I had a different kind of natural deodorant that I tried this weekend, and I ran across the same sort of problem (pain), but that may be because of the irritation caused by my regular deodorant.

Right now I am using a steroid cream that my dad had for the rash on his hands to at least stop the irritation, with no deodorant, and then I’m going to have to find something else.

I thought about doing a baking soda + corn starch mixture, to see if that will work. Either that or a witchhazel + glycerine mixture. But until then I am without deodorant until this heals.

I suppose I should have known I have sensitive skin, due to the patch of psoriasis on my knee. But in general I’ve never had any skin problems other than that until now.

The problem with certain people in debt is that they pay their unnecessary bills first before taking care of their necessities.

Perfect example: Someone goes out to buy a new xbox controller with the last $100 they had in their account, and 2 days later they need food or to pay the electricity. They deem that an “emergency” so they use credit to pay it off. This is called ass backwards thinking. The problem is you can make anything an “emergency”, and the food and electricity should have been forseen and taken care of with your own money. Obviously the xbox controller isn’t an emergency, so you do without. What a pity.

Another example is going out to buy a new video game or new jewelry before paying rent. I don’t know why some people think this way, it’s completely backwards.

Who cares about the credit cards anyway, seriously. Buy your diapers, food, pay your utilities and rent, THEN worry about the damn credit cards. So what if you get bad credit. I had bad credit. I had 525 credit score in 2005. You can FIX that. I have a 700 credit score right now. You don’t need to be going out and buying anything that looks at your credit score anytime soon anyway if you’re buried in debt and can barely get by.

Necessities first, credit cards last. It’s a process that requires dedication and time. And of course not using your credit cards anymore as your emergency fund and learning what real emergencies are.

• Starting Balance of Debt in October 2009: $4147
• Total Payments in October 2009: $2797.17
• Total Payments YTD: $3824.34
• Total Card Charges in October 2009: $1331.84
• Total Finance Charges For October 2009: $40.42
• Total Finance Charges YTD: $75.74
• Starting Balance for November 2009: $2681.67
• $0 Goal: February 2010

Notes for this month:
Most charges on this account were my dads (in fact I think all were), but I did use the card to buy my new tires and alignment, and then just paid that off the next day. Charges/payments shown here do include the tire amount.

See also:
September 2009

and My series of paying off dad’s loan in 8 months

• Don't forget to turn your clocks back an hour, ya'll #
• Today: Carving Pumpkins, cleaning, coding for $, sorting through boxes, relaxing, watching Halloween movies, waiting to give out candy #
• Laf, man cold!: http://bit.ly/j4C94 #
• Mmm, free thai food for lunch for wearing horns. #
• DoTD: http://bit.ly/3jYMZv, http://bit.ly/1bIXg9, http://bit.ly/Z2bM8, http://bit.ly/1EqSiw #
• trying to put together something costumey for work since they'll buy lunch if we wear something #
• thinks she has gotten over that hill she mentioned a while back. Should be smooth rolling from here. #
• DoTD: http://bit.ly/2gVyK, http://bit.ly/2ddL7p, http://bit.ly/1RXSSs, http://bit.ly/Y5Iu0, http://bit.ly/38MjEW #
• RT: @tourfrederickmd: Top Chef contestant Bryan Voltaggio of #Volt on cover of Smart Company Mag+nice feature & pics http://bit.ly/4yzVXH #
• I bet it pisses Mike I off that Robin lasted longer than him. Gonna have to catch up on this episode of Top Chef. #
• Do you ever feel like "Yeah, I could explain why, but they wouldn't listen anyway. Their minds are made up." That's how today starts. #
• RT: @JohnChow: [Pictures] The Most Epic Treehouse Ever Constructed http://bit.ly/MgycO #
• is officially sick and has a big event to attend on Friday evening. Time for lots of rest and pills. #
• DotD: http://bit.ly/P5zuw #
• Your only security is in your own ability – Unknown #
• Figured out two .NET things on her own today. This makes me happy and pwnified. #
• Huh. Cnn.com got a redesign. Trying to decide if I like it. It's definitely better organized than the previous one. #

