Progress

I did a yoga workout when I got home from work last night. It wasn't super sweat inducing or anything, but it made me stretch in ways I don't in ballet and worked to tone the arms a bit. I forget how much less flexible I am because its rare I'm in a position to test it. Go me. Tonight I'll do something, most likely pilates. We'll be staying in to clean up the place for guests (and also, spend some time together, alone - we haven't all week).

After we made dinner we headed out to meet a friend at Diesel, and I brought my knitting. Its neat seeing the progress and I get so excited when I'm able to sit down with it or go somewhere that I can bring it. Now that I'm into it I'm wishing I didn't make it as wide, and that I used larger needles. Ah well, its looking good for my first project and Brian seems to be liking it (its for him, after all). I decided that I'll make a Griffindor one for my nephew for either his birthday or Xmas next year (depending on when it gets done). At this point he's obsessed with Harry Potter, so lets hope that holds for a bit! :)

Its a rather blustery day out today. Musical selections to brighten it include:
-The Labrynth and Romeo and Juliet (Baz Luhrman) soundtracks
-Siouxsie and the Banshees Once, and Twice Upon a Time (the singles)
-Wheatus
-Queensryche Operation Mindcrime

Money money money money

I finished paying my bills for the week with $30 to spare. It will get me gas in the car and if any other odds and ends come up its coming out of my savings (better than credit, I guess). Then I picked up my book to read another chapter with the time left before my lunch hour ended.

Did you know that when William Henry Vanderbilt died in 1885 his estate was worth $200 million dollars. $200 million dollars in 1885! I wonder what that would be worth now with inflation. Does anyone alive today have this kind of wealth? IIRC one of the wealthiest Vanderbilts was worth more than the USA at that time (random tidbit from one of the mansion tours that Brian and I went on). At the urging of his sneaky daughter-in-law Alva, William Henry changed his will so that the estate was split almost evenly between the two sons (rather than the eldest getting the whole pot, leaving Alva and her husband William Kissam Vanderbilt with nothing). She did this at the urgings of Mrs. Astor who was also married to a second son but was a lot older and not in a position to do anything about parental inheritances.

I have to wonder what role the wives of these rich and powerful men had in them achieving what they did. There would be no Metropolitan Opera House, no grand home on 5th ave, yacht (named after herself), or 'summer cottage' in Newport http://www.newportmansions.org/page3517.cfm without Alva. I guess it was my arm-twisting that ended up with us having a house off of Moody (unless it really is something in the water)! ;)