Started off the day right, by taking a walk with The Author, in town, in a space that was both remote and open at the same time, where I had never been.


It's state-owned property, near the center of town.





The Author asked me if I wanted to go bike-riding sometime and look at all the old Victorian homes along the Connecticut coastline. Yes, count me in! She's leaving for NC next week, but she said when she comes back. We probably have one good month of decent bike-riding weather left.

I plan to re-start editing her book this weekend.

So far I'm pretty happy with some of my Aldi's purchases. Like the Italian waffle-like, wafer-thin chocolate cookies. Very good, not sugary sweet, and good with a cup of tea.

The bread seems decent, too. Whole wheat, no fructose corn syrup. It might be worth heading up there if I buy 4 or 5 loaves at a time, to freeze.

I mowed the back lawn today, so I get double exercise points.

Yesterday, and today for lunch, I made a delicious meal with farro, an ancient grain I never had before. It's very much like extra large barley. If you like the chewiness of barley, you'll like farro. I sauteed up some onions, broccoli and peas with a black bean sauce and toasted walnuts. Pretty simple, yet tasty.

For the 3rd consecutive month, my expenses exceed income. I'm not happy about that. This month, it was my $600 sewer bill that is largely to blame. Later this year, I know the same thing will happen with my $800+ homeowners insurance.

It was also not a great month for income, either. My unemployment benefits have shrunk. For some reason, I only made $46 from online surveys. And there were no focus groups, just $40 made from product testing. Only made $135 from freelance writing.

I did sign up for an October focus group on pasta, which will pay either $65 or $100, depending on whether I'm asked to stay.

Tomorrow I'm going to the Lutheran Church fair. And then maybe to watch the al fresco group yoga in the park. I remember loving to watch the t'chi in San Francisco's Chinatown years ago when I was there.

I enjoyed my free dinner at the money manager's dinner presentation on "the death of 'buy and hold.'" I was surprised that he left after giving his talk and left us to finish our meals (on him) on our own. There were only about 8 of us there. I had chicken piccata, string beans and mashed potatoes.