It’s scary, really.
Three minutes ago, I turned 24. As in, I’ve been on this earth for 8,760 days, 210,240 hours, 12,614,400 minutes — you get the point.
I’m old. No, not compared to John Chaney. But compared to, well, me of yesteryear. Or even last year.
Consider my past year, probably the most exciting and peripatetic of my life.
A year ago today, I was getting readjusted to life in the United States. I was four days removed from being abroad, having returned from a three-and-a-half-month stay in Australia and a three-day vacation in New Zealand.
Living across the world was the best part of my life. Sure, there was school and an internship, but there was no stress. It basically was an extended vacation. I enjoyed every minute of it.
Then came my final semester of school at Albion College, which turned out to be, contrary to what I anticipated, my best few months at Albion. With a lighter workload than during my first three years, I enjoyed myself more — despite working five days a week — and as the final days approached, I dreaded the end.
But, sadly, it came. On May 12, I graduated from Albion — and was thrown out into the real world.
OK, that’s a lie. I moved back in with the nicest people in the world, my parents, and they didn’t even charge rent or room and board. I commuted 40 minutes each way to my part-time job at the Jackson Citizen Patriot. But I knew I couldn’t live at home and earn $9.50 an hour at a 28-hour-a-week job for long.
So in July I finalized plans to make the first major move of my life — an emigration to North Carolina to move in with my cousin/brother J-bo.
Late July and early August were great. Some of the best times of my life. First, my boy Tick and I went on our second annual baseball trip, visiting Milwaukee’s Miller Park, and Chicago’s Wrigley Field — my first time — and U.S. Cellular Field. In August, I flew to Utopia — aka Sandwich, N.H. — for two amazing weeks of hiking with J-bo and others.
And then the wait began. Late August and September slogged along until, at long last, I shed a few tears — seriously — and packed my Honda Civic for Durham, N.C. After a three-day stop in D.C., I arrived on a hot, humid day in early October.
… And now here I am, 24 — celebrating my birthday for the first time away from home. When I go to church tonight, there won’t be any animals — as is the tradition in telling Jesus’ story at the church in Ann Arbor. Tomorrow, I’ll bring in Christmas without any white stuff outside and without Mom, Bust and Ro sitting around me.
It’s all weird, kind of scary, kind of exciting. Yes, plenty of emotions.
But, honestly, I don’t feel 24 years old (I guess that’s a good thing). I feel about 18, maybe 19. I still love acting a kid. You wanna shoot hoops in the rain? I’m down. You wanna scalp cheap tickets then move down at a game? You better. The way I see it, you’re only old if you act old.
So now I move forward, with 365 days left until the Big No. 25. Will the next year of my life be as crazy and transient as this past one?
I can’t give a definitive answer, I really can’t, because I don’t want to commit to anything. There are only a few guarantees I can give:
I won’t step into a mall if I don’t have to. I’ll continue to watch hundreds of hours of sports games, and I’ll probably continue to write about sports.
I’ll eat a lot, I’ll probably sleep a lot, and I’ll definitely exercise a lot.
Lots of tennis, hoops and chess are in the works. I’ll also put to use my video camera, creating some YouTube classics for all you (one or two people) interested.
And maybe I’ll start living on a normal schedule, such as going to bed by 12 and waking up by 8.
Then again, that’s unlikely. After all, I don’t want to show any signs that my youth is fading. And if I can’t live by a college student’s hours, what kind of message will I be sending?
I know, that sounds nonsensical.
But forgive me. I’m still just a kid.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
12.18.2007: Keys to being frugal
When you’re making $8.50 an hour washing dishes.
When your freelance checks never arrive in your mailbox.
When you’ve got rent to pay, plus TV, Internet, electricity, water and newspaper monthly bills.
Yes, you have to be extremely frugal to get by.
So here, for anyone interested, are my keys to frugality:
— Absolutely no buying of clothes except for socks and boxers.
— Related to the above, get enough socks and boxers to only have to do laundry once a month; you can do it in two loads.
— Never turn the thermostat above 65, which really isn’t that cold to begin with.
— Drive a car that gets at least 35 mpg, but only drive when you can’t bike.
— If your workplace has food, eat as much as you can while there and bring some home to cut down on the need to buy groceries.
— Never use a light in the apartment unless needed. Turn off when done.
— Don’t buy a home phone. The only need for one is if there’s an emergency and you can’t tell the police your address.
— Rarely go out, and when you do, buy that night’s special.
— Use newspapers as wrapping paper.
— Never turn down a free meal.
— Use the apartment complex’s gym unless you work at a gym and get free access.
