A long, long time.
I can't remember the last time I posted to this journal. I started posting to MySpace, but that's just as irregular. Life gets busy and I shut down. Oh, and yeah, I have a new addiction (shopping in Second Life) which I am trying to quit... err reduce. So here's a post...
I turned 24 this past week. There's not much to say about it. I worked. I had some drinks with coworkers. I went home to the dog and cats. What's more important though, is that I will be visiting 'home' over Labor Day. The time will be split between visiting my mom, my dad + brother, and Dara + EJ. I hope to get a visit in with my mentor (if he's in town).
I'm not sure if I should call South Florida home. My parents have been moving around for the past eight years so often that I honestly can't count how many different apartments they've lived in (they live separately). Since I left town, they both have moved. My dad was finally able to invest in some permanent diggs, purchasing his first house in Coral Springs. Part of the reason I struggle with calling Coral Springs home is that I only lived there for four years during high school. Before that, I grew up in Plantation (8 years) and before that Stone Mountain/Decatur, GA (5 years). When I went off to college, I spent 1 year in the dorms, 3 years in Miami Lakes (sharing a flat with my dad) and 1 year in South Miami. I've since spent 6 months in Milwaukee and 7 months here in Austin. My extended family resides around Atlanta, but I don't talk to any of them, with the exception of a MySpace message here and there. I split with my grade school friends on a sour note between middle school and the move to Coral Springs for high school. I didn't seem to make any lasting friendships during those four years. All my serious relationships ended poorly and are without any lasting friendship. So my only ties to what should be considered home are to my parents and brother. But where they are now, I don't know anyone or even know where they physically live. I can somewhat comfortably call South Florida home, but when people ask for something more specific, I try not to answer. The area of Boca Raton to South Miami, from the coast to the edge of the Everglades was my stomping ground. I can still draw out a very detailed map for you of that large area, probably without missing any major roads.
I suppose I am a bit sad that I can't define home more clearly. But what frustrates me more are the people who ask me where I am from and tell me I should be answering Atlanta. I only had roots there for five years. I have one memory from that time and its probably made up (I have a very creative imagination). I didn't take any trips back to Atlanta for 17 years, until I interned at the newspaper there for three months. It certainly didn't feel like home then, so how can I claim that's where I am from? I may dislike Florida in general, but damnit, I am a Floridian.
(Wow, I didn't see that rant coming.)
Anyway, I look forward to setting my roots and eventually being able to call a place home. I don't know if Austin's it. Most likely, it's not. Until I make a home for myself, I am claiming all of South Florida and plan to keep bitching about it. kthnx.
On to Austin...
It's getting fucking hot. I always said one of the main things I hated about South Florida was how much you sweat. More accurately, I hate that South Florida is without seasons. I told myself when I moved to Texas that I was greatful that I won't be stuck in the frigid cold (though Milwaukee will always be special for me: the memory of a 6 month old Adicus pulling me down in the street in the middle of our first snow and blizzard). I held on to this *stupid* thought that the Texas heat, although higher in temperature, would not surpass my bad memories of the humid, wet heat in South Florida. The dog and I have been hibernating for the past month inside the apartment, with the a/c on and all the window shades pulled. I prefer to exercise him at night, playing fetch in the basketball and volleyball courts. Neither of us last long in the daylight. I should be greatful. This summer is an anomaly. Usually we've hit 100+ in early June, but only have done so this past week. And we had a month of rain. It reminded me of Florida. I was so wrong. I am going to keep clutching on to the idea that 'at least we have seasons.' (And we do. Ex: February ice storm that had me unpacking my snow boots + claws and the inch of ice that insulated my car.) How far away is October?
My new goal is to 'go green.' I know it's cliche and I think I've fought it to the point where I look like an asshole (I blame it on my fear of the extreme left-wing liberals). But in all honesty, Americans cant jump on this bandwagon fast enough. So what if it's popular? It's the only right thing to do.
My problem is that I just don't know where to begin. I've let that stall me for two months now. Tonight, which browsing the bookstore (thanks for the gift card, pops), I went ahead and bought 'The Green Book.' I absolutely detest that Cameron Diaz is part of the prologue, but I skipped over those parts. It's jam packed with ideas on how to go green, simply. Every tip is footnoted with at least ten web resources. I think it's a decent place for me to start. I get way to overwhelmed looking at TreeHugger's Go Green Guides. But if anyone else has any ideas on where to start, please comment.
Tomorrow I am going to recycle the three-foot-tall stack of newspapers that I've been hoarding (I fear that my apartment complex doesn't actually recycle - it only has newspaper bins & I don't even trust them with that). I also found out that I could pick up recycling bins at the fire station free of charge, so I will be setting up a little station in my kitchen/office.
Also on the agenda:
• Renew lease
• Car inspection
• Get a *Texas* title for my car, register for tags (Eventually I will get a Texas license, I promise)
• Set up boarding for the cats
• LAUNDRY
• Bicycle ride (need goggles! I don't want no more bugs in my eyes, seriously)
Okay, I'm seriously blabbering. I am going to go get some belly rubs in and try to dig into a new read.
