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bytheangell · 6 years ago

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Keeping It Real

(Read on AO3)

Everybody knew that Magnus Bane liked Alexander Lightwood… everyone, that was, except Alexander Lightwood.

Mr. Bane, the World History teacher and girls soccer coach at Alicante High, and Mr. Lightwood, the Literature and Composition teacher, got along like lifelong best friends, despite the fact that they only met at the start of this year when Mr. Lightwood moved to town. It was painfully obvious the way Magnus’ eyes lit up the moment Alec walked into the room that he thought the world of his colleague. He jumped through hoops to volunteer for the same events that Alec did, the highlight of which was the Fall Ball they both found themselves chaperoning just a few weeks back. Magnus grabbed Alec by the hand and spun him around, eliciting a surprised laugh from the usually stony-faced English teacher.

Alec, for his part, remained hopelessly oblivious. The few students who saw the moment, however, were sold.

“They have to be dating,” Simon said the next morning, huddled at Clary’s locker with her and her boyfriend, Jace. “They have to like each other, at the very least. There’s no way Mr. Lightwood doesn’t - I haven’t seen anyone else who can make him crack a smile when he’s in ‘I’m A Very Serious Teacher’ mode.”

“I don’t know,” Clary shrugged. “He’s a little scary. Do you really think he and Mr. Bane would get along outside of school?”

“Someone’s gotta get him to lighten up,” Simon pointed out, watching Mr. Lightwood poke his head out of the door to yell at a kid for wearing a hat indoors.

“I’m with you on that one,” Jace agreed without hesitation, fumbling the baseball cap off of his own head and into his backpack before Mr. Lightwood saw.

---

Everyone knew that Magnus was hopelessly pining after Alec, and so when Magnus won the honor of being the teacher in charge of the class trip to Spain (a trip that Lorenzo Rey was gunning for the entire year prior) he knew exactly how to get under Magnus’ skin as payback.

After school that day in the teacher’s lounge, while Magnus was very loudly discussing all of the plans he already had in mind for the trip with no shortage of smug looks in Lorenzo’s direction, Lorenzo made his way over to where Alec stood in the corner. He was observing from the outside the way he usually did in larger groups like this. It’d been a couple of months now, but Alec was still the new guy here, and it showed from time to time.

“Alexander,” he said, and though Alec loved his full name when he heard it lilting off of Magnus’ gentle tongue, it somehow felt wrong to hear coming from Lorenzo. “How have you been?”

Alec, surprised at the sudden attention while all of the other eyes were on Magnus, offered a half-smile. “Not too bad,” he said. “How about you?”

“Only ‘not too bad’? Well, we’ll have to do something to change that, now won’t we.” Lorenzo smirked a bit, leaning in so that he was unapologetically in Alec’s personal space. “What do you say to dinner? I know a lovely Italian restaurant in the city, you normally need a reservation, but fortunately I know the owner and…”

Alec realized what was happening too late to avoid it - but Magnus noticed, too. Magnus knew it wasn��t fair of him to feel a flare of jealousy over Lorenzo hitting on Alec, or the surprising amount of anger he felt when Alec smiled back nervously, but he felt it all the same. Magnus was positive Lorenzo didn’t give a damn about Alec, and if Lorenzo thought for one second he was about to use Alec like that then he had another thing coming.

Magnus had no idea what his plan was when he broke away from the small group he was talking with to make his way across the room towards Alec and Lorenzo, but stopped short when he heard Alec speak again.

“Sorry, Lorenzo, I’d love to but I’ve already got a date tonight.”

“Oh?” Lorenzo pried, clearly not buying it. “With whom?”

Oh. Magnus frowned, turning to leave the room. He suddenly didn’t want to be here anymore. It was bad enough that Alec had a date with someone else, but the fact that he hadn’t even bothered to tell him--

“--with Magnus.” Alec’s voice was raised just enough for Magnus to hear him, and Magnus caught the hint of panicked undertone. Luckily, Lorenzo spun to face Magnus just as Magnus turned back towards the two of them, so the other man missed the pleading look in Alec’s eyes that silently begged Magnus to go along with it.

Magnus had absolutely no problem with that.

“What, you didn’t think I forgot about tonight, did you?” Magnus asked without missing a beat, seamlessly making his way over to Alec’s side. Magnus tried to ignore the race of his pulse as he slid an arm around Alec’s waist, just as Alec tried desperately to fight the flush that rose high on his cheeks.

“I see.” Lorenzo turned and left with a huff, and Alec took a quick step away from Magnus (who wanted nothing more than to reach back out and pull him back).

“Oh my god, Magnus, I’m so sorry. I panicked, and you were right there… I should've made up another name I don’t know why I dragged you into this--” Alec started, but Magnus cut him off with an insistent shake of his head.

“Don’t worry about it. Although, just to keep up appearances, I believe you owe me a date tonight.” The words slipped out before he could stop them, his usual playful banter on the surface, though Magnus knew he was playing a dangerous game of wanting more. He swore it was just this once, just to see. Even if it wasn’t real.

“I owe you big time for playing along with that,” Alec agreed much easier than Magnus anticipated. “How about dinner, at that new Chinese place that just opened up? Luke tells me it’s amazing.”

“Sounds perfect.” He caught Lorenzo still eyeing them from just close enough to hear Magnus raise his voice to reply. “You can pick me up at 7, darling.”

“It’s a date.”

Alec wished it was a real date. He knew this was just him paying Magnus back for helping him out earlier, but that wasn’t enough to stop him from spending every second of the evening imagining it was real. Every time Magnus laughed he got a little more lost in the sound, allowing his voice to drown out the chatter around them. It didn’t help that Magnus looked amazing, too. Not that Magnus didn’t constantly look flawless, because he did, but it was obvious he put in a little extra effort to get ready for this dinner, wearing a dark blue blazer that was one of Alec’s favorites.

It was enough to make Alec lose his breath every time he looked across the table.

They talked and laughed and drank a little, and by the end of the night Alec felt like he was walking home on a cloud. Magnus even went so far as to walk him home, even though it wasn’t very far from the restaurant.

“I had a really good time,” Alec admitted.

They paused outside the door. For a split second there was an almost electric tension between them. For a moment Alec debated giving in to the impulsive desire to lean in and kiss Magnus goodnight. He thought he saw Magnus’ eyes drop down to his lips, he thought maybe it wasn’t just him, but then Magnus turned away just as quickly and the moment was gone.

“Me too, Alexander. Have a good night.” He was already motioning for a cab.

Alec tried not to look too disappointed. It wasn’t like this was a real date; it wasn’t like he imagined someone like Magnus Bane could ever actually like him like that. He was just being nice, because Alec put him in an awkward position. That’s all.

“Yeah, you too.”

---

“I saw them at dinner together,” Simon practically hissed, coming up behind Clary in the cafeteria the next day.

“What? Who? Stop hovering and sit down - you didn’t have too much coffee again this morning, did you?” Clary demanded, eyeing her best friend and judging his strange behaviour.

“No, I didn’t.” Simon pouted, but he sat down just the same. “Also - Mr. Bane and Mr. Lightwood! I was out with my parents for dinner and they were there. Together.”

“Maybe they were just getting dinner. They are friends, I think.”

“No, this was different. You had to see it, but… they were definitely into each other.”

At that moment, Mr. Bane and Mr. Lightwood both came into the cafeteria from different directions, meeting up near the middle to grab lunch together like they always did.

“They’re not acting any different,” Clary observed. “...then again, I guess they always did act a little in love.”

“Who’s in love?” Maia asked, coming up beside Simon.

“Mr. Bane and Mr. Lightwood,” Simon said definitively.

“Oh, totally. I wish they’d just hook up already so Coach Bane could focus during soccer practice instead of just staring at Mr. Lightwood while he runs laps after school.” Maia rolled her eyes.

“Do you think Mr. Lightwood does that on purpose?” Simon questioned, squinting in their direction as they take their food out of the cafeteria and back to the teacher’s lounge.

“He almost has to. There’s no way he doesn’t know.”

---

‘He has to be doing this on purpose.’ Magnus thought to himself, as he did every single day he held soccer practice on the field after school while Alec ran laps (shirtless, both a blessing and a curse) on the track that surrounded the grass. ‘There’s no way he doesn’t know what this does to--’

“Heads up, Coach!” Maia shouted, giving him just enough time to duck as a ball came soaring towards his face.

“Sorry,” Maia said, but the knowing smirk on her face told him she wasn’t entirely sorry.

It also told him that perhaps he’d been caught staring. Again.

Magnus did his best to focus the rest of the hour before the kids took their things back up to the locker rooms and Alec jogged over to him.

“Hey, Magnus.”

Magnus caught the anxious look on Alec’s face almost immediately. “What’s up?”

“So… Lorenzo asked me what I was doing again tomorrow night.”

“Oh?” Magnus asked, aiming for nonchalant but falling somewhere in the realm of ‘definitely more can casually interested’ instead.

“I, uh, might have told him we had plans again.” Alec looked over at him with a half-smile, half wince. “But if you’re busy, or you don’t want to--”

“Nonsense, Alexander. I actually had a lot of fun yesterday.”

Alec relaxed. “Yeah?”

Magnus nodded. “Of course. In fact, I have just the thing. I’ll pick you up at 6.”

“Where are we going?”

Magnus shook his head, smiling. “It’s a surprise. Dress warm.”

---

If there was anywhere Alec expected Magnus to take him, the Drive-In Theater on the outskirts of the city certainly wasn’t it.

“You own a pick-up truck?” Alec questioned, eyeing the vehicle Magnus picked him up in.

“Absolutely not,” Magnus sounded offended that Alec even considered the option. “I borrowed it from a friend.”

There were blankets and pillows in the bed of the truck, and the two of them propped themselves up against the cab with their popcorn, drinks, and a few other snacks Magnus grabbed from home for variety. Alec told himself it was no different than showing up to a friend’s house to watch tv… but something felt different.

Maybe it was the fact that this was supposed to be a bit of a show, the two of them ‘dating’. They could’ve easily just said they were going out and not seen one another at all, just for the sake of telling Lorenzo they had. But instead, Magnus went very out of his way to arrange a trip to the drive-in, to watch a movie Alec mentioned wanting to see so offhandedly the other week he almost forgot about it himself.

But Magnus remembered.

And now Magnus’ shoulder brushed against his, their bodies leaning towards one another under the shared blanket. Definitely for body heat in the cool night air, and not for any other reason. Not at all.

