aha...well...that changes things...

My dear, sweet husband wants to buy me an iPod. This would, of course, be purchased with my money technically, because the poor slob hasn't worked in years, but you get the idea. We were thinking that the tax return would be a nice time to indulge. I've been hemming and hawing about it, because I'm looking ahead 6 months to the ole hopeful move...grown-up priorities and all that. Adding to the itch to indulge myself is the fact that I recently won 2 $25 Target gift cards at work...

But in the back of my mind, I was hoping, while simultaneously thinking that my employee stock options may lend us some much-needed help come move time. Figured I was reaching, but hey, you gotta have hope. My company switched from some obscure holding company to eTrade recently, and I've finally been able to access the system and get a look at my holdings.

Reality has set in.

I have 290 vested options (out of 800, a nice chunk, though I have no clue if I keep them if/when I leave the company), which in this economy would net me a whopping $23 and change right now.

OK. Regroup. Perhaps a Shuffle.

Probably not...I'm an old fart and like my screens, like to be able to see what the hell's going on with my playlists. Though my mom's the scattiest broad I know, and she's got a Shuffle, so can't be too difficult to handle /:)

I'm patient where music is concerned...hell, it took me 2 years after Dad before I could even listen to music again. What I'm not patient about is living in Florida. That will drive my decisions for the next year. Every blasted $4 cup of Starbucks comes with baggage now, every lazy decision to eat out rather than in. We won't discuss how it always should have that baggage (I mean, please, when did it become OK to spend $4+ for a morning latte?), as the point here is that I'm recognizing a new maturity in my financial decisions. There's a pitiful irony in the fact that I checked my credit report recently and it's looking better because I passed the 10-year mark on my bankruptcy. I'm forty-frickin'-years old! ::sigh:: anyway...

So the move's going to have to happen with good old-fashioned hard work and saving. I'm a little worried now, but I sure don't shy away from a fight, so bring it, life—I'm ready.