Well, There It Is.

I finally have some photographs online from Darren‘s birthday extravaganza last month.

I have decided that there really are things I have to say, whether interesting to others or not. So I have come back. In the mean time, I have been slowly working on another redesign for the site… since I’ve been pretty busy lately, it’s still a work very much in progress.

The other day I got a note from the DMV saying that my car insurance has been cancelled and they will suspend my license if it is not resolved soon. So I called the insurance company to find out what the deal was. Apparently they dropped me as far back as March without so much of a word to me. Of course they said I was informed, but I received no notification. So, since State Farm, like just about every other auto insurer, is pulling out of New Jersey, I have to look elsewhere for insurance.

Apparenly I have an ungodly amount of points on my license. Apparently it’s going to cost me more than $3000 a year for car insurance. I found the best option through AAA but I have to make a down payment on Monday. The check I have to write is more than what I currently have in my bank account.

This pretty much fills you in on where I am in my life right now. Also… Still no new place to live. I drove to a candidate apartment today and it was just a weird experience all around. I’m still have hopes for that house in Waldwick.

How is it that I manage to keep myself so busy? I think I might just disappear this weekend. Maybe go hiking in upstate New York. It’s that time of year in which it’s good to do some self-reflection and to re-establish personal goals (objectives?)… or something like that. Or maybe just get some fresh non-New Jersey air.

Yesterday was Darren‘s twenty-fifth birthday. To celebrate we (a Large Group of People) played Laser Tag, which is fast becoming a birthday staple. We also used the occasion to celebrate Becky Ray’s impending Monday birthday. Unfortunately unlike last time, there were no little kids in the laser tag arena to shoot. The red team (of which I was a member) beat the green team three out of five games, even though Alissa‘s gun didn’t work. She threatened to write them a letter.

Today I saw As You Like It as interpreted in the Wild West by the Princeton Repertory Shakespeare Festival. They performed in the middle of Palmer Square, which was an interesting location. They always seem to come up with strange ways of performing Shakespeare. Last year, they did A Midsummer Night’s Dream set in some strange time or location as well.

Thanks to some tips, I discovered Aaron Copland‘s original 13-instrument version of Appalachian Spring. It’s a great change from the orchestral version. Find a recording and check it out.

Tonight, I saw a house-to-share that I really liked. Unfortunately I have to wait until September 5 to find out if they want me more than they want other applicants, and then I would have to wait until October 1 to move in. The roommates are nice too, and I’m not just saying that to kiss up. (They’re probably reading this. Hi, Laura.) They also had a René Magritte poster on the wall in the living room. That has to be a good sign.

Two more houses-to-share to look at tomorrow. Good prices. Friendly people. I may be making some progress…

If you didn’t notice, I saw Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back last weekend as a sneak preview. It was hilarious, in a crude sort of way.

Darren‘s birthday is on Saturday. His wife, Ali, and her family saw Contact today, and it seems like something I might enjoy. Anyone know about it?

I had a great weekend, but if I tell you about it, I’d have to kill you.

This is the next potential living place I will look at. It’s a little more than I wanted to spend, but something has got to give.

I’m becoming more adept at database-driven websites. Aren’t you excited for me? My latest project is [DELETED]. Not very exciting, but very useful, if you’re into that sort of thing. I also created [DELETED].

My office is in the process of upgrading the computer system. It should be nice when it’s all done, with remote access and everything.

I don’t think I am being too picky. It just seems to me that $700 is too much to spend every month on a fourteen foot by twenty-four foot by seven foot room. Is this the price I must pay if I want to live in north Jersey? What is the price I can pay if I don’t want to live in north Jersey?

I looked at another “potential place of dwelling” this afternoon. It was the basement of an older lady’s house. Although I didn’t meet the owner, I’m sure she’s very nice. I’m going to extend my search over the next few days. Of course, if I had a roommate, this process would be a bit easier. Is there anyone out there who’s looking to move to the Bergenfield area? There’s direct public transportation access to New York City, if that’s your thing.

Here’s something interesting that happened Saturday night. After Finals, all the drum corps are on the field during the awards ceremony. After the trophies are given out, over 1500 fourteen to twenty-two year-olds say goodbye to their friends that they’ve made, some to never see each other again. Suddenly, there is a lot of commotion in front of one of the corps, the Boston Crusaders, who had a good year, but not nearly as good as last year. A lot of the kids are cheering and jumping up and down for some reason.

The camera crew runs over to the scene. Some shaky pictures are flashed up on the JumboTron screen. The announcer then says over the stadium-wide speakers (with names changed here, since I don’t really remember what they were), “Ladies and Gentlemen, we have an announcement. Brian, from the Crusaders, has asked Jen to marry him, and it looks like she said yes!” On the JumboTron, we could see a close-up of Jen’s new engagement ring.

The audience, well the thousands who were sticking around to see the winner’s encore performance, cheered for them. It was an amazing experience… and we can only imagine how many drum corps engagements there will be at Finals next year.