dollah, dollah bills, ya'll!

Everyone knows that Zookeepers don’t make a lot of money. I mean, we’re not poor or anything, but we eat a lot of spaghetti.

This time of year, though, I’m rollin’ in the dough! After CPR/First Aid training, Boo at the Zoo and a Training Workshop, I clocked 31 hours of overtime last pay period!

What to do with that hard earned cash? Oh, don’t worry. I have a three-fold plan!

1. PREPARE FOR WINTER: 

It is important for a girl to update her wardrobe with the change in seasons. Today’s low was 25 degrees, so I’d say Old Man Winter is officially knocking on the door. WIth that in mind, it’s time for me to acquire a few winter luxuries:

Pssh. I wish! Did I say luxuries? Oops! I meant NECESSITIES. This is actually what I bought:

(You know what they say, if you’ve got it*, flaunt it! *And by “it” of course I mean a new pair of coveralls…)

And this:

Upon signing myself onto the Carnivore Unit, I committed to the cold. I hate winter weather, but I learned last year that the right gear makes all the difference. Hence, it was high time to purchase some real Carhartt apparel. Take that, Jack Frost!  I’m ready for ya!

2. A PLANE TICKET TO MIAMI: 

Who am I kidding? Gear or no gear, winter is terrible. One way to make it a teeny, tiny, bit more bearable? Daydreams of Florida, of course!

My high school girlfriends and I concocted the excellent plan of starting a Snow Birding tradition and spending a long weekend in Miami at the end of January. 

We’ve all been best buds for over a decade now, yet we live all around the world. What better way to bond and reconnect than a winter escape to Miami! Don’t mind if I do!

(T-minus two months til the Nerinx girls descend on Miami)

3. PAY OFF A SPEEDING TICKET 

Funny story. In early September, my great aunt passed away (that is, obviously, not the funny part). I left work in the middle of the day to attend her funeral.

At the reception following the mass, I dropped a plate of blueberry cobbler onto the lap of my black and white polka dotted dress. Naturally, many of the white polka dots turned purple.

My sister offered to let me borrow some clothes so that she could wash the dress for me while I returned to work. 

So, I left the funeral wearing a pink Pi Phi t-shirt, soccer shorts and heels. Classic, Saturday morning apparel, I guess? 

Anyway, I was rushing back to work (in Rock Hill aka one giant speed trap, I might add…) when I got pulled over. 

For some reason the Police Officer didn’t buy my, “But, sir, I’m rushing back to work from a funeral!!” excuse. I guess the pink Pi Phi shirt didn’t really go with the heels. 

Long story short, I got a ticket. One giant, sad chunk out of my overtime pay. 

But, hey, at least there IS such a thing as overtime pay.  

This November, that’s something to be thankful for!