Because sometimes asking the right questions is the answer.

#1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?

#2. Which is worse, failing or never trying?
#3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?
#4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
#5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?
#6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?

#7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?

#8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?
#9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?
#10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?
#11. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do?
#12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?
#13. Would you break the law to save a loved one?
#14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?
#15. What’s something you know you do differently than most people?
#16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?
#17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? #18. What’s holding you back?
#19. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
#20. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?
#21. Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?
#22. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?
#23. Why are you, you?
#24. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?
#25. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?
#26. What are you most grateful for?
#27. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?
#28. Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first?
#29. Has your greatest fear ever come true?
#30. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now?
#31. What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special?
#32. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive? If not now, then when?

#33. Decisions are being made right now. The question is: Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?
#34. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?
#35. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?
#36. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?
#37. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?
#38. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?
#39. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?
#40. Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before?
#41. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?
#42. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?
#43. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous?
#44. What is the difference between being alive and truly living?
#45. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?
#46. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?
#47. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
#48. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing?
#49. What do you love? Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?
#50. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday? What about the day before that? Or the day before that?

Not much else is happening. I’m contemplating grad school for my MSW. I’ve thought about attending either the University of St. Thomas, or the University of Minnesota. I just have to decide if I want to do clinical practice or generalist practice. Tough decision! I know I want to go back during 2010…hopefully the fall time, for the 2 year program.

My birthday is in almost 2 weeks, and I took off the 17th just because. I’m planning on going to a Twins game on my birthday. They’re playing Toronto. Or I could go on the 17th because they are playing Los Angeles…haven’t decided. On the 18th I am going to Hinckley, and staying in the Grand Hinckley Inn in adjoining poolside rooms for a girls night. Super exciting!

The Salvation Army has been trying to cut costs, so they are forgoing our staff appreciation day and also our appreciation day at the fair. Instead, they are giving us July 2nd and 3rd off paid. I’m debating on going on vacation.

Lastly, I’m getting 3 of my wisdom teeth pulled on May 1st. It’s going to cost me quite a bit of money, but it’s needed. I’m also getting my eyes checked out because I’ve been told I have the symptoms of astigmatism, and I get headaches frequently from driving or reading. So, we’ll see if I need glasses or not.

That’s about it I guess…I’ll update when something else comes up.

Moving Home
Pros:
No rent [If I pay more on my loans]
Home cooked food
Being with family
More money saved for vacation, emergencies
Can help family out with bills
Can pay off Heidi’s debt
Can pay the full amount of car insurance that I can’t afford now
Cons:
Driving to Minneapolis everyday for work
Cigarette Smoke [Mom]
Aunt possibly still habitating in basement, which would mean I would have to share a basement with her.
Living with family constantly, no break.
Not being 100% independent [not paying rent...]
Getting scolded for having alcohol in the house

Living in Minneapolis
Pros:
Close to work
Being independent
Living alone
Close to city resources
Cons:
Not able to pay extra on student loans every month
Living on a strict budget
Can’t afford new car payment

Here it is: I am debating two things right now. I know that if I continue paying my student loans the way I am, I will be 47 before they are paid off. I am also realizing that my car will not last forever, and it is 10 years old. Also, I don’t feel super safe in my car since I got into my accident. I found a 2006 Jeep Liberty at a dealership for 10,260. It only had 17,000 miles on it, and I love driving my aunt’s Jeep, and have said in the past that if I were to get a new car, it would be a Liberty.

My dad told me that I could move home and not pay rent, and that he would give me the basement to live in, with a bedroom and the bar area for a livingroom area. They said that it would be a lot easier for them and for me, and welcomed me home.

There is another problem. My aunt is living in the basement and it is really causing problems with my parents. She has not paid rent, and only works 2 days a week, doesn’t show any interest in helping out with bills, but uses the phone daily and takes my mother’s laptop into her bedroom without even asking my mom.

I’m not sure what I want to do. It is stressing me out big time. I know that if I do move home, I would need a better car to drive to work everyday, especially in the winter time. The good thing about the Jeep is that it has 4 wheel drive so I won’t get stuck. I do miss my parents, but I do enjoy living independently.

There is another dilemma. Yesterday I decided that I would apply for a Chase auto loan just for the hell of it. Knowing that my debt to income ratio is crazy [more than $70k in debt, annual income of about $32 k] I knew I wouldn’t be approved…especially the way the economy is now…I couldn’t even get a private consolidation loan without a cosigner. Well, I got approved, and have a fairly good interest rate for applying by myself [6.8%], and a 5 year loan. Do I take it as a sign that I was approved for more than the car costs?

Other thing is that I only have a month to use the loan otherwise I have to apply again and have them check my credit again, and I may not be approved next time based on the economy [they said that the worst is yet to come]. My lease here expires in July, and I won’t have enough money for groceries for 5 months until I move home. I have saved quite a bit of money [well, for me...not for most], and I think that I could take out $100 a month for gas and groceries out of my savings and not have a problem. I also should be getting a pretty good check back for my taxes [I will know exactly how much this Friday], and also my renter’s credit come August [That's going to be about $1400].

Gah! What do I do? Such a dilemma. I figured out gas and mileage and such, and if gas stays around $2 per gallon, I should spend about $170 a month on gas just commuting to and from work. It is 88 miles per day, 440 per week. I checked out fueleconomy.gov, and it says that the average is 21 miles to the gallon with a 20.5 gallon gas tank, which equates to roughly $170 a month for gas expenses.

Tell me what you would do if you were in my situation. No dumb comments either. KTHX.