Single, unemployed and living at home with my parents. Just call me George Costanza.
Actually, life at home isn't all that bad.
Here's my routine:
Get up 8-9am, eat breakfast, do some reading, put on some stock positions/do some trading, head to the gym, grab some lunch, head back home to do some more trading/investing/reading, watch some DVR'd tv shows, have a great home cooked meal, head out for drinks with friends or watch some more TV/DVR, go to sleep.
REPEAT.
I also squeeze in some travel planning and thoughts on what's next for me. I definitely have some more clarity on the latter, which will more than likely affect the former.
Stay tuned.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
NEWMAN!
Before losing my job , I was planning on moving to Brooklyn. The main reason was the city was grinding down on me. It seems as crowded as ever and the sensory overload had taken its toll. Additionally, the cache of my building was beginning to wear off as they cut costs and amenities. But there was really one final straw that made me want to move.
About nine months ago, I heard a pitter-patter of footsteps running across my ceiling. It sounded like a huge centipede. Once it started it wouldn't stop for 30 mins to an hour. I assumed someone was doing some sort of exercising. I asked what the situation was at the front desk and one of the doorman said coyly that sometimes the apt above me (#22C) has visitors and that may be the noise (didn't make much sense to me at the time but I figured I'd go with it). He said the next time I hear the noise to call him. Two nights later I hear the noise and I called him -- it stopped immediately. Great, I thought. Two nights later, same thing. I call the front desk and this time it doesn't stop. When I saw the doorman a day later I asked him what happened. He said the people said it wasn't them.
The footsteps haven't stopped but I finally figured out what it is. Some of my other neighbors have had issues with nightclub music from across the street (I don't really hear it because I don't face the street). My neighbor approached me one day as I left my apartment to find out if I had an issue with the music and wanted to join their fight. I told him I didn't have a problem with the music but told him the damn footsteps above were killing me. "You mean from the kid?" he asked as if I was a total d-bag for getting upset with a kid's footsteps. I kind of joked it off but knowing it's a kid certainly hasn't softened the annoyance factor for me.
As I was getting off the elevator today I passed a mother and kid in a stroller that were getting on. The kid looked up at me, smiled and said "BYE BYE". As I turned to say hello, the doors started closing and I noticed a cardboard box on the kid's lap with a big #22C written in magic marker.
NEWMAN!
About nine months ago, I heard a pitter-patter of footsteps running across my ceiling. It sounded like a huge centipede. Once it started it wouldn't stop for 30 mins to an hour. I assumed someone was doing some sort of exercising. I asked what the situation was at the front desk and one of the doorman said coyly that sometimes the apt above me (#22C) has visitors and that may be the noise (didn't make much sense to me at the time but I figured I'd go with it). He said the next time I hear the noise to call him. Two nights later I hear the noise and I called him -- it stopped immediately. Great, I thought. Two nights later, same thing. I call the front desk and this time it doesn't stop. When I saw the doorman a day later I asked him what happened. He said the people said it wasn't them.
The footsteps haven't stopped but I finally figured out what it is. Some of my other neighbors have had issues with nightclub music from across the street (I don't really hear it because I don't face the street). My neighbor approached me one day as I left my apartment to find out if I had an issue with the music and wanted to join their fight. I told him I didn't have a problem with the music but told him the damn footsteps above were killing me. "You mean from the kid?" he asked as if I was a total d-bag for getting upset with a kid's footsteps. I kind of joked it off but knowing it's a kid certainly hasn't softened the annoyance factor for me.
As I was getting off the elevator today I passed a mother and kid in a stroller that were getting on. The kid looked up at me, smiled and said "BYE BYE". As I turned to say hello, the doors started closing and I noticed a cardboard box on the kid's lap with a big #22C written in magic marker.
NEWMAN!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
$2 Italian
I haven't posted much about my semi-retirement plans because they have been a bit in flux. But thanks to some guidance from firSSt, I've narrowed my focus to one main goal: living in Italy for an extended period of time. I was originally planning to ride my bike in Asia in the spring but decided it was consuming too much planning time and would require intensive travel logistics.
So now I'm planning on doing some lighter trips in the winter/spring (heading to the Caribbean on vacation, visiting firSSt in Idaho, a buddy in LA, my parents in Fla, etc...) while I focus on the Italy move. The two biggest hurdles to living in Italy are learning Italian and getting a resident's visa (which would allow me to stay for more than 3 months). Getting the visa seems like more a paperwork issue than anything else. Learning Italian will be the biggest challenge.
I'm kicking around spending a month in Rome in April to do an "immersion" language program. I have some time before I need to commit to the language program so I'm going to give something else a try beforehand. I bought a used, older edition of the textbook they use in Italian level 1 at NYU. It cost me $2. It may be optimistic to think I can learn Italian on my own for $2, but at the very least, it will give me some foundation if I do the course in Rome.
I'll keep you updated on my progress.
So now I'm planning on doing some lighter trips in the winter/spring (heading to the Caribbean on vacation, visiting firSSt in Idaho, a buddy in LA, my parents in Fla, etc...) while I focus on the Italy move. The two biggest hurdles to living in Italy are learning Italian and getting a resident's visa (which would allow me to stay for more than 3 months). Getting the visa seems like more a paperwork issue than anything else. Learning Italian will be the biggest challenge.
I'm kicking around spending a month in Rome in April to do an "immersion" language program. I have some time before I need to commit to the language program so I'm going to give something else a try beforehand. I bought a used, older edition of the textbook they use in Italian level 1 at NYU. It cost me $2. It may be optimistic to think I can learn Italian on my own for $2, but at the very least, it will give me some foundation if I do the course in Rome.
I'll keep you updated on my progress.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Last Days of Disco
I'm winding down my last days in NYC and I'm having a blast. Wine, women and song. Well, not much song but plenty of wine and women.
People talk about how they feel like they'd always need to work. I used to feel the same way. But strangely enough, I think I can get used to this semi-retired lifestyle. People ask me what I do during the day. I'm not sure exactly what I do but I know it takes me all day to do it. I meandor a lot. A little of this, a little of that. I exist with as little purpose as possible, yet just enough to matter.
This post pretty much sums up the semi-retired lifestyle. There's lots of words but it says nothing.
People talk about how they feel like they'd always need to work. I used to feel the same way. But strangely enough, I think I can get used to this semi-retired lifestyle. People ask me what I do during the day. I'm not sure exactly what I do but I know it takes me all day to do it. I meandor a lot. A little of this, a little of that. I exist with as little purpose as possible, yet just enough to matter.
This post pretty much sums up the semi-retired lifestyle. There's lots of words but it says nothing.
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