All In!
I played poker (Texas Hold ‘Em-style) with some friends last Saturday. We started playing around 8:30 pm and guess what time it ended? 3:30 a.m! Craziness. And we only played two rounds! I won the first round ($25) and the hubs won the second round ($60). I think my game has vastly improved. This time, I had a lot of staying power. I think I would’ve had a good chance on the second round if I weren’t so freaking sleepy. I kept going ‘all in’ just so I could get out of the game! We are playing again this Friday and I’m prepared to win!
To add to my poker craze, I’ve also signed up to play at pokerstars.net. So if anyone happens to be playing in there as well, I am “djkat.”
Real Estate Reality
It’s definitely hard to find a ‘starter home’ under $300K here in the Tri-State Area (NY, NJ, and CT). It goes without saying that the closer you are to the city, the more expensive it’ll be. The farther away you live from NYC, the more deals you can get in terms of real estate. Or you can also choose to live in a not-so-great neighborhood and find a deal. According to this article, in my county alone, there are only a handful of homes listed that are under $300K. Apparently, between Jan. 1 and March 20, of this year, the average price for single-family homes under contract in Bergen County was $576,024! The good news is that our house has definitely increased in value. On the other hand, we can’t exactly sell and move to a bigger home in Bergen County because we can’t afford it. We’d have to move out of the county to make money and live farther away from NYC.
I would ideally like to stay where I am but move to a bigger house one day. I like where I live even though my friends still make comments about me living in NJ. (Note to friends: Stop the comments about NJ. It’s old, tired, and definitely annoying). I want a walk-in closet and a space that I can turn into a guest-room/studio/library. The hubs and I have plans to stay in our home for a long time. When we have money, we’re planning on renovating the kitchen and patio, and re-do the entire second floor. Well, that’s the plan at least. My other dream is to live in a loft or a brownstone in NY (and that will definitely stay a dream! According to this article, the average apartment in NYC is selling for a million and the average price per square foot climbed to $910!)
The Traveling Bug
I’ve caught the traveling bug! I really want to travel this year to somewhere I’ve never been before. Initially, my top two choices this year was either Indonesia or Costa Rica. More specifically, it would be a surfing trip to either one of these places. Costa Rica in particular, has great surf camps that include lodging, food, lesson, and the whole nine. I think it would be cool to just trek out there. Although I would go by myself, I’m trying to get at least one other person to come with me (just so I’d have someone to explore the nightlife with me). We’ll see. It’s rather pricey, but I figure it would be a birthday present to myself.
But as it stands, I may end up going on a cruise with my parents and brothers (sans the hubs). We’re looking at a cruise that goes to the following places: Belize City (Belize); Riviera Maya and Cozumel (Mexico); and George Town (Grand Cayman Islands). My parents want to go in July and have invited my brothers and I! So either way, I think I will end up going to a new place I’ve never been before!
Negative Numbers
Last Friday, I went out with some friends for dinner and stopped by the ATM machine. Imagine my surprise when it told me I had no money in it! ACK!! I had negative one hundred-plus dollars in my account. OH FOR SHAME! How sad am I? I think it was all those tickets I bought for upcoming shows that did me in. I just went to a show 2 weeks ago, but I am going to about 5 more shows within the next month and half. Egads...can't spend anything else now!
Song of the Day:
New Hampshire by Sonic Youth
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