Nov 15, 2008 - 11:43 AM Busy, busy busy. My home plans are moving along nicely, I am hoping that I will get INTO my new home by the end of the month. The builder keeps pushing back the delivery date which is rather annoying considering I put in an offer on the home almost three months ago.
Work is very busy. I have several client projects that I am juggling at once and I am slowly taking on more management responsibilities. The result is I am working more hours then I like but not too many to consider it overtime.
I am looking forward to HAVING a place of my own. A place where I can turn up the TV as loud as I want, watch what I want, when I want, and get to enjoy a clean home where I am not constantly stepping over garbage and refuse. A place where the only person I can bitch about the mess is me. ;)
Robert Foley Jr.
Oct 14, 2008 - 8:23 AM Ah the stock market, well because of the crash I lost a lot of money in my IRA to the tune of around $30k! Ouch! I hope to consolidate my buying power into my employer's 401k instead soon. At least I will have enough money to take an early withdrawal to assist in buying my first home.
On the home front, I have been slowly packaging up my belongings this month. It is a slow process separating items I no longer need that need to be sold or given away. Last weekend I stopped by the plot where my home is being built. To my surprise nothing has happened over the last month! I was told that the home would be finished by the 15th of November but I am not sure that will happen now. For all I know it may only take about 15 days to finish up the house. I sure wish the builder would communicate such things.
In preparation for the home move I have been pricing out furniture, appliances, and fixtures. Most of the items I am interested in will probably come from Ikea with a few items here and there from Home Depot and Lowes.
Busy, busy, busy. Work is keeping me busy and of course everything is pretty stressed with most of my clients wanting everything at the same time. It can be challenging to juggle everything. Now if I could just find co-workers with a better work ethic I would have to work the extra hours I am doing now to make up the slack.
So all-in-all everything is pretty stressful right now but it is a good stress and I hope the new year brings more opportunities and positive times.
Robert Foley Jr.
Sep 18, 2008 - 9:12 AM Crazy month!
First thing some drunk driver hit my brand new car. So that had to go into the shop. Got the car back today and looks all new again.
After three years of planning, saving, and research I am very close to signing a contract to purchase a brand new home! Yes I will be a home owner of a brand new home come November (when they finish it). I am really excited about having my own place and owning a property that I hope will gain in value unlike eveything else I own.
The challenge right now is dealing with all of the fees associated to the purchase. I have money to cover escrow, down payment, and banker's fees. Now I have to come up with additional fees for title, etc... geesh. I was hoping to have a few thousand dollars left to buy appliances. But that doesn't look probable now, I may have to dip into my credit cards to pay for the items.
Robert Foley Jr.
Sep 02, 2008 - 7:44 PM Ok finally a punctual posting!
So I got my cell phone number transfered from my T-mobile account to my new AT&T account. That only took about a day, which is good because I have heard of some people having to wait weeks for the transfer. The phone is awesome and guess what? It actually works almost anywhere, unlike my T-mobile that has sucked for almost six months.
Some great news! I have been promoted to Application Architect. That means I get a little more scratch and a lot more responsibility. I am a little concerned with being able to do my normal job in addition to managing projects and co-workers. But I did it before I can do it again.
On the new home front, I got pre-approved for a home loan. Now I just have to find the right home(s) and go through the process of verifying the value and getting things approved. That said, I haven't even gone to see a home yet. So I have a ways to go in that department. Stay tuned for updates on the home search.
Robert Foley Jr.
Aug 26, 2008 - 10:31 AM Woah!
I missed my monthly posting by a bit. That is because I have been busy, busy, busy! I am again attempting to get a home loan and buy a house before November. After two years of stable work and managing my credit I am finally ready. So, I have been spending weeks and weeks trying to get pre-approved for a loan. I have also decided to sell off most of my personal items (because that means I would have less to move) and add a little scratch to my wallet.
I also bought a new Iphone and as discussed on numerous blogs I am having a hell of a time transferring my current cell number to the new phone. I will keep you posted on my progress.
Robert Foley Jr.
Jul 15, 2008 - 10:14 PM Wow an update!
I added the Knowledge section to the primary navigation. The link points to my delicious account so you can view my collection of links that inspire and inform. I have also started on integrating google maps into my gallery section now you can view the locations where my photography was taken using a embedded map. Check out my 2003 European trip index!
Robert Foley Jr.
Jul 10, 2008 - 9:26 AM Wahoo happy July!
Well I enjoyed my July 4th shot guns, got some free food, and watched fireworks. Nothing like a hick 4th to bring back memories. This month I hope to go on a mini-vacation to Crater Lake (if the park is not covered in snow) and maybe check out some caves in the south west of Oregon. Why does that sound like the beginning of a horror movie?
