AngerManagement

  So while it is not one of my 'new years resolutions' this year, I thought that I would like to work on my 'anger issues'  I dont think I am out of control, just that I expend so much energy at the idiots in the world, that it seems like they are winning when I get all upset that their shiat..

  So while I will not always 'win' I pledge this year to stop, take a moment and breathe, count to ten, and reflect if that a-hole is worth the energy I am about to spend.

  And I have actually won some of the battles this year.  There was a couple guys at the grocery store who was parked 

RIGHT.  WHERE.  I.  WANTED.  TO.  SHOP!!

I walked away, looked for something else on my list, came back later..  That worked.  I did not blow my top.  As London Tipton says 'Yea Me!'

Some in the losses column are:

• The guy at the liquor store who had his purchases rang up and left his farking SHOPPING CART right in my way!  The basteed knew what he was doing.  Something about the way he was moving, edging away from the cart.  Luckily an employee grabbed the cart and took it away.

• People who pull into the right turn lane at a light, then speed through the intersection to continue forward without turning..  These a-holes usually have a left turn within a block just to twist the nipple a little bit more..

• The neighbors across the street who park infront of my house..  Making me park around the corner sometimes..  Public street and all, they can legally park there, but ya think they would leave one space for a brother..

I think its part of me, this angry goblin that stews and vents..  And I think part of it is that I do not want to become someone who gets pushed around by the asshats in the world. 

I read on some blog today that there are benefits to meditating just 3 minutes a day, actual physical changes in the brain.  Thats not too hard, give a couple minutes each day to just chilling and letting yer mind wander?

Cleaning and Planning

Have a couple, ten or so projects I would like to finish, no energy to work on em, so I decided to attack one and see where it goes.  Have spent an hour here, two hours there, slowly working on clearing/cleaning areas so we can have more livable space.  The Basement and Garage are two main projects.  The basement is filled mostly my crap, the garage has a mixture of my stuff, my gf's stuff, and crap that the ex is storing.. 

My daughter Megan would like her own room, and has expressed interest in a basement hideaway.  The immediate goal is to make a downstairs 'living room' where she can hang out and then if I can convince the city for the zoning variance, will put in an egress window so she have use it as a bedroom.  But I think the living room space will be nice for a while

Had session three in the basement tonight, going through, sorting and itemizing the 'stuff' in my life.  Its fun trips down memory lane, sorta like shopping when I find a cool forgotten toy, and kinda tiring when I look at when is left to work on.  Aint all bad, especially when you can look at the progress and see more and more of a clear space!

Also called four contractors to get quotes to get a curbcut for a driveway for my garage (off street parking would be nice) and the look into how much an addition to my place would be.  I am not in the most stable job (lots of cutbacks, employee reductions) but I think that as an IT Professional (stop the giggling) I am employable..  So testing the waters and checking out how much it would be to add on to my little 946sq foot, 2 br house.  The addition options as I see it are:

• I can add a 2nd level 20x11 space in the back (2 rooms with 1br, or 1 bigass room), 
• or a twolevel 12x24 addition on the side (2 bigass rooms for 4brs)

The 1st would cost 22-35K, and still waiting for the quotes for the side addition (guessing 40k).  Of course there are plenty of  things that cam make it more or less, can do some of the work myself (sweat equity)

Some of the house fund will come from the just I am inventorying and plan to sell on craigslist.  Figure get a downpayment, use some tax returns, then see where we are at man..  This plot is really seeming possible!  =)