I usually pay off my credit card balance every month. But this month, I made a mistake and left a balance of $0.24. The credit card company sent me a statement demanding that I pay the balance. I've made this same mistake in the past (having a balance of less than one dollar) and they have never demanded that I pay it off. They just let it slide until I made my usual purchases and paid it off the next month. But I guess the oil companies are squeezing everyone now, huh?

*imitating the bill collector*

Mr. Lopez, when can you pay the 24-cent? Will this be over the phone, at a payment center or by mail?

the reality of it being $0.24 didn't hit me until tizzy made her little 'call.'

i can't imagine.

Over the past two weeks, I've noticed anorther strange economic trend. I usually take Wister Street in Germantown (near LaSalle) on my way to work. There are usually a few prostitutes out there early in the AM and none during rush hour going home. But over these past two weeks, I've seen the prostitutes out later in the morning and earlier in the evening. For example, I used to drive by and see them leaving the corner at about 6AM and then they'd come back out about 6PM. But I've noticed them on the corner with the high school students as late as 8AM and back out at 4PM. Has the economy shifted their business, too?