Planning...
(*Warning: a good chunk of this post will likely sound bitter, cynical, or sarcastic...it's not meant that way, but text is limited in emotional range. Take it with a grain of salt.*)
I was reminded today why I don't tend to make long-term plans. I also remembered why I don't tend to include other people in those plans specifically. Now, there's nobody to blame as it's a situational problem rather than a personal relational one, but it's no less irritating for that. It just means I have no one to blame but myself. This isn't a complaint...just somewhat of a re-revelation of something I'd known for a long time already. I'm annoyed, but I'll get over it.
Me and one of my best friends have been talking for a couple months about leasing a house together. I'm currently living alone and he's, well...not...but wanted out of the situation he was in (luckily, it's family and not a broken romance...those get messy). In any event, for the past couple months, we've been talking about it and had made some tentative plans for right around spring, when my lease expires. Unfortunately, it seems that's not to be.
Due to changes in situation beyond his control, he's having to move out sooner than expected. The good news is, he wanted out anyway. The bad news is, it's happening MONTHS before I'm able to move. This really puts a big-ass dent in what I (we?) had planned...thus my initial statement above.
My reasons for wanting the move were two-fold. 1.) I'm tired of living alone. I've done it...successfully...and now I'm done. The drawbacks are finally beginning to outweigh the benefits. 2.) I'm tired of apartment living. When I want something fixed, it's like pulling teeth to get it done. I can't just call a plumber or whatever, I have to call the main office. The irritation only gets worse when it's something I could fix myself...but I'm "not allowed" for legal reasons. I'm just sick of it.
The benefits of the proposed combined living arrangements were outstanding: 1.) A more central location to host tabletop gaming, since the party members live all over DFW. 2.) MICROBREW! We'd intended to do a little investing in home-brewing beer. I'd love to, but there's no room in my apartment and not something I can invest in alone. 3.) Living with someone I'm not likely to want to kill in his sleep. Good roommates are hard to find, so this was a boon for me. 4.) He's one of my best friends and since he's around a lot anyway, he wouldn't have to drive the distance to hang out or worry about timing his departure to avoid sleepy driving. 5.) We'd planned to work on doing a podcast at some point and it would have been MUCH easier to coordinate and do it if we were actually living close-by. As it is, where he's moving to now, he's going to be further away.
There's others, but those are the big ones (that I can think of right now...my brain's a little foggy today...kinda like the weather right now.)
So yeah, I'm kinda ticked. Luckily, I know better than to be ticked at him or anyone else...there's nobody at fault. It just worked out that way. Everything just lined up perfectly for things to go this way.
Everything happens for a reason.
(I'm starting to really hate that phrase...but it's one I've lived by since I can remember. It's how I was raised.)
On the up-side, I don't have to move again. Not a HUGE benefit, but it's not a small one either. I'm somewhat tired of moving. Then again, that's part of my reason for wanting a house. I'll get there eventually. I just need to remember to make my own plans...for myself...with myself...and if anyone else ends up coming along, that's great. I'm not going to base my plans on it. I knew better back when he and I were joking about it, but I let myself get caught up in the possibilities until we were actually really making plans. I knew better, but I did it anyway. I guess it just happens sometimes. What can you do?
Move on...
**********
"In other news..."
**********
Spent $250+ to get my car fixed up (finally). It had a little extra "pep" for about half a day. It's a little better, yet a little worse. I gotta take it back in to find out WTF is going on. Not one mechanic in the past 5 years has been able to get it right. Between my alignment, the pinging metal sound (external engine sound...not harmful, just annoying), and the asthmatic tendencies. That last one only usually happens on warm, sunny days...especially if the humidity is up. Now, it doesn't even have to be hot or humid. Basically, when I start the car after I've driven it around for a bit, if I leave it sit for about half an hour or so, the engine will turn over, sputter, chug, and stall. Once that happens, it won't even sputter. It'll turn over, but then it just dies. At that point, I have to pop the hood and wait for half an hour. Once it decides to start, it shows no signs of trouble at all. The coolant is fine and the temp sensor works correctly...it never goes past half way. I've had 4 service centers look at it and nobody can find a damn thing wrong. Probably because they're starting it up cold, and it doesn't usually have trouble when it's been off for hours.
I have a couple leads, but I'm tired of worrying about it. I just want it done. I don't have a garage in which to do it myself and I'm not even sure it's something I could do myself anyway. I love knowing more about how things work, but it's gone on long enough. What's a little more debt nowadays, anyway? Right?
