Hi.

So, a ton of crap has happened.

Some crap is good. It shows that you have processed stuff/are in the action of processing stuff.
A whole dump truck full of crap...eh...maybe not so much. I mean, it feels like it just continues to pile up, and my shovel has been taken from me, and instead I was handed a teaspoon.

So there's that.

The last time I wrote in this was nearly fourteen months ago. It's not that I didn't have anything to write about. It is just that really good has happened that I wanted to write about. Well, maybe some good things. But the human being is prone to focus on the negative, which causes the positive stuff to become muted amongst all of the negative stuff. In the last entry, I quit the cleaning crew at work. I had gotten a Jeep. I had a puppy named Luke. To update on that, the cleaning crew ended up being a flop. After I quit, the whole team was put under a microscope. After all, what would cause a good worker, liked and respected by several main people at GE, to just up and quit like that? They remaining people managed another month or so, and their shady dealings were found out. One such event in particular involved the supervisor doing more than just cleaning. In fact, let's just say she was cleaning a LOT more than the floors when she was under the tables, heh heh. I was brought in for some questioning to corroborate the things they had learned, and they fired the entire cleaning crew staff as a result. Another contractor came in and rehired half of them temporarily. Then 80% of them were re-fired just recently. Now, only two of the people I worked with on the cleaning crew remain as staff members.

The Jeep is a piece of junk. I wrecked in it back in December, when I slid on ice. The tires were stupidly oversized, and I couldn't control it. Then it seems like everything on it was old, rusty, and falling apart. I was only getting 200 miles per tank of gas. I did manage to go to Massachusetts and back in it, but it is junk. The motor blew a couple months ago. My brother said that he would replace it. But it has been two months, and still no Jeep. So, that makes two vehicles to die under my care. My Mom's Honda is still sitting in my driveway, and one day she will pick it up. I am buying a Chevy Cavalier, in which I owe $1,375 for it. My boss fixed it up and is taking money out of my check to pay for it.

Luke is doing good. He got sick with parvo once, and nearly died (I don't remember if I had told you this). And then this year the crazy neighbor I have decided to go on Facebook and slam me for "mistreating" him. She posted my address and took pictures of my house and everything. I had people saying that they were going to steal him from me, and punish me, and kill me. I called the police about it, and was told that they can't do anything about stuff that happens online, but would send an officer to the house anyway. He ended up saying that he talked to the neighbor, but nothing really came of it. So, I had to go on the defensive and prove that my dog was not being harmed. It sucked, because I hate confrontation. But some people just need to be schooled. If I keep coming back to update this, I will go into more detail.

My three fish have died. They were old. I miss them, because they were my original pets here. I also have two cats. I did have three, but one wasn't really mine. He was the neighborhood cat who simply stayed here from time to time. It was sad to see him claimed by another family, and I hope he is happy with them. I will flood this blog with pictures of Kitten and Punk in a future entry.

I am working at the newspaper again. I needed some extra money, so I asked for my job back. They were glad to give it to me. I don't have my full route back, but what I do have pays for my gas in the car each week.

And that is where all the crap originates. Money. I don't like being one of those people that says I need more money, but I do. I miss the days when I didn't have to worry about money. But the paperwork went through to buy the house I am living in. So instead of $450 per month for rent, I am paying $600 house payments to own this craphole in full. It sucks, because I already have put so much into owning this house that I would be stupid to just walk away from it. And with bills, and the new car, it just feels too much.

So I am trying to earn extra money however I can. I have even considered being a male sex cam model, or offering my body to people willing to pay. That is how bad it is. And sure, I have joked about doing that stuff before (maybe not on here), but it is a definite possibility at this point. I have had offers recently, but I have always been too scared to go through with it.

So, here's banking that my YouTube channel finally takes off! HAHAHA! Yeah, like that will happen.

I am still doing that transcribing and translating for mTurk. And I was accepted to do those things for Rev.com as well. The only problem is finding the time after work to do it. I just feel so tired when I come home that I can't. And then I am earning money using an app called Blast. It pays me to play and complete missions for mobile games. The pay isn't much, and it takes about two weeks for it to arrive, but it actually is legit. Plus, it acts as a savings account as well, and will pay interest for keeping the money in your account each month. I wish I was a paid sponsor for it, because it is really nice. I have $63.15 saved up at the moment (I have earned $91.14 in total since downloading it), and I plan on using that money to pay for Christmas shopping.

There is so much more I need to get off my chest, but I am going to leave for now. I want to play the PS4 for a bit before I go help my boyfriend with his work. So, until then...

Later!

Michael

I know the title may make you think that I am quitting this site, but trust me, I'm not.

I quit working for Aetna Building Integrations. After 3.5 months of working my butt off, I found out what kind of person the boss is, and decided that I couldn't do it any longer. I can't work for people who preach teamwork, but then when it comes down to it, is only thinking about themselves. I tried to stick it out and hope that it would change for the better, but it didn't and it wasn't going to. So, I got out before I was too far in and unable to get out without permanent damage to my professional self.

You see, with me working two full-time jobs, I was more tired than ever before. But my body was adjusting to it. I was put in charge of cleaning a building by myself. It was a large building, but I am not sure of the specific size. Anyway, I would do as much as I could in the eight hours I was given. But then someone complained that I wasn't doing a good job. So, I tried harder. Then someone complained I wasn't cleaning fast enough. So, I cleaned faster. Then it wasn't good enough. Then fast enough. And so on.

