picking up the tab

My personal deficit may not be near the U.S. bajillion dollar hole, but I still feel that I've been burning through money at an alarming rate. A friend recently noted that since we're not going out (i.e. drinking) as much, we're probably saving money. One would think. But instead of sitting at home learning how to knit, I'm buying a new Mac desktop and Herman Miller dining chairs and clothes that fit.

There is a word for hunkering down and investing in your home when you're pregnant, and it's called "nesting". But from what I've read, most people clean out cabinets and fold extraordinary amounts of laundry during this phase (which tends to occur right before the baby arrives). This period of buying high-priced home goods seems more like "indulging". My excuse for the Herman Miller chairs, which have a lifespan longer than my own, is that Dave and I sit on mismatched IKEA crap. And we only have three chairs. When we have guests over, the rotten egg has to sit on our exersize ball or a patio chair. I plan to graduate from my 20s with better furniture than I entered with, and IKEA items are the first to go. And my sis works for Herman Miller and can get me a sweet discount. Sisters are the best.

And my excuse for the refurbished iMac? I need it for Good Press! I've graduated to my new studio (which I also bought Herman Miller furniture for- oops!). And my MacBook, which is love, just doesn't cut it for graphic design projects. It just doesn't have the mega-hertz...or whatever. This puppy overheats when I download more than 14 photos! It's a great computer...for internet, iTunes, and Skyping (my other new, and free, hobby).

As far as going out- we still are. We went to happy hour at Oliver's Twist last week to drink up for Haiti (the bar donated the night's proceeds to relief efforts). I ordered a "Bartender's Fancy" and some bacon and bleu cheese-stuffed dates. Dave had his usual old-fashioned (which is maybe the handsomest drink ever, topped with a cherry and orange zest). Like I mentioned before, we have to stock up on social events while we can! At least we got happy hour prices...