Alec thought Magnus was intentionally making a move when he felt ringed fingers lace through his own underneath the blanket and was more than happy to leave them there. In fact, he was relieved to know that it wasn't just him feeling this way… that was, until Magnus seemed to realized what he was doing a few minutes later and pulled his hand back like Alec burned to the touch. Then, just as quickly as the hand was gone, so was any chance of an accidental graze of contact when Magnus shifted himself over as far as he could while remaining under the blanket.

And when Magnus barely made eye contact with him for the rest of the night, Alec realized what a mistake this whole thing might’ve been.

---

“Coach Bane isn’t in today,” Maia observed, leaning over to whisper to Clary during second period.

“I know, Mr. Lightwood kept checking his phone every 5 seconds during class first period. I hope nothing’s wrong…”

Something was definitely wrong. The students noticed it the next day when Mr. Bane was back at school but seemed to be avoiding Mr. Lightwood at all costs. He didn’t even get lunch in the cafeteria. And after school, Alec didn’t come to run laps while the soccer team had practice, which was somehow even more distracting for Coach Bane who checked the surroundings not-so-subtly every few minutes, just in case.

“Do you think they broke up?” Simon asked after meeting up with Maia to walk home after her practice.

“We don’t even know if they were actually dating, Si. But they’re definitely not talking. I wonder what happened.”

Simon, to her surprise, started to smile. “Don’t worry, I have a plan.”

---

Magnus woke up the next morning with one goal: to tell Alexander how he felt. He had to. It might be enough for Alec to keep pretending, but he couldn’t do it anymore. Each time they went out Magnus fell for him a little more - if that was even possible given the extent of his crush before they started playing this little game of theirs.

But now? Now it was too much. He couldn’t keep pretending, not with slip-ups like the other night, holding Alec’s hand for God knows how long before he even realized… no, he had to come clean. Maybe if he was honest before things got too far he could still salvage what friendship with Alec he had left.

Magnus didn’t bother to knock on the door to Alec’s classroom since it was already cracked open when he got there. He certainly wasn’t expecting to see Alec sitting there with a vase of roses at his desk, smiling fondly down at the card in his hand.

Roses that Magnus didn’t send, which meant that someone else was sending Alexander Lightwood flowers at school. The look soft, pure joy written all over Alec’s face told Magnus that whoever they were from, it wasn’t unwelcome.

“...I don’t suppose those are from Lorenzo, are they?” Magnus asked hopefully, just in case, but he felt his stomach sink with dread before Alec even answered.

“What? No.”

Magnus gave a heavy sigh. “Well, I guess it had to end sometime, didn’t it?”

Alec looked confused. “What are you talking about?”

“This. Us. Well, fake-us. I can’t be keeping you from real dates with whoever put that dopey grin on your face, now can I?” Clearly, Alec had someone special in his life. Someone who wasn’t him. “I just thought...” Magnus started, wondering if he should tell him anyway, before thinking better of it. “...nevermind.”

Magnus turned to leave, but stopped at the sound of Alec’s voice.

“Wait, so these aren’t from you?”

“No?” Now it was Magnus’ turn to look confused.

“Oh.” Alec’s face dropped. Disappointment wasn’t a strong enough word for what registered there in place of the smile Magnus saw there a moment before: Alec looked crushed. “I mean, there’s no name on them. I shouldn’t have assumed-”

Before Alec could say anything more there was the sound of someone bumping against the door, the sight of Simon Lewis’ head ducking out from the small rectangular window, and the tell-tale whispers and stomping feet of several students taking off down the hallway.

“It seems we were set up,” Alec said, walking over to hand the small card that came with the flowers to Magnus.

‘My day isn’t the same without you in it.’

“I think they noticed you were avoiding me,” Alec said, giving a pointed look in Magnus’ direction.

Magnus winced.

“Look, you don’t have to keep pretending to like me, Magnus. I get it.”

“I don’t think you do,” Magnus blurted out before he could stop himself. Part of him wanted to walk away without saying another word. Alec never had to know. They could keep being friends. But he couldn’t ignore the fact that the hopeful look on Alec’s face when he walked in was because he thought Magnus sent him that note. And if Alec hoped he wanted him in his life… maybe everything else wasn’t just in his head, too.

He took a deep breath and continued before he could talk himself out of it. “I was never pretending. I need to stop because I can’t keep pretending I don’t actually care, when I do. And I can’t keep doing this knowing it doesn’t mean the same for you as it does for me. I thought I could, but… I can’t. I’m sorry.”

“...can I make a confession?”

The question caught Magnus by surprise. He nodded.

“Lorenzo never asked me out a second time.” Alec’s lips twitched up into a guilty smile. “I just wanted an excuse to go out with you again.”

Their eyes met, each searching the other for any sign they might be lying. But all they found was a spark, a light they saved just for each other, except now they could recognize it for what it was. And this time when Magnus’ eyes flickered down to Alec’s lips, Alec wasted no time leaning in to close the gap between them.

It was a slow, simple kiss, but they were both pleasantly surprised at how right it felt. They only broke apart when the sound of approaching voices in the hallway grew louder as students started to grab books from their lockers and head to class.

“Now what?”

“Now, Alexander, I believe we have a third date to plan.”

#magnus bane #alec lightwood #malec #shadowhunters #shfanficnexus #HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY ZIA #I hope I did two of your favorite tropes justice #elle writes a few deadbeat lines

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rosie-zia · 2 years ago

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A/N: Greetings! I am Zia and I usually only read stuff on tumblr but since I really love Finn from Yuurivoice so much, why not write a fanfic about him! Happy birthday to our cottagecore boyfriend, Finn! This is inspired by the Finn scenario that I once commented to @talkfloraltome. Enjoy!

Wordcount: 1.4k

~The greatest gift of all~

It was 3:19 in the afternoon when you arrived at Finn’s house, already passed out on the couch. You didn’t bother to change clothes nor sleep on the bed from exhaustion. No, you weren’t exhausted from work, it was from planning and setting up your date in the park. Since it is Finn’s birthday, August 14, you decided to do something nice for him and surprise him on a date in your favorite spot at the park with Jack’s help.

You felt a bit guilty this morning when you told Finn you were going to work, but the truth is you asked a day off to really plan this. The original plan was to get dressed and wait for Finn to come home, but you were already too tired. “Sleeping for a few minutes won’t hurt right?” you said as you doze off.

Finn arrived at home shortly. As he entered the house, he looked at any sign if you had come home already. He was a bit surprised when he saw you sleeping on the couch. He then smiled at your sleeping form and gently picked you up bridal style to place you on your shared bed. Finn then tucked you in and kissed your forehead. Something about you makes his heart squeeze a bit, so he stayed to admire you and look at your features more. He really felt like the luckiest person in the world to have you.

“Sigh, sometimes I wonder if I really deserve someone beautiful and hardworking like you. You must be really tired from working so hard today, you should rest more often.” Finn said as he sat at the edge of the bed. “I never had the chance to say this but thank you. You are really one of the best things that has ever happened to me, my sunflower.” He then rant about his day at the shop.

After an hour of Finn ranting to you in your sleep, you finally woke up. As you sat up, your vision got clearer and saw your boyfriend in front of you. “Finny? You’re home so early.” you said hazily. “No, I already arrived an hour ago. Do you want me to brew you some tea?” “Yes please, thank youuu.” Finn stood up and went out to brew some tea. He then came back with some oolong tea and handed it to you carefully. You then proceed to drink the tea he made.

“So, how was your work?” you asked him, letting him rant about his day at the shop. He rant away for the second time, but well this time you are awake. You can’t help but love and admire him. “It’s the usual but I received many orders today, maybe because of the increasing popularity of the shop.” Finn said as he helped you set aside your teacup at the night stand. “Oh really? That’s great! Anyway, thank you for carrying me to bed, you don’t have to.” “Well I don’t want to make your sleep more uncomfortable, so I carried you to bed.” if it was possible to fall in love with him more, then that’s your answer.

It was silent for a bit, but then Finn remembered something. “O-oh, I got something for you! I saw this while passing by at one shop. I thought you’ll like it. It reminded me of you, so I bought it for you.” Finn gave the present to you which was neatly wrapped in a small box. It was ironic for you because today is his birthday and yet he got you something. You opened it and it was… “Ta-da! It’s a pink crystal rose. I know it’s a bit cheesy and cliche but the meaning can say itself what I wanted to tell you.”

From the past flower lessons with Finn, pink rose symbolizes admiration, gentleness, and sweetness. It was a bit embarrassing because he may or may not have seen you looking at that crystal rose one time when you both visited the store. You didn’t buy it that time because it was a bit expensive, but seeing Finn bought it for you made you really happy.

Without thinking, you launched yourself to Finn and gave him so many kisses on his face. This flustered him so much he turned red. No words were uttered but from the hugs you both shared between you two expressed enough appreciation to each other. You two cuddled for a bit, wishing this moment could last forever but it didn’t when you suddenly remembered the plan you had in mind.

“Finn, what time is it already?” you asked him. “It’s already 4:35, why’d you ask?” He replied. You immediately get out of bed, already getting some formal clothes and heading to the bathroom. “H-hey! Where are you going?” “We’re going to the park, get dressed, Finn.” you shouted from the bathroom. He did what you instructed him. By the time you were done fixing yourself, he was done as well.

“You look absolutely stunning.” Finn commented. “You’re so sweet, thank you! Now let’s go before we get late.” As you walk with your boyfriend, Finn asks some questions on the way to the park, and you answer them. “Why are we going to the park? Is it a date, perhaps?” “You’ll see for yourself when we’ll get there.” “Then, I’ll be looking forward to it.”

By 6:00 p.m., you both got to the special part of the park where you two have picnics occasionally; however, this time, it was way different. Lights were flashing brightly, a picnic was already set with food along with rose petals around it, and flowers were blooming with the meaning of love. Finn was really amazed by the beautiful scenery in front of him. “Did you do all of this?” “Hahaha yep! I also got some help from Jack. I’ll thank him later.” you mentally in your mind to thank Jack tomorrow for guarding your favorite spot.

“It’s amazing, Orchid! But what’s the special occasion?” you cannot believe this gorgeous man had forgotten his own birthday. Maybe he’s pretending? “It’s your birthday, silly haha. Happy birthday, Finn!” What he said next put you in disbelief.