Then the main boss got angry, and my supervisor had to step in and start inspecting my building. But she didn't inspect it when I was finished with the building for the night. No, she would come by at random times, usually when I was nowhere near finished. She would mark the inspection forms as bad, because she said that she "has to find at least one thing wrong so she can send it in without the main people getting suspicious." Like, what? You have to make me look bad, so it makes you look like you are doing your job? Seriously?!

On top of that, she would also write notes to the boss, lying about why I wasn't getting my building done. I apparently told her flat-out that I wasn't going to do it (which was not true at all). I apparently told her that I was too tired to do it (which was true, because it was my first week, and my body was still adjusting to the extra work). And so, I was written for insubordination. I asked about this when I was filling out the forms saying I understood why I was being written up. I asked if it was still insubordination for not being able to finish due to the no overtime rule. I was told I should have cleaned faster.

I was told that I was a good worker. I was told that despite being a good worker, I could not be trusted to do a job alone. So, I was given a babysitter to make sure I did the work. Now, in my opinion, and maybe you can correct me on this, but if you can't trust someone to do a job, then that person is not a good worker. I mean, what will happen if that person's partner gets sick, or quits? So, no, if you can't be trusted alone, then you aren't a good worker. Right?

It was that trust thing that struck me the hardest. I know I wasn't doing a perfect job. I admit that. But I was doing the absolute best I could in the time I was given. But to say I couldn't be trusted to do the job hurt me more than anything I have ever felt pain for in my life, because it was hurting my character. I can be punched or beaten, and I will get right back up again. But a blow to my character, to who I am as person, is a line I don't allow people to cross.

I tried to stick it out, even after all of that. I managed to make to lunch break. And then in the lunch room...

I handed my supervisor my ID badge. I said, "I won't be needing this anymore. I quit." And then I walked out and didn't look back. I walked all the way to my Jeep (oh, by the way, I own a Jeep now), drove to the front gate, and signed myself out. The guard at the gate and I chatted a few moments, because he went and backed me up after I left the meeting. I told him I would be back in a few hours for first shift (because I only quit the cleaning crew, not GE Aviation as a whole), got back in my Jeep, and went home, where I sleep better than I had in months.

So, I am down to one job now. I have already been putting out feelers for more work. Two of the other subcontractor companies at GE are looking at me in case one of their workers quits, and now that I can drive and have my own vehicle, I can easily find something part-time to help as well. So, all is good.

In other news...

I have a puppy. His name is Luke, and he is one of the puppies Luca had before she died.

I have three goldfish. One of my cleaning crew coworkers wasn't able to care for them anymore, so I took them in. They are named Spooky (he's white), Zombie, and Ciel.

I have two vehicles in my name. Mom's Honda Civic (it doesn't run at the moment), and my Jeep that I bought for $900.

Well, that's about it for now. I hope to see you around the forums, and until then...

Later!

Michael

I know the bad grammar in the title, but I don't care. I am too tired to do so.

I quit working at the Messenger. Actually, quit is too harsh a word for it. I was there for more than a decade, so I didn't quit. I resigned. It seems more dignified. More professional. I resigned from my position at the Messenger. After last week's route where I didn't finish it because I ran out of time and had to be at GE, I realized that I couldn't do it any longer. Better for them to find someone who can devote the time to do it than have me do it and receive complaints for not receiving papers. Plus, I just felt it was time to move on. I have spent one-third of my life delivering newspapers, and it just wasn't fun anymore. And that is probably the worst part. The second-worst part is that I am actually losing money each week by leaving. Here's the rundown:

Position	Before	After
Messenger	$105	$0
HVAC	$352	$440
Aetna	$360	$360
Total	$817	$800

That is all before taxes and other costs. So, I am actually losing $17 each week by leaving. But when you factor in the gas required for the route, it makes more sense to leave the newspaper, because my other two jobs are at the same place, and then with me napping in my car from 6am-7am, I am saving money I would otherwise be spending on gas to go home and back to work.

But yeah, I am no longer a paperboy. And the seemingly good part is that Larry and Tonya and really understanding about it. They said that if I feel tired, I can even leave in the afternoon to get some sleep. Of course, I am going to try to push myself to reach working HVAC 8 hours each day, because it wouldn't make sense to not do so after changing who I have been for the last decade. But I also know that I am no use to anybody if I get sick or hurt from being tired all the time, so I will only do what I believe I am capable of.

Well, I am going to end this one here. I have told myself that I want to spend my time at home doing fun things, and lying in bed is not fun, not after sleeping in it for the last 16 hours (I really was tired). So, I hope to see you around the forums, and until then...

Later!

Michael

I apologize for not writing more often. I had plenty to write about, but I just haven't had time to do it. The reason being that work has been brutal lately. For a couple weeks, we would arrive at 7am (the normal starting time), and not leave until midnight or later. Thankfully, the project that kept us working late is finally finished. It gave me a lot of overtime pay (I had a check of $600+ one week, as opposed to my normal being just under $300). But it also gave me some body conditioning for what I will be putting myself through starting tomorrow.

You see, I have taken another job. I may have mentioned it before, but I forget. Anyway, to refresh yours and my memories...

A few months ago, I saw in the newspaper that Aetna Integrated Services was hiring for a third-shift cleaning position. Now, Aetna is a company that I have worked with on projects for my HVAC work. They have a cleaning crew at GE that runs third-shift. I wasn't for sure it was for the same crew that works at GE, but I had a gut feeling that it was. I applied for the job, just to see if it was worth working there. It turns out I was right. Anyway, a few weeks ago, I heard back from the guy in charge, and scheduled the new hire interview. That interview was this past Thursday. And I start Monday night.

