Things are Beginning to Level Out
I don't remember if I already mentioned this here but the Kiddo and I are now living in Troy. Actually, it's Brunswick but who really gives a shit?
Things are going fairly well with the Ex and Juniper is turning out to be one hell of a smart kid. She loves jigsaw puzzles and her mother informed me that Juniper did a 60+ piece puzzle tonight with only a little help. Pretty awesome I think. Apart from puzzles, her big interests are fairies, babies, fairy babies, animals, animal babies and Disney movies. I reckon I'm simplifying things a little but you probably get the point. I'm up to my eyeballs in little girl stuff.
Surprisingly, my apartment looks fairly reasonable.
As my finances are starting to improve, I've been getting back into investing (very little mind you) and I have had the good fortune of doubling what little I've put in. I'm saving in other ways again and it feels good to be in this position. However, my life has taken on a distinctly frugal tinge. I hardly eat out any more and I don't spend as much money on bullshit as I used to. Not going out to the club certainly has helped.
The reduction in stress has benefited me in the creative realm. My professional work is improving and I'm involved in one research project and about to start another one. I'm still writing at www.TheMadSkeptic.com. While I'm not posting all the time, I am working on 4 projects. One is a video I shot at the recent Psychic Fair on the Empire State Plaza concourse. I'm also doing a media analysis of the Drudge Report to determine if he utilizes Terror Management Theory concepts, a survey of daily conversations relative to whether they have woo-woo components, and a survey of the local drug stores to see if they sell homeopathic "remedies".
I'm also in the very early planning stages of writing a novel (I guess that's what you'd call it). My hope to write something about a dystopian theocractic society. I've got some plot or background elements roughed out. Seeing how I don't know how to write fiction. I'll be doing some research on that as well.
I may be getting out some time soon. Unfortunately, I still have to work at Home Depot part time. This winter will be my trial period for no financial input from Home Depot. Part-time employees, basically, get furloughed. I'll be stress-testing my budget to see if I can drop Home Depot entirely. At any rate, I see some more free weekend in my near future. I hope to be getting out more then.