Voting Day: Many victories to Ohio

The big win tonight, obviously, is the defeat of Issue 2. I cannot wait to see the "outrage" of SB5's supporters. This is an awesome result for the state.

Columbus-wise, I believe the re-election of Mayor Michael Coleman is another win. Of course, I'm knew to the city, but I've had many small conversations with the man and can say he is a very likable guy and always takes time to hear you out.

The defeat of Issue 3 is another win. If the issue had won, Ohioans would have been required by law to purchase health insurance or face fines. Tonight, I'm proud to be an Ohioan.

While we're on political stuff, Herman Cain is a complete moron. Dude.. quit lying.

Today's phone calls. Personal calls, that is

I was left a number of voice-mails today. Ranging from family to my lawyer.

Of the more interesting messages, there was: Messages from friends wondering where I was on Saturday night, the leasing office here at WR, and a call that could seriously change things up.

I must admit that when it came to the latter of those mentioned, I had already given up. Don't get me wrong, things are alright the way they are. Recently, I've seen some bright promise for change. But there's a saying, "too little, too late." If this pans out, do I call the audible? Time will tell.

In the meantime, I will keep these fingers crossed and grind it out. New shoes should be here soon, and I'm almost caught on Dexter. On that note, time for some more catching up.

Today was a great day, started off with..

..sleeping in. Something I don't get to do often, even on the weekends. Right around noon my mom and grandma arrived to my apartment. It was the first time they had been here since moving day. I have to say it was really great to see them. We hung out at my place for a little while before having some breakfast at Bob Evans.

After breakfast we made our way over to Highbanks Metro Park. I have been there a few times already, but some of the trails are so impressive that I really wanted them to see it. Plus, my grandma had always talked about going to the park "on 23" in the fall. She loves to see the leaves as they change. We had a great 2.5 mile walk before we left to spend some time at Easton.

My mom did some bargain shopping at Lucky, then we ordered up some pasta bowls at Piada. She had to stock up on Halloween supplies for the dance studio, so we stopped by Target after eating. I drove them over to Graeters in Worthington for their ice cream before returning to my place.

It was such a great day with them. Beautiful weather, too. Cannot wait until they visit again!

New apartment is looking good

Am excited to post some pictures on here soon. I couldn't have imagined it coming together much better. And it's... clean! I'm so happy to be living with someone that doesn't think keeping things clean and tidy are far out concepts. I no longer have to feel like those around me do not give a damn about anything.

I understand work sucks and the need to just kick back and relax. But excuses aside, we are 25 years old. Time to stop acting like you live in a frat house.

It just amazes me. All the times I was made to feel like I was the one with the foreign approach to living. Like asking to have dirty dishes washed was too much. Asking to not have fast food bags and wrappers on the floor or left on the tables for weeks at at time, was too much. Asking to not have empty water bottles on the floor, or used toilet paper rolls, was too much. In the end, I almost feel bad for them. For being at this age and not understanding any of this.

But things are finally back on the up side. I'm so happy with this.

So much for that idea.. , more car trouble, USMNT, and KING

So I viewed the place at Iuka today. For the price and the conditions, I think I'll pass. Great location though. Back to the drawing board. I'm so happy to have so many options. Out of all the things worrying me, this search is the least of them!

On my drive back to Easton, my car overheated on the Hudson street overpass over 71. I pulled into the Shell station and let it cool off. Of course this was only after being yelled and sworn at for a few minutes while it cooled down in the inside left turn lane on Hudson. Hah. Might be looking at new Escapes with leasing options this weekend. Leasing... ugh. Let's recap my car troubles: Left headlight out, antenna ripped off, window off-track again, engine light on again, overheating randomly (and sounding like an airplane), 6-disc changer is jammed, running board deteriorating, strange noise coming from the right rear wheel. Hmm.

Jurgen Klinsmann was introduced today as the new head coach for the national team. I had mixed thoughts, but the overwhelming feeling of a fresh new start has over-taken me. I'm now on board!

