I'm really trying to get back into the blogging habit. I so enjoy reading others folks' blogs, even when I don't know the people in real life. So, although today was a fairly normal day I'll post about it here.
Work is going ok. I gave the short Intro classes again for co-workers to critique. Total time for both slide shows is about 45 minutes. My timing is ok, but I'm still boring. I need to pep it up. One of the guys who was in Iraq for a year and is now getting back to being a trainer showed me how he does it. He doesn't explain each form in the slide show, or sometimes even say what it is. Just "This is an example of the forms in this section of the program" next... Food for thought. I'll run through it again tomorrow, once just for myself and once to torture the guys I work with again. The longer class (the rest of the 2.5 days I'll teach each fielding) is actually installing the software and explaining that. I do that all the time. I'll start concentrating on that class next week.
Housemate and I (well, I stood there and talked to him while he worked) started back working on the laundry room. I am learning to just stand there and talk, not give directions. Really, he can do it however he wants. I just usually tend to ask why he's doing something, and he thinks I'm saying he's doing something wrong. I'm just curious. And chatty. And a pain. But, progress is being made. I loaded the pile of Goodwill stuff into the truck. Tomorrow I'll hopefully actually find a drop-off place and get rid of it.
The list of things I should be getting done is longer and longer. I do things, but more sits there and looks at me, waiting. I was thinking today that ever since Mom and Dad drove down to Atlanta, where I moved after high school, with everything that had been in my old bedroom in their house and unloaded it into my apartment for me to deal with, that I've had too much stuff to drag around. It's always been a total pain. It is even more of a pain to go through it and try to get rid of large chunks of it. I just try to keep ploughing through it all. Clear flat surfaces! is my mantra. I want to leave the house with abundant clear flat surfaces when I go off on my first fielding in November. The dining room table is cleared, as is the counter of the Hoosier cabinet. The kitchen is getting clearer. Progress. Momentum. sigh.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Sunday, October 14, 2007
End of an Era?
The bees are officially gone. Dan came and got them early this morning. I just noticed it. He left me a couple of quarts of his honey. I'm sure that any honey I want will be promptly sent my way if I just let him know. I'm not talking cases of it, I only use about a quart a year or such. And so, my attempt at self-sufficient homesteading is officially over. I'm still using the soap I made a *cough* few years ago. Who knew that 3lbs of shortning and a can of Red Devil lye would make so much? At any rate, I have the knowlege if I decide to get back into any of this. I'm just on to different things now.
The housemate is talking about working on the inside of the house today when he gets off work. I will have the laundry room emptied for him to work on by the time he gets here this afternoon. I had thought first that I'd have him start on the kitchen since I'm getting impatient with not having a full sized fridge. However, I realized that I really, really don't want to have every room in the house in various stages of being remodeled. Right now the laundry room and the master bedroom and the master bath are like this. Better to actually finish a room before starting another. Heck, I may even get motivated to work on the master bedroom while he's doing the laundry room.
Mainly what I want to get accomplished before I start traveling is to not have every flat surface cluttered with STUFF like it is now. There is some room in one of the storage barns now that the bee equipment is gone. I'll move some things down there today. I'm working on clearing the great room where I tend to live. The camping gear is also getting organized. I even put some clothes into the Goodwill pile. Still baby steps, but some minor progress at least.
The housemate is talking about working on the inside of the house today when he gets off work. I will have the laundry room emptied for him to work on by the time he gets here this afternoon. I had thought first that I'd have him start on the kitchen since I'm getting impatient with not having a full sized fridge. However, I realized that I really, really don't want to have every room in the house in various stages of being remodeled. Right now the laundry room and the master bedroom and the master bath are like this. Better to actually finish a room before starting another. Heck, I may even get motivated to work on the master bedroom while he's doing the laundry room.
Mainly what I want to get accomplished before I start traveling is to not have every flat surface cluttered with STUFF like it is now. There is some room in one of the storage barns now that the bee equipment is gone. I'll move some things down there today. I'm working on clearing the great room where I tend to live. The camping gear is also getting organized. I even put some clothes into the Goodwill pile. Still baby steps, but some minor progress at least.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Resurfacing
I guess it's time to check in again. I just don't have the energy to post when I'm going through a lot of change. And, change is what it has been. The new job... started out challenging. After the first 2 weeks things calmed down. I'm still learning. It's not as easy learning new things as it once was.