Anyway, I have been working out like clock work and slowly loosing weight. Got a few new video games (yeah I haven't finished the games I had.. bad Robert). Finally bought the 1950s thriller under the sea called Bioshock it was only $25.00! :) I also picked up Blue Dragon, this game comes on three dvds! Something tells me I will be playing that game for a few years. Based on my game playing record so far, I have a few games I have been playing for almost three years now. So I am kind of slow, but hey I have a life other than video games.
This summer's movies look amazing! Even though the movie got bad reviews I enjoyed watching Speed Racer I may buy it on Blu Ray if it comes out in that format. Hellboy II and Batman II look amazing and I am looking forward to seeing those too. I also noticed several independent movies as of late that look great too. Check the trailers out at http://www.traileraddict.com/.
Robert Foley Jr.
Jun 03, 2008 - 8:29 AM Well I finally did it, I broke down and bought a PSP this month. I made sure to buy the PSP 2000 with the new processor and smaller size. So far it seems like a great unit, I have had trouble getting it to work on my wireless network though. After much searching on the internet I determined that the PSP uses the b wireless standard while I am using g. Kind of a bummer, I am not sure if I want to change my wireless format to a "mixed" mode just to get the PSP to connect to my PS3 and streaming servers.
I bought a few games to go along with the system. The ones I bought will probably be the one I keep for a while as there are lots of games for the PSP but not many I think I would like.
Robert Foley Jr.
May 06, 2008 - 9:55 AM Well it is a new month!
Big news this month, I traded in my Dodge Magnum for a Honda Civic Hybrid. The maintenance costs and like everyone else, the gas prices are just too high. The Magnum only got about 13/mpg city and 19-20/mpg highway. To top it off the Magnum would run horrible if I didn't buy plus or premium gas. ARG!
So I traded in the Magnum for Honda Civic Hybrid so far my first week is great I am averaging about 40/mpg city and haven't driven on the highway yet to see if it can get the advertised 45/mpg!
That is crazy compared to the Magnum I mean, I was spending well over 250+ dollars a month on gas, let alone the $60 to $500 every three months for maintenance and oil changes. From what I have read I may only need to change the oil in my new Hybrid maybe once or twice a year! American Automakers really need a wakeup call. While I was buying my Honda last weekend I overheard a middle-aged salesmen talking about how "tight" the auto sales market has become. Buyers are getting more and more informed making it harder to make a real profit on any sale. He also mentioned how before he moved to Honda he was working at the Dodge dealer down the street and just by his description of the experience the dealer wasn't doing very well. The salesmen stated that he went for almost three months without a sale and he had 30 years experience and lots of seniority. That says a lot for the decline in consumer interest in American vehicles. Based on my experiences I can see why.
Robert Foley Jr.
Apr 06, 2008 - 10:53 PM Happy Birthday to me!
Well, today is my birthday and I am 33 years old. Can't say I am doing anything exciting for my birthday. Probably going to clean up the apartment, put clothing away, and plan out the next six months.
I plan on selling off most of my "toys" like most of my comic books, models, collectible toys, and extra furniture. I'm sure you are asking why? Well, I plan to move by the end of the year and I have more stuff then I expect I can hold in my new location. I hope I can buy a condo or small house in SE Portland, if not I will move into a Condo and rent. So I am going to plan out the next six months, pay off bills, and save up money for the day.
Oh yeah, taxes suck! I have to pay 5 bills in taxes this year. Having a house will ease the tax blow next year. Heres hoping I can accomplish my goals.
Robert Foley Jr.
Mar 09, 2008 - 11:10 AM Exciting times! I am working on several large projects in multiple languages this month. This year we seem to be focusing on open source languages more than Micro$oft centric development. I really don't have a preference between Micro$oft and any alternative. Unlike some developers I don't blindly put my allegance with one platform or language. This has helped my career greatly and as a comparision; many of my collegues have been on hard times when an environment or langauges goes out of vogue. I am really excited to see 10,000 B.C this weekend the movie looks very rich in visual depth, we shall see if a story exists too. ;)
Robert Foley Jr.
Feb 10, 2008 - 8:58 PM Another month gone by another paycheck spent on bills. This year I am auditing my purchasing habits in the hope that i can reduce spending on un-needed toys and focus on paying off my debts. It would be amazing to have almost no debts every month. I could save a lot of money and maybe go on more trips.
No new news, work has slowed to a normal 40-45 hours a week so I can't complain. I have been focusing on working out 3 to 5 days a week to keep fit and continue to loose weight. By my scale I have lost over 35 pounds in the last six months. And probably gained about 15 in muscle which is great except now my shirts are tight and my pants loose. I guess there could be worse problems. :)
Robert Foley Jr.
Jan 09, 2008 - 9:59 PM Happy New Year!
Well another new year and another year closer to the grave. :P Here hoping I continue to get to do great things!