O.A.R.'s new album, KING, comes out on Tuesday. Am I excited? Yes. This appears that it will pick up where they left off after In Between Now and Then, but still maintaining some of that refined sound that they've evolved into over the years. Pre-ordered it? Yep.

It's starting to storm. Lightning was approaching as I wandered around outside about thirty minutes ago. I might attempt to drive back to Bluff tonight to see the fam for the weekend. Let's hope I make it.

Justified

Being the nice guy that I am under all the asshole things I do, I would almost feel uncomfortable/bad for the way I stand up for what I believe is right and just when it comes to the apartment which I call home and how those with superiority complexes believe they can defy anything or anyone just because their name is 1/3 of a lease.

But then I share the situation with everyone I know, and they cannot believe the shit I have to put up with. Or that potential future mates come over and think that I am a contributor of the overall mess that 4845 Birm B ultimately is. I've been dormant for awhile, but have to get some things off my chest.

I understand it's family that's moving in or staying for a few days, but it's not too god damn hard to extend the courtesy of at least asking for an opinion on it or if it's not a problem. And when I simply, calmly, and diplomatically suggest that such a courtesy would be appreciated, I get the whole typical attitude from him where he immediately goes back to being a teenager with the whole 'I can do whatever I want'/'I know and rule all' routine that everyone so often sees when anything argumentative arises with him.

"Oh hey, by the way, my sister is moving in for spring quarter."

Ha. Strange. When I asked her, she said the plan was for her to stay permanently. So nice of you to not even simply ask if it was an issue. But of course, asking would mean that you're not a manly man who is tough and badass and can't show vulnerability in anyway. We wouldn't want that now, would we?

What if I wanted to mention to the leasing office that we have two illegal occupants staying in our unit? Which brings up another point. If my brother were to move in so he could attend college here in Columbus, I would make the following clear: 1) If you're going to school, then you need to have fun but concentrate on the work. 2) Clean up after yourself... you're living here for free and you are still considered a guest here. 3) If school gets to be too much and you take some time off, then it's time to either go back home or get a job and help with rent or other costs.

Do you think any of these would be brought up or mentioned as incentives or showing that you care or are looking out? Hell no. Empty orange juice and water bottles lay around. Wrappers, caps, random papers laying around for weeks are usual sights. Her scrubs sat on a chair for over a month and a half. Groceries piled in a corner of the living room (when we had ants) instead of being put away properly. Not to mention dirty plates, bowls, cups (often moldy) that just get left out for eternity.

There have been two plates that have been sporting bread crust and crumbs for over two weeks now in our living room. Absolutely pathetic. Disrespectful, disgusting, immature, and outright pathetic.

But yet, this all makes me the bad guy. The fact that I would rather live in a nice, clean, tidy, mold-free apartment is too much for some to handle. Apparently that must have been the norm in some environments.Sure we all have some good times collectively, and some nights are incredibly fun; the types of nights with my friends which I live for. With that being said, while the Comfort Inn takes the title of a legit living nightmare, the living arrangements here have been anything but enjoyable.

So it's back to the drawing board, and the past year has shown me more than ever that I'm respectful and thankful of the way in which I was raised.

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day 2011 was a grand evening. I believe it was a very meaningful night for many reasons.

For one, it was the first time that we have really gone out, and gone all out, since I've moved down. It was a no-holds barred night of going places we had intended to and doing what we had intended to. And in my opinion, helped to further seal the patch on what has been a few stressful weeks between certain individuals. The only negative was that I stayed up much later than I should have on an empty stomach and hardly any sleep the night before, and went to bed without throwing my phone on the charger. Therefore missing a substantial portion of the work day, and worrying my co-workers. While the good times of that night will no doubt happen many more times, this missing work thing will not. When I awoke in the late AM, I was very surprised at how late I had overslept even without an alarm. Normally I still wake up around 8:30-9 even on the weekends. But there we're many other surprises as well that I seemed to have missed out on after going to bed. Surprises that no one else could explain to me either.