“Wait… is it my birthday today?” This made you cry a bit because he forgot his own birthday from working super hard to making flower arrangements in the shop. “Yes, it’s your birthday!” “I’m so sorry, I haven’t checked my phone since this morning! It was a busy day at the shop.” Even on his birthday, Finn is willing to fulfill his customers’ orders…

“But thank you for not forgetting it. This makes me really happy.” What Finn said made you look up to him. You can see him smile with tears of joy in his face. This really made you worry a bit, you reached your handkerchief and tried to tiptoe and wipe his tears. Small laughs were shared at that moment. After that, you both sat on the picnic cloth and just celebrated the night away.

“Happy Birthday, Finn! Now, make a wish.” you said after you lit up the candle on his cake. Finn closes his eyes for a bit before opening them and blowing the flame off the candle. You two then ate the food, especially the cake. The night was not so eerie and lonely anymore by the laughter you both shared. The very highlight of this night is that you two danced under the stars while vintage music was playing in the background.

“You know…” Finn started. “The wish I made—” “You don’t have to tell me or else it won’t come true!” you interrupted him before he could even tell you his wish. Finn softly laughed while shaking his head. “Actually, my wish came true. My wish was you, my love.” You become speechless from what he said. He continued, “You’re the greatest gift I could’ve asked for. You made me feel special and loved. I hope I could do the same for you, and I wish our love will last for a lifetime. They say if you told your wish to someone, it won’t come true but with you, I know we will last. I love you, my sunflower.” A hint of red spread across your cheeks from the confession. Finally, you both closed the gap between you two.

A kiss was then shared between two lovebirds under the stars.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

A/N: Again, Happy Birthday to our beloved cottagecore boyfriend, Finn! Thank you for making us happy with your cute smile <33

#yuurivoice finn #yuurivoice #finn the cottagcore boyfriend #finn yuurivoice

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the-bee-graveyard · 3 years ago

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I just realized the new hsmtmts is gonna premiere in my birthday and idk why that is making me so happy but it is

1) happy early birthday Zia ❤️

2) this upcoming one? Shit you’ve got the Seblos fight on your birthday. What a birthday gift.

#asks #mutuals tag #hsmtmts

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erintoknow · 5 years ago

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swan appreciation station

it’s my friend @ratkingkisses birthday today.

happy birthday!!!

the thing i’m working on isn’t even close to being finished yet, so instead here’s a roundup of everything else; :v

Blind Date [ao3] It was supposed to be a group dinner with Ariadne, Ortega, and Natalya, only Ortega doesn’t show up. Gay disaster ensues. ~1.7k words

Nemesis Adrestia [ao3] Zia is a dangerous woman. But you’ll need Nemesis’ help if Adrestia is going to pull this mission off. ~2.4k words

Hear Me Out [ao3] Asking Zia for telepathy training may not be Ariadne’s brightest idea. ~3.3k words

And then there’s been a couple of short-shorts scattered here and there;

ao3: how did you get into my house character prompt with Zia and Ariadne; word was: lollipop

ao3: love this for us same character prompt as above but with an early version of crow

ao3: triple bacon heart attack character prompt with Nat and Crow; word was lunch

#happy birthday!#zia #natalya #ratkingkisses #fanfiction #wlw fanfic #fallen hero: rebirth #fallen hero fanfic

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headcanonsandmore · 7 years ago

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Unpopular opinion- Sadie Kane is irritating

(This is a bit of a break from my normal posts, but I hope you like it)

Before I start, I should point out that these are just my silly personal opinions. If you like this character, that’s great- I’m not trying to hate on the character, but am just highlighting why I never connected to the character.

I read The Kane Chronicles when they were being published in the early 2010s. I liked the Percy Jackson series, which was Rick Riordans’ previous book series about mythology. The Kane Chronicles, on the other hand, were about Egyptian mythology, something I didn’t know much about but was excited by the prospect of reading Riordans’ take on the mythology, and how he would adapt it to the modern world.

Riordan did not disappoint- I loved reading about the Egyptian mythology, as well as how he had updated the mythos to the modern day. However, there was one thing about the Kane Chronicles that I could never stand- Sadie Kane.

Allow me to explain. Rick Riordan’s novels do tend to have male protagonists (at least, during the period I was reading them), but he can write engaging female protagonists.

Annabeth Chase- Cool, intelligent and bad-arse.

Hazel Levesque- Cheerful, intelligent, kind and loyal to her friends

Piper McLean- Resourceful, brave and strong.

I loved reading about these characters- they were complex, flawed but compelling because they wanted to overcome their flaws. They felt like real people, and I wanted to see them triumph over obstacles.

The reason I don’t enjoying reading about Sadie Kane is because she never felt like an actual person. She felt like an archetype. She was a snarky teenage girl who enjoyed taunting her older brother (I’ll come back to that later). While she may be brave, cunning and adaptable (which I won’t deny), the other aspects of her personality put me off from liking the character.

Sadie always irritated me when I was reading The Kane Chronicles. This wouldn’t have bothered me if Riordan had written the series from a third-person perspective like he did with Heroes of Olympus (the follow-up series to the Percy Jackson books). However, the framing device for The Kane Chronicles is that Carter and Sadie are taking turns to talk into a recording device about their adventures. This means that approximately half the series is told from Sadie’s first-hand perspective.

This would be fine if I actually enjoyed reading Sadie’s sections of the book, but I have never enjoyed them. Sadie also seemed to me to be the stereotypical teenage girl, obsessed with boys, her friends, and taking the mickey out of her older brother. Aaand speaking of her older brother…

I found Carter to be an incredibly likeable character. Carter felt a real person. He had issues that he dealt with, like a lingering resentment that his younger sister had grown up with a stable home-life (when he had not), as well as social awkwardness brought on by a lack of interacting with people his own age for a large portion of his life. I related to his awkwardness around other people, and his desire to protect his family and friends. I also shared his status as an older sibling, and could understand his frustration at constantly having to be the ‘mature’ one. Carter felt like a really good person, and a great protagonist.

Sadie clearly didn’t feel the same as me though. Throughout all three books in The Kane Chronicles, Sadie relentlessly teases and mocks her brother, considering him to be an unsocial nerd. Sibling teasing is common (me and my siblings do the same thing), but- and I should make this clear- Carter and Sadie’s relationship is not really that of siblings. Their relationship (at least, at the start of the series) is similar to that of distant relatives.

They spent most of their lives up to the events of the first book separated from each other, something Carter points out in the first book, stating that their relationship is more similar to distant cousins rather than brother-and-sister. And yet, Sadie teases and mocks Carter from the get-go in a way that would be normal for normal siblings to do, but has more in common with verbal bullying of one acquaintance to another when you consider how often they saw each-other up to that point.

Their relationship did get a little better as the books went on, but I still found the ribbing unpleasant to read. Maybe sibling teasing is a lot stronger that I remember.

I also found Sadie to be somewhat selfish (she abandons Carter during the middle of his planning for the fight against evil to go off with her friends for her birthday in London) and shallow (when referring to the boys she has crushes on, Sadie tends to only talk about their appearance and how ‘hot’ they are). I understand that Riordan was writing a teenage girl, but previous protagonists like Annabeth, Hazel and Piper were nowhere near as stereotypical as this. Maybe it was just the way it was framed in the book, but these character traits did not endear me to Sadie at all.

I also didn’t like how Sadie got the closing chapter in both the second and third books. I understand the pacing needs of it, but wouldn’t it have made more sense to have both the characters doing the final chapter? Carter’s final chapter is his date with Zia- it highlights that the two of them still have social difficulties, but they enjoy being around each-other. Carter is more confident in himself, and Zia is more relaxed with herself. A nice bit of closure for their growth as characters.

It’s a sweet scene that is unfortunately undercut by Sadie opening the next chapter with ‘Shut up, Carter’. Seriously- that’s how you’re going to start the closing chapter of the novel? Oh, and the closing chapter? Sadie ends up snogging both her crushes at once, because that it what I really wanted to know about. Her relationship problems get solved with barely input from her, meaning that she lacks agency in her own romantic situation. Carter shows progression in his character arc because he has agency in it, Sadie does not.

Don’t get me wrong, I still loved reading The Kane Chronicles, but my impression of Sadie made it something of a slog to read through her chapters.

These are just my own personal opinions. If you like Sadie Kane as a character, that’s great- I’m very happy for you. But the character did not do anything for me.

#sadie kane #unpopular opinion #sadie kane is annoying #sadie kane is irritating #kane chronicles #kane chronicles unpopular opinion #why sadie kane annoys me #rick riordan #rick riordan kane chronicles

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365-money-diary · 7 years ago

Text

DAYS 349 - 255

DAY THREE HUNDRED FORTY-NINE

8:30 AM - I arrive at work on time. Assistant already made us coffee.

11:00 AM - I start low key freaking out because my period isn’t here yet.

11:30 AM - We get Taco Bell for lunch. $5.17

4:30 PM - Stoked to be out of work. I head home and eat chips and salsa.

6:00 PM - We put on the Spurs / GSW game and eat dinner -- boyfriend has leftover pizza. I have leftover pasta.

8:00 PM - I put away dishes and load the dishwasher and run it. I also make guacamole for my coworkers tomorrow with some avocados boyfriend brought back from California.

11:45 PM - Finally fall asleep.

DAY THREE HUNDRED FORTY-NINE TOTAL: $5.17

DAY THREE HUNDRED FIFTY

8:30 AM - My period is here! Rejoice. JK my body feels like trash.

9:00 AM - I arrive at work and skip the toast today (re: body trash). I pour myself a cup of joe and try to get motivated.

11:00 AM - I walk over to Sprouts and buy two bags of chips and a case of La Croix. $7.10

12:00 PM - I eat chips and guac for lunch.

3:00 PM - More guac!

5:45 PM - I arrive home from work and crack open a nice seltzer.

6:30 PM - Boyfriend and I watch the Suns lose on TV and I eat leftover pasta.

9:00 PM - Q picks me up and we head to Club Red for Chrome. I pay for us to get in, but he buys me two drinks so we’re pretty much even. $33

11:30 PM - Show’s over! Honestly super happy to get out of that venue. It was AWFUL. (Sorry Club Red!) Chrome killed it.

11:45 PM - I hop into bed and fall asleep pretty quick.

DAY THREE HUNDRED FIFTY TOTAL: $40.10

DAY THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-ONE

9:00 AM - My uterus hurts. I arrive at work and find my coworker has already made us coffee for the day. I toss a piece of bread in the toaster oven.

12:00 PM - We finish the rest of the guac, but I know it’s not enough and I’ll need food in a few hours.

