Life update

It's been a while, and I really have no excuse for not updating. I've had busy days, but also completely dull days, where the only thing stopping me from posting is the thought of walking the eight feet from my couch to my computer. I made it today, so here goes:

I went to my first Yankees game on Thursday with Pete from work and his friends. The stadium itself is pretty amazing, and not in the way of Comerica Park, PNC Park, or some other corporate namesake. No children's rides, fancy concession booths or waterfalls; just extremely small seats, the occasional garbage floating in from the surrounding Bronx and a whole lot of history. We ate dinner at a little Spanish restaurant, where I ordered some really good plantains. Then we bundled up and froze in the snowy stands until the end of the seventh inning, when we finally left for the warmth of our cars. It might technically be spring, but it sure doesn't feel like it. I can't wait to visit my family in Florida in a couple weeks.

I got into an accident two weekends ago. Nothing serious, at least not in terms of injuries. I was in a line of cars waiting to merge onto a busy street near my apartment where you have to sit at a stop sign until the traffic clears. The SUV in front of me went (or appeared to), so I glanced behind me, saw a clearing, and stepped on the gas without looking ahead. Seconds later, I crashed into the back of the SUV, whose driver apparently stopped after the sign for some reason I really can't figure out. Luckily, he wasn't mean (I dread the day I piss off a stereotypical New Yorker on the road), and the damage to his car was minimal – a couple scratches at most. Unluckily, the damage to my car was more extensive. What looks like minor fixes to my
untrained eye – a broken headlight cover and a slightly bent hood – turned out to be an estimated $2,500 shop fee. Ridiculous. A quick check on Kelly Bluebook confirmed that my car isn't even worth that much. Yet, a new car definitely doesn't fit into my budget at the moment. I refused service at the regular shop, and through one of those friend-of-a-friend connections, I got a quote for $1,350. There goes my tax return. But at least my car will be back in shape soon.

I spent Easter Sunday by myself. In fact, I only stepped out of my apartment once to take some trash to the dumpster. I actually didn't mind. A few different coworkers invited me to spend some time with their families, but I declined. It's always a little awkward to take part in a family tradition with strangers. And, although a little boring, it was kind of nice to spend the day by myself. The spring-cleaning bug bit me, and I went through my closet throwing out shoes, papers, and random stuff I held onto for no reason. And I finished a book I've been working on for a while. My goal to read 50 this year hasn't been off to a great start. So maybe that's what I needed to get back on track.