Foods from March 14th. Might have a small snack when I get home after work but that’ll be it.

From Saturday’s Globe and Mail Published on Friday, Jun. 04, 2010 11:36AM EDT Last updated on Sunday, Jun. 06, 2010 11:06AM EDT From Saturday’s Globe and Mail Published on Friday, Jun. 04, 2010 11:36AM EDT Last updated on Sunday, Jun. 06, 2010 11:06AM EDT When we stepped off the train in Sinalunga – a small town in Tuscany that boasts a grocery store and not much else – it was gloomy and wet and we were in Ugo’s way. “Are those Canadian flags real? Or are you imposters?”

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As I walked from the train today, I asked myself “What can I do to achieve my goals today?”

The answer is nothing.

But that’s not a bad answer.

We always want to do something. When I was trying to lose weight before, I’d try to exercise a lot, without changing my diet. When I tried to save money, I’d buy things which I thought would finally solve all my problems and mean I wouldn’t have to buy any more things.

I’ll give you two guesses how both of those worked out.

So today I decided I will do nothing to further my goals. I feel like that should be nothing with a capital N, more Nothing. I will not buy something I don’t need (as this has been a stressful week and that’s a normal outlet) and I will not go eat something unhealthy (another normal outlet). Instead I will do Nothing. I will work hard at my job, rejoice in using my iPad (which I’m typing this on, by the by) and then go home and relax.

Actually I’ll go out for drinks with a friend whom I had mixed up dates with. But really, nothing spectacular.

I always want to do something to solve my problems. Action is, sometimes, easier than inaction. It feels better. But in terms of my goals, right now, inaction is the best choice.

Need I say more?

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Unique perspective on Apple v. Microsoft.

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I would say it’s been an atypical week, for the following reasons:

1. It was a 3-day week, due to the long weekend and my choice to take a day off on Friday.

2. We had to put one the household cats, Nipper, to sleep this week. It wasn’t totally out of the blue; he’s had a host of health problems for years and was nearly 17. That’s pretty old for a cat. It happened in the best possible way; we caught an oncoming health problem before he was in any pain. But he had been in my life, even if he wasn’t really my cat, for nearly 17 years. That’s longer than I’ve had most of my friends. He will be missed.

3. I got an iPad, in case you don’t follow me on Twitter or really don’t know me at all. I’m writing this from it, with the assistance of a Bluetooth keyboard.

4. I was made fun of, in public, by a random passerby, for the first time in years. For my weight, truth be told.

Number 4 was a very surreal experience. It’s not the first time…actually, it might be. First time since high school anyway. I ignored it. Plain and simple. Gave no indication I had even heard the guy. He continued to yell as I walked away, not specifically at me, basically saying “Look at that guy!”

I play it over in my head and wonder if I made the right call, but I know I did. I was with people and it would have been totally rude and crazy of me to make a scene and yell back. And any kind of physical confrontation is way outside of anything I’d ever do.

I didn’t see the guy, so maybe he was really young. Maybe he was high. Some base part of me argues I should have “manned up” and started a confrontation with the guy. But what would have been the point? He would have learned…what? Not to “mess” with me? I was in an area I will likely never be again. I will never see him again. Not to mention I would have drawn my companions into something unpleasant.

It bothers me. But really, the lesson to be learned here is that we can be better than that. That there will always be people who will do idiotic shit and there will always be people who will yell random shit at you as you walk by just for a laugh or just to make themselves feel better. I’m starting to sound like an after-school special here, but it’s true. The key is how you deal with it and what you take from it.

I choose to take that something about me made him feel like he needed to take me down a peg. Like he needed to assert his superiority over me and debase me to feel better about himself. Which means that deep down, he felt I was better than him, or felt that I thought I was better than him. Something about the way I walked by said that I was someone better.

And that’s a fucking good thing.

