Interesting

One weekend, two drum corps shows, several job offers? Well, job invitations really. Do I want to throw my hat in the ring and teach again? New Jersey? Connecticut? The starting salary for teachers in Connecticut is higher than what I’m getting paid now… but we know it’s not about the money… It’s about being in front of the students and sharing knowledge and making a difference in the lives of young people. I guess it won’t hurt to send out my resume.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker

I saw this article several months ago. (Apparently MSN recycles its articles pretty often. I wonder if this is due to the American tendency to have a short “MTV” attention span. Hm. Now what was I talking about? Oh yeah, the article.)

I saw this article several months ago and came across it again today. It describes the peculiar phenomenon where people pay $1,000, $5,000, even $200,000 for personalized matchmaker services. Here’s a quote from the article, quoting a high-priced matchmaker:

“I don’t think the women who are coming to me want to meet a starving artist,” Winston says, with a refreshing candor. “They want a provider. And I feel bad because, in my photography business, I represent a lot of starving artists — and they’re great guys.”

Poisoning Posaune in the Park

I went to see the New York Philharmonic perform (for free) in Central Park last night. It was a bit of a fiasco as Darren already explained, and we missed all of the William Tell Overture and some of a ‘cello concerto. We did hear an entire Rachmaninoff symphony which was actually pretty good. (I’m not normally a Rachmaninoff fan though I like the other Russian composers.)

Today I got to work early so I can leave at a time decent enough to get to Westchester to see a drum and bugle corps show (for free).

Being In Control

Sigh [of relief]. It’s good to be “in control.” A year ago around this time I was in debt, and continually spending more money on things like bills and transportation and rent than what I was being paid, and having a horrible experience with people at work. I was looking for reasons to get out of that situation, but the reasons kept staring in my face. Even my friends told me I had to get out of there as it was just doing horrible things to my psyche.

Well, after a few months of no rent payments thanks to my father and his girlfriend, and thanks to a job that provides a salary that at least makes sense, the only debt I have left is a few thousand dollars on a student loan. They tell me that student loans are good debt, so I’m not worried. Even better, I am able to afford all of my monthly payments and still have money left to put into savings. That’s a first for me since I started working.

Now I can start saving for things that are important to me, such as future kids, future family in general, future “retirement,” future vacations, and the future in general.

So, now that I am in control, I feel much better than I have in years. I’m happy… and it’s not just the money issues. I just feel good in general. Sure I still have some questions about where I’m heading, but now I know that I am in control of that.