Well, 2011 has come to a close with tomorrow being the last day. Looking back, I definately made some big strides and gained a ton of knowledge throughout the year.
I've been working hard on making progress with my career and things are going pretty well there.
I closed on my first house February 5th, and it's been quite the experience becomming a homeowner. I'm pretty proud to say I accomplished this at 25yrs old.
I tried some new things out in the garage and learned alot of ways NOT to do things before finally figuring out HOW to do them, haha. In the end, I value the experience and have caught some positive attention from theses efforts and may be able to turn a profit from what I've learning in the future.
I started offering design and consulting services via a Craigslist add after I bought the house. I didnt realize I did halfway decent on it, I pulled in about $2500 in sidework from it over the course of the year. Pretty respectable in my opinion.
I really kicked into high gear spending time in the gym, and I'm down to 195lbs from 235lbs in august of 2009. I also decided to start training for marathon running and completed the "Turkey Trot" 8k race in 49:50. I'm pretty proud of that and this definately helped with the body image I am trying to acheive.
I made a bunch of new friends this year through my hobbies(which I put MUCH more time into this year than any other year since highschool). I have had a TON of fun with the car scene, vintage motorcycle scene, and playing music.
I played my first open mic early in the year, and played probably a dozen overall. Haven't sang yet, just played guitar....but recently I really pushed myself to learn to sing while playing(who knows what my voice sounds like to someone else though!) and somewhat broke a barrier and can accomplish this now with abour 3 or 4 songs. I hope to polish them up and play alone at an open mic sometime in the next month or two.
I guess this brings me to the point where I set some goals for 2012. I won't be making a resolution, because everyone knows those are temporary.
I plan to continue with my gym regiment for sure. I no longer am concerned with weight....much more concerned with what I see in the mirror. I would say I've hit the halfway mark from where I was and where I want to be, so we'll see what I can do by summer.
I recently started putting together a cover band to get playing out for fun. We are only going to play songs by the bands "Taking Back Sunday" and "Brand New"....these bands are very similar....mostly because they are from the same town and the lead singers from both bands used to be best friends until one of them stole the other's g/f. Anyways, it's been fun learning all of their songs and practicing them. We hope to be playing out at venues come spring.
I plan to make an adventure out of riding my 1975 Honda motorcycle down to mid-ohio vintage motorcycle days in July, My friend Chris might join me for the ride. Skipping Interstates will make it a 10hr ride or so compared to a 5hr drive, so we will probably split the ride up over two days for fatigue purposes. I'm actually REALLY excited for this, but I really have to go over some things on the bike and make sure it can handle the trip.
I didn't spend much time this past year in the dating scene, I'd like to change that this coming year. I would say I met/went on dates with roughly 7-10 girls and not a single one of them was for more than 5 dates. I guess I'm just not in the mood to waste time, I know exactly what I want and I'm not gonna settle even momentarily for something else. Hopefully the search yeilds better results this year haha.
I've been living basically paycheck to paycheck because of the choices I made (such as buying the house), I've been waiting for a promotion that I've been promised for months, I'm hoping it's coming sooner than later....I'd really like to pay off my Credit Cards and my car so I can spend some money on the house renovating.
I didn't spend as much time on the dirtbike this past summer as I wanted to either, hoping to get out more on it this year. Same goes for golfing
I asked for a kayak for christmas, and low and behold I got it!!!! I'm really excited for this new hobby so hopefully I find time to get into that as well
I'd love to try skydiving (need to conquer the fear of heights)
I'd love to get out camping a few times, too.
Well, I guess that's it really. I've got high hopes and good feelings that 2012 has a lot to offer. Hope yours does too!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Life is a Sandwich Shop
Yes, a strange thought....yet it fits, and I'll explain why. I have to give credit where due, my friend carly definitely basically sparked this idea....we were discussing my dating woes and she described me as "a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, with poprocks hidden inside". It was a stroke of genious, and very fitting when she elaborated. She said that it's because on the sirface I come off as very average(PB&J sandwich), but that I have all this interesting knowledge and thoughts kicking around in my head(pop rocks inside) that no one knows about until they get to know me.
So.....Life is a sandwich shop! What kind of sandwich are you? All of the different aspects of our life are like the little side dishes you can pick from....your job could be a macaroni salad. Your friends are like the dishes that support the sandwich that is you. Your education and skills are the silverware necessary to make you useful. I guess I just found this a really entertaining metaphor for life and wanted to share it. Feel free to comment with what you think...
So.....Life is a sandwich shop! What kind of sandwich are you? All of the different aspects of our life are like the little side dishes you can pick from....your job could be a macaroni salad. Your friends are like the dishes that support the sandwich that is you. Your education and skills are the silverware necessary to make you useful. I guess I just found this a really entertaining metaphor for life and wanted to share it. Feel free to comment with what you think...
Thursday, December 8, 2011
My Most Recent Thoughts on Society and People in America....
So, I haven't been on here to write anything in a while, but last night I ended up getting into a conversation with a friend that quickly evolved into a rather deep one and inspired me to put alot of my thoughts on what we talked about on here. just a warning, this is going to read very scatter-brained....so for that I appologize, but I have no clue how I could organize these thoughts to make more sense....
It's my opinion/observation that our society as a whole basically sucks ass. The things people generally value and/or care about are drastically off-base these days. America can no longer be defined as it once was. People don't care about people anymore, except for a really small sample percentage of our society. In my experience, there are still some people out there that will surprise you with compassion and understanding when you need it most, but it's definately becoming increasingly rare. America was supposed to be the place people went to be part of something bigger, a place of progress, a new culture all it's own. People used to be proud to call themselves American, are you? I'm certainly not. We are the only country where when you ask someone what nationality they are, they ramble off a list of other countries....its proposterous. Especially since 98% of the time, those ties are 4 or more generations back. If you're parents were born HERE, and their parents were born HERE.....NEWS FLASH! you're NOT "italian", "german", "polish", etc.....you are AMERICAN. What else is sad is that our national language is almost no longer english. I'm all for people being able to speak langauges other than english....but this country was built on english, it should remain the universal language here. I can't even beleive that it is an OPTION to take the citizenship examination in SPANISH for christ sake! This is the only place in the world where people come to and actually refuse to assimilate into the culture. Anywhere else you go in the world you are expected to assimilate. We are expected to except anyone and everyone, and accomodate their cultures. Why? Why should we? As an American....if you travel anywhere else and people ask you where you are from, they CRINGE when you say you're from America. It no longer is respected. We are mimicking the timeline that Rome went through. It is my belief that we will eventually see the same fate, self-destuction due to greed and lack of compassion for the fellow man.