Another challenge lately was the really bad headaches that started when I got the new job. Stress? The ginkgo I was taking? Turns out it was maybe the coffee? I used to get those headaches whenever I'd try to drink, or inadvertently got hold of some decaffeinated coffee. I am allergic to something left behind when things are decaffeinated. It's not just the lack of caffeine, it is an actual reaction to something. I was very sensitive to motion. The guys were ready to haul me off to the hospital or doctor or something. Then, one morning I didn't drink any of their coffee for about an hour, and when I took a couple of drinks of a cup of it later the headache hit me like a hammer. I put their coffee down and went next door to the station and got coffee there. Much less headache. Yesterday I took my own coffee in, almost no headache and no sensitivity to motion. Maybe I can start learning the stuff now, too. I don't know if it is some do-gooder trying to decaffeinate the office for their own good or what, but it's not worth the fight to find out. I'll just take my own coffee in or go next door and buy it.
My first out of town trip with the job will be the Monday after Thanksgiving. I'm headed to North Carolina to observe. The tech I will be shadowing is fun, we have a good time. It should be challenging and interesting and somewhat scary all at the same time. Speaking of scary, I look around here and think that in a month I'll start traveling and see all that I need to organize here beforehand. I ended up giving the bees to a guy in the beekeepers group. He's helped me a lot, even though he kinda made me mad this spring. One hive was a total loss, but the two packages seem to be thriving. He will move them this weekend maybe, and some of the equipment, too. That will pave the way for more stuff to leave the house to the sheds. It is a beautiful weekend, no excuse not to do this.
I also want to get out and hike, even if it is just over to the county park. I bought a new pack last night at REI. I'll take the 80L one back (they have a wonderful return policy). I got an REI woman's 70L pack. The new underquilt I got for the hammock and the down bag both go in and leave some room for other things. The suspension is much better. I had them put 35lbs in the pack in the store, and I could carry it without my back hurting. I wouldn't want to carry that much on the trail, but the pack carried it comfortably. It's not an ultra-light pack, weighs in about 4.5lbs for the pack itself. It will be a good pack to get into shape with.
Much more has gone on, but I'll just jump in and try to post more often from here.
Another challenge lately was the really bad headaches that started when I got the new job. Stress? The ginkgo I was taking? Turns out it was maybe the coffee? I used to get those headaches whenever I'd try to drink, or inadvertently got hold of some decaffeinated coffee. I am allergic to something left behind when things are decaffeinated. It's not just the lack of caffeine, it is an actual reaction to something. I was very sensitive to motion. The guys were ready to haul me off to the hospital or doctor or something. Then, one morning I didn't drink any of their coffee for about an hour, and when I took a couple of drinks of a cup of it later the headache hit me like a hammer. I put their coffee down and went next door to the station and got coffee there. Much less headache. Yesterday I took my own coffee in, almost no headache and no sensitivity to motion. Maybe I can start learning the stuff now, too. I don't know if it is some do-gooder trying to decaffeinate the office for their own good or what, but it's not worth the fight to find out. I'll just take my own coffee in or go next door and buy it.
My first out of town trip with the job will be the Monday after Thanksgiving. I'm headed to North Carolina to observe. The tech I will be shadowing is fun, we have a good time. It should be challenging and interesting and somewhat scary all at the same time. Speaking of scary, I look around here and think that in a month I'll start traveling and see all that I need to organize here beforehand. I ended up giving the bees to a guy in the beekeepers group. He's helped me a lot, even though he kinda made me mad this spring. One hive was a total loss, but the two packages seem to be thriving. He will move them this weekend maybe, and some of the equipment, too. That will pave the way for more stuff to leave the house to the sheds. It is a beautiful weekend, no excuse not to do this.
I also want to get out and hike, even if it is just over to the county park. I bought a new pack last night at REI. I'll take the 80L one back (they have a wonderful return policy). I got an REI woman's 70L pack. The new underquilt I got for the hammock and the down bag both go in and leave some room for other things. The suspension is much better. I had them put 35lbs in the pack in the store, and I could carry it without my back hurting. I wouldn't want to carry that much on the trail, but the pack carried it comfortably. It's not an ultra-light pack, weighs in about 4.5lbs for the pack itself. It will be a good pack to get into shape with.
