Numbers are Your Friend

The only way I could get close to photograph the hummingbird, even with my 250mm lens, was to shoot through the window. The hummingbirds appear to have what is called a General, he guards the feeder from a nearby tree and buzzes the other birds when they try to use the feeder. He is amazingly loud when he buzzes by your ear, like a swarm of bees. This is him, or he is gone for now. This one spends more time looking around, which he does while shifting his body from side to side, I've never seen them do that, body shifting one way, head shifting the other, than drinking.



Spit is praying she never has to go back in the car, Cruiser is in his usual spot.


A deer family came out during dinner last night, there were 3, then 4, then 7.

Did not care for the last enlightenment topic and again hope this does not affect my chances for enlightenment. Topic is Mind Power, with a poem by Sir Edward Dyer called "My Mind to Me a Kingdom Is." An excerpt:

Content I live, this is my stay;
I seek no more than may suffice;
I press to bear no haughty sway;
Look, what I lack my mind supplies.
Lo, thus I triumph like a king,
Content with that my mind doth bring.

There is much in the poem about letting go of the ego, but the idea of living in my mind sounds really unhealthy, what a nut.

Checked out my expenses, I kept track through March 2010, then I had to increase my W4 deductions which reduced my take home pay by $250 per month and I gave up and decided to move. January 2010 was an efficient month, no extras, and I spent $2946. Rent was $1645. I was still paying my car payment, $300, and student loan, $242. It was a month off from car insurance payment. I had discontinued cable TV. Flexible expenses, like groceries, gas, dry cleaning, cat supplies, coffee, and haircut totaled $469. Groceries were $150. Just try and spend only $150 on groceries, even if it is only for one person, it's hard. Thanks to the Prius, gas was only $70. My only splurge was the haircut, $60. Renter's insurance, utilities, cell phone, and IRS payment was $290. This includes Gas, water, trash determined by the apartment complex, a rip-off at $69 and Internet and land phone at $80, but cell was cheap at $29 (with my government employee discount!)

In January my take home pay was $3014. In April (due to reduced W4 deductions) my take home pay was $2742. I put off the car payment and got a year off on the student loan, but what was left to cut? Phones and Internet? Haircuts? Cats? Coffee? Even this was not going to be enough when the County decided to increase my retirement deduction by $300 per month starting in July. What about when I have to pay the car insurance, or for an oil change, or have a cavity filled?

I put off my student loan payment until February 2011 and I can put off my car payment until I have an income. So, assuming all other expenses are the same, my living expenses paying $750 a month in rent are about $1500/month ($2050 with car payment and student loan.) I have enough savings to last a year on $1500 a month. To break even, and pay car payment and student loan, and assuming my take home pay is 80% of my gross pay, I would need a full time job at $15/hour. I could get a part time job to extend my savings and I can freelance. I am just not worried.

Numbers can be your friend. They can tell you you can no longer afford to live how you are living, that you can no longer afford your house (way before you are unable to make the mortgage payment), that you cannot afford rent in California, and they can reassure you that you have enough to ensure that everything is just going to work out fine.