The Fallout

These surprises we're all quite the mystery to everyone. Such as, how exactly someone managed to get a black eye, how someone's shirt managed to get all dirty on the front with shoe prints on the back, how gravel/stones got neatly lined up next to our balcony door (not the front door. Plus, we're a second floor unit..), how glasses we're broken and wallets lost, and how someone managed to get lost and left behind throughout the night. Some of these will probably be left unanswered for the remainder of eternity (yeah, I know).

I think I might be alright with that.

Wow. What a Tuesday night

Keep in mind, this is last Tuesday. The night started off with a 4-1 loss for the Crew in addition to our 8-2 loss in indoor.

Once at Hooligans, the drinks started coming. Soon we had the idea to head over to the Continent and meet up with other friends. This turned out to be a huge mistake. Shortly after arriving, it was clear that all of our friends were decisively intoxicated. It wasn't long before words fueled other words, and bar staff became pissed with someone. Now, at this bar, apparently minor disagreements are cause to be grabbed by the neck and shoulder and pulled towards the door. This didn't sit well with others in our group, who decided that even the bar GM wouldn't be able to get away with this.

Soon there was shoving, punching, people on the floor. It was a great sight if you're into seeing all hell break loose. Columbus Police were called. Minor scrape to my face and behind the ear, no biggie. But a friend of mine did get a pretty nice gash opened towards the back of his head, so I followed him to Mt. Carmel West to see that he made it there okay.

Wow have I missed Crew season.. and this was just CONCACAF, MLS doesn't start until March 19! It's going to be a fun year.

Today, let's talk about dumb drivers

Now here is a topic that I have been rather quiet on since moving to Columbus. Actually, I've been completely silent on it.

It seems to me that whenever I am encountering horrible drivers on the road, it's always one after another in the same day. It is never a day where there is one or two instances, it's always like 10 in one drive.

Example: Today as I'm leaving work (at Easton) some fool cuts into my left turn lane while we are both turning. It's easy to do if you are not paying attention, it really is a rather confusing turn. But when the jackass slams on his brakes as if I did something wrong when he almost destroyed the front end of my car, I lay on the horn. Then, as he is in backed-up traffic waiting to jump on 270 and I am in slowed traffic on Easton Way, I hear this very audible "thump" on the right side of my car as I roll past his car.

Something was thrown at my car.

No damage, and I can't see any scratches or marks. Maybe he hit the running board or my wheel? Crazy.

Another wild weekend, got to see old friends, new friends, and fun with my best guys

Three party weekends in a row. I'm getting too old for this.. haha, nahhh.

Friday night saw the reunion of Cody, Kyle, Eugene and Paul go down in glorious style. We grazed Tuna before wandering over to McFadden's, where shots of Patron and endless double fisting of beer led to a wild plan to play pong back at the apartment. Well, due to many factors beyond the control of anyone's reasoning, I was forced by Columbus Police to leave my car in the Bethel walmart parking lot over night. A two mile walk later, we finally made it back. Where Cody and I lit up Eugene and Kyle to win two games to one. We don't do this enough anymore and if we did this everynight, I wouldn't need anything else.

Saturday night, my mom and grandma made their way down and we got some food and did some shopping. Lindsay came next, and we hit up the Hooligans club before going to the Crew game to watch Seattle completely blow us out of the water, 4-0. After the match, it was meeting up with Jeremy and Ashley for a night of campus bars and Arena.

Sunday night, went out with some more friends. The Out r Inn, Ruby's, and a couple walks for some food led to the end of a third consecutive badass weekend. (If I count out the Crew and ND losses.)

Moving Day and new couch

So today is officially the moving day. It's five minutes until 5:00am and here I am just finishing some of the dishes/food packing. Boxes all over the living room, and I can barely keep my eyes open.

It's amazing how some things beyond unbelievable can inspire you to get so much more out of your day. Let's put it this way- I am so glad I'm not in a relationship.

Yesterday I bought a new couch and a new dining table/stool set from Ashley Furniture. It won't be in the new place until Friday though, which sucks. Pretty curious to see how everything will come together in the next few weeks. Standby for updates.

