I'm Busy
Saturday, November 29, 2014
To all of my wonderful followers whom without I would not be able to do this.... wait.... I have no followers. Well that sucks! Oh well, maybe if I keep doing what I do I might gain one. Maybe even two. And if not, this will acts as my therapeutic journal.
I apologize for not posting much this week as I have been extremely busy with Yolena's surgery recovery and playing catch up with school. I'm still not quite caught up. I just wanted to share where my negligence of late originated from. With that, I will leave you hanging until my next posting.
Yolena's Surgery and T-Mobile Sucks!
Monday, November 24, 2014
Hello Everyone,
Today Yolena had surgery on her tailbone, removing some sort of reoccurring cyst. The doctor left it as an open wound, so that it may heal from the inside out, minimizing internal infections and scaring. The surgery was extremely fast, taking all of about 25 minutes. The doctor was someone we were familiar with, and are extremely satisfied with as well. He will be the same doctor that will be eventually preforming a gastric sleeve on myself, with top ratings in the U.S. on this particular procedure. She is doing well, semi-mobile at the moment. It will take the majority of the week for her to get back up on her feet, but she will be fine in no time.
I don't like to call out a company for how they treat their customers unless I feel that their practice is just wrong. Yesterday (figuratively) it was the Jack In The Box on Coleridge Ave here in Cincinnati. Today though, it is going to be T-Mobile. I HATE T-MOBILE. They have over billed us so many times and sometimes they fix it, if you can get someone intelligent enough on the phone to actually look at your bill and read what is really going on, and other times they can't explain the extra charges, but it must be right so they leave it alone. Well today, it wasn't anything they did in particular, but the general practice. Some of you may have heard that this week they are having an awesome sale by Samsung, where the Galaxy S5 is on sale for only $1 with a new two year contract. Well our contract is up, and I thought it would be time to renew. We desperately need new phones as our S3's can't hold battery charge for anything! So I ran up to Best Buy where I was politely told that T-Mobile doesn't participate in the program. So I called up T-Mobile and asked them what promotional sales they have for the season in comparison to the other major service providers that are their direct competition with. They said if I bought the phone in cash they would knock off $100.00, making the phone only $508.00! I was like wait... I can save $507.00 on the same phone by leaving a company I hate anyways? Let's go check out what Verizon has to offer!
Reliving the College Days
Hello Everyone,
Another eventful day today. I didn't actually get to sleep until sometime earlier this morning, only to be woken up by Yolena, needing a ride to work all the way across town. I knew she was tired as well, having gone to bed only an hour or so before myself. We had stayed up all night listening to music and just hanging out. I mean, how often do you really hang out with your significant other/ partner/ spouse or whatever you want to call them? Sure you eat together, sleep together, watch T.V. together. But what about quality one on one time where you are doing nothing but being together without all of the distractions? I bet the last time was when you were dating, before you let life and the day to day routine get into the way.
have you ever posted something on the fridge so that every time you open the fridge you would see whatever it was that you posted up there? And it worked! For about a whole 4 or 5 days. The problem is that you saw it everyday, until it blended and melted into its environment and then you eventually failed to see it at all, to the point you didn't even think of taking it down, and forgot what it even said! The item you posted became static and part of that every day routine that blurs by you without so much as a glance as you move on towards the next thing that will heighten your senses once again. A raise, vacation, a new book or movie, whatever.
And with this in mind, your relationship becomes the same way. Sure you love them, but the romantic butterflies are gone. You occasionally get excited about or with them, but its just not the same. The answer is simple. Cheat on them! No, no, no, no! Wait! I was just kidding! Come back! Okay, whew that was close! Actually the answer might be complex. It might be simple. I don't know. I'm just a guy with my own experiences. But last night I spent hours with my girlfriend, just sitting there talking and listening to music, just like the good ol' college days. Sure we are tired as all you know what the following day. But it was so worth it, right? No distractions, just us and our pets hanging out. I think this is something that is good to do at least once every couple of weeks or even just on a random day even if it is a work day or school day. Just be together and appreciate what you do have. Don't let it be static.
When I got out of the Army, all I had was a small duffel bag of my personal belongings and that was it. No car, no TV, or even a cell phone. I had some clothes, books, a laptop, and myself. A few years later I look at what I have now. I have a T.V. with the PS3, I have a California King sized bed from Sears, I have tools and furniture, electronics, a BLU-Ray collection and even subscriptions to Netflix and HULU! But the best thing I have acquired since I got out is a new family. Each individual, with the exception of Yolena, was a stray. Yolena took me in, and from there we began to take in animals that we rescued off of the street or from bad homes. And now we are family.
Another Eventful Day... Or Was It?
Saturday, November 22, 2014Hello Everyone,
So as my title suggests, today was not a very interesting day at all. I downloaded some pictures I took while visiting one of my best friends, Charles, in Arizona, downloaded some music from CD to MP3 before the Discs got too damaged to read, and worked on my inventory list spreadsheet some more for my business plan/ proposal. Oh, and my good ol' untrustworthy PS3 needed my attention today as well. I warned you guys that I was a gamer. I'm just too poor and stubborn to switch to the new PS4.
