So as it turns out, I'm not my mother. It's useful to be reminded of this because whenever I lose patience with my kid, the specter of my mother looms behind me. It's useful because whenever I'm depressed and feeling needy, my mother's face stares back at me from behind my forehead. And it's interesting to note that my clearest memories of my mother's parenting involve half-full jelly jars full of Franzia sloshing around and a shaky barefoot thing in terrycloth shorts towering over me shouting "most mommies say they love their children even when they're angry but I'm not most mommies and if you cross me right now I will FUCKING KILL YOU" and perfectly reasonable conversations on Sunday afternoons about how she never wanted kids in the first place so it's pleasantly surprising we turned out okay anyway and my memories still fall short of the reality. She's medicated now, so that's useful. My biggest apprehension was that she'd scar my kid for life, but discovering that we were opening a birth center with a (gasp) profit motive was enough to flip her switch from "manic" to "depressive" so she spent the bulk of her visit under a haze of lorazepam, two of which my daughter found on the floor after they left. And I was able to get the raised beds in and half the yard thatched because rather than entertain them all weekend, they holed up in my bedroom and slept all day such that we were incapable of, you know, getting clothes and stuff. She would occasionally send her husband out to request food, usually an hour or two after we mentioned in passing on their way to the bathroom that meals would be prepared. The food requested rarely aligned with the meals prepared. At one point my stepfather was instructed to accompany me to the store because I cannot be trusted to purchase canned soup. And that's an interesting one, too. My relationship with my stepfather is complex but objectively speaking, he's the best grandparent my side of the family can produce. He can hold a conversation, he's healthy and hale, he expresses interest in small people and he remembers names. My stepmonster is a quaint fellow that bears a striking resemblance to Dr. Huer from Buck Rogers that can take my daughter out on her pushbike for an hour and a half. I had lengthy discussions with him about Umberto Eco and Zoroastrianism. He's a career bureaucrat with the federal government whose exceedingly piss-poor taste in women happens to benefit my current family and my aims greatly while also destroying my former family. Which, hey, needed to be destroyed from before I was born. So... emotions are complex around that one. The couch, as it turns out, isn't a bad place to sleep. Other than the fact that you can't cuddle with your loved one. We spent 4 days there. My mother took one shower the entire time, but never changed her clothes. She's long been fond of polyester blends and has always considered deodorant to be a plot of the patriarchy; I had to smuggle it in as a teenager. But the laundry is done (WASH ALL THE THINGS) and they're a memory and I will never be my mother. My father has had a new girlfriend for about five years now. She's compulsive and a hoarder. As my father put it "I went from one crazy woman to another, but at least this one's just crazy. The first one was crazy and mean." It was interesting me to see her deprived of alcohol, medicated to the gills, sort of a Mrs. Potatohead of disdain and flatulence. She never lashed out, she never hit anyone, her verbal pyrotechnics were much diminished, but her face pinched up in disapproval every time anyone but her husband spoke. It was like watching a trigger pulled on an empty gun. You're safe, but you know that someone wants you dead. And it's easier grappling with my bullshit emotions surrounding money when I recognize what a truly crazy place they come from. My sister described my parents as "antipreneurial" and commented that the last time my mother flipped the switch while visiting her, it was because she floated the idea of flipping houses with her housing-contractor husband. Never mind the fact that the stepmonster owned an 8-plex and flipped a half-dozen houses with his dead wife; if we do it, it's because we're yuppie scum. Pretty easy to look down your nose at people when you're pulling down a 95% government pension until you die and social security and, somehow, not sure how she wrangled this, a $3k a month alimony payment even though she remarried. There are about two pickup truck bed's worth of plumbing fixtures in boxes in the spare bedroom. Faucetdirect.com had a sale that ended March 31 and our contractor is still a few weeks out from plumbing. Home Depot, for their part, canceled part of our order because who the fuck orders five sinks? I do. Because I'm a filthy fucking capitalist. But at least I'm not a mean filthy fucking capitalist.
You are not your mother!! and you won't turn into her later on. But one must ever be vigilant. DNA is funny stuff.She never lashed out, she never hit anyone, her verbal pyrotechnics were much diminished, but her face pinched up in disapproval every time anyone but her husband spoke. It was like watching a trigger pulled on an empty gun. You're safe, but you know that someone wants you dead.
This is novelistic writing. If it's not in your current novel, put it in the next one.
Yeah, avoid similes like the plague, so they say. But that one reads so perfectly. Send me your discarded similes. They needs some love. If memory serves me at all, wasn't Jonathan Franzan all similes all the time. I don't have books in front of me -- so I have to check that. and I'll never forget best-seller... Bright Lights Big City - McInerny's simile, speaking of the protagonist's boss: "She had a heart like a ten-minute egg." But you are probably right.
I'm realizing that you get to make every mistake you want after you've sold that first book, after you're repped, after people are trusting your instincts rather than the instincts of every professional that disagrees with you. Still doesn't mean it's a good idea, but nobody is telling you "you can't do that because I said so" as if you were a toddler. Fleisch-Kinkaid on the above passage is 8.9. F-K on my last chapter was 7.6 or so. I aim to keep it under 8.
simply-written books sell better. Thing of it is, you don't need Byzantine sentence structure to convey complex ideas. In fact, the more you edit and proof the more clearly you can express yourself. There's a place for complexity and there's a place for voice, but it's also super-easy to confuse the fuck out of half your audience and that's no way to make a living.
