Usually when I go to the gym the owner isn't there (it's always the lunchtime classes)... if I'm teaching, I unlock and then lock up (same for my friend L who teaches on Mondays at lunch).

L called to tell me that she'd been paid for two months (June and July) while I was on vacation; we're good friends so she wanted to make sure I got paid now that I'm back. But I didn't know when I'd see the owner so that he could pay me.

I subbed for her class today, and as usual, since it's a lunchtime class, he wasn't there. But... in my car on the little side street by the gym, he pulled up next to me, said hi, how was your trip, etc... and then gave me $145 for June and July!

I haven't gone to the bank yet to pay down principal, but will some time this week.

Now the money decision: we are doing some upgrades to F's room to make it a room fit for a girl in the "upper cluster" (which is 4th through 6th at her school). She's been doing her homework at the dining room table or else at the little desk in our bedroom, and she asked for a desk. She'll need a chair, too, and we've ordered more storage bins. She'll be getting a new bed, too.

We're selling some things on Craigslist and Ebay (desk, old bed, some toys) and I'm trying to decide whether we put that incoming money toward the room improvements or we chalk that cost up to "home improvements" and use the Ebay money to pay down principal.

I'm leaning toward offsetting the cost of the new items instead of paying down principal. What do you think?