Mercedes drivers drive like douche bags

More often than not when a motorist has cut me off, nearly run me over, stole a parking spot from me, or just about any other offensive behavior they can display while in a vehicle, it's been by someone driving a Mercedes-Benz. They drive like they own the road and everyone else is inferior to them.

Yesterday, all of the below offenses were taken.

• As I walking from a parking lot across the thoroughfare to enter a building, a Mercedes braked hard immediately to my right as if they had just noticed I was walking across and then they acted annoyed by it. My friend last night told me that he nearly got ran over on the crosswalk to the restaurant where were meeting... by a Mercedes.
• As I was driving on the freeway, a Mercedes cut me off as they apparently suddenly realized they were in an exit only lane that was clearly marked for what I'd say was at least 200 yards. This incidence happens quite frequently.
• When I was searching for a parking spot last night, I came upon a group of people getting into a car. It seemed the car had started, as the illumined taillights had indicated. I sat patiently waiting for the car to back out. At least three minutes went by (an entire song played on my iPod) before I gave up waiting for that spot because another group of people got in their car and promptly backed out. The first group of bitches got into a Mercedes. The other group of citizens, a Honda.

I'm not saying that no other manufacturer of a vehicle has its rude drivers. Inconsiderate drivers are everywhere. But it's so frequent that Mercedes drivers seem to be the worst offenders when it comes to bad driving behavior. If you drive a Mercedes, I don't care if you're my best friend, my soulmate, or Jesus. Do not expect me to be courteous to you on the road. Do not expect me to politely let you move into the lane in front of me. DO expect that during traffic, I will have no problem wedging myself in front of you in your lane. Why? Because your kind has set the precedent. Learn the Golden Rule, Mercedes douche bags. You've done this unto others for far too long, and it's my turn to do it back to you.

CDs? See deeez!

I once had a massive music CD collection. I love music. I love (or subconsciously feel a need) to collect music almost as much as I love music itself.  Mind you, I can't play any instrument other than a CD player and/or an iPod, but nonetheless I need noise around me all the time.  Probably has to do with being an only child of deaf parents.

I got my first CD player in 1991, when I was 15.  In my sophomore year of high school a friend convinced me to join a mail-order music CD catalog/"club."  Every music club had an introductory offer that would usually give you a minimum of 6 CDs for free when you sign up as long as you purchased a pre-determined number of albums over the course of a year. When I realized they would send me offers to re-join once I fulfilled my obligation and quit the "club" and that they'd also send me offers with my name misspelled as if I were a different living person, I signed up with all the major music clubs with every offer they gave to take advantage of all the free CDs.  By the time I was a freshman in college, I had five concurrent music club memberships.  By the time I would have been a sophomore in college (4 years after I got my first CD player), I had literally over a thousand CDs.  Around that time, I needed some quick cash during a jobless dry spell, so I sold over half of them at $5 or $10 each, drastically reducing my music CD collection.  I went through the cycle again a few years later in 1997, just before I moved to California because believe it or not, boxes of about 200 CDs in each box is quite heavy and cumbersome to transport. A few years after that, I once again built my CD collection to well over a thousand CDs, losing (or ridding) only a significant portion to my ex-wife during our separation.

By the early 2000's the MP3 file format had been gaining attention, becoming easily accessible with Napster and software for ripping CDs. I found a new collection addiction. However, just like the physical media storage space was at a premium.  Buying extra hard drive storage wasn't that cheap.  So when it came to another round of reducing my CD collection, I would rip the CDs before selling them.  But I could only rip my favorite songs from those CDs.  I didn't have space for the entire album to be ripped.  So I would keep my favorite CDs as a whole and for crap albums like The Real McCoy, I would only rip "Another Night" and "Runaway."  Over time though, my cherished collection of CDs—ones that I would keep because there were enough songs on the CD as a whole that I would want to keep it—increased to a excessive number again taking up too much physical space. In an effort to reduce space, I would buy those big binders for holding just CDs and I threw out all the jewel cases.  Even though I have an MP3 collection that is now over 500GB in size, I still have those two big binders plus a few stacks of CDs I've purchased since the great jewel case purge of 2008.

But now I have hard drive space.  Lots of it.  Storage is cheap these days.  I have a media server serving as my central repository for all my photos, music and videos with a backup plan for that data.  So I can finally rip ALL of what's left of my CDs.  Not just the favorite songs, but the lame ones as well.  This will be quite a task, but it falls in line with my resolution this year to reduce clutter.  What a sense of accomplishment I'll have when I finish this project!