On that topic, are you still enjoying the Crosstrek? When I see them on the road I think they look great, and it hits my price, reputation, practicality and size check boxes.
I've had some time to think about the answer to this question. I need to preface it with a bit of understanding about my head-space about cars. I'm a brutal utilitarian when it comes to cars. I want to get from Point A to Point B, carry all my crap, get good gas mileage, be reliable and inexpensive to run over time. I don't care about status symbols, or the emotional context of owning a car. And I refuse to see myself as part of a 'culture' just because I bought something. Now that the "Darth Vader Car Review" theme is out of the way? I love the car. The switch from low vehicles with 15" wheels to a car that sits higher and rides on 19" wheels has me wondering why I did not do this sooner. The car holds my telescope with so much room left over that I have to fight the feeling that I forgot half my stuff. It handled snow by laughing at it; granted we only got an inch here and there this winter. I've run it through puddles, over shitty Kentucky potholes masquerading as interstates, and the package I have has auto everything which is wonderful. I'm looking forward to loading the thing up and going.... not sure where but it will be the end of a dirt road where the skies are dark. It is still a small car, but it does not FEEL like a small car. I've been doing 75-80 on the highway and getting 32MPG. The rear view camera that I thought was a joke is now a vital part of my drive every day. The downsides are all on me, not the car. I'm still fighting the urge to use the clutch as this is my first ever auto transmission vehicle. The constant velocity transmission still feels weird, but otherwise is great. The engine has a funny start which if you have ever driven a Mazda rotary you know; the engine when cool sits in a pool of oil so it has that sort of "guh" when it starts for the first 20 or so seconds. And the car is 7" wider than the last car, so I have to force myself to remember to leave more room when driving and parking. Yea, I dig the car. The 2016's are getting even better reviews making me wish the accident was in January not November. But no regrets at all.
Thank you for the thorough response! You hit on a number of things important to me. I'm not quite as utilitarian; I like a car to look and feel good. Small but not feeling small is one of the things I'm looking for, too. When I bought my Civic I test drove an Accord, and it felt too big. I show the Crosstrek as only 1.1 inches wider than my Civic and 0.2 inches longer. My Civic is a manual, and I'm glad you aren't annoyed with the automatic. The turn radius looks comparable to a Civic, too. It really seems like a good fit for me, and I appreciate your experiences.
The day I realized I was nothing like my mother was the greatest day of my life. She's the kind of person that flies under the radar while slowly chipping away at the self esteem, confidence, and overall mental stability of those around her. I think observing my siblings trying their hardest to gain her love and acceptance helped me realize that there was better ways to spend my time. It worked out really well. Cheers to you for also managing to not be your mother.
Pre-Op Hi hubski, I had some minor surgery yesterday. It might have been unnecessary - who knows. There is so much great technology in Canada's FREE health care system, that we may as well use it. But maybe, too, the surgery was necessary. On the mammogram, the radiologists found an area of microcalcifications. The microcalcifications themselves are not the problem, but often unusual cells are found in the areas where microcalcs show up. They biopsied five cells in the area and found them to be moving in the direction of badness, but not bad yet. They said I could wait or they could remove the small area and biopsy the whole mass. The doctor said that 95% of the time, they find nothing bad there. By bad, I mean cancer. "OK," I say. "Let's take it out." A few weeks ago, they placed a radioactive bit of metal about the size of a grain of rice in the location where the surgery will occur. I was glowing. But here's the story I want to tell: I went in yesterday at 7:30 a.m. They did all the prep, IV, etc. etc. and wheeled me down the hall and up an elevator into the surgical suite. The surgeon chatted with me and introduced me to the anaesthesiologist who asked me a few questions. Then she said, "There used to be a woman with your last name (very astute of her, because I changed the spelling) who worked for the city Health Department." "That was my mother," I said. "She was the Director of the Child and Adolescent Clinic for the city. She's still alive. She's 89." "My mother worked with her," the anaesthesiologist said. "My mother's name was..." I'm forgetting the name now, but it was a familiar one. I knew the names of everyone on my mother's staff. "I even volunteered in the clinic for a summer." "So did I," I said. "Your mother did amazing work, organizing teams, opening new clinics around the city, helping children. My mother loved working with her. When you see her, tell her she is fondly remembered in this city." At that point, all my fears about anaesthesia disappeared. I went under, knowing that this woman would watch out for me like family.
that's lovely. a member of my former synagogue congregation took my gallbladder out. he didn't find out until later that i was the current board president's daughter, but i think it was better he didn't know because it took some pressure off of him not to know he was operating on the president's daughter.
This brought tears of joy to my eyes. Your mother sounds wonderful, but then... that isn't surprising. You're a giver too.
