It's been raining
Yeah, it's been raining a lot. There were some crazy storms last night, took the power out over lots of the city, brought down several tree branches, all sorts of craziness like that. I was still over at Newman at the time, so I didn't have to be in the middle of it, thankfully. Not that I had a whole lot of choice. Apparently, when it rains, it pours. I did have a splendid Saturday, with a cool pool party with all the kung fu people. That was a lot of fun. After that, though, I was driving on my way home, and I almost made it when the car died. Yeah, in the middle of Memorial. So I had to put it in neutral and push it to the closest exit, which thankfully was close by. I had a couple of nice guys swing by and help me jump the car, but it didn't actually keep the charge. So I had to push it into a parking lot and leave it there for the weekend. I got it towed to the mechanic early this morning and fixed - my suspicions were that it was either the battery or the alternator. Maybe both. And yeah, I was right - it was both. Plus the belt. So all that, plus labor, ended up costing the pretty price of around $500. And it's always the most fun when you find unexpected expenses like that popping up right after losing a source of income. Ugh.

Truthfully, though, I can't complain too much. It's been pretty good. I hung out with Sihing last night, we just stayed up and talked and played a bit, the whole night. He normally works nights, so he's used to being up all night. I had nothing to be up for, except for getting the car towed, so I went ahead and just stayed up. It was good. And I tried getting sleep during the day, but I couldn't, as the phone kept ringing. Silly people all trying to call me with job offers. Seriously - I normally make it a point to get at least two employment possibilities looked into, or started somehow, every day. At least when I'm not waiting to hear back about one. Today, I actually got more than that, without even having to try. Monster.com works - make a note of it. So yeah - right now, I'm just waiting to hear back about one that I really hope I get, although the company takes time to reply, for some reason. Maybe it's a good reason, but it's still a little annoying. If I don't get this one, then I have a list of a few others to check on, which is good.

The sucky thing about all this is that my family's going to visit the family down south. And by down south, I mean Mexico City. Since finding a job is a priority, it looks like I might have to cancel my ticket, which particularly bothers me because I haven't been there in about ten years. I haven't gotten to see any of my uncles, aunts, or cousins, and I actually do miss them. And I have a lot of them. Bleah. Timing for things can sometimes work for you, and sometimes screw with you in major ways.

I've been thinking a lot lately about relationships, and what I've learned from the ones I've had, and about the future. The one thing I've realized is I have a good idea of what I'm looking for. There are some elements that are crucial to any successful relationship: trust, communication, patience, and of course, love. Take any of those away, and you've given the relationship an expiration date. The big one I've thought about lately is trust. It just seems that it can be hard for a lot of people to actually be trustworthy, as strange as it may sound. I know everyone's been stabbed in the back at least once, and it's not a good feeling. I think for me, right now, the one thing I'm craving is someone safe. Someone I could actually open up to, without worrying about having that pulled out from under me later. Someone I could talk to without worrying about making sure I say it exactly right, because they'd be quick to jump to conclusions about a different interpretation. And someone I could listen to, who would talk to me about their lives because they knew I actually did care. I don't know if I'm shooting too high, but I'm sticking to my guns and being picky about that.

Bleah. Stress sucks. Which is why I was grateful for kung fu today. I actually got to learn quite a bit more out of my new set, and it has some very cool moves in it. And I got to help others in the class with their sets, which always makes me very happy. It's rewarding to see the progress of the students, see how much they've grown with the help of kung fu, and know that I've been a part of it.

Anyway, so now I'm just waiting to hear back on one interview I had last week. It's for a job I'd really like to get, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I've had several other possibilities crop up, and I'm balancing them out to figure out which one will be best. At any rate, it's looking like it will be a step forward for me, which is good.

Oh, I did get my guitar fixed, which makes me happy! And they did it for free, which made me even happier. I got it fixed at the same place I bought it, so they went ahead and just made the adjustment without charging me. Since they're so cool, I have to plug them - it's the Music Store at 31st and Mingo. If you're considering an acoustic guitar, check out their stock of Seagulls. Good stuff. I got the guitar back and restrung it Sunday, just before heading off to church. New strings always inspire me to play better, and sometimes more creatively. Carlos and Embrey gave me a ride, so I have to say thanks to them. AND they sang in choir, too, which is awesome. Carlos broke in his new guitar that he got, that has an electronic pickup. It's quite a nice guitar. I got a few complements from people in the congregation after church, which made my day. It's good to know you're appreciated, when you put your heart into something.

Okay, that's enough for my blog today. Random link! I got this one from a guy at kung fu. He has it memorized, which is funny. It's full of all sorts of Chinese martial arts stuff, and even has a Hung Gar folder. Mostly movies. If you're curious, check it out! Oh, and a bonus thingie here. Random picture! I got this from CNN's weekend photos. I happen to think it's an awesome picture, so I'm going to share it. Enjoy!

And now it's time for me to go get ice cream. Ice cream always makes people feel better.
- posted by Pootenheimer @ 11:36 PM | 1 comments