1. Other people stepping up and getting the job done. 2. The sensibility of my figure skating coach. 3. The patience of clients. 4. The rapid drop in acquisition costs of consumer digital technology. 5. Ibuprofen.
10:50pm: Gratitude - 5 things
Today, I recognize and acknowledge the continuous stream of opportunities that have been presented to me throughout my adult life, particularly in the business, career, and financial aspect of things. Whenever one door closes, another one always magically opens. This isn't luck or good fortune, it is simply recognizing opportunity in all things, and taking God/Universe up on it's offers when presented.
I am greatful for:
1. The fresh financial start that I have before me right now, this month. 2. The excellent health that I am in. 3. The opportunity and means to do new and wonderful things, such as figure skating. 4. The relative peace and security which exists in the corner of world which I inhabit. 5. Being able to successfully live an unconventional lifestyle in a nation where doing such is socially looked down upon, and being able to do so with no social repercussions.
11:44pm: A Post in July
I've lost 7 pounds in the past 7 days. I've started going to yoga dance on Fridays. I've climbed a 14er. I'm not going to Australia until 2009, which sucks, but I'll deal with it (thanks for understanding, Reeny! I love you!) Burning Man is less than 30 days away. I still haven't re-taken the IRS exams. I'm still desperately seeking whatever it is that I'm seeking. I've converted most of my web sites over to B2Evolution. I've thought seriously about withdrawing even more from the Internet. I went to a high school reunion. I got to see Letizia, and finally told her that I love her (that only took 9 years!) I want a Honda Goldwing and a Toyota Tacoma. I'm DOWN to only working 60 hours per week. Most of my cork board at work is covered with ice skating crap, not work crap. I've joined the US Figure Skating Association and the Rocky Mountain Figure Skating Club. I start freestyle skate sessions in late August. I'll be competing in my first competition sometime this winter. I can't remember the last time I shot my guns, but keep my skates in my car at all times. I have dreams about practicing moves in the field. When I'm at work, I'm wishing I was at the ice centre. When I'm at the ice centre, I don't want to be anywhere else. My next fixed place of residence will very likely be within a few blocks of the ice centre. My bankruptcy isn't discharged yet, but will be most likely while I'm at Burning Man. I've become disenchanted with politics. I want a Hello Kitty tattoo, for real. I now do some sort of workout 6 days a week. I'm now eating under 2,000 kCal per day. I love the Masalans. I'm finally starting to realize that if I came out of the closet, nobody would give a shit. I'm becoming more comfortable being myself, which means being fruity and faerie-like. Whatev. I'm sick of living in my car. I still miss my ex-wife. I want a cat. 2008 is going by faster by the month. It's almost midnight and I'm getting the hell outta the office.
2:57am: Life
Sometimes, we have to come to the realization that not everything is possible, that not everything can be done, and that some things just aren't meant to be. We are who we are, and we just have to deal with the hand we're dealt.
8:12am: 48 hours in the life...
It's been an interesting 48, and continues to be. I'm getting ready to leave for a whirlwind trip through Wyoming, Nebraska, and far northeastern Colorado for 7 property inspections. I'll basically be gone all day.
It was a great weekend for CD sales, including selling 4 CDs we haven't even recorded yet. We did a 2 hour recording session last night, an hour brainstorming session in which we discussed the idea of trying to get our own local real estate talk radio show, then another hour of packing and shipping CD orders. Then I spent an hour prepping the maps and forms for this inspection run.
Also over the weekend, we had THREE offers on one of my listings. We have two counteroffers out, staggered of course by response time, so by the time I get home tonight, Brian's house should be sold. Interestingly, he may end up paying a portion of my fee with a progressive press with case feeder and an electronic powder scale. Good times.
I had some wacky dreams last night. The longest one seemed to center around Autumn. I think the message from the dream was that I need to reconnect with her. Autumn is the sole reason that I even moved to Colorado after getting out of the Navy: She needed a roommate for the summer and I didn't have a job lined up in industry, so I came here and have just never moved away. She's one of only a few people that remembered my birthday, and when she called me that day, it was the first time we'd talked in months.
Her and JOhn are still on the rocks, but working through things, and their two kids are doing fine. I think I dropped the ball on our friendship, and that's one of those things on my list to "fix."
Had the missionaries over for dinner last night. It was interesting, and I'm going to start having them over regularly for the discussions. I feel that's something I need to do.
All in all, life is good, the birds are chirping and, while I may be piss broke, it's blue skies and 1000+ yard hits-on-steel-happiness on the horizon.
