Money, Stuff and Happiness

I had a job interview yesterday, and during the course of discussing my accomplishments and experiences, the interviewer jokingly said, "So you aren't the kind of person who stays home on Saturday and watches tv."

I came across this article on spending habits in the New York Times this morning and was pleased to find this quote:
One major finding is that spending money for an experience — concert tickets, French lessons, sushi-rolling classes, a hotel room in Monaco — produces longer-lasting satisfaction than spending money on plain old stuff.

Sometimes I want more or better stuff. But mostly I'm happy with sacrificing a night of sleep so we could see Neko Case in Tucson, or walking away from Teach For America after my two years to hike the Appalachian Trail.

And here is a photo of one of the best experiences we've collected so far...

This is wild-haired Laurel after a night of feverish fussing (103.3 at its highest!). She seems to be more or less back to normal today, although she doesn't have much of an appetite for solid food and wants to nurse 24 hours a day. (Ouch!)