PBR Light

Apparently monday is blogging day. I guess it just works out that way.

I took the two Praxis II exams on Saturday morning. Mathematics: Content Knowledge and Mathematics: Proofs, Models and Problems. I should have studied a lot more. At least matrix algebra, I drew too many blanks there. I may have passed the Content Knowledge multiple choice one, most of what I knew I was very confident on. But there were about 6 questions or so out of 50 that were just a blind guess. Not very good. The other test which was 4 problems, write out your own solutions, I will definitely be taking again at some point. There was only one hour to complete it, if I had three I might have had a chance, but in one I was pretty hopeless.

It really won't take that much for me to do well, I've just got to give it a little extra effort. Hopefully when I start classes in a month I'll get some good study habits going. But I definitely squandered a good opportunity to knock a hurdle down, but it'll come around again.

Apparently people are starting to recognize my bicycle. At a light on Front and Market downtown coming home today, another cyclist asked me if I lived on 21st and Clinton, apparently he had seen me come home on Saturday after my test during the Clinton Street Fair. I really need to throw up a picture here.

I think this next weekend is the one to buy a car. I already emailed somebody selling a 91 Subaru wagon 5-speed for 800. Although if i could find a blue Camry wagon that would be perfect, since Isaac has a white one and Ginny has red. Ya gotta have something to aim for.

This is also the weekend of the garage sale at REI in downtown Portland. I think I'm going with Jake, and I swear it's only to try to find some sandals for Ginny.

I'm excited for the Ethnos camping trip in two weeks. And to go mountain biking with Troy. Church was indeed a bit of a rollercoaster yesterday as Dave said it would be, but God is clearly there and moving and I love it. I think it's going to be really good to have the gang together for the better part of the weekend.

I rode the bike and the MAX back from church last night. Took the opportunity to get $20 worth of groceries from the beaverton Trader Joes on the way to the station. But they have exactly zero bike racks. Weak sauce Joe. I was the only passenger on the train from beaverton until PGE park. I guess that's sunday night for ya. Also convenient was that the ticket stamper machine was out, so I didn't pay, and don't really feel bad about it in that situation. A little conflicted maybe, but they gotta keep their equipment up.

When I got home I decided I needed some PBR. So I walked over the the yuppie New Seasons and yes, they are not above selling PBR. It was about the only 12 pack for under 10 bucks. And as my cube-mate so very well put it today, PBR is for when you'd really like a beer, but also think that some water sounds good too. Some may laugh, but that's how I feel most of the time. And I like it.

On another note, it finally occurred to me the other day what I think is the simple difference between keeping a budget for personal finances and merely managing your cash flow. Because the two documents can look nearly identical. I feel the difference is that on a cash flow diagram, the column that shows the date each row is due is nearly as important to you as the dollar amount for each row. I don't think that a budget should exclude that information, it is helpful. But when you are budgeting, the exact date each monthly item is due isn't relevant. At that point you have a contingency and could pay all of the bills simultaneously. At least that is the difference as I have experienced it.

Because the two things could have the same information displayed in the same way. Only the maker knows what pieces are the most relevant. I had a "budget" neatly organized in Excel for a long time that in fact I treated as a cash flow diagram. The idea is that when one is earning more than they spend, or spending slower than you earn (however you like to think about it) you are able to have some leverage and budget what you want to spend more than react to what you are committed to.

This is what I was telling myself as I was having an argument with God about whether I was going to buy some Tillamook Ice Cream this evening from the yuppies, after I ignored the first couple answers of no, I heeded the final one that involved it costing more than 5 dollars. And thus I suceeded in spending slower than I earned for another evening. Besides, I had a box of funfetti in the cupboard that'd I'd forgotten about, and it was almost as good as CCCD, and a lot cheaper.