*****************
Now, I will take the time to apologize for this somewhat agitated post. I've been in an increasingly poor mood over the past week for various reasons. Today, unfortunately, is little different. At least yesterday, I got a reprieve for a short duration...
I'm thankful that another friend of mine asked for my help yesterday getting her place re-organized. We got the second bedroom all cleaned up and looking nice so her sister can move in finally (WOOHOO!), and we got the master bedroom also all cleaned up, so she had a place to sleep last night (her bed was piled up with half her belongings...don't ask, it'd take too long to explain.) Got her computer set up as well, tho no internet yet. That took several hours, but it was good to do something productive, it was good to get out of MY apartment, and it was good to have someone to talk to considering the previously-posted-about quiet week. So, she got greatly-needed help and company, and I got that which I just mentioned. All-in-all, it was a good day, especially considering I was feeling pretty low at the start.
Today, back to the drudgery. This weather is NOT helping. Cold, damp, and gray. Although suited to my mood, it's probably a good portion of the CAUSE, so...well...whatever. I'll live.
I think my biggest hurdle today, if not the rest of the week, is to kick this damn mood. If I can't kick the mood, I at least need to find a way past the stupid need to be LAZY. As stupid as that sounds, it's true. When I feel like this, I want to do diddly squat. I just don't wanna do a damn thing. This is a problem. Getting a service call would help, as it would take my mind off things and give me something not-home-or-personal-related to deal with. It would also get me money...much-needed money. I won't insult anyone by saying I'm poor. I'm not flat broke, but I'm at the point where I need to be REALLY CAREFUL about how I do things and what I'm spending.
Ironic, that...since I just spent $90 at Ikea the other day. On the other hand, it was much-needed stuff. I bought some new cookware, since I'm hoping I can start getting back into cooking (which I enjoy, but don't often do...cooking for one person almost seems wasteful). I also bought a desk lamp (the swing-arm style), and an up-pointing stand lamp for my living room. Neither room had proper lighting, so even during the day with all the blinds open, it was dreary and somewhat depressing. Now, I can work at my desk after 1730 (5:30pm) or sit on the couch and read. THAT was a good day. The rest was just knick-knacks, but useful ones. I won't bother listing them...just know they're handy.
I'm trying to stay in a focused and productive mode around here, but it's been hard with said recent mood. Luckily, music helps distract and gets me moving. Pandora is a dear friend. Yeah, I got iTunes and a HUGE library, but I just don't have the patience to sit down and program different playlists. That's really only used for when I practice my instruments. Right...like that happens often. Either way, that's what I use iTunes for...little else.
Yeah, yeah...go on about how Apple is evil, blah, blah. I'm not a huge fan either, but the software works the way I want it and does what I need. And it's free. I can't argue with that.
Oh, yeah...one last thing...
I was heading towards Garland on President George Bush Turnpike on Saturday. I was doing about 78MPH...a little higher than the posted 60 limit. I'd already been pulled over for doing 75 once, but they had set up a speed trap and had already tagged 2 others. They were on a rampage that day, so whatever. Anyway, back to Saturday...
I was doing about 78, as I said, when two black sporty cars (an Audi and a Subaru) enter the Turnpike and pass me. Let me rephrase that...they zoomed by me so fast, I might as well have been sitting, at a dead stop, in the middle of a drag strip mid-race. Now, if I'm doing damn near 80MPH, and they passed me like I was sitting STILL, just HOW FAST were they going????
Now, this annoyed me at first because, as I said, I've been pulled over for less and have seen, on a weekly basis AT LEAST, someone high-tailing it past me...and do THEY get tagged? NO! Bastards...
Until that day. Although there was only one cop and one car pulled over, IT WAS THE AUDI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I laughed and cheered as if I'd just won the lottery. JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED!!!!!! FINALLY someone got nailed for the RIGHT reasons. I may drive aggressively, but not dangerously. I know what my car can and can't do and what is and isn't reasonable behavior behind the wheel. (Ask anyone who rides with me...I nitpick everything other drivers do.) I get pulled over on a technicality, but HE got pulled over for driving like a maniac. I feel almost vindicated now. That image in my mind will definitely keep me sedated a bit in the future with stupid drivers. I still smile when I think about it. :)
**************
Ah, that was better...I'm feeling a bit less funked now (that's f-u-N-k-e-d for you speed-readers). Go figure...a cop made my day. Meh, I don't give them a hard time...they're just doing their jobs. There's only ever been ONE cop that got on my bad side, but even then, I didn't give him crap. Perhaps I should have...or not. But that's for another time. I'm hungry and have things to do. If you made it this far, congratulations. Thanks for bearing with me on my little rant-fest. At least I'm trying to stay objective. That's gotta count for something...right?
