living

Some of my famiyl came up to see me this week and deliver some much-needed things I had to leave behind. I'd been living on the bare minimum the past two weeks and now all of a sudden I have an apartment packed with my things. We also spent a lot of wonderful time together; I did more things with them in those 37 hours than we used to do in a while week.

The past two weeks have been something of a lesson in materialism for me. My kitchen was sparse, my living room was wide open and my den was a hole. I had none of the things we all think we have to have to survive in our homes, and I did all right. I wasn't living on a pond like Thoreau, but I was certainly "living deliberately," and I liked it.

But it's nice to have a television, a desk, a chair, a bookshelf, and some other things I've added to the place to make it more livable. It's good being able to sit in something besides a camping chair for once. I can only imagine that my family has much room back home now that most of my stuff is gone.

I miss them all, I really do. But this is the natural order of things. A boy grows up with his father, mother, sisters and brothers and becomes a man. He then leaves that home to venture out beyond the familiar to seek what the world has to offer him. At least, that's what I think it is.

There had been this belief that I'd find independence out here, but that's gone now. Independence is an illusion. Yeah, I have my own place, but could I afford it if not for the job I have? Yeah, I got up here, but I needed help both from my family and the U.S. Interstate Highway system to make the trip.

The fact is, I'm just as dependent as everyone else. It's just that others depend on me a whole lot more than they once did.

My Day off

Today was a weird day. I had set aside this morning as a time to do some furniture and grocery shopping. I've been sleeping on an air mattress since I moved up here with the intent of buying a real bed at some point, and that point was supposed to come today.

I visited two furniture stores in downtown Jamestown. The first place irritated the hell out of me. The guy kept showing me expensive queen-sized beds and such because I'm tall, when the truth is all I really want is a twin bed. I always have trouble sleeping in anything bigger than that, all that room just makes me restless.

But hep kept showing me giant beds and never picking up the hint that I wasn't interested. The real humdinger was when he asked about my "wife or girlfriend," and how much room she'd want. I told him "my girlfriend doesn't take up any space at all, if you get my meaning." He didn't get my meaning, he thought that meant I shove her to the edge of the bed. Then when I left, he called out "Hey, you should come back again some time with your wife!"

I don't wear any rings. This man was an idiot. Our conversation left me with two burning questions:

1. Have I moved to a place where, like Mormon communities, all people are expected to be married young?
2. What kind of jackass would pick out a new bed without his wife?

At the second store, the saleswoman had the smarts to ask if I had a significant other before making suggestions about how I live my personal life. I tried out a few of their display beds but didn't really like any of them. Maybe I just felt awkward laying down in the store, even though she encouraged me to try them out, but none of the beds at either store really suited me. Hell, I really like the air mattress I'm using. It's worlds more comfortable than any bed I've had in the past year. So I decided to hold off.

I did spot a small upholstered rocker, the kind that's good for watching TV and gaming, in their clearance section that I liked. I picked that up quick. Lesson to people looking to sell things for a living: don't make bad assumptions of potential customers.

I also picked up a small side table kit at Wal-Mart (don't laugh) to turn into a charging station and place for me to keep the contents of my pockets when I'm at home (wallet, sunglasses, etc.). I put a surge protector/power strip inside with all the "brick" chargers and fed the wires up to the top. I also put my modem in it and my WiFi on it so I've gotten rid of a lot of loose wires in my den. Very spiffy, I must say.

My conversation with that dumbass furniture dealer got me thinking about things, though. Relationships. Materialism. Desire. Needs. That sort of stuff.

Why should I fill my apartment with things I don't want, let alone need?
Why should I keep trying to date again when I know I really don't want a girlfriend?
Why should I seek out friends in a town I have yet to really know?

Truth is, I shouldn't. I'm going to enjoy the bed that cost me $40 but is better on my back than any $500 bed has ever been. I'm going to make friends if I meet people
I'd like to be my friends. If I meet a girl worth dating, I'll ask her out.

Maybe I'm just grumpy from the weather turning hot, maybe this is just crap that's been bugging me for a long time. I don't know.

I hope you like it

 

This is what a thunderstorm looks like in North Dakota.

Here I am

I've got a bunch of good news for today's post:

First, my boss said it's cool if I keep this personal blog going while I'm working at the Jamestown Sun, as long as I don't do anything stupid like violate the company's policy about personal blogs. So my blog shall live on to rant another day.

Second, You should all listen to Jon Troast. Right now. You don't have to buy anything, just use his Web site's player thingamabob to play a few songs. I recommend "Family" and "Was it ever really mine?"

Third, I get Internet and Cable Wednesday morning, and even though I don't have a TV yet I'm sure it will be very nice.

Finally, there was a really cool thunderstorm last night that totally nailed this region in general. I went out to get some shots of it. I'll try to post a lightning shot later. You should be grateful for it, I braved an onslaught of evil, cooperating mosquitoes to get this picture.

And that stuff they say about the horrible, nasty mosquitoes up here? It's True!

5th Avenue Heartache (Think "The Wallflowers")

Well, I am here in North Dakota.

Moving up was fun, I stayed in a cheap hotel Tuesday night then moved into a big 1-bedroom apartment on Wednesday. I installed a window A/C unit on Thursday, hurting my back in the process, and the past two days have seen me doing plenty of stuff but doing it while moving ever-so-carefully.

I have my cell if you want to talk, and you can mail me letters at this address:

Logan C. Adams
805 5th Ave NE, Apt. 22
Jamestown, ND 58401

I start work on Monday at noon, and I'm really excited about that. The cable guy is coming on Wednesday next week to give me Internet and TV, although my actual TV set won't be arriving for a couple weeks. I'll gladly take the internet, though.

Well, that's all the news I have for now. Until next time, take care.

Employment!

Things are certainly looking up. It's official now, I am the next Assistant Editor of the Jamestown Sun in Southeast North Dakota. Now I just have to move there.