— Instead of buying books, join a library.
— Never eat out.
— Don’t date.
— Limit your friends. The more of them, the more you spend.
— Don’t travel.
— And, finally, never buy gas when it’s more than $3.00 a gallon. Be patient.
Unfortunately, I can’t say I’ve abided by all the rules listed above. As a result, I’ve volunteered to work Christmas Day — I normally don’t work Tuesdays — if anyone wants off.
Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.
Talk to you next week,
Jake
When your freelance checks never arrive in your mailbox.
When you’ve got rent to pay, plus TV, Internet, electricity, water and newspaper monthly bills.
Yes, you have to be extremely frugal to get by.
So here, for anyone interested, are my keys to frugality:
— Absolutely no buying of clothes except for socks and boxers.
— Related to the above, get enough socks and boxers to only have to do laundry once a month; you can do it in two loads.
— Never turn the thermostat above 65, which really isn’t that cold to begin with.
— Drive a car that gets at least 35 mpg, but only drive when you can’t bike.
— If your workplace has food, eat as much as you can while there and bring some home to cut down on the need to buy groceries.
— Never use a light in the apartment unless needed. Turn off when done.
— Don’t buy a home phone. The only need for one is if there’s an emergency and you can’t tell the police your address.
— Rarely go out, and when you do, buy that night’s special.
— Use newspapers as wrapping paper.
— Never turn down a free meal.
— Use the apartment complex’s gym unless you work at a gym and get free access.
— Instead of buying books, join a library.
— Never eat out.
— Don’t date.
— Limit your friends. The more of them, the more you spend.
— Don’t travel.
— And, finally, never buy gas when it’s more than $3.00 a gallon. Be patient.
Unfortunately, I can’t say I’ve abided by all the rules listed above. As a result, I’ve volunteered to work Christmas Day — I normally don’t work Tuesdays — if anyone wants off.
Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.
Talk to you next week,
Jake
Monday, December 10, 2007
12.10.2007 two-month update from North Carolina
For my weekly update this time around, I won’t bore you with self-deprecation or pester you with countless anecdotes. Rather, how ‘bout some numbers?
Saturday marked the two-month mark of my stay here in the shopping metropolis of Durham, North Carolina. So here, ladies and gentlemen, are some fascinating figures from my first 60-plus days in this beacon of college hoops.
1 — Number of times I have done laundry. I must admit, however, that I’m just days (and a couple dirty socks) away from being due again.
1 — Number of times, out of 17, J-bo has beaten me in tennis.
66 — Number of times J-bo and I have played chess (I lead 41-25).
0 — Number of times J-bo has played me in Boggle. If he did, he’d have a very large advantage.
3 — Number of times I have gone out on Franklin Street. This needs to increase.
2 — Duke basketball games I’ve covered. Hopefully more games — including ACC battles — to come.
20 — Number of dollars I owe my uncle Buzz from when he helped me buy furniture.
3,750 — Approximate amount of money I’ve burned since arriving. No worries, though. I’m back to my frugal ways, and I’m making a lofty $8.50 an hour washing dishes.
0 — Friends I’ve made outside of my family (and they were already my friends). Again, need to get out more.
137 — Approximate number of hours I’ve spent in front of our high-def, 37-inch, LCD TV. Again, I need to get out more.
3 — Number of sports magazines I now subscribe to — SI, ESPN, Sporting News. Which is two more than before the move. Yes, I know I need to diversify.
0 — Times I’ve been west to the mountains or east to the beach. Again, not cool.
1,418 — Estimated number of dishes I’ve already washed (not including at home).
804 — Amount of miles it took for J-bo and I to drive to Chicago for Thanksgiving.
2 — DVD documentaries I’ve made during my time here. Maybe I’ve found a new passion.
53 — Approximate number of whole carrots I’ve eaten. And my eyesight — except when it was blurred by some friendly work bleach — is very good.
12 — Estimated number of times J-bo and I have jumped in the community swimming pool after playing tennis. A few times, the water temperature was in the low 50s, according to J-bo’s expert analysis. Cold, very cold.
84 — Number of times I’ve gone up and down the three stories of stairs leading to our crib. No, this is not an exact figure.
OK, folks, I know the numbers are becoming stale. I promised not to put you to sleep. Hope you enjoyed. And, yes, a carrot a day is never a bad idea.
Saturday marked the two-month mark of my stay here in the shopping metropolis of Durham, North Carolina. So here, ladies and gentlemen, are some fascinating figures from my first 60-plus days in this beacon of college hoops.
1 — Number of times I have done laundry. I must admit, however, that I’m just days (and a couple dirty socks) away from being due again.