My Resolve

A little late already, but here are my New Year resolutions for 2011.

Resolution #1:  Read more books.

In 2009, I started reading books at what was a pretty good pace for me.  I'm a slow reader, so when it comes to reading books, it takes me some time.  Time during which nothing else gets done.  I can't really multi-task while doing it, and so I can't watch movies or listen to new music while I read.  However, I watched entirely too much Netflix last year, and I'm certain some brain cells died because of it.  So this year I need to read more.  Last year I'm not sure I finished more than four books.  AND one of those books was one I've read before.  It was The Eye of the World from the Wheel of Time series.  I've re-sparked my desire to finish that series (or at least get caught up).  The last book I finished when I first picked up the series was mid-way through book 6 I think, about 10 years ago.  And because it had been that long ago, I felt I needed to re-read those books to remember what's going on.  Anyway, this year I have a goal to finish at least 10 books, half of them being fiction. (I read a lot of self-help books... Not just "what's wrong with me?" books, but organizational and finance books, etc.)

Resolution #2:  Reduce the clutter in my life.

The first half of last year, not only did I watch a lot of Netflix, but I played a lot of video games.  That's another thing that limits my multi-tasking abilities, especially if the game has a good storyline that requires my attention (so no music playing in the background while I play the game).  Again, I was giving myself less time for productive things, like keep a clean room whatsoever.  My bedroom looked like a pigsty for most of 2010.  The fact I had no girlfriend coming over after we broke up attributed to that, I'm sure.  This year, I really intend to reduce the clutter.  I'm going to maintain a clean desk space, clean out my closet, and even clean out my pantry.  I don't think I'll be using that lamb curry marinade packet any time soon or ever, so it might as well be given/thrown away.  Not that I'll be living any kind of nomadic lifestyle, but I want to definitely want to reduce my possessions to where I could up and move fairly quickly if I ever wanted or needed to.

Resolution #3:  Lose weight. 

Duh.  Is that really any secret?  I'm fat.  I'm over 300 lbs.  I’m technically “morbidly obese.”  I should be under 200 lbs for my body-frame according to one of the last doctors I had.  So yeah.  I need to get to that before I have a heart-attack.  A recent visit to a doctor proved that I had very high blood pressure.  High enough that he gave me a dose of medicine in the office right there to bring it down.  He said I'm at risk for a stroke if I don't bring down my blood pressure.  So this year, I joined a Crossfit gym and I plan on going three times a week.

Resolution #4:  Eat healthier. 

This isn't going to come easy.  And really, it's not so much about eating healthy, as it is about eating healthier.  I need to reduce my portions.  I need to increase nutritious foods in my diet.  I know I'm not going to eat completely healthy.  It just won't happen.  And with Crossfit, that would be too much change at once overwhelming me.  I figure as I get into the exercise routine, my mind will naturally be more aware of the food I'm putting in my body.

Resolution #5:  Get some sleep!

I have a very hard time forcing myself to go to sleep at a reasonable hour.  It’s very typical for me to stay up near 2am on a weeknight and have to get up by 7am.  And starting Crossfit this year with the intention of going before work, requiring me to be up before 6am, I really need to get to bed before midnight every night.

Resolution #6:  Wear my retainer.

Yeah, it’s a bit random, but still a resolution.  Nearly two years ago, I had my braces removed.  Within the last year, I've been horrible about wearing my retainer.  I'm supposed to wear it every night for the rest of my life.  Well, a few trips I took when I forgot to bring my retainer with me led to a few nights here and there when I'd forget to wear it.  Next thing you know, I hardly wear my retainer except maybe once a month and it's obvious my teeth are shifting back to being not-so-straight.  I need to wear my retainer so I don't have to wear braces a third time in my life.  (But if I do, I'm going with Invisalign!)

So there you have it.  I guess other than the first two, the rest of the resolutions could be wrapped up into one:  Start and maintain good habits and routines. 

This will be the year of small steps to great results!

2010 in Review

The last two posts were a bit vehement in nature, so here’s something a bit positive.

