why 2006 was awesome

My Friends: They were awesome last year, of course, but this year was even better. They’re always there and they’re always awesome. This was the first year that I felt like I had a real family here. They challenge me, they support me, they motivate me, and yes, they sometime instigate me, but that’s why they’re all so, well, awesome. I could go on and on about how big of an impact my friends have made on every aspect of my life, but that would get incredibly sappy and I’m not down with that right now! (Dear Friends: I pretty much love you all.)

My Riley: For the most part of the year, Little Riley Pants lived with me. Yeah, that means he ripped open bags of trash and ate a pound of butter and sometimes peed on the floor, but it’s all been worth it. There were times when picking the tiny white hairs off of everything I own gets a little on the annoying side, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

My New Apartment: By March 1st, I was living by myself. For the first time since moving to Minnesota, I didn’t have to abide by anyone else’s obnoxious house rules or listen to them having awkward and/or loud sex in the room next to me. I’d gladly trade picking up dog shit on a frosty morning while still wearing my pajamas for that any old day.

My Job: I was in trouble a lot over the past year at work for various things, but I was lucky enough to have a boss who has had faith in me for almost four years and guides me in the direction that makes me better at my job and better as a person. It’s a job that pays the bills by only working 40 hours a week instead of 60+ that I’d been working in the past between two jobs. I feel like an actual grown up now in the way of my career.

My Future: For once, I’m secure about who I am and where I’m going. I’m not at a dead end job in a dead end town trying to figure out what I’m going to make of my life. I’m not sitting at home wondering if my only friend in a big new city is available for the night. I’m not taking a cash advance out on my next paycheck just so I can pay rent on time. I’m not pretending I’m someone I’m not and I don’t spend my time trying to impress people with who I am. I’m so happy with who I am and what I am and where I’m going.

Like to Vegas in less than two weeks and the Caribbean in less than three months!

Happy New Year, everyone. You’ve all helped make 2006 the best year ever for me.

Be safe. Be careful. And be awesome!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have cooking to do!

locking in for one more year

Last week, I called my apartment complex’s main office in an attempt to schedule an appointment to discuss the idea of me signing another year lease. I talked with Jessica and she said I could come in anytime on Tuesday between 9 and 6. So, after my physical therapy appointment today, I walked in around 12:30 to pick up my new digital camera and do the lease-signing. Except someone else came bopping out of the back office to let me know Jessica didn’t have my lease ready because she didn’t know I was coming. Huh. Really?

So, she’s going to call me when it’s ready. If it weren’t so a pain in the ass to move, I’d probably go in, tear the lease up in their face and quite possibly light it on fire. And no, it’s not just because of today. It’s more about the multiple times my bathroom drain has backed up all over my floor and the smell of shit that’s still lingering every time I open the bathroom door. I’m going to be sure to bring that up when we discuss the terms of my lease.
But unless I buy something, which I’m absolutely not ready to do, it looks like it’s a few more years of complaining about landlords… And, you know, considering the last few places I’ve lived, this is by far the best landlord situation I could imagine.

the stores have seen the end of me

At least as far as gift buying is concerned. I need to make one more quick jaunt to pick up one last minute idea and then I’m calling it quits. Except for, of course, the run to a few local establishments when I get back to Missouri to pick up the regular gift cards for my family that lives there. But that’s the easy part.

I always want to buy for so many people in my life that it’s not even funny. I have to draw a line somewhere and this year, it’s been – Family Only.

One day, though, after I hit it rich either participating in a giant heist, making it big at a tight end in the NFL (since my rotator cuff injury has blown my chances in baseball), or marrying Justin Timberlake, I’m sending everybody – and I mean everybody – I know one thing. Gift Baskets.

From that site alone, I’m pretty certain I could find something for everyone I know, including my 82 year old grandpa who is the most impossible man ever when it comes to gift giving, because he has everything. Except a wireless rain gauge, which he’s getting from me this year.

But seriously, who wouldn’t like a nice little gift basket showing up at their work one day? I’m bookmarking this site for when I do have the financial means to gift everyone in the world that’s ever been a part of my social circle a gift. Hopefully, they’ll still have their current promotion going on where you can use the coupon code “buymore” and get save 5% on your order. But then again, when I’m rich, who needs to save 5%?

say hello to my new little friend

I’ve generally been pretty good about planning major purchases out – cameras, computers, trips, little gay puppy dogs, etc. But sometimes, when a good deal comes along, you just can’t pass it up, which means one thing – impulse buy!

And impulsively buy I did yesterday when I saw an awesome deal on the Canon PowerShot SD700.

Early in the summer, I’d bought Jenni’s SD400 off of her when she got a new camera, because I’d always wanted to have a little camera to shove into my pocket, but never wanted to spend a lot of money on it. So, I bought it and naturally I absolutely loved it. The majority of my pictures from this summer and fall were taken with it.

I still have my S1 IS and love it for anything I need to zoom in on, but it’s not so convenient to carry around if I don’t want to lug around a bag. Great camera, but I just get spoiled with the ease of shoving it in my pocket and not feeling like I’m packing heat.

Anyway, I just called DHL to have them hold my shipment at their facility so I don’t have to deal with my asshat apartment people and they said it should be there first thing tomorrow morning. Conveniently, delivery wasn’t going to be attempted until Monday. Right.

So, yeah. Merry Christmas to me.