Now maybe that’s not the truth. Maybe he saw someone he thought was an easy target, maybe he just wanted a laugh. Hell, to be honest, I’m not even 100% sure he was talking about me, though otherwise the timing would have been uncanny. But I will never know. It’s a shitty situation, and when life gives you lemons…

…you clone those lemons, and make SUPERLEMONS!

Or make the best of a bad situation/lemonade.

Both are good.

A perfect afternoon.

I have a confession to make, dear reader.

My name is Tom. I’m 25 and I live with my parents.

Every time I say that I think of the Seinfeld episode where George does everything in the opposite manner he would normally. He says that to a woman (but adds in that he’s unemployed; happily, I am not) and she replies “I’m Victoria, hi” in a sultry voice.

Mind you, I don’t often say that as an opening line with girls. Or really anything as a line. My opening line would be more along the lines of “Hi.” 

Anyway.

What I want to write about today are my own choices in life, and why I live with my parents.

Basically, up until…maybe a few months ago I didn’t really understand money. Throughout university things were taken care of for me, and after university I just moved back here because I hadn’t worked much during university and what money I had made, I spent. A lot. I have horrible spending habits and it’s only in the last few months that I’ve learned to control them. I was always waiting for my income to increase to the point that it would eventually cover my habits. But it doesn’t work that way. As my income increased, my tastes got more expensive.

My parents have been great, and through the course of my life they’ve always been there to help me out when I needed it. And really if I said to them I’d like to stay here until I’m ready to move out and get married, they’d be fine with that.

I wouldn’t be, though.

I had always said that I couldn’t afford to move out right now. I’ve had the job I’m in now for almost six months, and at the outset of it I knew the experience would be great, but it would not really be enough to move out. I had that set in my mind; I was not making enough to move out. It wasn’t until a friend pointed out to me that she moved out while making a lot less than I did that it made me start to think.

Could I do this?

So I started to look and crunch the numbers on my take home pay, rent for a half-decent place, a rough estimate of utilities and the expenses I would expect to incur every month.

I was actually more than a bit shocked to learn it was doable.

I mean I’d be living a very different life than I was living now. No more Brooks Brothers shirts, far less eating out, no more buying shows off iTunes willy-nilly (I worked out that a DVR would actually be a cheaper option, monthly). I had always said to people that I could live very comfortably, for now, with my parents, or subsist on Kraft Dinner in a roach-infested basement apartment. I was amazed to learn that, if I paid played my cards right, I’d be able to do this.

And I want to. Because I am embarrassed to live with my parents.

This is not to say anything against those of you who do. Good on you, really. It is definitely a smart financial move and would be the smartest thing for me to do right now. Save up, live comfortably, have meals cooked and laundry done and then, someday in the distance when I land that perfect job, I can move out.

But when is that? Really?

I love my parents dearly, but living in close quarters with anyone for any long period of time is tough. I lived with 5 of the best people possible in university, but at the end of those 3 years we were definitely getting on each other’s nerves. It doesn’t help that, as mentioned before, I am a massive introvert and need my space. Being here 24/7 is starting to wear on me a bit.

I’d be relying on getting a higher paying job within the next year, as just about any place would essentially be outside my range right now without eating in to savings a bit. I’d have to start putting aside rent now, when I have fewer expenses, and essentially use that when I move out to cover my rent and use my regular paycheques to cover expenses. I’d be living pretty close to paycheque to paycheque until I started making more money.

My choice now is, is it worth it? Is the independence and the feeling of being your own man worth it? I haven’t decided yet. I could also take all that money I’m saving and go for yoga teacher training in India, or do Thailand for 2 weeks and still have a ton left over. 

But that means coming home to a room and a house not my own. That means having that awkward, slightly embarrassing conversation any time I start talking to a girl where I mention I live with my parents. I’m always relieved if I find someone else who does. It’s like we share the same issue.

Of course there’s also the fact that I’m in Mississauga and that puts a huge damper on my social life.

For now, I’m planning on a move-out date in November. Gives me lots of time to save up, start buying a few of the things I need and start looking for a place.

But what do you think? Is it worth it?