Tonight I noticed that the contract for my apartment is up soon (1-2 months, depending on how the math works). I doubt if I'll renew it - the electrical system is straight from the 1950s, and with all the electronics I have around here, I'm... well... scared. It's also rather small - works great for one person, but if I have more than one person here on a regular basis - well, the office would become very cramped very quickly.

I also don't know if I could plug in the new G5 (to be ordered soon), monitor, and powerbook and use them at the same time. I'm very afraid that I'll buy all this Important Buisness Electrical Stuff, hit the switch, and blow a fuse. Try again, and blow a fuse. An expensive machine that I can't use because it just takes too much power - this would be not a good thing.

I've been having intermitent problems with the TV (sometimes it won't turn on) - and I may just blame those on the electrical system here (I'm wondering if the TV just can't get enough juice to power itself). It was out last weekend, worked Tuesdaay through, well, today, when it stopped working again. Oh, yes, never mind - I bought the TV to be a very poor mirror.

So I think it's time for another bout of apartment shopping, moving, settling. As much as I hate moving, if it's for the better (and being able to use my electronics would be better) then it's well, for the better.

I was watching an anime (Voices of a Distant Star) tonight about two lovers seperated by the vastness of space. Sending a message to someone and knowing it would get there in a year, or 8 - and the distance would only increase as your ship went further and further into space.

Currently I have two friends across the globe from me. 14 hour time difference, but assuming I manage to be online when they are, communication is instant. Delay of microseconds. Audio Chatting works great (especially when the other person is on DSL).

However, I don't know how I could handle long month/year/decade delays like that. As a society we'll have to deal with it sometime, assuming we ever make it out of the low Earth orbit we're stuck in.

Not sure where I was going with that, but, umm, hey.

Feeling hampered in again. Easy to feel in a small town - actually really easy. Really really easy.

My social skills (such as they are. Being a programmer by trade doesn't help those any, but...) are best when there are largish (being anywhere from 12->200) groups of people thrown together. Any less than that I get bored, or can't find anyone that I really click with. Considering the area, you need at least that number to balance out the 20% hick ratio.

I'm quite serious. I went into Dunkin Doughnuts tonight...

Wait, let's pause and get an overview here. Technically there are 3 shops that sell coffee in this town. Dunkin Doughnuts, Espresso Shop, and Daylight Coffee. (The latter names changed to protect the innocent).

Dunkin Doughnuts = no atmosphere, basic coffee, and well, Doughnuts. It's a doughnut shop that happens to sell coffee. They also want you out of there quickly. Don't linger - the doughnuts don't like that.

Espresso Shop is open at random hours. Sometimes it's open in the mornings. Maybe it's open in the afternoon. It's never open late at night (except Fridays - open mic night).

Daylight Coffee isn't open yet. I have high hopes. It looks like it will have atmosphere. It may even have regular hours (maybe even late at night!). It may just turn into The Spot To Hang Out - it's just not open yet.

So, Dunk Doughnuts it was. Grabbed a coffee, noticed the college boy and his female companion (date? friend? Don't know - didn't ask), the hippy watching TV, and the hick couple (family?) sitting at one of the tables. Not a lot of choice there. Intelligent nightlife? Beam me up, Scotty, there's none of that here.

So I went for a walk. I live in a town with a (small) college. Walked up to the college. Walked down off campus, up a few more blocks, then headed home.

During this walk I thought to myself: "Yes, Ryan, this is the way to Meet And Impress New People - solitary walks in the dark."

All my hangouts (gym, coffeeshop, class) are either not here, or, well, are finished. I will be the first one to admit that I wasn't exactly the social butterfly at college, but I knew where the people (the usually intelligent people) hung out. I have no clue now.