GOD I FUCKING HATE THIS SHITTY FUCKING SCHOOL AND THEIR SHITTY FUCKING PEOPLE. I’m just sitting here, waiting for an appointment and there’s a million people before me, and not ONE MOTHERFUCKER had the decency to be like HEY, THERE’S A WAITLIST, WRITE YOUR FUCKING NAME DOWN. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? I SHOULDN’T EVEN NEED TO WRITE MY FUCKING NAME. I SHOULD BE ABLE TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE ADVISOR THAT I PAID FOR WITH MY FUCKING MONEY, NOT SIT IN HER FUCKING SHITTY ASS OFFICE FOR TWO HOURS TO WAIT FOR OFFICE HOURS JUST TO GET MY CLASSES ENROLLED, WHICH I WOULDN’T HAVE TO DO IF IT WEREN’T FOR THIS SHITTY FUCKING REGISTRATION SYSTEM THAT WON'T LET ME ENROLL IN THE FUCKING FIRST PLACE AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH so in the meantime I'm drawing Neko Atsume characters on my tablet. None finished yet but here's one of the many that I did yesterday: And here's the whole album of stuff I've done so far: http://imgur.com/a/tzGrq Otherwise things are actually pretty good. I'm getting sleep post-surgery with my CPAP now that I'm not choking to death on it, I'm reenergized at work to the point that my boss even pointed out a noticeable difference, I'm going to motherfucking Japan and Seoul, I enjoy videogames again even though I still spit on the culture and all it stands for, and kleinbl00 whispers drunk secrets into my ear in the wee hours of the night while still being able to recommend quality anime to me in the process. What a guy!
YOU MEAN SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO MOTHERFUCKER!? SBY did what Gundam did before Gundam was a fucking twinkle in Tomino's eye. It's the seminal mecha anime and imo one of the best. Also, when I watched it in Egypt the translated title was Nusoor Al Fada'a, which translates to fucking Space Eagles, the most badass 70s name for a series EVER. That being said I myself haven't watched Star Blazers, which is just the edited/dubbed version of Space Battleship Yamato, so I can't comment on its quality. If it's even a fifth as good as the Japanese version, it's probably rull good, tho
I have resolved to do another Hubski weather balloon. This time I don't want to take a creature up, I am going to see if we bring them back. I want to sample the stratosphere for alien creatures. Professor Milton Wainwright seems to think that he has found them: http://miltonwainwright.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Biological-Entities-Isolated-from-Two-Stratosphere-Launches-Continued-Evidence-for-a-Space-Origin.pdf I am highly skeptical of these claims, but that's not a reason for not trying to duplicate the experiment. I'll be making a brain-storming post about this soon. I have the instruments to analyze a sample. We are going to need a system to open and close the collector in the stratosphere.
At a point not too far in the future, this post will become pictures of an artichoke and spinach gratin. Ehmrgad this shit is delicious. I used a recipe from Mollie Katzen's "Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without." For those who aren't familiar and/or couldn't tell by the use of "ie" instead of "y" (/snark) Katzen's one of those endearing hippie liberals who doesn't eat things with faces. She runs/is associated with a restaurant in Ithaca, New York (Moosewood) that is very well known for vegetarian-friendly cooking. The only modification I made was that i used lemon-infused olive oil, which holy balls, Batman, you have good ideas sometimes! Here is where the cat was when the timer went off. Here is the finished gratin. The bread crumbs, fwiw, are made by me from bread also made by me. Which is kind of cool. The gratin does not plate prettily at all. Then again, you know what they say about the first slice of anything. The best thing is that I don't even fucking like artichokes and they're pretty damn good in this. When in vegetable dislike, add cheese.
Not here, it's right next to the stuff I'm eating in the aisle. Checked the label and it's made out of mostly milk (so it's vegetarian, not vegan). Sadly the Venn diagram of 'tasty meat replacements' and 'cheap' shows little overlap. If there were more I'd totally drop meat from my eating habits.
http://cspinet.org/new/201112011.htmlThe vat-grown mold used to make the Quorn line of meat substitutes causes gastrointestinal distress and in some cases, life-threatening anaphylactic reactions, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. The nutrition and food safety watchdog group has again urged the Food and Drug Administration to revoke its “Generally Recognized as Safe,” or GRAS, designation for the controversial fermented fungus. If the agency does intend to allow Quorn’s “mycoprotein” to remain on store shelves, it should at least require a prominent warning label, the group says.
You had me worried there, it's a big part of our diet as it's available in the UK, and we have the pretty strict Food Safety Agency that would have put a shutter on it well before now if it was an issue. It looks like people are more likely to be allergic to Soy or Dairy than to mycoprotein, perhaps it could be labelled as a possible allergen in the future, but certainly it wouldn't warrant banning.
Serious Eats has a lot of really good tofu recipes, and, if you're down with gluten, seitan is relatively easy to make and vastly cheaper than any prepared meat substitute and very flexible.
I'm not a diehard vegetarian, but I am of the opinion that an enormous amount of resources are wasted in the meat industry. Like how one kilo of beef (2.2lbs) requires 15,000 liter (4,000 gallons) to make. So I try to do my part and reduce my meat intake, while also being a frugal student, which means either using the above because it's cheaper or just adding more vegetables to a meal and leaving meat out. I still eat a lot of meat though. My supermarket recently replaced all their cheap, unethical chicken products with a 'New Standard Chicken', making more space for chickens and slower growth rates mandatory. I think that's a great idea, but I'm more excited for the day when meat replacements are just as good and cheaper than regular meat.
