Year 2011: Preview…

So, what does the year 2011 have installed for me?  As I’m sitting here in somewhat of pain from my tooth ache, the first thing I have coming up is pulling of a wisdom and one other tooth on January 21.  You know I’m looking forward for that.  NOT!!!!!!!!  Here are some things that should be coming up this year.  Of course not in any particular order.

1)  Car – last year I saved up my $2000 and this year Brighton Center should be release their part of the deal to me soon.  So, I’m kind of looking for me getting a car around the end of February or beginning of March.

2)  Possibly moving – Even though it’s not far but I’m looking to move into a two bedroom apartment here where I’m already staying.  If I can talk the landlord into the right lease and deal.  I’ll basically be moving next door where my neighbor/good friend moved out.  I’m going to talk to the landlord this week coming up.

3)  Vacation – for the first time in years, I’m looking to take a vacation.  Right now it’s scheduled for May 16 thru May 20, 2011.  In this week, sits my birthday.  Usually I just take my birthday day off but decided to do the whole week because I get a paid vacation from work.  Where I’m going is still up in the air.  Not quite sure yet or I might just stay home?

4)  AmeriCorps – My service year ends in September.  I do want to do another year of AmeriCorps but it has to be like a promotion for me.  So, if I don’t get hired somewhere, I’m planning on doing another year of AmeriCorps. I’m allowed up to four years of service.

5)  My Health – This is always on my agenda every year.  I need to start regulating my diabetes and monitoring my health better this year.  I really can’t afford these medical bills.  So, need to find a way to make myself more healthier.

6)  Visiting my mom – My mom wants me to come down soon to help her setup and transfer files from her old computer to her new computer.  That will probably be my first long trip shortly after getting the car.

7)  Computers – Maybe during this year, I can get some of my other computers back up and running.  So that I can either sell them or put them to use like I planned on using them in the first place.  Plus, I would like to create my own computer case from the plexi-glass that I’ve been saving for years.  Basically I have ideas with each of these computers I got.  For example, I want one computer to hold nothing but my music, movies, and videos files.  Another computer I want to turn into a server so that I can learn how to run a server.  I really have somewhat gotten away from this field.  I need to get back into technology.  It’s what my Master degree is in.

8)  Photography – I want to get back into photography.  This is something I have kind of gotten away from over the last few years.  But every time I hold a camera in my hand, I feel the happiness and my senses coming back to me.  So, one of my computers will be a photography editing computer.  But first I will need to save up for a Cannon Digital SLR during this year.

9)  2nd Job – Since I’m able to get a 2nd job this year, I might just do this to help with paying some of my bills, to save for that digital camera, and help fix my computers.  There is one particular job I wouldn’t mind working and that’s at a movie theatre.  So, I might apply for part time at one near by?

10)  Blog more – Something I want to do more of is blog.  I have a unique life that I can share my experiences with people.  Only if they come and leave comments and etc.  I know I might not be the best writer in the world but I have all kinds of information that it’s not funny and I want to share it.

So, if anybody wants to help me achieve any of my goals, please feel free to contact me.  I’m not always looking for money.  I’m also looking for a mentor in photography, computers, and in life.  I always wanted a mentor but never really got one.  I’m always needing guidance in something.  I’m a great person to be around and etc.

TL

My Birthday…

As all of you all know, today was my birthday.  I must be honest though.  This birthday was by far probably one of my best I ever had.  What made it the best?  It’s the company of friends, families, and co-workers that I hung out with that made it one of the best birthdays.  Especially, since my last three birthdays have been pretty, well, down.  You see, three years ago, my birthday of 2007 I basically forgot about my own birthday until a friend call me the day after to wish me a happy birthday and I told him that my birthday hasn’t occurred.  That’s when he told me it was the following day.  2007 was the year I had the longest interview ever for the interim manager position that I was already doing.  It was this job that lead me to being in the hospital for a week.  So, 2008’s birthday was me recuperating from being in the hospital with Cellulites Infection.  Then in 2009, I was homeless living out of a semi truck traveling the US with a trucker friend of mine.  Those were my last three birthdays.  So, I was determine to make this a great birthday for 2010.  I must say I pulled it off.

You see, I had a co-worker that owed me a lunch and she asked me back in March when I wanted to go out to lunch?  She told me to pick a time, date, and place.  So, I decided that I pick my birthday, May 18th as the date for her to pay me back and the place was Dewey’s.  Then since then, my office mate that I share an office with started asking a few other co-workers and so did I.  So, I had like 7 to 10 people that were wanting to go to my birthday lunch.  A few people dropped out, there were 6 people that went and the whole time we just laughed, talked, and laughed a lot more.  It was something I really needed.  It allowed me to forget about my previous birthdays.  It’s the small things that makes me happy.  Things like hanging out with friends, families, and co-workers, being taken out for lunches and dinners, and just plain having fun.  It’s not about gifts for me than hanging with people and sharing a few laughs.

But I must tell you a few gifts I did get.  You see, I might be 36 years old but I act like a 13 year old at heart.  I’m amused easily.  I just like to laugh and smile.  That’s what these gifts did.  But I don’t know how much my co-workers know how happy I am of my gifts or what they have gotten their self into.  My first gift (in a way) was a blue boo baa.  Ever heard of a Boo Baa?  This is what a boo baa looks like. People think it looks like me?  Let’s compare?  Here is a picture of me.  What do you think?  Any resemblance?  The funny thing about this boo baa is when you squeeze its hand, it dances and some other actions that is just hilarious.  Everybody that comes into our office laughs their asses off but then say how much it looks like me.

