Jake-Morrison.com

Greetings, Dear Reader. I am afraid that by the time you read this, I will already be gone from this world. At least, I will be gone from Orlando. On this Tuesday morn, (well in all honesty, Tuesday late morning to early afternoon), I will be driving up to Niceville. I have a few business meetings to attend while I am up there, and then I am off to Austin. It is terrifying how fast this is all moving. But it is terrifying in a good way. You know, the kind of terrification (I hereby coin this word, it needs to exist) that you feel when you attend a totally bitching haunted house. You are scared, edgy, paranoid, but ultimately having a blast. That is what I feel now. A tight, anxious feeling, layered over excitement, exuberance, and giddiness.

The timing of things and events lately has been extraordinary. I went from not knowing where the money for my next meal was coming from to having one job, and suddenly the opportunity for two. That happened. That was amazing. I’ll be financially independent and solvent once again! Most websites I’ve perused have recommended a planning period of two to three months for a move of this magnitude. I’ve done it in a week. In ten days, I will be picking up a shiny and brand new key to a new apartment. I’ll open the door, set down my travel bag, and hook up my computers. I’ll poke around the Internet for a few minutes, and after that hour or so has passed, begin unpacking the PODS container. Things are working smoothly and efficiently. I can only assume that since the entropy of this system is low, that I am doing the right thing. More to the point, I gave a fantastic interview. Their words, not mine. I’m going in for a job at my dream company. I’m finally on the ladder; now all I have to do is to start climbing. I’m in! I have miles to go yet, but the path is shiny and bright, with flowers and other cheery crap all around.

Officially, let me give my endorsement of the PODS system. It is expensive, yes. But no more so than a U-Haul rental would have been. The service as a whole is rather genius; spend your time casually loading your kit into it, then they pick it up, and magically deliver it to a new place. As a happy addition, the price also includes a month’s rental; you have that month to fill the container and have it moved. I challenge you to take longer to move. If I decided I needed a day or two more, rescheduling is as simple as a phone call. There are no fees for doing so. Ultimately for this kind of move, I cannot recommend them highly enough. Their helpfulness and business model have conspired to alleviate a good 60% of my primary worries and fears regarding this move.

I am typing this blog as I lay on the floor of what is now my old room. I am lying on my stomach, chin wedged up with my pillows, staring straight ahead at the monitor. I am in this unusual position, which is like oddly painful flying, because my furniture is all in my PODS container. It is a strange sensation, having one’s life completely packed away. I took a long hard look at what I needed to be happy, and to live, in Austin, in case the PODS container gets manhandled or lost. The list wasn’t long. It was entirely populated by computers and clothes. Truly, everything else I own is rather optional. I love my books, my movies, my tchotchkes, but they aren’t essential. I have my iPod, cell phone, Kindle, and DS with me; with these things, I can be entertained for ages. So really, all I absolutely need to survive, I can pretty much carry on my person. Or can load easily into my car. All this preparing for the zombie invasion has done me good. Also, I require Internet and power at my destination. But even failing that, I could get by. I think I am more self-sufficient than I ever have been. And that can only be a good thing.

Today is Monday. This is my last day in Central Florida. I have a pretty packed schedule, so I’m afraid I won’t really be able to fit other people in. But I do implore you to send me a message if you would like to; I’d love to hang out with as many people as possible. I may be able to squeeze in a few more; or arrange to have a mass outing. A flash mob of Jake fans. If I missed you, or didn’t get a chance to see you, I’m sorry. It’s not that I don’t care, it is that I am forgetful, and amazingly stressed and absentminded with this move. My days have quite literally been packed dusk to dawn with plans and errands. Well, more like noon to dawn, with my sleep schedule. Regardless, we now have the magic of the Internet to help us. There will be Xbox live, Steam, Skype, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, cell phones, World of Warcraft, Ventrilo, AIM, my website and blogs, and other various creations of technological wizardry to use and abuse for our pleasures. If you have not done so already, please friend me on Facebook, dear reader, and remember to follow me on Twitter @Chiron7936. Until later!

For the first time in what feels like an extraordinarily long time, I find myself typing my blog. Sure, it was only seven days ago when I was last doing this; but due to the events of the last week, it feels like a ridiculously long time. The past week has been a tumultuous collection of trials and tribulations. My plans went from checking email, waiting on the contract to start, and playing World of Warcraft to dropping everything and flying to Austin. The notice was short; shockingly so. I got a phone call on Friday, and was asked to come out for a job interview on Wednesday. Which, if you are keeping track at home, gave me four days to get my shit together, get tickets, get a room, and get out there. It was crazy short notice. But I was able to pull things together. I got airline tickets from my dad, through the joyous miracle of Skymiles.

