It's that time of year

Before:

After:

Thanksgiving is officially over which means one thing: The Christmas decorations got pulled out. My place is decked out.

It's weird to think that I'll be working instead of spending Christmas with my family and friends - but I'll be home soon enough. And I'll send pictures of me at the beach instead of shoveling snow.

Everybody poops!

A crazy idea I conjured up

I had this great idea come to me when I woke this morning and thought it was so brilliant that I had to blog about it. It's about the most intelligent thing I've come up with since I wanted to build a big circular strip club in Rancho Mirage called 'Mirage Twah' Threesome.

I carry quite a bit of credit card debt from getting to California and not being able to get a job for awhile. I also finance a car and insurance. However, my apartment is about a mile away from one place of employment, five from the other and if I start at the fitness place it'd be about ten. But let's face it, I'd be so in shape it'd be ridiculous. So selling my car is a possibility. I get a decent interest rate on my car - not the case on my credit cards.

My great idea:

1) I sell my car for more than the remainder of my loan (CA cars cost more than WI cars) or at least what it is.
2) I pay the credit cards. I still have a few thou left.
3) I put that chunk into my auto loan and keep making payments. Of course, I save a huge amount not whoring myself out to the credit cards and can pay much more to get it paid off within a year or so. Of course, now my credit is much, MUCH better.
4) I keep working my ass off and saving/investing while I'm at it.
5) I rent a car if I need to get to Idyllwild or San Diego or home.
6) Down the line, I buy this:



That car is far more me I think. I don't know how all the title stuff would work out, plus canceling the insurance, but more financial freedom and being in shape by forcing myself to bike everywhere (we do have a bus system here as well) might be wise.

Sigh. I know not paying off my car right away isn't possible, but still. I'd totally live in that bus.

Like an easy Sunday morning

Life is good.

The waters are calm for the time being.

There was good quote from Carrie on "Sex and the City" about women needing three things - a good apartment, a good boyfriend and a good job - and if one of them is bad, no matter how great the other two are then life goes to shit. For the first time in awhile if not ever, all three are pretty decent. My job at the casino is mildly frustrating, but climbing the ladder looks promising. My place could use some improvement (and a couch), but there's plenty 'o food in the fridge, good books, a more comfortable bed and cable/internet.

It's been a good couple of days. For Halloween, JP took me to the IHOP for chocolate chip pancakes. Later, I dressed as an IRS agent for work. This week we've taken a stroll downtown after lunch and ice cream (that's the photo), went to a barbeque at his parents' complete with s'mores, went to Thai food with his mom and some Chinese beer, saw the movie Borat (hilarious!) and went to eat, and otherwise just relaxed or watched movies together.

My college diploma came in the mail today. It's hard not to think how I worked my ass completely off during the three years it took to get that piece of paper while I wipe people's ash trays out at work, but I bite my tongue most of the time knowing that I have dreams and aspirations that far exceed doing that for much longer. The diploma even comes in miniature form so just in case I forget that I'm halfway intelligent while I am at work...

Oh! And my car is an official resident of California now! So, I said good-bye to this yesterday.