Philippe

Here are some pictures of Philippe. I'm asking $1700 OBO for him, so if you know anyone who's interested, send them this way! I also have my Craig's List add up and running. Huzzah!

Onward, Self!

My plan was that, in the next week, I would wash my newly fixed car and put an ad on Crag's List.

That's still my plan (I washed my car today but the interior needs work), but there's a hitch: my check engine light came on. Stupid car. I'm hoping I can sell it for more than the mechanic's bill. Thinking of that sends me for a loop.

Which brings me to...

Today! I took a box of books to Powell's and sold them for in-store credit. I also took a hamper and two U-Shop bags full of clothes to The Buffalo Exchange and sold what I could and donated the rest. While TBE is not a good place to make money (they pay hardly anything for the clothes they take and they don't take many items), I did downsize my wardrobe and I feel better for it. My stuff weighs me down immensely, and I want to streamline. I'd like to be able to fit everything in one place and not feel stressed about any of it. I want what I own to be functional and stuff that I actually like and use.

With some of my in-store credit I bought a book about personal finance. I'm completely ignorant when it comes to my money, and I want to maximize my earnings so I can 1) Pay off my various debts and 2) feel like I'm in control.

I guess control is what a lot of my goals come down to. I want to be able to control my weight and health so I can control how I look. I want to control my stuff and not feel tied down by the copious amounts of crap that have somehow become necessary fixtures in my life. I want to control my finances so I can do things I really want to--like go to Burning Man or apply to grad schools.

I'll try and post pictures of my car once he's all spiffy. Blogs are much better with pictures!

The Inspiration, or the Unavoidable Happenstance

Years ago I started blogging on that little website called myspace--remember it? No, neither do I. Later I transfered here, then I went back, then I just stopped blogging. It felt ego-centric and stupid and, really, I didn't have much to say. Supposedly I was blogging things that went along with my title (it's sometimes rough being vegan) but I didn't. I wrote emo poetry and complained about petty things. Yes, I deleted those posts.

Why resume?

1. Last year I wrote a column for the Collegian about different ways people could be better, more decent human beings. I hated writing that column every week. I was never happy with how my columns turned out and I couldn't do what I really wanted to do: rant. This seems like the appropriate venue to explore my different ideas without (or with!) proper references and citations.

2. I struggle between who I would like to be and what I do. Specifically in being vegan, being easier on the environment, and putting thought into what I do.

3. My car just came out of a 3-week stay at the mechanics, where it amassed a $1,000 bill and not much to show for it. I'm selling the damn thing before it can curse my life further, and that means I will be out of a car. And I'm excited about it.

Sub-Post Time!

The Story of Philippe, a '96 Ford Taurus SHO
by D.A. Sturges

A young girl was given a car purchased with her own money. It ran fine, although a speaker sometimes buzzed and it burnt through oil and the a/c didn't work if it was too hot outside.

One day, after being pulled over and given a ticket for having no insurance, for speeding, and having no registration, the girl takes Philippe to the DEQ to start the registration process. Philippe fails the test.

After three weeks with the mechanic, the results are in: Philippe's engine was a model built by Yamaha that Ford only used for two years. They no longer make any parts for that engine. Philippe had several damaged valves and coils and leaked oil and had some other random problems the girl didn't understand, but she understood the bill when she got it: $1,000. Yes, this was nicer than what it could have been, but it was almost more than the car was worth.
She decided to sell the damn thing.

The End.