It's been far too long since I've visited my own blog as lately, I've been sharing the deep stuff the old fashioned way - in a private journal and with friends and family. But perhaps it's time for an update via Good, Bad, Random and Song of the Day...
Good: While at lunch today, after the sound of my horn indicated my car was locked, I heard another shortly thereafter. I turned and saw the City of St. Louis parking ticket car. Oye! They already got me once last week with a ticket during my 10 minute lunch time stop at home. I looked up and sure enough the spot where I had just parked was a no bueno spot on the 2nd Wednesday of the month for street sweeping. So I moved my car. Thanks to this kind woman in the parking ticket car, I avoided a 2nd ticket this month. As I left, after grabbing a delicious lunch from Nora's (in Dogtown) I thanked her for her kindness.
Bad: September has been a really rough month so far. But I look at how far I've come in life since my first bad September and I'm thankful, humbled and beyond amazed. I'm so grateful.
Random: My toilet. It has a mind of it's own.
Song of the Day: Album really, Regina Spektor's newest collection of awesomeness. Can't wait to see her in November.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Sunday, July 22, 2012
X by X
I've been going through all of my old files and notebooks in an effort to get organized for the upcoming school year and I came across something that I always reference but thought I lost long ago...
Prior to my 30th birthday I created a 30x30 list - things I wanted to accomplish by the time I turned 30. I know there were many I didn't get to on that list so for those and others, I've simply rolled them over to a 40X40 list.
Coincidentally, this year, my New Year's resolution was to be more spontaneous - to let thing be - to simply live and enjoy. So this post, which is long overdue, is a look back at the original list, what stands on my current one and a review of what I've already adventured into this year!
30X30:
1. Improve my finances by eliminating 20 - 25% of my total debt.
2. Work on fluency in 2 additional languages.
3. Increase my savings account.
4. Save 10% more each month for retirement.
5. Have taken part in one art fair with my photography.
6. Travel abroad, just one trip (for now).
7. Travel to a place in the US I've never been.
8. Learn how to do my own taxes.
9. Enroll in a Master's program.
10. Improve my physical health by exercising at least 3X a week.
11. Read for new books a year.
12. Get a dog.
13. Write in my journal at least 1X per week.
14. Run or walk in a marathon.
15. Learn how to ski.
16. Cook more.
17. Continue to broaden my food interests.
18. Continually improve my environmental awareness.
19. Save money for my mom's 65th birthday trip.
Well, I only got to 19 uh?! Not bad I guess. What did I meet? Well, I'm embarking on my second year in a Master's program so I'm well on my way to more debt (eek) but also more opportunities! I have an amazing dog, Mr. Cooper - my everything! I've been reading a lot of books thanks to book clubs, school and the book challenges on Goodreads. In fact, my challenge for 2012 is to read 20 books and so far I've read 7. Because I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease almost 2 years ago I am now much healthier with the elimination of gluten from my diet and it has been an amazing journey. I definitely cook more and I use food items that I had never even heard of. Because of this and new places to eat I have definitely broadened by food interests.
Okay so 40X40, I will have to work on this but a god chunk of these are on it.
So onto the exciting stuff, in this New Year with the goal of being more spontaneous, what have I done?
1. Added another motivational tattoo - was in my timeline but I did it a few months early on a totally unexpected night.
2. Asked out a waiter.
3. Asked out a total stranger - did this twice actually.
4. :D, related to #3.
5. Tried Korean food.
6. Went kayaking.
7. Joined a Board.
8. Moved to my dream neighborhood.
9. Significantly broadened my group of friends and I'm so incredibly grateful!!
10. Tried gluten free beer.
Well, it has felt like a lot more but I can't wait to see what remains in the last half of this year!!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Update: Crazy Neighbor Drama
Here's an update on the crazy neighbor drama going down in my part of town -
The property management company finally called me back this morning and she said the following -
-I can write in the provision of water. sewer and trash in the new lease so it shows the landlord provides these services and not the tenant.
-I can send her information about the benefits to smoke-free buildings and they will consider it when they renew the leases in June. They can't do an addendum now because it took a while to create these leases. She will review the information (and there will be quite a bit) that I mail her about this.
-I should report the threat I received from my neighbor to the police. But what if this just makes the situation worse with the neighbor causing the issue??
Thoughts?