October 01: Bi-Monthly Bill Payment Day
October 02: $0
October 03: $0
October 04: $0
October 05: $0
October 06: $31 in gas, $40 for Grove/ADF renewal, $5 for ADF donation
October 07: $0
October 08: $0
October 09: $69 for camping registration
October 10: $0
October 11: $0
October 12: $30 on gas
October 13: $112 to my church as a donation, $49.50 towards tax course tuition for books
October 14: $0
October 15: Bi-monthly bill payment day
October 16: $30 on gas
October 17: $56 on food
October 18: $0
October 19: $0
October 20: $30 on gas
October 21: $0
October 22: $0
October 23: $460 on new tires and alignment
October 24: $0
October 25: $30 on gas
October 26: $0
October 27: $0
October 28: $0
October 29: $32 on gas
October 30: $10 for a workshop
October 31: $0

Days in October not spending money: 18.
Not a bad month, if I do say so myself.

See also: September, August, July, June, May, April, March

• has a ridiculous amount of stuff to cram into the morning hours before camping. *runs away from facebook* #
• Ya'll seen this yet? Pretty inspiring: http://bit.ly/ip6HE #
• Ginger cookies from the new Moxie Bakery on N. Market are flipping AMAZING. I hear the sugar ones are too: http://www.moxiedesserts.com #
• It is Cliffs Of Moher #
• DoTD: http://bit.ly/4dFZS (I want to go here, where is this?) #
• Today: http://bit.ly/27KEzh #
• this is my Friday #
• Site with best footer: http://www.newtoyork.com/ #
• new tires are ordered: $398.95 for all 4, includes mounting/balancing. Yay new tires. #
• DoTD: http://bit.ly/1j64YC and http://bit.ly/1B8R23 and http://bit.ly/1WYBuU #
• is surrounded by sick people at work :/ #
• hates godaddy's hosting interface. Glad I don't use it for my own stuff. #
• is gonna take a break from freelance for 2 weeks or so. Gotta pace myself #
• looks like I'll be working late again. Hopefully I can leave at a decent hour so I won't be up past midnight. #
• Some Gipsy Kings to help me push through what I need to do at work, so I can go home and push through another freelance deadline #
• Ya'll heard about the bear wandering around in the grocery store, right? http://bit.ly/2hbHYc #
• "The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken." – Samuel Johnson #
• Cougar Barbie: http://bit.ly/12EWLn #
• Dotd: http://bit.ly/DlV1R and http://bit.ly/d0SuL #
• Why do I always figure stuff out seconds after I've asked for help? #
• is about to truck it down to Baltimore with another 3 bales of straw and 8 dozen eggs in her mustang, apparently in the snow? #

• thinks she's gonna pwn her tax test on Tuesday. TAX0R! #
• Fortune Cookie: Your reputation is your wealth #
• Cold and rainy, good weather for starting the woodstove and staying inside working on freelance work while drinking apple cider #
• DoTD: http://bit.ly/42oOik and http://bit.ly/kSZvg #
• the forcast for today where she is tent camping later this month is SNOW. Gonna be a fun #
• is really proud of how well she's done setting up and customizing an e-commerce site in wordpress. Gonna try to finish in the morning #
• Anyone going to the magic show at the Weinberg tonight? http://bit.ly/1roWXt @weinbergcenter #
• wants to see Gwar in December at the 9:30 club. #
• Another review on Volt's Table 21 from downstairs: http://bit.ly/4pHlnE Hope he wins Top Chef #topchef #volt @bryantvoltaggio #
• Volt Restaurant in Washington Post, small interview with Bryan from downstairs http://bit.ly/4dH5Py @bryanvoltaggio #
• just had some amazing hot chocolate from @perfecttruffle. Perfect for a cold rainy day. Ya'll should go try some. #
• First song about the saucer kid? http://bit.ly/mf0DS #
• Okay, who builds experimental aircraft, and then leaves their 6 year old child unattended to take off in it. I mean really who does this? #
• RT: @enformeweb: Now Hiring: Technical Project Manager – http://www.enforme.com/node/115 @MarylandWebJobs @Baltimore_Jobs @marylandjobs in reply to Baltimore_Jobs #
• I'm all for supporting this guy. Monster Energy Drink is just being an ass: http://bit.ly/oGU5C #
• #chocolatemilk is a top twitter trend today…..now I want some. *grumble* #
• is starting to reply to stupid "fact" chainmail letters with just links to snopes from now on. #
• Apple Cider Vinegar makes everything better. No matter what @peterhassett says. #
• Second co-worker now that's told me my cheerfulness and my boisterous laugh make their days. #
• A bottle of Carter Que BBQ sauce in exchange for a dozen eggs. Good trade. @peterhassett #
• thinks she got poison from cutting wood on Saturday :/ #
• RT: @MarylandLife: Tonight's FUN event: a wine dinner at Elk Run, featuring the work of Volt Restaurant's Bryan Voltaggio. #
• Thanks to @filet0fish: Workplace e-cards. If you've ever worked in an office, probably half of these are relevant http://bit.ly/1hugKz #
• anyone else noticing AIM randomly unblocking people you've blocked? #
• if only the office were this quiet during office hours #
• DoTD: http://bit.ly/EXnlT and http://bit.ly/o6SI0 and http://bit.ly/29ScQc #
• thinks she's going to have to take better control of her time. Demands are going to start getting stressful and I'm not cool with that. #
• Figures they'd make a movie about the 2012 end of world prediction. Least it looks like it has good action scenes. #
• DoTD: http://bit.ly/2L0MgA #

