2002-08-14
Bummed out, posted at 5:31 p.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com My birthday, as well as my first day off of the summer, is tomorrow, but it's still been a shitty week. I like to think of the current state of my journal as being mostly positive, but today it will not be. Just warning ya.Things that have gone wrong this week:
1. Josh has cancelled his plans to accompany me on my Michigan trip. He's still not totally sure, but I am. I said it from the start: the guy's a flake and I shouldn't have been expecting him to come. But I did, so I'm bummed out. Not pissed off at him (he's got some sort of training he doesn't think he can get out of), just bummed out. He's one of my best friends and one of the people that I most like to hang out with, and we do road trip awfully well together, so, yeah, I'm bummed out. I was excited about having someone to hang out with on the trip, about introducing him to my Michigan friends, and about showing him Lake Michigan. It would be the type of weeklong epic journey that would probably cement us as lifelong friends. Unfortunately, it's not going to happen this time. Ah well.
2. My financial state is more dire than it ever has been before. That's what I get for paying my bills, I guess. The thing is, I paid all my bills and more than I owed on my credit card and student loans this pay period because I was expecting to get my new roommate's $500 check on Friday. And he did give me the check. I was completely dry of funds at that point. However, it is an out-of-state check, meaning the bank will not let me have any money from it for five fucking business days. I had no idea about that damn rule. That means I am completely broke until Friday the 16th, which is also my payday and the day my next roommate (and his $$) moves in. So I'll be relatively rich at that point. But, now, I'm totally and completely broke. And when I say I'm broke, I really mean it - unlike when other people say it. I have no credit cards. I have no secret stash. I already owe my parents too much money to ask for more. I have no way to get any money at all. Yesterday, I put 75 cents into my gas tank so I could get home from the gym - 10 cents in nickels, 10 cents in dimes, and 55 pennies that happened to be in my car. I finally had to break down and ask a friend to loan me $20 for gas. I can write checks, since the money is in my account, but no gas stations take checks. That, by the way, is something else that royally pisses me off. Why wouldn't a gas station take a check? What if someone lost my ATM/VISA card? Anyhow, these money matters suck. I hate money.
3. I spent all afternoon today at the MVA, getting my new driver's license. After I had been there an hour and had verified that I had all the correct paperwork, a woman told me that I needed my birth certificate as well. I had everything but my birth certificate. I was really, really pissed off, since the first woman had told me I was all set and I then waited an hour in line. I was so pissed off, in fact, that I went back to the first woman to complain. She was nice, though, and put me through anyway (and it would have been ridiculous for them not to, as I had my social security card, my current Michigan driver's license, proof of residence and of employment, and everything else they could possibly need). I now have a Maryland driver's license, and that's my one good thing of the day: the picture turned out well. I immediately juxtaposed it with my August 2000 MSU ID picture, and the difference is striking. It was so striking, in fact, that I decided then and there that I would this afternoon scan both, smudge out the pertinent info, and post them on this page. In fact, I sat down at my computer to do just that, when I realized...
4. My damn DSL is still out. I hate having to go to the library. So, sorry, no pics today, and it's doubtful they'll be up anytime soon with my upcoming travels.
5. The heat index is ridiculously high right now. I usually enjoy the heat and function well in it, but right now I am fairly miserable. It isn't even getting cool at night.
6. I have received just two birthday cards this week - one from my grandparents and one from my car salesman. I know this is probably because I'll be seeing a lot of people next week, but it still bummed me out because I was counting on them to cheer me up.
On a good note, tomorrow is my birthday, and my first day off all summer. And I'm getting together with friends at Rocky Run, where I will cast aside this bad attitude and drink my fill of lemon wheat beer. Friday I will see the Tigers play, and Saturday I will be on my way to Michigan.