Anyways, my PS3 sounds like a miniature US Army version of the HMMWV (or Hummer for your civilian terminology) running on idol. Is that spelled right for the use? Anyways, the real HMMWV has a very big and bulky engine that is quite impressive, but constantly needs attention. I was a mechanic for those dang things for quite a few years. And when they idol, they have a very heavy purr that reverbrates throughout your entire body. And thus my PS3 is not sounding very healthy. I sent it in to Sony to have it checked out, and they sent it back to me a month later. I happily plugged my missed PS3, only to find that as soon as it had power, it was in direct competition with a mini HMMWV all over again. Well, it is under warranty, and I will be buying an extended warranty too within the next 30 days.
So I Spent all day today dancing from my computer to burn my CD's to the PS3 to upload all my data AGAIN (this is like the 3rd time I sent my PS3 in to them this year) and toggling to my spreadsheet. So nothing really exciting happened at all today. I did snap a few cute pictures of our new kitten, Skylar.
As soon as I figure out how do fabricate more threads on this Blog, I will begin to post some more recipes and how to sections, like on photoshop or other useful things too.
A World of Difference
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Hello Everyone,
Today was another early day for myself, as I usually try to sleep in until at least noon. I had to get up and go see the Dr today. Always going to see some sort of doctor or another. Today it was about sleep apnea. I have this condition, you probably have heard of it before, called... wait for it... sleep apnea! Even when I was in the US Army, I have always had a problem with this. Well, it's been getting worse lately, causing me to consult a doctor about the matter, which what today was all about.
The visit was shorter than the drive out there, which was about 30 minutes each way. I had no wait time, which was awesome, and the doctor came right in after my vitals were taken. Normally I would keep my doctor visits to myself, but this time something fun and interesting happened to me. Before the doctor came in, the RN or whoever it is that comes in to take the vitals, was very rude to me. Not necessarily directed at me so much as her whole demeanor. My girlfriend was there of course, sitting on the other side of the room, giving me dirty looks as this RN went about my business in a hateful manner. I threw a few jokes out there, and the RN was not very responsive at first. I would throw a few funny put downs on myself, and still nothing. So I got her attention and asked how she was doing. She complained about having to work at this doctors office and stated in not so m any words that she was miserable there and wanted to relocate. I understand how that can be. Now that I knew what the problem was, I changed my approach to my humor, and within two or three minutes, she was smiling and giving off some quiet chuckles.
After the doctor was done dishing out his opinion, my girlfriend and I left the room to make my next appointment, when no other than my favorite RN came walking by. I asked how she was doing again, and a big smile invaded her face as she said he day was better now.
I share this because I want you to know that first off, this actually happened to me. Second, I made a difference. I turned around a hateful attitude that could have any of a number of unknown consequences, which then could have negatively impacted other patients, her boyfriend, or anyone else she interacted with that day. Which brings me to the third and final point I have. Having a good, cheerful and even humorous attitude, even if the other person is rude and hateful, can have a very positive and lasting effect on them. It may not always work, but in the times that it does, you are impacting every person that they interact with.
Food Bank Visit
Tuesday, November 18, 2014Today is another day, but at least it's not snowing. As I have already said, I live a poor man's life. Today was food bank day. My girlfriend and I rushed there this morning hoping to get done before she had to be at work. Mission Accomplished! But it was a very interesting visit. When we first walked into the food bank, every chair was taken, so we found a nice little spot on the wall and stood together there. As I stood there, this gentleman in front of me had the biggest shoes on that I had ever seen in my life! I wear a size 13 W or 13 E when available as that is the most comfortable size to me though hard to find, but compared to his, I had a little woman's shoe size on. Absolutely amazing. Eventually he was called to go take care of his business, and when he stood up, he was at least a foot maybe foot and half above me, and I am 6 ft tall myself!
As we were called ourselves, we headed back to the grocery area and checked in at their little counter. Usually they try to give you something useful or yummy there that does not count towards your normal monthly intake. Sometimes its cookies and donuts. while other days it could be something like a pack of saran wrap. Today we were super lucky and got two rolls of foil and a 45ct of paper plates. The sturdy ones by dixie or something of that sort. Anyways, it was exactly what we needed because both of those we use a lot and both of those we just ran out of. We don't own any regular plates or silverware, or even drinking cups. We use all plastic and paper ones. If you saw where I live you might understand. Anyways, foil and plates, awesome blessing!
We then moved on to the food store section, which consisted of canned food and boxed food mostly. They did have Tuna in stock which is a first, so I was happy to grab 6 of those bad boys! I have a great Tuna recipe that would blow your socks off too! Its for tuna sandwiches too but it is so yummy! I would pay top dollar in a decent restaurant for this sandwich! Seriously. Its that good. Anyways, they also had a lot of apples, onions and sweet potatoes but their decomposition stage was a little too advanced for my own taste so we left those alone.
