[bowstaff981]

So here's my current financial situation:

I live at home with my parents. They pay for my housing etc. and my cell phone bill and a little bit of my gas. I pay for car insurance, college, most of my food, and anything else that I want to buy. I have been saving money for college all of my life, and have a hella lot more money saved than anyone my age that I've ever met. Here's how the government is screwing me over;

Since I was listed as a dependent for 2007 I don't get a tax cut for paying for college tuition. But since my parents didn't pay for the tuition either they don't a tax cut either.

I jumped tax brackets by a little over $300, so I am made 50% more in 2007 than in 2006, but my tax return is 40% less.

I'm applying for FAFSA to help pay for college since I'll be moving out. My friend's mom was helping me out with the forms and there is a box that essentially asks how much money you have (including savings and checking accounts and investments). She said that the most amount of money you could probably put in there and still get a federal grant is about $2,000 - $3,000 and I have way way more than that, but not enough to entirely pay for the remaining three years of school. She had her kids transfer their savings to her so that they could put less money down. Unfortunately for me I have almost all of my savings in a CD that won't mature until September so I can't pull this trick. And if the government decides to look into your actual money status to see if you lied you can be prosecuted. So basically I never should have even been saving my money because now I'm just going to have to spend it on tuition because I could have been spending it on other things and then received money from the government for tuition.

Yet if I was an 18 year old girl who had been knocked up a couple of times I would get money from the government to live on and essentially buy booze with. How is this fair at all that the kid who is legitimately trying to make something of himself going to school full time an working two (soon to be three) jobs can't get help from the government but some crack addict downtown can?

Of course if I do end up getting grant money then I'll come back an delete this post, but until then I officially hate the government.

[bowstaff981]

Besides getting screwed over by the government a lot has been going on:

I took a trip to Austin this weekend to see all of my best friends. I really can't wait to move out there, not because I love Austin like most people, but because I miss my friends. The only thing that stinks about Austin is the same reason that it is awesome. Everybody there is "cool" so then there is this general feel that you have to be "cool" too which is lame. Other than that though it is great.

This weekend my favorite band, Driver f, comes out with their full length album. I'm going to the CD release show and it should be really crazy. That's the other great thing about Houston, the shows here are way more intense and with less people. Since everybody in Austin is so "cool" they all go to shows, but their too cool to jump around and get into it, they just stand there and chill. In Houston people always move around a lot during concerts.

I might be getting a new job through my friend who has a family friend that works at an insurance company who needs someone to file papers for $11 and hour. I would work eight hour shifts so that would be $88 a day which makes for over four hundred a week if I work everyday, which I will during the summer. It will be great, and they work around college schedules so that I can still work during the school year.

That's pretty much all that is going on right now. So hopefully somebody will read this and post!

[bowstaff981]

The only real news is that tonight will probably be one of the greatest concerts of my life. I'm drinking lots of water in preparation.

[RK_lover]

Originally Posted by bowstaff981

Besides getting screwed over by the government a lot has been going on:

I took a trip to Austin this weekend to see all of my best friends. I really can't wait to move out there, not because I love Austin like most people, but because I miss my friends. The only thing that stinks about Austin is the same reason that it is awesome. Everybody there is "cool" so then there is this general feel that you have to be "cool" too which is lame. Other than that though it is great.

This weekend my favorite band, Driver f, comes out with their full length album. I'm going to the CD release show and it should be really crazy. That's the other great thing about Houston, the shows here are way more intense and with less people. Since everybody in Austin is so "cool" they all go to shows, but their too cool to jump around and get into it, they just stand there and chill. In Houston people always move around a lot during concerts.

I might be getting a new job through my friend who has a family friend that works at an insurance company who needs someone to file papers for $11 and hour. I would work eight hour shifts so that would be $88 a day which makes for over four hundred a week if I work everyday, which I will during the summer. It will be great, and they work around college schedules so that I can still work during the school year.

That's pretty much all that is going on right now. So hopefully somebody will read this and post!

When do you plan on moving to Austin?

That sounds like it'll be an awesome concert for sure.....will we get any pics? Maybe a review?

That would be great! Sounds like the perfect situation....how likely is it that you'll get the job?

Originally Posted by bowstaff981

The only real news is that tonight will probably be one of the greatest concerts of my life. I'm drinking lots of water in preparation.

Awesome. Have a great time!

[bowstaff981]

Originally Posted by RK_lover

When do you plan on moving to Austin?