Well, technically, I started that Thursday, because I am being paid for the time I was in the interview. And tomorrow I have to go in for my new GE badge, and orientation. My first actual shift with the cleaning crew is Monday night.

And what is it I will be doing with my days, you wonder? Well, I will be at GE, working my HVAC job.

And what about Thursdays? For now, I will be continuing my paper route. However, it is highly likely that I will be quitting that.

So, that wraps that up. Except for the last part.

I have been thinking of quitting my paper route for some time now. It just doesn't fit me anymore. And that is a scary thought. Ever since Iris quit, I have been considering doing the same. But I am still doing it. Why, you ask? The amount of money is greater in that one day than I am making at one day with the HVAC work. After all, $105 (paper route) > $88 (HVAC - before taxes) > $72 (Aetna - before taxes). However, my heart is no longer in it. It isn't fun. I thought it would be easier to do my route now that I live in town. I thought it would be easier to do my route now that I can drive a car. But now all I do is wait around until it is nearly midnight to deliver the papers. I spend my Thursdays in my underwear at the house, more concerned with playing video games than actually doing what I am paid to do that day.

But the one thing really binding me to the job is time. Leaving now would mean that I didn't complete a full final year, and that bugs me more than anything else. I want to be able to say that I worked somewhere for eleven years. I can't just say, "Oh, I delivered papers for ten years, and nine months." That will bother me forever. And yeah, I could easily just round up, because who would know. I would know.

Anyway...

I have turned in the creeper van. I now drive Mom's car. On paper, it is my car. However, it has been nothing but a headache ever since it was put in my name. It has already caught on fire once. It had been sitting since last August, so I figure not running for so long caused some stuff to rust or disintegrate or something. My brother got it running again (after four days of nagging him about it - I have had the car five days, just to put in perspective my situation), but it needs parts that he can't get until tomorrow. He says that it will get me to work in the morning, so I hope he is right.

In other news...

I have earned two Platinum trophies on PSN. Taco Master, and Zero Time Dilemma. I highly recommend the latter, especially if you have played either 999 or Virtue's Last Reward or both (please play all of the games in the series). It is the first time I have actually spent a considerable amount of time playing video games in quite a while. I mean, I usually play Overwatch with friends on Saturdays, but that is about it. My Lazy SunPlays on YouTube are something I seem to be too lazy to do sometimes. So, to finally finish not one, but two games, feels really amazing. I am going to try and make it three tonight, and finish the trophy list for [I]Thomas was Alone[I] as well as the DLC for the game (Benjamin's Flight, or whatever it's called).

Well, that's about it for now. I hope to see you around the forums, and until then...

Later!

Michael

So last night, I was in bed at nearly 1am, resting after a romp around the bedroom with a friend, when I received a message on my phone from a different friend. He initially tried calling me, but I don't answer the phone after 9pm, so I simply messaged him back asking what was up. He asked if I had a vehicle, because he was needing picked up in Hillsboro (about 30 miles away). He was at the sheriff's department, and needed a ride home, because his car had been impounded. I asked him for gas money, and he told me he would have it tomorrow (er, today). I was still feeling the adrenaline pumping through my system from the fun I had earlier, but I got some clothes on, and made my way to the police station.

The journey there was okay, and I wasn't as scared to drive through the dark as I thought I'd be. I made use of my new skill, in which I learned how to turn the high beams on. I never had to make use of them before last night, so I was never shown how to do it. Anyway, I figured it out, and made it there in one piece.

My friend sat down in the seat, and he seemed to still be in shock about what happened. He said that he was pulled over for a broken taillight, and when the police officer ran his license, he learned that his license had been suspended. I didn't inquire as to why that had happened, because I figured it was best to stay quiet. We spent a large portion of the ride in silence. I am not a huge talker, especially with people I don't see on a regular basis. But we did manage to catch each other up on what had happened to each other over the last year (we never hung out much, despite living only a couple miles apart). And when we arrive back to where he lives (which is down the hill from my Grandma), he said that I could drop him off near his house. You see, his car was actually his Mom's car, and I guess he didn't want to be seen coming home in an unfamiliar vehicle. As if coming home without a car is any better. So, I let him out, and made my way back home.

Well, there are other things I could mention about the story, but I don't think my darker thoughts would be appropriate. After all, this is a guy that I have been intimate with before, and my hopes for another round of fun that night are probably unnecessary.

So, I guess I will end it here. I hope to see you around the forums, and until then...

Later!

Michael

Story Time!

I was told to wash the van today by my boss. I was not excited about it at all, because on Thursdays I work for the newspaper, not GE. Well, I finally got around to it just a little bit ago. I bring all of the supplies to the van, and get ready to begin. Only, there is no water spigot at the back of the house. Just great, I think. I take all of the supplies to the front of the house, and hope that the hose can reach the front driveway. Then I drive the van around front to begin washing it.

As soon as I get the water in the bucket and start rinsing the van off, it starts raining. Wonderful! But I had already started, so I hoped for it to be over quickly, and that it would start back up after everything was all soapy. That way, I wouldn't have to do as much work. So I wash the majority of the van, leaving the top and racks alone because I am not going to do that without a ladder. Everything is all nice and clean on the outside, so I put away the soap and reel the hose back in, and put everything in the shed. Then, I start the van back up, and put it back where I always park it, in the back driveway.

