the_matt79

I have been slacking on writing here and updating the world on my little life in Montana.

So let's see, a month ago I turned 30, didn't really think much of it as far as it being the end of my life as I know it. It is really only a different answer to the same old question, but I was intrigued by a "welcome to the dirty thirties" greeting from a buddy of mine. I started to think about that and dammit why not just welcome that part of my life and embrace the damn thing. I don't have to be the lecherous old man, but there are some pretty young things in this town that can turn my head and do so when I go to the gas station or grocery store. Now to be fair to me I know that they are at least 18 if not older because they work the till in places that sell alcohol and Montana has a law that states you must be 18 to sell the stuff, so I am not overly dirty. It's just nice to get a smile back when you smile at one of these aforementioned pretty young things.

Barack Obama was inaugurated as our 44th President, an event that I watched and thrilled at. His speech left me truly optimistic and hopeful about this nation's future. I really liked hearing the crowd chant na-na-na-na hey-hey-hey goodbye as Bush flew over in the helicopter, that was a fun capper to it all. The only bad thing about our current president is the racist statements I hear at work, it's not that these people are full on racists as there really aren't any black people in my tiny town, but I hate hearing it and being outnumbered in my support for Obama. At least there are a few down there that realize we are moving forward in a good way, they help get me through. Any time I do hear one of those statements I wonder what those same people would do if we had more black people here, I think some of them would be fine, but some of them might show some true colors.

I paid off my small student loan this week, and that was a nice feeling, I still have the big one looming over me, but to know that I freed up a few hundred dollars a month is a nice little feeling. I am figuring out the best way to go after the big one, whether I should put more into savings or pay more, but it's just nice to have that option floating around in my head.

I settled up with the railroad in regards to my injury I sustained there a couple years ago. It is confidential so I can't go into details but I can say that I am happy, am I set for life, no, did I expect to be, no. I am happy, and it sets me up even more for my future, and shows me that I can put things into motion to get out of my hometown and back to where all my friends are and where I experience true happiness. This true happiness often comes when I make my trips back there, so there is the possibility that the happiness is fleeting and the statement "you can't go home again" pops up into my head, but when I think about it I know this to be untrue.

I came home three years ago to get my feet under me and start to get a handle on my student loans, things fell into place where I procured a job that has good benefits and pays 22 something an hour. Now I just so happened to get hurt at that job, but that means that I now am more settled in, and I have some scars, and chicks dig scars, so winner winner, chicken dinner on that one. I live with my folks which could be embarassing, but in reality is the perfect fit for our economy and my town itself. My town right now has shitty apartments for rent and houses that sell for twice what they are worth. I don't want to buy a house as I don't want to spend the rest of my life here in Glendive, and I refuse to pay money for a crappy apartment just so I can say I don't live at home. I get along with my parents, I am an only child, and my dog is here, so I am alright there.

Now as far as Grand Forks is concerned, it is the first place I lived when I left home for school, and also the first place outside my hometown that I felt at home, and built a new family for myself by finding the friends that I found. When I go back over it is usually for an event, holiday, or something similar, so I know there are big doings that make those trips fun, but the true happiness I find over there is when I hang out with my friends. From the first second I see them we pick up right where we left off and everything fits, also these are some of the most selfless and caring people you are going to find out there, and they laugh at my jokes. So that is where the true happiness comes from over there, and that is what I want to get back to, I just don't know what I would do when I get there, but maybe that is where some interesting investing could come into play, maybe I wouldn't have to do anything.

One thing that keeps popping into my head is when I hear about people that finally achieved their dreams when they stopped hemming and hawing and just did. They were scared like I am, but they realized that no one could do it for them other than themselves, and that is something I have to get through to myself. I want to write, and I have been encouraged to do so, so now I just need to quite fearing and start daring.

So that's my last couple months, what's new with you?