Well, the end of April is here, and surprise – I haven't blogged since Christmas! (And I was late on that one, too.) It's been an interesting four months.
As I mentioned in my last blog article, I got a new job at the beginning of the year, working for a local startup company called Interactive Achievement. Our product is web-based SOL benchmarking software. That is, we do online testing (and reporting) for the public school system. We have a number of clients, and that list is growing constantly.
A few weeks after my last blog entry, I managed to reach the point where I had saved enough money to purchase car insurance (a pre-requisite to getting my license back). It was expensive. And then I had the pay the DMV a ton of money to get my license back, too. And I didn't even have a car yet!
So over the next couple of months, I saved up my paychecks, working at both Interactive Achievement and WSLS. And, in the middle of March, I was starting to get frustrated. I had about $1500 in the bank, with another paycheck around the corner. I remember my first car, a '87 Plymouth Reliant, was 17 years old when I got it, and was only $800. But when I was car shopping in March, I quickly picked up on the fact that the only things under $2500 were the gas guzzlers people were trying to get rid of. The closest I could find was $3500 vehicles and up.
And I got lucky! Ryan's friend Aaron, who plays D&D with us, was selling his old '94 Oldsmobile Regency. I got lucky that I was one of the first people to hear about it from him, and all he wanted was $750. (A steal!!) It has some quirks – passenger side door lock and [power] window don't want to work all the time, but they are manageable. And the car has a lot of perks! Power *everything*. Power seats, power lumbar support, power gas tank cover, power trunk release – even controls for the AC and the radio on the steering wheel! And this is a 14-year-old car!
And since I spent so little money on all that, I went ahead and upgraded my computer. I went from 1gb RAM on a 1.4ghz machine, with 500gb hard drive space – to a 64-bit Quad Core AMD Phenom processor at 2.4ghz – with 8gb of RAM and a new 1tb hard drive to boot! Combined with a new Radeon HD 8700 gpu and the 21" LCD widescreen monitor that Ryan got me for Christmas – and my computer is smokin'! (Running 64-bit Windows Vista Ultimate, with HD animated wallpapers – and I get to turn games like Eve Online and Unreal Tournament 3 all the way up and not experience any lag.) If you were keeping track of the numbers I mentioned in my car hunt, you'll realize I used some extra money somewhere – voila, 2007 Tax Returns. I filed them early, electronically, and got my money in soon. (I also mailed in my 2005 and 2006 taxes, which are obviously way past due, but I might see some money from them eventually.)
Meanwhile, Ryan and I briefly looked at moving into a for-rent townhouse. And with only a couple days of searching we narrowed down to 1 candidate, and began the applications process. We've since been approved, and our move-in date is the beginning of June. (Which is me and Ryan's two-year anniversary together.)
And, in all the excitement, at the same time, I have been dealing with knowing I need to quit WSLS. I was literally going crazy. Four months, with no time off, is a lot. And I've done longer and more, before – but it is no excuse. So I put in two week's notice at WSLS, two weeks ago. It's sad leaving a job – especially on good terms, as it is not something I am used to. Working in the limelight has been a lot of fun. And there is no place I would have rather has been during events like April 16th at VT.
But I guess I am blogging all this because one of my newest friends, Crystal, who I've worked at WSLS with for almost 2 years, is moving away. She has made a mutually beneficial arrangement with her mother in northern Virginia – and she will finish moving on Sunday, which is only 4 days away. I've gone out to bars with her, and gone to The Park with her. I've farted in her edit bay, loaned her cigarettes, and together laughed at the expense of many-a-subject in the news room at WSLS.
I've been making big steps, since I started working at WSLS. And whilst I owe the success to a little hard work, and my boyfriend Ryan's connections – I have been proud to have Crystal as a good friend. She is making big steps too! And I wish her the best of luck.
Go get'em, C Munkey!