1 — Number of times, out of 17, J-bo has beaten me in tennis.
66 — Number of times J-bo and I have played chess (I lead 41-25).
0 — Number of times J-bo has played me in Boggle. If he did, he’d have a very large advantage.
3 — Number of times I have gone out on Franklin Street. This needs to increase.
2 — Duke basketball games I’ve covered. Hopefully more games — including ACC battles — to come.
20 — Number of dollars I owe my uncle Buzz from when he helped me buy furniture.
3,750 — Approximate amount of money I’ve burned since arriving. No worries, though. I’m back to my frugal ways, and I’m making a lofty $8.50 an hour washing dishes.
0 — Friends I’ve made outside of my family (and they were already my friends). Again, need to get out more.
137 — Approximate number of hours I’ve spent in front of our high-def, 37-inch, LCD TV. Again, I need to get out more.
3 — Number of sports magazines I now subscribe to — SI, ESPN, Sporting News. Which is two more than before the move. Yes, I know I need to diversify.
0 — Times I’ve been west to the mountains or east to the beach. Again, not cool.
1,418 — Estimated number of dishes I’ve already washed (not including at home).
804 — Amount of miles it took for J-bo and I to drive to Chicago for Thanksgiving.
2 — DVD documentaries I’ve made during my time here. Maybe I’ve found a new passion.
53 — Approximate number of whole carrots I’ve eaten. And my eyesight — except when it was blurred by some friendly work bleach — is very good.
12 — Estimated number of times J-bo and I have jumped in the community swimming pool after playing tennis. A few times, the water temperature was in the low 50s, according to J-bo’s expert analysis. Cold, very cold.
84 — Number of times I’ve gone up and down the three stories of stairs leading to our crib. No, this is not an exact figure.
OK, folks, I know the numbers are becoming stale. I promised not to put you to sleep. Hope you enjoyed. And, yes, a carrot a day is never a bad idea.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
12.5.2007 — updating my state of affairs
Sorry, folks, it’s been so long. And, no, I can’t even give the “I’ve been busy” excuse. A man who sleeps in until 2:36 p.m. on a non-descript Tuesday has no “busy” excuses.
And, plus, I’m not a man full of excuses. I tend to tell it how it is.
So let me get right to the juicy fat of my current situation. All of my free time lately — not including my sleepy time — has provided me plenty of opportunities to think about what I’m doing in life.
It’s an interesting thought process.
Currently, my life is like reading three hours out of boring textbooks each night with 10 minutes of stimulating novel reading sprinkled in.
Last Tuesday, I had the pleasure of covering the Wisconsin-Duke game for wral.com. Before the game, I sat in a press room that included ESPN commentator Dick Vitale and famous basketball author John Feinstein among other well-established writers. That right there made my night.
But it was only the beginning. Since there were numerous important media types at the nationally televised game between ranked teams, there wasn’t room for me on Duke’s press row. So I was relegated to the baseline of the court. Yes, I sat my ass on the wooden floor right next to the photographers.
And I was all over ESPN. Every time there was a scuffle under the basket for the ball or a fastbreak coming straight toward me, I prepared myself to be bowled over by huge, muscular basketball players. But, luckily, I never had to deal with this. Instead, when I retuned home later that night, I saw myself on SportsCenter’s “Top 10” plays twice.
Sure, I was paid a measly $65 to cover the game — not exactly enough to live on — but it still made my night. I’m banking on covering more games at Cameron Indoor Stadium in the days to come. It’s the best place to watch or cover a college hoops game.
The following night, I was scrubbing toilets for $7.50 an hour at the Hilton Garden Inn by the RDU airport. Boy, how I can go from the top of the world to its darkest dungeon in the course of 24 hours. While I want to cover sports for a living, the bitter reality right now is that with the intermittent stringing jobs I have, I need money on the side just to get by.
That means washing dishes four days a week at the Hilton for $8.50 an hour (and occasionally scrubbing johns). Not exactly a great job for a college graduate, but it’s what I gotta do, so I accept it. And — I must say — I’m the best damn dishwasher in the state of North Carolina. You got a pan you think isn’t cleanable? Bring it by my place and I’ll scrub it for you (at the cost of a six pack, of course).
While I’ve been encouraged by my opportunity to write game stories and features for wral.com and the Associated Press — I’m covering one of the high school football state championship games this Saturday — I’m resigned to the fact that I’m going to have to leave this area to procure my first full-time sports writing job. So every day I check journalism websites to see what’s available, to see if there’s anything worth applying for.
No luck so far, but it’s something I have to do if I want to achieve my goal of becoming a well-respected sports journalist.
