Pete Nickeas

Until then, I’m going to start jacking fools on their way from the ATM.

Just joking.

If nothing else, not having enough money has taught us a lot. I feel like I’m ahead of the game anyway because I’ve never really had a ton of money and have been paying for some of the “necessities” since like 5th or 6th grade. I feel more responsible, more self sufficient, and more in a position to build a future based on my experiences and I’m grateful for all of that.

BUT DAMN I’D BE GRATEFUL FOR SOME MORE MONEY TOO!

Here’s the thing. I was half stupid and half broke in college, so a chunk of my credit card debt is 40’s and handles of whiskey. The other chunk is rent, tires, books, moving costs, etc.

One of the things I’m most proud of personally is not having incurred any debt since living in Wyoming. Erin and I have been out like 4 times since being here (more than three months now), and our recreation consists of at-home-drinking. Which, I’m good with. In my personal life I’m very fiscally conservative.

I just gotta get rid of some of this interest bearing debt. It’s a joke. It’s amazing what percentage of my monthly expenditures are from credit cards.

Work is going well, though. This last week was a grinder but I loved it. I didn’t feel like, at the end of the week, that I worked as much as I did. It flew. I was out of the office a lot, met a ton of people, etc. Plus, what I’m working on is material of consequence. I’m not pissing in the wind.

Here’s a random string of sentences:
Erin just started working full time. I’m debating the idea of getting another job. If work stays this busy I won’t have to, so I’m hoping that it does. My two brothers aren’t gonna make it out for Thanksgiving, I don’t think. That saddens me. I’m going back to Chicago for Christmas and my brothers will be there. Big ass party on the 26th. Everybody’s invited, as always. I’m glad winter is around the corner. I’m sick of people warning me about the Wyoming winter. GET ON WITH IT MOTHAFUCKA! I’m ready.

I don’t know where to start … this is like three blog posts condensed into one.

It’s hard to empathize with people, people don’t care about poor people, and media coverage lacks when it comes to poor people.

(EDIT: I’m going to do more posts on the various topics.)

First … I confess, I have a hard time empathizing with people. Or feeling bad for people when bad shit happens.

I’ll cry like a baby when some bad shit happens to innocent people. This is probably one of the most profane videos I’ve ever seen. And I had a disgusting feeling in my gut watching a kid in his final moments. How could you not feel bad about that?

The two or three dozen people involved in that kids death will get theirs one day, and I can’t feel bad for them. They’ll go to prison and get spit out, or avoid jail time and go to a group home, or never get caught. They’ll get theirs, at some point in life, and I can’t feel bad about it.

Feeling bad for kids and other innocent people, though, is about the extent of my feelings for “man kind” in general.

When you do bad shit to people, bad things happen to you. That’s life.

How many people died of gun violence in Chicago last year? More than 500. To say it was a long hot summer would be an understatement.

There’s another video floating around of a guy who stuck a gun in someone’s face, then got the shit beat out of him by someone who fought back. It was gruesome. The guy who had the gun was on his back, on the ground, with a guy over him throwing punches quicker than most. Left, right, left, right. Just laying into him with a disregard for his well being.

But when you stick a gun in someone’s face, that’s what happens. Someone’s gonna fight back.

What’s bothers me, I think as much as the problem itself, is the media coverage. The Chicago Tribune’s editorial board isn’t in the streets pounding its chests about the lack of parenting, policing, whatever it is … that’s leading to 500 violent deaths in the city. You don’t see any special projects, either.

(Disclaimer: of all the papers in the country, I have more admiration for the Trib than any other paper. Their political coverage is what, in my humble opinion, what political coverage should be.)

Under its “Watchdog” tab, you don’t see “violence in the city.” Or anything similar. It’s not to detract from their state coverage (out front on almost every story involving Blago and observing the Trib’s bureau in Springfield was a learning experience in itself) or their city hall coverage (I still point to the “Neighborhoods for Sale” series as an example of what I one day hope to do) but they aren’t dedicating resources to this like they are other things.

The closest thing I’ve seen to a comprehensive look at what it’s like to be in the hood in Chicago is Alex Kotlotwitz’s “There Are No Children Here.” And that story details life two decades ago.