It's sad that I am literally blown away when someone cares about what's actually on my mind....those deep core values and feelings. I can't understand how people can decide whether or not they find someone interesting after a trivial conversation like "hi, what do you do for a living?" "where are you from" "where did you go to school" "whats your favorite color"......REDICULOUS. All that shows me is that the vast majority of society here is unbeleiveably conceited and cought up in monetary acheivements. It amazes me how some people are so easily interested in someone else. I get ridiculed for being "picky".....I'm not picky, I just know what interests me....and if someone doesnt have it I'm not going to stick around simply because they are attractive, have a good job, a nice car, education, etc. Those are all great things to have, and I definately would prefer someone I would date have those things, they mean squat if there isnt some deeply rooted emotional/intellectual connection to go with it. So many people are too busy worrying about stupid things like what someone looks like, what everyone else is doing, what's accepted as "cool" or "popular" or "in", what they look like to everyone else, if other people approve of what they want or decide to do, etc. That's all pointless horseshit. People should be concerned with how others FEEL, what concerns them, what makes them feel good, what makes them upset, how to make them laugh or smile. People don't seem to care about actually connecting with one another. Friendships are almost a joke, a popularity contest, a group of people that make you look good or like you're cool or some shit. I don't have a whole lot of friends, but I like to think it's because I only bother to talk and hang out with people that actually have shit in common with me. Similar hobbies, the want to share feelings with each other, the security that they will not judge you for talking about the things that bother you. It's really sad for me to think about. It's amazing how few people I can actually say know deep down what REALLY goes on in my head.....the thoughts that excite or haunt me constantly, the issues I'm internally trying to deal with or overcome, my insecurities. Do you have more than 5 friends that know your deepest thoughts and fear? I don't. I bet you don't either. If you do, you're probably the type of person I should be surrounding myself with. It's amazing how on almost every level of how our society opperates we are overly concerned with other peoples business. Everyone wants to know the gossip about other people on the lowest level, and at the highest level we're always trying to play world police. People need to stop thinking about everyone else and start working on the core issues at hand, and our country needs to stop trying to put our noses in the rest of the worlds business, we need to worry about our own country.....we are falling apart. Figuratively AND literally.
It's really all a damn shame. We used to be such a great place and great group of people. What happened?
It's my opinion/observation that our society as a whole basically sucks ass. The things people generally value and/or care about are drastically off-base these days. America can no longer be defined as it once was. People don't care about people anymore, except for a really small sample percentage of our society. In my experience, there are still some people out there that will surprise you with compassion and understanding when you need it most, but it's definately becoming increasingly rare. America was supposed to be the place people went to be part of something bigger, a place of progress, a new culture all it's own. People used to be proud to call themselves American, are you? I'm certainly not. We are the only country where when you ask someone what nationality they are, they ramble off a list of other countries....its proposterous. Especially since 98% of the time, those ties are 4 or more generations back. If you're parents were born HERE, and their parents were born HERE.....NEWS FLASH! you're NOT "italian", "german", "polish", etc.....you are AMERICAN. What else is sad is that our national language is almost no longer english. I'm all for people being able to speak langauges other than english....but this country was built on english, it should remain the universal language here. I can't even beleive that it is an OPTION to take the citizenship examination in SPANISH for christ sake! This is the only place in the world where people come to and actually refuse to assimilate into the culture. Anywhere else you go in the world you are expected to assimilate. We are expected to except anyone and everyone, and accomodate their cultures. Why? Why should we? As an American....if you travel anywhere else and people ask you where you are from, they CRINGE when you say you're from America. It no longer is respected. We are mimicking the timeline that Rome went through. It is my belief that we will eventually see the same fate, self-destuction due to greed and lack of compassion for the fellow man.
It's sad that I am literally blown away when someone cares about what's actually on my mind....those deep core values and feelings. I can't understand how people can decide whether or not they find someone interesting after a trivial conversation like "hi, what do you do for a living?" "where are you from" "where did you go to school" "whats your favorite color"......REDICULOUS. All that shows me is that the vast majority of society here is unbeleiveably conceited and cought up in monetary acheivements. It amazes me how some people are so easily interested in someone else. I get ridiculed for being "picky".....I'm not picky, I just know what interests me....and if someone doesnt have it I'm not going to stick around simply because they are attractive, have a good job, a nice car, education, etc. Those are all great things to have, and I definately would prefer someone I would date have those things, they mean squat if there isnt some deeply rooted emotional/intellectual connection to go with it. So many people are too busy worrying about stupid things like what someone looks like, what everyone else is doing, what's accepted as "cool" or "popular" or "in", what they look like to everyone else, if other people approve of what they want or decide to do, etc. That's all pointless horseshit. People should be concerned with how others FEEL, what concerns them, what makes them feel good, what makes them upset, how to make them laugh or smile. People don't seem to care about actually connecting with one another. Friendships are almost a joke, a popularity contest, a group of people that make you look good or like you're cool or some shit. I don't have a whole lot of friends, but I like to think it's because I only bother to talk and hang out with people that actually have shit in common with me. Similar hobbies, the want to share feelings with each other, the security that they will not judge you for talking about the things that bother you. It's really sad for me to think about. It's amazing how few people I can actually say know deep down what REALLY goes on in my head.....the thoughts that excite or haunt me constantly, the issues I'm internally trying to deal with or overcome, my insecurities. Do you have more than 5 friends that know your deepest thoughts and fear? I don't. I bet you don't either. If you do, you're probably the type of person I should be surrounding myself with. It's amazing how on almost every level of how our society opperates we are overly concerned with other peoples business. Everyone wants to know the gossip about other people on the lowest level, and at the highest level we're always trying to play world police. People need to stop thinking about everyone else and start working on the core issues at hand, and our country needs to stop trying to put our noses in the rest of the worlds business, we need to worry about our own country.....we are falling apart. Figuratively AND literally.
