Tonight I had the pleasure of going out to dinner with three girlfriends. Topics up for discussion ranged from “my father-in-law is the wierdest man ever” to “we had a cat behaviorist over the house last night” which naturally led to “what in the world does a cat behaviorist look like and act like?” (And how much does one get paid? Can I do that?). We talked about how practically everyone we know is having babies now, plus its really really hard to go out late on a weeknight, so that means we’re old and how much that sucks. One of my friends posed the question, “What would you do differently if you money was no object?”

The other shot off answers like rapid fire.

“I would turn up the heat in my house!”

“I would get a designer bag.”

“I would go for spa treatments. Wraps, facials, massages, manis, pedis.”

I was speechless for once. As for the heat, well this is embarrassing to say on my blog, but I’m going to say it and I’ll say it one time. I’m living with my parents right now. Its just for the month of January. My contract ended at work in mid-December and I decided not to renew it because I knew I needed a change, so I moved out of my apartment and came here because its free and because it was just a stopping point while I figure out what’s next. Which I have, but that’s a whole other post… I digress. Since my mom got Oliver, the cutest dog ever, its quite warm in the house. I had a tough time growing up, typing papers on the computer in the coldest room, the guest room, while your nose got a chill, and your fingers almost couldn’t type they were so cold. But Oliver gets cold easily, even when he’s wearing his sweater, according to my mom, so the heat’s pretty high. I can’t complain about living rent-free with the heat turned up to 68. So I don’t need money for the heat bill.

As far as designer purses, they just aren’t my bag. (I don’t care if that was the worst pun ever). For one thing I probably wouldn’t know one if I saw it. For another thing I like my timbuktu bag for casual, I like my print bag with the matching mini-bag inside for everything else, my floral LeSport Sac is good for casual summer outfits, and my 80’s retro wooden-handled clutch is good to go with sundresses and the like. So I think I am set for bags.

The spa stuff, I think I could take it or leave it. I do get a massage every once in a while, but the body wraps and all that… I think if I had a 2 hour chunk of time I would just as soon ride my bike. Manis and pedis are good for special occasions, but I wash my hands so often at work, it seems like a waste. Ok my feet are gross, I could get a pedi, but that’s less about money and more the fact that I just don’t really think about it in January, although I’m sure I should.

So I puzzled over the question. Before you say “Well of course you’re puzzled, you free-loading barnacle!!! You have no expenses!” I reiterate: This living with my parents thing is TEMPORARY, I am working on a per diem basis at my old job, and I didn’t get my allowance this week. (That last part was a joke!!!) I do not have all the money in the world (when was the last time you heard of an occupational therapist who retired at 35 to live on her yacht!?). I am still trying to think of what I would want if I had unlimited funds… I already have an awesome tri bike. I suppose I could get a new road bike, but I am emotionally attached to the old one and I don’t feel like going through the process of making a whole new bike fit just right. I do want to go to Costa Rica but the obstacles there are carving out a time to go and accrueing the vacation time. I could use a housekeeper I suppose, but for now I think it would be presumptious of me to hire someone, considering this isn’t even my house. My car isn’t exactly new anymore but I like it and it still drives pretty smooth. I don’t want to quit work because I kind of saw how that was during the past few weeks and I hated it . I was bored and depressed. I couldn’t even take all the long bike rides I wanted because my achilles was acting up. Mostly I felt uncomfortable with not having the opportunity to be part of something bigger than myself. I didn’t like not being productive. I found I didn’t relish the chance to relax or to work out like I do after a day of work. Recreation just isn’t the same for me when its not juxtaposed with vocation. I didn’t realize how much I took that for granted when I was going to work every day.

I don’t think I would necassarily buy more clothes with the money. After all I would just have to get rid of them someday anyway (see post entitled R.I.P.) Totally not worth it. Ok maybe one or two things from somewhere I never buy things because its too expensive, like Anthropologie. Or that cute zebra minidress that I have absolutely no occasion for that I saw in the J.Crew window.

The one thing I was able to come up with over dinner, after much thought, was when I book a flight, I wouldn’t take a 6am flight just to save a hundred dollars. I did that recently. At 4:30am while checking out of the Atlanta airport’s Budget Rental Car, my eyes burning, my body moving as if in a trance, I decided it just plain wasn’t worth it.

I kind of want an I-Phone but I don’t really want to have to switch to AT&T, so then again maybe not. I heard Verizon was coming out with one like that though, so maybe when that comes out I’d want one.

I feel sort of lame that I can’t think of anything good. I KNOW its not because I am that content, centered, or any of that zen stuff.