Sometimes you just need real boots.

So I've bought 3 pairs of shoes this month. Roughly 3 pairs higher than average, but all of them necessary buys. Flats for school so my feet don't die and rain/winter boots so I don't die. No more shoes for a while.

And so I'm back to having no money. Pretty sure the shoes put me over my monthly budget, especially since my tax percentage mysteriously increased by 17% between my last two paychecks. I'm working on figuring out why this is; hopefully the answer involves some kind of error...

All free food today (after breakfast I suppose, but already having purchased the items makes it seem like it's free...). Bagel brunch at church this morning--I'm actually making friends!!--and dinner tonight at Sally's. Hopefully dinner conversation can include babysitting requests and winter concert ideas. I was going to go for a multicultural holiday concert but it's too difficult to find that kind of repertoire for littluns, so I'm back to the drawing board with only 2 months until the performances. Theme ideas that don't border on any religious tones anyone??

And last but certainly not least, Homecoming. Though Meghan and I could not be in Wavetown to celebrate with our fellow alumni, we did...
-Wear orange and black
-Dress Brittany in an orange Wartburg sweatshirt
-Stop in a thrift store in honor of Trinkies
-Consume orange-hued pumpkin beer
-Spend the afternoon/evening on Waverly Place
-Attend a street fair (aka Ren Faire) complete with crafts and international munchies
-Eat at the Waverly Restaurant, a local diner reminiscent of East Bremer
-Patronize a bar with discounted pitchers (including one on the house which we still can't figure out how we "earned") and orange Christmas lights

All in all a pretty successful evening, even if I was way too full from dinner to truly celebrate Oktoberfest-style... It's ok, Meghan and Brittany had enough pitchers to make up for my stubborn stomach.

When it's rainy and cold and I don't have money and thus can't really enjoy the city as much as the summer, I really miss home. Libertyville AND Waverly. I hope you all had a fantastic weekend and I can't wait to be in Illinois in December and Iowa in June/July... Although those sound impossibly far away...

Love & Hugs,
K =)