I got a job! Well, Gary got me a job... but I have a job now! Thanks, Gary.
I start Monday training at Pizza Hut. It's not computers, but it'll have to do for now. Anyways, it's a huge weight off my shoulders. I'm not completely back on track yet, but at least I know where the on-ramp is.
7.22.2005
7.20.2005
evil quiz
YOU ARE A DARK WARLOCK!
You are a deeply mysterious and devastatingly
intelligent being. You like to spend your time
alone studying ways to bend others to your will
and ways to cheat death. Although you have
immense power and an army of followers, death
will find you eventually.
Welcome to the shadows!
And now that you know who you are, take my hand and
join me in a trip to the unknown....
What Evil Creature of the Night are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
7.17.2005
home for the weekend
I'm home for the weekend. Mom's in Las Vegas, Dad and Todd are in New Mexico doing some backpacking (*jealous*). Leann will be home next week, but for now, I have the place all to myself. Well, besides the three cats I'm here to take care of. I had let Mom know the other day that I was in trouble financially, and she offered to let me take care of the house while everyone was away in exchange for some cash. It won't cover everything, but it will definitely help. I feel a little guilty because I know she didn't have any to spare since Dad's been off work for the trip. She took it out of her spending money for Vegas. Now, Mom doesn't have time to breathe, let alone take personal time, so Paula encouraged her to go with the competition group to Vegas this year. She works hard, and she needed this trip more than anyone I know--which makes me feel even more guilty for accepting the money. In return, I'm cleaning the house, doing yardwork, taking care of the cats, and setting up her new PC (which I'm actually posting this from). Running windows update at 56K is gonna suck.
Staying here is going to set me back a few days in my job search, but it's definitely worth it. I get free central air, free gas from Mom's Exxon card, and all the food I could ever eat. MMmmm... Schwann's :D
I hope I can see Grandpap before he goes in for Chemo on Monday. I know he needs some yardwork done, and I'll get a little more cash from that, but I want him to be there when I do it so I can spend some time with him. He's a strong man, with a big heart, but he gets lonely in that big house with no one to talk to. I love being there. He's not a typical "old person." He stays motivated, always open to new concepts and changes in the world around him. I set him up with a PC a few years ago, and he has since learned to surf, check his email, instant message, and even webcam conference with my uncle in Singapore. Every time I visit, he has a new book to read, and he stays educated about his health and what is going on in his body. He has so much energy, and it is torture to see him drugged up and unable to exercise due to his back surgery. Grandma would have been proud of the way he's been holding up despite all of it. I really hope I can be just like him when I'm old. Still young inside :)
Staying here is going to set me back a few days in my job search, but it's definitely worth it. I get free central air, free gas from Mom's Exxon card, and all the food I could ever eat. MMmmm... Schwann's :D
I hope I can see Grandpap before he goes in for Chemo on Monday. I know he needs some yardwork done, and I'll get a little more cash from that, but I want him to be there when I do it so I can spend some time with him. He's a strong man, with a big heart, but he gets lonely in that big house with no one to talk to. I love being there. He's not a typical "old person." He stays motivated, always open to new concepts and changes in the world around him. I set him up with a PC a few years ago, and he has since learned to surf, check his email, instant message, and even webcam conference with my uncle in Singapore. Every time I visit, he has a new book to read, and he stays educated about his health and what is going on in his body. He has so much energy, and it is torture to see him drugged up and unable to exercise due to his back surgery. Grandma would have been proud of the way he's been holding up despite all of it. I really hope I can be just like him when I'm old. Still young inside :)
7.14.2005
all hell breaks loose
All hell has broken loose in my apartment. For those of you who don't know, here's a recap of the situation:
My previous roommates graduated and/or moved out with their girlfriend/fiancée in May. I had been struggling to find two roommates to move in and take over their leases for several months. Partly because I procrastinated getting ads out in the most effective places, and partly because most of the candidates didn't want to sign until the fall. Finally (and very close to the deadline,) two guys contacted me and said they were interested. They came and checked out the place, I filled them in on approximate bills, showed them their rooms, etc. When I mentioned cable internet and wireless router, they immediately said they'd take it.