It's really all a damn shame. We used to be such a great place and great group of people. What happened?
Friday, September 30, 2011
New Stuff
Well, it seems I keep letting time get away from me and have huge gaps in my posts here.....so here's a little update of new stuff.
My sister recently moved in with me while she saves for a downpayment to buy her OWN house, and is paying me $300/month in rent. This has DRASTICALLY helped my economic situation as of late. So far, it's going quite well sharing my space with her so that's great news to go with it.
My Dad and I have been slowly chipping away at the interior restoration on the '74 Dodge Challenger he bought in the spring and it's nearly finished inside. It's been coming out pretty nice for a pair of backyard guys who've never done upholstery before I must say.
I finally tracked down and purchased the CB650 motor and CB750 cylinder liners I have been dying to snag to build up a big motor for my 1975 Honda CB550 cafe racer I mentioned in much earlier posts.
My little business venture of making some rare car parts out of fiberglass proved to be much more difficult than I initially imagined, but I have pulled through on the first production run and broke nearly even....so now that I have learned some valuable lessons, I should be able to apply my new knowledge and start turning small profits there.
My guitar playing has made big bounds recently, I have found new techniques and songs coming to me pretty easily. This is really exciting for me, as I had always struggled figuring out the little nuances in some of my favorite songs but I'm finally getting a grasp.
I bought new sneakers. They are super confortable.
I met a girl I seem to have a whole bunch in common with, and have really enjoyed spending time with her the past couple weeks. I am excited to see if it wil develop into something. It's been extremely refreshing to meet someone that views a relationship the same way that I do.
I'm finally gaining some confidence in myself, as over the past couple of months spent in the gym have yeilded some drastic transformation in how I look. I can only hope to continue the progress, and with any luck I should finally look the way I envision myself next spring/summer.
All in all, things are looking up in every aspect of my life. I feel like there are some more positive changes right around the corner, and can't wait to see what the future holds. I truly value where I am in life right now, I beleive when I'm old I'll look back at this point in time as the best time of my life. With that in mind, I'm trying to do as much of what I WANT as I can squeeze into my time and not wasting a single opportunity for a new experience.
Hope you enjoyed the read.
'til next time.....
-Nick
My sister recently moved in with me while she saves for a downpayment to buy her OWN house, and is paying me $300/month in rent. This has DRASTICALLY helped my economic situation as of late. So far, it's going quite well sharing my space with her so that's great news to go with it.
My Dad and I have been slowly chipping away at the interior restoration on the '74 Dodge Challenger he bought in the spring and it's nearly finished inside. It's been coming out pretty nice for a pair of backyard guys who've never done upholstery before I must say.
I finally tracked down and purchased the CB650 motor and CB750 cylinder liners I have been dying to snag to build up a big motor for my 1975 Honda CB550 cafe racer I mentioned in much earlier posts.
My little business venture of making some rare car parts out of fiberglass proved to be much more difficult than I initially imagined, but I have pulled through on the first production run and broke nearly even....so now that I have learned some valuable lessons, I should be able to apply my new knowledge and start turning small profits there.
My guitar playing has made big bounds recently, I have found new techniques and songs coming to me pretty easily. This is really exciting for me, as I had always struggled figuring out the little nuances in some of my favorite songs but I'm finally getting a grasp.
I bought new sneakers. They are super confortable.
I met a girl I seem to have a whole bunch in common with, and have really enjoyed spending time with her the past couple weeks. I am excited to see if it wil develop into something. It's been extremely refreshing to meet someone that views a relationship the same way that I do.
I'm finally gaining some confidence in myself, as over the past couple of months spent in the gym have yeilded some drastic transformation in how I look. I can only hope to continue the progress, and with any luck I should finally look the way I envision myself next spring/summer.
All in all, things are looking up in every aspect of my life. I feel like there are some more positive changes right around the corner, and can't wait to see what the future holds. I truly value where I am in life right now, I beleive when I'm old I'll look back at this point in time as the best time of my life. With that in mind, I'm trying to do as much of what I WANT as I can squeeze into my time and not wasting a single opportunity for a new experience.
Hope you enjoyed the read.
'til next time.....
-Nick
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Invaluable Friendships
So, for various reasons I won't really get into here.....the past two weeks have been pretty rough for me. But since I am one to always look for the positive in things.....
It's funny how in times like this you get a reminder of what friends are really for and what they mean in life. Those people you keep closest can just SENSE that they need to be around and/or take care of you. Over these past two weeks my friends have really stepped up and gone above and beyond expectations to make sure I get through the rough stuff and come out of it with a smile on my face and a lightened heart. It's truly an invaluable asset to have friends like mine.
Life has it's up's, down's, and falls. Friends are the ones that come running as they see you fall and pick you back up and dust you off, and stick around until you're OK. I truly feel sorry for people that do not know or understand what I'm talking about.
To say I've been low on cashflow lately is an understatement. I'm 100% amazed at how my friends came through for me as if it were no big deal. They took me out for nights on the town and made sure I had an awesome time, taking care of all the expenses just to witness a few smiles. They made sure on a saturday I would otherwise spend sulking around the house out doing some of the things I love doing the most, cooked me awesome meals, and put some positive thoughts back in my head.
I couldn't even begin to put into words how greatful I really am that I am blessed to be in the company of such awesome people, and that I honestly lead a rediculously awesome life. I have ZERO to be unhappy about when you look at the big picture. If you're reading this, chances are you're included in this group of friends I speak of, so for that I THANK YOU. I only hope I can return the favor on the same level for you one day.
It's funny how in times like this you get a reminder of what friends are really for and what they mean in life. Those people you keep closest can just SENSE that they need to be around and/or take care of you. Over these past two weeks my friends have really stepped up and gone above and beyond expectations to make sure I get through the rough stuff and come out of it with a smile on my face and a lightened heart. It's truly an invaluable asset to have friends like mine.