Great! Your questioning felt a bit like a cross-examination, hence my comment. Meat or no meat is a discussion with a past: Overpopulation is bad - on the flip side though, doesn't that also imply that there isn't enough nature for them to live in?Not trying to pigeonhole, just curious.
Ah, that guy. And no, with the deer thing, it implies that they have no predators and breed like crazy. It implies that they get fat on corn and alfalfa and raise car insurance rates.
I've been in an excellent mood the last few days despite finals. Kinda want to go on an adventure or something, it's been too long since I last did something cool. In other developments, I might have the opportunity to do research on self-driving cars at a national research institute and tie it in with my graduation thesis. I've only made brief contact with someone from that institute but he was interested in the idea. Now off to the hardest final of this semester. Wish me luck!
Im... okay? It's a pretty seriously mixed bag right now. I am doing a lot for myself, going on walks, eating better, not drinking, going to counseling, talking to old friends. I feel like I'm mentally getting to a better place, which is good. But physically, I feel worse than I have in a long time. I don't know how much of it is related to the breakup, and how much of it is just the changes in diet and exercise. I have had to call out of work the past two days, which I hate. I would really like to be pre-occupied right now, but that's just not working out. I also did a dumb thing. I sent a letter explaining my feelings to my (now) ex. Honestly, almost all of it is me wishing her the best in whatever she does, and telling her that I am taking steps to become better myself. But I still feel like such an idiot for sending it, and worse, I feel like I'm becoming a cliche clingy ex. Sigh. I've deleted her contact from my phone, so now I have to cave and ask one of my roommates if I want to talk to her again, which I think will keep me in line. On the plus side, it's finally getting warm enough out to go biking, so I think I'll bike to the local Audubon today if I feel up to it. UPDATE: 8:51 PM - BEST CASE SCENARIO HAPPENED. Well, second best, maybe. I just got an email back from my Ex, who had a lot of really nice things to say. She said that she really appreciated the letter, and is doing well right now. She also earnestly wants to keep me a present part of her life, but still not dating for a while. Which, honestly, I am totally happy with. I am thankful for my alone time right now, I think it is helping me grow a lot, and I don't think I would be ready to get back into a relationship just yet anyway. Also, I did in fact go for a bike ride / bird walk. 8 mile ride, 4 mile walk, all just a little too cold, but worth it to get outside for once.
The break-up changes you physically. I lost 12 pounds the first month after my who's-crying-now ex dumped me. Also drinking less or not at all changes you. Also there are so many bugs around. Meanwhile, the letter is sent. It's important to write it and to write a lot: sending it? meh? Write your feelings when you feel like it. Put her name at the top of the page if these are things you want to say to her, then save the letter in drafts. Read it five years from now. It's hard and painful, but I think the human being is built to get over it. Eventually.
Thanks lil, I've been writing down a running log of things I want to say to her, it has been helping me a lot with organizing my thoughts and letting out negative energy. Even just looking back at writing from the past few days, it's amazing to see how much my feelings have been fluctuating. It's nice to see what feels like progress.
I think it's perfectly normal to cave like that. I called my ex something like once a month for several months. And when she picked up five months later, and asked how I was doing, I went off about how terribly I had been holding up since we broke up. Not the strong, graceful exit that I would love to tell my kid about when he or she asks, "Papa, what did you when you went through that awful, no good, really bad break up?" But I think that's ok. We really are not robots. Hold tight.
Working with my boss today. The guy toured with the Dead, listens to great music and gives me a pretty long leash. He showed up in a hoody and combat boots. He's a unique character. I like him a lot. Someday, I'll hire him.
If he was customer facing -yes. But I wouldn't have to. He's not an idiot.
Meanwhile here I sit behind two layers of security (I actually badge in four times, but the gate and two doors are technically the same security level) in a room with no windows required to wear business casual solely because it's the corporate policy. Sigh.If he was customer facing -yes.
It's an electric utility control center, so I have to badge into the normal office and then a more restricted access scan into the control area. No searches, thankfully, but the security process is taken very seriously. Teaching in a jail sounds intense. It's pretty casual here, just casual in khakis and a polo instead of jeans and a hoodie.
Life is pretty good at the moment. I could complain about having multiple bosses at work - or at least multiple people who think it's their job to give me direction and tasks and check status multiple times during the day. I could complain about all of them being at the company for under six months and I've been here for 9 years and have had to train them on everything. I could complain about getting paid less than all of them. I could complain about having to work Eastern Time and Mountain Time.... but in the end... its a job. It pays me well, and it is shaping some professional and personal skills like patience, accountability, and organization. It's prepping me for the next best thing. And it's a job - it's not my life. My life is amazing. Great relationship. Decent kids. Amazing friends. So I could complain... but for some reason, today I'll be grateful for the challenge. (But don't talk to the me from yesterday evening - he was pissed and wrote and re-wrote several emails removing snarky rants about his bosses stupidity). Cheers all!