Ren let me know after he signed that he wouldn't be moving in until the fall, when classes start. Ross moved in at the beginning of Summer I session, and everything seemed fine. I let him borrow my lamp from the living room, since he didn't have one for his room. I didn't see him much, and I just assumed he was busy working and going to classes. Our conversations were very succinct, limited only to "hi" or sometimes only a nod on his part. I figured maybe he was a private person, the way I am around new people. A few weeks went by, and I noticed he didn't have a bed. I made a suggestion that he sleep on the fold-out couch/bed thing in the living room, but he said he was fine, and I didn't bring it up again. I suspect he sleeps in a pile of blankets on the floor. Weird. He has only shaved once since he's been here (I know because he left hair all over the counter.)
Now comes the main reason I'm posting this. I confronted Ross about the bills today. Ren had called me a few days ago and informed me that he wasn't going to pay any of the bills, since he wasn't living here. I didn't know what to say, so I left it alone. So what it came down to was Ross and I splitting all the utilities 50/50. I typed up a breakdown of the utilities and split them in half, only charging him for the second half of may, since that was when his lease started (on the 15th.) I taped it to his door, and went back to my room. Ten minutes later, he knocks on my door. "I want to see a copy of the cable bill," he said. A reasonable request, I thought, so I started going through the stack of papers on my desk (my room is a complete mess.) I told him I'd look for it and make a copy for him. "This amount is way too high. Can't we get a smaller package?" I informed him that we could and that I'd look into it today. "I don't mean to be a d*ck," (too late, buddy) "but this electric bill is way too high. You have an air conditioner, so I'm not paying half." Now there's a grey area. Yes, I do have a/c in my room, but there's no real way to separate the cost of that out of the rest of the bill. "I don't know what to tell you, but I'm only responsible for half of the bills," I said. "Fine, but I not paying it. I can live without electricity. Can you?" he retorted. He then went back to his room and locked the door.
There is another issue that I've been avoiding. Danielle has been frequently hanging out here (she is my girlfriend after all) and he claims that she should be paying 1/3 of the bills. Now, I consider her my guest, and as such, she should not be responsible for any of the bills. She pays her own bills at her place.
I went to my landlord and explained the situation, Ross' unusual (and borderline creepy) mannerisms, and asked for her advice. She gave me a couple of options to think about. First, she said that Ren should be paying 1/3 of the bills even though he's not here. She said it's like he's on vacation. Second, she told me to get detailed hardcopies of all the bills and sit down with Ross to work them out. The other options she mentioned were either I move out, and stick them with all the future rent/bills, or tell them to find another place to live. She, of course is not allowed to intervene, but I didn't expect her to.
If I can't work this out with the hardcopies, I'm going to explore the pros & cons of the other options. Maybe I should have just moved out with Danielle after all. It would have saved me all this trouble. If only I could have known this would happen...
Thoughts? Opinions? How can I convince these guys to pay up?
My previous roommates graduated and/or moved out with their girlfriend/fiancée in May. I had been struggling to find two roommates to move in and take over their leases for several months. Partly because I procrastinated getting ads out in the most effective places, and partly because most of the candidates didn't want to sign until the fall. Finally (and very close to the deadline,) two guys contacted me and said they were interested. They came and checked out the place, I filled them in on approximate bills, showed them their rooms, etc. When I mentioned cable internet and wireless router, they immediately said they'd take it.
Ren let me know after he signed that he wouldn't be moving in until the fall, when classes start. Ross moved in at the beginning of Summer I session, and everything seemed fine. I let him borrow my lamp from the living room, since he didn't have one for his room. I didn't see him much, and I just assumed he was busy working and going to classes. Our conversations were very succinct, limited only to "hi" or sometimes only a nod on his part. I figured maybe he was a private person, the way I am around new people. A few weeks went by, and I noticed he didn't have a bed. I made a suggestion that he sleep on the fold-out couch/bed thing in the living room, but he said he was fine, and I didn't bring it up again. I suspect he sleeps in a pile of blankets on the floor. Weird. He has only shaved once since he's been here (I know because he left hair all over the counter.)