Only, during the time of me washing the van, some idiot goes and parks his car in my driveway! Seriously! Someone had the nerve to enter my property without my permission and park their car in my driveway! Well, wet and sweaty Michael is not having any of that! I lay on the horn and wait. I did stop while they stared at me. I didn't stop as the walked out to the road. Or as they crossed it and entered my property. No, I finally stopped the noise when I was back where I have parked that van since the very first day I had it, in my back driveway. The guy (I don't know his name, because I don't care enough to be a good neighbor) said something to me, but I didn't hear him. It is kind of hard to hear someone talking to you when you are blaring your car horn and shouting in a combination of English, Spanish, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Russian, and Icelandic, and some few choices gestures from American Sign Language how much of F-wad they are being for trespassing on your property and using your driveway as a public parking area.

After I am back where things in my world are nice again, I get started with cleaning the inside of the van. I clean the windows, and the dashboard. The doors get cleaned as well. I clean up the floor as well, because I have not taken out the old newspapers in a couple weeks. I even put the seat cover on that I found behind the passenger seat.

It is clean enough to suit my tastes, but I honestly don't care about what my boss thinks about it. What my employer at GE needs to realize is that he is only my boss from 7am to 3:30pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. If he wants me to work for him work than that, then he better start paying me more. I mean, the eight hours I work for the Messenger gets me $105 each week, or $13.13 (I rounded up) per hour. Not only that, I get to sleep in on Thursdays, and not have to actually do the work until I decide to. If GE wanted to raise my pay to equal that after taxes are taken out, then maybe I would consider leaving the newspaper. But until then, I am an HVAC technician four days a week, and a bicycling paperboy one day a week.

Well, that's all for now. I hope to see you around the forums, and until then...

Later!

Michael

There is one person in this world I truly pity, and I want to do everything I can to make his life better. It is Autumn's youngest child, Jesse. He is five years old, and has had his little world thrown every which direction there can be during this last month. First his sister goes to live under the supervision of the State, then his grandmother and big brother moves away, and take Jackson (Carma's dog) with them. Then I move out. Luca, who considered Jesse one of her own children, dies. And all he is left with to help him cope with everything happening is his Mom, who is as dependable as using a Post-It Note for an umbrella during a hurricane, and Ben (the boyfriend) who is a good-for-nothing hoodlum that can't even take care of his own kid(s) let alone someone else's.

Every time I visit, Jesse asks me if I am moving back in with him, and asks why I no longer live with him. It breaks my heart to not be able to tell him the entire story, because he wouldn't be able to understand it if I tried. In a way, I was his older brother, and now he no longer has that. He doesn't have anybody to play with now, and I know how it feels to want to play but can't.

So, I want to do special things for him. Today when I was coming home, I decided to keep some of my paycheck this week so I could buy Jesse some little toys and candy for Easter. I went to the place I bought my bed and picked out some Easter eggs, and some paper grass, and a basket. The best part was that the whole thing only cost me 33 cents. I am supposed to go to the Conaway House tomorrow to bring some milk to the puppies, so I think I will also pick up some candy to fill the eggs, and whatever cute toys I can get for him. I think I saw a store selling kites the other day, and I always loved flying a kite during springtime. Maybe get him some bubbles, and a wand. Just something that can occupy him now that he is an only child.

I know it sounds weird, considering how much I loathed the situation I was in, but I think I miss Joey, Makayla, and Jesse. They weren't truly bad kids. They were very loud, and constantly bothered me, but I do care about them as if they were my own siblings. I worry about Joey and his grades, now that I am not there to tutor him. I worry about Makayla, and wonder how she is doing being unable to see any of her family. But most of all, I worry about Jesse, because he was tossed into this whole situation and not able to fully understand it.

So, I am making an Easter basket for a 5-year-old. I think I should have bought a bigger basket, or smaller eggs. Or I need to take out some of the grass. Because not all of the eggs will fit. I even considered leaving some of the eggs out, but what would I use plastic eggs for? It doesn't matter. I will fill them all with candy, and give them to him. I think he will like it.

Well, that's all for now. I hope to see you around the forums, and until then...

Later!

Michael

On Thursday, April 6, 2017, I was driving the van on my business route through the village of Winchester, Ohio. It is literally three stops. Well, I had just left the bank (stop #2), and turned left on the next side street up from the bank so I could make my way back through the village to move on to the one stop on the other side of the main drag. I was going maybe 10-15 miles per hour, when all of a sudden this dog runs right out in front of me, or rather, runs right into the side of the van.

I am freaking out, right. I pull over, but not until after I look through the window to see where I am. The Winchester Police Station. It turns out the dog that hit my van/dog I hit with the van was none other than the K9 unit of their police force.

I jump out and start apologizing profusely. I mean, I am nearly in tears, because first and foremost, I hit a dog with my vehicle. And then on top of that, I hit an officer of the law. Anyway, the two officers tell me that everything seems fine, but they are going to take him for a walk to make sure he isn't hurt.

Here's there side of the story:

The two cops were at the station filling out paperwork or whatever it is police officers do. They decide to go around the village on their rounds, which makes their dog excited. When they opened the door, the dog bolts outside and makes a beeline for the cruiser. Unfortunately, my van got in the path and faceplanted himself into the fender.

Here's the best part. The dog is fine. I am fine. The van is fine. Everyone apologized, and I did not get in trouble for nearly killing a police officer! My sister said it best. "Only you can hurt a cop, and walk away from it with the cops smiling and shaking your hand, and not get in trouble."