I was reminded today why I don't tend to make long-term plans. I also remembered why I don't tend to include other people in those plans specifically. Now, there's nobody to blame as it's a situational problem rather than a personal relational one, but it's no less irritating for that. It just means I have no one to blame but myself. This isn't a complaint...just somewhat of a re-revelation of something I'd known for a long time already. I'm annoyed, but I'll get over it.
Me and one of my best friends have been talking for a couple months about leasing a house together. I'm currently living alone and he's, well...not...but wanted out of the situation he was in (luckily, it's family and not a broken romance...those get messy). In any event, for the past couple months, we've been talking about it and had made some tentative plans for right around spring, when my lease expires. Unfortunately, it seems that's not to be.
Due to changes in situation beyond his control, he's having to move out sooner than expected. The good news is, he wanted out anyway. The bad news is, it's happening MONTHS before I'm able to move. This really puts a big-ass dent in what I (we?) had planned...thus my initial statement above.
My reasons for wanting the move were two-fold. 1.) I'm tired of living alone. I've done it...successfully...and now I'm done. The drawbacks are finally beginning to outweigh the benefits. 2.) I'm tired of apartment living. When I want something fixed, it's like pulling teeth to get it done. I can't just call a plumber or whatever, I have to call the main office. The irritation only gets worse when it's something I could fix myself...but I'm "not allowed" for legal reasons. I'm just sick of it.
The benefits of the proposed combined living arrangements were outstanding: 1.) A more central location to host tabletop gaming, since the party members live all over DFW. 2.) MICROBREW! We'd intended to do a little investing in home-brewing beer. I'd love to, but there's no room in my apartment and not something I can invest in alone. 3.) Living with someone I'm not likely to want to kill in his sleep. Good roommates are hard to find, so this was a boon for me. 4.) He's one of my best friends and since he's around a lot anyway, he wouldn't have to drive the distance to hang out or worry about timing his departure to avoid sleepy driving. 5.) We'd planned to work on doing a podcast at some point and it would have been MUCH easier to coordinate and do it if we were actually living close-by. As it is, where he's moving to now, he's going to be further away.
There's others, but those are the big ones (that I can think of right now...my brain's a little foggy today...kinda like the weather right now.)
So yeah, I'm kinda ticked. Luckily, I know better than to be ticked at him or anyone else...there's nobody at fault. It just worked out that way. Everything just lined up perfectly for things to go this way.
Everything happens for a reason.
(I'm starting to really hate that phrase...but it's one I've lived by since I can remember. It's how I was raised.)
On the up-side, I don't have to move again. Not a HUGE benefit, but it's not a small one either. I'm somewhat tired of moving. Then again, that's part of my reason for wanting a house. I'll get there eventually. I just need to remember to make my own plans...for myself...with myself...and if anyone else ends up coming along, that's great. I'm not going to base my plans on it. I knew better back when he and I were joking about it, but I let myself get caught up in the possibilities until we were actually really making plans. I knew better, but I did it anyway. I guess it just happens sometimes. What can you do?
Move on...
**********
"In other news..."
**********
Spent $250+ to get my car fixed up (finally). It had a little extra "pep" for about half a day. It's a little better, yet a little worse. I gotta take it back in to find out WTF is going on. Not one mechanic in the past 5 years has been able to get it right. Between my alignment, the pinging metal sound (external engine sound...not harmful, just annoying), and the asthmatic tendencies. That last one only usually happens on warm, sunny days...especially if the humidity is up. Now, it doesn't even have to be hot or humid. Basically, when I start the car after I've driven it around for a bit, if I leave it sit for about half an hour or so, the engine will turn over, sputter, chug, and stall. Once that happens, it won't even sputter. It'll turn over, but then it just dies. At that point, I have to pop the hood and wait for half an hour. Once it decides to start, it shows no signs of trouble at all. The coolant is fine and the temp sensor works correctly...it never goes past half way. I've had 4 service centers look at it and nobody can find a damn thing wrong. Probably because they're starting it up cold, and it doesn't usually have trouble when it's been off for hours.
I have a couple leads, but I'm tired of worrying about it. I just want it done. I don't have a garage in which to do it myself and I'm not even sure it's something I could do myself anyway. I love knowing more about how things work, but it's gone on long enough. What's a little more debt nowadays, anyway? Right?
*****************
Now, I will take the time to apologize for this somewhat agitated post. I've been in an increasingly poor mood over the past week for various reasons. Today, unfortunately, is little different. At least yesterday, I got a reprieve for a short duration...
