The Life and Times of Jim
Hi, there. I'm Jim. Welcome to my phlog!
This site was written for Las Vegas, then LouisVille. Now, it seems to be about anywhere. In these phlogs, you'll see a lot of my personal notes and pictures. I like to post my observations here to remember life and celebrate it. I'm not religious. I don't pray for good fortune. I'm ecstatically grateful for the gift of life and I think our time should be remembered and not taken for granted. I'm not a writer. I think pictures tell stories so much better than words. I love just about everything in this life, and, I guess that would have to include you. So, if you've seen me, don't be surprised if your picture is in here somewhere. Of all the critters, people are absolutely the most interesting. 
<< 09/2007 < 08/2008 Calendar 10/2008 > 09/2009 >>Sign InView Other Logs
Mon 
09/01/2008 06:19:50
 jim  Apartment Hunting
Waldorf apartments: 888-848-8107, 103 McKnight Circle, Pittsburgh, PA  15237, $527-$750,
http://pittsburgh.apartmentfinder.com/Pittsburgh-Apartments/Waldorf-Park-Apartments
Its near work. It looks a little run down, but there's several buildings on that hill that look interesting.
Allegheny Center Apartments: (412) 231-3400, Allegheny Center Mall, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, $590, Heating/Cooling,
http://www.alleghenycenter.com/apartments/
Its near downtown, but I'm not sure what to think about it yet. There was one park in front of it with about 50 black people, and another park next to that with about 30 white people. I don't know if that means anything or not, but my gut instincts tell me 'run'.
Presidential Arms, 888-260-8422, 9815 Presidential Drive, Allison Park, PA
http://www.apartmentfinder.com/Allison-Park-Apartments/Presidential-Arms-Apartments
Its near work, but the drive takes awhile because it winds down a 25 mph backstreet. It looks like frat houses. Each buidling has a name, like Beta House, and it reminded me of Animal House.
InTown Suites: (412) 931-6624, 4595 McKnight Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15237,$229.99 weekly
http://www.intownsuites.com/
No, they don't look like this in Pittsburgh. The plus is, all utilities are included. The minus is, they are very small.
Hickory Hills: (866) 517-5273,100 Arthur Dr, Wexford, PA 15090, $610
Really close to work. We haven't seen it yet.
Mon 
09/01/2008 06:19:50
 jim   (Reply)..Apartment Hunting
The job is GREAT !
I'm in a small shop on the fifth floor. They have three perm Tandem people.
We ended up at the Intown Suites.
Its a week-to-week rental, but it's pretty nice.
We've been combing the streets of Pittsburgh, searching for the best sights.
It looks like we may have to go far to see the best of this area.
So far, we've seen the
- River Walk along the Allegheny River
- Mt Washington with a spectacular view of Pittsburgh
- Pennsylvania's 2nd largest mall
- Been all over downtown
We've seen some pretty historical areas.
I'd guess that most people would find this town to be too old,
But we've been enjoying its nostalgia.

LIFE IS GOOD!
Sun 
08/31/2008 19:09:22
 jim  Mt Washington, Pittsburgh - 2008/08/31
Sun 
08/31/2008 18:40:00
 jim  Pittsburgh, PA - 08/31/2007
Sun 
08/31/2008 13:53:22
 jim  Riding The Duck - 2008/08/31
Sun 
08/31/2008 13:53:16
 jim   Pittsburgh - 2008/08/31
Sun 
08/31/2008 13:53:16
 jim   (Reply)North Park - 2008/08/31
Sat 
08/30/2008 20:58:03
 jim  The best of Kentuckiana
Fri 
08/29/2008 20:55:32
 jim  20080829 - 4thStreetLive
Fri 
08/29/2008 18:37:20
 jim  4th Street Live
Tue 
08/26/2008 18:11:29
 jim  Vegas,NV-Gabriel Sonny
Mon 
08/25/2008 10:45:19
 jim  Vegas,NV-Gabriel,CanneryEast
Sat 
08/23/2008 21:19:48
 jim  Vegas,NV-4703 Kitchen
Fri 
08/22/2008 18:13:34
 jim  Taxes are so confusing
I finally did my taxes for 2007. It wasn't so bad.
Now I'm faced with half a year of pure income, no taxes taken out.
Ahhhh, but what happens at the end of next year.
If my recruiter fills out my 1099-Misc for Florida, I save $5,000 in state taxes.
If my recruiter fills out my 1099-Misc for Pennsylvania, I pay $5,000 to Pennsylvania.
Ouch and/or Hmmm.
Once again, its not what you did, its what people say you did that counts.
Thu 
08/21/2008 12:01:24
 jim  Vegas,NV-Cannery-BeckysHaircut
Mon 
08/18/2008 18:43:14
 jim  Vegas,NV-JoesCrabShack-Becky,Jim,Sonny
Sat 
08/16/2008 14:07:46
 jim  Vegas,NV-TahoeVillage
Sat 
08/16/2008 13:53:11
 jim  Vegas,NV-TahoeVillage
Sat 
08/16/2008 13:48:42
 jim  Vegas,NV-TahoeVillage
Sat 
08/16/2008 13:22:38
 jim  LakeTahoe,NV-Casinos
Sat 
08/16/2008 13:07:01
 jim  LakeTahoe,NV-View of Carson City
Sat 
08/16/2008 13:03:32
 jim  LakeTahoe,NV-Lake
Sat 
08/16/2008 12:29:32
 jim  Vegas,NV-Tahoe
Sat 
08/16/2008 11:45:14
 jim  CarsonCity,NV-Capitol
Sat 
08/16/2008 11:08:04
 jim  Reno,NV-Downtown
Sat 
08/16/2008 10:55:56
 jim  Reno,NV-CircusCircus
Sat 
08/16/2008 10:29:50
 jim  Reno,NV-CircusCircus,Becky,Hooker
Sat 
08/16/2008 08:37:59
 jim  The Seattle Trip Summary
We drove a total of 2700 miles in one week. It was all about getting unemployment. Washington requires you to call from a local phone. Its been suggested that I could have simply had someone there call unemployment, then get me into a 3-way conversation, and mute their phone. Well, that would have worked, but, it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun.