The property management company finally called me back this morning and she said the following -
-I can write in the provision of water. sewer and trash in the new lease so it shows the landlord provides these services and not the tenant.
-I can send her information about the benefits to smoke-free buildings and they will consider it when they renew the leases in June. They can't do an addendum now because it took a while to create these leases. She will review the information (and there will be quite a bit) that I mail her about this.
-I should report the threat I received from my neighbor to the police. But what if this just makes the situation worse with the neighbor causing the issue??
Thoughts?
Monday, February 13, 2012
Crazy Apartment Drama!
Man, oh man, the apartment drama just keeps coming!
Short story to describe the situation: 4 unit building, 4 tenants - 1 works nights and she is really quiet and you'd never guess she lived there, 1 is a freelance artist who is home at odd hours and is quite vocal with everyone, 1 who is rather abrasive and smokes inside her apartment regardless the health concerns and me (and Cooper).
When I moved in I was told this was a smoke free building and I knew the downstairs neighbor smoked. But I didn't know she smoked inside. The vocal neighbor is confrontational with all, including cops. The other girl has a dog who strongly dislikes Cooper. Shortly after I moved in the property management company was fired by the owner because they were "fixing too many thing and it was costing too much" according to the owner. Take note, the things needing fixed, were common things any apartment should have for safety reasons. A month or so pass and all of the sudden our new landlord is company called Pinnacle Foursquares. We had no phone number to call for the longest time for issues, there's no physical address and never met the person who answers the phone.
Advance to recent events...
The smoking is something I can't handle anymore. I'd ask her to kindly stop smoking in her apartment because of the health issues and the fact that since I've moved in I have been sick more often than in the past 2 years combined but when the vocal neighbor asked her previously (because he is in remission for cancer) she basically told him to F off. So... there's that. So I decided to reach out to Smoke Free St. Louis and they sent me SO much helpful information to go to my landlord. But who is my landlord?
Just this weekend I received a new lease from PF with many questionable details and when I came home I learned the following:
After a conversation I had during the day with the vocal neighbor about going to the landlord regarding smoking (smoking neighbor wasn't home) his door was kicked in. So he very vocally informed me of this outside tonight saying it was the smoking neighbor who did it and that she did it before. Then the smoking neighbor came out to leave, gave me a threatening look and told me to tread lightly. The vocal neighbor then informed me that we have a new lease because the old property management company found out the owner was trying to use hers which was not allowed. Oh and the Pinacle Foursquares company is the owner...
So... do I move now or in June??
Short story to describe the situation: 4 unit building, 4 tenants - 1 works nights and she is really quiet and you'd never guess she lived there, 1 is a freelance artist who is home at odd hours and is quite vocal with everyone, 1 who is rather abrasive and smokes inside her apartment regardless the health concerns and me (and Cooper).
When I moved in I was told this was a smoke free building and I knew the downstairs neighbor smoked. But I didn't know she smoked inside. The vocal neighbor is confrontational with all, including cops. The other girl has a dog who strongly dislikes Cooper. Shortly after I moved in the property management company was fired by the owner because they were "fixing too many thing and it was costing too much" according to the owner. Take note, the things needing fixed, were common things any apartment should have for safety reasons. A month or so pass and all of the sudden our new landlord is company called Pinnacle Foursquares. We had no phone number to call for the longest time for issues, there's no physical address and never met the person who answers the phone.
Advance to recent events...
The smoking is something I can't handle anymore. I'd ask her to kindly stop smoking in her apartment because of the health issues and the fact that since I've moved in I have been sick more often than in the past 2 years combined but when the vocal neighbor asked her previously (because he is in remission for cancer) she basically told him to F off. So... there's that. So I decided to reach out to Smoke Free St. Louis and they sent me SO much helpful information to go to my landlord. But who is my landlord?
Just this weekend I received a new lease from PF with many questionable details and when I came home I learned the following:
After a conversation I had during the day with the vocal neighbor about going to the landlord regarding smoking (smoking neighbor wasn't home) his door was kicked in. So he very vocally informed me of this outside tonight saying it was the smoking neighbor who did it and that she did it before. Then the smoking neighbor came out to leave, gave me a threatening look and told me to tread lightly. The vocal neighbor then informed me that we have a new lease because the old property management company found out the owner was trying to use hers which was not allowed. Oh and the Pinacle Foursquares company is the owner...
So... do I move now or in June??
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