2:00 PM - I walk to Sprouts and buy a Big Sur Breakfast Burrito and a bag of chips. $3.95

2:30 PM - I mosey on back to the office and eat my late lunch.

5:30 PM - I arrive home from work and do some ecomm work on my computer while boyfriend watches the Wizards vs. Spurs game. He eventually falls asleep.

8:00 PM - I eat Kite Hill chive cream cheese and Ritz crackers for dinner.

9:00 PM - I walk to CVS to pick up my prescription. It’s birth control, so it’s free. Thanks Obama!

9:20 PM - I didn’t hear back from my boyfriend so I’m assuming he’s still sleeping, so I stop by Taste and get a really expensive cider before heading home. $13

10:30 PM - Boyfriend wakes up finally and we watch a couple episodes of The Office before falling asleep.

1:00 AM - JK why am I still awake?

DAY THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-ONE TOTAL: $16.95

DAY THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-TWO

8:30 AM - I roll out of bed and grab my stuff and head to work.

9:05 AM - I make coffee and a piece of toast.

12:00 PM - I’m starving. I head over to Sprouts and buy two udon noodle bowls, a package of sprouted tofu, and some roasted seaweed. $10.12

12:30 PM - I eat lunch (udon bowl with tofu).

3:00 PM - I snack on some chips at my desk.

5:15 PM - I head home from work.

6:00 PM - My boyfriend picks me up at home and we go to Haji Baba for dinner I get a falafel sandwich and we split hummus. He pays.

7:00 PM - We head home and watch The Office for a few hours before turning in.

9:00 PM - I actually go to bed at a reasonable hour.

DAY THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-TWO TOTAL: $10.12

DAY THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-THREE

9:00 AM - Boyfriend buys me coffee on our way to work. What a sweetheart!

9:15 AM - I arrive at work and skip the toast. I know we’re going to Bevvy today.

11:30 PM - Bevvy! I get the black bean burg and a cider. $18.00

4:30 PM - I leave work a little bit early and stop at Sprouts to get pasta stuff and salad stuff for our friends who are coming over. I also grab 2 bottles of wine and some desert. $68.63

6:30 PM - We clean the house and I start cooking for our friends. I definitely overdo it on the pasta and will be eating it for the next week at work.

7:30 PM - Our friends drop by and they bring a plant for us to kill. How sweet!

11:45 PM - Friends leave. It’s so wonderful to have people around who are so chill.

DAY THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-THREE TOTAL: $86.63

DAY THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-FOUR

8:00 AM - Boyfriend wake up at grabs us coffee for some godforsaken reason.

9:00 AM - I roll out of bed and get ready slowly but surely.

9:30 AM - We head to Chandler Fashion Mall. I stop in Lush and buy deodorant, body wash, and a fresh face mask. $44.04

11:00 AM - We stop at Whole Foods Chandler and grab a bunch of food. I am going to try to make vegan cheese this week so I get tapioca starch, a serano pepper, soy milk, and apple cider vinegar. I also want to make pickles so I get a bag of persians, some white vinegar, garlic, an onion, and a bag of sugar. We also get some stuff for dinner including Beyond Burgers, Field Roast Corn Dogs, Fries, a tomato, vegan cheese slices, a red onion, and other various stuff. $68.90

12:00 PM - I’m really hungry but I hold out for AZ Mills. We do a lap and I buy a bra from Victoria’s Secret. I have a giftcard so it’s free.

1:00 PM - We order Jimmy Johns for lunch. I’m so hungry I can barely function. I drink a Gatorade to help me feel better while we wait for it to arrive. Boyfriend pays.

3:00 PM - Boyfriend takes a nap. I pull records for my set that’s later tonight, try to make that vegan cheese, and take a shower.

6:00 PM - We drop by Zia. I don’t buy anything.

7:30 PM - I unload all my stuff at Cartel and so does the other DJ I’m playing with.

8:15 PM - I’m playing first so I start but quickly realize that one of these turntables are busted. I am pissed. I run home and grab one of mine so I can finish out my set.

12:00 AM - I’m home! i unload almost everything and head to PV to celebrate my hair dresser’s birthday.

1:00 AM - I go to Yucca and hang out with my DJ Friend who is playing a set. It’s really fun and I stay until 2:00. I buy a coffee kolsch. $6

2:20 AM - I arrive home and immediately take Ativan because I’m HYPED!

DAY THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-FOUR TOTAL: $118.94

DAY THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE

9:00 AM - Boyfriend wakes me up early again. What’s the deallllll?

9:45 AM - We go to Cartel and he buys me a tea.

10:00 AM - We go to Gallo for breakfast. I get a veggie burrito but only eat half. Boyfriend gets a breakfast burrito. I pay. $23.01

12:00 PM - We arrive home from brunch and collectively pass out together on the couch.

1:00 PM - I wake up feeling much better than I did earlier. I puts around on the internet for a while and eventually get my ass off the couch and make some pickles.

5:00 PM - Pickles are done! I make us dinner - Beyond Burgs and fries. Wow they are so so so delicious!

7:00 PM - I have a glass of wine and play pinball for a while. I take a while to reflect and update my diary for the weekend. I can’t believe I only have 10 days left,

DAY THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE TOTAL: $23.01

0 notes

365-money-diary · 7 years ago

Text

DAYS 181 - 187

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED EIGHTY-ONE

8:15 AM - I wake up and check my phone and discover that Las Vegas was attacked last night by a terrorist. It takes a little longer for me to get out of bed this morning as I am shocked and sad that this continues to happen to innocent people on a regular basis. I grab a handful of stuff on my way out: a box of kleenex, two loaves of Dave’s Killer Bread, the corn chowder that I made last night and some roasted sweet potatoes and head to work.

9:15 AM - I arrive at the office and throw my stuff in the fridge. I pour myself a toddy and toast a slice of bread. I top it with Melt butter, a sprinkle of nutritional yeast and a shake of Everything but the Bagel seasoning - I eat this almost everyday for breakfast. My colleagues and I have a slow start to our morning and talk about the shooting together before starting our day.

11:30 AM - I find the most legitimate crowdfunding link I can and donate some money to help the victims and their families. $30

12:30 PM - I heat up some corn chowder and roasted sweet potato for lunch. It’s really good, but I’m not very hungry because of the tragedy in Las Vegas. It isn’t much longer before I see an article announcing Tom Petty’s death and I throw the second half of my meal back into the fridge.

1:15 PM - All of my coworkers are at lunch and I need to get out over here for a minute. I lock up the office and walk to a nearby coffee shop and purchase an iced tea. This is very unorthodox for me as I only buy coffee on weekends, but sometimes you can’t sit at your desk while your friends fight with each other about gun control. The barista takes a while to come out and serve me and he gives me my drink for free. I find some change in my wallet and tip him. $1

5:00 PM - I leave work and head straight home. When I get there, I water the new orange tree in the backyard, and my boyfriend calls. He’s super hungry and we agree that he can pick me up from the house and we’ll grab an early dinner. We decide to grab TC Taco. I get the veggie burrito and he gets a breakfast burrito. We split chips and salsa. I can never finish the burrito so I take home the second half and cover the tab. $21.84

6:45 PM - We stop by Zia but neither of us find anything and then decide to just go home. We start to watch a Lakers / Nuggets preseason game, but the Nuggets are getting smashed so it’s not that fun to watch. Boyfriend ends up playing video games for the rest of the evening and I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I started the series over to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the series in July.

10:30 PM - My boyfriend realizes he left something at his office downtown and asks me to join him in the car. I don’t really want to, but it’s been an even harder day for him since he works for a concert promotions company. We listen to a new episode of Doughboys on our way there and back and it cheers both of us up. #NangGang

11:00 PM - We arrive back at home and I finally realize how tired I am. We move to the bedroom where I continue to read Harry Potter until I can no longer keep my eyes open.

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED EIGHTY-ONE TOTAL: $52.84

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED EIGHTY-TWO

8:40 AM - I wake up feeling super tired, but I finally get myself together and head out the door. I normally try to get to work around this time, but we have flux office hours and my boss is out of town, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

9:30 AM - I arrive at work do discover I’ve drained a toddy container. Luckily I have a backup! I grind beans to make more while toasting a piece of bread and sit down at my desk to start my day.

11:45 AM - I heat up some corn chowder for lunch. It’s hard for me to believe something so filling only has 200 calories. I’ll probably double back for some roasted sweet potatoes this afternoon.

3:00 PM - I end up doubling back for some pumpkin snaps I purchased last week from Sprouts. Yum!

6:00 PM - I’m starving. I dig in the fridge and discover leftover buffalo jackfruit cashew mac and cheese from last week. By the looks of it, it’s definitely still edible. I pair it with a lemon La Croix and watch an episode of RHONY while I veg.

7:15 PM - Boyfriend is working a couple shows tonight, so I opt to take the dog for a really long walk. First we walk to Cornish Pasty where I get a cider. We sit together on the patio for a while and then head to Mill Ave. We do a lap and she meets another dog named Prince Charming who is very very handsome. I can tell she’s getting worn out, so we head back home. $7.41

10:30 PM - Boyfriend comes home from work and we catch up about our days before turning in for the night.

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED EIGHTY-TWO TOTAL: $7.41

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED EIGHTY-THREE

8:15 AM - Happy half way point for me! I have been logging my expenses for 6 months!

9:10 AM - I arrive at work and do the toddy toast thing. I have a little bit of a headache which might be from the walk and cider yesterday so I pound some water too.

12:15 PM - I walk to Sprouts and pick up a container of Melt vegan butter and casually look at probiotics. This stuff is so expensive, but I refuse to spend more than $50 per month on them. I’ve been rotating between a few for the past 6 months and they seem to really be helping my health issues. I make a half joke / half serious tweet at Garden of Life saying that if they give me free product for life, I’ll tattoo their logo on my body. $4.06

12:30 PM - More corn chowder for lunch. I’ll double back for some sweet potatoes later this afternoon.

2:45 PM - Sweet potato time. I add some BBQ sauce to the side for dipping.

5:30 PM - I arrive home from work and snack on some popcorn cakes before boyfriend comes home.

7:00 PM - We watch the Suns / Trail Blazers preseason game from yesterday and order Jimmy Johns. Boyfriend pays. When the sandwiches arrive, I take mine to the kitchen and slather some Just Mayo on it along with a slice of Follow Your Heart Provolone.

9:30 PM - Boyfriend is wiped and I feel the same way. We head to the bedroom where I read a couple chapters of Harry Potter and fall asleep.

