Tears for Tiers

Total Black: $3,163.08
Total Red: $270,855.95

Having a job that does not require weekend hours leaves me with much more free time than I’ve had in years.  That free time has freed me to read a few of the other blogs out there that chronicle the current state of the legal profession.  A few have included this blog on their blogroll.  Aside: I never instituted a blogroll.  I noted back in Fiftieth Post that I wasn’t much of a blog-reader.  Tides are turning a bit. 

Lifestyle Changes

Total Black: $106.99
Total Red: $252,067.04

News alert: the International Monetary Fund wants Americans to change our lifestyles.  In an article in the Wall Street Journal, “IMF Urges U.S. to Consider Higher Taxes, Social Security Cuts,” journalist Tom Barkley reported that the IMF encouraged the U.S. to take strong steps to cure our budget deficits.  “Spending cuts aren’t sufficient, the IMF said, and it suggested a number of politically difficult ways of reducing debt, including eliminating the popular deduction for interest on mortgages, raising energy taxes, reducing Social Security benefits or imposing a national consumption tax.”  C-SPAN reported on its Open Phones program this morning that the IMF’s annual review was a call for lifestyle changes within the US.  So . . . spin or straight-talk? 

Positive Thinking

Total Black: $524.93
Total Red: $228,517.33

I spoke with my mother tonight.  She wanted to know whether I’ve decided anything yet regarding the rapidly-approaching October deadline when my lease ends.  I hinted in a prior post, Mothers, that I might have to return home and move back in with my mother if something doesn’t come through soon here in Manhattan.  It would be ruinous to renew my lease at $2,000 / month and invite potential liability particularly without a secured source of income.  But it also seems potentially disastrous to return home to Scranton where there’d clearly be fewer job opportunities.  My mother’s advice was to pray.  As I listened, I started wondering whether prayer and positive thinking were similar.  I mean, isn’t prayer, that surgery goes well, for example, or that a job comes though—isn’t that sort of a way of thinking positively about the situation?  Clearly positive thinking puts you in the driver’s seat while prayer does not, but fundamentally they seem more alike than different.  My mother assured me that plenty of people were praying for me that things would work out soon.  I joked of the old adage that when God closes a door, somewhere he opens a window.  “Well,” I said, “if so, He needs to spray some windex on that window because I can’t see out.”  She didn’t laugh.

Slow Going

Total Black: $175.62
Total Red: $228,464.16

Had a brief but short-lived drop in total red this morning.  For the past few days, my bank’s software hasn’t been updating account information from SallieMae.  This morning I decided to get it working.  When I did, my total red dropped by roughly $4,000.  “Woo-hoo,” I thought!  “Progress!”  See, back in 2008, I used a portion of the firm’s severance package to pay off one of my smaller private loans—approximately $1,200.  I needed some feeling of accomplishment, so rather than splurge on needless goods, in a moment of clarity, I opted to pay off a debt.  (Starting this blog was a similar moment.  Sadly most of my life they’ve been rare.)  So earlier this morning I thought perhaps this whole time some software error hadn’t updated the bank’s number to reflect that loan as paid in full.  Alas, no such luck.  Turned out that only two of the three remaining private loans were showing.  So I deleted the account and re-added it.  That time it took.  Back at roughly $228K total debt.

Buy Me a Beer?

Total Black: $310.07
Total Red: $228,363.23

So . . . you wanna buy me a beer?  How about it?  You choose: domestic or import, tap or bottle.  I’ll be sure to toast your good health as I drink it down. Go ahead.  Click on the glass.  You know you want to.

Just Another Day

Total Black: $233.98
Total Red: $228,020.61

Racing against the clock again.  Not a good day today.  Not sure why either.  Just feeling down.  Drained.  Maybe I’ll discover my male “menstrual cycle” if I indicate down days in these blogs.  A pattern might emerge.  Updates on the money-raising front: the Quasi-Roommate might stop by tomorrow to check out the apartment and discuss the possible two-night arrangement I discussed in a previous entry.  No confirmation on that yet though.  I did get confirmation earlier today though for participating in a Wall Street Journal marketing survey group.  About a week ago I received a pretty random email inviting me to participate in a research focus group, and in return for two hours of time, participants get $200 in cash.  Umm…yeah…I said “sign me up.”  That’s a one-off source (at least for now—the marketing representative said they’d put me in the system for any additional groups I match).

Monthly payment to the IRS was due yesterday.  Don’t have the money or credit to make the payment.  The number of calls from credit card companies increased today.  Still working on those tasks for my colleague.  Difficulty with working for people you’re friendly with is broaching the subject of payment.  It was the last topic we discussed and we didn’t discuss when he would pay me. Getting really worried about this month’s finances.  Rent is $2,000 / month.  It’s a lot, but not for Manhattan.  Obviously the number above show that I can’t pay the rent yet.  But I still have until the 1st of the month.  Despite all that, I read somewhere that thinking positive takes effort.  It’s not something that just happens, but is, instead, a practice or mind-set.   So this blog (and your comments) helps keep that at the forefront of my thoughts.