Kat, I'm not computing the epic fail in that scenario. I mean, there's Nutella. My today was supposed to have Nutella.

I wonder if every neighborhood has one.

Reasons like this I hide from my neighbourhood. Most of the people I recognise have gone from my building. I certainly don't know anyone at all outside my building. Hidey hide hide.

I hope my yelling tonight means we never have a repeat.

So, I just did the math, and the tax returns totally offset what I was paying in mortgage vs rent, even taking in what my renting tax return would be. That's eye-opening. And makes me feel better about my suckass financials this year. I actually saved a little. Not like what I was, with home improvement projects eating most of it, but still. I was being hard on myself lately even though I'd given myself permission for a lean 5 years (and in the red 2.) But I'm doing lean at 2. That's good.

My opposite of hiding has brought me 99% joy. Tues-today, I did stuff with/for the neighbors every day. Mostly babysitting, but also margaritas and market. And the new renters moved in this week, so I chatted with 1/2 of them. They are living in chaos at the moment.

I still find this somewhat amazing. I made a concerted effort to put myself out there when I moved here, and I'll fully admit it was hard. First group I met by psyching myself up to go out and introduce when there was a gas leak. And it was damned freaky for me, but you know what? Now I'm babysitting one's kids (and they totally adore me when they usually hate sitters) and have keys to 2 more I can call good friends and we all share cat duty. So worth it. And then the epic snowpocalypsaggeddon yields me today a plan for irish pub on Cinco de Mayo (since we did mexican on St.P) and am gonna get an original purple sink out of it!

The epic fail was in agreeing to do something then flaking. I hate when I do that. But I had no elegant way of taking my friend who was in town to this event. So I just bailed.

And then rewarded myself with a delicious breakfast.

I love that I have keys to loads of neighbors' houses. And they are all willing to help with Bartleby whenever.

As I was helping out in the Monkey's Uncle today, lots for friends and neighbors called out and waved as they passed the store, or came in to howdy. It made helping the fellows out even more fun.

One couple came in looking for maternity clothes. The wife said, "Oh, Hi Doggy Lama!" The husband came in later and did the same.

I'm ashamed to say I would not have known them from the next guy...especially since they saw briefly at an event last JULY!!

How do people do that?

I think you did the smart thing, Kat. And the yummy and friendy one.

What's TBI, sara?

I walked over 27 miles this week. Huh.

Amy, I'm pretty sure that stands for Traumatic Brain Injury.

I walked over 27 miles this week.

Traumatic brain injury.

Marathon plus, shrift!

Ah! I knew there was something I wasn't getting, and from your first post all I could think was "Total Boundary Issues." Which I assumed was wrong!

That's a lot of walking for someone not operating at 100%, shrift.