Life has it's up's, down's, and falls. Friends are the ones that come running as they see you fall and pick you back up and dust you off, and stick around until you're OK. I truly feel sorry for people that do not know or understand what I'm talking about.
To say I've been low on cashflow lately is an understatement. I'm 100% amazed at how my friends came through for me as if it were no big deal. They took me out for nights on the town and made sure I had an awesome time, taking care of all the expenses just to witness a few smiles. They made sure on a saturday I would otherwise spend sulking around the house out doing some of the things I love doing the most, cooked me awesome meals, and put some positive thoughts back in my head.
I couldn't even begin to put into words how greatful I really am that I am blessed to be in the company of such awesome people, and that I honestly lead a rediculously awesome life. I have ZERO to be unhappy about when you look at the big picture. If you're reading this, chances are you're included in this group of friends I speak of, so for that I THANK YOU. I only hope I can return the favor on the same level for you one day.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Started a joint-Website project
This has been running for a whole now, it's only recently gaining some popularity and I thought I would post it here for those possibly interested....
My friend Anthony, his friend Cliff, and myself have collaborated on a blog site of sorts called "GarageSpun". It's a tribute page to homebrew custom built machines by the average joe in their garage at home. We post up cool photos, interesting stories, video clips, and personal projects on the site for others to view for inspiration. Check it out if you have time, maybe you'll dig it....
http://garagespun.tumblr.com/
My friend Anthony, his friend Cliff, and myself have collaborated on a blog site of sorts called "GarageSpun". It's a tribute page to homebrew custom built machines by the average joe in their garage at home. We post up cool photos, interesting stories, video clips, and personal projects on the site for others to view for inspiration. Check it out if you have time, maybe you'll dig it....
http://garagespun.tumblr.com/
Monday, August 8, 2011
Progress in the Garage
Well, more projects going on in the garage as usual haha.
This is my friend Kyle's 1980 yamaha XS650 that was having problems keeping all of the fluids inside the motor so I sourced a replacement engine from the junkyard and swapped it for him. Also builing a custom seat and replacing the gas tank with a brand new reproduction tank.
In other news, my trusty roadbike let me down thursday at a very inoportune moment....I was on a date and the whole point was to have a nice leisurely bike ride to delaware park for some live music. 3 or 4 blocks in the rear tire blew out on me and we had to chain up the bikes and walk the rest of the way. I got a new tube and fixed it up sunday, but it was still a downer on the date. Oh, well. That thursday night got worse when I got a phonecall at 11pm to find out my uncle had died very suddenly. Still can't really beleive it. I'll keep this updated with my garage projects as it's what I seem to be spending the most time with lately besides playing the occasional Open Mic night with my band-mate Ryan.
That's all for now
This is my friend Kyle's 1980 yamaha XS650 that was having problems keeping all of the fluids inside the motor so I sourced a replacement engine from the junkyard and swapped it for him. Also builing a custom seat and replacing the gas tank with a brand new reproduction tank.
In other news, my trusty roadbike let me down thursday at a very inoportune moment....I was on a date and the whole point was to have a nice leisurely bike ride to delaware park for some live music. 3 or 4 blocks in the rear tire blew out on me and we had to chain up the bikes and walk the rest of the way. I got a new tube and fixed it up sunday, but it was still a downer on the date. Oh, well. That thursday night got worse when I got a phonecall at 11pm to find out my uncle had died very suddenly. Still can't really beleive it. I'll keep this updated with my garage projects as it's what I seem to be spending the most time with lately besides playing the occasional Open Mic night with my band-mate Ryan.
That's all for now
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Been Busy!
Well, I haven't been on here in some time now, and I figured I should toss up an update on what's been keeping me busy. I've been delving into a few side projects for both fun and for profit. I've been playing around with motorcycle part design and fabrication on a few local bikes, I guess all of the work I've done to my own started catching some recognition and a few individuals approached me to help on similar projects of theirs and I happily obliged. Aside from that, I've also been playing around with some composite part fabrication and mold-making out in the garage to make replica's of some rare car parts to sell for profit.
I've also been taking on a few new hobbies (surprise surprise, I know). I recently aquired a 1972 Schwinn Varsity road-bike that I've been putting some miles on for leisure based excercise, it's been a lot of fun. I plan to tear the bike down over winter and totally restore it, I located a very close match for the paint color and a set of brand new decals.
next hobby on my list is kayaking....I really enjoyed a few canoe trips with friends and I think I am going to try to get myself a nice $250 or so kayak in the near future for personal use, we have so many creeks and streams and the harbors down at the waterfront I think it would make for some really fun times.
Besides all of this stuff, I've just been up to the usual activities....playing open mic twice a month or so, working out 4 days a week, golf, meeting/seeing new people, etc.
OH! I almost forgot! I had a super awesome "staycation" about two weeks ago now, A good friend from ohio rode his motorcycle 340 miles to come stay with me for a week and we rode all over the area to all kinds of destinations, got him all cought up with local family members, and had some really fun rides. Everywhere we went people were stopping us to chat about our bikes and how they remember them in their hay-day and how it was great to see us young guys keeping them on the road and appreciating them. Had a FANTASTIC ride out route 240 from cheektowaga all the way to springville where we checked out a vintage cycle shop I heard about through a friend of my dad's, it was an awesome day.
It's been a really fun summer so far, and we're only halfway through it!
I've also been taking on a few new hobbies (surprise surprise, I know). I recently aquired a 1972 Schwinn Varsity road-bike that I've been putting some miles on for leisure based excercise, it's been a lot of fun. I plan to tear the bike down over winter and totally restore it, I located a very close match for the paint color and a set of brand new decals.
next hobby on my list is kayaking....I really enjoyed a few canoe trips with friends and I think I am going to try to get myself a nice $250 or so kayak in the near future for personal use, we have so many creeks and streams and the harbors down at the waterfront I think it would make for some really fun times.
Besides all of this stuff, I've just been up to the usual activities....playing open mic twice a month or so, working out 4 days a week, golf, meeting/seeing new people, etc.
