Today I am FIFTY

Unbelievable.

I have avoided thus far all decoration of my desk with black crepe paper, balloons and tombstones. Thank god. I did score a very yummy Snickers cake courtesy my co-workers, and a funny card.

I also thus far have avoided any gifts, except for Grandma's annual check which arrived yesterday. Steve says his gift is my plane ticket to the party in Tucson. Guess those diamond earrings will be on me. Which is fine. Turning 50 means giving myself what I deserve! Prolly they will not be real diamonds. I will check out the lab-made ones, but if I can't find them in white, will look at other alternatives. Half-carat sparklers on the ears. White gold setting. If a pair does not turn up in a little box

I don't much feel 50. Well, right now I do because it's almost 5 o'clock and I was at a show ("Wicked") in Tampa until midnight last night. So I'm tired. And get to go straight from work to St. Boniface vestry meeting. Woo-HOO!

Mark, the nice guy who works the front desk at the Y, said "WOW!" to me as I left the locker room this morning. No, I was not naked. I was wearing long jeans, high-heeled boots and a sweater over a brown lace-trimmed cami. I thought I looked pretty cute, too!

Anyway, serious party is not until Jan. 28 in Tucson. I expect family only. None of my friends, sadly. Kim has moved to Hawaii. Cece has not been heard from in two years. Melissa... maybe.

Happy New Year!!!!

Resolved for 2006:

Act like a grownup about money. Keep checkbook balanced. Pay bills. Do not buy stuff I do not need (which leaves a pretty short list!). Pay down credit card balance RELIGIOUSLY. And pray about it. I have come to the amazing conclusion that I might actually get some help from On High if I ask for it. Not as in, send me money. As in, help me to behave in a fiscally responsible manner.

And... off to a good start, I have balanced my hideous checkbook, put in a nice clean check register for 2006. Paid off two credit card balances with the money I took out of AG Edwards and will still put $1250 toward the evil Capital One account when the bill comes around. I hope it's not in my pile o bills. BUT!!!! I am also industriously engaged in the paperwork filing effort today and hope to get THAT current ASAP. As in, TODAY.