EDIT: Holy crap... I completely forgot about this. I occasionally make funny name signs for coworkers to hang in their cubes/offices - they usually come from conversations or funny things said in meetings. I was just reminded by a coworker that I made a sign for him a few years ago when he was having similar problems with bosses....
I've had this problem in a few workplaces but the worst had to be when one of those bosses was so incompetent that she never asked for clarification when the big boss said things. It got to a point where she was directing the staff in the most nonsensical way that I flipped out and left. After spending most of the day explaining to her that she had misunderstood and I was certain that the big boss actually meant something different because my real boss had mentioned it in passing I just kind of lost it. I've never actually done that before. Granted the next day when my real boss and the big boss asked me wtf happened I still got told off for not following direction from dumb boss but it was worth it.
This was just a seasonal job and I was one of very few employees who actually showed up to work so it was a very good time for me to lose it. I think that's why I did it, I mean every other job I actually needed but this one I really didn't give a fuck about. It was very freeing.
Avoided the cough plague for more than a month, only to get a fever from another bug yesterday. So it goes. Started doing imaging of brain slices last Friday. We used a confocal microscope which gets us pretty close to the diffraction limit, so the images looked pretty beautiful. The post-doc I've been working with pointed out the various regions of the hippocampus that were of interest to us and zooming in on them, we could easily see the floating balls of the nucleous structures within each cell's nucleus. Sadly the actual results we were looking for (correlation of some factor with diseased slices) were negative, but the whole process was novel enough that I didn't mind. Forgot to put them on my flash drive, but I may post images next week.
I un-broke up with my girlfriend. As a result, this week has been much better than the previous ones. I spent all day at the cafe on the coffee machine today. The morning rush was crazy, but I held my own and feel much more confident slinging lattes. The Spanish course I was going to take this year has been discontinued due to lack of interest I guess? That was kind of annoying. The only classes I can find are an hour away in Melbourne. Not really an option for me unfortunately. Oh well... Two out of three aint bad!
Not at all! It's a bit of a strange case I guess. We met because she has coffee at the cafe where I work. We started talking after it came up that both of us had ex-partners from the States. Her's was quite a bit more serious than mine (four years and an engagement ring). But nine months ago they broke it off when neither of them was willing to leave everything to move abroad. Same situation on my part. Two weeks ago out of nowhere her ex decided that he couldn't live without her and had sorted out plans to move here permanently so that they could be together. So all of a sudden she wasn't sure what she was doing or whether she still loved him... or whether she wanted to be with me. I said I'd make it easy for her and extricate myself from the situation. She still came to get coffee every day and I was absolutely miserable. She didn't fare much better. So we started talking about it and she said she'd made up her mind that she doesn't want to be with him. Problem solved! As for duolingo, I love it! I just lack the necessary self-motivation to build it into a habit.
I rambled a bit this morning . . . Now that the wife has left for work, I can turn on the lights, sit down in front of the PC, and write like a normal human being. Writing on the phone sucks. I have the day off today, which is nice. One of my friends has recently gotten into Minecraft and has been going on and on about it. He really seems to enjoy it, which is great, but I've only been half heartedly listen to him talk about it because it didn't interest me that much, though I think it's something my wife would enjoy. It wasn't until he told me that there is splitscreen multiplayer available for XBox One that he got my full attention. While the wife and I have similar interests, we don't actually have a lot of overlapping hobbies. I think I might pick up the game and a second controller. It might be a fun couple's activity. In other news, I go into a bit of a heated argument with a coworker during lunch yesterday. Her cat didn't come home the night before and she's absolutely adamant that coyotes had gotten a hold of it. She said she saw on the news that there has been a larger number of coyote sightings than usual this spring and that people are advised to keep their animals indoors and well supervised. I tried to reassure her that her cat is probably fine and that cats are prone to staying away for days at a time before coming home. Besides, they have tons of natural enemies besides coyotes, foxes and raccoons readily spring to mind, and coyotes aren't anything new. The chances of coyotes getting her cat is probably pretty slim. She wasn't having it. She's convinced coyotes got it, because that's what she heard on the news. I dropped the subject. It wasn't until I was coming home that I thought of a great analogy. If the weatherman says there's a hurricane coming, you wouldn't let your cat out, for fear of it not coming back. If you did though, and the cat got caught in it, it's not the hurricane's fault. It's your fault. Hurricanes are gonna do what hurricanes do. So naturally, if the news says that there's a large frequency of coyote sightings and to keep your animals indoors, you can't get mad if you let your cat out and a coyote gets it. Coyotes are gonna do what coyotes do. That's just my logic though.
My hiking trip is next week. On the long range forecast I look to be incredibly lucky once again. Rain Tuesday but clear Wednesday through Friday when I intend to camp. I'll probably try a lean-to but will take my tent, too. The weather is colder than I planned. I may need to buy a larger backpack to take sufficient cold weather gear, possibly including snowshoes. A new backpack is still cheaper than two more nights in hotels. My knee feels better. I've been running less and doing some stretching (squats mostly). I did run a 10K loop I like on Sunday. There was some stiffness in mile 2 that never completely went away, but it was ok. Not great but ok. I'm optimistic the rest is helping.