Once we finished our 25 lb selection, we moved into the line behind no other than big foot himself! We did some small talk, which is when I found out he was displaying a size 20, 2EX Wide shoe! I put my own foot up next to his and sure enough, my own shoe looked like it belonged to a toddler. This of course forced a smile onto my face with the light jesting conversation we were having. As he left and it became our turn to weigh our food and receive our monthly meat ration, the gentleman behind the counter who was helping us couldn't help but wear his own smile after seeing mine. He asked why I was smiling so much, which I didn't even realize I was doing. Either way, it was obvious that my smile was contagious. I recalled to him my conversation with big foot and my smile got even bigger, as did his. When he turned around to grab our meat ration, he also grabbed a perfectly square box that was about 12 inches on each side. "Whats this?" I asked and all he did was kept smiling and said "Merry Christrmas" and that was it.
We gathered our food and the gift box and went to our car. And like a kid on Christmas day, I tore that box open and found it full of fun little surprises. Lots of AVON makeup, a pair of nice platform sandals, a make up purse, and some toddle outfits. We decided the AVON product would be great gifts to my girlfriends friends, while the rest is great for eBay to perhaps cover the negative balance in my bank account. All in all, it was a pretty good visit.
First Snow of the Season
Monday, November 17, 2014Hello Everyone,
So today is the first real snow of the year. Its about time! Last year we had snow about two weeks before Halloween! I hope we get a couple of good snows in this year and that's it! I was fortunate enough to sit at a little... nook... I guess is what someone might call it... and I made some lemon ginger tea with honey in it, sat facing the window with the blinds open, and watched the sunset while listening to Pandora, a Loreena Mckennitt station I created. Absolutely wonderful for those who have not done this yet! Absolutely perfect for those serene moments in your life that need just a little something more to make it a perfect moment in life.
So as I have stated before, I am unable to acquire myself a regular job at the present time. That is one of the main reasons that I have began to blog and sell some of my photography work online. It would be nice if I could get something of a reputation for my work so that I might gain a few regulars purchasing my photographs.
What I have not stated before is the Grand Picture in my scheme of things. If possible, I plan to open my own retail store. I do not want to share the specifics, as I do not want my idea stolen from under me while I work towards accomplishing this dream. I will say however that it will be a struggle for myself to gather the resources needed for the end game. I have already been hard at work though!
I will admit that there is more to starting up a retail store than throwing some products on a shelf and selling them! Thus far I have contacted several distributors and discussed volume, pricing, and of course the requirements needed to maintain this level of business with them. A given is that of course I have to maintain the proper local and state licenses and taxes.
Still seem simple enough? Okay, try this one on for size. I found the perfect location and size (2500 SQFT) with lots of window space and parking. The old residents were a dry cleaning service, and they left the place in shambles. The floor was torn up, chipped tile everywhere and no real transition in the flooring at all. I called the realtor about the space, and found out that it is approximately $4500.00 a month! That is literally 10 times the rent for my apartment! So I would be paying this every month, in addition to having to fix the place up out of my own pocket! The carpet alone is over $6000, and that is if the flooring is already ready for installation. Ya, I checked...
Then to complicate the financial situation further, I would need to of course furnish the store, purchase the merchandise and money system, such as inventory programs that would be linked to a register, etc. security, phone system, payroll (ya you gotta pay for that too if you opt to), licensing to play music in the store, utilities, pay employees, the list goes on and on. Its a wonder that people can even start a business with all of the barriers and costs! But this has not deterred me yet! As you read this, next to me is a catalog with all the available products for my retail store. I have been painstakingly combing through this catalog (with about 150 items per page and over 300 pages) and creating an excel document to project costs to stock my store with my choice of merchandise. This will then of course end up in the Business Plan and Business Proposal I will eventually give to the bank. It seems like a lot of work, but I can only take it one day at a time and each day ask myself what I can do to bring me closer to my end goal.
I am yet to have any subscribers or even anyone that has read this to date. But perhaps when one of you do, you would be so inclined as to leave some feedback for me. I always appreciate positive criticism and suggestions.
About My Blog
Monday, November 17th, 2014Hello Everyone,
So I have had this blog going on for a while now, though it just sat here as an abandoned school project, which was exactly what this was. So many months later, money became extremely tight. I mean our bills are unpaid, empty fridge, and no gas in car tight. And it is getting a bit cold out side. I have physical handicaps that prevent me from working while pending surgery, though not bad enough to claim any sort of medical benefits to help pay the bills.
My girlfriend and her friend recently got all wrapped up in some web site called Pinterest.com or something like that where people go and find pictures and recipes and whatever else they are interested in and "pin" these to a virtual board. A couple of days ago, she found a way to put the two together. She told me about Pinterest and said I could post my photos on there, and have them link to my Etsy shop where I attempt to sell my photography. The median between the two was my abandoned blog page, which I just began to get going again today.
The purpose of this posting is to quickly let you know that I am now open for business and will be depending at least in part on this to help pave my way to paying the rent on time. But I also hope you enjoy my work. If you wish to see my shop, its not very old as of the date of this posting, but I have about 15 or 20 pictures up for sale. The link to my shop is https://www.etsy.com/shop/RememberThatOneTime?ref=shop_sugg
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