Much more has gone on, but I'll just jump in and try to post more often from here.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
The Wheel Keeps Turning
I figured out there are (at least) 8 things that need to happen by February, 2010 for me to start my thru AT hike. They are:
Get a job making enough money to finance everything
Pay off all non-mortgage debt
Fix up the house so I can sell it
Put at least $10K in hiking fund
Put at least $10K in fund to pay for things here while I'm gone
Put at least $10K in fund to live on after the hike
Sell house
Get myself into better physical shape
Those are the basics. Pretty much all but the getting into better shape depend on a job making good money. I now have that. So, a large part of my effort towards my hike will be spent on doing well in this job.
The main issue that has had me tied up in knots about taking this job is what do I do about the cat? I really, really like my cat. I really, really don't want to get rid of him. I even basically hung up on my Mom when the day after I took the new job she asked brightly if I'd found a home for the cat. Traveling for 3 weeks out at a time wouldn't work well with keeping the cat.
The answer came yesterday. I have a house sitter, someone who will not be here a lot, but will be here often enough to take care of the place and take care of the cat. He moved into the spare room yesterday. Well, he moved in after I cleared it out. Now I need to spend a lot of time/effort to find a place for all the junk, err stuff that I moved out of that room. I can keep the cat. I am happy.
Now I really need that week off between jobs to get organized around here. And, I need to get rid of A LOT of stuff.
___
I typed that the other day, but lost my internet connection before it posted. My connection here at the house is iffy sometimes. The housemate moved in, slept a few hours and went to work. Then he went back to KY for his days off with his family. I knew he was due back in town sometime today/tonight.
Around 4am I hear noises like someone is moving things around. This is an odd time, since he works midnights. Then I hear the unmistakable sound of something largish eating the cat's food in the kitchen. This seems odd even for this housemate. I gingerly turn on some lights and peae into the kitchen and see a tail dissappear behind the trash can. I call the housemate at work and ask if he, perhaps, brought a small animal into the house earlier? He says no. As we talked he suggested that I probably had a possum in the house.
I closed myself and the cat into my bedroom and tried to go back to sleep after assurances from said housemate that he would dispatch the possum when he got home this afternoon. I guess men are useful after all. Someone Else would take care of this intruder. The crunching sound began again. Sigh. I got up, put on shoes and peeked into the kitchen again, having left the lights on. Yes, a possum. In my kitchen. Eating out of my cat's bowl. I called the housemate again. His work partner suggested a broom and screaming. I swore under my breath. The broom was next to the possum.
So, I shut the cat up in the bedroom and when the possum hid behind the trash can again I got the broom. I opened the back door and slowly made my advance. Moving the trashcan out of the way, I looked at the largish (ok, it's 4am, anything is largish at that hour) possum cowering in the corner. I gingerly prodded it with the broom, housemate on the phone in my ear waiting for me to scream. It ran, but not out the door. It ran instead towards the housemate's bedroom, then veered into the other junk-filled bedroom next to it. I closed the door to that room and told the housemate where he could find the possum when he got home.
Of course, now it's close to 5am, and I can't sleep again. But, at least the cat can come out and I don't have to worry about rounding a corner and being surprised by the intruder. I washed the cat's food and water bowls, and cleaned the floor with bleach cleaner, just in case the animal has health issues. The idea of my cat and the possum tangling was actually my main worry. The cat wasn't at all concerned about the intruder, though. I'm wondering just how long the thing has been here...
Get a job making enough money to finance everything
Pay off all non-mortgage debt
Fix up the house so I can sell it
Put at least $10K in hiking fund
Put at least $10K in fund to pay for things here while I'm gone
Put at least $10K in fund to live on after the hike
Sell house
Get myself into better physical shape
Those are the basics. Pretty much all but the getting into better shape depend on a job making good money. I now have that. So, a large part of my effort towards my hike will be spent on doing well in this job.
The main issue that has had me tied up in knots about taking this job is what do I do about the cat? I really, really like my cat. I really, really don't want to get rid of him. I even basically hung up on my Mom when the day after I took the new job she asked brightly if I'd found a home for the cat. Traveling for 3 weeks out at a time wouldn't work well with keeping the cat.
The answer came yesterday. I have a house sitter, someone who will not be here a lot, but will be here often enough to take care of the place and take care of the cat. He moved into the spare room yesterday. Well, he moved in after I cleared it out. Now I need to spend a lot of time/effort to find a place for all the junk, err stuff that I moved out of that room. I can keep the cat. I am happy.
Now I really need that week off between jobs to get organized around here. And, I need to get rid of A LOT of stuff.
___
I typed that the other day, but lost my internet connection before it posted. My connection here at the house is iffy sometimes. The housemate moved in, slept a few hours and went to work. Then he went back to KY for his days off with his family. I knew he was due back in town sometime today/tonight.
