This week started with a new PC. My old one was ancient. I originally built it in August of 2001 and did some minor upgrades in 2004 when RCT3 came out. To call it dated would be an understatement. It’s funny how you just get used to the way things are because it never really bothered me. I just noticed it seemed to be taking longer and longer to process photos and figured it was time to upgrade. I wanted to build something top-of-the-line with an i7 processor, but decided to just get a Dell-built Quad Core at less than 1/2 the cost. If I end up using it even two years it was worth it. Already amused by how fast Photoshop processes for me now. Who knows how much time I’ve wasted/lost over the past few years. I suck.

But I do have a sweet 22″ widesreen monitor that, when set to 1920×1080 as I have it, offers a whole buttload of screen real estate. Much more than my meager self is used to. I’ve spent much of the odd hours of this week loading programs and transferring files.

Then came some more photo requests. This past winter was slow as hell, but the spring has made up for it. Oddly enough, a couple of the photos were on film so I had to do some scanning. I never did really good scans the first time around and I have a ton of film I shot from 2000-2003. I keep thinking I need to just pay to have some quality scans done, but I never get around to actually doing it.

Then the nice weather came and the reality of being a homeowner hit when I suddenly realized our yard looks like shit and everyone else’s looks like they brought pros in to finely manicure the grounds. I’ll be honest with y’all here – I don’t even own a lawn mower yet…or a rake…or a shovel…or anything. So we decided that this weekend will be spent buying crap to keep up with the yard. I’m so not amused. I used to be more outdoorsy and I still have a lot of the liking to work with my hands thing in me from childhood (my parents weren’t and aren’t afraid to get out and get dirty and I used to have it in me too).

I’ve also come to note that of the 6 houses on the cul-de-sac that we are easily the youngest…by a good margin. I’ve also noticed that I’m not nearly as friendly as the others. I’ll smile, wave, say hello, share a few words about the weather, whatever…but I don’t need a friend. I’m not coming over for tea. I’m not helping you build shit. I’m not fawning over your shitty dog. I’m not sitting on the deck and talking all evening over a beer. I’ll be a friendly face that lives on your street. I won’t be your friend.

It sounds shitty, but it’s how I feel. Fuck you, I write the rules.

That’s how my week has gone.