Of Fishing and Bank Accounts

Yesterday, Dave, Kathryn and I met up in Silverthorne, CO, for a day of "Gold Medal" fishing on the Blue River. I use scare quotes here because until about 4:00 in the afternoon, I wasn't even convinced the river contained any fish at all. I didn't catch any. I didn't see any. I didn't see anyone else catch any until about 4 - and an hour later, I pulled a gorgeous 16" rainbow out. Unfortunately Kathryn didn't have the camera at the ready, so there is no photographic proof. But trust me, it was a blazing pinkish rainbow [insert your own joke about homosexual fish here].

Now, yesterday morning on my way out of the 7200, I stopped by McDonald's for breakfast. I usually avoid fastfood restaurants, especially McDonald's, like I avoid church picnics... but for sentimental reasons, I often get breakfast at McDonald's at the start of early-morning road trips. This goes way back to my childhood and memories of cartrips with my mom.

Anyway, I tried to use my debit card to pay for breakfast and it declined. This put a damper on the rest of the day, except for those brilliant few minutes where I had the rainbow on the line. You see, readers, there is nothing - quite literally nothing - that makes me feel ashamed and incompetent and stupid and irresponsible and very unlike an adult as fiscal loserliness.

I turn 34 this Sunday, and I still effing borrow money from my parents. Kathryn did her best yesterday to convince me that anyone could have done this in my situation - on student loans with no steady income and various random costs lately, etc. - and I'm trying really hard not to berate myself. But it still sucks, and I'm still ashamed, and these things go deeeep into my psyche about not measuring up.

At least I caught that effing fish.