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JerseySmarts.com

Christmas in July! Sorta…

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Those of you that know me know that I’m a freak for Christmas. I just love that time of the year! When I get older, I fully intend to have an entire room in my house dedicated to the celebration of Christmas. Very weird, I know.

I had planned on having a Christmas Party sometime during this week, but I got bogged down in work and my small business and my trip to New Orleans next week and interviewing for the new job, etc. So, I thought that the least I could do was write something about Christmas…and for some reason I thought I would take a look back at my 2006 New Year’s Resolutions.

Let’s see…

One goal was to reach my intended weight goals in my diet. That “hold” that my workout regime was on during the winter months has been prolonged because I absolutely can’t stand my gym. Thank God I start at Gold’s Gym on August 1st! I haven’t really gained any weight since Christmas – but about a week and a half ago I started doing some intense walking around town…so that’s good.

I wanted to go to Church more than just Sunday and I’ve accomplished that. I had a good time during Holy Week in April and I enjoyed going to Church on off days here and there. So I’ve succeeded and dominated that resolution. Next!

Hmmm, achieving financial freedom, eh? Well, I can’t say that I’m financially free (let’s not forget that I’m the poster boy for student loan debt), but I will say that I’m making more money now than ever before and that – with my new job – I’ll begin to make some major headway against paying back those student loans. Financial freedom coming soon? Well, sooner than for most people, I would assume. I’ve made a lifestyle out of frugal living lately so once these bigger paychecks start coming in, I fully intend to devote them to completely paying off my student loans. I’ll beat those bastards…just you watch!

I wanted to work on growing and being successful with my web design business. Accomplished that!

I resolved to do more work in the community development field after I graduated – definitel accomplished that!

And so that’s that! I’m pretty much successful on all of my resolutions so far. The only one that I’m slacking on is getting back into the hardcore workout routine that I was once in and, like I said before, that’s because of my gym sucking and me waiting to get to another gym. Once that happens – I’m set. I guess if I had to make a long-term resolution right now, it would be to achieve one of my pre-weight loss goals of getting into good enough shape to enter an open wrestling tournament (freestyle) and to go out there and see if I have anything left. The plan is to achieve that goal next spring, so we’ll talk more about it around then!

Merry Christmas!

By the way, there’s only about 150 days left until Christmas…you better start shopping!

Some of the new “Jon Corzine Taxes”

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Thanks to the Asbury Park Press’ “What taxes are going to be raised?” article from today. The following items were not taxed before, but will now be taxed at 7%:

  • carpet and upholstery cleaning services
  • downloaded movies, music, software and videos
  • flooring and carpeting installation
  • golf, gym and health club memberships
  • landscaping services
  • massage, tanning and tattoo services
  • non-subscription magazines
  • parking lots and garages
  • private investigation services
  • security services
  • self-storage units
  • shipping and handling charged separately

    • I don’t know what shipping and handling charged separately means, but it sounds ridiculous. And what a deplorable, despicable human being this Governor Money Bags is that he’s taxing fucking gym memberships and parking spaces. Is he for real? That’s disgusting. And this slimy swine says that he “understands” that these taxes will hurt us in the beginning, but are needed in the long-run? He has no idea what it’s like to be a working class guy trying to live in this state. He’s fucking delusional.

    This deplorable asshole also raised business taxes and is raiding the state’s disability trust fund of $50 million. Like that’s not a bait and switch maneuver…

    He increased the daily surcharge on rented cars from $2 to $5. Who does that? Who sits in their luxurious Hoboken condo and says, “Hmmm…maybe I’ll raise the car rental surcharge. Yeah! That’s it! Let me raise revenues by imposing an extra surcharge on a service that the state should be disgusted that they’re even taxing anyway…”

    And for those of us with SUVs that don’t quite make 19 miles per gallon? Fuck us! That’s right! We get to pay a random one-time fee for having an automobile that isn’t up to Corzine’s gas standards. I wonder how this one-time bait-and-switch fee is going to fix our state’s fiscal problems? It’s not. It’s obvious that it’s not. And it’s obvious that for guys like me – who would love to drive a new hybrid or a more fuel efficient car if we could afford to buy a one – that our goal of even getting a new car will be set back by this ridiculous, deplorable one-time fee.