Being a pessimist by nature, it’s quite easy for me to see the negative and dwell upon it.  Having a positive attitude and optimistic outlook is something I continually have to work at.  So to say 2010 was a good year for me is an understatement.  The fact that I can recognize several good things happened in my life last year is uncharacteristic of me.  I’m pleasantly surprised and I’m a bit proud of myself for getting to a point where I can truly appreciate what’s happened despite my overall disappointment with my status in life. Some events that occurred in 2010 were low-points for me, but they turned out to be blessings over the course of the year.

Here are some highlights:

• I started dating seriously.  I was really happy with this person.  She made me smile every time I thought about her.  Her positive attitude really rubbed off on me.  For probably the first time ever, I was not jealous if she talked to other guys.  I was not wondering who she may have been flirting with when I wasn’t with her.  I felt secure that she was loyal to our relationship and I was the same.  I was intensely infatuated with her. Unfortunately, we broke up after a few months and I went through a period of extreme bitterness.  We don’t really speak to each other now.  Although I have no ill will toward her, it’s probably the first time I feel like a bridge has been burned in any of my relationships.  But I’m over it now and I know more of what I want out of a relationship and know that I don’t have time to waste on wishy-washiness and excuses.
• I was laid off from my job in April. But about a week later, both the former VP and a former director of the department I used to work in called me to do some contract work for their respective companies.  I soon started earning the same level of money, if not more, for less time and stress than I did before.  And I was learning new things, which refreshed my interest in my career field.
• I visited Seattle four times last year, five if you count the trip starting in December 2009 ending in January 2010.  I was born and raised in Seattle.  It will always be home.  My parents still live there.  Because of my living situation and their financial situation, my parents have not been able to visit me in California for the past 5 years. So I’ve flown up to see them, usually around the holidays. I was able to fly up in March with my ex-girlfriend (thanks to the kindness of a friend who worked for an airline and gave us discount passes), I took advantage of the fact I did not have full-time employment and drove up over July 4th weekend, I flew up again in September (thanks again to my friend in the airline biz), and then finally once more for Christmas.  I’m truly thankful I was able to see my parents (and of course friends) so many more times in the course of one year than I had been able to before.  I hope I can do so again this year.
• In one payment I paid off a $4000 loan (without using another loan or credit card to do it!).
• I saved up enough money to take a trip to Chicago in the fall of 2011.
• I've bought a new laptop. I bought a used iPad. I bought a new cell phone.
• On the trip when I drove up to Seattle, I stopped in Vancouver, WA and was able to see one of my cousins who had terminal cancer.  He died in November. Not that we were close, but I knew him and remembered him from when I was a kid and all the family parties, so I was thankful to get to see him before he passed away.
• I made some new friends that are really fun to hang out with, and with whom I went to see a taping of Conan O'Brien's show, "Conan." (I saw myself on TV that night too. Not that you'd be able to notice because I was cut off in the close-up shot.)
• I went to my first college football bowl game.  I went to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego with one of my best friends, her boyfriend and a friend of his.  We watched and celebrated as the Washington Huskies beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

The crazy thing to me is that most of this was done without having a full-time job.  It really gave me some perspective on how much can be appreciated when I realize that life doesn’t have to rotate around a 40-hour work week.

Something else that also seemed to stand out for me in 2010: I laughed. A lot. I’m catching glimpses of happiness and a shimmer of self-worth. I’m more aware of the good things happening in my life.  I’m taking more opportunities to be thankful for what I have and with what I could live without.

Argumentative people

People who just like to argue or "debate" shit get under my skin.  Especially when they're on my pub trivia quiz team.  I'll argue for/against an answer if it's something I absolutely know or absolutely know it's not.  But if I have any doubt, I'll admit to it right away.

Don't try to tell me the name of B.O.B.'s "Airplanes" is called "Wishing upon a star" when I KNOW the name of the song is called Airplanes.  Not only that, I'm fairly certain that nowhere in the lyrics does it say "wishing upon a star."  Did I argue the lyrics with this person? No. Because I wasn't certain.  Did I argue the title of the song? Yes. Because I know it. It was on my iTunes "Current Picks" playlist.  (Which is a playlist for the stuff I'm just currently feeling like listening to. Pretty self-explanatory.) 

Stick to shit you know. Don't argue a case for your guesses.

And don't say our team name is stupid a few rounds into the game.  Get to the place on time like everyone else and maybe you can contribute something worthwhile for once.

OK this rant was a bit scathing and is yet another personal one, but ranting and being a pessimistic jerk is why I started this blog.  So piss off!