Now comes the main reason I'm posting this. I confronted Ross about the bills today. Ren had called me a few days ago and informed me that he wasn't going to pay any of the bills, since he wasn't living here. I didn't know what to say, so I left it alone. So what it came down to was Ross and I splitting all the utilities 50/50. I typed up a breakdown of the utilities and split them in half, only charging him for the second half of may, since that was when his lease started (on the 15th.) I taped it to his door, and went back to my room. Ten minutes later, he knocks on my door. "I want to see a copy of the cable bill," he said. A reasonable request, I thought, so I started going through the stack of papers on my desk (my room is a complete mess.) I told him I'd look for it and make a copy for him. "This amount is way too high. Can't we get a smaller package?" I informed him that we could and that I'd look into it today. "I don't mean to be a d*ck," (too late, buddy) "but this electric bill is way too high. You have an air conditioner, so I'm not paying half." Now there's a grey area. Yes, I do have a/c in my room, but there's no real way to separate the cost of that out of the rest of the bill. "I don't know what to tell you, but I'm only responsible for half of the bills," I said. "Fine, but I not paying it. I can live without electricity. Can you?" he retorted. He then went back to his room and locked the door.
There is another issue that I've been avoiding. Danielle has been frequently hanging out here (she is my girlfriend after all) and he claims that she should be paying 1/3 of the bills. Now, I consider her my guest, and as such, she should not be responsible for any of the bills. She pays her own bills at her place.
I went to my landlord and explained the situation, Ross' unusual (and borderline creepy) mannerisms, and asked for her advice. She gave me a couple of options to think about. First, she said that Ren should be paying 1/3 of the bills even though he's not here. She said it's like he's on vacation. Second, she told me to get detailed hardcopies of all the bills and sit down with Ross to work them out. The other options she mentioned were either I move out, and stick them with all the future rent/bills, or tell them to find another place to live. She, of course is not allowed to intervene, but I didn't expect her to.
If I can't work this out with the hardcopies, I'm going to explore the pros & cons of the other options. Maybe I should have just moved out with Danielle after all. It would have saved me all this trouble. If only I could have known this would happen...
Thoughts? Opinions? How can I convince these guys to pay up?
7.13.2005
moblog test
This is my first mobile post sent from my phone to the web. Kinda cool :) Can't seem to get the image attachment feature to work though. Says "Blogger does not accept application/octet-stream files." It was a GIF image though...maybe Sprint has their MIME types messed up? Pass along tips if you have any.
7.12.2005
brooks' books
Terry Brooks has announced that he will be sending out 30 Advanced Reader copies for review of his upcoming book, Straken, which will not be officially released until September. I emailed the publisher, and they put me on the list of candidates! Wish me luck :)
You can also put in a bid to promote the book on a website (blogs allowed) and be entered into a drawing for a signed hardcover copy. Signed up for that, too (duh). I've been following the Shannara series ever since I found a copy of The Sword of Shannara among my mom's book collection when I was young. I've pre-ordered the last six releases in the series, and have been earnestly looking forward to the conclusion of The High Druid series.
If you love fantasy, and haven't read anything by Terry Brooks, I highly recommend starting at the beginning. He has a real talent for bringing words alive, creating a highly detailed world with characters the reader can relate to, and keeping you on your toes with plot twists and surprises. I compare him with the greats, including C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.
Speaking of Lewis--I saw a trailer for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe the other day. I loved The Chronicles of Narnia growing up, and have been anticipating his work coming to the big screen. I really hope they do it justice. Tolkien? Now Lewis?...won't be long before Terry's work is adapted for film...
*crosses fingers*
You can also put in a bid to promote the book on a website (blogs allowed) and be entered into a drawing for a signed hardcover copy. Signed up for that, too (duh). I've been following the Shannara series ever since I found a copy of The Sword of Shannara among my mom's book collection when I was young. I've pre-ordered the last six releases in the series, and have been earnestly looking forward to the conclusion of The High Druid series.
If you love fantasy, and haven't read anything by Terry Brooks, I highly recommend starting at the beginning. He has a real talent for bringing words alive, creating a highly detailed world with characters the reader can relate to, and keeping you on your toes with plot twists and surprises. I compare him with the greats, including C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.
Speaking of Lewis--I saw a trailer for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe the other day. I loved The Chronicles of Narnia growing up, and have been anticipating his work coming to the big screen. I really hope they do it justice. Tolkien? Now Lewis?...won't be long before Terry's work is adapted for film...
