Hello Again

I will reserve the time for a truly updated post shortly. For now, here is my attempt to at least jump start a new wave of updates.

I wonder if there will ever be a 6 month lag in updates where I can truly say "Nothing much has changed since we last spoke." Then again, I almost like the ever-changing aspect of my life at the moment.

A few highlights of the last 6 months ("Highlights" meaning "headlines" moreso than "good things"):

-- Job - I have a job in my field that pays me a salary on which I can live presumably comfortably in the DC area - the most expensive goddamn place next to NYC or LA in my opinion.

Does that mean I like it? Not necessarily. I wouldn't use the words like or love to describe it. However, it's certainly providing me with a shit-ton of experience that will be very, very good for my portfolio. And in all truthfulness, it could be much worse. I just am a little baffled by the sheer amount of stress I go through to produce a visitors guide for DC. I make a VISITORS GUIDE BOOK so that the Johnson family from Ohio can come to DC and know where to eat dinner after seeing their favorite monument. I should not be this stressed out. There are plenty of things that could be done to ensure my lack of stress but unfortunately those things lie beyond my control. So for now, my work life tends to fluctuate like the tides. Low tide, I have peaceful days with no one in the office to do my thing at my own pace. High tide is a fucking nightmare. Our standard 9 hour days become 11 hour days with no lunch or dinner break and let me say it one more time - this is all because of a VISITORS GUIDE. I'm sorry. That kind of work does not deserve such high levels of stress. It's ridiculous.

-- Apartment - Do we remember the "All I want is to live alone and have a cat." conversation? Well let me tell you how that played out. I split a 2 bedroom apartment 3 ways with a couple I found on Craigslist because it's the only way I can afford to live somewhere in/near DC that struck me as safe. They have a cat. So I got what I wanted in a way, right? Well...a very twisted way. I am a neat freak. I made no attempt at hiding this when searching for apartments/roommates. They apparently do not share my sentiments. So I live in a place where I'm constantly cleaning up after other peoples' kitchen mess and HIDING my own fucking kitchen supplies in my BEDROOM so that they won't get broken. Also, I write my name on all my food now so that it doesn't get eaten because, although I was unaware that this can happen, my roommates "do not remember" what they buy at the store. Really? Really? STRIKE - not a good apartment choice. Also, the cat is annoyingly needy and the roommates don't clean her litter enough - which just so happens to be in the kitchen. Yeah. The sad part is that they're actually really nice people so as much as I want to blow up and say "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?" I can't because then I'll look like the asshole.

-- Aikido - the one always-positive aspect of my daily routine. I have started studying martial arts again. It's a Japanese form called Aikido that uses the attacker's own energy to counter their attack and put them on the ground. It's the same form that Stephen (Steven? - Don't care enough to look it up) Segal is trained in. The people at the dojo are really nice and supportive and it's a good way to exercise while simultaneously working toward something. The only downfall is that it is pretty expensive and they want even more money to participate in their weapons program - something I'd have really loved to be a part of if I could afford it. But since I'm pretty much fed up with my apartment and car (with its strange heating issues), I'm trying to save every spare dollar for a house and a new car - whichever I find necessity in first.

-- Jason - always a source of calm and comfort in my otherwise turbulent and ever-changing life. I'm lucky to have him. No one else will listen to me complain for as long as he will, haha. We went to Vegas for vacation in October. More on that in a subsequent post including some photos (we took a day trip to The Grand Canyon that was amazing!).