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED EIGHTY-THREE TOTAL: $4.06

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED EIGHTY-FOUR

9:15 AM - I stroll into work and do the toddy toast thing. I have been battling a lot of health issues this year and haven’t been paying much attention to my vitamin levels. I have been vegan for nearly a decade and when I got my levels tested last December they said I was B-12 deficient which is a first in all of my years of this lifestyle. Between you and me, my left foot has been mildly numb for nearly a year which I believe to be a symptom of my deficiency so it’s time to take care of it. I bought this spray over the summer and do some googling as to how much I should take, I cheers myself to better health and get spraying.

11:00 AM - My sister’s birthday is on Sunday and my mom ordered her an instant pot on Amazon as a gift from me. I paypal her money to cover some of it. $30

12:00 PM - I got an invoice from a lab for a urine culture last month. I bite the bullet and pay it today. $115.35

12:20 PM - I haven’t done much today at work but I’m hungry. I heat up some more corn chowder.

4:45 PM - I head home from work and iron my a dress. I want to look half decent for my first book club meeting. I don’t know anyone there except for one person, so I want to look like I kind of care. I walk over to Casey Moore’s and find all of them there. I order a cider and a basket of fries. We all chat about the book and I’m pleased to find that they all hated it too. Maybe I’ll like these women after all. $11.50

7:00 PM - I walk home and end up reading Harry Potter for the entire rest of the night.

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED EIGHTY-FOUR TOTAL: $156.85

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED EIGHTY-FIVE

9:00 AM - I arrive at work and load up on my B-12 for the day, toast, and toddy.

12:00 PM - We follow our usual Friday tradition and all go to lunch. Our boss picks Yard House. I get the vegan burger and it’s really tasty but holy (vegan) cow, I am so so full. $16.65

5:00 PM - I stop at Taste of Tops for a end of the week beer on my way home from work. I get a cider in the fridge and then a baby Dogfish Head Punkin’ Brown Ale. A friend is working and only charges me $5. $9

7:30 PM - Boyfriend and I watch a documentary about hockey enforcers and we order Jimmy Johns for dinner. I buy. $18.77

9:00 PM - I read some Harry Potter and tuck in for the night.

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED EIGHTY-FIVE TOTAL: $44.42

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED EIGHTY-SIX

9:30 AM - We’re up at a decent time. It’s been awhile since we’ve both felt up for our coffee bagel routine. I buy the coffee, boyfriend gets the bagels. I have some leftover cash on my gift card so I finish that and pay for the rest. $4.50

11:00 AM - Our friend invited us to join a fantasy basketball league. I draft my team and am ranked 7/10. I don’t really care what happens. I’m just happy I have Kyrie Irving.

12:30 PM - We head to AZ Mills to check out the adidas outlet. It’s closing at the end of the month, but we heard from friends they put out a bunch of shoes. I find a pair of superstar slip ons and they’re SO CUTE. $29.24

2:00 PM - We eat falafel sandwiches and hummus at Haji Baba. I treat! $18.77

2:30 PM - We go to Target so boyfriend can grab some basic stuff for the week. I actually manage to not buy anything! 3:00 PM - I am DJing an all pop night tonight with some friends at Palo Verde Lounge tonight. The folks who are organizing the night want to set up early because there are a bunch of lights to hang. It takes us about an hour and then we head out.

4:00 PM - I haven’t played a digital set in a really long time and I hate the program I’ve used in the past. I download a free trial of Serato DJ since I know that’s the program I’ll be using anyways once I get the Rane Seventy-Two and start teaching myself how to use it. For tonight I’ll be using my boyfriend’s Pioneer DDJ-SB2. I eat a Big Sur breakfast burrito for dinner and a handful of almonds.

8:00 PM - I throw on my outfit for tonight and head to the nearest ATM to withdraw some cash. PV is cash-only and they don’t really give DJs free drinks. I bite the bullet and pay the ATM fee. $3

8:30 PM - I stop at Cartel for tea before I pick up DJ Friend. Another friend is working, so my tea is free.

9:00 PM - We arrive at PV to finish setting up.

10:00 PM - The night is off to a great start. I order a few (3) ciders but nothing hits me because I’m dancing so hard. $15

11:10 PM - I start my set and it’s a hit! What an amazing night.

2:15 AM - Music’s cut. I get paid $31. We breakdown and head home. I am a sleepy girl and my body hurts from dancing.

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED EIGHTY-SIX TOTAL: $70.51

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED EIGHTY-SEVEN

10:00 AM - I wake up and feel like I’ve been hit by a bus. My body is way more hungover than my head, but my Fitbit put me at 6k steps for the day already from dancing, so I’m pretty happy with that.

11:00 AM - We do the bagel and coffee thing. I treat us to both. One of our friends is working today and gives us our drinks for free. I actually have cash today and throw 5 bones in the tip jar. $12.56

1:00 PM - I transfer the money I made last night into my mixer fund. $866 / $1900 saved.

2:00 PM - We go downtown to pick something up from my boyfriend’s office and then head to Chandler Fashion Mall. I’m surprised when boyfriend pushes me into a jewelry store to look at rings. I’ve never really looked at them until… right now. We take a look at a few different ones and I start to get an idea about what I might like. It’s actually really fun!

3:00 PM - We stop at LUSH so I can cash in on my birthday giftcard from my boyfriend’s parents. I get a fresh face mask, two different deodorants, and a bottle of body wash.

4:00 PM - We stop at Zia super quick so boyfriend can pick up a record, but they don’t have it. We do realize that we’re both starving though and end up eating at Casey’s for lunch/dinner. It’s so nice to finally be able to sit on the patio! Boyfriend pays.

5:15 PM - We’re super full, but my boyfriend mentions froyo and it sounds soooo good! All the froyo places I used to go to closed so we google and find one nearby. I get half mango and blood orange sorbet and top it with toasted coconut. Boyfriend pays again.

6:00 PM - We finally arrive back home. My body is super tired and I’m not really up for much else tonight. I spend most of the evening reading Harry Potter and drinking tea. I also try the face mask I bought from LUSH. Despite the weird looks from my dog, I am super into it! I’ve never really been much of a skin care / cosmetics person and it feels good to try something new!

11:00 PM - We both fall asleep watching the first episode of Cold Justice.

DAY ONE HUNDRED HUNDRED EIGHTY-SEVEN TOTAL: $12.56

0 notes

365-money-diary · 7 years ago

Text

DAYS 98 - 104

DAY NINETY-EIGHT

8:30 AM - I don’t wanna go to work. I don’t wanna go to work.

8:50 AM - I stop to get gas on my way to in. $24.16

11:30 AM - We go get Even Steven’s as an office. $8.51

2:00 PM - Work sucks. I can’t focus.

5:00 PM - I head over to an old colleague’s house to help her with some Facebook work. I wasn’t planning on invoicing her, but the project took longer than I thought it would, so I will probably do that and cash in.

7:00 PM - My sister facetimes me while I run through the Del Taco drive through. I get two 8 layer veggie burritos with no cheese no sour cream and cheese and an order of hashbrowns. $6.52

8:30 PM - We watch the NBA summer league games but end up falling asleep shortly after. I think we both forgot what it feels like to have a proper Monday.

DAY NINETY-EIGHT TOTAL: $39.19

DAY NINETY-NINE

8:00 AM - I wake up to my period. Joy!

9:05 AM - I arrive at work, pour myself a toddy, and make some toast. I end up pouring my last glass from my stock, so I make some more.

10:30 AM - My dad’s birthday is today. I end up buying him a hydroflask on Amazon. I also buy a new laptop stand for DJing. Even though I’m all vinyl, it’ll only be a matter of time before I incorp digital elements to my sets. Since I have credits from doing that Facebook study, they’re both free.

11:00 AM - It’s also 7/11 day. We hit up a Vietnamese restaurant and then fill up our slurpee cups. $10

12:30 PM - My DJ friend’s birthday is on Friday. I coordinate with another one of his good friends to chip in for a cake. I paypal her $15. $15

4:00 PM - The issue with eating so early is that I unfortunately am so hungry by 4:00. I make a slice of toast with melt butter and nutritional yeast.

5:45 PM - Home from work! I eat some chips, salsa and hummus and drink a La Croix.

6:45 PM - I meet BFF at a new hangout spot in Downtown Phoenix called Gracie’s Tax Bar. Grace herself greets me at the door with a big hug. Super excited to make this place a regular spot. I get an old fashioned and it’s only $5! $7.17

8:15 PM - I come home from my hang out sesh and eat a frozen burrito.

10:30 PM - Basketball and Zzzz

DAY NINETY-NINE TOTAL: $32.17

DAY ONE HUNDRED

9:00 AM - I drop my car off at Firestone for an oil change. It’s long overdue and I opt for the synthetic oil which apparently means I only have to get it done about once a year. Here’s to hoping this will be the last oil change I have to get before I cash in on my new (used) car.

12:00 PM - I stop by Sprouts for lunch and pick up a sandwich and a package of organic blackberries. $6.32

3:45 PM - The entire office starts talking about ice cream. I am still menstrual so this sounds really rad. I walk with my coworker to Sprouts and buy coconut ice cream sandwiches. Then we go to Circle K and she gets the rest of the office dairy ones. $5.58

5:15 PM - I pick up my car. They sell me a $20 air filter too. $100.27

6:00 PM - I eat some chips and salsa while we watch NBA summer league. The “Suns” win!

7:00 PM - I practice beatmatching.

8:00 PM - We go to Tilt to play pinball. I don’t do very good at all on the Metallica machine but I kick major ass on Ghostbusters and Walking Dead. My card still has over 50 points on it, so I probably won’t have to reload it for a couple more visits.

10:00 PM - Home! I make a salad for dinner out of leftover sandwich ingredients from earlier this week and eat some Ritz crackers.

DAY ONE HUNDRED TOTAL: $112.17

DAY ONE HUNDRED ONE

8:00 AM - My boyfriend wakes me up to move my car for him so he can go to work.

9:00 AM - On time for work today! I make toddy and toast and end up answering support questions for the better half of the morning.

11:30 AM - Even though all I want is something healthy, I opt for something cheap. The colleagues and I head to Taco Bell. I get three crunchy bean tacos. $4.50

3:45 PM - After writing a blog post to bash productivity journals, I have decided to buy one. What that does to this blog series? I am unsure. But I’ve made it 100 days and that rules. I bought this using Amazon gift card credits. Thanks Facebook!