Fall of '09 if I can afford it. Everything is coming down to how much money I have and how many scholarships/financial aid I can get for that year.

Originally Posted by RK_lover

That sounds like it'll be an awesome concert for sure.....will we get any pics? Maybe a review?

Hmm pictures usually don't work out because they're just blurry. A review? Definitely.

Originally Posted by RK_lover

That would be great! Sounds like the perfect situation....how likely is it that you'll get the job?

Once my friend actually calls the people I see no reason that I shouldn't get it. I'm more than qualified for it seeing as I've held my first job for 2 1/2 years, my second and third ones for 1 year at the same time.

Originally Posted by RK_lover

Awesome. Have a great time!

Oh I will. Hopefully no bones will be broken.

[bowstaff981]

Woo Hoo I survived! Near death experiences:
1. At the very start of the show there was a huge surge and me and this girl got knocked down. I managed to get back up pretty quick, but she didn't. She was freaking out and I had to push a bunch of people out of the way and help her up. Note To Self: Girls apparently find it awesome/romantic to be helped up in mosh pits.
2. Shortly after another surge came and a rather large girl was falling down and she took me down with her and crushed me. She was laying on top of me but then was helped up, but I guess people didn't realize that I was still down there and began dancing on top of me. I punched few shins and they realized why the floor was so squishy and backed up so I could get up.
3. Once again shortly after another surge knocked like five or six of us down, but luckily some guy caught me by the armpits and pulled me up.

I saved three girls lives. I almost got trampled three times. I sweated all the way through my shirt and jeans. I danced like never before which was hard because there were so many people. It was the best concert I've ever been to and it will be hard to beat.

[bowstaff981]

Not much has really happened lately. Last night my gf and I made brownies that were delicious.

Last Thursday I was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa which is the two year college honor society. I'm not sure how involved I will be, but I'm going to try and be pretty involved because I am going to need scholarship money.

I'm still looking for a summer job that I can work during the days. No luck so far. I want to ask my boss at the ymca, but I don't want to do some ymca summer camp thing and they already asked to teach a guitar camp and I told them no.

Today it is in the 60's outside which is really weird because the past few days have been in the 80's.

Yesterday was a really good day, the more I think about it.

I need to write a history paper by Thursday over a book I have not read.

[bowstaff981]

Yipes. What happened to this thing? Well then:

I made all A's and one B for this semester, bringing my gpa up to a 3.78! Real college here I come!

My tax return was only $123 so I don't get to actually buy anything cool with it

It is summer, but none of my friends ever want to hang out because they all have new friends

I've been working a lot

The new Weezer cd is going to be awesome.

[bowstaff981]

I need money.

I saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, it wasn't so great

I am getting owned by work because they promoted a whole bunch of people and that means my hours are getting drastically cut.

I have stuff I need to do, but don't want to do.

I need to look for an apartment

I like typing blogs like this.

[bowstaff981]

It's always a good feeling when you realize that you have a good friend. I was talking to a friend of mine that I work with and the conversation was getting pretty deep (it was about parents and the effect they have on us) and then we both really opened up. It's a good feeling when you realize you can tell somebody anything and they'll keep it between the two of you.

Speaking of parents, they are interesting characters. I never really thought that my parents were perfect, but growing up I did think that they were responsible and good intentioned people. It's only later that you find that they really aren't any different than other people without kids. It's like we assume that having kids automatically makes a person more responsible.

No matter what, we always love our parents. At the same time though, I'll never forget some of things that I have experienced with them, and there will always be a part of me that says "remember what they did to you?" I think it's important to remember these things because they sort of protect us from getting hurt when it happens again. One time after getting in a huge fight with my parents I started writing to get my feelings out. I've kept that note all these years and it's the darkest thing I've ever read or written. It shows what I'm really like in my darkest hour. I always think to myself that I need to shred it, but I know that I never will. Sometimes I'll read it and it reminds me that life is what I make of it.

I'm listening to Bright Eyes right now. I need to shower.

[bowstaff981]

So I'm not getting any grants for college. I guess that's what I get for saving up money for college my whole life.

I wish it was winter, I like it better than summer:

-I like wearing winter hats

-Christmas

-I like wearing jackets

-I don't like sweating

- I like eating holiday popcorn, and drinking hot chocolate

-I like buying things for other people

Death Cab for Cutie has been pretty good for me lately.

