Pissed it all away! in A small but passable life.

I did it. I’ve successfully spent or gave away all but a little over a hundred bucks of that $1200 government handout. After a decade or so of being totally broke and really not noticing it, having that cash sitting in my account felt too weird. Especially since I hadn’t worked for it. It was like it had no meaning. So I bought things I’d always kind of always wanted but really didn’t get around to buying.

The last item that has arrived was the Buck knife. I finally found the Woodsman model #102, a sweet fixed 4” blade in a leather sheath at Bass Pro. It was $65.75 total with tax and free shipping. It arrived by FedEx in a ridiculously huge box. It is definitely a work of art made in the USA with a forever warranty.

And last night, on Amazon, I got a bit carried away with browsing. I found a black steel fountain pen in a steel case that takes either ink cartridges or liquid ink (I chose 30 cartridges) and a handmade leather covered journal. That order was $48.20 with tax and free shipping.

And then I bought a new leather briefcase/messenger bag. That was $83.29 with tax and free shipping. My old leather briefcase is under my bed with the old laptop in it. They are both retired. I bought that briefcase nearly thirty years ago. It has served me well. I’d always thought it had too many zippers and pockets. The new one has one big main compartment and two small pockets on the front and a bigger pocket on the back. The only zipper is for the pocket on the back.

I really wanted a Saddleback but really couldn’t see spending $600.

I may end up regretting spending all that “money” but at least I’ve got peace of mind not having to think about having it and wondering what to do with it.

I remember that time I found that $100 bill lying on the sidewalk and couldn’t deal with it so I just deposited it into my savings account and managed to forget about it. Out of sight, out of mind.

Anyway, the daytime highs are still in the triple digits, but the nighttime lows are into the seventies. And the skies are still hazy with smoke and dust. I guess that is the new normal.