*crosses fingers*
7.10.2005
river adventure
Hung out with Eryck and Gary today. We all piled on his parents' boat and headed down the Mon and up the Cheat River to Point Marion, PA. They did some swimming and played on a rope swing while I hung out on the boat and took pictures. While I won't swim in the Mon River, the Cheat was acceptably clean. If we go back out, I'll definitely bring my trunks. We stopped at this marina restaurant in Point Marion, but my lack of money greatly limited my options there. If we make the trip again, I hope to have some funds from which to imbibe several Yuengling drafts :)
I got back to my place, sunburned, and slightly drained. Danielle had just returned from Guard practice, so she was burned out as well. We hit up Wendy's en route to Gary's, hooked him up with some software updates, and went home to shower. We had talked about hanging out that night, but Danielle and I passed out, and apparently so did Gary. Perhaps another time...
I got back to my place, sunburned, and slightly drained. Danielle had just returned from Guard practice, so she was burned out as well. We hit up Wendy's en route to Gary's, hooked him up with some software updates, and went home to shower. We had talked about hanging out that night, but Danielle and I passed out, and apparently so did Gary. Perhaps another time...
7.09.2005
more than useless
I'll have to remember to actually buy this album when I have $$...
Relient K - Mmhmm - 07 - More Than Useless
Relient K - Mmhmm - 07 - More Than Useless
7.05.2005
war of the worlds
Hung out with Danielle, Jess, and Jen tonight. Watched the fireworks from our deck, (great view) finished off three bottles of wine between the four of us. Overall a good experience. We ended up talking about The War of the Worlds, which I saw on Saturday, but I've been busy, so I haven't had a chance to comment on it. Somehow the conversation turned to ghost stories and unexplained happenings, and even I jumped a little when Holly's air conditioner kicked on. Wine's funny like that. Eryck had invited us to hang out with his folks on his boat, but I just don't have any cash right now (I'm in debt up to my a$$) and I didn't feel like dealing with him pressuring me into jumping into the Mon River. I've swum in many a lake in my day (I was a Boy Scout from age seven to age eighteen) but I refuse to step foot in the Mon. It's gross. I mean no offense to Eryck, but I just don't want to go in there. I've explained that to him multiple times, but he never lets up about it.
Moving on, my financial aid is a complete mess. Apparently WVU claims that I owe $700+ for Spring semester (wtf?) and I couldn't even register for Summer II if I tried. I was really counting on taking classes, too. It's just so much easier in the summer, when the entire course is concentrated into a few weeks. The icing on the cake? All my bills (and rent) are due in the next four days--and I'm still without a job. I seriously need to get a job. Even if it's only minimum wage. This sucks.
Oh, yeah--The War of the Worlds was pretty good. I read the book, listened to the broadcast recording, and even though Spielburg took some pretty drastic liberties with the plot, overall, I enjoyed it. To those of you who haven't seen it: it's not a typical alien movie. If anything, I'd classify it as more of a disaster-type movie (like Twister, Earthquake, etc.) The lady sitting next to me said the old man standing in the doorway at the end was in the original. Interesting cameo, but I didn't even know the movie had been made before. Huh. Learn something new every day.
Moving on, my financial aid is a complete mess. Apparently WVU claims that I owe $700+ for Spring semester (wtf?) and I couldn't even register for Summer II if I tried. I was really counting on taking classes, too. It's just so much easier in the summer, when the entire course is concentrated into a few weeks. The icing on the cake? All my bills (and rent) are due in the next four days--and I'm still without a job. I seriously need to get a job. Even if it's only minimum wage. This sucks.
Oh, yeah--The War of the Worlds was pretty good. I read the book, listened to the broadcast recording, and even though Spielburg took some pretty drastic liberties with the plot, overall, I enjoyed it. To those of you who haven't seen it: it's not a typical alien movie. If anything, I'd classify it as more of a disaster-type movie (like Twister, Earthquake, etc.) The lady sitting next to me said the old man standing in the doorway at the end was in the original. Interesting cameo, but I didn't even know the movie had been made before. Huh. Learn something new every day.