I don't want to test out her theory.

Anyway, that's about it. I literally wish, that it sounded more believable. Because it literally sounds like something completely made up. But it is completely true! If you don't believe me, you have my permission to call up the Winchester, Ohio police department, and ask them yourself. Their number is 1-937-695-5502. I am going to go there myself today and ask about the dog. I have been afraid that I made it so he can't work anymore. He looked so happy, and it would kill me to have two dogs to have died so close together.

So, until next time...

Later!

Michael

You all know about my dog, Luca. If not, well, here's a summary:

Way back (Winter 2009) when I and my siblings were living together in our parents' house while they were in prison, my brother was given a dog by the people he was fixing up a house for. The dog was still just a little puppy at the time, and named the puppy Luke. My brother thought it was fitting, because my dog's name was Bo (Bo and Luke, the Duke Boys, ha ha). Anyway, it turns out that Luke was a girl (my brother is a bit of an idiot sometimes), and instead of changing her name to Daisy (another Duke name), Luke became Luca (the boy spelling, and based on the city in Final Fantasy X/X-2).

Fast forward to when Luca had her first litter of puppies. A few months after that, my remaining puppies (I had given away all except Palom and Porom, the twin white puppies) and Bo died of parvovirus or something (I don't know exactly what). But Luca lived. I was torn up for having spent the last seven years with Bo, and add to that the death of the puppies, Mom's cat (attacked by some kind of animal), and my Nana, I was inconsolable. Luca was my comfort. My rock. She became my everything. My brother and sister had at this time left to start their own lives, leaving me with the house to take care of for Mom and Dad. So Luca was all I had, literally.

Luca moved with me to the Carma's. There, she had several more litters of puppies with Carma's black lab, Jackson. We kept a couple of the dogs here and there. It was wonderful to have so many fur babies (I hate calling them that, but the Internet apparently loves it for some reason). Then when all of this stuff happened that caused both Carma and I to leave the house for good, Luca stayed behind while I worked on buying the house I am living in now. It was good, because she could protect the house for Autumn and Ben. Plus, she was pregnant yet again, this time by a Boxer dog down the road. I was so happy! I was a grandpoppy again!

That was two weeks ago.

I have visited Luca every couple of days since I moved out, because I have it in me to think that she will forget me or something. And after the puppies were born, I made it a point to visit even more. When I visited on Friday, she was physically weaker than normal. I attributed it to her puppies milking her dry. I went to the store and got her all of the things she needed to boost her weight. However, I didn't link what I found her doing when I arrived that day to the state her body was in. She was digging a hole.

I received a call on Saturday morning from Ben, saying that Luca had passed away overnight. I got dressed and rushed over there. My thoughts were about the puppies. They were one week old, and they couldn't fend for themselves yet. When I arrived, all five (there were originally six, but one died) were still alive and well. After crying in her doghouse for a bit (I can fit in it comfortably) with the puppies in my arms, I composed myself, put Luca in the van, went into the house and got the puppies some milk. After they sucked the milk off my fingers for a bit, I left them to tend to Luca's burial. I drove into the woods and went to the spot I buried Little Guy (Carma called him Grizz, but he was always Little Guy to me), and got started digging the grave.

While I was digging, I called the local humane society to see what they could do to help. Unfortunately, there was no room at the shelter for the puppies. And even if there was room, they couldn't take them in because of how young they were. A foster family would have to be found that could provide constant care for the five orphans. I am not allowed to have pets here, or I would most definitely have taken them myself. It would be hard, but I would have done it somehow. The humane society said that I would have to call back in two weeks. Until then, I had to find someone that could care for them. Autumn and Ben were reluctant, but agreed to do it providing I paid for the things they would need.

It is hard, you know? I mean, of course you know. Most of you have had a pet yourself, and it truly sucks, because they aren't just a pet. They are family. And Luca was my family, and for a time, she was my only family. But the hardest part is that she will never get to play in this yard or live in this house that I am trying to buy. My whole reason for moving to my boss's property was because one day she and I will have this place for us. I moved here at $450 per month and not be allowed to have her here to one day own it, and turned down the place in the grody part of the village at $400 per month with permission to have her with me, but never actually own the land.

I finally have something to regret. I regret not taking the cheaper place, because it would have meant I could have had more time with her (possibly). I could have been able to take care of her more if she was with me, instead of ten miles away. But all of the wishing and could haves aren't bringing her back.

It seems I am cursed. I can't seem to have a dog for more than seven years. Luca was seven. Bo was seven. Baby (my white Siberian Husky) was seven when he was killed. My first dog, Jake (German Shepherd), was stolen when both he and I were seven (Mom and Dad got him when I was born).

And the worst thing now is all of the people posting stuff about dogs on Facebook and other social media, and I can only think, "Yeah, my dog used to do that silly stuff all the time."

But I am getting through it somehow. I sleep more, because I have lost the motivation to do other things. I still go to work, but sometimes it feels like there's no point. I was only working so I could one day make it so she and I had our own yard to play in. I got my driver's license so I wouldn't have to ride my bike to visit her.

Oh well. Life goes on, and I know that I will one day forget everything that ever made me happy in life, so there's that to look forward to.

Moving on...

