Karma

Good news awaits inside....FINALLY!
Originally uploaded by EdnPHX.

You have to love Karma. It gets the bad people with the bad and the good people with the good. What comes around goes around. Although I do not appreciate Karma all the time (I am a good guy , dammit!) it seems to take care of me when I least expect it. Now, I just need to convince Karma that I need to win the Powerball and all will be good. So, Karma got me back (in a good way) this past weekend.

So, as you all know, I recently settled the Bank One/JP Morgan Chase lawsuit that was dragging on my for over a year. The stress, frustration, and just stupidity of the lawsuit were just crazy. And, as you may all know, I recently settled the lawsuit by paying half of the amount to those money grubbing idiots. Roughly $1900 and some change. It took every ounce of strength in my body to pay that amount to the evil money mongers that they are. But, I figured it was best because it put an end to the stress and I didn’t want to battle this out for months, if not years, on end. I figured I won some, they won some, but in essence, no one won the complete battle. That is, until I go the mail on Saturday…..

It was like any other normal Saturday morning: the sun was out and the day was just perfect. (Except for the fact that I lost my voice and had a sever amount of antibiotics in me fighting a bacterial infection….got to love Zithromax) So I took my drugged up self and went to my mailbox. To my surprise there was an envelope from JP Morgan Chase. “What the fuck now?”, I said to myself. My anger boiled in me to the point I could feel my heart starting to pound. I aggressively opened the perforated envelope and got the biggest surprise.

“Dear Edward:
According to our records you have an outstanding balance of $2199.63 in your Bank One Cash Balance Plan. Please advise us on how you would like to continue for us to either accrue this balance, or have the amount distributed to you. You can contact us at 1-800-XXX-XXXX.”

WHAT!!?? (Yes, you read correctly). I had not a clue that I had a vested cash balance plan. So essentially, they are paying me the amount (minus taxes). How freakin’ cool is THAT!!!??? I guess this means “I WON!!!!” Those idiots are so big and ignorant that they have not a clue about how everything relates.

You’ve got to love Karma.

Next post coming soon: Puerto Vallarta: The good, the bad, and the (gasp) square-cuts!

For Sale. (But not for you.)

PHX Housing Market: A Fucking Mess
Originally uploaded by EdnPHX.

I’m homeless. Well, at least I soon will be. I’ve gotten the unfortunate pleasure of being notified that my apartment complex is going condo. The letter was discretely left on my door last night, right after I got home from a great Valentine’s Day dinner with Tim. Sealed in a non-descript white envelope, was the “official” letter saying (in a ghetto voice) “Dis apartments is goin’ condo, an is to spensive for yous to have!”

Yes, that’s right my small 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment is going for $303,900. (Gulp. HOW MUCH!!??) Yes, that’s quite a pretty penny to pay for an APARTMENT. Oh yes, don’t forget the monthly HOA fees of $202.98.

Now, I know I live in a good area. In fact, a really good area. But it’s a crying shame when middle-class folk like me are essentially priced out of living in a decent area in a relatively safe neighborhood. I knew it was coming…..the apartment complex going condo, but I thought the places would sell for a MUCH more reasonable price. I totally blame California for these over-inflated prices. People from California come over to places like Arizona and Nevada, buy up property and flip it within months. They don’t even live in the darn places. In fact, most apartment/condo conversions sit empty until they “flip”. It’s a fucking mess. They will pay over the asking price which in turn jacks up all of the property values to insane highs. Sooner or later the bubble is going to burst here…and I hope it is soon…so I can buy a god damn house. Augh.

The good news is that I can stay in my place until January 2007, when my lease expires. It’s just sad because I absolutely love the Biltmore area of Phoenix. It’s close to everything and is conducive to my lifestyle. (Sigh.) Now, I dread going through the home buying process. I figure, now is probably better than any other to buy than rent. Know any good mortgage brokers? (I just opened this blog up to a billion items of spam by saying that….yikes). When will this housing insanity stop? Will I ever be able to live the American Dream of owning a home? Will that home be decent or will I have to buy 50 miles out in the middle of the desert or afford anything? Augh…this is just insane!

The Honeymoon Hasn’t Ended.

Happy Valentine's Day
Originally uploaded by EdnPHX.

God love Valentine’s Day. Actually I really don’t care for Valentine’s Day. Never really did. Why is it that you HAVE to be romantic on only ONE day of the year? Doesn’t really make sense does it? I was at target today marveling at all the people crowded around the Valentine’s Day display with all those cards, chocolate, and those annoying stuffed animals. I mean, really, who needs a 3 foot pink stuffed gorilla? Yea, yea, yea, it’s the thought that counts, but after the thought, who needs a 3 foot pink stuffed gorilla? Whatever happened to practical gifts? You know, like a $50 Target gift card. Everyone could use that!

