| Figured it was about time.
I'm actually stepping down from the salaried manager gig about 2 years after I took it. The money was never really that great for the commitment the position demanded, and the company powers that be decided to put a store manager I can only refer to as "heavenly father" in my store...after he and I had clashed to get along previously. The hours were also having a real impact on my education; I feel like I'm way more capable than a 3.3 GPA at NOVA.
So since I'm rapidly approaching the completion of my Associates Degree and I'm looking to transfer to a proper university to finish my Bachelors Degree, it only made sense that I would look for a chance to reduce my workload. Since we're opening a new store in Annandale, I worked it out where I can just be a Produce Manager for 40 hours a week instead of the 50-60 hours a week that Assistant Store Managers have to log. Oh yeah, I also write my own schedule now. The hourly rate I'll make will also be higher than if I averaged out what I was making as a Salaried Manager.
Other goings on...haven't been to many, if any shows in the last few months. I think I did go to that Mayhem Fest deal a few months back...most of the bands sucked but I got to see Behemoth and Cannibal Corpse for cheap. Slayer got really old, yo. I wanted to see Saint Vitus in Baltimore, but I just didn't have the energy; same for the God Dethroned/Augury shows in the area. Maybe with the reduced workload I'll have time go to more gigs again.
Marina got her work authorization, a driver's license, and a new car. This means she's now officially settled into American life. More important, it means we're not a single income household anymore. I'm particularly pleased with this, haha...as well as amused that for a nation that supposedly is in a bad economy, Marina has managed to get hired at more places than she can actually fulfill. I guess the problem is two-fold; one is that the available work is part-time and mostly retail, and two- supposedly hardluck Americans are just too lazy to make opportunity for themselves. Her parents came about 2 months ago; her father left after 2 weeks but it seems he left her mom behind. She was supposed to leave last week, but her flight was overbooked so now she's here until the 8th of November. I'm okay with it; it's nice having someone around who thinks cooking for me and doing my laundry is relaxing! Haha.
Still, I wouldn't mind having my living room back. Hah.
I dunno what else there is to cover...of my 3 classes this semester, Intercultural Communications 229...a required course for my degree, is without a question the most bullshit course EVER. Essentially it just teaches you that White Americans of European Descent are a bunch of bluntly spoken disrespectful assholes and that we have to be nice to everyone else no matter how stupid they are or how little effort they make to adapt to OUR language and culture. Thank god I'm at least taking this as an online class...
That's it, I guess. | comments: Leave a comment   |
| Ah update time. Because life has been so exciting since last time, right?
Moved back to Arlington. Without roommates. Unless you count Marina, who is desperately trying to domesticate my new digs. Why the fuck did I have to learn that my significant other is a Brasilian Martha Stewart AFTER moving with her? How those things tend to work out, I suppose.
It feels good to live in a city environment though, with walking access to Metro and such. Being next to Westover Market and its godly beer selection is certainly a plus as well.
Of course, I've switched stores again. Now I'm working in Sterling. The locals around my store, the hostile yuppie white folk that they are, like to call it Potomac Falls. They'll even correct you about it; but the address is zipcode is Sterling. The difference I guess is that hispanics and blacks don't live in "Potomac Falls" and they want to distinguish their cul-de-sacs and McMansions from the MS-13 occupied apartments of Sterling "proper". I prefer to think of "Potomac Falls" as just the part of Sterling where the Soccer-moms hold Klan-rallies.
Been to a few concerts. MDF was a great time. Bought plenty of CDs but not a lot of beer...between the economy and increased ticket cost; I decided to just keep my beer in the trunk of my car. Much smarter idea, especially if half of the bands are playing outdoors anyhow.
I will say that seeing Bolt Thrower not once, but twice, was hella sweet.