OH! I almost forgot! I had a super awesome "staycation" about two weeks ago now, A good friend from ohio rode his motorcycle 340 miles to come stay with me for a week and we rode all over the area to all kinds of destinations, got him all cought up with local family members, and had some really fun rides. Everywhere we went people were stopping us to chat about our bikes and how they remember them in their hay-day and how it was great to see us young guys keeping them on the road and appreciating them. Had a FANTASTIC ride out route 240 from cheektowaga all the way to springville where we checked out a vintage cycle shop I heard about through a friend of my dad's, it was an awesome day.
It's been a really fun summer so far, and we're only halfway through it!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Are Hobbies/Talents a Blessing or a Curse?
I'll be the first to admit I have WAY WAY WAY too many hobbies/interests. I 100% think of myself as a real "jack of all trades master of none". Honestly, 90% of the time, I wholeheartidly love and enjoy my hobbies....but sometimes, SOMETIMES, it comes back to bite me in the ass. where I run into trouble, is that I decide I want to try to learn/make/do something....I research it, and jump in head first to see how I land. If I do terribly, at least I tried. Sometimes it comes out moderately OK, and I decide how I would do it differently next time and maybe some random amount of time later, I'll try again. Then there's that third possibility....I give it a shot, and it comes out seriously impressive given a first timer attempt and I realize I found something else I am really good at.
Now you're probably wondering, "what the heck is so terrible about that?". I'll tell you what....someone notices my work, and asks if I would be interested in making another one of whatever it is I made that came out great, and makes a monetary offer I cannot refuse. I do this person a kindness and make them one, only to box up something I put pride into and allow someone else to enjoy it. I actually like that part of it. Anyways, what happens is, someone else hears I did this for that person, and asks if they give me the same compensation if I would make another one. Of course, I'm not going to turn down decent sums of money that outweight the time I would put in to make one. The problem comes in when this snowballs, and I am too nice a person to start telling people "NO", I instead ask them to wait a week or two and remind me.
This has become the case with a few different things I have dove into and tried. I am 25yrs old currently, and I am finally at a point where I have acheived a serious number of the goals I set forth for myself a long time ago....and it would be nice to sit back, relax, and enjoy myself a bit doing some things for ME. The problem is, I seem to have begun building a name for myself and I'm a touch overwhelemed with the demand....and I had really high hopes that this summer might be one of the most meaningful and memorable of my life and that I really want to make it count. But alas, my talents are seeming to haunt me and possibly jeopardize that possibility. So that leaves me asking.....is this really a gift? or is it a curse?
I suppose when it comes down to it, I need to learn how to start turning people down, regardless of the fact I tend to enjoy the "work" involved.....but my time is more important to me than that. I'd really hate to look back and realize my twenties were all work and no play. I'd like to live my live free of regrets or "what-if's"
Anyway, feel free to comment what YOU think talents are....
Now you're probably wondering, "what the heck is so terrible about that?". I'll tell you what....someone notices my work, and asks if I would be interested in making another one of whatever it is I made that came out great, and makes a monetary offer I cannot refuse. I do this person a kindness and make them one, only to box up something I put pride into and allow someone else to enjoy it. I actually like that part of it. Anyways, what happens is, someone else hears I did this for that person, and asks if they give me the same compensation if I would make another one. Of course, I'm not going to turn down decent sums of money that outweight the time I would put in to make one. The problem comes in when this snowballs, and I am too nice a person to start telling people "NO", I instead ask them to wait a week or two and remind me.
This has become the case with a few different things I have dove into and tried. I am 25yrs old currently, and I am finally at a point where I have acheived a serious number of the goals I set forth for myself a long time ago....and it would be nice to sit back, relax, and enjoy myself a bit doing some things for ME. The problem is, I seem to have begun building a name for myself and I'm a touch overwhelemed with the demand....and I had really high hopes that this summer might be one of the most meaningful and memorable of my life and that I really want to make it count. But alas, my talents are seeming to haunt me and possibly jeopardize that possibility. So that leaves me asking.....is this really a gift? or is it a curse?
I suppose when it comes down to it, I need to learn how to start turning people down, regardless of the fact I tend to enjoy the "work" involved.....but my time is more important to me than that. I'd really hate to look back and realize my twenties were all work and no play. I'd like to live my live free of regrets or "what-if's"
Anyway, feel free to comment what YOU think talents are....
Monday, April 18, 2011
Growing up, and Realizing it.
I have made HUGE life changes over the last 6-8 months, not necessarily thinking of what those changes meant...but more-so making them because I felt they were what I wanted/needed to do. Sitting here and kind of reflecting on how my life is right now to how it was 5yrs ago made me realize....I am growing up A LOT, and I don't think I am upset about it. As an 18yr old kid with an obsession with cars and speed, I spent thousands of dollars on the first decent car I bought myself. I moved out into an apartment, worked a crummy job, etc. I found myself in roughly $6-7000 in debt within a year and a half of this, not understanding the consequences of those actions. It took me 3 yrs to pay all of that off, I had to move back home, work three jobs the first summer, and then two jobs the next. Finally, I was back on my feet for the most part. I started feeling good and spending money/credit again. a year later, $3k in debt again. Did I not learn? I guess only to an extent. I sold off all the fancy parts from the car, traded the car in on one I wouldnt feel the need to change, sold two of my motorcycles, and started putting money in the bank.
that brings me up to about a year ago now. I finally landed a career-oriented job that I enjoy most of the time, and decided it was time to buy a house.....renting is for the birds. 6 months of searching and I found what I was looking for. I am now 25yrs old, single, a homeowner, and as of this friday I will be 100% credit card debt free. It's a REALLY awesome feeling to realize how much I have accomplished, with fairly simple means. I truly enjoy my life every day I am here now....I get to come home to a place I OWN, spend my free time tinkering on cars and motorcycles in MY garage, have friends over, relax when I want to, do side-work when I want to, come and go as I please answering to no one. I am at a point now where I almost forget what it feels like to be sad or disappointed. Maybe this is how Charlie Sheen feels and why he always says he's "WINNING" haha. I couldn't be more grateful to have been able to get where I am, I guess the trick now is to maintain this and move forward....and figuring out what the next goal I want to acheive is. Maybe it's time to put myself back on the market more seriously....I feel my biological clock ticking...I don't want to be a 30yr old bachelor in 5yrs haha.
anyways, long story short....contrary to popular belief: growing up is awesome if you do it right and don't waste a single opportunity. To quote a great song..."Being grown up isn't half as fun as growing up, these are the best days of our lives"
That's all I've got for now until I have enough thoughts to assemble into something readable again.....
