Satellite TV never struck me as a particularly good idea, and my present situation confirms my view. I have known a couple of people who do not own televisions (both of whom felt compelled to emphasize this point with me), and if I had a phone here I would call one of them to ask what he does with his time when he just doesn’t feel like reading a book anymore. If I were in my own home, there would no doubt be numerous projects I could undertake, but since I am in a rental, I’m pretty much out of ideas once the laundry is done.

I’ve been here two weeks now, and the job seems to be going well. I brought some pictures and decorations from my old office into my new office, and also made a key stop at Target to grab a couple of lamps, a clock, and an ersatz Asian ceramic bowel with fake grass growing out of it. (This looks better than it sounds – trust me. Total cost to decorate new office: $92. My office looks awesome – amazing what just a few items will do for the décor. Target rocks.) So now I have at least one place where I feel at home here, and with luck I’ll find a place to live soon.

Also – good news! – I got my car back last weekend. I flew up to Boston Saturday evening for a nano-visit and drove my car back to NJ on Sunday. But now – bad news! – the engine light is on and I haven’t a clue as to why. My history with the car has made me adept at checking and adding oil and antifreeze, and though I gently performed all of those ministrations this morning, the light remains lit. I recall that I faced a similar issue during last year’s January deep freeze, but cannot remember what the mechanic said the problem was. My current plan is to ignore it and hope it goes away. It may well be time to get a new car, which is sad since this one has just 45 thousand miles on it, but there’s just too much that keeps going wrong and it’s making me nervous. Miss OT once had a Passat, and never purchased another for the same reason despite her love of her car. I would have been wise to learn from her experience before buying mine.

Might it be time for an SUV? One wonders.

Sunday Morning

The snow has gotten deeper overnight and seems to be coming down more heavily today. Rumor has it the snow might stop around noon, and I just got a phone call from my landlord sharing the happy news that her nephews will be over to shovel me out once the wind stops. (An incredibly unexpected surprise given my previous dealings with her husband, whose goal in life seems to be to wring as much cash out of me as possible. Needless to say, I am delighted – though I have to admit I was sort of looking forward to getting some physical activity built into my day.)

The house has a small vestibule out back, off the kitchen, in which I can stand sheltered and gaze at the back yard. The fascination here is the pool, which was built this past summer and is facing its first winter season. My landlord appears to have spent a lot of money on the pool and coordinating gazebo, which sits in the far end of the small yard and looks like an old-fashioned boxcar built of wood, complete with gingerbread decoration and screens all around. Both the pool and gazebo are attractive and probably cost a lot to install – which makes me wonder why she didn’t go the whole nine yards to add a real pool cover. Instead, she has stretched a giant tarp over the pool and has weighted it down with a series of long, water-filled tubes placed around the edges. Over time, rain has caused the tarp to sink to the level of the pool water, so in cross section we’re now looking at a foot or so of frozen dirty water/leaves, under which there is a tarp, under which there is the pool’s four to six feet of water. I cannot imagine what the spring clean-up is going to require, but in the meantime it would make a good skating rink. I am sure my landlord’s husband will call soon to negotiate an additional fee for use of this feature.

There are a few things like that around this house. The screen in the back door is ripped out across two sides, creating a triangular flap that blows in and out with the wind. The basement floor is usually wet (although the cold weather has apparently frozen the ground water, so now it’s just slightly crunchy underfoot). There is no radio. And I mentioned the sad state of cookware earlier – the one 7-inch frying pan I found here looks like butter would stick to it. (I brought back my favorite non-stick skillet from Boston this past weekend, so problem solved.) However, I realize it’s a rental house – and it’s just a few blocks from the boardwalk that runs up the beach, so it’s a trade-off. (I noticed a place called Martell’s on the boardwalk the other day – I had been told this was a good place to hang out, so I’ll head back some weekend night when they’re open. I was pleased to note it’s within walking distance, always a good attribute for a bar.)

One benefit of the snowstorm has been the sudden time available to model cashflows and set up “what if” scenarios in Excel. Since I got paid on Friday, I got a handle on tax rates down here and was then able to project precise monthly cash flows through 2005, using these to create a model incorporating variables such as sales price of my Watertown home, purchase price of a new home in NJ, interest rate changes, a potential SUV purchase, and loan payoffs. Once I have specifics on these, I will then establish a monthly budget including savings goals. I am positive this would provide limited entertainment for most people, but I enjoy projects like this and have spent about four hours on it so far.

I only wish I had all my tax information here – this would be the perfect day to crank through it.

Upon re-reading those last two paragraphs, I have had an epiphany, and it is this: I am a geek. I can only ask my friends and family how long they have known, and why they have kept this a secret from me.

Sunday Afternoon

Running out of ideas here. The Ewe called a while ago – she’s in a similar situation, since her area is also in a state of snow emergency, but since she has internet access she’s got a wider band of entertainment options. No sign of my little snow shovelers yet – I suspect they are doing what kids do, which is waiting till the last possible minute. If they’re not here by dark, I’ll call my landlord to let her know.

Just made some lunch. Steak-ums, rolled around some sharp cheddar – a low-carb take on the classic cheesesteak. Groceries on hand comprise 8 eggs, lots of string and cheddar cheese, Steak-ums, some bacon, and a can of nuts. Also some coffee and diet 7*Up. I’m pretty much good till spring. Which might be right around the time my driveway gets cleared.

Sunday Night

Happiness – instead of the nephew triumvirate, I was visited by the landlord’s sister and brother-in-law, plus one son, who did an excellent job clearing my sidewalk and the area around my car. I was then able to chip the ice/snow off my car in preparation for tomorrow’s trip to the office.

In retrospect, I am quite pleased with my ability to pass an entire weekend in my own company. Here’s what I got done:

1. Achieved the perfect manicure. Nails look professionally done. I rock.
2. Aforementioned modeling of personal cash flows. Will be extremely useful in making house buying and house offer acceptance decisions.
3. Read a great deal of the new Tom Wolfe book. This is the one I meant to take on my vacation, but was foiled by US Airways’ decision to send my luggage elsewhere. Someday, I will complete this book.
4. Caught up with various friends/family on the (cell) phone. Checked my minutes and realized I have blown through half my plan minutes in the first 9 days of the billing period. Does not bode well, but as this is a temporary situation, I’m willing to just pay big cell phone bills for a few months.
5. All laundry done, folded, put away. Did all sheets and towels. Thought about surveying the neighbors’ laundry needs, decided against it.