I was very fortunate to have my friends, Nikki and Stephen. They were gracious, and awesome enough, to allow me to crash on their couch for the trip. And crash I did. It was a lot of fun. I saw sights, and got to hang with two good friends of mine that I haven’t seen in forever. The city was so much fun; I can easily say I enjoyed it. There was a lot of stuff, and it was pretty. Not just the girls around town, but the city itself. Austin seems to have quite the burgeoning Green movement, and it’s definitely nice. The town is festooned with lots of parks, trees, and other natural elements.

Oh, yeah. You’re probably here about the important news. The news that is essential to your continued survival. Well, dear reader, quite simply, the news is that…

Oh come now, have you learned nothing from our time together? It’s not going to be as clear or simple as me coming right out and saying it. I have an ego to appease; a story to tell. I need to build it up as much as possible, because I’m bored and it seems like fun. The story is that I got a job interview with a major game company. Yeah, it’s one that everyone has heard of. I’m not going to talk much about who they are, or what I’ll be doing, because I don’t feel like jinxing it. But I had an interview with them on Wednesday, and it seemed to go gorgeously well. There was laughter, and questions, and more laughter… things I tend to view in a positive light. I don’t have an official yes quite yet. But it looks promising.

On that note, it seems that my time in Orlando has finally drawn to a close. That is right, dear reader. I am moving. Out to Austin. As to when I’ll be moving; well, it is entirely possible, and plausible, that I’ll be leaving Orlando in seven to eight days. Yeah. That soon. I’m spending the next few days arranging living situations and packing. If you have any boxes, oh dear god please, let me know. I could use as many as possible. It is my goal to have enough boxes, so that when I unpack myself, I can use the empty boxes to create my own cardboard golem army. You may be asking yourself what good a cardboard golem army would be, as they are basically compacted paper. So any damp or moist situation would be their undoing. All I need to do now is remind you, I am moving to Austin, Texas. The humidity is low, so the dampness shouldn’t be too much of a problem. As to the efficacy of them as a weapon, well, have you ever had a papercut? Now imagine a cardboard cut. Did you shudder? If not, you did not adequately imagine the pain. Go ahead and do so now; the blog will wait for you.

So I am leaving, possibly forever. As such, there needs to be some sort of event. In keeping with myself and who I am, which is someone who really doesn’t care too much for parties, I have an idea. What do I love? My friends. And small groups. And food. So I shall combine the three! I would like to take time to have lunch or dinner with you guys. Either one-on-one, or a small happenin’ group. It does not take the imagination of a Hugo-award winning science fiction novelist to deduce that money is tight for me right now. I hate to ask for handouts… but I’d like you to pay. Yeah. That’s right. I’m inviting myself to lunch with you, on your dime. There is no forcing though. I just want to maximize my dimes. If you are interested, comment on this blog with your choice of day, mealtime, and place of nomtastic goodies.

Here is a short list of delicious places that I can think of that are only in Orlando, that I will sorely miss.

Italian - Goodfellas
Mexican - Tijuana Flats
Sushi - Seito
American - Cheeburger Cheeburger

Beyond food places, there are activities and entertainment locations I shall miss as well. I will try to schedule days and times for them… if you’d like to catch me before I leave, comment with your choices, and times.

Ultimate Frisbee - Monday at 5:15pm.
Hard Knocks – Possibly Tuesday evening.
Wolverine – Any evening showing.
Star Trek – It opens Thursday at 7.
Battle for Terra – I don’t know. I’m curious.

As well, since I am leaving forever, if any girls out there want to make out with me, now is your last chance. If any guys want to make out… well, while I am flattered, I must refuse. I’m sorry, but you just aren’t my type.

So that is this week’s crazy blog. Everything is changing. Remember to comment on this blog if you want to hang out with me or eat with me before I leave. I truly don’t know when or even if I’m coming back to Orlando. This is really the next big step for me in this grand adventure known as life. It is full of risk, but full of reward as well. I’ll be moving to a city that I don’t hate. That can only be good. I leave you now, to go plan my whirlwind romance of a move. And of course, if you have not already, do please friend me on Facebook, dear reader, and remember to follow me on Twitter @Chiron7936.