Anonymous: well, if it's 10 cents vs. $2, then that's okay. I figured most of the cost was in the labor involved in setting up the different amounts and keeping everything straight (some of us have the cost of dental insurance deducted, others dont; some of us contribute to TIAA-CREF, others don't)

As for seeing the savings "passed on" - I doubt it, considering the compartmentalization of most university budgets. Not that I'm agitating for a $2 a month raise, but it would be nice to see the library be less pinched or more money for student workers.

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Went back to working on the quilt-in-the-frame and also the front of the Greek Pullover. I've decided - even though I'm itching to start something new - that I really need to finish a few projects first. (I do not know why the Greek Pullover is going so slowly right now; the back seemed to work up pretty fast.)

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The newest "Knit Simple" came yesterday (or rather, it was in the mail I picked up yesterday from while I was gone). I like the second sweater - it is a wrap sweater with ties and a wide shawl collar. I have some nice tweedy green cotton blend (originally bought for a Sitcom Chic. But as I now have 3 other Sitcom Chics worth of yarn in the stash, I think I'm going to repurpose it) that I think would make a very nice version of this sweater.

Cardigans work better for me than pullovers because of the high spatial variability in temperature in my building.

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There are going to be some technological upgrades chez Fillyjonk in the coming weeks. I got a letter from my ISP (which is also my cable company) saying they are no longer offering dialup starting this August. But - they will upgrade you to a cable modem (which is basically the other option in this town - yes, I know, there are merits and demerits to it, and DSL, and wireless, and all that, but my options here are a bit limited) for free, and also the first year's service is at the price of dial-up.

I asked the woman when I was scheduling the work order about their digital cable - something I've toyed with getting for well over a year. She told me how much it was (not that much more than the basic cable) and some of the channels (TCM! the Discovery plexes! National Geographic!). She also remarked that if I wanted it done at the same time as the internet upgrade, I'd not have to pay for a service call.

So I decided to do it.

And then I realized - I have a small, old, okay-but-not-great tv. I have thought off and on about buying a newer, larger, digital-compatible tv. The woman told me, "Well, if you buy a new tv, you SHOULD be able to change the box over yourself" but I didn't like that "should."

So - even though I've spent what is for me a truly frightening amount of money in the past month, I'm going to withdraw my tax refund and some money I made reviewing textbooks from my savings account and go buy a fancy new television. If I can find the 37" Toshiba that was well-reviewed by Consumer Reports*, I'll go with that. If not, JVC or Sony - both of those are brands I've had pretty good success with in the past. I'm going to buy it from a local electronics store (instead of going to Sherman and braving the big-box place) because I figure even though I might pay more, if I wind up with a lemon, a local place will probably be more willing to make things right.

I have a little time; the changeover comes in 10 days. So it's not like I have to buy the tv TODAY.

(*It has been my experience that companies have the annoying habit of discontinuing the very models that get high marks from CR. I don't know if it's just the cycle of these things, or if there's some kind of "Eeep! Gotta build in more obsolescence!" attitude that kicks in.)

(I don't want a gigundo-screen. I think 37" is about the maximum I can fit in the space between my bookshelves. I might go a bit smaller if I can find a good tv that's smaller.)