That was what I heard late this morning.

So today started as any other Tuesday. I went to my standing Tuesday project meeting, picked up my mail and headed home for lunch. I planned to eat lunch and then go into the office. A pretty standard Tuesday for me.

So…I am driving on Highway XY east bound toward my office when all of a sudden I see three cars swerve from the left lane and then the next car hits something in the road. It sends it careening into my lane and I drove over it. “It” was a bike, a special bike for creating energy for a special presentation for earth day at a local college. It had fallen off an SUV which was taking it to the college.

I pulled to the side and ran to check on the driver of the SUV. He was shaken up, and in shock about it and feeling guilty at the damage (four cars) that was sustained. But I told him accidents happen and that’s what insurance is for, right? One of the other drivers went off on him, like he did it on purpose? He dropped a $5k bike in the road for fun and giggles?

My car is now sitting at the repair shop. I have a rental (bright red!) and I will hear the final estimate Friday morning. My repair guy said that it will probably be listed as totaled by the insurance if it is over a certain dollar amount. My tires and rims are shredded, the undercarriage is really torn up, there is damage to the bumper, the side of the car on the driver’s side, the tow thingy is gone (had to use a flat bed truck to tow it), and there could be more damage that I just can’t see or that her does not know about yet. But no leaking that he could see and it starts which is surprising.

Please say a prayer that the car is not totaled. I cannot afford a car payment right now!

I am ok. A little sore as I braced myself with my arms as I hit and ran over the bike. My back is tensing up a bit and I did not go to class but I will tomorrow. I can’t move very comfortably but I know I am not injured, just tense muscles. I will soak in the tub later and right now I have a heating pad on the sore spots.

I hope everyone else’s day is going better!

Saturday was a no spend day.

Sunday I went to Ikea and used part of the returned gift card for two pillows and a mirror. I hope the mirror works because I want a couple more! For 14 dollars, it is an inexpensive way to decorate a dark living room. Having the mirrors reflect some light will be helpful in lightening up this apartment. Who knew they were so inexpensive at Ikea? Unfortunately, my friend who bought a lamp has to return it as it does not work. We have had some crappy luck with Ikea and have decided, other than the mirrors, to not shop there any more. I like a lot of their furniture but the colors never match anything else and it feels like you have to get everything from their lines to make a room work. Does anyone else feel this way? I don't like that as I have some beautiful furniture from family (very old and beautiful) and nothing at Ikea even fits the color scheme. So...two more mirrors, two more pillows, all on the gift card, then I think I am done.

Sunday was also grocery shopping day. I spent $54 and some change when I had $55 to spend. Perfect! And I got everything on my list except a battery for my flash light. It takes a very large one I have yet to find. But I have $10 set aside for it when I find it as that is my emergency preparedness money this month.

Monday also no spend day. Well...I drove to a meeting and had to pay for parking but I get reimbursed for that so to me it is a no spend day. Have to go to meetings for work, can't say no to that! So...Tues-Thursday should be no spend days, too. I usually don't spend money Mon-Thursday because from work I go to the PE classes then home.

Oh, I may need to get gas sometime this week so one of them may be a spend day after all. Darn! But Maybe I can make it to when we are heading out of town Friday morning.

I updated my side bar with the debt pay off amounts I did yesterday.

CVS had a great sale on Olay products this week, buy one get one free. I really like one of their products but at $20 a pop I make it last two months. I bought one several weeks ago when I had coupons, CVS money, it was on sale, etc. and paid $12. Yesterday I bought 1 for $20 and got the second free so I am good for about 6 months of so. They also had the granola/finer bars I like B1G1F but they had none of the flavors like so I got a rain check for 8 boxes total. That would see me through several months.

I paid all the bills for the month yesterday while eating lunch. I also got the cash for the week.

A friend of mine is coming to visit Thursday-Monday and to surprise our third friend for her birthday. We wanted to celebrate it while she is in town so we are taking her to SF for the weekend. I made reservations at a hostel to stay Friday and Saturday nights. We will hike a bit Friday and have dinner in Sausalito then go into the city on Saturday and fool around for a while. It will be nice to be together again for a few days. We will return Sunday.

Finally lost a pound this week! I have been the exact same weight for the past three weeks and it was getting irritating. I track and weigh everything I eat and work out pretty hard four days a week but a small plateau was apparently in the works for me.

I am doing nothing today. Am not leaving the house, am spending some time shredding old papers from those boxes my mom brought down. Years worth of bank statements dating back to 1992 were shredded last night and I have other stuff to shred today. Three large garbage bags full! The shredder gets to hot from running and I have to let it cool for 30 minutes or so. So I get to work on that for 15 minutes then move on to cleaning for V’s visit on Thursday.

I am going to Ikea tomorrow to look at under the bed storage options. I am afraid of the apartment getting flooded (always a fear of mine and it has happened once in the 18 months I lived here. It would have been worse if I had not been home.) so I want some plastic bins for under the bed and I have the credit for returning the rusting silverware so that is what it may get used for. I also need a couple of pillows for the guest bed as I have none.