Maybe I’m wrong, and the Trib has three people in Englewood right now working on a project. But I doubt it. I just don’t see it, and it’s something we should be seeing.

I think that this is the last nice weekend we’re going to have this year.

They’re calling for snow in the “lower” elevations of this county (I think that’s us) sometime next week and while it’s supposed to be gorgeous tomorrow afternoon and Sunday afternoon, it’s still getting into the low-30s overnight.

I’m still really excited for Thanksgiving since my two little brothers are flying in from North Carolina, where they’re stationed (2nd Marine Division). Mike just had laser surgery on his eye, so he’s chilling for the next couple weeks I guess. It will be nice to see some familiar places.

I finished “Great Expectations” today, which was mildly disappointing (ironic?) and I began “Team of Rivals,” which, 25 pages in, is amazing. That book will probably take in the 40-50 hour range to read, and as it cools off I’ll have more and more time.

I forced myself to run today, and I didn’t want to really. But, as there’s only a handful of good weather days left, I thought it prudent to take advantage of the weather. I’m going to run tomorrow morning and probably Sunday morning and then I’ll have to start doing different stuff once winter gets here. I haven’t ran in the winter before.

Our finances are kinda tight right now. This concerns me. I want to go out and buy a few candles, maybe some type of something to make this place feel more like home but we’re strapped for cash right now. I think a second job is in the very near future, because our combined incomes just aren’t cutting it.

Stay tuned.

Well, fall came in one day. It went from like, sunny and 80 the day before, to hail and overnight snow the next night. What the hell. There’s still snow on the top 2/3rds of the mountain. About 1,000 feet of elevation separates us from the snow, which seems like a lot but isn’t. It’s like a 12 minute drive to snow.

On the up and up though, I’m looking forward to the winter. I plan on working out a lot and reading, since we won’t be drinking in Dan, Jake, and Megan’s back yard anymore. Kinda sounds like prison. There’s also going to be some Xbox in there, obviously.

I’ve always liked fall. Back when I was in high school, me and my kid brother Jack would sometimes walk the train lines through Milwaukee, taking pictures of graffiti on the bridges and on trains if we could catch them rolling by. It was good times.

We’d park the car, walk to the spot, then walk from there. I’ve still got a whole book of photos that I ended up giving my cousin D, which, I guess I don’t have the photos anymore. But those were good times.

There’s also, walking in the cold. I enjoy that. Headphones, hoodie, some good boots. A coffee mug perhaps.

But I doubt we’re gonna be able to do a lot of that. Wind gets crappy here, and the snow is supposed to be a bitch.

We’ll see how it goes I guess. I’ve got mixed feelings.

Good:
While playing Call of Duty, I had a seven kill streak going when I realize there’s three dudes in close proximity. I doubled around, crept up on each one of them and shanked them all, one by one. 10 kill streak! Peeled off another five dudes before someone finally knifed me.

My two little brothers are coming to Casper, Wyoming for Thanksgiving. This excites me greatly. I’ve got that Thursday and Friday off, so we’re going to just hang out for a few days, probably drinking and playing Monopoly and running. That means I have to train, since they can actually run. Also means we have to save some money so we can make a big ass Thanksgiving dinner. HELL YEA

There’s a three day weekend in my future. I’m not sure what I’ll do. Something fun, hopefully.

Bad:
No Bears game. I’m going to watch Denver here in a couple minutes but it’s only because it’s the “closest” team. And they’re 4.5 hours away, and in another state.

I’ve come to two or three “profound” realizations in the past couple days. And they mostly suck.

I want to build things - shelves, tables, chairs, etc. I have not the tools nor the space nor the money to do this, though. I want to have a garage but perhaps if I make more money one day I’ll rent a small storage space and have a workshop in there. That’s until we get a home with a garage. Maybe we’ll move to the apartment complex to the south of us. I think if you live there you get a storage space. That could be good.

It’s supposed to snow tonight. Not even shitting you. I’m all about the fall and stuff, but, I mean, there’s forty degree temperature swings here. So if it snows tonight it could still very well be 70 degrees outside tomorrow.

So, either The Office is more than halfway through its tenure or it will last longer than Friends.

Friends went ten seasons and The Office just aired the first episode of its 6th season.