I finished a book called Everything is Illuminated. It was really really good. I'm now reading another book by the same author entitle Extremely Close and Incredibly Loud. It is also good.

I have to train a new employee at work tonight. I hate training people:

- I don't make anymore money than usual, but other positions make more money for training

- It takes me extra long to leave because I have to give them a test

- I hate bossing people around

- This other girl I work with always hijacks my trainees because she thinks I do a bad job

Anyways, off to dinner. I think I'm going to make myself a cheap quesadilla.

[RK_lover]

Originally Posted by bowstaff981

It's always a good feeling when you realize that you have a good friend. I was talking to a friend of mine that I work with and the conversation was getting pretty deep (it was about parents and the effect they have on us) and then we both really opened up. It's a good feeling when you realize you can tell somebody anything and they'll keep it between the two of you.

That's one of the best feelings in the world, in my opinion...there's nothing quite like it.

Speaking of parents, they are interesting characters. I never really thought that my parents were perfect, but growing up I did think that they were responsible and good intentioned people. It's only later that you find that they really aren't any different than other people without kids. It's like we assume that having kids automatically makes a person more responsible.

No matter what, we always love our parents. At the same time though, I'll never forget some of things that I have experienced with them, and there will always be a part of me that says "remember what they did to you?" I think it's important to remember these things because they sort of protect us from getting hurt when it happens again. One time after getting in a huge fight with my parents I started writing to get my feelings out. I've kept that note all these years and it's the darkest thing I've ever read or written. It shows what I'm really like in my darkest hour. I always think to myself that I need to shred it, but I know that I never will. Sometimes I'll read it and it reminds me that life is what I make of it.

Wow...I know exactly what you mean.

Originally Posted by bowstaff981

So I'm not getting any grants for college. I guess that's what I get for saving up money for college my whole life.

Dang....

I wish it was winter, I like it better than summer:

-I like wearing winter hats

-Christmas

-I like wearing jackets

-I don't like sweating

- I like eating holiday popcorn, and drinking hot chocolate

-I like buying things for other people

Those are all most definitely positives....and I'll agree with you when it starts getting into the 90's here.

I finished a book called Everything is Illuminated. It was really really good. I'm now reading another book by the same author entitle Extremely Close and Incredibly Loud. It is also good.

Who's the author? I've heard of those...

Hope life overall is going well.

[bowstaff981]

This summer has been boring.

One of my favorite local bands The Eastern Sea is coming out with their ep, they have a new song up on their myspace and it stinking rocks.

I'm applying at Barnes and Noble for a job that I could work during the days. If I don't get that job then I'll probably apply at Target, which I really don't want to do, but I can see no reason at all why they wouldn't hire me.

[bowstaff981]

Today I am leaving for California. I will be back next week. I plan on having fun. I'll report back later.

[bowstaff981]

I'm back from California. It was a lot of fun, and now I'm really tired. We were in the San Diego area.

Thursday - Went to the airport and flew to San Diego. They fed us pizza that was better than I expected, they showed Drillbit Taylor which was worse than I expected. Our flight left at 8:00 and arrived at 8:45 because of time zones!

Friday - My girlfriend's Dad got re-married. It was boring and awkward.

Saturday - We went to Sea World with my gf, her brother, and their new step siblings (two girls and one boy). It was really fun, we got there at about 9 and didn't leave till 10 that night. We saw every show that we could and rode the rides and pretty much did everything that we could. I bought my gf a stuffed animal otter.

Sunday - We were pretty worn out from Sea World so we just chilled and went to the mall and the Hotel De Coronado. We climbed on rocks and pretended we were Abercrombie models.

Monday - We went to Disneyland (I had never been before). We woke up at 6:30 to get there, and didn't get home until 2 that night. It was really awesome. We rode almost every ride that is important except for It's a Small World (it was closed) and the flying Dumbo thing (the line was super long). My gf bought me this lion pillow thing that I slept on during the ride home. It's funny how while you're in Disneyland everyone buys ridiculous Disney stuff because it seems cool while you're there, but then when you leave you're like, "What the heck am I going to do with this?"

Tuesday - We went to Laguna Beach and skimboarded and shopped. It was really fun and the weather was great. The beach wasn't crowded either which made it more awesome.

Wednesday - Went and bought shirts and stuff for the family and then flew home. Our flight left at 3:00 and we arrived at 8:00 because of time zones.

Overall it was tons of fun, but I was sick and had no voice the whole time which sucked. I took tons of pictures and videos and I'll post those up later.