1) My driving "privileges" have been revoked in NY state for 6 months because I got three speeding tickets in 18 months. It's because I commuted from Buffalo to Ithaca at least once every week for the past year. I traveled through lots of desolate farm country. It's easy to lose track of your speed on flat, uninhabited country roads with only 55 mph speed limits. Add hyper-aggressive (bored) rural cops to the mix and it's easy to see why that happened.
2) My landlord is refusing to give me my $600 security deposit back - even though I haven't even inhabited my new apartment. Why? Because:
3) I was laid off from work.
It was no fault of my own - the school at which I was employed needed to "downsize" their faculty (at least, they thought they needed to - others were not so sure....but whatever) due to low enrollment this coming year. The practice of seniority was used to decide who got the axe and since I was the 2nd-newest teacher, I was on the chopping block with the other newbies.
Yeah. That all happened Thursday. Crap.
So now what? I have to move out of Buffalo quickly and then go back to Ithaca......and then......????? There's no private schools in Ithaca and, besides, no one hires teachers in August. The slots are already filled for the coming year.
This sucks.
EDIT:
Edited to add that ALSO on Thursday I discovered my work laptop was stolen from my car. I have to pay for its replacement. That's not the bad thing. The REAL bad part of it is that with the theft of my work laptop, ALL MY WORK for the past year has now evaporated. I sweat figurative blood for the past nine months to create lesson-plans, handouts, tests, projects, comments, etc. all from scratch - and now I have nothing to show for it.
Plus my wife's grandmother died on our anniversary last Friday. We have to go to Vancouver next month for the funeral - not usually an issue since I love going to Vancouver - but now that I'm laid off, money is extremely tight.
In brighter news, I did get most of my deposit back from the landlord. It exactly covers the cost of the missing laptop, so that's a wash. Still, I'd rather have the work back than the money.
AUG 02, 2010 05:24 PM
AUG 16, 2010 11:49 AM
You look good there in your suit! 
AUG 16, 2010 11:56 AM
AUG 16, 2010 12:41 PM
AUG 17, 2010 11:18 AM
What grade(s) do you teach? My mom is a public school teacher so I am quite familiar with the ridiculosity with which things are being handled in the system - at least here. I don't know about the private school system. I imagine it is really challenging as people are less able to afford private education. Is there a charter system there? Sometimes they hire late, although again I am many states down from you on the East, so thngs could be quite different there. I canNOT understand why there isn't more money for education/teachers. NOT more administration - more actual teaching support.
Your car sounds amazing. An 8-track would be the jam. My dad still has a reel to reel. Donnie and Mary Christmas albums never sounded so good.
AUG 17, 2010 03:41 PM
Yeah, it seems to be that way for a lot of folks at the moment.
Hang in there love.
~cheers
AUG 18, 2010 10:47 AM
I hear if you make and consume enough meth weighloss is not a problem. Your teeth are the most likely to become isometric as you will only h ave one on each side! 
No, I hear you on the acronyms. I didn't even really realize I was using them, but there they were, consonants a blazin'. I'll do better next time.
You know, fuck the idea of not getting pleasure from materiality. While I certainly think we are an overconsuming society, I find no fault in taking pleasure in objects. We came to the world to live material lives. Why spend all of our time trying to transcend them? Why not, instead, get ground down into the rich materiality of it all and make something of substance? Your appreciation of you car is an energetic thank you to the minds and bodies that made it possible. Why not relish it, you know? Happy is happy, and happy is good. Flesh and metal make for interesting combinations. Plus, if you are driving it, then it isn't scrap. It is fulfilling its purpose. Having too much isn't necessary, but I like it when people enjoy what they have. So, maybe YOU are a morality play that the over zen'd should see.
OCT 12, 2010 07:54 PM
Hi - just checking in to say I hope your week(s) have improved considerably since this one.
OCT 15, 2010 02:18 PM
NOV 20, 2010 08:41 PM
I hope you are still doing well!
JUN 05, 2011 03:07 PM
APR 01, 2012 07:20 PM
FEB 14, 2013 04:22 PM
Hope all is going well. 
