This weekend, I got to catch up with a dear friend and her husband -- I haven't seen them in a really long time. I am so grateful to have friends that are totally OK with that! I so frequently wander away from friends for a time while I work too much or just flake out for a while. Luckily, most of my pals don't judge, it just happens.
In this case there is an added nuance ... she happens to be a real estate agent and broker, and for most of our friendship she has always been very very very busy, and planning activities was really tough. It dawned on me this weekend that she just can't have the volume of work that she has had in previous years. I should be able to see her much more often!!!
Funny, and I didn't think there was much positive stuff in this real estate down turn. She reminds me of 2: Investment property for a song and Real Estate friends can be regular visitors again! Yay for Me!!
Obviously I really need to do this blogging every day thing since I am so neglegent of my blogging. Shame on me.
I'll even try to blog again later tonight to makeup a post or two
Right now I'm sitting on the balcony of my sublet in Williamsburg enjoying the absolutely beautiful weather we're having. The sky is blue, the wind is blowing gently, furry woodland creatures are scurrying about the underbrush of what was so thoughtfully left after this land was developed, and I have nothing to do today except my laundry. Life is good.
I'm moving back to Richmond just as soon as I can sign a lease. I put a deposit down on a one-bedroom apartment managed by what my friends who also rent from them tell me is a questionably organized business. Apparently they're bad about losing checks, which is why I'm not surprised that neither check I wrote for the security deposit and the application fee has posted. And honestly, the overweight, tramp stamped help I saw in the office don't give me much confidence. I'm glad I had the foresight to ask for a receipt. I should probably give them a call...
I can't tell you how excited I am to be moving back into a place with a bed, let alone proper furniture. Five months on an air mattress ain't all that bad, but mine's got a hole in it somewhere and I'm getting tired of having to reinflate it every night. I'm also really excited about the whole no roommates thing. No more sharing a fridge or a bathoroom. No more having to come in quietly after a late night. No more gigantic stoner brother getting high and eating everything in the fridge.
Brother is doing fine. He just finished bootcamp and has spent the last week getting paid to jump out of airplaines in Airborne School. He says he's been knocked out cold like three out of the five times he's jumped this week, usually no more than a few seconds, but once for a few minutes. It's not uncommon for guys his size, or at least that's what he's been told. Soon he'll be shipped up to Fort Bragg for Special Forces training, and he said he's gonna try to make it up to RVA for a weekend or two. It'll be good to see him. I miss my brother.
I should be working on my resume, trying to get that menial full-time job I've been looking forward to all summer, but instead I've devoured all three seasons of Arrested Development, three seasons of Weeds, and all the rice, beans, and cheese I can stand. At least this weekend we get free meal cards at work, which plugs up a hole in my wallet very nicely.
And I'm wrapping it up.
I got a visa gift card recently, and that was a totally sweet gift. (I'm not really ungrateful) The crazy part -- the real joy in this gift card is the comedy that is slathered all over the back of this card in the "small print". It has been priceless to laugh about the parameters of this gift card.
1. Purchase Fee $5.95 -- is this a fee for using the card?
2. This card is not reloadable -- I'm sure there would be a fee if it was
3. Not for use at ATM's or Gambling - What's the fun in that?!?
4. A monthly maintenance fee of $2/month will be deducted from you balance until the balance reaches $0 -- this one is extra funny because I have been ranting about it everywhere. I didn't realize until just a few seconds ago that it didn't start the deduction until the 13th month... I thought it said 13th day!!
Due to some situations outside of our control, we are now hyper-aware of the cost of retirement. We have enjoyed a free-flying spend fest for the last few years, feeling confident that we are being responsible with regards to our retirement. Suddenly we are looking at retirement with fear and worry, we are going to have to cut out some of our antics.
sigh... I'm feeling kind of bummed. I was really trying to do the right thing.
Whew! Barely under the wire on day 2 of blogging. I don't have much to say except that I have a great friend that has started a dog walking/sitting company here in Richmond, VA. She has been building up her business for some time and things are going great! If you live in the city of Richmond and have any need for pet sitting/walking, give her a look!
She is so passionate and so committed to the care of the animals, I am so proud of her for making this her career!!
Today's story.... "Pants Problem"
A few days ago, I went to put on one of the last pairs of pants that I have clean and they did not fit. Sure, I KNOW that is my fault. I've been travelling way too much with work and eating all the terrible food I can find....
In my day to day pouting about this situation, I keep telling people I've been having a "pants problem" rather than saying that I'm trying to shed a few pounds. This is apparently a great way to discuss this situation, everyone laughs and reports how their pants have gotten smaller too! So the next time you are trying to lose a few... it's not you.... it's an <insert article of clothing> problem.
As punishment to myself for being such a slack-ass blogger...I am going to pass that punishment along to you by way of forcing myself to blog something EVERY DAY for 30 days!!
I have really tried to keep my blog relatively free of the "Today I did this...." type of content, but it may be my only option if I'm feeling less than inspired.
I was standing outside my house a week to two ago when I heard all this squawking in a tree next door. I look over there and in the central "V" of the tree was our neighbor's little kitty cat. All around him there were no less than 10 crows on surrounding branches squawking away!!! The kitty was squirming a fair amount, but eventually he escaped.
I was worried that the "Murder of Crows" term was going to play out right there.
As far as I can tell nobody is reading this any more. And why should they. It's probably because whatever followers I had got sick of seeing that I had updated when it was just BS twittering that they either already saw or didn't care for. So I'm turning off the twitter feed. If you want to follow me there, I'm at http://www.twitter.com/robmck
I'll keep this Vox blog open but I don't expect I'll be using it much.