I turned 24 this past week. There's not much to say about it. I worked. I had some drinks with coworkers. I went home to the dog and cats. What's more important though, is that I will be visiting 'home' over Labor Day. The time will be split between visiting my mom, my dad + brother, and Dara + EJ. I hope to get a visit in with my mentor (if he's in town).
I'm not sure if I should call South Florida home. My parents have been moving around for the past eight years so often that I honestly can't count how many different apartments they've lived in (they live separately). Since I left town, they both have moved. My dad was finally able to invest in some permanent diggs, purchasing his first house in Coral Springs. Part of the reason I struggle with calling Coral Springs home is that I only lived there for four years during high school. Before that, I grew up in Plantation (8 years) and before that Stone Mountain/Decatur, GA (5 years). When I went off to college, I spent 1 year in the dorms, 3 years in Miami Lakes (sharing a flat with my dad) and 1 year in South Miami. I've since spent 6 months in Milwaukee and 7 months here in Austin. My extended family resides around Atlanta, but I don't talk to any of them, with the exception of a MySpace message here and there. I split with my grade school friends on a sour note between middle school and the move to Coral Springs for high school. I didn't seem to make any lasting friendships during those four years. All my serious relationships ended poorly and are without any lasting friendship. So my only ties to what should be considered home are to my parents and brother. But where they are now, I don't know anyone or even know where they physically live. I can somewhat comfortably call South Florida home, but when people ask for something more specific, I try not to answer. The area of Boca Raton to South Miami, from the coast to the edge of the Everglades was my stomping ground. I can still draw out a very detailed map for you of that large area, probably without missing any major roads.
I suppose I am a bit sad that I can't define home more clearly. But what frustrates me more are the people who ask me where I am from and tell me I should be answering Atlanta. I only had roots there for five years. I have one memory from that time and its probably made up (I have a very creative imagination). I didn't take any trips back to Atlanta for 17 years, until I interned at the newspaper there for three months. It certainly didn't feel like home then, so how can I claim that's where I am from? I may dislike Florida in general, but damnit, I am a Floridian.
(Wow, I didn't see that rant coming.)
Anyway, I look forward to setting my roots and eventually being able to call a place home. I don't know if Austin's it. Most likely, it's not. Until I make a home for myself, I am claiming all of South Florida and plan to keep bitching about it. kthnx.
On to Austin...
It's getting fucking hot. I always said one of the main things I hated about South Florida was how much you sweat. More accurately, I hate that South Florida is without seasons. I told myself when I moved to Texas that I was greatful that I won't be stuck in the frigid cold (though Milwaukee will always be special for me: the memory of a 6 month old Adicus pulling me down in the street in the middle of our first snow and blizzard). I held on to this *stupid* thought that the Texas heat, although higher in temperature, would not surpass my bad memories of the humid, wet heat in South Florida. The dog and I have been hibernating for the past month inside the apartment, with the a/c on and all the window shades pulled. I prefer to exercise him at night, playing fetch in the basketball and volleyball courts. Neither of us last long in the daylight. I should be greatful. This summer is an anomaly. Usually we've hit 100+ in early June, but only have done so this past week. And we had a month of rain. It reminded me of Florida. I was so wrong. I am going to keep clutching on to the idea that 'at least we have seasons.' (And we do. Ex: February ice storm that had me unpacking my snow boots + claws and the inch of ice that insulated my car.) How far away is October?
My new goal is to 'go green.' I know it's cliche and I think I've fought it to the point where I look like an asshole (I blame it on my fear of the extreme left-wing liberals). But in all honesty, Americans cant jump on this bandwagon fast enough. So what if it's popular? It's the only right thing to do.
My problem is that I just don't know where to begin. I've let that stall me for two months now. Tonight, which browsing the bookstore (thanks for the gift card, pops), I went ahead and bought 'The Green Book.' I absolutely detest that Cameron Diaz is part of the prologue, but I skipped over those parts. It's jam packed with ideas on how to go green, simply. Every tip is footnoted with at least ten web resources. I think it's a decent place for me to start. I get way to overwhelmed looking at TreeHugger's Go Green Guides. But if anyone else has any ideas on where to start, please comment.
Tomorrow I am going to recycle the three-foot-tall stack of newspapers that I've been hoarding (I fear that my apartment complex doesn't actually recycle - it only has newspaper bins & I don't even trust them with that). I also found out that I could pick up recycling bins at the fire station free of charge, so I will be setting up a little station in my kitchen/office.
Also on the agenda:
• Renew lease
• Car inspection
• Get a *Texas* title for my car, register for tags (Eventually I will get a Texas license, I promise)
• Set up boarding for the cats
• LAUNDRY
• Bicycle ride (need goggles! I don't want no more bugs in my eyes, seriously)
Okay, I'm seriously blabbering. I am going to go get some belly rubs in and try to dig into a new read.