fun month, boring month

Our new strategy for saving money is to have one month of splurge and one month of save. We call it turning the tap on and turning the tap off. But let me tell you, after a splurge it really hurts turning the tap off.

I think we got into this pattern during May 2023 (fun), june (boring), July (fun), august (boring), September (fun), october (boring), November (fun), december (boring), January 2024 (fun!). Extending that out, it tracks that Albert's birthday and the expiration of our Magic Keys falls in a fun month (March 2024). 

Fun = Jan, Mar, May, July, Sept, Nov

Boring = Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct, Dec

Well, it's hard to have a boring month in December because of Christmas and Mike's birthday, but we have been experiencing some staffing shortages here at work so this year we are definitely planning to stay locally here. It's interesting that September 2024 is a fun month, we'll see about doing the Disneyland race that month. Maybe we won't do it. Maybe we'll do some other one. Maybe we'll just train for it and then just enjoy running for the sake of running.

November 2023 was fun. We went to San Diego. But I'm too tired to write about it today.

I'll leave you with these two photos. First one is a selfie at the Village after I did a run that felt like 5 miles but was actually only 1.5 miles. The second one is my official school headshot. I think the lighting captured my double chin perfectly but I'm trying to just accept that it's what I look like right now and that's why I'm trying to get back into running.

I recently purchased a few items that I hope will be helpful for my return to running. 

• New Shoes Brooks Ghost 14 White/Purple/Coral
• A Jacket https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WPFTLDL
• Compression Socks from Sparkle Athletic
• and NurseMates which I got from Buy Nothing
• Reflective Visor from Sparkle Athletic
• A light vest https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3NM7PDM
• Two running skirts Magical Shapes and Baby Pink

I extended my training program through to the start of next school year 2024-2025. I don't know if I'm totally nuts, but I do know that I've been wanting to do a runDisney race for a long time.

Tinkerbell Half Marathon Sun, Jan 20, 2013

I got my first pair of ears and sparkle skirt from Poshmark on Dec 27 and 28, 2021. I found my second pair of ears on the ground crossing the street leaving the parks. I got two more pairs of ears on Amazon in April 22, 2023 to prepare for taking my sister and niece to the parks in May 2023.

First mouse swag Dec 29, 2021

I guess we got our first Imagine Key Pass on Apr 20, 2022. That year Albert was 2 years old, so we only needed one pass to get in both of us. When we renewed our passes it must have been in March 2023 because Albert turned 3 and he needed his own pass. Then our passes expire March 19, 2024 unless we renew them.

Our first Disney trip with Albert May 2022

Aug 22-23 2022 + Sept 12 (Dad had a 3-day SoCal resident ticket) 1 ticket = $249

Dec 14-15 2022 (Mike's 50th Bday Extravaganza) 1 ticket = $159

Jan 12-14 2023 (Mighty Ducks Day)

Mar 20 2023 (Albert's bday + spring break + food & wine festival) lots of rain

May 15-16 2023 + May 22 (downtown Disney only)

Aug 21 2023 (Hurricane Hilary)

Oct 2 2023 mom's day out

• see also https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2023/08/folding-stroller.html
• and https://bitchonabike.blogspot.com/2023/09/acceleration.html 

Nov 8 2023 (Veteran's Day)

and that brings us up to date. So I'm also too tired to do a financial analysis of whether we got our money's worth out of the magic key. the 2022 price was $400 and the 2023 price was $450 (we bought them on Nov 16, 2022) and the so-cal resident 3-day ticket was $249. We shall see.