I'M NOT DEAD YET

Y'all:

http://www.wangjason.net/resources/teaching.gif

So I pressed the "RESET" button on my blog, a new year has dawned, and I haven't sat down to spend time reflecting.  Everybody knows that I'm an addle-coved berk, but I"m honestly trying to fill this year with positive life-changes and positive thinking.  2014 is going to be a good year not because I say it is, but because I intend to make it so.  I figure that tonight is as good a night as any to begin the path of reforming my blog, so prepare yourself for a meaty update.

I recommend popcorn and white wine ;)

HOME

I moved again in mid-December.  For those of you keeping score, that's my sixth move in five years.  I moved from (1) a one-bedroom basement apartment in South Bound Brook, NJ to a two-bedroom trailer in Cheyenne; (2) Cheyenne to a smaller two-bedroom trailer sixish miles outside of Laramie; (3) from that Hell-hole to half a duplex in West Laramie; (4) from there to a tiny studio in Laramie; (5) from that studio to a two-bedroom apartment (with a roommate) in Laramie; and (6) into a different studio in West Laramie, where I am sitting on my sofa right now.

This new apartment gives me the freedom and privacy that living alone affords a person, while remaining affordable and just large enough to suit my needs.  I also have easy access to the Interstate, which is important (more on that later).

I'm not supposed to have pets in this new place, but my lizards are precious little cherubs and I'm not about to get rid of them.  I'm working on a permanent solution to their housing needs, but today I hid them in a suitcase in the bathtub because Maintenance had to come into my apartment.  Guts seems to be annoyed with me because of it.

FAMILY

I don't have a whole lot to report on this.  I'm still going through a divorce, and I'm looking forward to that being finalized so that both my ex and I can move on with our lives without that issue hanging over us (although one of us has moved on regardless).  Unfinished business is unpleasant.

I miss my son like crazy and I'm hoping I can bring him Stateside this summer to visit.  I just need to make sure I have his school schedule from his mama because I do not want him to miss any time in class, but last I checked his mother and I both feel it's important that he has time with me.  Whatever our situation has evolved into, I'm his father and she's his mother and we both love that little monster a great deal.  Of course, the greater complication is me (more on that below).

This is a dream I'm not ready to give up on.

WORK

I'm still slaving away at PopCopy, but honestly, they've been really good to me.  At this point of time in my life I am not an easy employee to deal with because I have many commitments outside of work, including the Guard and my new semester schedule.  I maintain a full-time job, but it's retail, so the pay is crap.  Also, I finally have benefits, yay! Oh, wait, that reduces my paycheck.  Boo!

SCHOOL

This is where things get tricky.  My semester of student teaching began on January 6th because that's when Johnson Junior High School started.  The home of the Firebirds is in Cheyenne, so this semester I'll be putting a little over a hundred miles on my car every weekday.  That's a lot of strain on my vehicle, not to mention a shit-ton of money I have to spend on gasoline.  I will persevere, however, because it's what has to be done.

I do have to say, though, that I'm super excited to be at JJHS.  This semester is the culmination of my long and arduous journey to obtain a bachelor's degree.  It's going to feel so good to graduate in May and move on to the next phase of my life.  We are so going to party afterwards!

NATIONAL GUARD

My military career continues to be both a source of pride and frustration.  Let's be honest, I spent the beginning of my time (almost four years!) in the Wyoming Army National Guard getting shit on.  My unit did a great job of sucking the Hooah! right out of me and effectively ended my desire to put in 20 years or so and retire.  Yeah, motherfuck that.  I'm getting out in June.

It isn't all bad, of course.  In the Fall of 2013 my leadership changed, and the soldiers placed above me actually give a damn about me.  They are trying to do the right thing by me, which is grand, but I do feel it's too little too late.  If I can finish out my time not hating the Guard then that's a good thing, so I am thankful for how things have changed.

Also, I am being pulled in two directions by them, as my immediate supervisor (a staff sergeant) is Human Resources (NOT MY MOS AT ALL), while my senior rater is an officer who actually is public affairs (my actual military job).  So yeah, I get to try and do both, and they wonder why I have shortcomings.

WRITING

This year I finally began using a five-year journal, which is something I've wanted to do for well over five years.  Thus far I've kept up with it, so there's that.

I haven't written much for pleasure lately.  I've had plenty of inspiration for a follow-up to The Heartbreak Cycle, but (1) nobody cares, and (2) I want to see how things continue to develop in life.  The first was more than a decade in the making, so I feel it's too early to rush into a sequel.

I've also been working a lot on a certain project, and it's nearing completion.  It has been a labor of love, but I'm very excited with the results so far.  More on that as it develops.

LIFE, THE UNIVERSE, AND EVERYTHING

So yeah, my life could be better.  There are issues, for sure, but there are some very good things in life.  I have video games, school, blondes, projects, books, writing, exercise, and lots of useless knowledge to be proud of.

And now I must bid you goodnight.

_____________________________________________________________________

THE ONE AND ONLY,
MAC III