This week is just CRAZY. Haven't found a moment to blog.

*Dh bought a game on sale. Was something like $10 off plus got a $10 gift card (Circuit City).

Today he went over there today and used the gift card to buy 2 Leapster games for niece. They were marked off 70%. So $30 worth of gifts for niece, FREE. Paid with free gift card.

*Took the car into the dealership for a recall notice. (Put off way too long...). Of course, dh called a few days ahead of time, and yet after dropping it off a couple of hours, they then told him they didn't have the part. UGH! So you pay ten times as much at the dealer, and look at that service! Not happy!

BUT my mechanic charged around $500 to fix the door locks last year, and they are not working AGAIN. I had since had a tip to take it to the dealer. Though I am extremely anti-car dealer, I sucked it up. I guess it was a good tip. Well, perhaps. They charged $100 to look at it, and nothing else. Dh said the door locks did not work right away though. Still intermittent.

What's with this friggin car and door locks.

$100 was certainly better than $500 though. Will they work for a whole year again? Looks unlikely.

*To save gas money (& not that we wouldn't so this anyway) dh took the opportunity today to take the kids for a walk and do some shopping, while they waited for the car. So they wouldn't have to put me out. I met them for lunch anyway, but it was only a 5-minute drive for me (From work). Kind of an "in case the car was there all day." But it was ready by the time we finished lunch.

I also had a seminar downtown (just a few miles for us) on Monday, so dh dropped me off that day. Less to save gas; more to save on parking fees.

*BM's first swim lesson was cancelled Monday (pool contamination). So yesterday I paid $110 (as opposed to $125) for his 7 remaining classes. By the end of his half hour class yesterday he could swim across the entire pool.

Color me impressed.

He has some work to do, but 6 more classes as well. I am extremely optimistic. Perhaps we will do City lessons next year, need be, to hone his skills. Then again, being able to walk down the street for private lessons? For $110? Not shabby.

We tried to practice swimming over the weekend but he just wasn't going for it. Something about a complete stranger and suddenly he tries very hard. Hopefully will give him the confidence to practice with us the rest of summer. But yeah I am surprised the guy somehow got him horizontal and across the pool on his own. Took him 20 minutes. I am afraid it would take me years. LOL. Mostly because I didn't have the same cooperation. But there was certainly some skill there.

*This week has been QUITE spendy.

Dh signed up for Indian cooking lessons. $100.

Monday I didn't have to pay for parking but ended up paying about $10 for lunch. (No boohoo from me either way; my boss foots the bill for all these required classes).

Today I met the fam for lunch. I think it was $20 at the buffet. So not bad.

Dh spent $90 yesterday on dinner for his visiting family, and pictures (pictures of the kids with the cousins). I honestly don't see the point. My dad would do the same for free. Usually his mom pays, so I wasn't so thrilled.

BUT was reimbursed $60. 80% of the food and 50% of the pictures. Waste of $20 for pictures if you ask me. I guess we'll see how they turn out.

Dh's sister ordered birthday gifts for their mom, and paid. Dh picked up our kids' b-day gifts, that were from her. So we called it even. Phew.

We'll probably drive to the BAy Area twice this month. We have a dentist appointment Friday (which is also not exactly cheap) AND we dh really wants to go to the Gilroy Garlic Festival the following week.

I am not so keen on the weather. (will be HOT!!!!!!)

But we are definitely seeing plenty of family this month.

Anyway, got the landline phone bill and it was quite high since it included the charge for our new DSL modem.

Our cell bill was quite high because we went over our minutes. Ugh. Not something we generally do. Certainly not since we upped our minutes about a year ago. I had let BM grab the phone to call both grandmas lately. I think next time he will have to use the land line. 3 cents a minute vs. 45 cents on the cell. Lesson learned. That one just shocked me since I hadn't really noticed we had used the phone so much more. OF course I Was just getting over that one when I saw the DSL bill. It threw me off for a minute, then remembered I had expected that one.

We'll be fine as long as we lay low the rest of the month. But this week promises to be spendy. I am meeting some friends for lunch Saturday (one I haven't seen since high school!). & there is probably more I am forgetting...

I may propose that dh pay for the Garlic Festival with his little game profits. It is possible we will come out ahead if his parents are generous with gas money again. We'll see...

*I did finish my crossword puzzle for my CU's 75th Anniversary prize (one being $20k). It wasn't exactly easy. I got 15 days to mail it in. (I also read the fine print and realized dh can enter too. Woohoo. OF course, the down side is anyone in California can. Bah).

*The sky is mostly blue here and the weather has actually been pleasant. Go figure.