I'm thankful that another friend of mine asked for my help yesterday getting her place re-organized. We got the second bedroom all cleaned up and looking nice so her sister can move in finally (WOOHOO!), and we got the master bedroom also all cleaned up, so she had a place to sleep last night (her bed was piled up with half her belongings...don't ask, it'd take too long to explain.) Got her computer set up as well, tho no internet yet. That took several hours, but it was good to do something productive, it was good to get out of MY apartment, and it was good to have someone to talk to considering the previously-posted-about quiet week. So, she got greatly-needed help and company, and I got that which I just mentioned. All-in-all, it was a good day, especially considering I was feeling pretty low at the start.
Today, back to the drudgery. This weather is NOT helping. Cold, damp, and gray. Although suited to my mood, it's probably a good portion of the CAUSE, so...well...whatever. I'll live.
I think my biggest hurdle today, if not the rest of the week, is to kick this damn mood. If I can't kick the mood, I at least need to find a way past the stupid need to be LAZY. As stupid as that sounds, it's true. When I feel like this, I want to do diddly squat. I just don't wanna do a damn thing. This is a problem. Getting a service call would help, as it would take my mind off things and give me something not-home-or-personal-related to deal with. It would also get me money...much-needed money. I won't insult anyone by saying I'm poor. I'm not flat broke, but I'm at the point where I need to be REALLY CAREFUL about how I do things and what I'm spending.
Ironic, that...since I just spent $90 at Ikea the other day. On the other hand, it was much-needed stuff. I bought some new cookware, since I'm hoping I can start getting back into cooking (which I enjoy, but don't often do...cooking for one person almost seems wasteful). I also bought a desk lamp (the swing-arm style), and an up-pointing stand lamp for my living room. Neither room had proper lighting, so even during the day with all the blinds open, it was dreary and somewhat depressing. Now, I can work at my desk after 1730 (5:30pm) or sit on the couch and read. THAT was a good day. The rest was just knick-knacks, but useful ones. I won't bother listing them...just know they're handy.
I'm trying to stay in a focused and productive mode around here, but it's been hard with said recent mood. Luckily, music helps distract and gets me moving. Pandora is a dear friend. Yeah, I got iTunes and a HUGE library, but I just don't have the patience to sit down and program different playlists. That's really only used for when I practice my instruments. Right...like that happens often. Either way, that's what I use iTunes for...little else.
Yeah, yeah...go on about how Apple is evil, blah, blah. I'm not a huge fan either, but the software works the way I want it and does what I need. And it's free. I can't argue with that.
Oh, yeah...one last thing...
I was heading towards Garland on President George Bush Turnpike on Saturday. I was doing about 78MPH...a little higher than the posted 60 limit. I'd already been pulled over for doing 75 once, but they had set up a speed trap and had already tagged 2 others. They were on a rampage that day, so whatever. Anyway, back to Saturday...
I was doing about 78, as I said, when two black sporty cars (an Audi and a Subaru) enter the Turnpike and pass me. Let me rephrase that...they zoomed by me so fast, I might as well have been sitting, at a dead stop, in the middle of a drag strip mid-race. Now, if I'm doing damn near 80MPH, and they passed me like I was sitting STILL, just HOW FAST were they going????
Now, this annoyed me at first because, as I said, I've been pulled over for less and have seen, on a weekly basis AT LEAST, someone high-tailing it past me...and do THEY get tagged? NO! Bastards...
Until that day. Although there was only one cop and one car pulled over, IT WAS THE AUDI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I laughed and cheered as if I'd just won the lottery. JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED!!!!!! FINALLY someone got nailed for the RIGHT reasons. I may drive aggressively, but not dangerously. I know what my car can and can't do and what is and isn't reasonable behavior behind the wheel. (Ask anyone who rides with me...I nitpick everything other drivers do.) I get pulled over on a technicality, but HE got pulled over for driving like a maniac. I feel almost vindicated now. That image in my mind will definitely keep me sedated a bit in the future with stupid drivers. I still smile when I think about it. :)
**************
Ah, that was better...I'm feeling a bit less funked now (that's f-u-N-k-e-d for you speed-readers). Go figure...a cop made my day. Meh, I don't give them a hard time...they're just doing their jobs. There's only ever been ONE cop that got on my bad side, but even then, I didn't give him crap. Perhaps I should have...or not. But that's for another time. I'm hungry and have things to do. If you made it this far, congratulations. Thanks for bearing with me on my little rant-fest. At least I'm trying to stay objective. That's gotta count for something...right?