• today will consist of walnuts, newspaper, fallen leaves, acorns, computers, rosemary, sandpaper, cardboard, soap, wind, phones, & money #
• updated her twitterfox plugin by habit and doesn't like the new "echofon" look. I want my twitterfox back, dammit. #
• DotD: http://bit.ly/4otFMK and http://bit.ly/4ovNfy #
• finds it hard to believe that no one makes edible tombstones for a confectionery project she has in mind. Blasphemy. #
• wants rocket launchers and machine guns installed in the head and taillights of her car so she can "pew pew pew" stupid drivers #
• Now this is just cool, wall decor with a sharpie : http://bit.ly/4cpAzS #
• Time to move to Norway! http://bit.ly/VnVP4 #
• Someone vandalized crumland.com's hay bales that said "Corn Maze" to "Porn Maze" last night. Saw it as I was driving in. #
• hates inflatable lawn ornaments #
• has conquered IE6 compatibility once again. I do not fear you IE6. I only hate your soul once in a while. #
• Robots at the Renn Faire? http://bit.ly/FeU5k #
• is feeling Autumn today. Caramel apple cider, sunny fall day with colored leaves. Just need a woodstove smell and I'm golden. #
• is grateful the porta potty pickup was in the way so she had to park elsewhere this morning, cause a big tree limb fell on my spot #
• From Irene: go to google.com. Type in "Google Chuck Norris" and hit the I'm Feeling Lucky button. #
• nice logo to try and comprehend at 6am, google #
• home from class, now to start work again? #
• is amused that someone developed a FF addon that translates pages to the language of the Swedish Chef: http://bit.ly/RG2BB #
• learned that you could deny paying SS with your paycheck, but only before your first return. But no one knows this at 14 or 16 #
• knows too many stupid people that waste money they can't afford to waste. Lawdy. #
• Stink Bugs are actually a new phenomena: http://bit.ly/1sGK8S #
• The Nightmare Employee: http://bit.ly/2Fp0pE #
• is amused when people make fun of her for being cautious about certain germs (like h1n1), when dad has a compromised immune system. #
• was able to take a pair of pliers to one of her old pairs of boots and fix them so she has another pair of shoes at least for now #
• Dear God, this poor woman: http://bit.ly/1rupRm #