7.04.2005
elkins excursion
Yeah... so I just woke up. Is that a crime? ;)
Yesterday we drove down to Elkins to hang out with Danielle's family in Stuart Park, part of the Monongahela National Forest. As state parks go, I thought it was pretty cool. Very clean, well-taken care of...I would definitely like to go back there sometime. On the way there, I was doing the driving, taking directions from the back seat, with one other vehicle following me. We ended up taking every possible wrong turn we could have taken (including one inside the park itself.) Needless to say we showed up extremely late.
I enjoyed the outing, due to the natural environment, (I've always been a sucker for creeks, woods, and childish explorations) although I spent little time socializing with the family in general. There were some interesting people there, and it would not be far-fetched at all if I found myself hanging out with some of them--what words did pass between us assured me of that. Definitely some common ground there. Unfortunately, I still felt out of place, and thus...not much interaction. I hope things change in the future, because I could learn alot from some of them. (Yes, I know, "alot" isn't a word, but why do I find it so hard to avoid using it?)
Walking along the creek, breathing in the fresh air, turning over stones and examining the microcosms of larvae and aquatic/amphibious life, listening to the sounds of the forest... damn I miss that. I'm going to have to go camping sometime soon. And when I say camping, I mean camping. I'm not talking about motor homes, grills, and electricity. I'm talking about tents, trees, and a campfire. Where you can close your eyes, take a deep breath, and realize there's no sign of civilization for miles-- and that's pretty freakin' cool.
So after the outing, we headed over to her Grandparents' place in Clarksburg. We got lost again. (was there any question?) and ended up at this really old (and historically significant) forge that was vandalized, and rebuilt in 1989. I'll try and find out the name of it sometime--but it was definitely way out of the way. We hung out at the Lynch's for awhile, talked a little bit, her mom showed me the upstairs, where they grew up, and all the antiques and such (which I thought were really cool.) I ended up drinking quite a bit of sloe gin (a first) and root beer (which I don't normally like) and it snuck up on me. We're on the way home, and bam. Suddenly my head is spinning and I'm glad I'm not behind the wheel. Maybe they should change the name to slow gin.
Overall, it was a good experience, and I'm looking forward to next year. I hope we go back there again.
Yesterday we drove down to Elkins to hang out with Danielle's family in Stuart Park, part of the Monongahela National Forest. As state parks go, I thought it was pretty cool. Very clean, well-taken care of...I would definitely like to go back there sometime. On the way there, I was doing the driving, taking directions from the back seat, with one other vehicle following me. We ended up taking every possible wrong turn we could have taken (including one inside the park itself.) Needless to say we showed up extremely late.
I enjoyed the outing, due to the natural environment, (I've always been a sucker for creeks, woods, and childish explorations) although I spent little time socializing with the family in general. There were some interesting people there, and it would not be far-fetched at all if I found myself hanging out with some of them--what words did pass between us assured me of that. Definitely some common ground there. Unfortunately, I still felt out of place, and thus...not much interaction. I hope things change in the future, because I could learn alot from some of them. (Yes, I know, "alot" isn't a word, but why do I find it so hard to avoid using it?)
Walking along the creek, breathing in the fresh air, turning over stones and examining the microcosms of larvae and aquatic/amphibious life, listening to the sounds of the forest... damn I miss that. I'm going to have to go camping sometime soon. And when I say camping, I mean camping. I'm not talking about motor homes, grills, and electricity. I'm talking about tents, trees, and a campfire. Where you can close your eyes, take a deep breath, and realize there's no sign of civilization for miles-- and that's pretty freakin' cool.
So after the outing, we headed over to her Grandparents' place in Clarksburg. We got lost again. (was there any question?) and ended up at this really old (and historically significant) forge that was vandalized, and rebuilt in 1989. I'll try and find out the name of it sometime--but it was definitely way out of the way. We hung out at the Lynch's for awhile, talked a little bit, her mom showed me the upstairs, where they grew up, and all the antiques and such (which I thought were really cool.) I ended up drinking quite a bit of sloe gin (a first) and root beer (which I don't normally like) and it snuck up on me. We're on the way home, and bam. Suddenly my head is spinning and I'm glad I'm not behind the wheel. Maybe they should change the name to slow gin.
Overall, it was a good experience, and I'm looking forward to next year. I hope we go back there again.
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