Ok, I admit it. Yes, I am in the Valentine’s Day mood…..well, hell I got Tim…..duh. So, yes, I did break down and got some Valentine items to celebrate with him. (Just no pink gorillas.) Actually, the best place to get Valentine’s Day stuff is at the Porn Store. Nothing says “I Love You” like a big bottle of premium EROS lubricant or that video that just reminds you of him/her. Ah yes, Valentine’s Day with a naughty edge…what more could you want?

It’s been a crazy past number of days since I last posted. The trip from Cleveland to Phoenix was great. We drove the first day from Cleveland to Tulsa, OK (980 miles), from Tulsa to Santa Fe, NM, and then Santa Fe to Phoenix. I have to admit, Tim was a ball of fun to travel with. We laughed most of the way and really talked about a lot. By the time we reached Phoenix I felt incredibly good about his decision to move. And the honeymoon hasn’t ended yet.

This week I posted for an internal job at my company. I love my job and all, but there’s a great job opportunity in downtown Phoenix, which is MUCH closer to my home. Plus it’s a higher position with much more career potential. I had my phone interview today, which went very well. So well, that they are in the process of scheduling a second interview as soon as possible. I’m really excited, but of course, keeping my expectations low to keep me in check. I’ll keep you all posted.

Thursday, I fly to Puerto Vallarta with some great friends of mine. I’m really looking forward to taking a vacation. I haven’t been on a real vacation in some time. Tim, is staying home for the weekend. He’s in the process of looking for a job and due to expense and last minute changes it’s not feasible for him to go right at the moment. We’re both ok with it. I’ll, of course, miss him like no tomorrow, but he trusts me and I trust him. I know that my friends here in Phoenix will take care of him while I’m out drinking margaritas.

The Long Journey Home

The Long Journey Home
Originally uploaded by EdnPHX.

It’s amazing how as time passes things have a tendency to change. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s not so good. It’s been a really crazy year. If I ever had to ask myself if I thought I would be where I am right now a year ago, I would have thought I was crazy. I’ve survived a dramatic break up, now almost a year past. I survived the horrible side of corporate America, settling the Bank One lawsuit. I survived the dating scene in a very plastic world. I traveled all throughout the western United States meeting some fantastic individuals. I’ve strengthened many great friendships that helped me through so much. I became “me” again, pulled myself back up to who I was and really deepened my sense of self. It was a rough year, but one that has taught me a lot.

And like a clump of coal that is under immense stress, pressure and time, I’ve gotten a diamond. I’ve earned my grey hair. (Although I’ll never dye it.) On a chance, and unexpected, I came across a real diamond, a real person, who I believe is right for me. And just like a diamond, you get infatuated with the sparkle or shine, the sheer beauty of it. But after you look past all of the infatuation, the brightness and the beauty, you realize that it’s something solid, something lasting, and something more than a pretty rock. That’s where I’m at.

Tim and I had a wonderful past 5 days. Sunday we took a drive up to Sedona and took in the beautiful landscape. The sky was clear and you could see for miles across the valley and the sun accented the red rock, as it almost always does in Sedona. We climbed up Bell Rock and looked across the wide open space; and that’s where that one “L” word you say came out. The word that should never be said unless you mean it. The word that many people fear, that many people avoid. The word that provokes such an emotion that you can’t contain it….your heart pounds, you sweat, you try to contain it, but it just happens. And once it’s said, you get goose bumps, your hear races, you feel relieved that you’ve finally said it. In amazement, the world didn’t crumble in on itself, and you can’t believe you said it, but you did….and it feels right. No, it’s not a mistake, in fact, it just the opposite. The response to that “L” word was just as intense and equal. It’s funny how amazing and intense one can feel when they are in Love. (And you thought I was going to say Lesbian…didn’t you?)

Anyway, I fly out to Cleveland tomorrow to drive back to Phoenix on Friday morning with Tim. The “Long Journey Home” as I like to think of it. I’ve never taken a cross country trip before. So, I’m excited on one hand, but not looking forward to spending 30 hours in a car. I’m bringing my digital camera to take some pictures of American oddities that we come across on the journey. You know, like America’s “biggest ball of string” and stuff. Our trip takes us through Columbus, Dayton, OH, Indianapolis, Oklahoma City, Amarillo, Albuquerque, Flagstaff and then Phoenix. I’m sure there will be lots to see and document on the way home. I’m looking forward to some good conversation, music and scenery on the way. (I have the song Wide Open Spaces by the Dixie Chicks playing in my head as I envision driving across the Great Plains.) More to come….