4:00 PM - I also buy a 32 oz Hydroflask with my Amazon money. I hate myself today so retail therapy is helping.

6:00 PM - We order Jimmy Johns for dinner while we watch the NBA Summer League. $17.99

9:00 PM - We drive to Mesa to go to a further out Zia, but end up stopping at the one closer to our house on the way home because they have a record in-stock that I’ve been looking for. I buy HEALTH’s DISCO 3. $25.93

DAY ONE HUNDRED ONE TOTAL: $48.42

DAY ONE HUNDRED TWO

8:30 AM - I wake up next to a very cuddly Katy Perry. I get ready quickly and head out to work.

9:00 AM - My coworker calls and asks if I want anything from Dunkin’. I tell her I’ll take an order of hashbrowns.

9:20 AM - The month is almost half over and I’m doing an “okay” job at pacing. I am going to bring lunch for the rest of the month, so hopefully that will even it out.

12:00 PM - We decide to grab Even Stevens but it’s packed, so we go to Morning Squeeze. I get a scramble potato thing and a sangria. $23.70

1:00 PM - I am DJing tonight so I start planning my sets. I am playing two one-hour sets, so it should be super easy. I accidentally end up building four sets. Whoops.

3:00 PM - I practice beatmatching for a half hour. I seem to be getting worse?

4:30 PM - I actually pull the records for my sets. I grab some extra indie pop favorites just in case people are dancing and want to continue to do so.

6:00 PM - I eat a frozen Sweet Earth burrito and some chips and salsa.

7:00 PM - Boyfriend and I run to AZ Mills to do a quick lap. We get back by 7:50 and I rush to change and pack the car.

8:10 PM - I pick up my DJ Friend and we head to The Grid. There is a good crowd tonight! We set up shop, and I play my first set complete with a cider.

10:00 PM - My boyfriend shows up. We play a couple rounds of pinball. We’re both getting better. This time he smashes Ghostbusters and I kill all the walkers in Walking Dead.

12:00 AM - I play my second set also accompanied by a cider. Sound guy told us to cut it at 1:15 so he could go home. We get paid $100 each.

1:45 AM - We stop at Taco Bell on the way home. DJ Friend buys me a fresco bean burrito.

2:15 AM - I’m so sleepy. Why do I have to load in gear? Ever since I bought my Technics 1200s I’ve been really good about it because my entire setup is worth $1500. My neighborhood is relatively safe and the case weighs over 120 pounds, but it has wheels so it only takes one determined person to move it and you just never know.

DAY ONE HUNDRED TWO TOTAL: $23.70

DAY ONE HUNDRED THREE

5:00 AM - Dog wakes me up wanting to go outside. I guess boyfriend forgot to open her doggie door when he got home and I didn’t notice it when I came in either. Sorry Katy!

8:30 AM - My dad calls both me and my boyfriend to grab boyfriend’s birthday, so they can pay for the trip for us to go to Omaha for Thanksgiving. Boyfriend says he’s awake now, but I am not. My head is pounding and I feel hungover even though I had two waters and two drinks over the course of 5 hours plus a small portion of food?

11:15 AM - Now I’m ready to get out of bed. I still have a lingering headache which blows.

12:00 PM - We stop by Cartel and Einstein’s. I pay for coffee today. Boyfriend gets the bagels. $8

12:30 PM - We stop by Sprouts to get groceries. I am definitely bringing lunch every day next week, so I get a block of tofu and some mustard to make eggless salad for sandwiches. I also get ingredients to make baklava burritos/cigars but they don’t have any filo dough, so I’ll have to make a separate trip for that. I also get some cherries, green chili almonds, and a couple Sweet Earth burritos. $34.12

1:00 PM - Neither one of us are faring well in this heat so we head home. I start the dishes, clean out the fridge, and put away groceries. Boyfriend does a load of laundry in the meantime. We lay down for a bit and relax. It feels super good to chill. I also take a look at some of my bills and investigate Costco’s prescription site. They seem to have not refilled my birth control even though it’s on auto-refill. I order the script manually and pay for it using my normal checking account. When this charge hits, I count it as a monthly expense anyways.

1:30 PM - I transfer $100 from my #NOTSIMPLE “Safe To Spend” section to the goal I have set aside for my future Pioneer DJM-S9. Only $1325 left. AKA 10 - 15 gigs left until I can buy it!

3:00 PM - I get a second wind and end up putting away the dishes, loading them up again, doing the counters, sweeping the carport, and dusting the living room. It feels really good to have a clean house.

6:00 PM - We meet MRCH (they’re a married couple and that’s the name of their band) for dinner at TC Taco. It’s so so good. I pay for our tab. $25

7:30 PM - We then proceed to AMF and bowl our hearts out. I get second place the first round because my boyfriend decides to somehow bowl 175. I win the second game. Boyfriend pays for our games and shoes.

9:30 PM - We end up at home and are happy to be here. Boyfriend downloaded a new game on his XBOX and starts playing. I read some of Theft by Finding and ultimately turn in. Before going to bed, I decide that I’m going to re-read Harry Potter, so I download the first book and fall asleep on the 10th page.

DAY ONE HUNDRED THREE TOTAL: $67.12

DAY ONE HUNDRED FOUR

10:15 AM - I am having a dream about crying at the dentist because I don’t get enough time off of work to do anything when my boyfriend wakes me up.

10:30 AM - My sister and her boyfriend Facetime me while I eat a slice of bread.

11:00 AM - Boyfriend is engulfed in his game from last night, so I get dressed and buy us coffee and bagels. Coffee is free today because ASU Grad Friend is working. I still tip $2 and then buy the bagels ($4.54). $6.54

12:00 PM - NY Friend and his girlfriend officially moved away from NY. They’re staying in Northern AZ right now but are visiting the valley off and on. We have plans to go to a D-Backs game next Sunday, so I buy tickets for me and my boyfriend even though I don’t know if boyfriend will actually go. This month is expensive! $68.50

2:30 PM - I am engulfed in Harry Potter, which I decide to read for the 8th time and my boyfriend is knee deep in his video game, so I offer to buy us Jimmy Johns. $20.47

6:00 PM - As the sun goes down, I mow the grass.

6:30 PM - I return to reading for a bit.

7:00 PM - I make eggless tofu salad. It turns out weird, but it’s packed with protein and will definitely pair well with lettuce, tomato, and onion, so I accept it as a wash. I make a snack with a toasted piece of bread and top it with the salad.

7:30 PM - I read for the rest of the night flip flopping between Harry Potter and Theft by Finding. I find this is a good strategy as Theft by Finding doesn’t have a plot so it’s easy to zone out.

9:45 PM - A couple police officers stop by on a welfare check, but someone gave them the wrong license plate number // it wasn’t us, so it was very confusing.

10:45 PM - I eat a fig bar and some nuts for dinner.

1:00 AM - I finish Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and fall asleep way too late.

DAY ONE HUNDRED FOUR TOTAL: $95.51

0 notes

365-money-diary · 8 years ago

Text

DAYS 70 - 76

DAY SEVENTY

8:15 AM - I wake up feeling stuffed up. I had a cold all weekend and it’s not doing amazing things for my overall wellbeing.

8:45 AM - On my way to work, I stop at Dunkin’ Donuts and order a large hot black coffee and an order of hashbrowns. I stopped buying coffee Monday - Friday, but I have a little money leftover on my DD card for special instances. Today I am sick, out of toddy in the office, and I have a meeting at 10:00 that I have to prepare for and my intern will be at the office promptly at 9:00, so this seems like a good day to cash in. (No charge since I previously paid for my card to be loaded.)

10:45 AM - After my meeting I check my accounts and see that nothing I spent over the weekend has hit #NOTSIMPLE. I check their support page and it says they’re aware of the issue and working on a solution soon. I also make more toddy for tomorrow, so I don’t have an excuse to stop at DD if I’m still feeling under the weather.

12:00 PM - I check the fridge and see that all of my Sprouts salad ingredients have held up over the weekend. I walk over and grab a bunch of kale and a can of ginger ale in case my stomach doesn’t react well to eating. $1.76

12:30 PM - Broth and salad. I save the ginger ale for “dessert.”

1:30 PM - I check my email and see that Facebook has sent me a $150 Amazon gift card for participating in a research study. Yes!

5:45 PM - I start prepping dinner before the game.

6:45 PM - Fries in the oven, we eat at half time.

8:30 PM - Cavs lose. Our house is very sad. My brain isn’t working very well from being sick, so we call it an early night. I’m asleep by 11:00 according to Fitbit.

DAY SEVENTY TOTAL: $1.76

DAY SEVENTY-ONE

8:00 AM - I’m awakened by my boyfriend who is already dressed and out the door which is super weird for him. I shrug as I’m still a little pokey from NyQuil and sleep for another 45 minutes.

9:20 AM - “Late” for work. I’m still feeling super gross, but I pour myself a toddy and toast some bread which I accidentally burn. It doesn’t matter because I have no tastebuds.

2:00 PM - I am having a terrible day at work and I need nutrients. I get an Asian salad wrap from Chop Shop and a Cold Buster juice. $13.76

6:00 PM - Home from work. I am really exhausted and drained from the day. Boyfriend is not feeling well, but I push him out the door we go to AZ Mills. I buy a dress from the Levi’s store on clearance. $27

8:00 PM - We head back home. I’m not hungry from being upset from work and still stuffy.

10:00 PM - Pringles for dinner.

DAY SEVENTY-ONE: $40.76

DAY SEVENTY-TWO

7:45 AM - I am awake and anxious from last night

8:45 AM - I arrive at work and I’m pulled into a meeting and before I know it, it’s 10.

10:15 AM - I get an unexpected text from my sister telling her she loves me and it lifts my spirits a little.

10:30 AM - I am finally starting to calm down, so I pour myself some toddy.

11:00 AM - I grab Fashion Square Food Court with colleagues. I end up getting a pizza from Fired Pie, but can only eat half. $9.17

11:30 AM - I know I could use a little juice pick-me-up so I decide to try one of Jamba Juice’s concoctions. It’s not very good and I only finish half. $5.88

2:00 PM - Our paychecks come. I deposit it into my checking account.

4:00 PM - I eat the rest of my pizza.

5:45 PM - I pull records for my set tomorrow at Valley Bar while boyfriend plays NHL on the X-BOX.

7:00 PM - We run to Phoenix to pick up some enamel pins I placed an order for. I’m starting an ecommerce freelance project soon, but I’m not including those expenses in here because they’re not personal.

