So how's life treating all of you?

[Jürgen Hubert]

Well, I'm still stuck in the military.

Getting drafted sucks!

 

[Chimera]

I'd have to say all around that it "looks" bad right now.

I've been unemployed for two years now. I started dating my wife just before I quit. Took a lot of time off with a nice chunk of change in the bank and watched the tech market vanish while I was out of the room.

Sold my house, which I loved, and moved into my wife's house, which was in a much better neighborhood. Dropped $40k bailing her out of debt and saving her house (34 months in arrears, but her parents held the mortgage).

Got married last October. Rollercoaster. This morning she was served with a Restraining Order and removed from the house. (She's mentally ill, suicidal and accusing me of verbal and emotional abuse even as she physically abuses me and fails to recognize it.) Divorce is imminent and at this point, desirable by both parties. I'll be in an apartment by October.

So the last two years have been a lot of pain mixed in with chunks of joy. I've lost my job and my house. I drained all of my investments and cash reserves. I fell in love, got married, got abused and am getting out.

++
But you know, the changes that *I* myself have gone through, the person I am now as opposed to the person I was then, tend to make up for it. I'm not sure I would go back and change it even if I could.

 

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

It's alright. We're kind of in a holding pattern here at Tarrasque Wrangler World Headquarters and Waffle Hut.

Let's see what I can rustle up on the crap-o-meter:

My Pontiac is decaying faster than plutonium, which now that I think about it, probably isn't that fast, except perhaps on the cosmic timeline.

I've been temping for the same company for a year now. They are making a mockery of the notion of "temporary" labor. It's so boring, I actually somnambulize throughout the workday. I can literally sleep and work at the same time! It's like magic!

I haven't seen a good new movie in days. That just makes me angry. I'll have to get out to Berkeley to see American Splendor; I don't think I can wait until it gets to my local arthouse.

I was so excited to bring this friend into my game, and she turned out to be a total dud. Her not wanting to come back alleviates my guilt for not wanting to invite her.

I've hit that awkward year when your friends are out of college, and they are paradoxically not working and busy all the time. I never see them anymore.

I realized today that I'm 26, and thanks to a lot of financial screw-ups when I was younger, I don't actually own anything. My car is a hand-me-down. This computer and the house I live in all technically belong to my girlfriend. I have no bank accounts, credit cards, or liquid assets of any kind. If I died tomorrow, there'd be nothing to leave anyone except some small debts.

 

[Lygah]

oddly

I lost my job a few weeks ago, so I have no real source of income , because of that its sped up my plans to move to Florida, on a larger note, there is a gigantic forest fire accross the lake from me, with 30,000 people evacuated and at least 10,000 more on alert, oddly enough, I'm doing just fine despite all of this, thanks for asking.

 

[Acquana]

What a freakin weird summer, man ...

So yeah, getting ready to head back to art school. This is the last year so the horror that is "senior project" looms ahead of me.

RangerWickett will be leaving TX for Atlanta in only a few short hours. I'm okay with being a few friends shorter until I go back to school, I guess. I'm just noticing how weird the entirety of this summer has been. RW and I used to go out, so he wanted to treat this summer like any other we've had for the years we were going out ... Didn't work out that way. Fights constantly ... Most of 'em minor but still annoying.

I've given up on relationships. You know. Since the past year I've had craptacular luck. I've been through about four since October, none of 'em go anywhere. Sucks.

But I'm not really feeling bad about it. I'm not depressed, it's just weird.

 

[Djeta Thernadier]

I'd have to say all around that it "looks" bad right now.

I've been unemployed for two years now. I started dating my wife just before I quit. Took a lot of time off with a nice chunk of change in the bank and watched the tech market vanish while I was out of the room.

Sold my house, which I loved, and moved into my wife's house, which was in a much better neighborhood. Dropped $40k bailing her out of debt and saving her house (34 months in arrears, but her parents held the mortgage).

Got married last October. Rollercoaster. This morning she was served with a Restraining Order and removed from the house. (She's mentally ill, suicidal and accusing me of verbal and emotional abuse even as she physically abuses me and fails to recognize it.) Divorce is imminent and at this point, desirable by both parties. I'll be in an apartment by October.

So the last two years have been a lot of pain mixed in with chunks of joy. I've lost my job and my house. I drained all of my investments and cash reserves. I fell in love, got married, got abused and am getting out.

++
But you know, the changes that *I* myself have gone through, the person I am now as opposed to the person I was then, tend to make up for it. I'm not sure I would go back and change it even if I could.

Chimera, check your email.

 

[Wormwood]

"How's life, old timer?"

"It's taking forever."

/Kingpin

That about sums it up.

 

[dave_o]

Just a short, semi-inspirational post.

