Live Real, Now

The no-pants guide to spending, saving, and thriving in the real world.

Search Results for: slow-carb-diet-how-to-avoid-going-bat-crazy/quit-smoking-my-first-frugal-move-ever/INGDirect/4-ways-we-keep-wasting-money/subscribe-by-email/money-problems-day-1-setting-goals/Clearing Up Social Debt in 3 Steps/3-things-you-need-to-know-about-homeowners-insurance/three-alternatives-to-a-budget

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-06-12

Misc

Yakezie Challenge – I’m In

Misc

After watching the Yakezie Challenge progress for 6 months and reading the recap, I’ve decided to participate. Maybe I’m a jerk for waiting until I saw the value instead of immediately jumping in, but I hope not.

The goal for stage 1 was to get to Alexa rank 200,000.  I’m currently at 533,108.  Six months ago, I was at about 1.8 million, so I’ve improved quite a bit on my own, but I’ve still got a ways to go.

So, here I am.

”The

Hunting Trip Stress

Life, Relationships

Vegans and hippies won’t enjoy this post.

On safari in Phinda
Image via Wikipedia

Friday, I went to a cabin in the woods for a weekend hunting trip with my dad, my brother, and a few other people.

My wife didn’t think it’s a good idea.   In fact, she was terrified that I’d  walk into the woods and come out in a body bag.

Statistically, it’s safe.  Out of 12.5 million hunters, there are only around 100 fatal hunting accidents every year.   I think I went hunting for the first time when I was 12, and continued to do so until I was 17, then life started interfering.

That doesn’t matter.  By definition phobias aren’t rational.  She’s worried and stressing hard.

If she’s had such a hard time with it, why did I go?

First, I asked her six months ago if she’d be all right with the trip.  I knew she had some phobias, and have–in fact–tried to make the trip before.   Six months ago, she said yes.  It was a bit late to back out after I’ve committed to a share of the cabin, bought the bright orange gear, and agreed to drive my brother.

The second reason was more important.

This is one of the few things my dad and I both enjoy.    I’m a geek, he’s not.    I dig horror and sci-fi, he’s into westerns.

But we both enjoy hunting.  The first time he treated me like an adult was the first year we went hunting together, 15 years ago.

My dad taught me to be the man I am.   Without him, I have no idea who I’d be or what I’d be doing.   My integrity, my work ethic, and my moral code can all be traced to the things he taught me.

This is my chance to spend time with him and have a good time with no TV or whiny kids interfering.

Trading this for a few days of stress at home is something I’m willing to do.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-01-02

Misc

  • RT @kristinbrianne: You won't believe it… I just entered to win the #KodakSweeps on http://tweetphoto.com/contest Pls RT #
  • RT @wilw The single most insulting thing you can tell a creative person is, upon viewing their creation, "you have too much free time." #
  • Hmm. I share a birthday with Linus Torvalds. #
  • @freefrombroke I'm following you and would love to be followed back. in reply to freefrombroke #
  • RT: @SuburbanDollar: New Post: : The Art of Delayed Gratification http://bit.ly/5gsKXy #
  • RT @FrugalYankee: #NEWYear's #QUOTE: All the things I really like to do are either immoral, illegal or fattening. ~ Alexander Woollcott #
  • Crackberry is certainly accurate. I may be too connected. #
  • MIL thinks a Kitchenaid stand mixer will make it easier to remove the snow in the driveway. Bad logic, but she's buying one for us, anyway. #
  • What magic is in a saw-palmetto capsule and why does my prostate need the power of 1000 of them? #
  • RT: @SuburbanDollar: Sounds like he's asking you to rent him a date. #
  • RT @hughdeburgh: "I'd rather die fighting for freedom than live as a slave." ~ Judge Andrew Napolitano #Iran #in2010 #USA #
  • Happy New Year, 3 minutes early. #
  • Billy Jack vs Chuck Norris. Winner? #
  • Getting my hair brushed by an 18 month old while watching Married With Children. It's a good evening. #
  • RT @FrugalYankee: #NEWYEARS #QUOTE: The most important political office is that of private citizen. ~ Louis Brandeis #
  • RT @ScottATaylor: 40,697 Laws Take Effect Today http://ff.im/-dFXNR #
  • 5AM. It'd be so easy to go right back to sleep. #

A Well-Trained Husband

Life

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

I am so well-trained.

