Ultimatum Delivered

I made it that simple.

If the niece sows up again, I'm outta here.

At least the drug smell has dissipated.

Between HR theory and a past relationship, I know that when it hits the point where someone tells someone else, "Shape up or else,"  The person making the statement had better be fully prepared to do or else.  Although I hope for the best, I'm ready.

Is part of it my bad?  Yes.  I'll own that.  But I have been in more than my share of bad situations and this one is nasty.

At least my dealbreaker is out there.

Today's plan

OK

I will admit it.

I uck fuped.

I made a mistake by returning to the desert in February.

I have unfortunately found out that my roommate is a pathological liar.

Even though he swore on a stack of Bibles that his beloved's niece was persona non grata after she pounded on the door to his room at all hours of the night. Guess what?

She was back with his beloved.

Twice

And the second time she pounded on the door all afternoon as I was trying to get work done.

Not good.

I'm keeping my base in San Diego.

Although I made the mistake, I will move on.

And maybe go to H town in a couple of weeks.

Life is Precious

Today, I learned that one of my classmates from High School passed away in Feburary.

I remember her because for some reason, she had a crush on me.  It was unrequited, but she and I were in the same homeroom for three years.  Anyway, she wound up graduating from UT Austin, was a Tri Delt, did Junior League, married twice and had four kids.

The whole thing reminded me that life is precious - and too freaking short.

Brief explanation.

With the exception of a trip to LA and one to Houston, I have been in the Desert since mid November.  It seems that the housemate who I did not intend to return to when I was trekking in Mexico got himself into some really deep shit.

It seems he used Daddy's credit card when he wasn't supposed to to buy Uber rides for his beloved.  As he was confronted by Daddy, he also hacked off a houseguest of his (good friend) and both he and Daddy wound up in the same car heading to Palm Springs.

Let the reading begin. 

When Daddy returned, he told housemate he, "needed to learn how to behave," and threatened to put a For Sale sign on the house.  Mommy intervened and as a result I was asked to move back in as a minder.  Against my better judgment, I agreed.  Result?   His posterior was saved.

Anyhoo, he was doing his thing with his beloved until right before Xmas, when they broke up.  He then went to Dallas to visit his family and returned early.  All in all, his behavior was acceptable.

I then planned a trip to Houston and got flight deals out of the Ontario airport making the 60 mile trek worthwhile.  I asked if I could get a ride to and from the airport from him and he said, "Yes."

Well, guess what.  He changes his mind because his beloved is back in the picture.  Sooo, while he is engaged in whatever he does with someone who I only see passed out in his bed recovering from a drug induced stupor.  I had to trek on my own to the Ontario airport.  The trek back was especially miserable as the train between Pomoma and Palm Springs was three hours late.

I was not a happy boy.

To make things works, the roommate has made representations related to his beloved that just weren't true.

Time to look for a new living arrangement.

Life is too short to deal with this fecal matter.

Lent

Today is the first day of Lent.

It is also the 21st anniversary of my dad's death.

A lot of reflecting going on.

All I know is this.  I now predicate any prayers for my father with one that goes along the lines of

Dear G-d, As you know my father was not a good parent and the only reason why I pray for him is that you have given a commandment to honor one's parents.  Please give me the ability to forgive, and if you fail at that, let the wounds heal with time.  Amen.

The wounds are slowly healing.

More postings to come.

You Mean This Isn't a Cosmo Quiz?

No, but I stumbled on this little ditty from HuffPo titled "9 Questions to Ask On A First Date, According to Divorce Lawyers." The article has nine questions posited by divorce attorneys as well as rationale for answering them.  Here is a summary, along with my answers:

Question	What the Question is REALLY Asking	My Answer
When was the last time you talked to your siblings or parents?	How close are you to your immediate family?	I’m an only child and my dad is no longer amongst us. Unfortunately, I am estranged from my mother, and have been for a long time. That said, I do communicate with my extended family mainly via Facebook.
Do you believe in happily ever after?	Will you do the work in a relationship?	A qualified yes. It takes quite a bit of work to get to that point and it is not a given.
Are you married?	Are you married? Seriously, there are a lot of people out there seeking new relationships when they SHOULD be putting their energy in winding up old ones that have reached their expiration date. Also there are the players out there who have a spouse at the home you may wind up wrecking if you continue.	No, I’m a widower.
What do you love most about your job?	Are you a workaholic? Do you hate your job?	Mainly that I have a little flexibility in my life. I would not have been able to go to San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato three times this year if I was stuck on a schedule. Yes, I did have to drag some work down, but I was there and not trapped in some cubicle.
Where did you go on your last vacation?	How did you pay for your last vacation?	I spent a weekend hanging out in the Westin Bonaventure in LA and going to the LA Car Show. I always wanted to check out the hotel, and when the Priceline Express deal revealed that one, I jumped for joy in Union Station
Do you know who Johnny Carson is?	How old are you?	Can we talk? I’m sorry he didn’t make up with Joan Rivers.
Do you consider yourself a good communicator?	Do you consider yourself a good communicator	I hope so. I’m paid to deal with irate people all day and figure out how to solve their problems.
How did your last relationship end?	Was the ending of your last relationship your fault, their fault or some combination of the above.	Death did us part.
If you could go back in time, what’s the one thing you would change about your life?	This can actually be a great conversation starter	I would have not wasted a year after I graduated from college remaining in Texas. I would have fled ASAP, probably for California. Texas was going through a hard time economically as oil prices crashed and I was having major problems finding work. I wound up moving to Colorado and, although that did not have a happy ending it did lead to my eventually moving to California where I have been content for 28 years come February.

Hmmm.  Interesting answers, no?  I hope I don't sound too flaky.

And now, back to work.

Happy 2019

Here is a special post to wish you all a happy, healthy, safe 2019.

2018 in Review

Well, this is the second NYE I am spending in the desert.

It came about thanks to my housemate's antics resulting in his parents insisting I come back or a for sale sign was going to be put on the house due to his bad behavior.  I agreed and when I got a check, I headed for the desert and except for one weekend in LA and SD, I have been here.

Everyone wants to ask one question.  WHY?

It was because I didn't want to see a housemate and friend of four years homeless.  I do have a soft spot in my heart for him and didn't want to see him wind up in a REAL bind.

That said, here is my 2018 in review.

Successes:

• I spent more time with my family this year.  Between three trips to Guanajuato, one to Austin and one to Ontario, CA.  Those who say I have no more excuses on that one are right.  With that said, I am looking forward to my nephew's graduation in May.
• I made Diamond status for Wyndham Rewards.  I didn't think that would happen at the beginning of the year, but it did.  Will I take advantage of it next year?  Good question.
• When I went to the LA Auto Show this year, I wound up staying at the Westin Bonaventure.  I've always wanted to and the best part about that adventure is that a date wound up being thrown in!

Let downs

• I endured a string of bad luck / unfortunate happenings in Tijuana and San Diego in October.  I was thrilled when that chapter ended, but it was a relatively unpleasant time.  To make matters worse, finances were very tight during that period.
• Some tax issues came back to haunt me at the worst possible moment.  OK.  My bad.  I also promise to straighten them out, but being broke in another city is no fun at all.
• I had to switch MDs because although I still have the same health insurer, the plan is different and has a different set of providers.

The jury is out, so stay tuned

• I found out I cannot get on PreP because I flunked my blood test.  I have some kidney issues.
• I agreed to see if a relationship should be taken to the next level, which means I will be in Houston, TX at the end of January.

Resolutions for 2019

• Bill more hours
• Lose enough weight to go under the 200 lb barrier.
• Clean up my finances

So, goodbye 2018 and happy 2019.