A lot of you have probably read Dune. So, you remember "Don't fear, fear is the mind-killer..." That's probably the most true thing, ever. Ever.

Most people, Americans especially, fear entirely too much. Life is fraught with worry - the news spouts killings and accidental deaths, and the next new plague. Every night at 8:00pm you hear about the next thing that can kill you before you know it.

In the immortal words of the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Don't panic.

Thing seem sketchy with college? They'll work out. And if not? Believe it or not, it is possible to live without a college degree. Things aren't working out with someone you love? Well, you can't force it, and just be confident that you made them happy when you did.

I know, if my girlfriend left, I'd be way sad - but I'd also be very pleased, that I made her realize that guys aren't all bad.

Basically, ladies and gents, relax, don't worry, and don't panic. Listen to reggae or something, too.

And general hearts and hugs to everyone, even you dudes out there on tough times (another weird American thing - why no guy hugs?!)

 

[Ravellion]

I hadn't seen my friends in a while because I was in England for a year. They are great friends and it is nice to be with them again.

On the other hand I had to cut short a relationship which was going quite well just because I was leaving the country (alright, perhaps not "just", but still it was going okay), and I miss a lot of English stuff.

I miss sunday dinners.
I miss orderly queues.
I miss pint glasses.
I miss the architecture.
I miss people taking the piss.
I miss the hills.
I miss the weather (England was an improvement, believe it or not).
I miss the relative lack of bureacracy.
I miss English women. A lot.
I miss the mutual respect.
I miss the etiquette.
I miss the accepting whinges about trains and the government.
I miss the myriad of shops carrying things I like.
I miss arcades.
I miss English pubs with decent volume control on their sound system.
I miss English women's dress sense.
I miss English being the only language I need.
I miss the distinct architecture.
I miss the subtlety of English humour.
I miss people not having a village mentality everywhere.
I miss there not being 3 and a half year waiting lists for housing.
I miss not having annoying subtitles in the way of my films and shows in a language I understand anyway.
I could go on.

Yes, there are things I like about the Netherlands. The beer is slightly better and the ability to cycle everywhere in seperate lanes is nice. Having broadband friggin' everywhere is perfect. The architecture is lovely. Living expenses are a lot cheaper. But I don't really feel at home.

Oh well... two more years and I can get out of this country if I so choose.

Rav

 

[Duncan Haldane]

How's things? Well, there hasn't been anything exciting happening in my life recently, but it's better than it was a year ago, worse than two years ago, and far worse than three years ago.

Next week I turn 33.

When I turned 30 I thought life was excellent. Although a few months earlier I had found my first grey hair, life seemed to be finally falling into place.

I'd started a new job in june, which was a 50% pay increase, working in a more interesting, friendlier environment than I had been in.

In January that year I'd bought a house. A three bedroom place, and I had two flatmates. With the new job at the new pay, plus the flatmates, making repayments was easy - I had lots of money left over.

In August my boyfriend moved in with me. He'd been living about 6 hours drive away, and had completed his degree, and had now moved to my city - in fact, he had a job at the same place I did (we ended up working on the same team, but since no one at work knew we were more than friends, it became troublesome).

So, at 30 I had the career I wanted, a house, and a partner. Life was very good, and turning 30 was not the issue for me that it is for many others.

A few months later my boyfriend broke up with me, and he moved out. By my next birthday - 31, the business I worked for was closing down, and I was waiting to be made redundant. And the job market sucked.

In October '01 I stopped working. I didn't get another job until November '02.

So, at 32, I was single, unemployed, and wondering how I would keep paying my mortgage.

But, as I mentioned above, I got a job last November.

It's a government job, which means stability, which is good, but boredom, which is bad. It was a lower job than my last one - I was earning 25% less than my previous job. Adding to that, with my boyfriend having moved out, and another flatmate gone, I have a vacant room that could be earning me good money.

So, now, this week I turn 33. I'm still single (I haven't been involved with ANYONE since my boyfriend dumped me - almost 3 years ago), my job, although improving (I'm no longer on a helpdesk, as of this week, yay!), is still low paying for what I'd like, and what I had. I didn't lose my house while unemployed, but paying for it now is not as easy as it was 3 years ago, even though interest rates are lower.

All in all, Life is ok - my gaming is going well, but I've been spending too much money on new D20 books. I'm single, and very very lonely, but that's not the end of the world. Life has been far worse for me, but also a lot better.

I'll just keep taking my medication, and hopefully things will improve.

One thing I am looking forward to is new year's eve. Since my birthday is at the end of August, NYE will be my 33 &1/3rd birthday
So I'm arranging to have a big party. And who knows - it's always possible that I'll meet the man of my dreams there!



Duncan