Upstate New York in Adirondack Park. Microspikes are likely necessary for the elevation between the valleys and summits where the trails got packed down. The official report from last week said snowshoes were recommended above 3000 feet, and I'm planning to go to 4600'. I think it said 12-18 inches are still on the ground in places. While they're probably conservative, that's still a lot of elevation. I like snowshoes and am probably most comfortable in them. My issue is mostly the space but also the weight. I don't really have a way to accommodate them on my 50 liter bag which is already packed to the gills. I don't think I'll see much snow at the trailhead (1800') or where I plan to camp (2500'), so I'll need to pack them in somehow. The official reports come out every Thursday. It's been cold there and will stay cold next week before I leave. If they're still saying snow tomorrow, I think I need to be ready for it. I have a 34 liter bag I use for day hiking with snowshoes, and I can and do strap them to it. If I get a 65-70 liter bag I may have space to pack my day bag in, making my day excursions easier. But that's yet more weight.
A giant packet of papers, spreadsheets, word docs and bills is now in the hands of legal people. It is widely hoped and expected that therapy ends on Friday. I'm going to do the first major outreach event of a very, very busy spring on Saturday, then Wednesday, then Saturday again. Then, myself and about 10 other people are going to have telescopes out along the main drag in downtown Hispter-Stan as our main "Hey everyone! We Exist!" during the week of the Kentucky Derby. And, my parents are going to spend two weeks out here staying in my house, and driving to see their friends in various close by areas, and do some of the tourist stuff we all love. The plan is a Civil War Battlefield, a bourbon tour, and the first Catholic Cathedral west of the Allegheny Mountains. By the end of May I might need to start drinking.
Its the hotest time of the year here in Cambodia. I thought I could deal but I clearly can't. +40 feels like 45, it's just like living in a sauna. I feel like a useless sweaty slob all day, and avoiding editing the vlog just because my computer gets hot. Visiting Angkor tomorrow will be hell. Can't believe I m going to do it "for the check mark" in a way because I'm pretty sure it won't be enjoyable. Do they sell cold water there? Urgh, considering skipping visiting Cambodia (we were planning to stay a month) and getting a longer visa for Vietnam. Temperature is bearable in the North in Hanoi I've heard...
I'm sorry to hear that the heat is ruining your trip. Do you have a freezer in your hotel room? If so, buy some fresh fruit, cut it up, and freeze it. It's quite the treat on a hot day and helps a little with keeping you hydrated and full of vitamins.
Mostly taking a showers like 3 times a day and making up excuses to go walk around the convenience store with good AC... Saw some people biking in Angkor today! I was sweating buckets just walking around the temples and getting tuktuk rides. I guess some people can deal better ( or they're just verry cheap/ crazy). I mean damn, that place is like 400 km2 and it was murder under the sun!
I'm doing alright. I've been room-hunting lately and looked at a few places. My lack of knowledge of London is being made very apparent - unfortunately the neighbourhood I lived in last year is slightly too far from my new workplace. So I have to find somewhere else, which is kind of an adventure and kind of a bit daunting. I looked at a place today which was in a privatised council flat, next to a sixth form in a working class neighbourhood. I have no idea what that means. Crime??? If I'm apprehensive about it, it probably just means I'm a sheltered middle class wuss. Who knows?? Anyway, that uncertainty is probably a fixture of adult life (not being in university or at home with family) so while it feels kinda funny I am not super freaked out by it. I wanted new experiences and a chance to grow up and here it is. Bon appetit to me, I guess!
Hhhnnnnnggg It's fascinating how much of my decision making process I've crowdsourced to Hubski lately. I say that because as each new development occurs in my life, among my first thoughts are, "I wonder what my third place has to say about this." steve, determinedkid... it seems that my moving to Colorado is a little less sure this week than it was two weeks ago. That's because the guy I've been working for -- a successful, self-made guy who runs an internet company and also owns and operates a bunch of rental properties -- thinks it would be a great idea to expand our relationship and to hire me on a more full-time basis. I've been doing part-time general labor and repairs for him, as well as more sophisticated stuff like contract review and data analysis. The work is interesting because of the access I get to his businesses. He's showing me all sorts of things all the time, bouncing problems and ideas off me, letting me look under the hood and ask lots of questions. And he's an absolute joy to work for/with. He's trusting, super smart, accommodating and flexible. Not to mention, he's also an interesting and hilarious guy. The pay isn't anything to write home about... but I am without a college degree or relevant work experience. A raw bundle of potential, but not much more. I've been working for him for the last few months while in Baltimore. Two weeks ago, we had a long conversation about how great it's been working together, and our conclusion was that it was an exciting thought the idea of us continuing our relationship for another year or two. On the one hand, I've been planning to move Colorado for lord knows how long, and a lot of you guys have been very privy to this goal. And it feels jarring and a bit disconcerting to consider changing my course so abruptly. On the other hand... the process of weighing this decision has made me realize that there is a lot of good things here for me. I could live rent-free with my wonderful mom. I could start school a lot sooner than if I were to try and move to Colorado, establish residency, and transfer colleges (not to mention it would be a much more of an assured process). I'd be nearer friends and family. And goals that have been pie-in-the-sky up to this point would be a lot more accomplishable, like affording Invisalign (wear your retainers, kids) and continuing my mission of helping underserved communities, like those in Baltimore. Actually, my discovery of all these resources and opportunities here at home that I've been unconsciously looking past in favor of greener pastures has been kind of embarrassing. Immigrants everywhere would be ruefully disappointed with me. The way I talk about it, it feels like the decision has already been made. And I've just been resisting gravity. In any case, it's helpful for me to put this all into words. As it stands now, my boss is going to write up a proposal for the commitment between us for me to then look over, and I think I'll get it in the next week or so. From there, it's a matter of me saying yes or no. Life, man.
