I am obsessed with saving money.  We are in a recession.  Right!  But, I think it is extremely important to enjoy your life during these tough economic times.  In my recessionaries, I will share how I live life on the cheap.  My first installment is about how I ate good food, drank good drinks, played pool, danced, and enjoyed the company of my good friends all for less than $30.  How did I do that?

Well, I started the evening at Ra Sushi in Inner Harbor East.  They have this amazing happy hour from 3 PM – 7 PM on Saturdays.  The drinks are $4 and the sushi and appetizers are half priced.  I spent $20 including tip there and I was full and happy. 

Next stop, Rodos in Fells Point.  I really wanted to play pool.  Ok, let me correct myself.  I really wanted to learn how to play pool so we headed to Rodos.  Rodos has a buy one get one free special for domestic beers and rail drinks.  We played four games of pool and my brother in law, Eric, taught me the basics.  I am not heading to Vegas for a tournament any time soon but at least I know how and where to bridge the pool cue. 

Rodos was also great because they have a sick DJ, DJ Tito.  He played a mix of Maroon 5 and the Beastie Boys that was amazing.  Then he mixed Fergie with an unbelievable beat.  I was in heaven.  We danced and drank cheap drinks.  What a night!

I am convinced that life is to be enjoyed even when we are struggling financially.  I hope you will go out and enjoy yourself on the cheap.  Share your recessionary with me!

I don’t know about you but I have loved TV since I was a little kid.  That was definitely the way I enjoyed life when I was younger.  Well, now I enjoy life other ways too, but TV is still up there on my list of favorite things to do.  And let me tell you, DVR has changed my life for the better.  Now I can enjoy my life out and about and watch my favorite shows whenever.  I used to be a slave to my TV.  I cried once and threw a huge temper tantrum when my mom didn’t get me home in time to watch 21 Jump Street.  No more temper tantrums thanks to my friend, DVR.

One of my favorite new shows that I DVR is Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.  Remember the movie, Terminator, with Arnold Schwarzenegger now Govenor Schwarzenegger.  Did you ever imagine that that guy who arrived on Earth naked in Terminator would be the Governor of California one day?  Uh no.  Sorry, I digressed but that’s crazy right. 

Well, the show picks up at the point where John Connor, the future leader of the resistance, is in high school.  High school was tough enough for me without worrying that machines from the future were going to try to kill me.  Luckily for John, he has Sarah Connor as his mom and she is a total badass.  She knows how to fight.  She’s smart.  She is strong and fearless.  And she is not going to let the machines kill her son.  Each week Sarah and John battle the machines from the future and teenage problems like girls and acne.  I love teenage anx with a huge dose of life threatening danger.

The show is phenomenal and definitely keeps me on the edge of my seat.  The action scenes are mind blowing and the show definitely digs into how hard this life on danger is for this family.  Also, a bonus for all of my fellow 90210 fans, and I mean the original 90210 not the wacky imitation one that’s on the CW and sucks butt, Brian Austin Green is on the show and he looks good!  So check out Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles on Monday nights on Fox.  The show is halfway through the second season so you may want to catch up on Netflix or ITunes.

I started watching The Closer two weeks ago.  By the way, the show has been on for three seasons and the new season is starting this summer, but I am just starting to watch it.  So, I’m a little late to the party, but if you are too, I encourage you to check out The Closer.  The Closer is centered around Deputy Chief Brenda Lee Johnson who is a CIA-trained interrogator who moved to L.A. to head up LAPD’s Priority Homicide Squad.

After only two episodes, I can tell that Brenda Lee Johnson is a Perfectly Me Woman.  She’s smart, aggressive, and doesn’t apologize if she steps on some toes to get the job done.  She manages a mostly-male team of detectives who so far seem a bit apprehensive about working for her.  In fact, on her first day, everyone in her department submitted transfer requests.  Do you know what Perfectly Brenda did?  She threw the requests in the trash.  I could really relate to this scene.  When I arrived in Ohio to lead the fundraising department of the U.S. Senate campaign in 2000, almost everyone quit because I put in place new policies and procedures to make the campaign more efficient and save money.  The mass exodus definitely hurt, but ultimately I knew my new policies were better for the campaign and it turned out I was right.  Perfectly Brenda clearly wasn’t going to take that passive aggressive action by her team and she told them to get back to work.  I don’t know if that would work in real life, but hey I like her guts.

I also like how Perfectly Brenda manages her stress.  She eats!  Who hasn’t been there?  I have.  I’m getting better about managing my stress with exercise and meditation, but every now and then, a cupcake from CakeLove does the trick.  So often, women on TV don’t seem real.  Perfectly Brenda is real!  She’s tough as nails and can get a confession like no one else, but wants a great personal life too.  She clearly struggles with personal insecurities; but just like the rest of us she doesn’t let that slow her down.  I hope you will join me in catching up on The Closer before the new season starts.  You can get the past three seasons on Netflix or ITunes.  I am also sure that TNT, the cable network that airs the show, will replay those seasons over the next few months leading up to the premiere of Season Four.  

VERONICA MARS IS “PERFECTLY ME”! My first pick for the Fall is Veronica Mars. Unless you are under the age of 16, you may be saying Veronica who? It’s Veronica Mars.Veronica Mars is a show on the CW. She is a teenage detective who solves crimes while struggling with relationship drama, abandonment issues, and all the challenges that face young women today. Veronica is a Perfectly Me woman. She makes her own path, stands up for what she believes — in even when it’s unpopular, and she is never afraid to be herself. She kicks butt, dresses fashionably, and always has a witty comeback.The writing on the show is outstanding and if you were a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan (another show that appealed to the high school crowd that I loved), you will definitely love Veronica Mars. It really captures your attention and keeps you on your seat wondering what she will do next!The fourth season of Veronica Mars will air sometime this fall on the CW.  I, however, encourage you to catch up on the first three seasons. Netflix has the first two seasons, and all three seasons are available on iTunes. Trust me! You will not regret investing some time getting to know Perfectly Veronica.Hey, after you watch the show, post your comments below; or if you are already a fan, share your thoughts with everyone. Remember, I’m not perfect, I’m just Perfectly Me! So you may have a different opinion.