Saw Opeth and Enslaved at the 9:30 Club a few weeks later. T'was a good time, but Opeth wasn't as good as before. End-of-tour fatigue, uninspiring set-list...I dunno. There was just something less special than usual about seeing them. Enslaved was good live as always, but I still don't listen to the new album that much. "Vertebrae" was a snoozer of wanna-be Pink Floyd fagginess.
Summer semester has gone well enough so far. I actually meant to take more classes, but ended up just taking English 112...for the third time. This time online, and this time going really well. Have a better professor who isn't a fucking douche it seems. The online class thing is pretty sweet too; I'll probably try to take at least one of my fall classes this way.
Not a lot else to speak of. Marina has family and friends parading by in the next few months, and certainly I've got plenty of couch space if someone wants to crash in the DC area.
I'll go start with organizing my DVDs and videogames now. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| | Current Music: | Execration- A Feast for the Wretched | | Current Location: | bedroom | | Subject: | Alive | | Time: | 09:43 am | | Current Mood: | awake |
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| Since January...
Took over a new store. I actually work with a couple 'heads now. Sorta cool.
Got a ps3. The Xbox360 was kinda lonely I guess. Street Fighter 4 and Golden Axe are kinda fun.
Still haven't bought a blu-ray dvd yet though.
GF moved in.
Went to Atlantic City. (documented on myspace...)
Saw a couple shows. Skipped a few more.
Worked too much, been too lax on school work, but I think I'm doing okay. This is just one of those semesters I want to survive.
Roommates bought a house. Soon as they move the rest of their stuff into it, I'm furniture shopping. I'm oddly looking forward to it.
As of today, I haven't had a soft drink excluding Sugar Free Redbull in over a month.
I still need to buy an MDF ticket. I also need to decide if I'm going to skip an Opeth concert to begin a roadtrip at the end of May again like I did last year. The new Enslaved kinda sucks and I just saw Opeth basically play the same songs a few months back.
I'm sad Shoelace isn't gonna be there, as his retarded antics always amuse and his CD recommendations are always great. But it seems some other homies I haven't run into in ages will be. So I guess that's cool.
I need coffee. | | comments: 4 comments or Leave a comment |
| But when I go to work on Tuesday, I fully intend to have a bag of clothes, my laptop, and other urgent necessities (birth certificate, GPS, phone charger, etc) in the event some crazy shit goes down.
And I will be glued to any news feed available.
Most likely nothing eventful will happen...but I'm not sticking around if it does.
On a happier note, if I go to summer school and take 3 classes this fall and spring, I can be ready to transfer to a 4 year university in the fall of 2010. Go me.
Then I'll be faced with a new set of life decisions. Gah! | | comments: Leave a comment |
| So the roommates went off to Vegas and got hitched, and are buying a house.
Works great for me, I'm ready to find my own place, sans roommates. On my current income, that should be possible in most places in the United States...
But if there's an economic downturn, you wouldn't know it by looking at the rents on fucking Craigslist.
Damn.
On top of that, I'm not sure exactly when my lease expires. And we have a new property manager who has decided to become hyperanal about routine repair work that they should have completed YEARS ago, but didn't.
At any rate, anyone have any advice for finding affordable housing in Northern Va? My goal is to keep rent and utilities below $1000 or $1100 a month combined without having MS-13 for neighbors. | | comments: 4 comments or Leave a comment |
| A real man has Brazilian BBQ for Thanksgiving.
The family is off in Florida making each other miserable, and I'm going to stuff my face on obscene quantities of premium meats and wash it down with beer.
My holiday= the best. | | comments: 3 comments or Leave a comment |
| | Current Music: | Demolition Hammer- Necrology: A Complete Anthology | | Current Location: | home. | | Subject: | Yo. | | Time: | 11:00 am | | Current Mood: | ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/classic/smile.gif) calm |
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| Not dead.
I actually update quite prolifically at my My Space.
Those who aren't motivated to look there...I can give a brief run-down...
School is going alright, but I always feel like I'm running behind. I dropped my English 112 class again. I had yet another dumb bitch English Professor. I'm planning on taking this class again as an ELI (online) course in the future; perhaps the professor can't piss me off so much if I never have to physically meet them.
