A Yankee in Texas

I am thinking of making my next book a graphic novel. I have never been in to comics. Even as a kid I didn’t read them. Lately however a lot of graphic novels have been made in to movies. Many of which I have really enjoyed. This has peaked my interest in actually reading some graphic novels.

I have had a few books recommended to me:

Pride of Baghdad: (pictured on the left) From what I understand it’s a story about a pride of lions that get loose during the bombing of Baghdad during the first Gulf War.

Y: The Last Man: A virus wipes all men except one. It seems like an interesting enough concept.

I would also at some point like to read V for Vendetta and Sin City both of which I enjoyed in film form. I have a list of other books that might be interesting, but I figured I would start with these. Y: The Last Man has 8 volumes so if I get in to that it might take me a while to finish it.

If you have any suggestions for me please leave me a comment.

– Jeremy

…well at least the job I am leaving. I recommended that they post the position on Craig’s List yesterday and today we had no less than 8 people call. Most of them emailed in resumes and have interviews for later this week. It’s looking good that I might be training someone starting next week.

I am glad that finding a replacement shouldn’t be an issue. I feel better about leaving knowing I am not dumping a bunch of work on people.

– Jeremy

Since I have already slacked a bit on my apartment a day quest. I decided I would get a head start on this weeks 7 tonight by looking up a 10-15 apartments and then every night I would just have to do a little sorting. So I did a bit of searching and I think I have found enough for this week, but my one hang up is the ratings on Apartmentratings.com. There seem to be very few places with good ratings. Of course, like Ben said, in general people who are pissed off tend to be the ones that bother to write reviews. So reviews must be read and then given weight.

Ever wish you hadn’t found something? That’s kinda how I feel about Apartmentratings.com. Ahh.. wouldn’t ignorance be bliss?

– Jeremy

just a normal Saturday. Not exactly. Today I slept in because I stayed up a bit too late last night. I was suppose to get up early and take my car in for an oil change, but the siren song of sleep kept me in bed. I had an odd dream that I was hanging out with John Denver. That’s what I get for listening to John Denver before bed. Anyway so I woke up late and Nicole wanted to go get a pedicure so I was to do the banking. Not a problem.

After Nicole left I ate some breakfast than dilly dallied around the house a bit.  Shortly after noon I decided I had better get to the bank before it closes. When I pulled in to the bank a man ran in front of my car. Not close enough for me to have hit him, but close enough to startle me. I thought it was just some dumb ass kid that one of the stores in the strip mall next to bank had sent to get change for the weekend. It wasn’t till after I got in the bank that I found out he had just robbed the bank. I ended up sticking around to give a description to the police. I wish I could of been more helpful. I really didn’t get a good look at the guy. I am surprised that the customers that were in the bank when the robbery happened didn’t stick around to give a statement.

After that whole mess Nicole and I ate some lunch. Then we went to babysit our friends son Tyler. He slept the first half hour we were there then he woke up and we fed him… or I should say Nicole fed him. Then we played for a bit. Since it was nice out we took him outside to swing in his swing. Which apparently he doesn’t like. So we proceeded to run around the yard a bit. I use the term run loosely since his 18 months or so old he doesn’t run much especially on uneven terrain. After a bit of outdoor fun I felt his little fingers getting cold so we headed back inside. Nicole played with him a bit while I watched hockey (some help I was huh?) then she gave him a snack and they played some more till his mommy got home.

We stopped at the grocery on the way home to grab some provisions since we are supposed to get slammed with a Nor’easter tomorrow. If you believe the people on the local news it’s pretty much the end of the world as we know it.

– Jeremy

I think one of the toughest parts of moving especially after being settled for a number of years is filling in the blanks. What I mean by that is we have people and places. We have doctors, dentists, the people who cut our hair, a mechanic, and so on. All these various blanks need to be filled in once you move.

You have to find that go to restaurant that you order from when the last thing in the world you want to do is cook dinner and you don’t need a menu. You have to find a mechanic that won’t rip you off and a vet you can trust your pets health to. I think it helps to have friends and family that can offer suggestions, but we all need to find the people and places we feel the most comfortable with.

In the end it just takes a bit of research and some time to find them.

– Jeremy

keeps the doctor away… err… well something like that. I have been slacking on adding apartment complexes to my map. I tend to feel overwhelmed sitting down and trying to find a bunch of apartments to put in. Since my trip to Austin is creeping ever closer I’ve decided that I a good goal would be to add one new apartment a day to the map. That isn’t too daunting.

– Jeremy

To say that I am bad with money would be unfair. Compared to those who are truly financially irresponsible I’m a regular Warren Buffet. I think I am like a lot of people my age. I pay my bills and I then I play. Saving for a rainy day isn’t something that comes natural. I tend to live up to and at times past my current means, but I am trying to change.

With that said we have a bit of money in the bank and our debt is manageable. With the move to Austin in the distant horizon it’s time to start planing. I just found out today what my relocation compensation will be and I am extremely happy to have gotten anything at all. I have a rough idea of what the move is going to cost, I know what I am getting reimbursed, and I now have a pretty good idea of what we need to save up for the move.

We have plans in place to pay off a holiday load and our bed that we financed. I just need to pay off my laptop and work on paying off my credit card. The hope is to hit Austin pretty much debt free and it looks like we can get close if we watch our money closely.

– Jeremy

Call neurotic, call it anal retentive I really don’t care, but I have already started making a list of things I need to take on my two week trip to Austin. Let’s face it being 1,80o miles from home and realizing you forgot the charger for your digital camera or your cell phone (*cough* Right, Ben?) is not a good feeling.

Laptop Messenger Bag:

• Laptop w/ power cord
• DS lite w/ games and power cord
• iPod Nano w/Earbuds and USB Cable
• Digital Camera w/ Charger
• A book (?)
• Magazines
• 1-2 DVD’s
• Mechanical Pencils
• Eraser
• Pens

Suitcase:

• Jeans
• Polos
• A pair of Khakis
• T-Shirts
• Shorts
• Socks
• Underwear
• Shoes
• Toiletries
• A 2nd laptop Bag for my work laptop

That’s all I have for now. Did I miss anything?

– Jeremy