VFC Monday night league- Goal! 2-0 win

So in my Monday night soccer league, we were up 1-0 with less than ten minutes left in the match. I subbed out while on defense after getting my foot drilled, then went back on moments later for attacking midfield. Again, around ten minutes left, I make a run to split two defenders when I see Drew get a good look on a 50/50 ball. He redirects the ball right behind the last defender, actually almost laying it out for me while I was in stride. I bring it down and give two close touches as I sprint towards the 18, one on one with the keeper at this point, with a defender right behind me.

Thinking to myself, 'I've seen this before.. you've watched this get screwed up a hundred times by the pros. You know what to do.' Visions of Emilio Renteria in my mind.

I cross the top of the 18 and the keeper thinks I'm going to pop it then, but I flick it to the right (a little too hard) and side step him as he slides. The ball is rolling good towards the touch line now and both the defender and I race to catch it first. 2 ft from going out of bounds and 4-5 ft to the right of the goal mouth, I win the race and quickly make a right foot, cross-body one-touch strike and immediately tumble out of bounds as the ball hits the back of the net. 2-0.

Man I was so pumped. It's like everything I've been working on and learning for the last two years finally paid off. Tonight confirmed that staying in shape and watching endless hours of leagues across the globe has made me the better player that I knew I've become. We've won 5 out of our last 6, we are on a roll!

Car Troubles: Episode II

We're back with the second edition of Car Troubles. Last week I had the power streering all fixed up (Episode I). This week I had the brakes taken care of on the front, and new link pins put in. I think the upgrades are just about complete. This could be the final edition of Car Troubles for awhile, keep your fingers crossed.

VFC Monday night league: 0-3 loss

Once again: loss for words. Easily the weakest team we have seen yet. Offense totally sucks. All of our 11 goals have been crappy, scrappy efforts. One of them was beautiful, in our second 4-4 tie, but that's it. I had a goal-mouth save just seconds before being drilled by Blanco Jr in the thigh. It's Thursday now and I'm still limping around. Standby on sitting this week out. Record now drops to 0-3-2.

When it rains, it pours: A chain-reaction kinda day, and my 100th post

I thought my 100th post would be a little more celebratory! But it's here nonetheless, let's get down to business.

Excluding the critically acclaimed Car Troubles series that I am periodically writing at the moment, lets take a clearer look into the recent life. Not the happy, no problems/stress, make everyone-else-around-me-have-a-great time Paul that everyone has came to know.

I currently have no computer. My music? Pictures? Documents? Bill info? Passwords? Programs such as Office or Rosetta Stone? My easy and personal way of getting everything done or finding out how to do what needs done? All gone. Whatever got my laptop got it good. Cody's working on a fix, but it's been over two weeks since we've all been so busy.

My phone's battery has gone bad. It won't hold a charge for twenty minutes without being consistently on a charger. Slight annoyance? Oh yeah, only slightly ;)

Car: Brakes, sway bar links, toe link, and power steering. All adding up to around, eh, $920.

And last but oh so not least, work. It seems I give and give, I help out here, cover there, and do the very best I can do every single day. Yeah I bitch about it maybe 3 out of 7 times when I have to stay an hour to two hours later, but I've gotten used to it. I don't mind. It's extra money and I don't have many plans otherwise, usually. Am I looking for recognition from co-workers? No. The guests that see me busting my ass from the time I get in until they check out usually acknowledge it. I like that. I like it even more when they say they appreciate the work and plan on coming back. When they praise me without knowing the owner is standing over in the lobby. The tips I get daily. I really do not need praise from anyone else other than my ultimate boss: the guest.