Black Jesus became president. And life is just the same.
And let the fucking faggots marry. Jeez, they pay taxes right? I always thought DIVORCE was the bigger threat to Marriage than Adam and Steve...
I'm going to New York in 2 weeks to do some sightseeing and visit the Metropolitan as part of a History field trip.
I got fat, yo. 189lbs. I would feel better at about 165lbs. Maybe I should make it a mission to get down to that by MDF next year...
At least I got my annual bonus yesterday. I also get my Q3 bonus at my job pretty soon...somehow my company has increased sales even in an awful economy so I'm feeling kinda lucky right now.
I don't really have anything else interesting to share. I'm alive and well, and life is going pretty okay for me, all things considered. | | comments: 1 comment or Leave a comment |
| Tension headaches blow.
Life isn't so bad though. Just looking for a new job, in the event something better than my current gig presents itself.
Thanking the heavens that I have a Corolla right now, instead of a H3 or some other Stupid Useless Vehicle.
I'll vote, just because I've grown to hate the neo-con Republican movement that much since W took office. But let's not kid ourselves, Obama will preserve the current order as well. Attempting to appease the "Clinton-ites" (a little hard to "fight the man" when you ARE "the man") pretty much proves this.
I can't think of ANYTHING in music that gets me excited right now. I spend my time downloading albums produced in Sweden in 1993 by Tomas Skogsberg or buying used CDs from yesteryear at various Record Exchanges/Indie shops.
For real, I don't even know what the hot song is, or who the hip artist is. I think I read somewhere that Kanye West pissed off a bunch of hippies at Bonaroo. The idea of rock bands and hiphop artists playing a hippie jam-band festival makes me laugh...and cringe.
New Opeth is really good though.
It's a bitch trying to buy a cell phone that isn't a Blackberry, IPhone, or manufactured by Motorola. WTF.
I'm really excited about the fall semester. I already feel like my break from school has been too long. Especially now that I begin taking classes that interest me more...I'm done with math for good (except maybe Statistics later on).
I've almost completed everything I need for a passport. Now for somewhere to go...
Out. | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| It's the end of May, which means I've been living here for...what? Only 2 years? Christ it has felt longer than that.
Here's the rundown of what's up with William.
1.) In a few minutes I leave for Day 3 of the Maryland Deathfest. Great to see so many friends this year! "Shoelace" made it from Oregon, there's a crew from NYC that I know...I've even got a girl from Brasil crashing at my joint for the weekend. Wild times. The lineup this year wasn't as good as past years, but Defeated Sanity, Waco Jesus, and Fuck...I'm Dead were a few Day 2 highlights, along with Ingrowing on Day 1. The only damper on the good time seems to be the large number of crusty kids and drunk hispanics who are WAY too close to my car at pretty much all times. Bought 32 CDs so far....drank a lot of apparently comp'd beer (my tabs have not even come close to reflecting the amount of booze I've consumed...), and even discovered a decent place to get a killer Burrito in Arlington.
2.) After MDF and a day to recover, I'm roadtripping. Probably bringing said Brasilian with me. Goal is to take my week of vacation and drive as far as possible; figured Louisiana was a logical point, especially since I've always been fascinated with the place.
3.) School went well. GPA is still around 3.5...so I feel good about that part of my life. I think after a well deserved break this summer, I'll be more refreshed and motivated to plow into more academic bullshit, all in the name of having a job that I don't totally hate someday. Monday-Friday 9 to 5 is the goal...
4.) The band "Imposer" might possibly be the most godawful deathmetal band, as well as the worst produced deathmetal band, I have ever heard.
