Folks, I did it. After weeks and months of complaining about how much e-mail I get, I have achieved inbox zero.

It feels good.

My co-workers and I call the guy who delivers our mail “sweaty mail guy.”

Not to his face.

And yes, I know it’s mean.

But he’s really sweaty.

For the second day in a row, I’ve pulled into a parking space at work to find a person sitting in the car next to me.

“Well, that’s not so strange,” you say.

You’re right, it’s not. I get to work around 8:30 AM, and so do hundreds of other people in my building.

The difference is that these people are just sitting in their cars. The cars are running … they’re not on the phone, maybe they’re listening to the radio or whatever, but they’re not in the process of getting their things together and getting out of the car.

I find this odd.

I’m on my way into the city this morning for a fun-filled day of meetings. I’m excited about it, primarily because I haven’t seen Kelly in forever and we’re going to have some drinks after work.

But honey, it ain’t easy.

I got up extra early this morning (5:30, to be exact) to make sure I could be ready to go a few minutes before seven.

I was right on track … nice hot shower, dressed sharply, well fed (bagel with 1/3 less fat cream cheese and a glass of pineapple juice, thanks to Paul), and out the door!

The roads were clear and smooth, and I pulled into the parking lot at the Metro North New Hamburg station with about five minutes to park and get to the platform. (It’s the same distance from my house as the Poughkeepsie station, but because it’s further south it means I can spend ten fewer minutes on the train each way, and that’s a good thing.)

There were no parking spots!

Absolutely no metered spots available. Miles and miles of empty permit spots, but of course I don’t have a permit … it’s not like I schlep to NYC every day.

I drove around, checked each nook and cranny of that stupid lot, and generally expressed my exasperation in healthy and appropriate ways.

And then I called Paul, who surely would be able to fix this for me. (After all, he is my fixer, right?)

He said, “just park in the permit spots, and if you get a ticket we’ll worry about it later.”

Okay, but seriously, I shouldn’t have to. (This is where reality and I part, graciously.)  They should clear the snow out of the fifteen parking spots that are covered. I mean folks, it’s only 7:15 in the morning, and every spot is gone?

Oh, and Allright Parking is really not all right. It’s not good. It’s downright bad. I called them four times trying to see what to do, and three of those times, they hung up on me. The fourth time, I managed to speak with the lovely Christine. Her talent, charm and skill were evident from the moment she answered … I mean, folks, this is a woman who loves her job. She said, “Go to the next station. We can’t do anything about snow. Tickets are $12-25, depending on how many tickets you’ve had before.” Um, thanks. So I can drive down to Beacon and miss the next train too? No, thanks.

I left a nice note on my dashboard in the hopes that the MTA police don’t ticket me. Pretty please?

Kelly, have that drink ready pronto.

I’ve been following a few personal finance blogs, and today I clicked through a few links to find a post called "The 401k Debit Card."

I thought for sure it was a joke. After all, my 401(k) is an account for my tomorrows … when Paul and I retire, we can sit back and enjoy the money that we’re working hard to save today.

And since I’d like to retire at 50 or earlier, that means making a real commitment to saving today. By commitment, I mean saying no to the big screen TV or convertible we might like to have, and being smart about the money we do spend.

So please, tell me why on earth it would be a good idea for me to carry around a "debit card" in my wallet that would make deductions from my retirement savings?

First of all, it’s not a debit card. It’s a credit card. You are taking out a loan, and you have to pay it back (normally with interest).

Secondly, if you don’t pay it back, you’re subject to insane penalties for early withdrawal.

And finally, and most importantly for me, you’re jeopardizing your ability to retire when you want to, and/or limiting the kind of lifestyle you can live when you do ultimately retire.

Seriously folks. Take a look at your finances, and save what you can. Make smart choices. And whatever you do, don’t ignore tomorrow to pay for today.

It’s my first day back at work after twelve full days off. I have to say that I had a great day, sitting here with Beth, talking about what’s coming up in 2008, and just really feeling positive and excited about what’s ahead. I think it’s going to be great.

Now I have to go to the gym, and work off the 12 pounds of Christmas cookies I ate during those 12 days. I swear.