New Printer Cartridge

Today Robert and I went to Walmart and got a new printer cartridge. The remaunfactured ones were just no good. They didn't work, the replacements didn't work. I'm shipping them back for a refund. A single high density  new black ink cartridge was 20 dollars at Walmart. Ouchies! But if it works, then it'll pay for itself with coupons in not much time at all. We also got another 10 boxes of baby wipes, a new helium balloon, some hot dogs, some of the cheapest sliced ham and turkey the deli sells, and nearly the last of our WIC food for mommies. In total, we spent just under 35 dollars, which is not bad, given the cartridge. Note that I have put a reference to the cartridge in my post title for the day, so in X number of months, I will be able to come back and see how long the cartridge lasted. Clever, huh?

I was thinking about it today (in the context of the printer cartridge) and I've realized this blog serves a lot of purposes all at once. The most obvious purpose is the Daily Robert, the vector by which I transmit an image of the beeb to all his adoring fans. Then there's the update, often in ridiculously minute detail, of what we've been up to, for anyone who is interested in our lives. There's the moneymaking aspect, whereby I earn a little bit of money by writing reviews and including links and such, and while that is small, every little bit helps. The blog is also for me, an open record of my days. As I was warned many times, the days rush by when you have a baby this size, and with me at home with him, they often blend together. Having this blog lets me contextualize my life. I can go back and see what I was doing a week ago, a month ago, when Robert was only two months old, etc. It gives me a record of his milestones, and of how it felt when he began smiling at me, and when he slept well, and when he rolled. It's a record of my accomplishments as well, how much money I've saved and the good deals I've gotten, and the things we've been able to share.

This season of unemployment has lasted far longer than I ever expected it would. In some ways, it's been a blessing. Now that the first couple of breakneck months are over, I don't even have to remind myself anymore that it's a privilege to stay home and care for my baby. I would have missed so much if I had gone back to work full time after six weeks. At the same time, though, it's true what they say about keeping house, even as poorly as I do it: it's like threading beads on a string with no knot in the end. You look back on your work for the week and it all looks the same, unless it looks worse. The food's been eaten, the dishes and clothes re-dirtied, the floor relittered with items. I like to be able to remember what I've done and what I'm doing It's very reassuring! And most importantly, the blog is a tool of two-way communication. When people read and respond, it makes me feel less alone, even though we are very isolated here. It's become more important to me than I ever realized it would be when I started it. Let's see where we go from here.