Until next time.
that brings me up to about a year ago now. I finally landed a career-oriented job that I enjoy most of the time, and decided it was time to buy a house.....renting is for the birds. 6 months of searching and I found what I was looking for. I am now 25yrs old, single, a homeowner, and as of this friday I will be 100% credit card debt free. It's a REALLY awesome feeling to realize how much I have accomplished, with fairly simple means. I truly enjoy my life every day I am here now....I get to come home to a place I OWN, spend my free time tinkering on cars and motorcycles in MY garage, have friends over, relax when I want to, do side-work when I want to, come and go as I please answering to no one. I am at a point now where I almost forget what it feels like to be sad or disappointed. Maybe this is how Charlie Sheen feels and why he always says he's "WINNING" haha. I couldn't be more grateful to have been able to get where I am, I guess the trick now is to maintain this and move forward....and figuring out what the next goal I want to acheive is. Maybe it's time to put myself back on the market more seriously....I feel my biological clock ticking...I don't want to be a 30yr old bachelor in 5yrs haha.
anyways, long story short....contrary to popular belief: growing up is awesome if you do it right and don't waste a single opportunity. To quote a great song..."Being grown up isn't half as fun as growing up, these are the best days of our lives"
That's all I've got for now until I have enough thoughts to assemble into something readable again.....
Until next time.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Random Thought
So lately I write about stuff that's somewhat serious and everything, but I just have this crazy thought haha.
So, this happens quite frequently.....I spend a lot of time sitting at a desk at work. At least twice a week, I will have been sitting at my desk for HOURS, and when I go to get up and walk around, my stinkin' shoe is untied! I have not moved from my desk for them to work themselves loose, I have not moved for the "ears" of the tie to get caught on something to pull them apart. What is this phenomenon? I sometimes seriously beleive there really ARE little shoe-knomes that come and untie my shoes while I am diligently working at something.
And before you say it could just be something wierd with the shoes or laces.....it happens regardless of the shoes I am wearing, and regardless of wether or not I have tried new laces.
It's a conspiracy I tell you!
So, this happens quite frequently.....I spend a lot of time sitting at a desk at work. At least twice a week, I will have been sitting at my desk for HOURS, and when I go to get up and walk around, my stinkin' shoe is untied! I have not moved from my desk for them to work themselves loose, I have not moved for the "ears" of the tie to get caught on something to pull them apart. What is this phenomenon? I sometimes seriously beleive there really ARE little shoe-knomes that come and untie my shoes while I am diligently working at something.
And before you say it could just be something wierd with the shoes or laces.....it happens regardless of the shoes I am wearing, and regardless of wether or not I have tried new laces.
It's a conspiracy I tell you!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
"Talking" and "Conversation"
For some reason lately I have been quite inspired to think about conventional society and the way people interact. I noticed something....that there is quite a huge difference between "talking" and having a conversation. Ever notice when you want to get to know someone, you almost 100% of the time are stuck in "small talk" and trivial jargon? Why is it so hard to just cut through all the bullshit and talk about REAL stuff?
"how was your day?"
"did you enjoy the nice weather we had the other day?"
"what's your favorite color?"
These questions are pretty unfascinating and don't tell you anything about the person answering them. So, why is it so "wierd" and difficult to get right to the questions you REALLY want answered? How do you make that transition? I recently noticed rather out of the blue that I FAR more enjoy talking to someone that is willing to ask questions beyond the standard trivial small talk. I like when my thoughts are challenged, when I can discuss the way I think about something and hear someone else's analysis. It made me wonder how and when the transition takes place when you meet someone....
How long before someone is comfortable enough to ask a REAL question? What are the chances the other person actually answers honestly, if at all? How do you know where someone's limit is as far as their comfort level of things to discuss?
Actually, I am just now remembering a situation I experienced while attending college. A complete stranger came up to me while I was sitting on a bench outside reading/studying and asked if I had a few minutes. He immediately asked me what religion I was, what my thoughts on God were, and what extend of a higher power I beleive in. Looking back, I had felt EXTREMELY akward about this conversation...but I did answer all of his questions honestly, and we had a little debate for maybe 5-10 mins. I feel bad now because I was so wierded out at the time, but this person gave me probably the most meaningful conversation I had all week at the time.
I think now that I have realized that's the type of exchange I prefer with someone, I somewhat wish I could go back and re-do that conversation a bit. Maybe even thank him for the debate and at least get his name. Nonetheless, I can't help but think that if I were to approach someone in a similar fashion they might be wierded out just as I was, regardless of topic. What makes people this way? Are we all this way? Born this way? Maybe we get raised and conditioned this way.
Methinks it's time to try being more direct with conversations and see how people react. Ask some crazy off-the-wall questions and see what happens.
I'll report back how it goes after a few tries haha
"how was your day?"
"did you enjoy the nice weather we had the other day?"
"what's your favorite color?"
These questions are pretty unfascinating and don't tell you anything about the person answering them. So, why is it so "wierd" and difficult to get right to the questions you REALLY want answered? How do you make that transition? I recently noticed rather out of the blue that I FAR more enjoy talking to someone that is willing to ask questions beyond the standard trivial small talk. I like when my thoughts are challenged, when I can discuss the way I think about something and hear someone else's analysis. It made me wonder how and when the transition takes place when you meet someone....
How long before someone is comfortable enough to ask a REAL question? What are the chances the other person actually answers honestly, if at all? How do you know where someone's limit is as far as their comfort level of things to discuss?
Actually, I am just now remembering a situation I experienced while attending college. A complete stranger came up to me while I was sitting on a bench outside reading/studying and asked if I had a few minutes. He immediately asked me what religion I was, what my thoughts on God were, and what extend of a higher power I beleive in. Looking back, I had felt EXTREMELY akward about this conversation...but I did answer all of his questions honestly, and we had a little debate for maybe 5-10 mins. I feel bad now because I was so wierded out at the time, but this person gave me probably the most meaningful conversation I had all week at the time.