Around 4am I hear noises like someone is moving things around. This is an odd time, since he works midnights. Then I hear the unmistakable sound of something largish eating the cat's food in the kitchen. This seems odd even for this housemate. I gingerly turn on some lights and peae into the kitchen and see a tail dissappear behind the trash can. I call the housemate at work and ask if he, perhaps, brought a small animal into the house earlier? He says no. As we talked he suggested that I probably had a possum in the house.
I closed myself and the cat into my bedroom and tried to go back to sleep after assurances from said housemate that he would dispatch the possum when he got home this afternoon. I guess men are useful after all. Someone Else would take care of this intruder. The crunching sound began again. Sigh. I got up, put on shoes and peeked into the kitchen again, having left the lights on. Yes, a possum. In my kitchen. Eating out of my cat's bowl. I called the housemate again. His work partner suggested a broom and screaming. I swore under my breath. The broom was next to the possum.
So, I shut the cat up in the bedroom and when the possum hid behind the trash can again I got the broom. I opened the back door and slowly made my advance. Moving the trashcan out of the way, I looked at the largish (ok, it's 4am, anything is largish at that hour) possum cowering in the corner. I gingerly prodded it with the broom, housemate on the phone in my ear waiting for me to scream. It ran, but not out the door. It ran instead towards the housemate's bedroom, then veered into the other junk-filled bedroom next to it. I closed the door to that room and told the housemate where he could find the possum when he got home.
Of course, now it's close to 5am, and I can't sleep again. But, at least the cat can come out and I don't have to worry about rounding a corner and being surprised by the intruder. I washed the cat's food and water bowls, and cleaned the floor with bleach cleaner, just in case the animal has health issues. The idea of my cat and the possum tangling was actually my main worry. The cat wasn't at all concerned about the intruder, though. I'm wondering just how long the thing has been here...
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Commentary on My Life
I had this conversation with a former work partner when I called to tell him about my new job:
Me: ... and I'll be making decent money again.
Him: Good. Now you can afford to buy a Television Set
Me (who NEVER watches TV): Television set?!? I already have one of those.
Him: THEN TURN IT ON. Get informed.
(he always has to tell me what the current news is before we can talk about it)
Me: Well, actually I'm thinking of getting rid of most things and moving into an RV.
Him: You always have to be that rebellious hippi, don't you. The non-conformist.
Me: Well, think how boring it would be if I was just like all of you normal people.
Him: Yeah, but us normal people get laid.
Me (sighing): Ok, you got me there...
Me: ... and I'll be making decent money again.
Him: Good. Now you can afford to buy a Television Set
Me (who NEVER watches TV): Television set?!? I already have one of those.
Him: THEN TURN IT ON. Get informed.
(he always has to tell me what the current news is before we can talk about it)
Me: Well, actually I'm thinking of getting rid of most things and moving into an RV.
Him: You always have to be that rebellious hippi, don't you. The non-conformist.
Me: Well, think how boring it would be if I was just like all of you normal people.
Him: Yeah, but us normal people get laid.
Me (sighing): Ok, you got me there...
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Turn the Page
"The important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice
what we are for what we could become." -- Charles Du Bois
I got the job. As of the 17th I will again be gainfully employed at a permanent (as in, not contract) job. There are some ifs/and/buts to finishing out the 90 day probation. As in, I have to get a Secret clearance (I've had one before) and I have to be ready to step in front of up to 20 people and give a 3 day class (only 20? only 3 days?) and the main consideration for me, what do I do with my cat while I'm off traveling for 3 weeks at a time. The money is good. I can get out of debt and fix the house and move on with whatever this next phase of my life is.
The main thing for me right now is that I feel alive again, excited. I have always felt at ease when I went into this place. They like me, they expect a lot from me. It feels good.
I gave a week's notice at my current contract. I have been told I am welcome to come back if I want/need to. That is good. I like leaving with the bridge intact. That hasn't always been the case when I've left jobs. I will then take a week off to take care of some things around here and then go off hiking for a day or so. I'm happy.
what we are for what we could become." -- Charles Du Bois
I got the job. As of the 17th I will again be gainfully employed at a permanent (as in, not contract) job. There are some ifs/and/buts to finishing out the 90 day probation. As in, I have to get a Secret clearance (I've had one before) and I have to be ready to step in front of up to 20 people and give a 3 day class (only 20? only 3 days?) and the main consideration for me, what do I do with my cat while I'm off traveling for 3 weeks at a time. The money is good. I can get out of debt and fix the house and move on with whatever this next phase of my life is.