Now, I wasn’t old enough when Friends was popular. I was merely a punk ass sixth grade kid that didn’t give a shit when the teachers were talking about their infatuation with Joey.

So, is it too early to talk about the end of The Office? Or is it not yet halfway through, and will it outlast Friends?

I have no clue. And, having watched every episode of both, I’m not sure which one I like more. Damn.

I’m excited about the Fall.

It’s too warm to wear suits in the summer. I like fall and am looking forward to this fall for numerous reasons … because it’s good grilling weather, it’s not too cold for beer, it’s cool enough for whiskey, coffee in the morning is better because it’s cooler, the mountain side should be gorgeous, the end-of-summer dry spell should be over.

Not that it’s going to rain buckets. But any rain would be good. This rain, right now, is good. It’s been super dry here since the July 3 storms, it seems.

Anyway, I’m also a fan of thunder and lightning. It’s soothing and serene. You have to respect the power of nature and thunder and lightning exhibits in a sleek and subtle fashion what nature is capable of … it’s like a glimpse. It’s a menacing glare instead of a hard overhand right. It’s not the main threat but you know nature means business.

Anway, Erin’s cooking some burgers and corn for dinner (I’m lucky), and I can unwind after a long day by reading, listening to the thunderstorm, and relaxing. With that, I’m off. PEACE!

To you, that might look like a picture of nothing.

But to me, that’s a picture of perfection. It’s the closest thing to unadulterated land I’ve ever seen in my life.

Even in the many, many trips to Wisconsin, I’ve never seen something so pristine.

It’s gorgeous. For everything that people talk about how beautiful it is “out west,” you can’t see it from a high way. Or a road. Because, that road cut through something beautiful. The power lines, the fences for ranchers, all of that corrupts an otherwise beautiful landscape.

But this? Man, so serene. It’s wonderful.

But for real man, four interceptions?

Last night was pitiful. It doesn’t seem there’s a bit of clutch about the Bears so far.

Only one game, I know.

But man, how do you win when you throw four picks?

You don’t.

I really felt deflated last night. It was going well, just had to trust the solid Bears D to hold ‘em. It was not to be though.

But, on the up and up, I do feel like a new season is here. For two reasons. First, football marks the beginning of fall. Second, its been getting down to about 40 degrees each night. COLD!

So, me and my dad argued about Hip-hop for years. Literally, for years. From like 1996 until 2006. It was a major point of disagreement between us.

I mean, the profanity and cursing and drugs bother my father. So did the graffiti. When I was young and blasting the shit out of Out for Fame, he wasn’t happy. And why should he be? My dad didn’t want me painting trains or throwing tags.

He’s alright with it now, though. We’re at a point where we respectfully disagree with what makes good music.

It’s because, everyone he listened to when he was young, probably snorted more shit than anyone I’ve listened to. People do drugs. Difference is, the people I listen to didn’t dress it up (Juice did “L.S.D.,” The Beatles did “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”).

And if you can’t understand the importance of the culture, that’s cool. My dad, he tried to understand it and couldn’t. What was important to him and what’s important to me are different.

But people write off rap music, in its entirety. That’s cool. But they should keep their mouth shut about it or try to understand it. With both life and work, if you’re not willing to take the time and ask questions that will get you answers, you’re wasting your time and that of others.

It’s like politics. Read the legislation, ask questions of lawmakers and gov’t officials, or believe all the bullshit partisan hackery you hear. Read the books, ask questions of scholars or those involved, or buy into the bullshit that the ass clown told you.

People would be more productive doing that than asking stupid passive aggressive questions that aren’t meant to acquire information. Passive aggressive nonsense is the mark of a bitch. If you want to know something, ask a question. Quite simple.

And, me and my father were at that point once. Arguing about the validity of drug music and people who glorify a generally counter-productive lifestyle. Shooting people usually can’t be justified. And coke, in small amounts or large, is bad.

But you know what? Fact is, people can relate to it. If people are going to write off Hip-hop because of the drugs and guns associated with it, then the Beatles are equally culpable for introducing kids to acid and coke. If people are going to write off rap music because of the violence then any punk music should be classified as music that incites subversion and anti-American protests and all that.

The shit’s the same. Stupid hipster assholes wouldn’t have it be that way though. Guess that’s just how it’s going to be.