• Dad’s leg has an infection again. He’s on antibiotics and special wrapping materials right now. I’ve also ordered some items that I’ve done research on that are supposed to help these types of skin ulcers. The next time he has it unwrapped, I’m going to take pictures for my own archiving purposes.
• Class is going well. It has a very laid back atmosphere, and I find myself asking questions which leads me to believe I’m actually learning. It’s a lot of material to go through though, and I’m studying almost daily to keep up. I’m going to try to switch to spending the afternoons on Sundays studying for the entire week so I have time for other things. I told a a friend of mine that they eventually teach us about tax fraud and the different methods people use to try and commit tax fraud. He says I’m going to be a Tax0r.
• The last 2 or 3 weeks I’ve been working 15 hour days between my full-time job and freelancing. One evening I was up until 2am (and still had to get up at 6am for work the next day), and am not sure if I went to bed before midnight for an entire week. It’s quite “taxing” on my brain and I’m glad things are settling down some. I can’t complaint too much because the extra money is more than welcome. (this is part of the reason I haven’t been answering emails, fyi)
• I had the Grove up to my abode last weekend. We were going to have a small bonfire out back and drum, but it rained so we stayed inside and ate food, drank Art’s homemade blueberry wine, and watched old bad movies. I’m grateful for having such wonderful people around me. And I’m also grateful for the two men that helped carry a new storage cabinet upstairs for me. (Thanks Art and Mark )
• Upcoming this month, I have to work for my full-time job on a Saturday all day. Several Grove events, some of which are pretty exciting. I’m going camping out near Berkeley Springs again, and am suspecting I’m going to freeze my ass off. And hopefully enjoying the harvest and season.
• My wisdom teeth healed fine, in fact during my follow-up appointment the doctor said they were healing beautifully. I’ve had absolutely no pain from the surgery, and no pain since the surgery, which leads me to believe the one partially impacted wisdom tooth was indeed causing me the jaw pain. The whole thing only cost like $250, and that came out of my HSA pre-tax money anyway. Very painless.
• Dad and I had either mormons or Jehovahs Witnesses stop by on Saturday, which I guess makes this officially our home now? I didn’t go outside because I was all henna’d up, but they did stop my dad on his lawnmower (rude?). I saw when they got out of the car that Bastian started jumping all over their nice suits and licking them, so I decided not to worry about bringing him inside. One of them was actually really scared of Bastian, and when they got back into the car I saw him using hand sanitizer Oh well, at least I have a pamphlet if I want to learn about God.
• Holiday shopping has started. I’ve got the sweetheart done, and dad started. I have a few more things to pick up for my dad and maybe my sister and I’ll be finished. Of course the money used for this is money I put away throughout the year so it’s not hurting my finances right now. The sweetheart and I are trying to decide whether to get dad a log splitter or a new lounge chair as his big gift. The log splitter would help a lot since wood is our main source of heat and I’m discovering more and more that dad needs things to be as easy as possible right now with his leg. I’m fine with splitting the wood myself, but dad is not going to wait until the weekend when I can do it. He’s that stubborn. The lounge chair is nice because it lets him relax, the one he has now is falling a part, and it’s his main seating place throughout the day. It’s fairly integral for him. I guess I’ll have to think about this more.
• Our well situation is finally fixed. We broke down and bought a new pump, since the one we got from our old house didn’t work quite right either. Now everything works fine, we have a new pump, new parts, new tank. Eventually we’ll need a new water heater, but I’m going to try and use this one up first.
• Speaking of planned expenses, during my trip to Berkeley Springs later this month, I’m going to stop by a wholesale tire place that has been recommended to me for years and pick up 4 brand new tires for the mustang. I’ve already got a quote between $80 and $123 each (includes mounting), depending on which tire I choose. So while I’m out that way I’ll use the money I’ve saved up for this and get some new tires before the winter.
• I got my car inspected for PA (where they told me I’ll need new tires before winter, which I suspected anyway), so I think I’ve completed pretty much everything to get myself officially transferred to PA now.
• I seriously need to downsize my rock collection. I started filling up the cabinet that my friend Caryn gave me, and it’s overflowing due to rocks. We are having a goods auction to support the Grove in a few weeks, maybe I will downsize then.
• Dad and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary in our new house on October 1st. Doesn’t seem like it’s been that long, but we’ve adjusted to it. I’m still not fully unpacked . Slacker.
• I had to call Comcast the other day because my “promotional” period ended and they raised my rates. I had to threaten to cancel in order to be rebundled to a better rate, but I’m set in stone for another year at least.
• Work had its annual party a few weeks back. I don’t think I played as well this year, but I had fun so that’s all that matters.