Am I a loser for voluntarily staying home on a Friday night to read Lovecraft and watch funny cat videos while my husband plays a video game? I don't think so. Mostly I think I'm doing my part for cinching in the finance belt. Yes, that 2 weeks abroad was expensive but most of it was paid off before we left and it had been planned for almost a year. Still, it was a little more expensive than I wanted it to be. I suppose that's how all working vacations are.

Then there is my husband's reorg. This happens a lot at his company. He has a new boss, new schedule and between it and the previously mentioned trip, we have had to come to a hard conclusion: we cannot afford the trip to see his parents at Thanksgiving. He won't have the time in vacation days or in his new schedule and both of us are looking hard at our budgets. Especially with two known needed/wanted family visits in early next year.

Christmas is mostly bought for. Replacement clothes for winter are bought. The kitties are doing well—medicated but well. Really, Jeff and I have a decent chance of pulling ourselves out of this potentially not good situation.

A lot of it has to do with some of my "oh, thank goodness" pays-the-bills work. It isn't a lot of hours but it is good pay and it allows me to continue writing. I think all the bugs are out of the system (setup on projects can be such a b*tch sometimes). So, when more stuff comes my way, it will be done in decent order.

Someday, royalties may kick in for my various projects but those are still somewhat mythical. Other writing projects are steady but, you know, don't pay that well. It's a really good thing I love the writing I'm doing. And almost every bit of silver that crosses my palm goes to pay a bill.

So, you know what? I can handle Lovecraft and funny cat videos over an expensive dinner (oh, how I love them) and a movie in a theater full of people.