Poverty is Awesome (or A Trip to the Grocery Store)

We though once we moved in together that this blog would become a regular fixture in our schedules, that we would post often, with clever and insightful thoughts about the lives of a teen librarian and a YA author. There was just one problem...


...we weren't poor enough yet.


Follow us on this one.


After moving into our 2-bedroom apartment with our cats Mr. Darcy and Iljimae, Librarian Lauren absconded on a luxurious adventure to the American Library Association Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana. After downing a couple hurricanes and meeting Étienne the mule (and bringing Writer Lauren back a cleverly-procured signed ARC of Maureen Johnson's "The Name of the Star"), she laughed in the face of her credit card bill and immediately booked tickets to Dragon*Con.


Meanwhile, Writer Lauren was once again enjoying employment, this time making use of her skill with L's and R's at a Japanese Travel agency. At first, she made an effort to pay down her credit-card bill, but there were walls to paint, cushions to cover, and costumes to make. And also, Dragon*Con. Additionally, with the end of revisions for her YA Fantasy novel threatening her sanity, she had no choice but to self-medicate with caffeine and chocolate at the local Cup'A'Jill's. Every day. And really, who just buys one coffee?


In light of her secure finances and well-delineated priorities, Writer Lauren quit her job.


Don't worry, she wasn't completely barking mad--she had a position lined up with a temp agency, and two weeks of down-time in which--rather than posting on this blog--she scrubbed porches, went to wine-tastings with old friends, and completely ignored her revision.

Not kidding about the HP tattoo.

Then it was the end of July, and the final installment of the Harry Potter movie arrived. As geeks of the highest rank (don't make us get out our membership cards...), we could hardly let an opportunity like this pass us by. This was history. And so costumes were made; tickets were bought; and in the case of Librarian Lauren, tickets were bought in Melbourne, Florida so that such an historic event could be celebrated properly (with old friends...and tattoos...what?). 


Did you know that, no matter how small, tattoos have a base price? Neither did the Librarian. 


So anyway. Writer Lauren was working hard at her cushy new government position, well on her way to becoming financially stable once again. 


She quit that job too. 


Then Dragon*Con. Oh, Dragon*Con. You may, at this point, be asking yourself, "Why this post? Why now?" You see, we're poor. No, really poor. That credit card bill? Not so funny anymore. Those three weeks before Writer Lauren's third new job greets her bank account? Looking pretty long. We've had to bid our sad goodbyes to fast-food lunches in favor of the (cheaper in the long run, we've been told) $200 worth of groceries currently occupying our fridge.


Ya'll have no idea. Our fridge was empty. It was in the red. No really, look. It took $200 of groceries just just to bring it back to empty. 

Can you hear the wind howl?

On the bright side: we have no money. This means no movies; no trips to Jo-Anne's; no five dollar no-fat-mocha-whip-lattes to be had. It does, however, free us in ways previously unimagined. We suddenly find ourselves faced with an interminable stretch of time with no entertainment save the open page, and this blog. 

And so, dear readers, we come to you once again, flowers in hand (cheap flowers), promising you that this time will be different.