"You gonna get another job?"...

[Loktar]

^I'm the King of fucking off. Spent my two week Christmas vacation pretty much sleeping, watching TV, and Internet. I never got around to making a doctor appointment, finding cheaper car insurance, making an eye glass appointment, an cleaning my apartment like I had planned to do since it's hard to get those things done when you have to go to work during the week and you spend your weekends food shopping and hanging out with friends at a cigar shop.

 

[Volpone]

I hate humans so goddamn much. And I hate that I have to deal with them every day. This really should be about the great houses I could've bought last year but I couldn't get to a sane deal with the sellers, but as it happens, I'm perving CraigsList, killing time before bed and there's an ad for a Cadillac Escalade limo that claims to be a "custom 200 inch '07." First of all, it's goddamn fugly in every aspect. Just a terrible conversion. Like, they literally doubled the length of the thing without adding anything but a 16' long window. Front of car. Front door. 16' of car. Back door. Back of car. And of course the interior looks like a cheap strip club too but the point is that they're advertising this 33' monstrosity as being 200". A stock '07 Escalade is 202". So how can you double its length (badly) and be 2" shorter than it came from the factory? I totally relate to villains, because ever day, I find myself shouting "WHY AM I SURROUNDED BY IDIOTS!?" Every goddamn day.

 

[Volpone]

But yeah. ... Since...April or so, I've seriously tried to buy 4 houses or so. 1 I lost fair and square. Offered full price, cash with no contingencies and it went to someone who offered $5K over asking price. The others... There was the one that was on the market for a week. Wanted $110K for it. Could've been fixed up to a lot more than that for just a little work. But it wasn't worth the asking price in the condition it was and the seller wasn't serious about reaching a deal. I'd have had to close on it the day I looked at it. And the seller was still living in it at the time. So instead it went to auction and sold for $65K.

Then there was a place that the seller wanted $145K for. Actually, I think he wanted $155K for, but he came down $10K. Again, it might've been worth that eventually. But it had a trashed above ground pool and hot tub that needed to be disposed of. And the roof was due for repairs. And I suspect the HVAC was totally shot. And the upstairs remodel was only partly completed. Finally, you got to the upstairs bedroom either through a door in the downstairs bedroom or through a literal secret door to the living room. Which would've been fine. Except that the seller had routed the pipes for the upstairs 1/2 bath smack-dab in the middle of that doorway; like, you had to turn sideways and step between the hot and cold water pipes. I don't even know where the drain pipe ran. So yeah. He wouldn't come down to a reasonable price. So The Plan was to let it sit a bit and make another offer. Instead it went "pending" the week after the offer fell through. Sat that way for 2 months before changing to "preforeclosure."

Or this last one. Listed for $137K. After two $10K price drops in the month on the market. Originally sold at the end of September for $117K. (With an initial asking price of $160K.) Somehow, this idiot figured he could get the original asking price simply by letting the place sit abandoned for 4 months. Made a reasonable opening offer and his counter wasn't worth considering so I walked away, intending to make another offer in 10 days, when his next mortgage and insurance payments came due. Instead he pulled the listing. What's his plan? Who knows? Relist it in the spring? Maybe. But it isn't a home that anyone but an investor is going to touch. And no savvy investor is going to pay what he hopes to get for it. And letting a house sit empty for an entire winter does NOT make it improve in value. Heck, the 2" of water in the crawlspace make me suspect the pipes may have burst during one of the cold snaps. But you can't make someone see reason. I mean, crap. I'd have gone as high as $131K. I wouldn't have been happy about it, but I'd have done it if I thought it would've worked. But the guy just didn't come down any sane amount. And now he seems to think just sitting on it some more will make it more valuable. Somehow.

 

[Volpone]

Oh, and the point I missed in the above screed is how opportunity (at least for me) gets lost by stupid people. Particularly this last house. It shouldn't need a lot of work. Right now. But if you leave it empty and the pipes burst...or mold gets inside, or burglars looking for copper, or just vandals. Eventually you get a house that I can't do anything with. Same with the people who'll start a flip and run out of money. I don't want to live with your bad decisions. One guy--actually a seasoned investor I like--had a house he was letting go. Made sense on paper. Photos didn't look bad. Then I got there. Louisville is one of those towns where you can have a nice neighborhood just a few blocks from a rough neighborhood and a few blocks further it is nice again. Neighborhood wasn't as nice as it was supposed to be. But more importantly, the guy was in the process of turning a 2 bedroom into a 3 bedroom--by walling off about 1/3 of the living room. Totally wrecked the character of the house. I'd rather take the reduced rent and resale a 2br gets on paper than a butchered floorplan. Or the flippers. Buy a 1960s brick ranch for $150K. Put in grey LVP (vinyl planks) flooring, paint the walls grey, trim white, and list it for $250K. Congratulations. You've just ripped the soul out of that house. Now the outside looks like every other 1960s brick ranch and the inside looks like every other flip. I can't afford it at $250K and I wouldn't want it for $150K after you're done wrecking it. There's "depersonalizing" a space and then there's "turning it into a cookie cutter" space. You don't want too personal--say, TARDIS walls or a Star Trek bridge room (as extreme examples)--but you also don't want a house that looks EXACTLY LIKE EVERY OTHER HOUSE in that price range. And once one of these places gets fucked up by remodelers or allowed to fall apart from neglect, it's so much harder and more expensive to fix (if you even can) than to take a house that just needs a little love and attention and make it shine again.

