I said hey! What's goin on?

Monday morning finds me sitting in an airport waiting out a delay and wishing I was still in bed on this rainy day!

The news just did a report over student loans and how the US student loan debt now exceeds credit card debt in this country. Maybe I'd be shocked if I wasn't still indentured to my debt. However, I am officially under $40k now. Holla! Those lenders are going down! You hear me uncle sam? You hear me Sallie? Down!

Seriously though, I wonder how many economists have spent time looking at these student loan numbers and how they affect the economy. They've shown that student loans have increased 400% in the last 20 years; (dang) and they attribute rising student loan numbers to individuals' delay in getting married, delay in beginning new business ventures and of course, decreased spending ...and we all know how important spending is to the US economy.

Oh well. What can you do? The irony that my bank got a bail-out is not lost on me... but such is the way of things.

Going forward (<--- consultant speech alert!) I plan to do everything I can to teach my 18 year old college bound kids (should I have them) about the reality of debt, and work to help them fully consider the ROI of the degree and the school they are considering.

In other news, I've completed a few more 101 tasks!!

#47 Volunteer with the USO: I suppose it wasn't technically legit volunteering. But I did have time in the Atlanta airport and I stood at the gate with the volunteers and I clapped and cheered for the men in uniform who were coming in. It was a little strange, since I'm not really a "war fan" or anything. (is anyone?) But I do feel a sense of gratitude to those poor young boys who live that life.

#61 Take a Cooking Class: I've been working as a volunteer sou chef with the Whole Foods Salud! Cooking School. It's AWESOME and it's FREE (i love free) since I volunteer. So far I've worked the following classes:

• Romance in Roma (yummy italian)
• New Orleans Style Brunch (a-mazing)
• A Salute to Julia! (yes, it was awesome!!)

I've made coq-au-vain, fried green tomatoes, and all sorts of yummy elitist food. LOVE IT.

And finally, I made the mistake of reading the USA today article on Politicians Pensions. gross gross gross. That's all I have to say about that!

Happy Monday!

-Danica

This years Halloween Costume?

Fall desires

For the fires to stop and for my tejas peeps to be safe!

For people to send me these!

(1127 McChesney Nashville, TN 37216)

To go apple picking!

To go camping!

To go see football games!

Bonfires, bonfires, bonfires!

To live out this quote:

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, champagne in one hand ... strawberries in the other and screaming: 'Woo Hoo! What a ride!'"

(courtesy of Linda)

side note: this blog is sweet. Yay for badass successful moms!