I think now that I have realized that's the type of exchange I prefer with someone, I somewhat wish I could go back and re-do that conversation a bit. Maybe even thank him for the debate and at least get his name. Nonetheless, I can't help but think that if I were to approach someone in a similar fashion they might be wierded out just as I was, regardless of topic. What makes people this way? Are we all this way? Born this way? Maybe we get raised and conditioned this way.
Methinks it's time to try being more direct with conversations and see how people react. Ask some crazy off-the-wall questions and see what happens.
I'll report back how it goes after a few tries haha
Monday, February 7, 2011
In a particularly good mood
As of late, I must say life is pretty awesome, so I figured I would share.
So I spent all of last week preparing my new house to move in. Old wallpaper was putting up a pretty darn good fight but in the end I prevailed, though not without completely chopping the crap out of my thumbs from gripping the putty knife so brutally. Moved all of my stuff in on Saturday, painted the kitchen, and set all of my stuff up where I wanted it. Did final cleanup and whatnot sunday morning, and then went and watched the superbowl at a buddies house.
Besides that, alot of the things I have been working towards have been falling into place just as I have been hoping for a long time. It feels good to know that I made a lot of correct decisions to arrive here. A year ago I was not very optimistic I would get to this point, but I worked hard for it and here I am.
I was supposed to have a room mate move in to my house with me, but things didn't work out as he planned so it's going to be cutting it pretty close financially, but I am up for promotion so it shouldn't be a strain for too long.
I'm looking forward to making changes and putting my personal touches into the house to make it my own. I think this summer is going to yeild a lot of great experiences and fun times.
My music is coming along, we almost have a complete line-up now for the band....we picked up a great bassist recently that works really well with our dynamic, now all we need is a great vocalist to tie up the loose ends and really get to writing more. I'm excited that this is finally coming together too, I went a long time wishing I could play more and learn things from other musicians and it's finally looking like a possibility. Not having cable/internet/TV at the house means I will spend more time practicing and learning new techniques and finding new sounds to use for my own writing.
Well, I hope you have enjoyed reading about the most recent fruits of my labor! I'll update again soon hopefully (if I don't get super involved in house stuff and whatnot)
So I spent all of last week preparing my new house to move in. Old wallpaper was putting up a pretty darn good fight but in the end I prevailed, though not without completely chopping the crap out of my thumbs from gripping the putty knife so brutally. Moved all of my stuff in on Saturday, painted the kitchen, and set all of my stuff up where I wanted it. Did final cleanup and whatnot sunday morning, and then went and watched the superbowl at a buddies house.
Besides that, alot of the things I have been working towards have been falling into place just as I have been hoping for a long time. It feels good to know that I made a lot of correct decisions to arrive here. A year ago I was not very optimistic I would get to this point, but I worked hard for it and here I am.
I was supposed to have a room mate move in to my house with me, but things didn't work out as he planned so it's going to be cutting it pretty close financially, but I am up for promotion so it shouldn't be a strain for too long.
I'm looking forward to making changes and putting my personal touches into the house to make it my own. I think this summer is going to yeild a lot of great experiences and fun times.
My music is coming along, we almost have a complete line-up now for the band....we picked up a great bassist recently that works really well with our dynamic, now all we need is a great vocalist to tie up the loose ends and really get to writing more. I'm excited that this is finally coming together too, I went a long time wishing I could play more and learn things from other musicians and it's finally looking like a possibility. Not having cable/internet/TV at the house means I will spend more time practicing and learning new techniques and finding new sounds to use for my own writing.
Well, I hope you have enjoyed reading about the most recent fruits of my labor! I'll update again soon hopefully (if I don't get super involved in house stuff and whatnot)
Friday, January 28, 2011
How many lines do we walk?
So, after some rather deep conversation something struck a bit of a chord within me. The discussion was about the differences between Truth, Brutal Honesty, and Downright Rudeness.
It became immediately apparent that the lines that separate these three things are not only thin, but very grey. It ends up being more dependant on the person on the receiving end; that is to say how easily upset they are and how apt they are to letting someone hurt their feelings.
Each person has thier own perception of what is truth, what is brutal honesty, and what is rude.
The issue, is that not everyone's perception of these is the same......so who's perception is the right one? Is anyone's?
So after sleeping and thinking about this some more, I find myself wondering just how many other situations this applies to. How many lines are we each walking on a daily basis? hourly? every minute? every second?
I find myself wanting to ask people what they consider the difference to be between truth, brutal honesty, and rudeness now that this topic has come up....and maybe after that, I'll find some other "lines" to poll about.
Sometimes I really just think as a society we have all grown too "soft"....that we have all come to a point where we are so concerned with all the opinions besides our own that what other people think is capable of hurting our feelings so easily. We have evloved into a "bleeding heart society" and now governments, agencys, committees, etc. all create "rules" and "regulations" and "standards" to "protect" everyone's feelings. We are censored; forced to comform.....to be "politically correct".
It is rediculous......what happened to being able to be yourself? If I hurt someone's feelings....who's fault is it?
Is it my fault for saying it? Is it yours for caring what I think?
What if someone asks me a question, and at the end of the question says 'be honest'.....and I say something honest, but it is inherently a put-down? Am I at fault if I hurt their feelings? or can they value my honesty and accept it? afterall, they asked for my honesty right?
So what about you? Do you live your life expecting everyone to have something nice to say all the time? Do you like everything to come with a grain of salt, or a grain of sugar? Maybe there is no right answer, maybe it all depends on context....but what then, can be standardized?
There-in lies the beauty of human interaction.
It became immediately apparent that the lines that separate these three things are not only thin, but very grey. It ends up being more dependant on the person on the receiving end; that is to say how easily upset they are and how apt they are to letting someone hurt their feelings.
Each person has thier own perception of what is truth, what is brutal honesty, and what is rude.
The issue, is that not everyone's perception of these is the same......so who's perception is the right one? Is anyone's?
So after sleeping and thinking about this some more, I find myself wondering just how many other situations this applies to. How many lines are we each walking on a daily basis? hourly? every minute? every second?
