Personal: February 2009 Archives

I am a member of the board of a local not-for-profit.  We had our monthly meeting last night and through the course of the evening, I found out I've grown up.  Well, I've always figured I'm old.  A friend of mine said he has an old soul.  I somewhat agree about my own, but I'd like my soul to be a Toyota Prius than a Model T.

So last night was disheartening when at discussing financials I said "I've been using that software for...OMG, over a decade."  A decade... that's more than two presidential terms.  Yes, I've been using that since the end of the first Clinton term.  Nobody else blinked an eye.  See, out of the 20 or so people on the board, and based purely on outside appearances, I think I'm the youngest there.  There is a guy who I think might be hovering on my age, but if I had to bet money, I'd say he's got a couple of years on me.  As the meeting went on, we discussed some pretty high level topics.  As an accountant, numbers don't bother me, but the theories become muddled, and that's where some of the discussion went.

I've always been older mentally than my actual age.  I'm the eldest sibling.  I started working full-time at 17 years old, while going to classes full time.  At work, I'm generally conservative which tends to show much more maturity.  Also, personally, I've held the thought that I got old at about 28.  That was part joke, but part truth.

It's bad when the truth hits you in the face like it did to me last night.  But everyone has to grow up sometime.  I thought I did years ago, but I was reminded differently last night.

When I started this site last year, it was meant as an outlet for the interesting things that I see or do.  Entertainment, politics, restaurants or just plain old goofing off.  But seriousness has to settle in occassionally, like my open discussions regarding investments and money.

Today, I am reminding everyone who has a regular job to donate if you can.  In this recession, people tend to hunker down and stop spending on many places, including charitable donations.  Some of those places end up hurting badly for funds to continue their cause.  I am providing a list below and will put it up in some fashion as a permanent fixture on this site, but if you have a place or places to donate money to, please don't forget them.

• National Foundation for Cancer Research  Note that you can get American Airlines Miles if you choose here.
• Sidney Kimmel Compreshensive Cancer Center  I donate to lymphoma research because it has affected my family
• SOC Enterprises  This organization helps persons with disabilities find employment and training.
• Finally, don't forget your alma mater.  I donate to mine because I know the rising tuition costs make it difficult for some students.  UMCP Great Expectations

So I've been remembering some pretty odd dreams in the past week or so.  I'm not sure if they are one long mini-series, or separate incidents, but they all involve the same thing.  Car Crashes.

Yes, I am dreaming about crashes.  But even more so, I'm dreaming about smashing into other cars.  From what I recall, no T-boning, but more like I pull up behind another car and BAM!, I'm in the back of them.  I'm always driving my pickup truck.

I wonder what this means?  Maybe I've finally had it with the traffic in this area.  Or maybe it's simply road rage.  What I can't tell is if I'm doing it intentionally.  The accidents also do not seem to cause physical harm to either me or my target.

FWIW, while I realize NASCAR season starts this weekend, I am not a NASCAR fan, so I don't think that's the source of my dreams.