The main thing for me right now is that I feel alive again, excited. I have always felt at ease when I went into this place. They like me, they expect a lot from me. It feels good.
I gave a week's notice at my current contract. I have been told I am welcome to come back if I want/need to. That is good. I like leaving with the bridge intact. That hasn't always been the case when I've left jobs. I will then take a week off to take care of some things around here and then go off hiking for a day or so. I'm happy.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Good Start
I feel good about the progress this weekend, after a summer of not getting much of anything done. I unpacked 2 boxes of kitchen stuff and found a few things to get rid of. I now have my wine glasses washed and in the china cabinet, and a few other things out and about. There is getting to actually be a pile of things in the area where I put the 'to be given away' stuff. I got a lot of paper piles sorted, shredded, tossed and generally got the main room cleaned up again. I even cooked supper last night. Small things, but still more than I have been able to do all summer.
I'm feeling good about having a week to get myself ready to interview for the other job. If it actually happens it will be a huge change for me. Better to have had time to process that before I have to answer questions. I got some of the backlog of paperwork done for the current job. I am feeling good about tying up loose ends of things. I guess that means I'm ready to move on.
I'm feeling good about having a week to get myself ready to interview for the other job. If it actually happens it will be a huge change for me. Better to have had time to process that before I have to answer questions. I got some of the backlog of paperwork done for the current job. I am feeling good about tying up loose ends of things. I guess that means I'm ready to move on.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Coming To Life
Slowly some of the things are getting done around here. The heat makes it difficult. It's been over 100 degrees every day for 2 weeks or more. I did finally break down and get a small window air conditioner unit for the bedroom. The cat was getting sick, being in the hot house all day. That is getting better, too. Now, if the weather would just break and it get at least somewhat cooler.
I'm waiting to see if Buddy is coming over this morning to start the movement of equipment and such to take over the bees. I'm finally giving them away. He has no air conditioning in his truck, so I'm thinking he won't make it this morning. We can't move the bees in this heat, but I was hoping to start some of the equipment on it's way out of here. Ah, well, all in good time.
The new job is still in process. This is a good thing since I don't make major shifts in reality quickly and well. One or the other, quickly or well. I have the paperwork in, but now the immediate supervisor is out of town for a week. Fine with me, gives me time to ponder and figure out just what changes will need to be made. Even if I don't get this particular job this is a good thing for me to be doing right now. As I move bee equipment out of the storage building I will move things from in the house out there. Clearing out and cleaning. Moving some of the stale energy around. Hopefully getting rid of some things in the process.
Looking way off over the horizon, this job could potentially kick me into what I've been saying I want, selling this place and getting an RV or houseboat and living like that. The river is not far from the home base of this job. An RV could maybe be taken on some of the travel locations for housing. Of course, till I know more about all this I can't really say what I will need to do. It is interesting to look around and think about what I would actually pay to store and what isn't worth paying folding money to keep. Helps with the clearing out process.
So that is what's going on around here. Lots of laying by the air conditioner, pondering, and some sorting and getting rid of things.
I'm waiting to see if Buddy is coming over this morning to start the movement of equipment and such to take over the bees. I'm finally giving them away. He has no air conditioning in his truck, so I'm thinking he won't make it this morning. We can't move the bees in this heat, but I was hoping to start some of the equipment on it's way out of here. Ah, well, all in good time.
The new job is still in process. This is a good thing since I don't make major shifts in reality quickly and well. One or the other, quickly or well. I have the paperwork in, but now the immediate supervisor is out of town for a week. Fine with me, gives me time to ponder and figure out just what changes will need to be made. Even if I don't get this particular job this is a good thing for me to be doing right now. As I move bee equipment out of the storage building I will move things from in the house out there. Clearing out and cleaning. Moving some of the stale energy around. Hopefully getting rid of some things in the process.
Looking way off over the horizon, this job could potentially kick me into what I've been saying I want, selling this place and getting an RV or houseboat and living like that. The river is not far from the home base of this job. An RV could maybe be taken on some of the travel locations for housing. Of course, till I know more about all this I can't really say what I will need to do. It is interesting to look around and think about what I would actually pay to store and what isn't worth paying folding money to keep. Helps with the clearing out process.