My place is really starting to feel like a home (it never will now, but it may get close). I have living room furniture, and a kitchen table and chairs. Today, I bought a bed, because I am physically sick of sleeping on the floor. My chest has been so congested because of me sleeping on the floor. My ribs hurt from the pressure of being on the floor. My back has had no support, so much that I am walking around the house like a 90-year-old man for an hour after waking up. Plus I am waking up every couple of hours in pain. Anyway, what else is there? Oh yeah, my gaming room is finished! I believe I told you that already, but it finished finished. I just haven't had time to use it much. I get on long enough for my tournaments, but that's about it.

I have taken a driving route at the newspaper now that I can drive. It is okay. It is an extra fifty miles of delivering, and I am only getting an extra $35 for it. But I want to help out, and it is extra practice being behind the wheel. My work van is getting the brakes worked on tomorrow, and I am hoping that I will have time to do the driving route. Technically, I am not supposed to use the van for anything other than going to and from GE, but since I am paying for the gas, I want to go where I want to go. Most likely, I will be paying for the repairs tomorrow, and it will be just one more reason for me to keep the driving route.

But honestly, I feel super weird driving it around the towns I go to. I mean, it is a non-descript white van, and we all have heard stories about those kinds of vehicles. Nothing good has ever come from one.

Well, I have to go to bed. It is Thursday tomorrow, and I have my routes to do. So, I will see you around the forums, and until then...

Later!

Michael

Forgive the title. I wanted to keep with the royal theme for a little longer.

Anyway, it's fitting because I can drive a car legally on the roads, and without a licensed driver in the vehicle. What is this craziness!? I, who planned on riding a bike for the rest of my life, is now able to drive a car? This world is for sure gone loopy.

And the best part in all of this is that I can finally start filing for my passport. Before when I started researching passport stuff, I learned that I HAD to have a driver's license. My permit or State I.D. wasn't sufficient. That was partially the whole point of getting my license. I wanted to be able to travel. And I joked about moving to a foreign country when Trump was elected, but it wasn't a complete joke. I still want to do that. It has always been a dream of mine to emigrate. Before, it was a Spanish-speaking country, then to China. But honestly, I would be perfectly fine moving anywhere. As long as the country will allow me to live there with as little hassle as possible, I am quite alright with living in any country.

Moving on...

I have lived in this house a week now, and I think I am going to start vlogging. There is a room in the house with a great amount of light, and with me living alone, it gives me a great opportunity to film my language series, or rants about living as a young adult (or am I still considered a young adult at 30?), or anything I want. Plus, it is so quiet here. Most of the time.

Well, that's all for now. I hope to see you around the forums, and until then...

Later!

Michael

Okay, first let's just say that I have some great luck with the title for part V of this whole story. The place I was shown from craigslist was okay, but my boss's rental property was nicer (if $50 more expensive). Anyway, I am going to own this place one day. Anyway, the title. I live on Castle Avenue. So, King of his Castle is extremely fitting.

Moving on to other stuff...

I have Internet at this place. I have some food, and dishes, and a chair to sit in. I have a fridge/freezer, washer and dryer, and a stove/oven. I do not have a bed, a table, or a television.

I am close enough to walk to stores, or ride my bike. I am closer to both of my current workplaces. I am farther away from Luca, which sucks so much!

I am able to wear as little or as much clothes that I want now. I can hear myself think. I can have people over. I could before, but I wouldn't want anyone to suffer what I lived. I don't have children to tutor or help with homework. I know that when there is a mess in the house, I am the one that made it.

And now...

I went out last night and didn't come home until 12:30am. A friend and I went to watch the movie Get Out. We ate at Wendy's before the movie. There was some kissing when we got back to my place. It feels weird to say that, my place. I have tried to avoid calling where I live my place, because of the possessiveness of the word my. I mean, Luca is my dog, but the houses I have lived in before were never mine. This place here is mine. Well, not yet, but I am paying for it each month until it is mine. Anyway, back to my outing. I am staying with my friend tonight, I think. We have been planning it since January. But what started as a whole weekend, is now just a night together.

I don't know. When I turned 30, it was like a light had been switched on in my brain. The light said (because apparently lights in my brain know vocal languages) that I want to be with people. And not just in a sexual way (though that is very nice). Anyway, what baffles me is that there are people that actually want to be with me, both sexually and relationshippy. I don't think I'm attractive, and I am not confident in the slightest. I am super smart, and somewhat in shape. I also tend to laugh at people saying things incorrectly, prefer to let other people talk, and generally not care what happens to other people.

But yet someone wants to take me out to the movies, and pay for everything along the way. I don't know. Maybe I should have found the box of light bulbs in my brain years ago. I might have been a happier person during my twenties. What I do know is that I am going to rock the thirties.

Well, that is all for now. I hope to see you around the forums, and until then...

Later!

Michael

So, it has been four months since my last entry. Honestly, not a lot of stuff has happened. Well, that's not true. A bunch of stuff has happened, but nothing that I felt needed written here.

Here's a brief rundown of what has happened since the last time I wrote:

- My sister lost her job at Walmart. She has not worked since. She owes me $690.
- I failed three of my four courses at college, because I didn't catch up on the little assignments. I aced the tests, though.
- Jesse went into my closet and ate the Valentine's Day candy that Carma purchased for all of the kids.
- I filed my taxes, and actually received a return.
- Children services was called several times to intervene with Autumn's parenting techniques, causing Makayla to be removed from the home after having several meltdowns during school.
- My sister broke up with Vince. He still has my copy of The Sims 3, and I have his copy of Tales of Destiny. I have asked repeatedly about getting it back, but he has since stopped answering my texts and removed me from his Facebook account. Oh well, I have the better deal in this situation (he has a $15 new game, and I have an $80 old game - I win!)
- My sister had a pregnancy scare. It turned out to be cancer. She has since had it removed.
- I am moving.