Not everyone can be a landlord

I don't want my rants to become personal, but I am really sick of how this person goes about certain things.  This person is my current landlord, who is also a housemate.  She is not fit to be a landlord.  She really isn't even the landlord per se.  She's more like the watchdog of the house.  Her dad is the real landlord since he sets all the rules.  

I've rented for the past 13 years and lived in 7 different places in those 13 years.  Only once before have I had a landlord who did not understand, or maybe didn't care, to treat tenants with respect and diligence.

Here's a recent example and the timeline.  Monday night I buy groceries, quite a bit.  Tuesday morning I receive an email from the landlord/housemate that the kitchen counter tops will be tore out and replaced for two weeks, effective that day.  Nothing happens.  This morning as I go downstairs, I'm greeted by the landlord's dad who has informed me that the sink and stove will be unusable during the whole time the counter tops will be replaced.  So all those groceries I bought?  Yeah, gotta prep and/or clean them in the bathroom sink upstairs.  Had I known that, I would not have purchased any groceries except the microwaveable dishes.  I perhaps should have expected it, but a bit more advanced notice is not unreasonable.

Here's another rant/exmaple:  I rent a room.  I get privileges to the garage where the washer/dryer are, and I get kitchen privileges and storage.  But my rent is not a part of the whole.  In other words, it's not like the four people in this house split the rent four ways.  Each person pays rent for their room. Therefore, the rest of the house is not my responsibility.  The outside of the house is not my responsibility.  The house "belongs" to my landlord.  So why should I be paying for a gardener?  I do.  And that was also without any advance notice.  One day, when my landlord emailed us about our portion of the utilities, out of nowhere she included the cost of the gardener.  I've never had to pay for landscaping at any of the places I've lived, especially for places where I rented a room and the landlord lived with me.  I'm not saying it's unfair.  I do think it's unusual.  But I didn't appreciate the last minute nature of it all.  I basically view it as an increase in the rent.

These are just two examples of the way my landlord "forgets" to let us know about changes to the household until the event occurs.  And it drives me nuts.  This is why I really, REALLY need to get a place of my own.  Of course, I'm bound to the rules of the next place I rent, but in my experience, at least the management understands landlord/tenant relations.

I have other examples (like getting a pipsqueak annoying dog without telling me after I signed the rental agreement, but before I moved in), but I think I'd rather just enjoy some time reading right now.

As I grow older…

It's a sad realization as I get older that the people in my life as I was a child are passing away.

A few weeks ago, I was informed that the mother of a childhood friend of mine died this morning.  Though I had pretty much lost contact with her (Reba) and my childhood friend (Travis) as well, I was aware of what was going on in their lives through my parents' gossip chain. I grew up going to a fairly small church with an even smaller congregation of deaf members, so in a way it was a second family for me growing up.  Most of this group of deaf members would go camping every year, if not every few months and those are some of my fondest memories of my youth.  My friend's mother, Reba, was always a part of the group camping trips. I remember she was usually the one who brought the games like Rummikub, Uno or Skip-Bo.  The addiction the my parents and the other adults had to those games was insane.

I also remember Reba was crafty.  She used to sew or knit a lot.  She had one beanie-style cap she wore that was the goofiest looking thing, but she wore it without shame.  She somehow knitted parts of Pespi cans into the beanie.  How they never tore her skull up is a mystery.

Anyway... it's weird to know that I'm getting to a point in life when the friends and acquaintances of my parents I've known for so long and remember from my youth are now at an age when death will be knocking at their door.  It really brings mortality to the foreground of my thoughts lately.

Sundays are not always fun days.

I usually hate Sundays. Typically, I sleep in until close to noon, wasting a good portion of my daylight on sleep.  Today, I woke up at 8am only to lay back down in bed at 11 and sleep until 2pm. I love sleep, but I also feel disappointment in letting a part of my day idly slip away.  I usually get nothing done during the day because I feel more tired having overslept.  I may meet a friend for lunch or dinner, but usually it feels like a non-social day.

I just finished spending over 3 hours rebuilding my media server.  It's almost 10pm and I'm ready to go get dinner and have a few drinks, but I know that's a bad idea.

For some reason, after it gets dark (or more likely closer to midnight) I seem to have the most energy to be productive.  This sucks, because I cannot do anything noisy after about 9pm thanks to the light-sleeping housemate/landlord in the bedroom below mine.  It also means I shouldn't be staying up late anyway since I have to get up to start my work week in the morning.