Frustration

Frustration, originally uploaded by CCBImages. Image from Flickr.

I tried to respond to everyone's comments yesterday and Blogger wouldn't let me. Today it's being fickle again. I signed in three times and still can't comment on mine or anyone else's Blogger posts. Grrrrrr...



Where do I send the nastygram?

Memphis Rising

He's doing it again.  I posted awhile back about a benefit Zach Myers (of Shinedown) did for the fallen officers of Memphis...now he's raising money for the flood victims.  Just one reason he's become one of my favorite people.  It's this weekend and here's the link for more info:  http://www.memphisrising.org/. 

"General admission tickets will be $15 in advance and at the door. A limited number of $75 VIP packages are available, which include a premium concert seat, commemorative backstage pass and a cocktail reception at 9pm in the Hard Rock Cafe balcony with the artists and special guests. The Memphis Rising Online Auction , Concert Tickets and VIP packages will be available beginning May 21st."  (Copied from the website.)

It's a great cause so anyone near Memphis should go.  If you can, ROADTRIP!

Why am I not going?  Because I have to clean out that old apartment.  Why am I being so responsible instead of blowing it off like I'd rather and letting my old landlord deal with it?  Because one day I'll probably need to move again and I'll want a nice place instead of having to live in a hellhole...

Dreaming of Kayaks



I'm in the green one.



It's a rental.  I went kayak camping with BCO and except for the rudder that I couldn't use because my legs are too short, I fell in love with this boat.  I want one.  It's got 2 hatches - one in the front and one in the back.  I packed it with all my gear and had plenty of room for more.  

Guess what?  I'm up $1300!  I won it playing blackjack.  I was tempted to play some more, but started thinking about the kayak I wanted.  I came home with the money to buy it.  Woohoo!!!!

  

Someone suggested I rig a pulley system in my garage to raise and lower the kayak so I don't have to lift it onto my car alone.  That sounds like an excellent idea, but I haven't the foggiest idea how to do it.  I'll figure something out.     

Starting with the Kitchen

My daughter is constantly cooking with too high temperatures and using metal utensils on my nonstick cookware.  Well, she can have the pots and pans she ruined.  I found a Bed Bath and Beyond near my new home and started stocking the kitchen.  I got all of this for $49.99.  Is it top of the line?  No.  Will it cook my food?  Yes.

I've been using the same knives since 1995 (at least).  The same electric can opener, too.  I think it's time to replace them.  I found 3 knives with sheaves for $9.99.  I also bought a manual can opener, plus various other kitchen gadgets.

Next paycheck - bathroom!   

     

I'm Back

I got the keys to my new apartment today.  Hooray!  No more spending 3 to 4 hours in my car every day. 

Look!  No clutter!  There won't be any, either, because I'm not bringing all that crap over here.  My furniture isn't worth what it would cost to pay the movers, so I'm starting over with new stuff.  IKEA, here I come! 

 My daughter can have the old stuff for her new apartment.  

I love my new apartment.  It costs less than what I was paying for the old one but I have access gates, a private entry (above), an alarm system already installed, washer/dryer, microwave, gym, and that door on the right leads to my...

...attached private garage!  Now I have a place to put a kayak.  My outdoor gear will live here.  I need to get some shelving to organize it, but there's plenty of room. 
I'll be around to your blogs soon.  I've missed my blog buddies. 

  

New Job Update

Stolt Tank Container, originally uploaded by fleandca.

Everything is going well, but I'm exhausted. I have to be at work by 8:30. If I leave at 7, I'll be 10 to 15 minutes late. If I leave at 6:30, I'll be 30 minutes to an hour early. Better early than late, so 6:30 it is...I can always stop for breakfast if there's nothing to do at work.

I have picked out a beautiful new apartment near my new job. It will cost me $1800 to buy out of my current lease, but with gas prices going up that may be a bargain.

I'm probably not going to blog too much about my job. I will tell you guys that I'm working in the export industry again. I have 13 years experience with a containership company, on the carrier side. Now I'm learning about the NVOCC side of the business, working for a tankcontainer company. What is an NVOCC? This blog explains it pretty well: http://shippinginsouthafrica.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/who-is-an-nvocc-operator-and-difference-between-a-freight-forwarder-and-nvocc/.

The pic is of a tankcontainer, but it's not one of ours. (I'm not sure if I want to name my employer, in case I've got any stalkers out there. ) They are not the tanker trucks you see carrying fuel to the gas stations, but 20' seaworthy tanks boxed in a frame so they can be loaded onto containerships..

I'm loving being back in the industry, but don't have much time to do anything else right now. I wish I could visit all of your blogs. I miss you guys.  I do have a travel post to write, and more weekend trips planned. Maybe this will have to become a travel blog - updated weekly - until I move. 

Back to Work

Today was my first day at my new job.  I received an offer for the full salary I was asking.  Woohoo!  I'm driving an hour and a half each way for now.  Yes, my dear readers, I am still in Houston after an hour and a half of driving.  We're roughly the size of the state of Rhode Island.  Then there's Houston's habit of annexing adjacent communities...whether they like it or not...all around NASA is Webster, Seabrook, Nassau Bay...but NASA is in Houston...it's confusing for me and I live here...I wonder what visitors think...  

(Texans measure distance in hours and minutes, by the way.  I'm 5 minutes from the grocery store, 30 minutes from downtown, an hour and a half from work, and 2 hours from the beach.  San Antonio is 3 hours away, El Paso 10 hours, and California 2 days.)  

My new job is near NASA, in the Clear Lake area.  The plan is to move to Clear Lake in a few months, after my daughter graduates.  I've already priced a few apartments, and I should be able to find something for much less than I'm paying now.  I'll miss living in The Woodlands, but it is a little on the expensive side.      

I'm so excited!  I'm also exhausted.  I feel like I'm rambling and babbling.  I'll get used to my new schedule and post something a little more coherent soon.