Wow, it’s already July 3rd. I spent much of June preparing to move, which ended successfully. I now have a one-bedroom apartment in downtown Oakland, just 7/10 of a mile from work, more convenient to public transportation (about the same distance from the TransBay bus, and much closer to BART), and no longer on a hill. No roommates, also, for the first time ever. Freedom! (Well, of course, I have to make sure not to annoy my neighbors in this 30-something-unit building.) I need to get a few things to make it a truly functional place, such as, among many other things, lighting for the living room, but eventually it will be pretty much ideal. I plan on staying for a while.
Category: I love Oakland
I’m doing well, thanks.
I’m getting over a cold, actually, but after the slight downturn in April I’m feeling well otherwise.
In fact, right now my life is abundant with opportunities to have fun—more so than on average throughout my life so far. I have very little to complain about. Recently I have played baseball, and gone to a baseball game, and played some fantasy baseball (okay, perhaps I’m a bit baseball obsessed right now); I have also done my fair share of consuming food and libations while socializing, which is definitely enjoyable. Time management is something I may start focusing on fairly soon, with more demands on my time certain to arise. It’s been easier to establish a social life here than it ever was in Minneapolis; I have some theories as to why, but I’m not entirely sure.
Let me just interrupt this monologue to say that these crudely produced Peanuts parodies are quite exquisite.
I’m getting more and more work at CLCV. This development is good. This means more pay, which means a more sustainable lifestyle. I am seriously, seriously considering selling my car (I know, I haven’t followed through on this threat yet, despite it being a constant refrain for the last 2 years or so), which would stretch out my ability to live without a permanent full-time job quite considerably. If (or when?) necessity becomes a factor, that car is as good as gone. Even now, the expense of insurance is almost entirely unnecessary, being that I use my car about once a week (if that).
It is ridiculously easy to get along without a car in the Bay Area, since the weather is amazing and public transportation is practically omnipresent. Not to mention that my roommate Nick owns two cars and likes to drive them.
I have basically stopped applying for outside jobs at this point, what with the supply of workers with my qualifications in my field far outpacing demand. It seems pointless to expend a lot of time sending out resumes that result in emails saying, “Thanks for being one of 400 highly qualified applicants for this position two months ago; it has been filled.”