8:45 PM - We order JJ for dinner. $21.80

10:30 PM - I’m exhausted from last night so I hit the hay.

DAY SEVENTY-TWO TOTAL: $36.85

DAY SEVENTY-THREE

9:00 AM - I arrive at work and pour myself a toddy. I skip the toast because my appetite is still fucked.

11:00 AM - We all go to Noodles Ranch. I order a bowl of veggie pho. $10.64

4:00 PM - My face hurts so bad from my sinuses being clogged. I leave early to run home and take Allegra-D and Advil.

6:00 PM - My head finally starts to feel better. I put all my records in order for my set tonight and make sure I have enough tracks to cover 4.5 hours.

7:30 PM - I eat some chickpea salad for dinner.

8:00 PM - Off to Valley Bar! I load in and am ready to play by 9:00. There are a lot of friendly faces around tonight and I get compliments on my set. I know I still need to buy some more records to make it something I’m completely happy with, but overall I’m happy with it. I drink a few complimentary ciders throughout the night as well.

1:30 AM - Set is over! I pack up my stuff and get my check ($125) and head home.

2:00 AM - Bed.

DAY SEVENTY-THREE TOTAL: $10.64

DAY SEVENTY-FOUR

8:30 AM - I am alive.

9:15 AM - Toddy. No toast today. We have a half day anyways and are going to eat lunch at 11:00, so what’s the point, really? I’m definitely super stuffy still, but am way better than I was yesterday.

9:30 AM - I deposit my check from last night into #NOTSIMPLE. I’m saving all the money I get from DJing for a new mixer. Only $1475 left to go.

11:30 AM - We all head out to Farm & Craft. I get a kombucha cocktail and some black bean tomato tofu thing. It’s so overpriced, but whatever, it’s Friday. $33.07

1:00 PM - Home. I am pretty exhausted and still super stuffy, so I lay down and watch 60 Days In until my boyfriend gets home from work.

3:00 PM - I get an email from #NOTSIMPLE saying they can’t deposit my check because it’s made out to my middle name. I contact support and start working on getting it squared away. Within the hour, they say I can redeposit it, but I left the check at work, so I’ll have to try again on Monday.

6:30 PM - Boyfriend is home. We watch a couple episodes of Cold Case Files and eventually drag ourselves out of the house.

8:30 PM - We go to Zia and I buy a used Kesha record and a Lost Balloons LP that came out today. I also see two new books from David Sedaris and Chuck Klosterman. I make a mental note to download these to my Kindle. $36.73

9:45 PM - We eat dinner at Red Robin. My Boca Burger is cold. Boyfriend pays.

10:30 PM - I am so exhausted. I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

DAY SEVENTY-FOUR TOTAL: $69.80

DAY SEVENTY-FIVE

9:00 AM - A phone call from my sister wakes me up. We chat for about an hour and then I call my mom. Boyfriend wakes up around 10:45 and I cut my mom loose.

11:30 AM - We head to Cartel and Einstein’s. Boyfriend pays for both today.

12:30 PM - We try and figure out something fun to do today, but after going through all of our options, we eventually decide it’s way too hot (It’s already 105) and head home. We stop at CVS on the way so I can buy Allegra-D and some saline nasal spray. Damn, this shit is expensive. $35.44

2:30 PM - My boyfriend colleague is in Tempe and wants to grab lunch. We head to Haji Baba and all get falafels and hummus. I cover the tab for all of us and my boyfriend tips. $20.15

4:00 PM - We binge watch some Cold Case Files before leaving the house again.

6:30 PM - We head to AZ Mills to play some arcade games at Tilt and to hit up the Nike Store. It’s very rare that I see shoes in my size that I actually like, but I spot a pair of Kobe’s that I can’t resist. They’re $100 at 20% off. $86.47

7:00 PM - Tilt is so great! I play a girl in Dance Dance Revolution who isn’t very good at all but we have a lot of fun. I show her some fun songs to play on light while I blast through them on standard and heavy mode. I used to be super good, but my stamina is terrible now that I am out of shape. Afterward, I am coughing uncontrollably and I feel like shit, so I just play pinball for the rest of the time. $21

8:15 PM - We head out and I grab a water from the vending machine. I carry a water bottle with me most of the time (especially during summer), but we both decide it would be an asshole move if I had them fill it up at the bar at Tilt. $2.25

8:30 PM - We stop at Walgreens on our way home and buy our friend a birthday card, some travel tissues, and a couple other goodies. Boyfriend pays.

9:30 PM - We arrive at The Whining Pig in downtown Phoenix for our friend’s party. I help myself to a blueberry sour on my boyfriend’s tab. It’s so yummy. I also find that birthday girl has saved me a vegan banana cupcake! I’m so stoked. I split it with another girl who seems to be super into nutrition. I laugh about how vegan food is still terrible for you (I mean we’re eating cupcakes), but she doesn’t seem to think it’s very funny.

11:00 PM - We head to Cornish Pasty downtown and head to the basement. I order a New Belgium Kriek. At this point, I’m really not starting to feel well. I kind of regret drinking while sick, but because I went three months sober recently while dealing with UTI and vaginal issues, I kind of jump at every opportunity I get. At some point, boyfriend and I are both not feeling it, so we bounce. $9

12:30 PM - I eat a fig bar and we head to bed.

DAY SEVENTY-FIVE TOTAL: $174.31

DAY SEVENTY-SIX

8:30 AM - I wake up coughing. Boyfriend suggests urgent care. At this point, I’ve been sick for 10 days and I know I’m dealing with a sinus infection. I agree.

10:30 AM - We grab coffee at Cartel and bagels at Einstein’s. I pick up the bagels. $7.56

11:00 AM - Off to urgent care. Not having insurance is lame. They prescribe me with Augmentin. I ask for a paper script so I can price match various places, but they accidentally call it into CVS. $170

11:30 AM - I show GoodRx coupon code to CVS folks and they run it through. I also grab some cough drops. Boyfriend pays because he feels bad for me. (He’s the one who got me sick after all.)

3:30 PM - Fuck. I have a yeast infection. I google side affects of Augmentin and it’s on the first line of issues. I am eternally bummed. I text my sister (she’s a doctor) for support. She assures me that it won’t be like last time and that I’ll kick this super quick. I run back to CVS (I know we go there a lot and it’s really pricey but our closest grocery store is way further away.) and grab a Monistat 1. $24.85

5:00 PM - I am feeling terrible so I lay down and take a nap.

6:00 PM - Boyfriend wakes me up and says he wants to go back to the mall to play pinball. I am feeling better, so I join him. I still have money on my card from yesterday so it’s “free.”

8:15 PM - I am really hungry from not eating much today so I order Jimmy Johns. $10.12

8:30 PM - We watch an episode of Cold Case Files and are in bed by 9:30.

DAY SEVENTY-SIX TOTAL: $212.53

0 notes

365-money-diary · 8 years ago

Text

DAYS 15 - 21

DAY FIFTEEN

8:45 AM - My mom and I drive to Cartel to grab coffee for us, plus Dad and my boyfriend. She covers the tab. We arrive back at home and I open my laptop and start working. I don’t usually work from home, but today I will because my parents are still here.

10:30 AM - I toast a couple tortillas in the toaster oven and make tacos out of chickpea salad mix for breakfast. I make a mental note to remember this as an alternative to bread.

2:00 PM - My mom and I take a break and grab food at Hummus Xpress. I get a falafel bowl with eggplant, lentil salad, hummus, and a ton of veggies. She gets a chicken salad. I cover the tab. $20.74

5:00 PM - I finish working for the day. My boyfriend arrives home from work and we drop off my parents at the airport. We’re sad to see them go. But also really excited to have our house back.

6:45 PM - On our way home from the airport, my boyfriend stops and grabs Chipotle. I have eaten so much food over the past four or five days that I turn down dinner and have a small snack of chips and salsa at home.

8:00 PM - I start prepping for a DJ set I have tomorrow at a barcade in Mesa. I also have another 4.5 hour set coming up in a few weeks and I’m really worried I won’t have enough material for it. I prove myself right by going through all of my records to find that I only have 2.5 hours with no repeats. Aka I’m fucked. I buy The B-52’s self-titled record and text my BFF Connor for support. $9.50

10:00 PM - I check my account and see that my “health insurance” ($150) and gym membership ($10.20) come out of my account.

10:15 PM - My boyfriend arises from his burrito coma and we spend the rest of the night together.

10:45 PM - Before heading to bed, I double check my stash of urinary meds. I see that I need to buy more AZO so I hop on Amazon and do the damn thing. I also get some cranberry gummies. $37.06

DAY FIFTEEN TOTAL: $67.30

DAY SIXTEEN

9:15 AM - I arrive at the office exhausted. For some reason I had a really hard time sleeping last night. I am completely disheveled, out of coffee and grumpy. I grind some beans to make toddy for tomorrow and then make myself a hot Chemex and a slice of toast.

12:45 PM - I get out of a long meeting and while I was just planning to stock up on more salad stuff from Sprouts, my colleagues catch me if I want to grab lunch with them. I take them up on it and we go to Morning Squeeze. I get a black bean quinoa salad and a hibiscus orange juice. $16.76

3:45 PM - Two invoices come in for 2 records I am buying from discogs. They’re both stupid expensive, out-of-print, and shipping from outside the U.S. I am very bummed that a lot of charges like this will be made over the next couple days. $93.57

5:45 PM - I arrive home from work and snack on chips, salsa, & hummus and spend some intimate time with the Kardashians.

7:00 PM - I pick up my buddy who is DJing with me and we head to The Grid for our gig. The folks there are really nice. I opt to drink soda water all night and start my set promptly at 8.

8:15 PM - I am having a lot of issues with my turntables skipping because the stage is very bouncy and the bass coming up from the floor. I fix the problem a few songs in and the rest is smooth sailing.

10:00 PM - My set is over and my good friend came to support with his new girlfriend. We chat in the other room. She seems like a great fit for him and he seems really happy.

12:15 AM - We load out and get paid. $25 each. I definitely have gotten paid better, but hey, it’s a Tuesday night and we love this bar and the staff working there which cannot be said about some of the other spots I DJ.

12:30 AM - I’m still not hungry, but we stop at Taco Bell because the other DJ is starving. I figure because I really only ate salad today that I should get something small. He gets a triple double crunchwrap box and I get a fresco bean burrito. $1.91

1:00 AM - Home, but the dog gets out as I’m lugging in my records. I chase her around the neighborhood for 20 minutes before I finally get her inside.

