spike

I usually don’t do this, but here’s a link to something blog-related I like: Blogtree. Use it to find out whose blogs influenced others.

Speaking of blogs, here is my Friday Five for today:

1. Do you have a car? If so, what kind of car is it? I do not own a car. I used to have a black 1999 Honda Civic LX with lots of features. Before that I had a 1987 Toyota Celica. Before that, I was given my parents’ old Subaru stationwagon, which they apparently no longer make.

2. Do you drive very often? I drive very rarely these days. I take public transportation or hitch a ride with a friend to almost everywhere I go.

3. . What’s your dream car? I really haven’t gotten into cars enough to be able to say what my dream car is with any authority. I really liked driving the Celica (when it was working) and maybe a newer model would be sweet. But I also like BMW.

4. Have you ever received a ticket? My rap sheet is a mile long, attributed mostly to long commutes, driving relatively fast, and the desire not to be late all the time. Of course, that combination could lead to bad things. Contrary to most people’s unfounded opinions I’m a careful driver.

5. Have you ever been in an accident? I was in a small accident the first year I was driving. It was January 25, and as tradition dictates, we were attempting to find a movie to see in Lawrenceville. I took a turn into the Quaker Bridge Mall a little too fast, the ground was wet, and I ran up the curb. In college, the Subaru was totalled. Considering the amount of driving I’ve done since I became a licensed driver it’s really not that bad of a record. In fact, one summer I drove a 15-person van 13,000 miles in seven weeks for a drum corps tour, usually for anywhere from 4-12 hours each night, and never had any problems. Also, I’ve been in accidents while a passenger in other people’s cars, but I don’t think that’s what this question is asking.

I’m having a hard time negotiating with my recent former roommate. I’m technically moving out of that apartment on August 25, but she wants me to move out sooner. I had told her that I’d pay all of August’s rent, but I won’t do so if I move out August 15 as she wants. The problem is that August’s rent is coming from my security deposit, so she actually owes me money for rent… as well as for some utilities that I paid for her because she was out of a job.

I’m quite happy now to be living somewhere with people I won’t be having these problems with anymore. I have a nice apartment with no cockroaches, and three nice roommates who are a hundred times more responsible than my recent former roommate and don’t smoke nearly as much pot… anymore.

Lesson learned: just don’t use the internet to find roommates. Yahoo turned out bad (see November 1 through January 1) as did even craigslist. My biggest annoyance is when she posted an ad on craigslist (that’s the ad, go read it) she asks for “no personal dramas” (her life was a personal drama) and that the shared areas be kept “neat and clean at all times” (her mess was everywhere in the house… bathroom kitchen… living room… she left her crap everywhere). She even raised the rent $50. I’m sorry for the sucker who—

The impression she gave me when I met her was completely different… well, I guess I’m just not always a good judge of character. I live, I learn. Have I mentioned I’m happier to be living in a place with a real lease, a real landlord, and [insert third item here because lists always have three items].

So is this a case of an unintelligent reporter or one who just wants to tell the whole story? In an article about why students are sent to summer school a kid is interviewed. The kid, Nicholas, says that he is working at his dad’s shop to pay his parents back for summer tuition. In an interview with the parents, they told the newspaper that there was no tuition; the parents want Nicholas to believe he is paying.

One can assume that they were planning on just letting the kid keep the money when he has made the “price” of tuition, but surely Nick’s going to read the article in the paper where he was quoted. Thus, the plan has been spoiled.

Becca‘s home, and her luggage might also be home by now. As of one o’clock last night, it was not. After almost meeting coincidentally at the same restaurant in Princeton (we didn’t because Denise and I ended up eating in), we met up at Starbucks and headed to Halo Pub for some tasty, tasty ice cream. She told us of her adventures in Italy as Sarcastic Rebecca and Hot Pants and continued to impress us with her almost-fluent Italian. (Sono disponibile is what she was saying I think, but I’m sure she’ll correct me at some point.)

Then we headed back to her house and ended up watching Willow. I had not seen the movie previously; it was suprisingly good. I would have loved it even more when I was younger.

The problem with website stats is one can actually see how many people have fleed. I guess I better think of more interesting things to write about…

When I told my college marching band director, Heidi Sarver I was going to go work for a certain drum and bugle corps’ organization, she frowned. They don’t know how to have fun, she said. I started with the organization in 1998. In 2000 they started trying to have fun. In 2002, this past weekend in Philadelphia they finally figured it out. My boss there wasn’t always someone I agreed with, but he did write a good short story about the show, and I agree with everything he had to say.

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.

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.”

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).

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.