btw, I still have your tookies.

Mmm...tookies. I'll shoot you an email presently.

I've got a bunch of money saved, but I'm really not entirely sure how. Income minus rent each month of the school year comes to about $750. Some of that goes to food, probably way too much goes to books, and I guess I really just don't have that many other expenses. I usually end up going through a lot of my savings each summer, though, since I'll usually have at least one month then with no income.

I really didn't mean to come off as a stone bitch here, and I feel like I did. I'm sorry, P-C. My financial angst has nothing to do with you. This is all my baggage.

To be fair to myself, I do have great retirement savings since I've been squirreling away a little bit every paycheck since I got my first job--I just have enough expenses each month that I'm pretty much paycheck-to-paycheck beyond that. It's is my own fault for choosing a career and a city that leads to scraping by.

Thanks, Kristin. It's okay. There's no fault in being a teacher. That's just who you are, and the world is better for it.

Nicole, insent.