So that is what's going on around here. Lots of laying by the air conditioner, pondering, and some sorting and getting rid of things.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Divine Insecurity
I've mentioned Lloyd Kahn's blog here before. I really, really enjoy reading his takes on life and what he's doing. It's at http://lloydkahn-ongoing.blogspot.com/ . The latest thing he wrote that has me pondering is this:
Heard Baryshnikov on the radio yesterday, talking about doing a performance in front of a screen showing him dancing when in his 20s, dancing with an image of himself when 40 years younger. The interviewer asked him about dancing these days, was he worried about performing? He said he liked the pressure, the challenge, and the "divine insecurity" of trying something difficult…
That phrase, divine insecurity, is a good way to describe the pull of trying new things, pushing past everyday routine. It is something that I struggle with, constantly trying new things and then pulling back into the security of what I already know. Sometimes when going into that insecure area I find my limits. This house would be one of those. It is beyond my current ability to work on remodeling it. Maybe when the weather cools down again. Sometimes when I'm in the insecure world I find new things that I incorporate into my life with glee. A lot of times I just run back to routine and safety after a bit to look back out on my recent adventures and lick my wounds and ponder if I learned anything from it.
I may be about to jump into that Divine Insecurity with a vengeance. I am trying for a new job. These folks already (hopefully only half-) kiddingly asked when I can start. I said 2 weeks. My mom was surprised that I would give 2 weeks notice at my current contract. I said, no, 1 week notice and a week to get my life organized. This job would be almost all travel, for weeks at a time. Most likely making enough money to save up for my AT hike in a few years. And, pushing everything I ever knew about computers, servers, software, network administration, and training to limits I've not done before. I'm reaching for the ginkgo biloba as I type (the mind needs all the help it can get to cram new info into it).
I don't know what I'll do about the house, the cat, about much of any of my life as it currently is. I'm not going to get wild about changes until I have an offer in hand. But, the thinking about making the leap is getting me excited and blowing life into the stale energy around here.
Heard Baryshnikov on the radio yesterday, talking about doing a performance in front of a screen showing him dancing when in his 20s, dancing with an image of himself when 40 years younger. The interviewer asked him about dancing these days, was he worried about performing? He said he liked the pressure, the challenge, and the "divine insecurity" of trying something difficult…
That phrase, divine insecurity, is a good way to describe the pull of trying new things, pushing past everyday routine. It is something that I struggle with, constantly trying new things and then pulling back into the security of what I already know. Sometimes when going into that insecure area I find my limits. This house would be one of those. It is beyond my current ability to work on remodeling it. Maybe when the weather cools down again. Sometimes when I'm in the insecure world I find new things that I incorporate into my life with glee. A lot of times I just run back to routine and safety after a bit to look back out on my recent adventures and lick my wounds and ponder if I learned anything from it.
I may be about to jump into that Divine Insecurity with a vengeance. I am trying for a new job. These folks already (hopefully only half-) kiddingly asked when I can start. I said 2 weeks. My mom was surprised that I would give 2 weeks notice at my current contract. I said, no, 1 week notice and a week to get my life organized. This job would be almost all travel, for weeks at a time. Most likely making enough money to save up for my AT hike in a few years. And, pushing everything I ever knew about computers, servers, software, network administration, and training to limits I've not done before. I'm reaching for the ginkgo biloba as I type (the mind needs all the help it can get to cram new info into it).
I don't know what I'll do about the house, the cat, about much of any of my life as it currently is. I'm not going to get wild about changes until I have an offer in hand. But, the thinking about making the leap is getting me excited and blowing life into the stale energy around here.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Human Nature
I went up to KY on a call this afternoon. My usual cheap (Flying J) gas station is at that exit. The one nearest the interstate is the cheapest, with the one a bit further down the road (Pilot) being usually a couple of cents higher per gallon. I've been paying around $2.80+/- 10 cents/gallon lately. On the way home I started to pull into the cheaper gas station to fill up. There was a traffic jam, folks liked up like sardines at every pump, and so packed that there was a line on the road just to get in. I don't get into that kind of chaos for any amount of money. So, I did a U turn and headed for the other station. I looked and the cheap price was $2.51/gal which I guess warrants that kind of mob for those who value their time and nerves less than I do. So, I go a quarter mile up the road, still within sight of the interstate, to the other station. The price difference? It was $2.53/gal, just 2 cents difference and within sight. I drove in, right up to a pump, and filled up with no waiting. What some folks will do for $.02/gal. With that many folks there had to be some of them who are local and know that the two stations are never that far apart in price. Oh, the BP station across the street? It was $2.89/gal, and no one was there...
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