I grew up as the “IT guy” in small town America.

This guy, and the people here (not you) sound like a lot of people I know. I’d look for a different job and grow your passion somewhere else. It isn’t worth it. You won’t change them, and they’re just going to make you feel like you’re wrong, even though you’re right. It’s like the movie Idiocracy.

I know you’re a stranger, but I get the keys to the apartment in about an hour!!!

I want to tell everyone, but I have nobody to tell. I’m FINALLY going to have a home to go home to.

Secondhand lions, the pursuit of happiness, and the good neighbor (2016)

I’m doing it!

The crysis center already has an apartment for me. They’re going to pay first months rent and deposit, I can even have my cats with me!

Since I left my wife, I’ve been saving sooooo much money. I know how to cook on a budget, the kids aren’t picky, and I’m not wasting my money on door dash!

It’s gonna be a tough journey, but I can do this!

No, in Idiocracy, the president ended up listening to the smart guy.

I think I’m on my way to happiness.

I finally left my abusive wife this week. It was really scary, and she keeps sending me threats (to take me for child support and ruin my life) but I was able to get ahold if a crisis center for abused people, thankfully they have support for men. The crisis center is going to help me tackle all the debt she’s put me in and get me into an apartment that will have room for me and my kids!

Yesterday for the first time in 14 years, I was completely free. I just drove around town. I went and got an ice cream cone, and I got a Mexican Pizza from taco bell, and nobody insulted me, put me down, or made me feel worthless. I got a glimpse of me and I really miss that guy. I used to have the nick name smiley because I always walked around with a shit eating grin on my face because I love life and I love my job, but she’s worn away at me lately.

I might be homeless technically, but I have a safe space until I can get on my feet. I get my kids tonight, we’re going to have a pizza party and play Mario Kart together. I think everything is going to be fine soon…

What if you just went on foot with 5 gallon containers, didn’t do it frequently, and never went to the same gas station a second time?

He had a couple hot wheels out on the counter and I asked about them, so he was excited to share his hobby with me.

My friend says I act like this.

I read a book called “how to win friends and influence people” and it completely changed my life for the better once I started taking the book literally.

Everybody tends to be selfish and think of themselves (not in a bad way). If you play into this and learn what people are interested in, you instantly become interesting to that person.

“Hey Ricky, how’s your hot wheels collection! Get any new classics?” True story, different name. That’s just the butcher at the grocery store I frequent. He’ll tell me all about his latest hot wheels collection, and then I get a discount, we both win. I’ve made a friend, and influenced him to give me a deal.

Oh I absolutely would ask for consent. I’m in a college town, so it got easy for me to read people. Some people want silence and I could feel it, and I had a kill switch for the sub just in case.

I did lyft pre-covid and I loved it when people would sit up front.

I had a 12" sub and I’d let people sync their Bluetooth or request music and bump through town. I made so many temporary friends!

Good times…

I make plenty of money, but the dumb decisions in my past among other things made it so it’s always going to debt, but I can’t climb out of it because of interest, and now that I’ve lost my home (staying with in laws now), my wife spends insane money on door dash, and I can’t get it through her head how expensive and unhealthy it is, and if she really wants fast food, I can go get it. I will literally cook an entire meal, plate it, then hear the doorbell for door dash.

It’s so frustrating and it feels never ending.

$10k would entirely change my life. That’s it, that’s all I’d need.

I could pay off my debt, then I’d be able to afford a roof over my head.

Yup!

I’m thankful I have a place to stay with family. Now my money I was using toward those insane bills will be used for paying off my debt. I just need to lay low for a bit, get everything paid off, save up, and I’ll be on my feet again!

Jeez, It was a rental I had for a month about 2 years ago.

And for your information, it was a single chicken taco. There were no cars around. I’m not talking LA I5, this is in the middle of nowhere and I had to make an emergency drive up Eureka from Sacramento.

My and utilities finally caught up to me and I lost my home about 2 weeks ago…

The utility company here was responsible for burning down the entire town next to us. They passed the lawsuit payments onto the customers. My bill went from $50 a month, give or take $5, to $200 to $300 a month.

I mean, I’d use partial self driving on I5 to eat my taco bell, but I’m still paying attention to what’s in front of me!

Tony Pizza!

I saw a video Jamie Hyneman made where he went to a comicon event (I think) and he just simply walked right through. He didn’t stop, but he was friendly and said hi to everyone he came across.

Despite being so famous, he never created a crowd, and he just kept on walking and saying hi.

I’ve applied this to the chatty Kathy’s at my work and it works every time. Just a quick “hey there!” without stopping. It never fails. Every once in a while I’ll stop so I don’t look like a jerk, but it works!

I always thought this too until I had the opportunity to go into an Olive Garden kitchen.

The chef back there was very, very proud of the work they put into the food there. Almost everything is hand made. It was really nice to see.