What's in your wallet?

This is my horoscope for yesterday...

"With the current astral environment, your professional and financial interests could suddenly take a turn for the better, Maureen. Any difficulties you may have been having may seem to disappear as if by magic, Maureen, and whatever work you're involved with, either career-oriented or projects of your own, should suddenly seem to be running a lot more smoothly. Physically you should be feeling strong and energetic, and optimism and enthusiasm are likely to permeate your thoughts right now. Onward and upward!"

Ok-the "physically you should be feeling strong and energetic" is crap because I've been sidled with the back and neck pain throughout the holidays. Of course now that the back pain has subsided substantially...as well as the neck, I've seemed to have had my former "cold" returned to me, either that or the "alleged cold in my neck" grew into my chest and head leaving me with no vocal ability yesterday.

Regardless...this shant turn into an episode of the Golden Girls as my name is NOT Sophia Petrillo and there is no cheesecake in the immediate vacinity!

Dude, did you read the part about the money?!?! I have to admit that I am not what one would consider "a financial whiz." In fact, if you looked at my financials you might think someone took a whiz on them! A few years ago, Maggie and I drove Katie back to school in New York City. We took a walk on the promenade, and on our way back we found a flimsy sign made of cardboard that said: Palm Reading $10. Figuring, "hey, it's Sunday, and being 3 Catholic girls in need of some spiritual guidance...what better way to do that than to pay some cheeseball whackadoo to look at our hands and tell us our fortunes?" I think she was right over a Chinese restaurant, so she probably just stole all the unused fortune cookies from the trash out front and then plaigarized the words of Buddah to make her living. Regardless, we got sucked in for kicks, and then could talk of nothing else the rest of the time there...which was all of an hour...but we still bring it up from time to time. So we go into this woman's studio apartment/fortune telling shack and she has literally no furniture. The rug is a deep maroon color (which unless I'm in a Chinese restaurant I don't understand why you would have a red rug?) and there is this one table thingy in the middle that we stayed at while taking turns learning the future of our lives. Meanwhile, she brought us to an alcove in the corner of the room and there was a table with a dirty ashtray and a couple of folding chairs. I love that I was trusting the spoilers of my future to this windbag...but whatever. She told me to ask a question without saying it out loud. Done. Then she went on to tell me that the answer to my question was the least of my worries, as it would pan out ultimately the way I wanted it to (yeah, it didn't but I'm over it...or maybe it DID and ultimately I'm fine with it...spooky!). She said that more importantly what I should focus on was my "wealth." Yeah, I'll focus on that which does not exist! She went on to tell me (in between puffs of her Benson & Hedges Menthol 100...that I would be in no financial trouble in a matter of only 7 years. Wow! Thanks...only 7 years in debt up to my eyeballs...only 7 more years of living paycheck to paycheck...only 7 more years of wondering whether I should pay my student loan or my car this week. Awesome...thank you voodoo lady...I know that no matter what actions come up in the next 7 years...I'm good...because I'll be fine in only 7 years. Granted that could mean that I'm dead...but as long as I'm debt free...who cares!!??

At any rate, 2 years later and too MUCH money spent on ridiculous overdraft fees and kleenex to sop up my tears of poverty...I'm starting to make some changes. I've started another savings account with the bank I have my checking account with. I know this sounds elementary...but I need to protect myself from myself! I've been somehow able to come out of the Holiday season without debt, and without those little overdraft notices that have no use to me whatsoever. I've decided to heck with the 7 year plan...I want to be set BY 2007! I'm even planning on a little extra money taken for my 410K...but I'll let you know as soon as I figure out what that means (please know that was meant to be sarcastic!).

All in all, things are on the upswing for Mo this year. It's all about not stopping at Target everyday on the way home...or drinking as much as I used to...and even though I'm mad at them I think that deep down *NSync is doing THEIR part for my finances because they haven't toured or put out a new album in a ridiculous amount of time...I'm not spending tons of money on cd's and concert tickets and hotel rooms and hot dogs and white castle and the squire and firkin and marionettes and rickshaw rides and such. Thanks *NSync for helping with my financial success, I knew I could always count on you!