Thoughts on Normal

Ok people. Maybe it's my luck. Maybe it's my timing. Maybe it's Alphertater. But I have been finding anything but normal people to live with. Craig has really been letting me down. For your enjoyment, here are my recent "interviews", if you will. (I have always wanted to say the following statement, it makes me feel very important). I have changed the names of the people mentioned to protect their privacy. Haha, there is was!! Anyway.

1) Steve. Advertising "new townhouse, furnished bedroom, private bathroom, free internet". Ashley and I go over there to check things out, meet the guy...my pocket statement in case I don't like it is "Hey, great, yeah I have told a few people that I will check their place out too, so I will definitely let you know, yeah, thanks". Steve opens the door and only has one eye. Instantly I am waiting for a moment in the conversation to whip out the pocket line. Sounds bad and horrible, I know. But I'm just being honest. That was my initial thought. The house didn't dissapoint - he did have an extra bedroom and bathroom. And free WiFi. What he failed to mention in his post was that his 18 year daughter may be coming by time to time to stay with him, and that this was HER room. Ah ha. "Hey, great, yeah, I have told a few people that I will check out their place too, so I will definitely be getting back to you, Steve". Goodbye.

2) Barbara. Advertisement: "Everything incl--10 min NPM 400-Lg rm-Priv bath-Ex fac". Looks like Chinese, I know. But it makes sense to us locals. Anyway, off I go, Ashley decided to stay home - don't blame her after one-eyed Willie. I meet Barb at the front gate (gated community, I'm upperclass now!!), and she proceeds to reach out the window of her 1986 Camry to open her own driverside door from the outside to get out.......rough start. I follow her back to the apartment (didn't advertise this), which is on the bottom floor. After getting thru the duct tape holding her door shut, I walked in to an odor that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Later I discovered that it was a mix of cigs and vodka I think. And cat pee. The room was as advertised.....however the "lg" part was not true...and the fact that I would be sharing a 300 sq foot apartment with a woman who talked to her cat like it was her fantasy made up friend Boingo. "Hey, great, yeah, I have told a few people that I will check out their place too, so I will definitely be getting back to you, Barbie". Adios!

3) Bill. Advertisement: "Corporate Relo's / Interns.Furnished room,Large house,No Smoke,Mo/Mo". Ok, sounds decent. I'm not corporate, nor an intern, but what the hey, it was close to Ashley's place. The room was decent.......minus the fact that none of the walls were finished, or the stairs, or the living room, or the kitchen, or the anything. Yes, he was rebuilding his house with roomates in tact. Oh, and he also had his 70 year old mother living there, as well as a German Intern and an Aussie corporate guy. Frat house! With a House mom! "Hey, great, yeah, I have told a few people that I will check out their place too, so I will definitely be getting back to you, Billy". See ya!

All of that searching made me realize a few things. A) Bunking with Nana is quickly approaching, unless my boy Craig lists something good. B) Just because people are quirky and different doesn't really mean that they aren't normal. They are just normal in their own way. I read a book about this. It was called "The Short Bus". You should all read it. I'm sure one-eyed Willie is really nice guy and probably gets a lot of strange looks. But that doesn't mean anything is wrong with him. He's just different than me, and there is nothing wrong with that. And I'm sure that Barb is great. Just not my type. And I bet that Bill is great - he looks after his ailing mom, houses foreign guys who have no other place to live. Extremely nice gestures. So don't get me wrong: I am not bashing these folks. Normal is what you make it. Or what they make it. Normal just is. Normalcy is overrated.

Some more thoughts...

I'm listening to Dave Barnes' new CD right now - called "You, Night, and Candlelight". Go get it. It's only $3.99 on iTunes. What a deal!

I am reading a book called "Abraham". It is looking at how Abraham ties in to Christianity, Judiasm, and the Islamic faith. I can't wait to finish it..............it's that boring.

I can't wait to take another weekend trip with Ashley. We have been finding some amazing places and been having an even more amazing time. Where should we go next? Please respond. Especially if you have a free place to stay! ;-)

I can't wait for two great wedddings coming up...Matt Wade, Ian Swihart.

That's all for now. Sleep well, have a great day, go to the gym, do whatever it is that you consider normal.

Or shake it up and be different.