5.) I'm starving for Chipotle. And more Stella Artois. Laters. | | comments: 4 comments or Leave a comment |
| It's been a while again. Nothing too exciting about me, really. Since last update, I've continued with this semester of classes, nothing too awful or dramatic this semester. Managed to remain in my job after having visits to my store by 2 groups of Euro-trash business execs. I do think that my district manager cringes every time I speak though; I dunno how much more obvious I could make it that I'm not impressed by the corporate leer-jet types, and am not awed by anyone. The store I'm working at now produces good numbers for the company, even as everyone else struggles. I guess that's why I'm still with a job. Heh.
Maryland Deathfest comes in a few weeks. Candlemass and Dimmu Borgir both play shows too. Looking forward to that.
Debating taking the summer semester off. I have 3 weeks of vacation that really need to be taken before October. I have a nearby friend from Brasil who seems eager to go on a few roadtrips, and I believe Alan and I have a mission to see baseball games in several venues this summer, including Yankee Stadium before it closes down. Gotta plan all of this out.
I just hope I'm still able to secure a student loan in this economy for the fall semester...
Today looks like it's going to be beautiful. I'm feeling wanderlust. I think it's time to get out for a bit. Keep in touch, people. | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| Since last entry on here...
I went to New York. Insulted people from Charlottesville. Had a good time. Drank a lot of beer.
(Hey Alan, when are we going back? I wanna see another Wolfpack game too, hah)
Started a new semester at school. Only 2 classes this semester. Feels a lot less stressful.
Got bored at work, bought a PSP on impulse. Having money is sweet.
Bought a new computer too. Send me mp3's, bitches.
Saw Rotting Christ, Immolation, and Belphegor live. Rotting Christ was ridiculously awesome. Other bands delivered as always.
No other shows to get excited for until the Candlemass/Daylight Dies show that takes place a few days before MDF. I'll be taking one of my weeks of vacation off around then.
Now what to do with my other 2...hmm.... | | comments: Leave a comment |
| | Current Music: | Blood Red Throne- Come Death | | Current Location: | home | | Time: | 11:03 am | | Current Mood: | awake |
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| It's been 2 months this time. Well shit.
Since last time, I got promoted at work (to a salaried management gig), finished a hellish college semester (which included a sordid drama about dropping a fagtastic English 112 class), and got sick. Hah.
Also ventured to Charlottesville long enough to get 2 fillings in my teeth by my dentist, and stuck around in town exactly long enough to realize that C'ville has become an even LESS friendly place than it was before. The complete absence of manners is appalling for a southern college town.
Considering that there is considerably more affluence in Northern Virginia, I'm kinda surprised why people down there are copping such elitest attitudes. There is NOTHING special or remarkable about Charlottesville, except for that killer Mexican restaurant and Big Jim's BBQ. I guess the mountains are pretty or something.
I think it's really fucking funny that my father is convinced that I will someday move back.
I've also discovered an irony about living in Northern Virginia. I moved here hopping to catch more shows at Jaxx. Only I've now realized that I've seen all of the noteworthy metal bands 800 times each, and when shows like Sunday's Vader/Malevolent Creation show take place, I'm just not excited about going unless I've got friends and cold beer waiting for me there.
I'm not growing out of the music. I still frequently add CD's to my collection. But maybe I've finally grown out of the "scene". Natural thing to happen at age 27, I suppose.
I love my Xbox360. Saint's Row is like everything good about GTA, without the gayass helicoptor missiions. Fantastic. I still need to get a Nintendo Wii though.
I think I'm in a comfortable rut again, and it sort of concerns me. I'm once again in a position of cheap rent, fairly unchallenging job, and spending money. And considering how drained I am from the last semester, probably not looking too forward to another full load of classes. I know I'll sign up for the 102 section of Spanish for January, but I dunno what, if any other classes I want to take this coming semester.
Yes, the past semester was that bad. Really just the malaise that resulted from that awful Eng 112 experience. NOVA has many great professors, and I've been lucky that almost all of the ones I've had have been outstanding. Except for the two douchebags that ran that farce of an English class.
