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Thursday, March 13, 2014

So What's Next?

Right.  Next question… what am I going to do now?  This summer is not going to unfold as I had expected.  What am I going to do instead?

I’ll tell you.  I expect to have a grand summer.  This will be the first time in a very long time that I will be living alone, and not broke.  When I first changed departments back in August of 2006, it came with a significant raise… a “quality-of-life-changing” raise.  But almost immediately after that happened, I basically began providing for a significant other.

In other words, I’ve never had the opportunity to single AND have some extra scratch.

Of course, I have to play it close to the vest for a while, to make back up the scratch I was set back over the last 4 months, which was considerable.  And I also have to replace a number of thing that I threw out, because hers were newer or better.  Thank goodness I put my foot down on parting with my furniture.

But I should have enough to allow me to see a bunch of Orioles games.  I can decide to go down to the ballpark after work just because it looks like a nice night.  Or maybe take a jaunt into The Burgh to see the Buccos a time or two, and maybe hang out with my blog-brothers and sisters.  With apologies to George Costanza, it'll be the Summer of Bluz!

It’s funny though.  I think about where to go if I want to “meet someone,” and I can’t help but think of that line from 30-Rock, where Liz Lemon is talking to a geeky film editor (played by Paul Giamatti). 

I went to hockey camp and joined up for Civil War re-enactments, but I still can’t seem to find the women.”*

That’s me, only they’re ballgames.  Maybe it’s time for me to go to one of those Planned Parenthood benefits to which I’m always getting emailed invites.  No, I wouldn’t go to a PP benefit just to hit on women.  That’s kind of creepy.  But it’s a cause I believe in, and there figures to be a lot more single women there than at a baseball game.

Maybe instead of doing like my friend Sherry, with her 52 at 52 series of activities, I’ll trim it down to, say, 1 at 52, and step out of my comfort zone long enough to go to a PP event.  Just as long as there is no Penguins game, or anything else good on TV…

Back in 2010, I wrote a whole post on the advantages of being a Bachelor Guy.  I just had a look, and it still holds up.  There are a number of up-sides to having complete autonomy. 

But I also intend to learn from my mistakes.  I need to take better care of the place.  I need to call the landlord when something is wrong or breaks, instead of just making do.  I vow to keep the goofy shit at bay, and only put things on the wall that are framed.  I can still keep an interesting place without cramming things into every vertical square foot in the room.  And I’ll probably keep the Hat Wall in the hallway.

I’m not saying anyone will mistake it for a grownup’s apartment, but it will be a step in the right direction.

* I paraphrased the line from memory.  Spent 20 minutes trying to find the exact quote online, but was unsuccessful.  But you get the point.

12 comments:

  1. May try to come out for a visit with the Vanilla Gorilla end of this month for his Spring Break might get to catch a game and eat at that Meatzilla Poco whatever place!!!!!! Of course some seafood.......

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    1. End of this month?? There's no baseball in March! (Well, except opening day, on 3/31, and that's sold out!) But let's talk dates...

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  2. Think of it as a Spring Clean. You got rid of stuff and re arranged stuff, now you
    can get more stuff. Enjoy your life. The hat wall does look more organized.

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    1. While I’m trying not to fill the place up again, there are a couple of things I’d like to get. Most prominently, you know that easy chair and ottoman in the bedroom? I love sitting on the ottoman to put my socks on in the morning. My bed’s pretty high, so it’s easier on my hip joints not to try to pull my leg all the way up to my chest so I can get my sock over my toes.

      But yes, “Spring Cleaning” is apt.

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  3. Good for you, Tony! I'm very happy and excited for you in this new stage of your life. I love being single. Wouldn't have it any other way. It's all that "sharing and compromise" stuff that turns me off. But if you ever do want to meet some nice women, go to an animal shelter and volunteer to walk dogs. Dogs are chick magnets and people who like dogs are usually pretty damn nice.

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    Replies
    1. Oh, Jayne, that's a GREAT idea! I wonder how long they'd make me clean the cages before I'd be allowed to take the dogs out...

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  4. Look at you, all single and fancy free! I'll let you know if I have any extra tix this summer. I'm sure to, as always. Are you going to Opening Day? I'm going to try if I can get out of work early.

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    1. I’m definitely up for picking up your leftovers, whenever possible!

      No, I’m not planning on opening day, but I’ll probably shoot for a game on their first weekend homestand. We open against Boston, and it rubs me the wrong way to pay the premium price for those games.

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  5. I twice wrote a comment from my stupid iphone, and both, apparently, went into the great abyss. Ugh. The short version: Sorry it did not work, and be sure to visit the Burgh so we can do a blog get together (and include slackers like yours truly who blogs only sporadically). :-)

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    1. Well, this one came through, so thank you for caring enough to try three times.

      I'd definitely like to get out to The Burgh this summer, and get together with all my blog sisters and brothers.

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  6. Well, I'm sorry to hear of your relationship woes. However, you sound like you have a good attitude. Good luck!

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    Replies
    1. That's all we can really do, isn't it? Learn the lessons of yesterday, and concentrate on today and tomorrow. But thanks.

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