86 – March 27
“Some people are making such thorough preparation for rainy days that they aren’t enjoying today’s sunshine.”—William Feather
Going on a cruise is a wonderful experience—it’s a big adult playpen on the water. When I took my first cruise with Korey, we couldn’t believe how much fun there was to be had with the wide variety of activities. There was a casino, bingo games, nightly entertainment, karaoke, dancing, a piano bar, aerobics classes, a gym, massage, shuffle-board, skeet shooting and food galore. You only have to unpack one time and the ship carries you to different ports of call—you wake up and you’re in another city. We had a fabulous time.
When we got home from the cruise, Korey and I decided that we didn’t want the fun we had had to end. So we invented “Cruise Day.” Once a month, we planned a day off. It had to be a work day so we could feel like we were playing hooky and getting away with something. For that whole day, we did nothing but have fun, just like when we were on our cruise.
We always checked with each other ahead of time to see if it was a High Budget, Medium Budget or Low Budget Cruise Day. High Budget Cruise Days looked like this: We went to Nordstroms and shopped for great clothes, we went to the theater, we had steak and lobster at a great restaurant, etc. On Medium Budget Cruise Days, we did more window-shopping and less actual purchasing, we went to the movies and ate at a medium-priced restaurant. During Low Budget times, we rented videos and popped popcorn, picnicked on the beach, or visited a local museum.
I have to tell you we had every bit as much fun on Low Budget Cruise Days as High Budget ones. You can laugh and talk and have a great time with a great friend no matter what the contents of your wallet are. So plan a Cruise Day today!
Today’s Affirmation:
“I think, therefore I’m rich!”
My lovely niece Marissa, married to her wonderful husband Maxie, had two adorable children, Kara and Maxie, when they were expecting their third child (Derek, now 11 years old). Since the increase in family members meant an increase in budget expenditures, she was contemplating how to tweak things and get another assignment for product placement in a movie. (She got copies of her auntie’s The Wealthy Spirit into the book store scene in the movie “Easy A”. I loved that!)
When she was working on it, she sent me this report:
Hi Auntie Chellie!
So I have a funny story you will appreciate. Maybe 2 months ago when the reality of baby #3 hit me, I was sitting in the living room thinking to myself, “It would be nice to get offered to work on just one more movie so maybe we can pay off the mini van and put some money away before baby #3 arrives.” Not 30 minutes later, my boss called me and offered me a gig, to help work on a movie doing just props and sets while they handled the marketing side, yet getting paid my full asking price. Wow!
Now, when you submit your invoice for working on a film, you NEVER KNOW WHEN that invoice will get paid, especially when asking for the money up front. They could wait until filming begins, when it wraps, or somewhere in the middle.
So yesterday, it had been 23 days since I had submitted my invoice, and I was daydreaming about paying off the minivan so we wouldn’t have car payments anymore, so while Maxie was at preschool, Kara and I gave the minivan an overhaul, removing every piece of kids clothing, every granola bar wrapper, every crayon…took the stickers from In N Out off of Kara’s window, wiped down the inside, and vacuumed every last corner because this car was about to be OURS.
And then I got the check in the mail a few hours later.
🙂
Happy Friday!
Love you!
Marissa