Oh, and God bless capitalism! And Amazon. Thank you, Jeff Bezos, for creating a platform by which other people can get paid, too. Long live the Long Tail! :)
Your smile says, "Come play!" The sun in the sky agrees - so off to play it be. A truly inspirational play time comes - a time of dancing, singing, mirth, and merriment.
Merge your inner and outer clowns, one clown for all seasons, for 'tis all about clownin' around.
When people begin to stare, simply laugh maniacally, For thou art having more fun than they.
We shall go disco gogo Christmas caroling in May. There will be coin operated bronc riding in full regalia. Midnight pogo stick races in the church parking lot. Random afternoon flights to random destinations in a private plane.
These are those moments that make life so enchanting. There is magic in fun, and this magic makes life momentous.
Come, soar on clown wings, and remember: Normalcy is boring, bland, and just plain wrong. Never be normal - just keep clownin' around.
10:58pm: EMT Basic
Finally, 4 months after registering for the course down in Texas, I cracked open this 20 lb, 1000+ page brick called "Emergency Care And Transportation Of The Sick And Injured". This tome is the textbook for the EMT Basic class.
What's my plan for ensuring completion of the didactic portion? I have no plan. I'm simply going to work on it a couple nights a week until it's done. Then I'll head to Dallas for a week for the skills portion, ambulance ride alongs, and ER rotations.
All in all, the EMT-B requirements are more stringent than I thought (which is what the first chapter was really about). And this is all so that I can just become a volunteer firefighter, not to actually be an EMT. I'm just glad to finally be started in on it.
4:48pm: "Time" - David Guetta
I have seriously fallen in love with this song, which is such a rare thing for me. Lyrics below. Track available on iTunes if you want to hear 30 seconds of it or download it.
-- I spy a girl with a book in hand Playing games with her body to forget about a man I spy a man with a book in hand He's abusin everybody would agree that he can
Is it working? Is it working for you? Is it worth it? Hide the eyes from the truth
I spy a girl with a falling man Working nights, sleeping days to forget about the past I spy a man with a twisted plan Playing love with his body to escape the pain
Is it working? Is it working for you? Wooo is it worth it? Hide the eyes from the truth
Maybe time, can Fill the empty heart inside Maybe time, can Wipe the tears away Maybe time echo Fill the empty heart inside Maybe time (maybe time) can, Wipe the tears away
Music insert
I spy a girl with a book in hand Playing games with her body to forget about a man I spy a man with a book in hand He's abusin everybody would agree that he can
Is it working? Is it working for you? Wooo is it worth it? Hide the eyes from the truth
Maybe time, can Fill the empty heart inside Maybe time, can Wipe the tears away Maybe time (maybe time) Fill the empty heart inside Maybe time (maybe time) can, Wipe the tears away
Wooo - ooo
Maybe time, can Maybe time Maybe time, can Maybe time Maybe time, can Wipe the tears away
It's a dream that will never die, but it's being shelved. It's a hobby that I've poured just under $30,000 into ever since that day I walked in the Horizon Aviation offices in Chesapeake, Virginia in March 2001. Nearly 7 years later, my log book is strangely hit and miss with entries. My once pride and joy, a 1975 Cessna 150 named Gizmo, tail number N2995V, became a pile of twisted wreckage on a hillside in November 2002 when another pilot mistook a trailer park for a runway. I haven't been in a cockpit in 12 full months now. It's time to move on.
I'm on this big trip to clean up loose ends in various aspects of my life, and this is one of them. By shelving it, I get rid of a psychological monkey on my back. I've been thinking a lot about those monkeys lately, and what to do with them. This is what I'm doing with them.
My membership renewal notices from the EAA and AOPA are going straight to file 13. A huge pile of books, still in the original box, many still shrinkwrapped, from my brief enrollment at ATP a year ago, are bound for eBay or some other repository of previously owned stuff [well, the ones that are still current, anyway].
Maybe at another stage of life, in my early to mid 30's, I'll revisit this. But for now, this monkey is shelved.
1:01am: HAZWOPER
I'm supposed to finish an 8-hour HAZWOPER (Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response) refresher course on an annual basis. My last one expired back in October, which is when I registered for the refresher (which can be done online, luckily).
I finally finished it 4 minutes ago. :)
I'm not exactly concerned with OSHA coming down on me for it, since I'm not currently working in the industry, and it's actually the responsibility of the employer, believe it or not, to ensure that a haz waste worker is up to date on training. In fact, I almost *didn't* renew it, but I made the mistake of doing that several years ago, thinking I'd never need it again. After a couple years, I was hard up for cash and went back to the field for the moolah and had to take the 40-hour initial class all over again. I'm never making that mistake again. It's a week of your life and $400 pissed away into the ether.