Let's focus on the last one, since it is conveniently the title of this entry.

I called a person on Craigslist about a mobile home for rent in the village. Now, before you give me the whole "Beware of Craigslist" speech, don't. I know all of that. The reason I know it's legit is because he also posted an ad in my newspaper about the place. Anyway, I called him, and he sent me the application. I filled it out, and I guess he liked it enough to schedule me an appointment to look at it tomorrow at 4pm. I hope this means that I can just go in, say I like it, and get to move in immediately. I asked him about Luca, and he said that it is fine as long as she is chained or caged in. Carma wants me to ask about keeping two of the cats inside when I go to see the place. I personally don't want to keep the cats, because I think Luca is more than enough of an animal for me, but I also don't want to leave Cinderella and Aurora here. Anyway, send positive thoughts my way!

Now as for the why I am moving. It is because of Event #5 listed above. Because Makayla is no longer here, the family's focus is to get her back. Unfortunately for me, that means it will be easier to do that if I, Carma, and Joey are not here. Carma told me on Tuesday that she and Joey are moving to Washington Courthouse, which is like a long way away from here. Well, not a long way, but it would be quite a distance on a bike. Anyway, since I have a career in HVAC now at GE Aviation, I won't be going with them. I wasn't invited to go, but I wouldn't have gone if I had. So, Carma told me that I have until the end of March to find a place. Luckily for me, I found a place the very night she told me!

Now, I don't want to get too excited about it, because the universe will try and kick me down if I show too much emotion, but I am excited. Yeah, the whole being a true adult with bills and stuff sucks, but the pros completely outweigh that one con. I will make a list:

1) It will be quiet.
2) Clothing optional.
3) No children.
4) I can invite people over if I want, or live the life of a semi-shut-in. (I still have to work.)
5) I will be able to hear my thoughts.

I had been wanting to move out for quite a while, but I didn't advertise it for fear of it blowing back in my face (i.e. Carma kicking me out for some stupid reason, because let's face it, there's no good reason to kick me out when I do so much here). So I kept quiet and simply put out feelers. I had people look into places for me. I saved up my money to maybe stick around long enough to buy my own place outright (which is still a goal). But this whole situation gave me the kick in the pants I needed to really buckle down and actively look for a place of my own.

And yes, I said my own place. When I would tell my sister about me wanting a place of my own, I let her believe that she and I could be roommates. But then I would sometimes look through my old journal here and remember all of the crap I went through with her before. She may changed and become a decent human being, but I am not so sure she is that way anymore. She has started to become unreliable again, and it is mainly with her new boyfriend. Anyway, at least for right now, I want to truly be on my own. My sister knows that I need to find a place to live, and that I have until the end of March to find it. She does not know that I may have already found a place, or that I want to be alone. Now, if it comes down to it and I am not able to do things alone, I will consider getting a roommate. But it would have to be someone that actually works for a living, and not a sister that keeps asking me for money.

Well, that is all for now. I am already thinking of a title for the next chapter in my life. Something like, "The Michael Swayne Story V: The New Kingdom". Leave a comment down below of any titles you think of, and I will consider them as well.

So, until then...

Later!

Michael

everybody, everywhere! Clean up, clean up! Everybody, do your share!

Does anyone else get this song stuck in your head when you are cleaning up something? I do, and I most certainly did this weekend. I had so much homework to do this weekend, and as usual, I found something else to do instead. I cleaned my extremely messy room and closet! On Saturday, I tackled the actual bedroom, and today was the closet. I love working at GE, but after work, I am way too tired to keep things tidy. I usually just enter my room, throw my things wherever there's space, change my clothes, and go do my chores. Then, I go to sleep with a pile of junk on the bed, and the cycle repeats the next day. There is just no time for it.

Well, I made time. Everything is more organized now, and I have two giant trash bags of junk less than before. The best thing about it all is that my room looks so much more open. And inviting now. Before I had my bare walls and mess. Now, I have wall shelves holding the increasing amount of Pokémon plush toys I own. I have been collecting them since around the time that Pokémon GO came about. I have 25 plushes, featuring 23 Pokémon. I they are my new buying addiction, it seems. Whenever I see one I don't have, I just have to buy it. Sometimes I am able to resist the urge, but sometimes I go all nuts and just buy them all. If the stores would stop bringing new ones out, I wouldn't buy them. Yesterday I bought 5 (Zubat, Cubone, Purrloin, Pikachu (sleeping), and Pikachu (holding a pumpkin)). I originally planned on buying the sleeping Pikachu, because it just so cute (and because the only time a Pikachu is good is when it's asleep, like children). But then I was standing in line and saw that they had plushes that weren't in the toy aisle display were featured near the exit, and I grabbed one of each. And at $12 each, they are cheaper than new video games, but just as unnecessary in my life.

Oh well, I can afford it, I guess. I will feel better about buying them when my sister is able to use her employee discount, because then I will get 15% off whatever I want. And I do want them all. Oh, my sister is a baker at Walmart, in case you were wondering. You probably weren't, but now you know.

