Good Company Selling Fair Trade Coffee

If you're into fair trade or organic coffee, try Deans Beans. I don't know if they ship outside the US though, or if you're in Massachusetts maybe you can pick it up yourself! I got my first pound last week, and I'm enjoying it now.

I really admire people like this, who make it their life to help the less fortunate of the world, and can actually remain dedicated to the work, not the profit. Too many other people would sell out and chase the money.

Thanks Dean!

Bah humbug

I know I'm a minority on this subject, but oh well.

In a way the holidays really bug me. I mean, I love the season, the lights, the festivities, but I don't really see the spirit of Christmas. Well, that's not true, I see the "true" spirit of the holidays, but I think most people miss the boat.

I think if you are spending the weeks leading up to Christmas stressing out about what to buy for who, whether you'll be able to get your baking done, and if you'll have time for everything, then you're missing the point. I think the weeks leading up to Christmas should be spent relaxing, going to holiday shows, going to light displays, generally just enjoying yourself.

My parents are flying out to visit me this year, and we agreed not to do any gift exchanges. Not because we are poopers, but because we agreed that we all have all we need, and we could all stand to cut back on our spending. I told them that instead of buying a bunch of crap, that while they're out here we could use the money saved to do other fun things. And I can bet you that we're all a little more stress free because of this decision.

Whenever people ask what I want, I tell them nothing. Not because I'm bah humbug, but because I'm simple and I genuinely want nothing. I don't need anything and if I can save someone the stress, that is gift enough for me. I'm not anti gifting, I'm just anti crap gifting. And the holidays tend to be crap gift time. I ask for nothing in hopes that people will see that the holidays can be fun without getting sucked into the consumerist (is that a word?) trap. That people can be simple and still enjoy themselves. Mass consumerism bothers me all the time, but especially around the holidays, because people feel "obligated" and tend to spend money on stuff that doesn't really get used. I think too many people equate the holidays with stress, debt, and shopping. And I don't see why anyone should think that the way my parents and I have chosen to celebrate the holidays is in anyway being bah humbug. I think we'll have a more enjoyable holiday for our decision. And of course the deal is only between us, I'm sure between the rest of the extended family there will be shopping done and crap exchanged and unwanted gifts received and thrown out...

Google Search

Ha ha ha, someone find my site by doing a search on at ask.com on the string:

"guy that finds trash on side of road and posts it on his website"

New Beginnings

I just realized that I haven't posted in a while. Not that nothing is going on, I just haven't been in a writing mood. But there is news on the horizon.

I got a new job!!!

I'm still in the doubting myself and my decision phase, but I think all in all it's for the best. The company is small and seems to be exactly what I've been looking for. But in trying to reassure myself that it's the right move I've cast all sorts of doubt on things, and now I'm trying to convince myself that the jobs is legit. Sounds funny huh?

Well the deal is this. I phone interviewed about a month ago, and never heard back. Then out of nowhere last week I get a call saying they want to interview me if I'm still interested. Of course I am. So I interview, but not at the office, rather the Starbucks down the street. They are in the middle of trying to get the office moved from Coronado to downtown, and they opted to interview me there instead of, according to them, in an office that is filled with boxes and vendor samples and in shambles. Understandable.

Everything went well, it's a fairly new company, less than 5 years old, and he said it would be salaried, benefits, 401K, time off, the whole deal. I left ecstatic. And they called 2 days later to offer me the job, and a fair raise in pay from what I'm making now, and they want me to start Jan 9th. So everything is in motion, but now I've got these crazy thoughts like is the company legit, are they gonna run out of money in a few months and get rid of me... blah blah blah.

But if they had no money or weren't legit would they be hiring, and more importantly would they offer me salary and benefits? I've talked to other people trying to hire for a start up, and they always throw around words like stock options and investors and vision, and none of that came up in any of my talking with these guys...

So it sounds legit, right?

I hope so because I'm putting in my notice in 3 days! I'm in serious need of a change, at this point I don't really even care if I'm working in a closet for a company about to go out of business, as long as I'm getting paid for the next year, cause then we were thinking about leaving California anyway.

Strange Songs Running Through My Head

Do you ever randomly find yourself singing a song in your head (or out loud), and you're not sure where you picked it up? Yea me too, except lately I've noticed something different. Normally, it's some song that I know and have recently heard on the radio or in a commercial, and just wasn't paying attention to the fact that I heard it.

Well lately, actually pretty consistently for the past few weeks, I find myself in the kitchen first thing in the morning making breakfast, and humming a very random tune. Usually it's a tune that I vaguely know, but I don't know where I could have ever possibly picked it up. In fact, today it was the tune that goes, "George, George, George of the Jungle!" I think it's from one of those Disney cartoon movies. It's so strange that I don't even know where it's from, and I can tell you with 100% certainly that I haven't seen this movie any time recently.

Each morning it's an equally different embarrassing song. The only thing I can think is that they're tunes that are buried deep in my subconscious from long ago and are getting stirred up while I sleep.

Anyone else have this happen to them? Please share. And I'll keep you updated on the strange songs in the coming days.