Whatever his proposal is - review it and counter it with AT LEAST a 10% uptick in the money. Maybe even lean into 20%. Maybe more. Don't be afraid to ask. That's awesome. I wouldn't walk away from that. liking the people you work with/for is worth A LOT in dollars. So are you... so quit selling yourself short with this nonsense: Focus on the bundle of potential. You've got a TON to offer him. He wouldn't bother thinking of your future with his outfit if he didn't want to keep you around. He likes you because you're thoughtful and a hard worker and interesting, and intelligent, and clean, and well spoken, and a problem solver and and and... I'd trade you RIGHT NOW for dozens of people at my company who have degrees and "experience". Don't trade an old dream of living in Colorado for a great current situation. You can ALWAYS move to CO later... you probably can't go back and work for him later.And he's an absolute joy to work for/with. He's trusting, super smart, accommodating and flexible.
Not to mention, he's also an interesting and hilarious guy.
but I am without a college degree or relevant work experience. A raw bundle of potential, but not much more.
I really appreciate the feedback, and the encouragement. About the money, I had a few back-and-forths about it, but he's pretty firm on the figure. Which he, by the way, thinks is slightly above market value for me. I'm gonna put it to him that we review my value and my compensation by the end of the calendar year. So I'm not as excited about the money piece. But when I think about the sum of the opportunity, I feel like I'm getting 85% of what I reasonably could expect, and there's a lot of perks and future good experiences built into the deal. It's important to me start this thing as excited as I can be. Not a fake enthusiasm, but from a place where I'm not focusing on what I didn't get but all the good things. Because while I could walk away and stew about how my first interesting non-restaurant non-volunteer job should pay higher, I don't know if I'll be better off by, say, the end of this year. Whereas if I do this, I'm sure I'll be better off for it.
Dear Housing Gurus of the Hubs: I have a lease on an apartment that ends this month. I have already submitted my intent to vacate effective at the end of this month and have fully paid up on everything, the only thing left is the move-out inspection and returning my deposit. However, I'm picking up the keys to the place I'm moving into this weekend. Can I just move over there prior to the end of this month, maintain my address at the old place til the end of the month, and more or less live from the new place?Whatever it is that you love to do, that is the sexiest part of you.
- Nick Offerman. Finally watched American Ham last night and loved that bit in particular, it wasn't a particularly comedic part of the special, but powerful nonetheless.
I work as an assistant to a guy who owns 8 apartment buildings/25 apartments, doing, in part, lease and contract reviews. I don't see at all why you can't start moving into your new place. Assuming that the notice you gave to not renew your current lease was before the notice due date (generally 60 days before the lease expires, check your lease's language, as there could be a penalty to not giving notice before a certain date -- forfeiting your deposit, etc.) and that you've worked out the move-in date with your new landlord. And as for the place you're moving out of: even if your furniture and belongings aren't in it, the place is yours for the duration of the lease. But I'd probably notify the relevant people of your imminent change of address.
All they need is a 20-day notice, I've effectively given them a 30-day notice. Lease renewal would occur on 5/1, if I were to have renewed it. Move-in date has already been worked out with the new-landlord (who, so far, seems much more pleasant). It doesn't look like there are any issues?
Bad shit snowballs. Started my day off by rolling my ankle badly enough that it took 2 hours of ice to make it walkable. Because I was late to work, I fumbled the baton pass on a few things. Because I fumbled the baton pass on a few things, I was late coming home. Because I was late coming home, I missed my first (And probably only) Blue Apron delivery, so it was left with my apartment office. Which is now closed. Until after I leave for work tomorrow. In other news, my birthday is this weekend. Friday night I am going to stuff my face with the Brazilian Barbecue I was denied last year with some close friends. After that, beers, and lots of them. Anybody from the Michigan contingent is more than welcome to join me, we'll be out and about in downtown Detroit until probably 2AM ish. Saturday night, my actual birthday, I'm going to see Gustav Holst's The Planets. Currently solo, that may change. But I'm finally going to take my own advice on birthdays, and do what I want to do. Music-wise, my director unveiled our musical selections for next season and I'm really happy with his selections. I'm even MORE happy about our collaborative concert with the Budapest National Symphony Orchestra when we do the entirety of Beethoven's 9th next spring. They are preparing to play it for one performance in the United States, and that's with my choir. Apparently that doesn't happen. Every week I get three distinct lessons from rehearsal. First, I get a music lesson from my section/section coach. I'm a better singer after each and every rehearsal with this group. Second, I get a masterclass in Choral Conducting and public speaking from our director. He's largely the kind of guy I'd hope to be in a few decades, and I feel very grateful to be under his direction. Third, I get a weekly refresher in how fickle and unreasonable my mood is. Doesn't matter how I feel walking in every Monday, when I leave, I will have a smile on my face. Taking tonight to put my feet up, get some weight off this jacked up extremity
Got a job. It's just a job, doing stuff I can do, and can do well, but it isn't flashy in any way. Transportation logistics company, and I'm working with the SalesOps team writing RFPs. But it pays well, it requires a range of skills, from writing to project management to managing people to designing internal processes and systems. So I won't get bored. And the company is privately held, so it only makes decisions that are good for the company, and isn't swung around by its tail by shareholders. And then - about 20 minutes ago - signed the $18k contract with the plumber to completely replumb the entire house, renovate the downstairs bathroom, and run new water main and sewer line. Gonna be three weeks of crazy here at the house... starting exactly one week after I start my new job. So yeah. Things are not calming down. In the mean time, finishing up two writing contracts, collaborating on a business book, and contemplating a couple of article-length pieces to be published professionally. Oh. And I got my latest shipment of Soylent. Went for the liquid this time, and am digging it.
