I am still using my desk from college.  I suppose when I move again, I’ll need to find a new desk.  My desk is just one of those cheap computer desks that you can get for maybe $50 at Wal-mart.  I could get a new one now, but I certainly don’t have room for it, and besides, my current desk is not worn out.  I really just don’t need a new desk.  In fact, when I move I might just buy “another” desk, not a replacement desk but an additional desk.  I have plenty of computer paraphernalia to fill up multiple desks!

When I was in college, during my junior and senior years, I lived in an apartment off campus.  It was literally the closest off campus apartment to the campus, and the rent was only $275 per month.  Of course, the landlord was horrible and the house was over 100 years old.  But then again, nothing’s perfect.

Naturally I had to walk to classes.  One day as I passed the edge of campus, I saw multiple construction vehicles, including one which advertised something about a company that specialized in asbestos removal.  They were removing asbestos from one of the campus buildings.  One thing about this scene was unusual, though.  They had a large, covered, dumpster-like container for removing the asbestos.  It was clearly marked as the disposal site for the asbestos.  Looking inside it, you could see clumps of insulation.  The odd part, though, was that the “door” to this container stood wide open.  It wasn’t even behind a construction barrier.  No one was guarding it.  I could have walked right in.

College students are innately stupid - I think it’s a requirement.  So I found this strange.  I am sure that, late at night, there were frat boys playing around that dumpster.  You would think that this company, particularly if they specialize in asbestos removal, would be concerned about people’s lungs and mesothelioma and stuff.  I mean, that’s why they are removing the asbestos in the first place, right?  Also they wouldn’t want to get sued years later because a dumb frat boy gets cancer.  But then again, I don’t work in asbestos removal.  Maybe they perform some kind of special magic on the asbestos…

Some of you know that what you are reading here is basically my job.  I work in blog marketing.  It’s a pretty sweet gig.  I blog, and then I get paid for it, and all that work leaves me plenty of time to work on what I really love - which is, writing books and searching for a publisher for those books.  I’m actually in the process of creating two more websites (in addition to this one) where I can also write and get paid for it.  I could gripe sometimes about google pagerank or other ranking systems, but they’re not really the problem.  The problem is that the advertisers haven’t discovered a more reliable way to find publishers.  But they will, sooner or later - it’s the nature of a free market economy.  Anyway, I’ve discovered that I really love writing advertisements and I really love working with companies and corporations.  I also love being my own boss.  It’s totally cliche, but it’s true.  I’ve worked under both good and bad managers before.  This job beats working under a bad manager, and even working under a good manager, somewhat.  It’s wonderful to set my own schedule and to have so much control over my income.  If you have any questions about this job, feel free to email me or comment, and I would be happy to tell you more.

Las Vegas is a pretty notorious place.  People take Vegas vacations to gamble, or perhaps to see really bad shows (like Celine Dion or Penn and Teller), or if they are really crazy, maybe to go to one of Nevada’s brothels.  It’s not a place where people go to be seen.  But, call me crazy, I still hope to visit Vegas someday.  They’ve got lots of neat restaurants and besides, it would be neat just to go so that I can say I’ve been there.

We don’t have one of those home gyms that you see on infomercials.  In fact, the closest we have is a rarely-used treadmill.  We used to have an exercise bike, which we sold - again, because we did not use it much!  I can sort of see the value of home gyms, but only if they are used.  Otherwise they’re just kinda pointless… so you might as well get a good pair of shoes and do some walking every day.  Same with exercise videos, which I personally find kinda pointless - they are only worthwhile if you use them.

My skin has been breaking out so much lately.  When I was a teenager, my mom took me to a dermatologist, who prescribed various medicines and lotions and potions that I used religiously.  But I can’t afford to go to a dermatologist, and I’m totally out of habit with applying creams daily.  I need to find a good OTC medicine that will control acne - something that doesn’t cost much, isn’t too difficult to use, and will help keep my skin clear.  Unfortunately I guess I’m demanding a bit much.  Maybe I should try an herbal acne treatment.  What are your experiences?  What do you recommend?

Nowadays it seems like the biggest “teen” acts are the Disney acts - Raven Symone, Miley Cyrus - Hannah Montana, the Jonas Brothers, and so on.  I honestly don’t know much about them.  I’ve seen reruns of “That’s So Raven”, “Hannah Montana”, and “The Suite Life of Zach and Cody”.  They seem kind of dumb to me, but also the kind of thing kids would like.  I used to like Miley Cyrus because I thought she was a good role model for kids, but I’m not as sure anymore.  Of course, ideally parents would be stepping in and acting as role models to their kids so that “celebrities” would not influence their children so much.  But that’s a whole other post!

Anyway, there’s going to be a whole Radio Disney tour featuring all these big acts in New Jersey in July.  It’s going to be at Morey’s Piers in Wildwood, New Jersey.  It sounds pretty fun - kind of like a festival featuring all these artists.  I’ve been to a couple of music festivals before - they are a lot of fun.  It should be an adventure, though.  I remember, a few months ago, when Miley Cyrus came to Kansas City and the tickets to her show sold out within minutes.  That was a pretty chaotic time!  So I wonder how quickly the tickets will sell out for this.  Plus, I bet it will be challenging to find nearby Wildwood nj hotels.  Hopefully the kids will get to see these concerts - that’s really who this is for.

Tonight I made pasta for dinner.  We found this amazingly wonderful pasta sauce called Scimeca’s.  I think it is a local product, but it’s wonderful!  We had pasta with the wonderful sauce, and I did the dishes afterward.  I don’t like doing dishes, but I love our kitchen sink - it’s big, and comfortable for dish-doing, with the most powerful kitchen faucets I’ve ever seen.  Since Mom is out of town, all the clean-up work is my responsibility.  Luckily it’s not too bad, especially when I’m only cooking for two (myself and my father).  Not too many dishes, thank goodness!

I have a good friend who drives a Volkswagon Beetle.  I can’t even imagine how expensive it must be to repair these cars.  I know my Honda is pricey enough!  Plus the Beetles have been made for a really, really long time, and I know it’s REALLY pricey to repair a “classic” car.  I have an uncle who collects and repairs Hudsons, and that is not a cheap hobby!  I’m sure that Volkswagon Beetle “collectors”, like him, have to find sources for all their parts.  He buys old cars and sometimes strips them for parts, then uses the parts to restore other old cars.  The Beetle is an oddly-shaped car, so I’m sure it has oddly-shaped parts.  I can’t imagine how they manage to squeeze the Beetle engine under that tiny hood!

I’ve been overseas several times.  I have been to Thailand, Laos, Burma (myanmar), Japan, China, Hong Kong, Macao, Guatemala, Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Liberia, as well as a handful of airports in other countries.  Believe it or not, though, in spite of all my travels, I have never been to Mexico or Canada.  It’s not for want of trying - I would love to enjoy the Caribbean.  I just haven’t had the opportunity yet!  I would love to stay at an amazing beach hotel, maybe even on one of the islands, like the Isla de Mujeres hotels.  There’s plenty of history there - there’s history everywhere! - which I know I would love.  But even more than that, these places are just so beautiful.  It would be so relaxing to be able to go there and just rest.  Sometimes I feel like I really need that!