Monday Numbers

• Well, folks, it's Monday again. Not a whole lot happened this weekend. We got about 1 inch of snow on Friday and Saturday, mostly keeping Alex and I inside, working. 
• We spent several hours talking about plans: plans for Alex to graduate, plans to move, how much money we need to save, when to buy a car, where we want to try to go on our trip across the country, etc. It's a lot to talk about an figure out, let me tell you. I can feel a bit of a shift since we've gotten married. We both take a little bit more care to make sure we are both on the same page, since we're in this together forever, right? As it stands now, we are planning on leaving Philadelphia at the end of June. However, we have the option of one more month, so we'll see how that goes. 
• Some of the places we want to try to check out on our way out to CA? Well, the Corn Palace, in Mitchell, SD, of course! We'd also like to see the Adirondacks in upstate NY. We'll stop in Boston to visit some friends, and definitely to the Berkshires to see some family. Also, Wisconsin, Wyoming (Yellowstone again!) and Colorado, of course. The list is now at least 10 states! Should be fun!
• We are headed to a wedding in OH on Memorial Day weekend, which means we need to buy a car before then! I am both really excited and slightly apprehensive to get a car. I think it will be great to have an alternative mode of transport, but I also think it will cost a lot of money to insure, to make car payments and to buy gas (which are all expenses we haven't had before). However, we've already decided on a $10,000 limit for the total cost of the car, so that means a used car, and likely a small one. The good news is that I saw an ad for a little Chevy Aveo (the car my Dad drives, and the one we took to Yosemite for our honeymoon) for around $6000, so hopefully there are some cars in our price range out there.
• I talked to my Mom yesterday for about an hour. She was super cute about the Corn Palace. She said my Grandma loved the Corn Palace so much that they stopped there every time they drove across the country (about 3 times!). Sometimes, I think I got a little bit of my Grandma's personality in me. I love those kitschy things - souvenir shops, ridiculous buildings, ghost tours, caves, etc. So much fun!
• And I can't go without mentioning the death of Whitney Houston this past weekend. What a tragic loss. I absolutely loved her when I was a kid, and it's hard for me to pick a favorite song. She was such a powerhouse and I just wanted to be able to sing like her when I was little (I realize now how impossible that is, but I really, really thought it was true when I was a kid!) Whitney, you will be missed.