Thursday 16 February 2006

Pic of the day: There, bright enough for you? ^^

(My) money matters

Finally I've tied up the loose ends that needed tying up from the two moves, the one that wasn't and the one that was. Yesterday the money came into my account, from DnB. I suppose I will still get the one from GE Money Bank on Friday. Theoretically I could do without it, if I don't get any other bills and if I don't buy any more food except the occasional milk and bread for the next month. This might actually be the best, but most likely it will show up and I will go on with my life. In that case, I'll probably leave a very few hundred $ in my salary account and move the rest to a reserve account so it doesn't look to me like I have money. If I have to move again this spring and need to pay double rent and deposits and such again, it'll go from there. Otherwise I paln to just use it to pay back the loan.

Yesterday I paid off the bills for the new floor, the washing, moving the Internet (I had to move it twice without being able to use it), and another small bill. This morning at 9 I went to the bank with the landlord's mother and made a deposit account that requires the signature from both the landlord and me to open up. Evidently these are special accounts that already exist. Fine by me. Later in the day I transferred the money. That should be the last of it. I'm not free, not as long as I have debt, but things are now organized and I'm not leaving anyone else hanging, as far as I know. And that pleases me mightily!

***

In other news of the day, I stayed at work till 6PM again. I tried to go home at 5, but it poured and I hadn't taken my spare umbrella from the office. When I got back there, it was too late to reach the bus, so I stayed another hour. There is work enough these days.

On my way home (now with umbrella) I stopped at the Prix supermarket at Nodeland. Nice place. I spent some time browsing the shelves, humming softly to myself while looking for food that would be acceptable both to me and to the Lord. Can't completely forget the Lord, now can we? I found a few things. Raisins are definitely acceptable to me! And surely raisins are a blessing from Heaven. In moderation, of course. No, seriously, it's not like I'm going to eat them all at once even if I feel hungry. Anyway, as I was paying by the register at the exit, a slightly chubby girl in early grade school or so came running. "Do you work somewhere?" she asked. I did not answer, as I couldn't imagine a complete stranger asking me about that, I assumed she must mean someone else. But she looked straight at me and asked again. "Do you work somewhere?" "Yes" I replied, "but not here." Evidently this illuminated the matter sufficiently, because she ran off, as did the other small girl who was waiting behind her. Childlike curiosity indeed. Perhaps their parents had told them that crazy old men did not work?

Not that I feel particularly old these days. But I remind myself that I am, and sometimes my knees remind me too. Soon 50, say my knees. It beats having a donkey talk to me, I suppose.

And then I walked home and cooked potatoes. I feel disturbingly normal. Debt and potatoes. That is the Norwegian way.