The night rider

I'll be hitching a ride on Amtrak back to my place in Flagstaff in about 4 hours or so. This is assuming, of course, that it isn't running hours late like it usually seems to...and, in turn, forcing me to work with 2 hours of sleep. Cross your fingers for me ;)

As always, I'm running low on enthusiasm for the return trip; the main reason I want to return is to keep money coming in and to see my friends, but being around the house to help my dad (who is on crutches now) and my mom out is kind of nice. Also, I eat much better here. The time with Matt has been too short, and I want to play with my nieces more; that's always the case for my vacations though. At least I have a functioning camera now (my DSi), so I will be sure to post some pictures later.

I have got to start reading more; I think when I get back, I'm going to hit up Bookman's and grab a few fantasy-ish books. R.A. Salvatore, here I come!

I think, with this new position I have at Ardrey, I'm able to feel a little more satisfied with my life. I still need to finish my degree of course, but I have some responsibility and am (hopefully) making some sort of a difference. I've always been the kind of person to make sure everyone else around me is happy--usually before myself--and this kind of job is perfect for that. Even my shitty days at work have me smiling and nodding, escorting people around and running the show; I enjoy that. It forces me to be active and be social, because otherwise I would be reclusive on those days. I wonder what it would be like, running a theatre in New York or some big city...

As I type this, Matt and my dad are enjoying some chocolate silk pie, so I'm going to stop fighting the urge. I hope you enjoyed your Labor Day weekend!

Something I am not particularly good at...

Debating. When I'm unprepared for it, I'm not very good at it. I met up with one of my favorite friends, Misty, and some other friends only to have that fun meeting turn into one of...politics. Not exactly what I had in mind, since we hadn't seen each other in over a year. I'm just glad I acted against my urge to change the subject to religion to dig myself out of that hole! The people I was arguing with (or really, mostly just listened to) were staunch Obama protestors; and of course they wanted to talk about health care reform, which I don't even really know a whole lot about. There are some topics I follow a lot more than others, and the ones I don't...well, I'm not very good at pulling arguments out of my ass. Like our mutual friend said, I don't like confrontation; couldn't have said it better myself.

My time with my niece was a blast. I spent much of last night playing card games with her and Matt; I can't believe I'd forgotten how to play Old Maid! This morning was spent running around the house playing Hide and Seek and Mario 64; I also taught Madison the "Go to sleep" spell, so that she might use it on her uncles. She used it...about 30 times. I think she very well may have put us into a coma...

I really am in no hurry to go back to Flagstaff. I especially don't want to go back to work just yet; there's someone I'd like to avoid still, and it's kind of nice to be here relaxing and not even thinking about work. Or other things, for that matter. I will head back, though, a little more resolute than before; I'm an optimistic at heart, so I have to believe something even better will come along. Misty and Brian, two of my best friends, are moving back into town in January...that's one more thing I can honestly say brightens my day every time I think about it.

Matt's gone and gotten me hooked on something else: A&W's Cream Soda. I swear, if I were diabetic, my taste buds would be in a world of hurt...

Watch How I Soar

Hey there folks! Been an awfully long time since I've done anything with a blog, and I don't want my writing to become rusty, so I decided to start a new one up and get anyone who bothers to read it up-to-date on what's been going on in my life (and in my head). I'm extremely reflective (almost to a fault...I'm guilty of daydreaming at almost any point in the day), so if you don't like rambling, you might want to turn around now ;)

It's a fine Saturday evening, by my standards, anyway; I'm at my parents' house with Matt, the younger of my two older brothers, for Labor Day weekend. It's overcast, I've got a full belly on account of my mom's Monte Cristo sandwich, and my niece Madison will be here in a couple hours to spend the night. I'm fully expecting to work off all the calories I just ate by running around with her. I wish I was still able to run around like that! I just found out she's been carrying a photo of me (Uncle B) everywhere she goes...apparently I'm only 6 or so in the photo. She knows how to play me...cunning little devil.

I started my "new" job at Ardrey Auditorium a couple weeks back, and it's pretty much exactly what I envisioned it to be. Lots of paperwork, planning, and meetings. I'm in charge of booking events in the hall, except for the biggest ones; I also staff them and do much of the paperwork, save for the contracts. I'm so used to this hall now, it's like a second home to me. The people there are my family (for the most part), so I love working with them. A couple things have been going wrong recently: most notably, getting blamed for problems that aren't a result of anything I've done. I know this is fairly common in the workplace, but frustrating still because we teach the kids that they need to own up to their mistakes. Fortunately, I'm used to dealing with a wide variety of problems; this shouldn't be any different. Hopefully.

The wind is picking up again...

Despite picking up a second job as the stage manager for the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, I find myself still struggling with money. Ardrey doesn't pay near enough, and although I have benefits now, I really wish I had fought harder for more pay. I can't save near as much as I'd like, and when I get the Jeep, I'll have a couple more bills to worry about every month. I've never been very good with money...I wish I'd inherited my dad's sensibility when it comes to spending (or, more importantly, not spending). Sometimes I know it would be great to find someone to start a relationship with, and maybe start a family; but how can I possibly consider that when I just get by making only enough for myself? I hate money and the stress it can bring; it's honestly one of the few things I ever stress about.

I'm gonna disappear for a while to go play some Mario Kart with Matt. Time to see how much my skills have eroded over the past year or so!