I find myself wanting to ask people what they consider the difference to be between truth, brutal honesty, and rudeness now that this topic has come up....and maybe after that, I'll find some other "lines" to poll about.
Sometimes I really just think as a society we have all grown too "soft"....that we have all come to a point where we are so concerned with all the opinions besides our own that what other people think is capable of hurting our feelings so easily. We have evloved into a "bleeding heart society" and now governments, agencys, committees, etc. all create "rules" and "regulations" and "standards" to "protect" everyone's feelings. We are censored; forced to comform.....to be "politically correct".
It is rediculous......what happened to being able to be yourself? If I hurt someone's feelings....who's fault is it?
Is it my fault for saying it? Is it yours for caring what I think?
What if someone asks me a question, and at the end of the question says 'be honest'.....and I say something honest, but it is inherently a put-down? Am I at fault if I hurt their feelings? or can they value my honesty and accept it? afterall, they asked for my honesty right?
So what about you? Do you live your life expecting everyone to have something nice to say all the time? Do you like everything to come with a grain of salt, or a grain of sugar? Maybe there is no right answer, maybe it all depends on context....but what then, can be standardized?
There-in lies the beauty of human interaction.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Analyzing myself a bit....
So recently I have been talking with a couple close friends about their relationship issues (I'm everyone's favorite 'friend-to-confide-in') and it somewhat made me realize a lot about myself. (I actually enjoy having deep conversations about life's battles and do not mind being everyone's go-to-guy BTW) It's funny how you sometimes don't realize certain things about yourself until you are speaking with a friend about your experiences to try to help them wrap their head around their own problems.
What I have realized, is that I just plain don't beleive in the traditional concept of dating.
The traditional way goes something like this:
Two people meet, act a certain way to impress each other, do fancy things to demonstrate "value", decide to date exclusively, give up a bunch of other things in their lives to spend time together, and then from there they slowly alienate their friends and family until they either break up or get married(afterall, those are really the only two outcomes of a relationship).....and if they break up they each somewhat "run back" to their friends for sympathy and try to re-kindle the things they let suffer.
I strongly disagree with this process. I have come to realize that I quite like my life the way it is when I am single. I play by my own rules, attend to all my hobbies, and have strong relationships with my best of friends. I am almost always in a great mood unless I am ill. Overall, I am more productive, and less stressed.
The thing that kills me with relationships, is that I have noticed this "trend" of after about 4-6 months of serious dating it seems females feel that they should be the single most important aspect of their significant other's daily life. They get upset when their boyfriend wants to go have guys nights, hang out and watch sports games with their friends, spend time on a hobby, etc. I honestly have yet to meet a girl that does not apply to this analysis. Why are we expected to allow all of the other parts of our lives suffer in favor of catering to a female's need for constant validation? In my opinion, what makes the human race so great is that we are all such different people despite the fact that on a molecular level we are the same. Each one of us has our own hobbies, interests, values, etc. Why can't we just appreciate that about each other? In my opinion, there should be just as much quality time APART as quality time TOGETHER. Now I am not saying I think that someone should literally not change anything about the way the live their life to accomodate a relationship, I just think the extent of the expectations that seem to exist in society are way out of line. It is all too rare to have a friend who's girlfriend doesn't give him a hard time about regularly spending time with his friends (who have been around much longer that her and have probably influenced his life a great deal more), let alone ENCOURAGE free time apart.
I would hope that I can meet someone who is very independant much like I am, someone with her own group of friends that she spends time with regularly, someone with their own career and goals established, someone driven, someone with hobbies of their own,etc. I think the best thing would be to have to people that can grow together yet keep in touch with their friends and continue to indulge in their hobbies and dreams without it negatively affecting the other person. Is this too much to ask? I don't think so... and honestly I feel the odds are in my favor, because from a statistics standpoint their are more women then men in the world.....so I think I can afford to be a bit more picky than a female.
What I have realized, is that I just plain don't beleive in the traditional concept of dating.
The traditional way goes something like this:
Two people meet, act a certain way to impress each other, do fancy things to demonstrate "value", decide to date exclusively, give up a bunch of other things in their lives to spend time together, and then from there they slowly alienate their friends and family until they either break up or get married(afterall, those are really the only two outcomes of a relationship).....and if they break up they each somewhat "run back" to their friends for sympathy and try to re-kindle the things they let suffer.
I strongly disagree with this process. I have come to realize that I quite like my life the way it is when I am single. I play by my own rules, attend to all my hobbies, and have strong relationships with my best of friends. I am almost always in a great mood unless I am ill. Overall, I am more productive, and less stressed.
The thing that kills me with relationships, is that I have noticed this "trend" of after about 4-6 months of serious dating it seems females feel that they should be the single most important aspect of their significant other's daily life. They get upset when their boyfriend wants to go have guys nights, hang out and watch sports games with their friends, spend time on a hobby, etc. I honestly have yet to meet a girl that does not apply to this analysis. Why are we expected to allow all of the other parts of our lives suffer in favor of catering to a female's need for constant validation? In my opinion, what makes the human race so great is that we are all such different people despite the fact that on a molecular level we are the same. Each one of us has our own hobbies, interests, values, etc. Why can't we just appreciate that about each other? In my opinion, there should be just as much quality time APART as quality time TOGETHER. Now I am not saying I think that someone should literally not change anything about the way the live their life to accomodate a relationship, I just think the extent of the expectations that seem to exist in society are way out of line. It is all too rare to have a friend who's girlfriend doesn't give him a hard time about regularly spending time with his friends (who have been around much longer that her and have probably influenced his life a great deal more), let alone ENCOURAGE free time apart.
I would hope that I can meet someone who is very independant much like I am, someone with her own group of friends that she spends time with regularly, someone with their own career and goals established, someone driven, someone with hobbies of their own,etc. I think the best thing would be to have to people that can grow together yet keep in touch with their friends and continue to indulge in their hobbies and dreams without it negatively affecting the other person. Is this too much to ask? I don't think so... and honestly I feel the odds are in my favor, because from a statistics standpoint their are more women then men in the world.....so I think I can afford to be a bit more picky than a female.
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