Cash in your Wallet

I never understood why people carry loads of cash with them. I can't tell you how many times I have customers taking out a wad of cash and flip through their hundred dollar bills to get to their smaller bills. It truly amazes me to see how much cash people carry around. Do they worry about getting mugged? I had a guy buy $500 worth of gift cards today. He gave me 5 (hopefully not counterfeit) Benjamins. Why are you carrying well over $500 cash with you? Two years ago when I won $2,000 on a horse race, I was nervous carrying that much cash in my pocket from the OTB to my house. It's a very short walk but I was still nervous. I love money, just like everyone else, but I don't like carrying a lot of it on me! When I did well at Atlantic City a few months ago, I had almost $1,000 cash in my wallet. My hand was permanently in my pocket making sure my wallet was still there. There are crazy people in this world. I don't want or need anyone mugging me. Unless I am in a casino or on vacation, you will not see more than $100 in my wallet at any time. If I'm at a casino, you probably won't see any money in my wallet because I probably lost it all. I do like having cash on me though. I'm not one of those people who like to use my credit card for everything. I don't see a point in that when I can pay for it right away and not worry about it a month later. Be careful with your cash because you don't want someone to steal it on you!

Drivers License

Out of the five people in my family, I was the only person to pass my drivers test on the first try. I find that absolutely hilarious since I am the one with the most accidents by far. With my first car, I once rubbed up against another car pulling out of a parking spot and then drove away...oops! There was a dent and a scratch in my car when I checked it out later. I don't know what damage I caused to the other car. Another time with that car, I was at a red light and was nailed in the back by a car. It was snowing and the roads were slippery. There was a small crack in the back, we didn't report it. Only one month after getting my second car, a truck backed up into the front of my car. I couldn't get it fixed for a two months because they were extremely busy with other cars first. A month later, before damage from the first accident was fixed, I was on cruise control on the thruway during heavy rain. I hydroplaned, hit the brakes, lost control and nailed a guard rail. My airbags came flying out and the front of my not even two month old car was a wreck. Of course it was a used car, but still. On the bright side, I was okay and no one else was involved in the accident. My mom was not happy at all. I was supposed to visit a friend in Pennsylvania later that month. That didn't happen. Luckily the car wasn't totaled. A year later, I was at a red light minding my own business. All of a sudden, I was hit pretty hard in the back of the car. It turns out that car 1 was going so fast and not paying attention. Car 1 hit car 2, who hit 3, then 4, and I was car 5. I didn't move very far forward, so I didn't hit car 6. I ended up having that Honda for a total of 4 years before buying my 3rd car. So far, no accidents in this new car, knock on wood. My last accident was summer 2009. My total from my driving is 5 accidents, 3 of which were reported, 2 were not. I'd love to keep my total at 5!

Movies Type of Day

I haven't done this in an extremely long time. I watched three movies today. I recently bought Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2 but haven't watched it yet. I saw it in the theater. It started pouring rain so I decided to watch it. Then I started looking at what movies are available on Netflix. I decided to watch The House at the End of the Street. That was an interesting horror film. I looked up When a Stranger Calls. I've seen it before but wanted to watch it again. Netflix didn't have that but instead had When a Killer Calls which came out the same year. I watched that and it is almost exactly the same as When a Stranger Calls. I find it very strange that those two movies came out the same year by different directors yet are eerily almost exactly the same. Maybe I should watch some happy movies the next time I decide to waste a day and do nothing.

Brain on Fire

Have you ever read the book Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan? You haven't? What are you waiting for? Brain on Fire is a book about the author and her fight to live through a rare disease. She was having all sorts of strange things happen to her like hallucinations, headaches, dizziness, and seizures. She had a barrage of tests and doctors could not figure out what was wrong. She continued to get worse and worse with cognitive and speech issues. They all thought she was going insane. She was extremely close to going into a mental institution until they finally figured out what was causing the problems. It's very scary what the human body can do. Her body literally attacked her brain. It made her do things she would never do. She said many hurtful things to all the people she loves. Naturally everyone thinks that something like that could never happen to them. Unfortunately you just don't know that. The body can do strange things to you whether you are expecting it or not. That's why it's so important to live each day to the fullest because you never know when it could be your last. You also don't know if you will suddenly have a rare illness. I highly recommend you read Brain on Fire because it will make you put everything into perspective.

Dogs

When I was younger, I used to beg my mom for a dog. I wanted one so badly, yet she always refused. I knew that when I was an adult I would get a dog. My first dog would be a Dachshund, then I'd get a Chihuahua, then I'd get a Golden Retriever. When I was in seventh grade, one day a week or two before Thanksgiving, my mom told me she needed help getting something big out of the car. I grudgingly went out to help her. To my shock, there was a huge black and tan Coon Hound in her car! It was ours to keep. She got him from the pound. He was three years old and didn't like strangers too much because his last owner would feed him then go to work without taking him outside to go to the bathroom. Unfortunately we only had Max for three months. He bit my brothers friend and that was that. Exactly a week later, we picked up a Beagle from a breeder. We had her for a year and a half. She shredded everything and would bite people. We got rid of her. We had no luck with dogs. Now I have OCD around dogs. Whenever I pet one, I have to wash my hands. I now have no plans on getting a dog when I move out. In a few weeks, my younger and older brother, who live in an apartment together, are getting a puppy. I think it's a horrible thing to do because they are never home. They won't be able to take care of her for over 8 hours a day everyday. That's a problem. Unfortunately it's not my decision to make. They are big boys who can make their own decisions. We will see how it goes.

8 Years Ago on This Date

On 6/25/05, I graduated high school. 8 years ago already! What have I done since then? I graduated with a major in Childhood Education, graduated with a masters as an Educational Technology Specialist, wrote and self-published 3 books, and became a computer aide. I have accomplished a lot in those 8 years, yet I am still not satisfied. Anyone who knows me knows why I'm not satisfied. I still do not have an elementary teacher position. That is something I have wanted since 6th grade. There is nothing else in the world I want to be besides a teacher. I still keep applying to every job I see available. I have revised my resume and cover letter so many times that I've lost count. I've had them checked by numerous trustworthy people who know what they are talking about. They all think my application materials look great. I feel like I stand out because I am a male and a published author. How many published authors apply to be an elementary school teacher? How many are male? My guess is not too many. Although I have accomplished a lot and I am extremely proud of what I have accomplished, I won't feel complete until I achieve my life-long dream of becoming a teacher.

On Days Like This

When my younger brother still lived at home, he and I would sleep downstairs in the game room everyday in the summer. Now that he's gone, I don't typically sleep downstairs. Today and probably all of this week will be different. Besides my parents room, the game room is the one room that has the AC in it. After writing this, I will go up to my room to the sauna to get my pillows and blankets and bring them down here. I can never get a good nights sleep anyway. If I were to try to do it in my room where it's 100° in it, I'd fail miserably. I don't leave the AC on while I'm asleep because it's  noisy. I will have my fan blasting on me though. When we leave the AC on during the day, it obviously significantly cools off the room. It remains cool all night too. For these hot and humid days, you know where you can find me!