Goddamn. Remind me to send my kids to plumber-school.
Seriously. I got a couple of friends who are plumbers, and they are raking in the money. Because, half the time, you have an urgent problem - broken pipe, jammed plumbing, exploded water heater, etc - and getting ANYONE to come out urgently is gonna cost ya... and when that someone deals with YOUR shit? Literally? It's gonna cost you A LOT. And you will pay for it. Willingly.
Oh God I hate trying to be a grown up. Usually I pay rent a week or so early when I pay my credit card, but this month I paid the credit card early before the utility statement was in. So I forgot about rent until the 5th which I was certain was the day it was due. So last night I logged in to pay it and saw a late fee, and noticed it was 12:30. I just thought hf well, that's what I get for procrastinating, and paid it. I thought it would be worth it to call and see if they would forgive the late fee since it was only half an hour late. And after that I had trouble falling asleep because I was all angsty about responsibility and how weird it feels to be living alone, even though I've been living away from my parents for 6 years and alone for 2. And then this morning after I slept through my alarm and scrambled to get ready for work on time I saw a nastygram shoved under my door with all sorts of stuff about failure to pay rent and legal action and vacating the premises. So I had to call my boss and say I'd be late and go to the apartment office and wait for someone to pass me off to someone else who just me to wait until the manager got off the phone. Who said rent is actually due the 3rd( I'm going to dig through my lease to check that) and looked up that I paid last night and tore up the notice. So I had a crappy morning.
Ooft. I been there man. I feel you. That kind of stuff is not fun in the slightest. I learned the hard way it's always best to pay things at least a week or two early (that way you have some grace time to fix things if there's a problem) and to always keep receipts. Also, I've quickly learned that certified mail can be your best friend.
It's all taken care of now. It just stings because I've so responsible about paying things on time, and paying the full balance in the credit card, and all that crap, and then I pay rent late, and how the hell did I not know what day it was actually due, and of course it happens after a night of bad sleep when I'm running late already. It hurt my ego more than anything else.
Donald Trump will make America great again with those hardcore wrestling moves Maybe the politicians should wrestle with one another
I meant to start working out a solid month before work started up again so I wouldn't be in too much pain for the first week but of course I sat around instead. I've got about a week until I go back but I don't think I can do much with that. I'm excited to start working though I want to have all my debt paid off before I start my third year of school so at most I'll finish school with 10k which is manageable.
Course registration in 30 min. Currently a ball of stress. Will report back. E: I got everything I wanted! Well, mostly. We can only register for 4 courses right now, have to add a 5th next year. But I'm already waitlisted on the two courses I want for that spot. Well on my way to graduating with a degree in Classics and Theatre, and doing all the courses recommended for those interested in pursuing graduate study in the classics. Fuck yeah.
As we speak, I'm sitting in a group meeting with three other members preparing a 20 minute presentation on the online dating industry. Here's the thing: We have 2 weeks to throw this presentation together, I'll be giving ~7 minutes of it (by group decision), and everyone but me is freaking out. Granted, we need to make a PowerPoint, memorize the speech, have a polished hand-out for the audience and rehearse it a few times, but I really don't feel like we're in danger of doing poorly on it. I'm pretty talented at presenting to groups, we have all of the data we need, we just need to package it into a presentation. I can't figure out why everyone is so nervous, and I'm getting irritated at how anxious my group is. We're ahead of every other group, dammit! We have nothing to worry about!!!
From experience I've found that the more someone freaks out, the more likely it is that they'll be the ones dragging the presentation down. Confidence is half the grade. The last presentation I gave was with me and two others, each 5 minutes. We made it an hour in advance. Even when I really want to make a great and long presentation, I don't start until a few days before. If you really want to nail down the structure and make it like a story, go watch this.everyone but me is freaking out.
That video was awesome, thank you! I've been watching other videos on the same channel, it reminds me so much of listening to podcasts. I've written myself a script to appease them, with full knowledge that I'll probably be rewriting the whole thing the night before the presentation. C'est la group work.