School is about the same as usual. My thoughts on my courses haven't changed. And work is going well. I work at GE four days a week (Monday-Wednesday, and Friday), and work at the Messenger on Thursday (well, Wednesday nights). It may not seem like much to some of you, but the $312 each week is a great improvement compared to the $70 I was making before the GE job. Also, I am now a certified HVAC technician now. Eww, I know. But it is a pretty cool (ha ha) job. I can only work on small units right now, and luckily that is mostly what they have at GE. Larry wants me to get the other two certifications as well. I want to as well, because it will be better job security (meaning that the chance of me becoming a "whenever needed" worker will be slim), and I will be able to negotiate a raise, should I want one. And believe me, if I get the certifications, I will want them. It would only be fair, seeing how Andrew (the boy who replaced me last time, and made me a "whenever needed" worked the second time) was earning $4 more than me per hour, and he was freshly trained. I have had two years of experience working on stuff like this, so I would naturally want more, should I get those other two certificates.

Well, I should be taking a Biology test right now. It is due at midnight, and I have no idea what it is about. So, here's hoping I can score high, like I did on my Anatomy exam when I knew nothing about it (91% is pretty good considering I know nothing about the human body). Anyway, I will see you around the forums, and until then...

Later!

Michael

...but I am not tired. Anyway, what better time than now to post a quick little update. After all, rambling on and on about how great my life is (ha ha) always puts me to sleep.

School is going, uh, okay? I am rocking the math course, still hating the English course, and I am not even doing the work in the science courses. That time without Internet I had recently killed my motivation. But despite not doing the work, I still got a 91% on my most recent Anatomy test. Luckily, the assignments are set up so that I can do them any time, and I will only lose 1% per day for each day that an assignment is late. If I can find time to do them (but not right now, of course), I can still get a good score later on.

What I wanted to really talk about is work. Work took a surprising turn. Larry was like, "Michael, look up online how to take your Type I HVAC certification. In the event that we get audited, I need you to be certified so we don't get in trouble." I learned that it was a certification that I can do online, and I took the test. And now I am certified to fix a majority of the HVAC things at GE. My sister wants me to ask if that means I get a pay raise, since I was put at $8.50 per hour (it is actually $10 per hour for 8 hours, but Tonya changes it $8.50 for 9.5 hours because of how her QuickBooks is set up) since I was not certified. Honestly, I don't care right now, because I make enough to fulfill my needs. But a raise wouldn't hurt. It doesn't even have to be an immediate raise. I would be fine with finishing this year at $8.50 per hour, and then getting an increase at the beginning of 2017.

Oh my, I just noticed that with the new Facebook integration, I can post these entries to Facebook. I will have to make sure that I never check that box. I would not want the people I talk about to read these entries. I would hate for my other life people to know what I think about them.

Speaking of other life people, I read some of my entries for the Journal I had on here (oh, so very long ago). I got sucked in to the entry about how I spent a weekend without electricity. I thought, did I actually experience that? It feels like it happened to someone else. And in a way, it did. I am a completely different person than that guy. The me now is like, how did I get by living so poor? I mean, I am still poor, but seriously, there is a big difference between living on $25 per week and $350 per week (after taxes).

I have been chronicling my life for the last 5.5 years, and I can hardly believe that so much has happened to me in that time. I started out living alone, and wanting to be with my family. And now I am with my family (they are cousins, but still family), and I'm wanting to be alone. The me then said I was not planning on going back to school, and now I'm in my second semester. The me then was all about the bicycle, and here I am now working on getting my driver's license (I just need time to take the road test). The me then could speak three languages, and now I am conversant in 8 (well, 9, if you count ASL).

Anyway, I need to get some sleep. 5am comes pretty early, and I want to show off my new certificate at work tomorrow. There is a corkboard in our office where we put all of our certifications, and now I get to put my first certification on there. It will be so great! Well, I hope to see you around the forums, and until then...

Later!

Michael

You know how I love languages, yes? Well, I am hating the English course I am taking. The assignments are fine. I have no time to really do them, but I do them. My problem is that I feel like I am above the type of learning the professor is teaching. I have to write a four-page essay on an experience with literacy (which is due Sunday). That part is fine, I can do that. The problem is that I am expected to have substantial revisions done between the first and final draft.

Like, what? Revisions are fine. I type too fast sometimes, and forget letters, or words. But substantial revisions? This is me we are talking about. I am not the type to make too many mistakes that it requires a lot of revising. It is like the professor wants me to type with text speak (LOL, L8R H8R, BRB) or something. If I have to typ lik dis in my first draft, just to make it good for the final draft, then I am wasting a ton of my precious time doing stupid stuff. It is taking the fun out of the language.

I actually regret taking this required course. If I was more confident, I would save up the money to test out of this course. This is what I hate about college. I hate having to take courses that you have no reason to use. Isn't the material in high school enough of an experience to let you know how to use things properly in a sentence? I know how to write, so having to make "substantial revisions" in order to be eligible for an A or B (the rules of the assignment) is not a concept I like.

I posted on Facebook recently that I have always hated to write things for grades, because it doesn't really matter how the piece is written. It is more on how the professor feels before, during, and after the piece is read. If the professor feels crappy, or angry, then the chance for a fair grade is low. I believe this more now that I have read what is expected of me for this course. I basically have to throw everything I was taught out the window, just so this guy can say that he taught me all he knows. It sucks!

The worst part is that his writing background is about as good as my own. For all I know, he could even be younger than I am, I don't know. It doesn't matter. All I do know is that we are going to have problems if I have to continue this stupid concept of making substantial revisions.

Well, I have put if off long enough. I better get to writing. I would say to stick around for the next entry, but I know not when that will be. So, I will see you around the forums, and until then...

Later!

Michael