There was a time in my life, like, 8 years ago, when I was actually certified to the Operations level in haz mat response. This was back when I was a firefighter. It was good stuff. Nothing like dealing with hazardous chemicals while they're on fire. :)
Educationally, this is a good start to the year. Kind of a "monkey off my back" kind of thing. I still have my EMT-Basic crap to finish, including the 10-day stint in Dallas. Ugh. Texas. Bleh. Oh well. Gotta do what ya gotta do in order to do what ya wanna do. Then that business degree. Must. Finish. Before. End. Of. Current. Annual. Enrollment. Period. Which is like...March or April or sumfin.
6:08pm: Marketing Guys Can't Dance
This is bad....I mean really, really bad. Or is that....sad??? :) This is a promotional video for a new joint marketing venture I'm involved with. Yes, that's me doing the bad dancing. :)
3:03pm: It's a happy family
I got the phone call today that I've been waiting over 3 months for. The family is now complete.
I picked up three extra XD-9 mags and a set of XD night sights, and I got a XD-9 Tactical for free. Talk about the deal of the week! :)
Here's the family all together. From left to right: XD-9 Sub-compact (3"), XD-9 Service (4"), XD-9 Tactical (5"), XD-45ACP Tactical (5").
The sub-compact is for occasional CCW. Service model served as my match gun in 2006, but the 9mm Tactical will become my match gun shooting minor, and the .45ACP Tactical will be employed in matches where I'm shooting major. Size *DOES* matter...The extra inch in the barrel should help me out quite a bit, particularly when single 'A' hits are stipulated or when knocking down the smaller steel plates that I have a problem with.
Life is good, guns are good, good = good, so life = guns??? :)
3:07am: Cleaning out the safe...
I found somebody that's looking for a Beretta U22 Neos. Even though I really like that little .22LR, the fact of the matter is that I never shoot it - other people do, but then they quickly move up to one of my 9mm's. I probably haven't shot it myself, except for a couple rounds here and there when demonstrating, for at least 6 months. I should be able to get like $200 for it or so.
Already agreed to sell Zak 1,000 rounds of XM193 and 1,000 rounds of 9mm NATO. I'm trying to remember what we agreed to, but I think it was like $425 or something like that. I guess I should write these things down. He's getting a deal, since XM193 is through the roof right now, and I bought the two cases months ago when it was cheaper.
We need to end this crap in Iraq and bring our troops home so that ammo prices can come back down. :)
Let's see...Also selling the Glock 19. Yet another gun that just sits on the shelf, for the most part. My ex-wife's brother put about 100 rounds through it last week and determined that he likes the 1911 better. I concur. I hope Matt still wants a G19, and I'd like $400 out of it.
Last, and definitely least, is the second Kel-Tec P32. I never shoot it, either, since my carry gun is a P32 and, well, it's just always kind of there when I go shoot, so it's the one that still gets the range time. I bought the second one as a backup/training gun, since having two of your primary carry weapon just seems like such a good idea. But 4 months later, that gun literally has only about 50 rounds through it, all but one mag of which was shot by Zak & Sasha when they tried it out. There's a guy from Weld that's looking for one, so I just wrote to him asking if he wanted it. I'd be happy to see $200 out of it, too.
So, all told, I'm looking to get about $1225 cash out of all those. And yes, it's already spent. How? Yeah, here we go:
Registered AR-15 SBR receiver w/ standard 6 position M4 collapsible stock: $TBD, they'll be here this month, but probably ~$300-$400 Tax stamp on above: $200 LMT SBR upper: $500-$600 Gemtech HALO suppressor: $695 list Tax stamp on suppressor: $200 Trijicon ACOG: $900
TOTAL: $2,995 + probably more goodies
This will obviously be built in stages. Lower and upper first. Then HALO. The ACOG will come last.
I'll need to either a). sell 1 house, or b). have 2 full successful months with my currently successful Internet marketing test #6 in order to pay for this setup. :)
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I found somebody that's looking for a Beretta U22 Neos. Even though I really like that little .22LR, the fact of the matter is that I never shoot it - other people do, but then they quickly move up to one of my 9mm's. I probably haven't shot it myself, except for a couple rounds here and there when demonstrating, for at least 6 months. I should be able to get like $200 for it or so.