    I said it before and it still holds true – New Jersey has a “deplorable” Governor.

    The Lady at the Gym Scolded Me

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    So as I was leaving the gym this morning, one of the ladies who works there says to me, “How are you doing?” I figured it was a polite gesture as is the norm in our society.

    I was wrong – she got me good.

    I answered, “Good. Thanks.” Then I grabbed for my keys and began to turn around and she says in that don’t think I haven’t noticed voice: “You haven’t been here in a while.”

    This woman (who could easily be 20 years or more older than I am) had that look that your Mom or girlfriend gives you when she expects an explanation. Now, I have – in fact – been at the gym. Sure, due to the end of the summer being crazy and the beginning of the school semester being nuts, I’ve had to cut back to maybe going 3 out of the 7 days of the week, but I’m still getting to the gym and working out.

    However, being a well-brought up young buck I had no choice but to bow my head and say, “Yeah, I’ve been really busy lately.” Almost as soon as I said those words I knew what was coming next.

    “You have to make time to workout.” At this point a second woman behind the counter began “Mmmm Hmmm”-ing her in agreement.

    My response was all I could say (staying honest): “Yeah, I’m trying to squeeze in gym times as much as I can, whenever I can. That’s why I came in here today at 7am.”

    I think that satisfied their needs – the older woman said, “Well that’s good. I’m glad to see you’re trying to get in here more,” as the other woman chuckled in agreement to my assertion that I was trying to workout whenever I could.

    I’m just glad to know that the $51 per month that I pay for my gym membership is at least being spent on people who appear to give a damn. I enjoy that. Good for them for taking an interest in their customers.

    Surgery In Less Than 24 Hours

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    The clock is ticking away until my gall bladder gets removed. It’s a weird feeling, really, but I’m not afraid or anything. As I write this (a little after noon on Sunday), it’s just odd knowing that 24 hours from now the surgery will be over and I’ll be starting to come out of the deep sleep. Weird.

    I hope to be back online and active by Monday night (the same night of my surgery), but I think that might not quite happen…I should definitely be around again by Wednesday or Thursday of this week.

    After my surgery I get to eat real foods again. VERY exciting…

    I might be forced to hold off on going nuts at the buffet, though – today I actually reached and exceeded my final weight loss goal. My weight loss goals may have been posted on this blog last year (not sure), but my final goal was to “make” my high school wrestling weight limit of 275 – I wrestled heavyweight. Well, this morning I weighed in at the gym at 273 pounds, so I’ve completed my weight loss goals.

    But knowing me I’ll probably write up a new set of weight loss goals to reach. Why take it easy, right? 🙂

    In any event, I’m headed to the hospital early tomorrow morning and the surgery should be done by 12 noon. I’ll be back soon!

    Scheduled For Surgery

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    I thought it would be prudent to make a post on here about my upcoming surgery. You’ve all heard me complain and bitch and moan about the ridiculous pain that I get put through from this gall bladder/gall stones problem that I have. Well, on July 18th I’m getting my gall bladder taken out.

    Some people have asked me if I’m scared about the surgery. Honestly, I’m not scared as much as I am anxious, you know? I have never had surgery before so I’m not quite sure what to expect, but I know that the Doctor seemed really nice and helpful at our meeting yesterday and his staff was top notch (not rude and nasty like at some doctor’s offices).

    In any event, the Doctor believes that I will be able to get the surgery done in the morning and be home by the afternoon or early evening. Also, I should be able to eat anything that I want (within reason) the next day and I should really only need a week or so after the surgery to be back to 100%. I’m definitely looking forward to being able to re-expand my food intake because I’ve been extra conservative with it lately – pretty much toast and tomato soup for me…and even the tomato soup has been bad for my stomach lately! Actually, I had some rice and carrots last night, but I had to stop eating it halfway through – it was way too bland!

    So if any one has ever had their gall bladder removed before, make sure you contact me to let me know what I’m in for. Other than that, I’ll give it my best to be up on the blog every day posting what’s going on!