The office that I share with another VISTA is being called the “Answer Centre”.  We have all the answers to any questions.  We don’t care what the question is.  It can be about life, about work, about relationships, or whatever you want to know we will have the answer.  So, we have a new weapon now that we can use to finalize our answers.  Meet the Whomp It.  This is a very bad gift for me to have.  I mean this in a good way.  I’m the type of person that will carry this around the office and just hit things with it.  *lol*  It might actually get me in trouble?

It’s hard to believe that these two things bring happiness and joy to me.  People might not want to believe it or can’t believe I would actually play with stuff like this but I can’t help it when I’m a kid at heart.

So, things like this is why I was so happy today and thrilled to have friends, families, and co-workers that’s willing to put up with me.  It was a relief to have a great birthday unlike my last three birthdays.  So, I’m actually starting to get unstressed and relaxing now from my situation.  Well, back to doing laundry.  Enjoy and until next time.  Have fun!

TL

My Birthday...

My 35th birthday was yesterday, Monday, May 18. As I looked back over the last year since my last birthday, I'm glad it's behind me now. This past last year has seen me hospitalized, losing my job, my apartment, living out of my car for six months, losing my car, and living in a semi-truck before staying with a friend here in Lima, OH. So, yes I have had a horrible year but I'm going to start changing that and that starts now.

I took myself out for my birthday to put things behind me and think about how I can get my life back on track. I went to see two movies "Angel and Demons" and "17 Again". Totally two different movies. But it helped me think about what I need to do. After "Angel and Demons" I went to dinner and Beer Barrall and Pizza. Then I took a stroll around the local mall and drove around Lima. Then went back to the movies to watch "17 Again". If you could go back and be 17 again, would you? For me, that would be a year or so after my attempted suicide. If I could change anything it would be how I reacted and retreated within myself. I would try to be more active rather than trying to hide from what happened. But I can't go back so therefore, I have to do that now at the age of 35. But I did realize something. I remember that I'm a visual person. If I see it usually I can do it. So therefore, after the "17 Again" movie, I went to Wal-Mart and bought a foam tri-board, markers, thumb tacks, sticky pads, and index cards. I'm going to fill the board with my interests, weaknesses, strengths, traits, and etc to try find myself or what I want to do with my life. I also asked my former GCHS schoolmates for pictures and etc of me because I don't have any pictures or etc of me when I was in school.

I want to thank everybody that either text, called, or e-mailed to wish me a happy birthday. So, thank you, it means a lot.

TL

Oh What A Day...

Thanks to Brett for giving me such a great day today. On Monday, May 18th is my birthday and Brett and I decided to meet half way between Lima (where I'm at for the time being) and Cincinnati today since my birthday is on Monday and he has the weekend free. This turned out to be in Dayton, OH. I left at 9:30 am this morning to meet up with Brett by 11:00 am. Once I got there, I parked the SUV at the the Dayton Mall parking lot that is away from the mall. I backed the SUV in and then got into Brett's SUV and off we went to explore Dayton basically. I have driven through Dayton but never had a chance to be in Dayton. This was Brett's second time. So, every time we go somewhere new, I like to eat at a restaurant we never have ate out before. We ended up eating lunch at Rusty Bucket. It was a very nice restaurant and a great place to eat if you are ever up at the Dayton Mall in Dayton, Ohio.

After we ate, we decided to explore the city itself by going downtown. After going downtown, we decided to tour the campus at the University of Dayton. UD seemed like a kewl campus as we were going down every street possible looking at the different buildings, housings, and sports fields. But one thing concerns me about UD that I might have to ask my cousin about. Why are there so many funeral homes and graves yards throughout the campus? I'm going to get to the bottom of this one.

After the tour, we went back toward the mall to a "Healthy Food Store" which I must say it had just about all types of healthy food supplies that you will need. I honestly can see myself shopping there if there was a healthy food store near where I will be. After that we went to a computer store called "Computer Zoo". To be honest, I wasn't very impressed with the store. There wasn't very many computer parts and the employee was very rude I thought. Not to mention the cost of stuff there was outrageous. For example, this Acer One computer that I'm using to type up this blog right now, cost $248 at Wal-mart. Well, at this Computer Zoo place, it cost $449. Damn!!!!!! Know where to not get my computer parts. After the Computer Zoo, we went to Borders Book stores to look at a few books before walking around inside the mall it self. Not a bad mall after all.

After the mall, we went to the Danbarry Dollar Saver Movie to watch "Race to Witch Mountain" with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The movie was a lot better movie than I thought it would be. It was a funny movie. Possibly one that I would watch again. But before the movie though, Brett and I played a game of air hockey in which your truly won 7 to 2. Then after the movie we went to the Golden Dragon Chinese Buffet Restaurant for dinner.

Then after dinner we decided to call it the night and go back our separate way. So, he took me back to the SUV where I parked. Remember how I parked the SUV? Well, after a few minutes of talking to Brett, I got into the SUV and was getting situated when I just put the SUV into gear when I looked up and a police officer parked in front of me. So, for like 20 minutes he was running the plates on the SUV and my license. The reason he stopped me was because it just so happens the guy thought I was dealing drugs because the officer said usually when a car is backed in and occupied that drug deals are going on in that part of the parking lot. A perfect way to end the day before having to drive 1.5 hours back to Lima, Ohio.

So Brett, thank you for a great day and we will do it again maybe on your birthday in July. Depending on where I'm out.

TL