Shopping Trip

I've had a good couple of weeks, financially. Tokes are up, so the paychecks are much better than they were at pretty much any point in 2007. I actually made a few hundred bucks gambling during the Madness, working my mojo at the poker table, and getting about four or five really good dice rolls also, so when the dust settled, I actually had quite a bit more money than I started with. I also made $300 in the poker tourney at the Silverton on Tuesday night, and a couple of anonymous--and very generous--souls hit my tip jar this week, too. So for the first time in several weeks, I don't feel cash-strapped.

Of course, before the Madness even ended, I did a bunch of shopping on that following Monday once I got home from the hotel. I needed new work clothes, badly, so I used my casino winnings to stock up on black pants, black undershirts, and black socks. I also hit up Target and loaded up on stuff like razor blades, body wash, toothpaste, etc. Angy, being the motherly type, told me she was proud of me for not pissing it all away and giving it back to the casino before everyone left town when I saw her later that night. Yep, while all the rest of those buffoons were lounging around in the cabana at the Mirage pool, drinking pina coladas and catching some rays, I was out restocking my cabinets and closet.

Figuring out the middle-of-the-month bills earlier today, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have almost enough in the bank to retire two old higher-interest debts leftover from the bad old days and the aftermath of the tech bubble bursting. If not paid off this Friday, they will certainly be no longer hanging over my head at the end of the month. Oh hell yeah. The relief I feel is amazing. Seriously--it's gonna put almost $200 per month back in my pocket.

And since I have been somewhat diligent in getting myself out from under these shackles of debt, I wanted to reward myself. I must've spent an hour or more yesterday afternoon on the internet shopping for a new cellphone, trying to find the best deal without having to get a new contract--I've been out from under the clutches of the wireless companies for almost three years now, and I'm not about to go back and sign my life away for two more years just to save the cost of a new phone.

But in the end, I decided not to buy a new phone. I need one, my Sony Ericson phone is a complete piece of shiat that has annoyed me since the day I brought it home, and now it's starting to gasp when I use it. I can tell the end is near. But even after putting a new Motorola in my virtual cart, I decided to wait until these latest debts are wiped from the slate once and for all. Then I'll feel like I can truly afford to reward myself with a new electronic gadget.

However, that didn't stop me from spending money last night. I still needed a few things, and I ended up at Sam's Club instead of pressing my luck with the 7:00 pm poker tournament at Planet Hollywood. My plan was to just get the toiletries and household items I missed the first time around--more shaving cream, hand soap, and dishwasher soap. But one can't walk into a warehouse club and stay within their budget. It just doesn't happen.

In addition to the stuff I actually needed, I ended up with a four-pound bag of trail mix, an assortment of Tostitos salsa (I just recently discovered the pineapple-peach salsa on accident, and oh-my-gawd is it ever good!), a six-foot long utility table, and a few padded stack chairs.

Yep, the Man Cave has had no dining room table since we've been here. Our dining area is just a big empty spot with a ceiling fan. So instead of spending the cash on some nice oak furniture, I did the bachelor thing and got the folding church-social table. Actually, it's very handy--I can take it camping if I want, and if I put a table cloth on it, nobody is the wiser while it sits in the dining room. But the main thing is that I wanted a place to spread out and do stuff in view of the TV. My desk is kinda small, and during football season, the laptop is out in the living room all the time anyways. I also like to do jigsaw puzzles, and I've got a few that have just been sitting in the closet, unopened, because I had no place to put them together.

Oh, and I guess we can actually sit there and use it to eat, too, instead of carrying our plates to the living room and using the ottoman as a dining room table. So that trip to Sam's was quite productive, and it only ended up costing me about half of my poker winnings. The rest of it goes into the bank tomorrow--it's earmarked for my truck insurance that's due on Tuesday.

I felt like I did the right thing by paying bills and buying essentials last night instead of paying my way into another poker tourney. Sure, I have confidence in my game, but man, it's a grind sitting there for three hours or more with no guarantees of cashing. But part of me wishes I'd still gone down to Planet Ho, worked my mad skillz in the tournament, and brought home enough to get the IRS off my ass once and for all.

I'll deal with them next month.

Mikey