I saw a whale surface on the ocean, just before I got a job via cell phone.
Sat 
08/16/2008 07:41:21
 jim  What if I did not take this trip ?
I keep wondering what would have happened if I didn't go to Washington to get on unemployment. I wasn't getting paid from my other contracts. I spent over $10k in San Diego for lodging. Anyway, things were looking pretty grim and I started looking at other income alternatives before the trip. One of them was a work-from-home contract. I was also going to get certified for Asp, Html, and Sql (which I should still do).
I did learn that getting unemployment compensation is ridiculous for an interstate contractor.
The demands are too high. Everything seems to be set up on a state-by-state basis and each state has its own set of rules. I'd much rather save the 6% of my income that I've been paying out to unemployment insurance. It cost me $1k to go to Washington to call from a local phone. I've spent $6k on unemployment insurance in the last year, and for what ?
One thing, the unemployment insurance people said
and I still can't get over this, is that I'm not activelly seeking work by placing my resume on Dice or Monster. To the unemployment people, that isn't looking for work. They want to know about the applications I've filled out and I don't fill out applications. I talk to recruiters and sign contracts. I only sign one contract per job. I have little control over where I'll be working next.
Fri 
08/15/2008 20:24:56
 jim  Vegas,NV-CircusCircus
Fri 
08/15/2008 14:00:00
 jim  Reno, Nv - Circus Circus
We took off at 2 am from Coos Bay.
I couldn't sleep a full night in that motel. I think someone was dealing drugs from one of the rooms there.
I think night driving is best when your not taking the scenic routes.
We got to Reno at about 2 pm.
Surprisingly, Circus Circus still had empty rooms available. We ate at their buffet, which was excellent, for about $35 for two people. I couldn't stay awake.
Fri 
08/15/2008 07:54:24
 jim  Reno,NV-I95-ToReno
Fri 
08/15/2008 01:45:41
 jim  Pittsburgh PA, here we come!!!
I got the contract 5 minutes after seeing a whale off the Oregon coast.
What are the odds of that? Once again, getting a contract has surprised me. I had an interview a couple of hours earlier in Toledo, Washington. I was thoroughly exhausted from driving across the country.
So, now, we'll be coming back to Vegas, just to load for another cross country trip.
About Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh once produced half of the nation's steel, with over 500,000 people working in over 1,000 factories and mills. After WWII, the city went through a clean air renaissance. The steel industry and the mills fell after the 80's and it's economic base shifted to tourism, services, and high technology. It now has a population of about 330,000. BTW - Try spelling Pittsburgh Pennsylvania some time without a reference.
Fri 
08/15/2008 01:44:33
 jim  Hwy 101 on the Oregon coast
We had a flat, I saw a whale, and I got a contract.
The Oregon coast is most definitely the most beautiful country side I've seen. 
It's just too bad that most of their economy seems to center around logging, and gaming. 
We're staying in a really dumpy hotel in Coos Bay right now.
Coos Bay was a hot spot at one time.
Now its become another floundering relic of the American industrial revolution. It's sad that so many of our products are made in China. Human rights seems to have taken a dump in the last decade.
Hopefully, we'll be in Reno, NV by 6 pm tommorrow.
Then we'll be headed back home to pack for our next adventure.
Thu 
08/14/2008 17:24:28
 jim  CoosBay,OR-Downtown
Thu 
08/14/2008 17:24:28
 jim   (Reply)CoosBay,OR-Marina,Downtown
Thu 
08/14/2008 16:50:30
 jim  NorthBend,OR-Motel,Coast
Thu 
08/14/2008 16:50:30
 jim   (Reply)NorthBend,OR-Motel,Coast
Thu 
08/14/2008 16:04:24
 jim  Reedsport,OR-Coast
Thu 
08/14/2008 14:54:12
 jim  DunesCity,OR
Thu 
08/14/2008 14:30:50
 jim  Hecata,OR-Tunnel,Coast
Thu 
08/14/2008 14:20:42
 jim  Coast,OR-Bridge
Thu 
08/14/2008 14:08:20
 jim  Htwy101,OR
Thu 
08/14/2008 13:56:44
 jim  Yachats,OR-Coast,Jim,Becky
Thu 
08/14/2008 13:26:18
 jim  Newport,OR-Yachatts,Coast
Thu 
08/14/2008 13:10:56
 jim  Newport,OR-Bridge,Coastline
Thu 
08/14/2008 13:05:20
 jim  Oregon Coast 2
Thu 
08/14/2008 12:44:18
 jim  Newport,OR-Beach,LightHouse
Thu 
08/14/2008 12:09:28
 jim  OtterRock,OR-DevilsBowl

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