But then you get a day like today, where I'm not needing to get out for anything specific. But it's a nice day, I was really looking forward to getting in the workout I missed last night, and I've been so psyched about the Jazz and Blues festival over at Creekside in Gahanna. I don't want to drive my car more than I need to - the pads are gone and the rotors about to split - so I had a ride. But you don't always get what you want, I realize that and I am perfectly fine with it. With that being said, when I have to run all over hell's half acre on cracked out brake pads only to have people beep, swear, and gesture at me, it's going to down my mood a bit. Friend hangs up on me as they try to give me directions, which is fine either way. She thinks I was taking the stress out on her, which I feel a level of comfort there so there is some truth to it, but the majority of the static she felt from my end was just my offbeat annoyance with everything else going on. I just wanted to get stuff done, and my persistance in getting the info I needed in order to do that ended up coming off as me being a dick. Today 3, Paul 0. Then I tell myself, 'it's okay! More money for you! And you can get to Creekside tomorrow night, no worries!' I proceed to pull out of the parking lot from where I tried looking my destination up on my phone (Google Maps wouldn't bring it up...) and some hill jack runs a stop sign while almost hitting me as I slowly come to a stop (again, taking it easy on the brakes). He stops. BOTH him and his oh so pleasant girl get out of their rusted, jacked up piece.

"Learn how to fuckin drive boy!"

"Yeah little man in your little car!"

"What you lookin at, you gots a problem?

"Yeah, you got a problem with my man? Huh?"

W......t.......f. I sat stunned, normally this situation would please me, and I would jump at the chance to go off on someone. But all I could do was laugh. Laugh and daze off. Here I am, everyone mad at me: great friends, my ride, like 10 strangers, my dad, the lady at Guest Supply for having to actually work and load small boxes when I already told her I could handle it. Here I am, my most important necessities all falling apart. And now these clowns. All so unforgiving, when all I seeked to flip the day around was one understanding look before heading home.

And when I don't get it? All of the telling myself 'can't always get what you want,' all the self control, all the patience with everything I've been dealt today goes out the window. And I make a jackass out of myself. Do I feel like I was misunderstood and misjudged? Oh yeah. Do I feel as if I could've handled the day any better? Up until that last minute, no. I was understanding of others, I did my best the entire day to do what I do, and I showed caring for others that could relate to my hectic day. *snaps fingers* Was that close to coming out on top of today's odds. Lesson? Careful who and what you bank the outcome of your day on. Make sure its not an illusion before you trust you can exhale and fall back on it. Just five seconds of being a dumbass blows all of the patience, being the good guy, and my credibility to hell.

Was it worth it, going with the flow all day only to be kicked while down? Yes and no. But I'll willingly do it all over again. Can't let it keep ya down. The car will heal, I'm never far away from an internet connection, they sell phone batteries these days (who knew?), and most of all I have the greatest friends and people around me for when I crash. All I can do is repeatedly be there for them when they themselves are down and out, and if they're worthwhile to my life then they will do the same.

Car Troubles: Episode I

The cause of my lack of power steering? A leak in the hose. Two days after having it refilled by my guys at Pennzoil, it's back to being difficult to turn. There has also been this very alerting smell coming from under the hood whenever I shut her off. I think I have determined that to be the fluid leaking onto something else, which only makes matters worse. Taking her into the Quicklane over at Germain Ford on Sawmill tomorrow, so hopefully some good (cheap) news.

Look for Part II, featuring other problems with your favorite Escape, coming soon.

Park Street Festival 2010

In the Park Street District..? Wasn't aware it was its own district. Hmm.

Anyway- This Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (10,11,12) Park Street is closed down for the 2010 festival. Food vendors and free covers to all the lounges, clubs, and bars. Oh and live music. Was $5 to get in for all three nights. Nothing to do tonight? I'd head down there. Driving back to Bluffton after I get off of work here at 3, but I might be coming back pending party details at the apartment. And if I come back down I'll most likely head to Park Street at some point. Join! Saving Jane headlines the music on Friday, and Smashmouth ends it all on Saturday night.

"Huh, do you see our cars?" $140 later...

Definitely had my car towed for the first time last night. Was a little confused as to what provoked it, I mean besides being parked in the Kroger parking lot after hours. But.. it was empty, and I'm pretty sure they were closed anyway? So yeah they got us good, they got us good.