From the Ground

My Nebraska Driver's license is now clear, so I will be applying for my WV driver's license later today. Assuming that everything goes well without more bureaucratic delays, I should finally be mobile, at long last. There's nothing quite achieving a major goal that opens up new possibilities.

That, in turn, will clear me to begin acting on my summer travel plans, with a couple of long-delayed and long-anticipated trips to build and repair some family relationships. I expect to be out of town for a couple of weeks, but I may be able to continue adding to this blog while I'm gone, on the same basis as I did while I was walking.

I got an estimate yesterday for dental work that I am going to need done. I should still be able to fit it in my budget, at least the necessary work. I also finished a round of the "rebuilding" course at the homeless shelter. I think it could have gone better, but it was a start.

Once again, I'm grateful for all the help people have given me.

Post Script. AAARGGHH!!!! BAD assumption, when dealing with any kind of bureaucracy, that everything will go well, without any delays. Nebraska is sending me a clearance letter, confirming that my driver's license is no longer suspended, and the West Virginia DMV wants to see it before they will give me one. So now I get to wait on the USPS so I can jump this one last hurdle. And I had already asked for a vacation mail hold on my mail...more aggravation.
I'm also dealing with what seems to be a pulled muscle, which is sending a sharp wave of pain up my back and shoulder every few seconds. I must confess that I have had better days.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was beginning a new chapter in my life. That was an understatement. At about the same time as the chapter of moving into a new place, I began a personal relationship that makes this merely the prologue to a whole new book. I'm not discussing the details at present, out of respect for the other person involved, but this has been opening a vast range of new or renewed possibilities, experiences, and yes, strains and stresses.

I couldn't have handled this kind of relationship a year ago, or before, and even though I'm feeling emotionally rather shaky and trembling, there is enough promise that I've been streadily moving forward. Developing a whole new set of habits of personal management, getting the car, and making preparations for the trip west are one thing, but at the same time adjusting to an additional set of emotional needs, urges, and demands that need to be resolved in a comparatively short period of time is an even more difficult balancing act. I've been a bit stressed this week and showing signs of depression, such as insomnia and not being happy about successes and good news, which haven't helped the relationship one little bit.

Nevertheless, I'm moving forward. I'm wearing clean clothes, keeping my face shaved and teeth brushed, my apartment fairly uncluttered, the bills are up to date and I've been following through on what I have said I will do. I've been keeping my e-mail read, my blogs written, and I've even picked up work on my Knowledge Base again.

So...how do I relieve stress? Hmm, I seem to have something of shortage of ways to do it...

Still nothing on the Driver's license: I finally called Nebraska's DMV and my insurance company to try to get things straightened out. Final word is that I have to wait for the U.S. Mail to send a physical copy. Why Nebraska hasn't joined the 21st century and isn't accepting electronic documents or faxes from this particular company I do not comprehend, but that's what seems to be the case.

Most of the critical things I need to do in the immediate future are now taken care of as far as I can do, and so I just need to wait for other people.

When I was coming out of the apartment this morning, I was greeted by a trio of ducks. I must say it was better weather for them than it was for me.

Apparently the wheel bearings on the car seem to be OK. It did need alignment, The "toe" adjustment on 3 of the 4 wheels was badly out of line, but otherwise it was mostly good. It's also passed the state safety inspection, so it's now legal. The mysterious noise seems to be gone on normal, straight driving, but I did hear it on a sharp turn.
No visible progress on the DL: I need to call the Nebraska DMV to see if there has been any I haven't heard of yet. Once I get it, I can move forward with confidence in several other areas.

I seem to be gradually pulling out of Sunday's blues. Yesterday wasn't as bad, and today isn't as bad as that, and it's not a full crashing depression: I'm still going forward, still working, still getting stuff done, although everytime one thing gets done, there are two or three waiting to take its place. But the most critical things are more or less under control, if I stay on top of them.

I don't recall that I accomplished much Saturday...besides checking e-mail and a few groceries, and a lot of talking. I got in trouble for something I said and ended on a very awkward and painful note, and was blue most of the day Sunday, so my phone call to my mother wasn't very cheerful, but I did finally get the trouble straightened out later in the evening. I took the car into the shop this morning for a pair of tires and a lube job; then to another mechanic for an alignment and a state inspection. I only succeeded in making an appointment, and asking the mechanic about a certain wheel noise. It could be that a wheel bearing is going bad, which would account for alignment problems and uneven wear on some of the tires. Saturday I got a bank statement and it's taken a lot longer than I anticipated to get my checkbook balanced. It's finally right, though, so I can make plans with more confidence.
I have an informal, mental budget and right now it seems that I'm fairly close to it, but a bit over. I can take care of necessary expenses, but car-related expenses been cutting into my summer trip plans, and I'm having to drop one anticipated side trip for the activities I had planned for the summer. It could be a lot worse.

Thursday afternoon I got some friends to help and we went up to Pennsylvania to get my car and bring it back. It's in fine condition, except for a few minor repairs, and is legally insured, registered, and sitting in the parking lot of my apartment complex. It's legal (though I do need to get it inspected in West Virginia this week), but I'm not...I still need to wait out the bureaucratic delays for getting my driver's license. With a place to live, a telephone, and a car, I can just about rejoin society.
I have several bits of personal business I'm still working on, and also preparing for an extended and long-overdue trip west to visit family next month. That's...eep...only two weeks away. Time is ticking away from me...

Yesterday was a pretty bad day. I showed up to do a presentation on life and recovery skills at the local homeless shelter, and no one showed up. Not one single solitary person. I was seriously unhappy and frustrated. Well, at least this time I had an excuse for feeling down. But, I'm not so discouraged I'm giving up. I've had a couple of ideas suggested that should help with recruitment and so forth. I also got a certificate of insurance for the car I'm buying.
This morning was rather better. Now that I've had my necessary dose of the blues and recovered, I can go back to feeling cheerful. I've now registered the car and have plates, so now as soon as I can recruit another driver, and someone else to take us up to Pennsylvania, I can bring it back.

Where did the weekend go? Oh, now I remember. Saturday I was getting the title to the car I'm buying, and I spent a while reading. Yesterday I was at church and then talking to people, including family. I got a copy of my Nebraska Driving record so I could start the next key step, getting insurance. This is necessary both for getting the car registered and legally transported here from Pennsylvania, and for getting my driver's license back. Apparently Nebraska has a seriously arcane procedure for reinstating a suspended license and it may take a couple more weeks for the wheels of bureaucracy to grind.
I'm not used to feeling upbeat and cheerful for extended periods of time...usually, after a few days to a couple of weeks, I'm expecting to fall into a funk to some degree. But...I've had a kind of help I haven't had before. Is it possible for feeling cheerful and positive to become the rule rather than the exception? We shall see.

The car purchase is going slower than I would like, but I'm still making progress. I'm hoping I can finish it within the week. The course I mentioned at the shelter is on track to start Tuesday. Since I've done the most critical items on my "Things to Do" list for now, I've resumed work on the Knowledge Base I've been describing on the
Independent Learning blog.

Moving along, more slowly than I would like. I'm still working on the chicken-and-egg car insurance problem, although I am in the process of purchasing a vehicle to insure, which should simplify the process somewhat. With a telephone, vehicle, and better internet access (also in progress), I should almost be in shape to rejoin society.
I just saw an article in one of the local weekly papers that are sent out in the mail on an organization that's working with the homeless in Morgantown. I don't think I met those people: They work mostly with people who are worse off than I was. But, I've volunteered to put together a life & recovery skills class for the shelter I was in, and should be starting that next week.