 

[Volpone]

Sunday night. The essential weekend chores are done. The Cat is still outside. He's a little fuck. Went out at 4:30. It's nice so I just left him out when I took The Dog to the downtown dog park. It was nice. At first there were too many big active dogs there and she quickly freaked and wanted to go for a walk. When we got back there was a hound of some sort and, like, a half dozen Frenchie/Boston Terrier sized dogs. She had a blast running around with the little dogs (while the hound barked at everyone). There was a toy poodle/Shih Tzu that she was obsessed with (but that she played very nicely with--she's actually a bigger dog, upwards of 50#). Got home and got the car parked. The Cat showed up and clustered next to the door. Until I unlocked and opened it. At that point he went and stood out of arm's reach and when I tried to approach him, he scampered off. Fucker. This is what he does. So now I'll open the door every 10 minutes or so and he'll show up when he's ready to show up.

I kind of understand Old People, going to bed at 8:30. Last night I wrapped up rereading The Sandman. So I've either got to do something productive like e-mails I mean to get back on, mopping floors, etc; something like practicing ukulele, drawing, writing, or working on the Rubik's Cube; or read something illuminating like The Bible of von Clausewitz' "On War." Or fuck off here and then go to bed around 9pm. Because none of that sounds like tackling on a Sunday evening.

The junk in the basement is finally getting down to the stuff that is less junk but really, I have no use for. There's still plenty of junk but... Back in Portland there was this girl I failed to make love me. She always wanted a treehouse. I've got some awful nice treehouse trees for when I finally get around to it. And I've got some stuff in the basement like pallets and old doors that could be thrown away--OR! they could be saved for treehouse building material. (Truth be told, I would want a treehouse regardless of this girl, but because she wanted a treehouse but didn't want me, it adds a nice "Gives you Hell" layer of appreciation to building one.)

 

[Volpone]

Rationally, I know...OK. Maybe not. Theological debate time.

Was going to say rationally I know God has better things to do than monkey with my life. But if he is, in fact, omnipotent and omniscient, then there's no reason for him to not monkey with my life. But even so, as a Catholic, the idea of a guardian angel is doctrinal, so God would certainly be able to delegate the authority to monkey with my life to an angel.

I mention this because when I have time and money I get led into temptation. And it always seems like the second I get some time and money, Fate throws a monkeywrench in my plans. Making plans this morning that God would, no doubt, not approve of. So I check my e-mail to see if anything has come of them. Nope. But I *do* have an e-mail from my property manager, saying one of my tenants has reported a problem with the bathtub faucet. So now I have something to take up my time and/or money so I reconsider my other activities.

 

[Volpone]

I hate humans so much. I need to interact with them, but I really hate it. Talking to someone in a social media app via DM and they're asking "have we ever talked?" Idiot. The app has an "our conversations" tab. If you clicked it, it would bring up the previous times we've talked. It's literally that simple to answer your question. But you're too goddamned stupid. Or playing stupid. Either way makes no difference to me.

 

[Loktar]

I hate humans so much. I need to interact with them, but I really hate it. Talking to someone in a social media app via DM and they're asking "have we ever talked?" Idiot. The app has an "our conversations" tab. If you clicked it, it would bring up the previous times we've talked. It's literally that simple to answer your question. But you're too goddamned stupid. Or playing stupid. Either way makes no difference to me.

Yeah well I feel like an idiot. I ran out of one of my pills and have been without it for as few days. Didn't remember until last night that I could request a prescription refill through the health portal app. I've been waiting to find time during work to give the doctor a call on the phone.

 

[Volpone]

OK. Where to go with this one? Been spending some time on Fetlife lately because it seems to be getting some results at the moment. Had one girl in the next town that it seemed like I had a connection with. Within 2 PMs it was clear that there was NO chemistry. But still in touch. Never say never. I made some post, analyzing my particular kink motivations to which she tells me "People don't usually [do that] at public dungeons. Have you ever been to a public dungeon?"

...