While Thanksgiving in Chicago was fun this year — as it always is — it also was depressing. Every time I’m around my older cousins, Lou and Pete, I can’t help but feel inferior. Lou is now making $80,000 a year with the potential to make an additional $40-or-so K each year in Boston. Pete is in his first year of law school, all but certainly on his way to a bright career.
I know comparisons are ill-advised, but I can’t help placing myself next to them and their friends whenever I’m in their presence. Hmmm, let’s see. Law school vs. washing dishes. It’s like New England vs. Miami. I guess we’ll have to wait until Week 16 (but I’m pretty sure of the result).
But whatever. All I can do is move forward and live my life. One thing I’m proud of is my frugality. I know how to not spend money. I can make ends meet without a full-time gig despite $500-a-month rent and bills. And I own J-bo in tennis and chess.
In this cold world, you have to focus on the positives. If you don’t, the negatives will drown you.
All right, folks, I’m out. It’s getting late, and I actually plan on waking up before 2:36 tomorrow.
With peace and love,
Jake “Bloat” Lloyd
And, plus, I’m not a man full of excuses. I tend to tell it how it is.
So let me get right to the juicy fat of my current situation. All of my free time lately — not including my sleepy time — has provided me plenty of opportunities to think about what I’m doing in life.
It’s an interesting thought process.
Currently, my life is like reading three hours out of boring textbooks each night with 10 minutes of stimulating novel reading sprinkled in.
Last Tuesday, I had the pleasure of covering the Wisconsin-Duke game for wral.com. Before the game, I sat in a press room that included ESPN commentator Dick Vitale and famous basketball author John Feinstein among other well-established writers. That right there made my night.
But it was only the beginning. Since there were numerous important media types at the nationally televised game between ranked teams, there wasn’t room for me on Duke’s press row. So I was relegated to the baseline of the court. Yes, I sat my ass on the wooden floor right next to the photographers.
And I was all over ESPN. Every time there was a scuffle under the basket for the ball or a fastbreak coming straight toward me, I prepared myself to be bowled over by huge, muscular basketball players. But, luckily, I never had to deal with this. Instead, when I retuned home later that night, I saw myself on SportsCenter’s “Top 10” plays twice.
Sure, I was paid a measly $65 to cover the game — not exactly enough to live on — but it still made my night. I’m banking on covering more games at Cameron Indoor Stadium in the days to come. It’s the best place to watch or cover a college hoops game.
The following night, I was scrubbing toilets for $7.50 an hour at the Hilton Garden Inn by the RDU airport. Boy, how I can go from the top of the world to its darkest dungeon in the course of 24 hours. While I want to cover sports for a living, the bitter reality right now is that with the intermittent stringing jobs I have, I need money on the side just to get by.
That means washing dishes four days a week at the Hilton for $8.50 an hour (and occasionally scrubbing johns). Not exactly a great job for a college graduate, but it’s what I gotta do, so I accept it. And — I must say — I’m the best damn dishwasher in the state of North Carolina. You got a pan you think isn’t cleanable? Bring it by my place and I’ll scrub it for you (at the cost of a six pack, of course).
While I’ve been encouraged by my opportunity to write game stories and features for wral.com and the Associated Press — I’m covering one of the high school football state championship games this Saturday — I’m resigned to the fact that I’m going to have to leave this area to procure my first full-time sports writing job. So every day I check journalism websites to see what’s available, to see if there’s anything worth applying for.
No luck so far, but it’s something I have to do if I want to achieve my goal of becoming a well-respected sports journalist.
While Thanksgiving in Chicago was fun this year — as it always is — it also was depressing. Every time I’m around my older cousins, Lou and Pete, I can’t help but feel inferior. Lou is now making $80,000 a year with the potential to make an additional $40-or-so K each year in Boston. Pete is in his first year of law school, all but certainly on his way to a bright career.
I know comparisons are ill-advised, but I can’t help placing myself next to them and their friends whenever I’m in their presence. Hmmm, let’s see. Law school vs. washing dishes. It’s like New England vs. Miami. I guess we’ll have to wait until Week 16 (but I’m pretty sure of the result).
But whatever. All I can do is move forward and live my life. One thing I’m proud of is my frugality. I know how to not spend money. I can make ends meet without a full-time gig despite $500-a-month rent and bills. And I own J-bo in tennis and chess.
In this cold world, you have to focus on the positives. If you don’t, the negatives will drown you.
All right, folks, I’m out. It’s getting late, and I actually plan on waking up before 2:36 tomorrow.
With peace and love,
Jake “Bloat” Lloyd
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