I do have 3 weeks upcoming of vacation beginning in January, though. And since I'm salary, I either take the time, or I get paid nothing. So it's time to seriously consider some adventures in the new year. I know one homie wants to hit up NYC proper, but there's a part of me that wants to experience something more exotic, or at least more off the beaten path. I love living in the big city, or at least in the suburbs of the big city, but when I think of wanting an escape, leaving one big city for another isn't exactly what I have in mind. | | comments: 7 comments or Leave a comment |
| | Time: | 10:10 am | | Current Mood: | ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/classic/angry.gif) frustrated |
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| | The Porcupine Tree show sold out before I could get a ticket. SHIT. | | comments: 3 comments or Leave a comment |
| October is always eventful for me. Good or bad, it never lacks excitement. So far October has gotten off on a crazy busy note. I moved this past weekend into a new place with some peeps in Burke. I don't like it as much as Arlington; it's more 'burbs and less "city". Still, I'm about 5 minutes from Jaxx, and across the street from a friend, so that's cool. I'm also 5 minutes closer to work without being farther from NVCC, though I could probably take classes at the Annandale campus and be there in 5 minutes, hah.
My bedroom has been repainted and moved into. However, I'm convinced that the previous tenants literally smoked BALES of tobacco, the walls are so dinged. Air vents need serious cleaning too. Seems that repainting and cleaning are all on the agenda...good part is the landlord is reimbursing our costs. And the rent here is like...$325 or something for my cut. Much nicer than the $700 I was paying for a smaller place.
But life has been hectic. I completed this move without any time off from work...so that meant sleep wasn't an option for the last few days. Additionally, I still had to attend my classes, especially since I had a test in Spanish...managed to get 99.5% correct on it by studying briefly for it in the English 112 class I had before hand. A little amusing that I had a professor watching me look at my Spanish textbook while the other professor teaching the class was ripping into my classmates for being absolutely horrible writers. Meanwhile, I got a B for a piece of shit essay I threw together in about 4 hours the day before it was due. From what I gathered that was one of the highest grades in the class.
While moving, I discovered that my old, previously thought to be dead, laptop...works. So I have 2 laptops now. Score.
I'm starving. But I can't cook until the kitchen is organized. And I'm not fucking with that without one of the roommates to help me sort that shit. I'm about as good at organizing a kitchen as I am at painting. Which is to say not very, hah.
I guess it's off for some fast food. Dammit. | | comments: 4 comments or Leave a comment |
| Happy Terrorist/Jihad/Osama Day.
I'm busy as shit. Work/school/sleep. Repeat.
I still hate you, Charlottesville.
I quit sodas 2 weeks ago. Finally with success. Now to just stay committed to going to the gym regularly.
My English 112 class is gay. I ain't kidding. Gay enough that I would drop the fucking class if I didn't need the credits so badly.
Not taking honors is a mistake too. My classmates are morons, and I was the only person prepared for the presentation that was due yesterday.
Did I mention this class is gay? No, I don't mean gay as in "Will doesn't enjoy the class" gay. I mean, as in the class is centered around selected films by a homosexual director from Spain named Pedro Almodovar. It's that kinda gay. Ewwww.
Someone shoot me, please.
Porcupine Tree plays a show in walking distance from my crib in October. Of course, I shouldn't be living here in October, as my roomie and I should have moved to a new place by then. Considering it is the middle of September, we need to get on the ball about that.
Paradise Lost plays in November too. Sweet. I'll at least make it to 2 shows this semester. I think Amon Amarth and Enslaved are also playing shows I can potentially make it to.
I am increasingly impatient. I want more from life sooner. But I guess the work/school/sleep routine will pay off sooner than later.
I wonder when I update this again? | | comments: Leave a comment |
| | Current Music: | Malevolent Creation- Doomsday X | | Time: | 10:49 pm |
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| | There is no more consistently satisfying band in metal music than Malevolent Creation. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| One of the principles I hold very highly is integrity. I expect things to be transparent, and up front. Be it my relations with people, or my business interactions. Today I had an unsatisfactory business interaction.