Bitch, you've been going to one weird and badly managed dungeon in Indianapolis for almost a year now (that I've been to and been incredibly disappointed with). I've been to dungeons in San Francisco, Portland Oregon, Florida and other places. I've done and see shit done in dungeons that would blow your mind. And that doesn't even get into nightclubs that have a fetish night or private play parties. I've been on Fetlife since...shit...2009? Certainly since 2011. And you've got the gall, with your one year of fet-lite dabbling, to ask me if I know how things work?

 

[Volpone]

... :facepalm:

I'm so tired of stupid people. I mentioned I wouldn't be going to an event because the guy organizing it bugs me and she wanted to know why which, I must grudgingly admit is a valid question and by making my comment I opened the door. So I had to say he just rubs me the wrong way and I think he's an idiot. So she comes back with "blahblahblah... have you met him?" Bitch, what part of "I've been to two of his events and ate a meal at a table with him in a restaurant" has you confused.

 

[Volpone]

...and furthermore, the entire reason I've gone down this rabbit-hole of stupidity is because she said "new people" were running things. If the same people that were running things are still running things, then how are new people running things? :bang:

 

[Volpone]

When I pointed this out she was like "I've only been doing this less than a year. How would I know who used to run things?" :bang: Then why did you tell me different people were running things if you didn't know. I hate humans so fucking much.

 

[Volpone]

I miss the structure and order of the 20th century. This was going to be a Facebook post but I realized it was too big.

Once upon a time, you could buy a Cadillac (if you were rich enough). It would be a sedan or a coupe and you could get it as a convertible. If you wanted a Cadillac station wagon, you had to buy a sedan and take it to a custom coachmaker to turn it into a station wagon--even though GM sold Chevy, Olds, and Buick station wagons. A Porsche was a coupe. It could be had as a convertible or a hardtop. Now I see a goddamn redneck in his Cadillac pickup truck, loaded with scrap metal. Or a suburban Mom, shuttling the kiddos to soccer in the Porsche SUV.

You used to read the morning paper. There was the national/world section, regional/features, sports, entertainment, business, classifieds, the funnies. Now there's no structure or organization to anything.

OK. I guess it wasn't so bit after all.

 

[Volpone]

Right now I kinda want to eat Olive Garden until I puke. Just start at the top of the menu and work my way down. GEH! IN! MAH! BELLEH!

 

[Volpone]

I wonder what % of my life is spent worrying. The Cat has been Out since 11am and there's no sign of him. He's been Out longer but that time he came back with a nice bite or claw on his butt. He is bigger and smarter now, but still...

But what am I going to do? Keep him inside so he'll have a long safe miserable life or let him go Out to have his adventures and maybe a much shorter but more fulfilling life?

 

[Volpone]

And he's In. I really have to learn not to worry. Came barreling out of the back yard at 8:30 when I shined the flashlight out the back door and called for him, just like clockwork.

 

[Loktar]

I wonder what % of my life is spent worrying. The Cat has been Out since 11am and there's no sign of him. He's been Out longer but that time he came back with a nice bite or claw on his butt. He is bigger and smarter now, but still...

But what am I going to do? Keep him inside so he'll have a long safe miserable life or let him go Out to have his adventures and maybe a much shorter but more fulfilling life?

If I ever get a cat I'm going to keep it on a leash and take it for walks.

 

[Volpone]

I have contemplated getting a leash for this one. But I put a collar on him once and he freaked out the entire time. My friend rescued feral cats and they wear collars. I'll have to ask him how long it took them to adapt.

 

[Lanzman]

Putting a collar on a cat is best started when they're kittens. But then, my two started out with collars and when they reached "middle age" they decided nah, not my thing any more. All attempts to put collars on them for the last two or three years has resulted in them helping each other pull them off. You also have to be aware that cats have relatively fragile necks and a harness that goes around neck and chest is probably better than a collar for leash purposes.

 

[Volpone]

I'm so freaking tired. I'm so close to achieving my goal but I can't get to that final step because I can't get anyone to listen to me or work with me or believe me. It's like the guards in the Monty Python bit:

One guy I'm talking to can't remember meeting me a year ago. Another guy remembers something I said in passing 3-4 years ago that is different than what I'm saying today and I try to decide if I just need to swallow my pride and explain that sometimes, things change in 3-4 years. Which reminds me of the line from "Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys": "He ain't wrong, he's just different but his pride won't let him do things to make you think he's right."

Meanwhile I should be trying to buy another rental property but I found out yesterday that one of my renters still hasn't paid this month's rent and I'm only just making ends meet as it stands. On top of that I've got this medical exam next week. Who knows what that's going to cost me after insurance.

And on top of it all, in the middle of making this post to blow off some steam, The Dog came in and decided she needed to be petted for...16 minutes. So long the laptop went to sleep. Ah well, time to stop whining and try to get something done. Although it sounds like she's about to start with some barking frenzy in the next room and I'll have to drop what I'm doing to deal with that.