Getting to know you

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Two years ago was kind of a shocker year and last year was a patch-up-and-get-back-on-your-feet year, but I learned a lot of things about myself.

I had come to the realization of where I was and what the outlook was, so I could do some self-analyzing with some interesting conclusions.

Home

I started out getting a furnace after a new roof and a lot of patching of walls. The next project was to get a bathroom floor, but I stopped. The estimate surprised me and even though I had the funds, I stopped. I bought supplies for additional projects but could not get started. I made all the excuses of it is too hot or too late or I’m too tired or I’ll wait until next season or I’ll take a vacation and come back and get inspired. None of my excuses prompted me to move on, so I gave up and just enjoyed every day.

Looking at my budget I realize I spend as much on the Internet as I do for my cell phone or my electric bill. The two credit cards are paid off every month and the taxes are paid on time.

Transportation

A trip up to Pennsylvania in the early spring was my first vacation from the house in a while. It was a pleasant uneventful ride with some interesting observations of friends who offered me their homes, food and company.

The spring brought the usual “spring overhaul” of all my wheels that I would rotate everyday for morning rides, grocery store pick-ups and just get-a-ways.

Then they were gone.

So the cost of transportation was a bit more than I had planned this year, but lesson learned.

Now the black beauties are under lock and key and the body still is adjusting to the new rides after a decade with old friends.

Still take some long walks when the weather gets too cold or windy.

And I haven’t ridden a bus in over a year.

Food

Groceries take 30% of my expenditures. 

This year I’ve discovered what food I really enjoy by testing all types of breakfast / lunch / and dinners. Everything from TV dinners and frozen pizza to deli cooked fried chicken and prepared sandwiches to fish and beef and chicken and noodles and sauces and microwave rice to canned or frozen veggies.

Shopping became a daily routine filtering out dishes that didn’t entice my flavor buds.

Also the portions of meals began to shrink.

Cooking by griddle, crock-pot, steamer, and microwave became simpler due to clean up which was reserved to one plate, one cup, one bowl and one cup.

Not having any interest for sweets, salty chips, and junk food saved a few calories, but half of my grocery budget was spent on beer.

Entertainment

Most people didn’t want to “party” due to the economy and the desire to go out became less interesting. The few gatherings have been pleasant and fairly inexpensive but thinking of eating alone has limited my ventures into dining establishments.

Movies (either in the theatre or on television) did not peak my interest. A few concerts were attended but nothing exciting.

Television viewing has become limited to nightly news and PBS weekly wrap up. The rest flash in the pan is boring, except for football.

Radio is only set to WCVE that is on all night waking me up to news and classical concerts and putting me asleep to jazz and quiet conversations.

The computer has become my connection to the outside world with e-mail and social media but I don’t spend much time surfing because I have nothing to look for. I do write on my “Just Another Life” blog (135 entries this year) that gives me an outage for those things rattling around in my head. It’s a log to record events and anyone to see and respond to. I wrote about 40 years ago experiences, Uncle Billy, a robbery, a hurricane, and lots of silly thoughts.

And though I bought new guitars, I slowed playing them until recently. Getting a new computer just to record music has gotten to play everyday during the nightly news.

The cell phone is still stupid and is only on while I’m awake. There is no surfing or texting or tweeting.

And all the other geek gadgets that have come I don’t see how I will use them.

Clothing

I am still wearing t-shirts and jeans. Simple, comfortable and utilitarian is my policy. Sweats have become the eveningwear also for comfort. There is no one around to say I should wear a sweatshirt with a hole in it or I should change my shirt before it stands up on itself. A few t-shirts went into the rag bin this summer but there are still drawers full of others. I don’t need to become a fashionable so I won’t purchase until the inventory wears out.

So as the New Year has arrived I can look back and say I understand myself more and learn more every day. I now know I am completely crazy but harmless. I can entertain and feed myself and even transport myself to distant places. I can participate in conversations but will probably lose interest quickly. I seem to attract other crazies like Wild Eyed Willy or Crazy Eddie or Rosco, the Mayor of Kroger but the real chills come from the occasional smile and comment by the passing jogger. Met some youngsters and experienced what I might have enjoyed 30 years ago, but marked it up as part of history. Went through what could had turned into a romance but logic overruled. Met some people I had not seen in decades with a better understand of why not. 

And little desire to change, so here I am self sufficient, content, and settled. I guess that is not a bad place to be, but I’ll continue to learn more this year.

I’ll let you know what happens.