Today is the due date for my Bank of America credit card. So since I hadn't paid the fucker through the mail, oh shit, right? Hey, it's due today, I can just pay at a BoA bank. Done it before, no problems.
So I go in, and attempt to pay. "We're going to have to charge you a late fee"
Me : "It's not even noon, and it's the final day due. It's NOT late.".
Teller: "Okay, but call customer service".
15 minutes later, on the phone with Customer Service: "Your payment isn't posted until the bank decides to do it..."
"You mean at their leisure?"
"Well,...uh, it could be posted late, and you'd be charged a late fee"
"So you're holding my money, which you recieved on time, and I have a physical receipt as proof. Yet you can decide when to enter it into your system..."
"Yeah, look, you're gonna get a late fee"
"You lost a customer. Fuck you." *click*.
Yeah, I hate losing my temper like that. But there's a simple principle here. The bank says you have until a certain date to post payment. I posted payment ON TIME, and they still want to hit me with a late fee as the result of their bureaucratic in-house bullshit. I don't care if their policy says they're in the technical right, it's morally wrong. If you recieve the money on time, you don't punish someone who's done business with you for over 5 years. I certainly could have made a secondary payment over the phone, but the fact is that I already made one payment today, and the idea of making a second one because they cannot be bothered to post my first payment before the end of today's business? Fuck that.
So I guess the point of this post is that I'm looking to transfer a balance so I can feed my Bank of America card to the shredder. Anyone have a recommendation who I should go with? | | comments: 4 comments or Leave a comment |
| | Current Music: | Blind Guardian- A Twist in the Myth | | Time: | 09:46 pm |
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| Route 50 between Middleburg, Va and Winchester is some of the most beautiful landscape you'll ever see.
Another day in retail, and another 8000 reasons why I'm in school, and my eagerness to add to my class load and get this done sooner increases.
Looking for rental housing in Northern Virginia has begun to sour me on this area. My roommate and I will certainly find a new, acceptable place. But the ridiculous cost of living verses the benefits that I actually get out of living here aren't really synching up. That's not to say I regret the move. Anywhere is better than the bland, culturally insipid pit that I called home for the first 26 years of my life, but I'm thinking that as my education progresses, I might begin to consider pursuing my bachelors elsewhere. The kind of place I could live in, for what I pay to live here, could be significantly more upscale and comfortable in other pretty sweet cities.
Hell, I'm wondering what I want to actually major in for my bachelors, still. I think it'd be cool to swing a double major between Sociology and International Studies, but I don't know if I could get into a school that'd offer both, or if I could afford it (since to devote myself to both would involve less time to work...). I just want to experience a career where I look forward to going to work everyday, instead of immediately hating life from the moment I clock in, until the time I clock out.
I need a new adventure. I need time for that adventure. I need more security in my life. Someone wanna toss me a big pile of money? | | comments: 9 comments or Leave a comment |
| Old cell phone died, new phone. Same number. But I don't have anyone's number, thus I can't contact you guys.
So yeah, send numbers to me. Email (ajudasinwaiting@gmail.com) or comment. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| When professors teach factually inaccurate information. I know it's a 6 week class, and that the professor is trying to cram in as much information as she can...but c'mon, I just wrote an essay on this fucking subject that got me an A in Western Civ 101.
Columbus did find traces of Gold and Silver when he struck land on the first voyage. Most likely in the form of trinkets and jewlery that the natives of Hispaniola acquired from trading with other nearby cultures.
And he didn't die poor. He did die in relative shame (the result of his refusal to admit he found a new continent), but he had acquired enough wealth from his voyages that he wasn't some schmoe.
This class seems ridiculously easier than 101 was, however. Take home exams, online quizes, open note everything? Christ, what exactly am I paying for here? 3 1/2 hours of lecture in one of those god awful desk-chair things, I guess. | | comments: 5 comments or Leave a comment |
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