I was more than a bit wild when I was younger.    For the most part, that ended when my son was born.  When you procreate, it’s time to put the wild on a shelf and become a reliable provider.  That’s just the way it is.  Anybody who prioritizes the wild over the progeny needs to be forcibly sterilized and exiled before be sold for parts.

When my mother-in-law got a membership to Sam’s Club, she gave my wife the second card, so we effectively have a membership.  For those who don’t know, Sam’s Club is a warehouse store that has some incredibly good deals and a lot of things that look like good deals because you are buying in bulk.

The thing I hate most about warehouse stores is the default accusation of theft when you leave.   They require you to line up so the the person by the door can look at your receipt and pretend to count what’s in your cart while they are really scanning for the most-stolen items in the store and ignoring the rest.  The only thing they really accomplish is making all of their customer feel like thieves.

I used to bypass the line and the checker and just leave.   My wife got sick of the indignant screeches coming from the store as we left.  Eventually she got me to stop.

Last night, I went back to pick up supplies for a fund-raiser I’m helping to organize on Sunday.  I went with one of the other organizers, who had some personal shopping to do later.   We checked out using his account and he paid, while I took the food home to keep until Sunday.  Since he’ll be getting reimbursed for the food, he kept the receipt while I headed for the door.  Anybody see the problem here?

When the receipt-checker challenged me, I docilely stepped to the side and called my friend to bring the receipt to the door.  I hate the feeling of submitting to authority, especially when the authority is pretending to be customer service.  I just calmly did what the door-cop told me, just like my wife wanted, even though she wasn’t there.

I hate warehouse stores.

Friends and Acquaintances

Life, Relationships

“Friends help you move.  Good friends help you move bodies.”

-unknown

Some people have dozens of friends.  I’m not that guy.

I have 6.

Everybody in the world can be divided into 4 categories.

  • Strangers. A xenophobe’s nightmare.   These are the people you don’t know, whether they are passing you on the sidewalk, or newborns on the opposite side of the world.
  • Acquaintances. These are the people you’ve met, mostly in passing.  They tend not to have much effect on your life.   You may pass a friendly bus ride in conversation, but it’s nothing that sticks.   A waitress, the clerk at the store, a friend’s latest date; these are the people you interact with for just a moment and rarely think about further.
  • Friendlies. Most people call these folks friends.  I don’t.   I’m friendly with them, hence the name, but it’s not true friendship.   Often, they are either my wife’s friends, or my friends’ wives.   Sometimes, they are a friend of a friend that I only see at parties, or a coworker that I get along with, but never see outside of work.  We’re friendly, but not obliged.   I may help with some things, but it’s not necessarily a priority.  I’ll go to a funeral, but probably won’t help plan it.
  • Friends. To me, calling someone a friend is a big deal.  I’m willing to do a lot for my friends.   They are able to command large amounts of my time, and ask any number of favors.   If needed, I’ll open my home or help demolish their’s.   Loyalty, honesty, trust, respect, and companionship are all a part of my definition of a friend.  If a friend needs help, I’ll come running.   In return, I expect the same.

 

 

 

Family tends to fall into the same analogous categories.

It sounds cold, but I hesitate to let people graduate into the final category.   My wife used to try to “set me up” with people that she thought I’d like to be friends with, thinking I was sad to have so few friends.  It took years for her to realize that I was happy.   It’s a matter of quality over quantity.   Most of the friends I have, I’ve had for 10 years or more.   I’ve known each of them for at least 5 years, not that time is a requirement.

Moving people into the “friends” category is a lot like dating.   You get along, so you invite the potential friends out for a drink, one on one.  You feel them out to see if they are compatible.  You meet their families, share some food, build some history.   If it all works out, eventually, you consider them a true friend, even if you couldn’t mark the date of the transition.

You wouldn’t marry everyone you date, so why would turn everyone you basically get along with into a friend?

Do you have a lot of friends?  What marks friendship for you?

 

 

 

 

Enhanced by Zemanta