Already agreed to sell Zak 1,000 rounds of XM193 and 1,000 rounds of 9mm NATO. I'm trying to remember what we agreed to, but I think it was like $425 or something like that. I guess I should write these things down. He's getting a deal, since XM193 is through the roof right now, and I bought the two cases months ago when it was cheaper.
We need to end this crap in Iraq and bring our troops home so that ammo prices can come back down. :)
Let's see...Also selling the Glock 19. Yet another gun that just sits on the shelf, for the most part. My ex-wife's brother put about 100 rounds through it last week and determined that he likes the 1911 better. I concur. I hope Matt still wants a G19, and I'd like $400 out of it.
Last, and definitely least, is the second Kel-Tec P32. I never shoot it, either, since my carry gun is a P32 and, well, it's just always kind of there when I go shoot, so it's the one that still gets the range time. I bought the second one as a backup/training gun, since having two of your primary carry weapon just seems like such a good idea. But 4 months later, that gun literally has only about 50 rounds through it, all but one mag of which was shot by Zak & Sasha when they tried it out. There's a guy from Weld that's looking for one, so I just wrote to him asking if he wanted it. I'd be happy to see $200 out of it, too.
So, all told, I'm looking to get about $1225 cash out of all those. And yes, it's already spent. How? Yeah, here we go:
Registered AR-15 SBR receiver w/ standard 6 position M4 collapsible stock: $TBD, they'll be here this month, but probably ~$300-$400 Tax stamp on above: $200 LMT SBR upper: $500-$600 Gemtech HALO suppressor: $695 list Tax stamp on suppressor: $200 Trijicon ACOG: $900
TOTAL: $2,995 + probably more goodies
This will obviously be built in stages. Lower and upper first. Then HALO. The ACOG will come last.
I'll need to either a). sell 1 house, or b). have 2 full successful months with my currently successful Internet marketing test #6 in order to pay for this setup. :)
<giddy, giddy> If you value your freedom and liberty, remember to hug a gun and ride a soldier/sailor/veteran today! ;)
1:58am: when the police visit....
When I'm working on Internet stuff, I tend to crank the music up REALLY LOUD. And it's really obnoxious to most people, because I like to listen to techno and Eurodance when I'm working. I've actually asked my downstairs and next door neighbors before as to whether it bothered them or not, and they say they've never been able to hear it.
Well, Jill moved out two days ago, and a new girl moved in right next door. Two cops just showed up at my door (it's 2 am) and said they had an anonymous noise complaint, but I'm pretty sure it was the new neighbor.
But see, here's the funny part. The cop that came to the door was HOT. I mean....ooh la la. Fort Collins' finest - INDEED. Tall, beautiful black woman...with a gun. That's just hot. So she asked me to keep it down, which is all good, because I'm getting ready to go to bad. So her and her partner leave, but.....
As they're going down the stairs, I think to myself, hey, what the heck...so I run back out to the balcony and say, "Uhh, officer?" Her partner actually answers, and I'm like, "Uhh, ma'am, are you married???" She laughs and answers, "No, WHY?" And I reply, "Cuz you're absolutely gorgeous. Can I have your number?" She started to laugh, probably thinking I'd been drinking or something. She said no and kept walking, and her partner was trying so hard to maintain his professionalism.
4:43pm: Word Are Fun
*flibbertigibbet* \FLIB-ur-tee-jib-it\, *noun*: A silly, flighty, or scatterbrained person, especially a pert young woman with such qualities.
12:41pm: Dug Out - Blizzard 2006
I think my two block stretch of Peterson St is the only stretch not plowed for a 2 miles radius, literally. So, I went to Ace Hardware and bought a shovel and started digging. It took a couple hours, but I managed to clear a path from the curb into the center traffic lane that people have been driving on and crunching the snow down on. Got it out, lugged it in 1st gear for two blocks, barely scraping over the center high pile and made it to Mulberry. Parked it over in the plowed out space by the library park on another street.
1. He was from China. Snow? What *is* this stuff?!?!?!? 2. Rear wheel drive, high-torque BMW. 'Nuff said. 3. Tires? Yeah - S-rated high speed street racing tires - semi-slicks, basically. 4. Got him outta the snow 3 times. 5. He finally made it a block - and got stuck again. I told him to park it and walk, then walked away shaking my head and laughing.
2:52pm: Retail boycott
Jared: The Galleria of Jewelery. Corporate policy. All stores, nationwide. Two huge signs plastered on both side windows of the doors walking into the place - no concealed or open carry of firearms or any other type of weapon. Armed Wackenhut guard was inside.
Screw them. I took my business elsewhere and encourage other lovers of liberty to do likewise.
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