DAY SIXTEEN TOTAL: $112.24

DAY SEVENTEEN

9:15 AM - Fuck. I am dragging. I arrive at work and make myself some toddy. I skip the toast because I feel like it will knock me out. Today I am definitely going to Sprouts, especially after knowing that I will be spending $500 on records over the next week. Gotta save money somehow.

10:30 AM - I buy a Pylon record from Discogs. Infinitely crying on the inside because all of my record purchases this week are going to be dumb expensive. I also place an int’l order for a Slits 10” and a domestic order for a Ludus 7”. Can’t wait to see what shipping is going to be ...not. $38

10:45 AM - I check my account because I had a mysterious check pop up. The scan finally came through and it was a for a check I wrote forever ago to my cousin who mailed me Girl Scout Cookies from the midwest. $21.75

11:30 AM - Slits invoice comes. I pay it right away and place an order for a 7” by The Fall and another by Can. $24.27

12:00 PM - The Fall invoice comes. $16.49

12:15 PM - Slightly disgusted by how much money I’m going to spend this week, I walk the long way to Sprouts and grab a Big Sur breakfast burrito. I eat that with some chips and salsa I have already at the office. $3.04

1:30 PM - Ludus invoice comes. $23.50

3:30 PM - Boyfriend shows up at work to say hola in between stopping at Livewire (a venue a couple blocks away from my office) to drop off stuff for Tove Lo before he runs to Mesa to work The XX for the rest of the night.

4:00 PM - My assistant bought some bottled chai from Sprouts that she wasn’t a fan of. I’m kind of into it, but not whole heartedly. I pour some into a second glass of toddy because I. Am. So. Tired.

5:00 PM - I need to run something by my boss, but he’s in a meeting / outside, so I give up on my 2nd wind and head home. I stop at Fry’s to grab a Monistat treatment because I am almost positive I have a yeast infection. $31.29

5:45 PM - I’m starving when I get home, so I make myself a small bowl of ramen with some spring rolls from Costco. I curl up with the pup and watch Kardashians.

8:15 PM - I am getting a little antsy so I walk to CVS to get my boyfriend a birthday card. It’s not for a couple weeks, but his birthday present is a garden and we should probably start planting it before it gets hot. $6.48

9:15 PM - My boyfriend calls and is already done working. We talk on the phone until he gets home and spend the rest of the night watching Silicon Valley.

DAY SEVENTEEN TOTAL: $164.82

DAY EIGHTEEN

9:15 AM - I arrive at work, pour myself a toddy, and eat a piece of toast. I approve the thing I needed to get done with my boss so I can push forward on my project.

9:30 AM - I was invoiced for the Can 7”. $11.05

12:00 PM - My assistant and I walk the long way to Sprouts and I get another Big Sur Breakfast Burrito. $3.04

1:30 PM - I decide to apply to a job on the Phoenix Suns website. It appears that I’m qualified for it, and you really never know!

3:30 PM - I only ate that burrito so I dive into some chips and salsa as an afternoon snack.

6:00 PM - I cross paths with my boyfriend after work. We talk about our day and pet the dog.

7:00 PM - I pick up my DJ pal and head to The Grid in Mesa. We get a free meal when we DJ which I did not take advantage of last time. This time I'm going on at 10, so I order tots. My stomach is mad at me for giving it fried food but I will be strong.

12:00 AM - My boyfriend arrives at the end of my set which is surprising and much appreciated! I get good feedback from the patrons on my setlist and we play pinball for a couple minutes while my DJ pal plays a few more songs. After he’s done, we get paid - $25 each and peace out.

1:00 AM - I am in bed and very very tired.

DAY EIGHTEEN TOTAL: $14.09

DAY NINETEEN

9:05 AM - I arrive at work basically dead. I make a piece of toast and pour myself some toddy. Today is going to be a long day.

12:00 PM - Colleagues and I get lunch at Hula’s. I get the Jungle Tofu. It rules. I can’t finish it, so I take a box back to the office. $15

3:30 PM - I dig into my leftovers from Hula’s and remember I have ice cream in the freezer. Cheers to Friday / being super tired and relying on sugar. And oops. I just ate the rest. RIP.

4:30 PM - My boss left early so the rest of us decide to dip out. I get home around 5 and head straight to bed. Boyfriend joins me a half hour later and we pass the fuck out.

8:00 PM - We wake up. I’m super lethargic and by the time we make it out to dinner, it’s 9:00. Options are limited in Tempe without a packed bar around this time, so we hit up Sweet Tomatoes. Boyfriend pays. I leave $5 on the table because we only have cash every other time we eat there. $5

10:00 PM - We watch Silicon Valley until midnight and pass out again. Perfect Friday.

DAY NINETEEN TOTAL: $20

DAY TWENTY

8:45 AM - Alarm goes off. It’s record store day and my boyfriend is eager to hit the record stores. There are a couple things on the release list I’m interested in, so I don’t mind peeling myself out of bed.

9:00 AM - We grab Cartel. A friend hooks us up with free drinks. I tip. $3

9:15 AM - We arrive at Zia, super bummed that they decided to open early and none of us caught it. Everything I want is sold out. My boyfriend finds some stuff though.

10:00 AM - We stop at Panera to use the restroom. Boyfriend treats us to some bagels too. I get an everything bagel with jalapeño cilantro hummus.

10:30 AM - We head to Stinkweeds, another record store in Central Phoenix. Again, I strike out. Boyfriend finds a couple things though.

11:45 AM - We head to AZ Mills. Again, boyfriend kills it and finds a rad pair of kicks. I buy nothing.

12:15 PM - We arrive home and shower and get all cute for a wedding we’re attending in Yuma. I won’t know anyone there which might be lame. I am also worried about the food situation. I pack some granola I always have lying around for emergencies like this while crossing my fingers that checking “Vegetarian” on the RSVP means a mostly vegan meal.

5:00 PM - We arrive in Yuma and I have to pee so bad. My boyfriend stops at Circle K and I buy a bottle of water, a Gatorade, and a KIND bar just in case I’m fucked for dinner. $6.38

5:30 PM - The wedding starts and it’s a super short one. Non-Catholic weddings always seem very cheesy to me, and it makes me not really want a ceremony at all. My boyfriend agrees with my as we head next door to the cocktail hour. We socialize with a couple people the bride went to highschool with and steal some chairs after an elderly couple left. It’s kind of awkward because I don’t know anyone, and everyone my boyfriend knows is in the wedding party.

6:45 PM - We make our way over to the reception hall and run into the groom’s parents along the way. They were like my boyfriend’s second family growing up, and they were super surprised to see him, so we chatted with them for a while.

7:15 PM - The moment of truth. Dinner is shockingly vegan friendly! There are rolls, which I deemed egg-free by their crusty texture, a salad which neatly had the cheese tucked in a corner so I could scoop it out, and some okay stir fry for the main course. SCORE!

10:15 PM - After all the toasts, and traditional wedding stuff, we stay for dancing for a little bit and then head back to Tempe. We get a text from my boyfriend’s little brother who stopped by to play with Katy and let her out while we were away for the day, so we feel better about being gone for so long.

1:00 AM - I fall asleep in the car.

1:30 AM - We arrive at home and I crash immediately. So so exhausted.

DAY TWENTY TOTAL: $9.38

DAY TWENTY-ONE

10:30 AM - Wow. It feels amazing to sleep in! It’s officially the last brunch of the year at Crescent Ballroom so we make plans with two friends to meet them at 11:30. We decide to bring Katy because we feel super bad for abandoning her yesterday for so long.

11:00 AM - We stop by Cartel on our way to Crescent. I stay in the car with the pup. Boyfriend treats.

11:40 AM - We meet our friends at Crescent. Patio’s packed so we wait a while for a shady table to open up. I get a breakfast burrito no egg, no cheese, and stick to water. I throw in most of the money to cover the tab. Katy does really well today. It’s encouraging that we can keep bringing her places (And not just places where we/all of our friends work so they just smile and put up with her behavior.) $17

3:00 PM - I clean the counters and do the dishes. I also “organize” the hoarder room. Aka I throw all of my DJ gear in there in a slightly organized fashion.

5:00 PM - My sister calls and needs to talk about her boyfriend’s job. He was offered a really great opportunity in butt fuck nowhere Illinois. They're both doctors and it seems like a good idea. While we’re on the phone we talk about my female area and my latest symptoms. She suggests that I try rePhresh. I buy a pack of 4 on Amazon. $14.47

5:45 PM - I wake my boyfriend up from his nap so he can either join me to go grocery shopping or move his car out of the way so I can leave.

6:30 PM - We stop at Whole Foods and I grab some produce to make gut healing broth - a new thing I’m going to try since my downstairs area is still doing pretty terrible. I buy carrots, leeks, seaweed, coconut aminos, dried shiitake mushrooms, red cabbage, fresh ginger, a bag of red potatoes, and then some crackers, Field Roast deli meat, Earth Balance cheddar squares, and some probiotic “cheese.” All the produce is going in the broth, so I get it organic $53.67

7:00 PM - I am feeling terrible from not really eating at all today and most of yesterday, so I dig into the Earth Balance squares. They’re good, but I need sugar. We stop at Trader Joe’s and I buy a banana, two bags of power greens, fresh thyme and rosemary and two jars of salsa. The spices and the greens are organic. $16.72

7:30 PM - I eat the banana in the car on the way to Sprouts. I really don’t feel too hot and opt to sit down for a couple minutes while my boyfriend picks up some stuff. After a couple minutes I can feel the sugars hitting my body and I start to perk back up. I get a bag of red onions, some celery, a couple peppers, a loaf of ciabatta bread, and a THRIVE magazine. I also grab a bottle of water on my way out the door. $15.30

8:00 PM - We use some of the ingredients I bought for the soup, plus some stuff my boyfriend bought to make veggie sandwiches. We eat them with waffle fries and watch the rest of the Clippers vs. Jazz game.

8:30 PM - I make my broth. It takes a really long time to make and it kind of tastes terrible, but after adding a bunch of salt, I’m convinced I’ll be able to eat it for two weeks straight. We spend the rest of the evening farting around on our devices while I intermittently check the broth and then head to bed.

DAY TWENTY-ONE TOTAL: $117.16

Food & Drink: $177.56 Entertainment (& Records): $238.13 Home & Health: $82.82 Clothes & Beauty: $0 Transport: $0 Other: $6.48

WEEKLY TOTAL: $504.99

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