Math.

2002-08-24 - 1:05 a.m.

First things first, in reply to the mostly-anonymous guestbook question:

I am a freak when it comes to music. Unlike the rest of the civilized world, music does not play a giant role in my life. At parties, when people ask me what music I listen to I mumble something incoherent and try to bury my face in the onion dip. It's not that I don't -like- music. Music is fine. In fact, I have it on good authority that music is great. I just don't think much about it. This helps to make me weird.

So, when it comes to bonding over music with friends, family, and lovers...barely ever happens. I was in band in junior high and high school, and I enjoyed that, and miss it, and that's the closest I've ever been to being moved by music (I could argue that when Pookie and I saw Good Question in Halifax two years ago I was moved by music then, but really I think I was moved by him, the evening, and -his- reaction to the music...).

Sorry I can't really answer your question, anonymous guestbook signer.

And now...

I'm irked today, on account of a pseudo-friend calling tonight and pressing Pookie and I to go out. It was nice he invited us, and given a lack of poverty we would have enjoyed a social excursion. The problem is that this guy has no concept of poverty.

A conversation:

Guy: You guys should come out.

Pookie: We'd like to. We have no money.

Guy: How about you just pick up a case of beer?

Pookie: We have no money.

Guy: What do you mean? It's just a case of beer!

Perhaps, in some social circles, when someone says they have no money they really mean that they have money, they can spend it, they just don't want to. In -my- sphere of existence, when I don't want to spend money I say "I don't want to spend money."

When I say I have "no money" what I mean is that my bank account is at zero (no overdraft for me, thanks!), Pookie's overdraft is maxed out, both or credit cards are maxed out, and we have already rolled all the coins from our change jar for groceries. "No money" means that such luxuries as public transportation are a thing of the past. I have been walking to work all summer. I have been walking home all summer. The month of August will show that walking has been my only mode of transportation. No money.

It really aggravates me that people really don't have an understanding of this concept. The pseudofriend who called tonight is not the only one who has done this. Before this current job, I would have friends who, banking on their student loans or better jobs, would invite me out to wonderful, expensive evenings of fun and wonder why I couldn't come.

When people say, "Oh, but it's just a case of beer," I do some quick math:

1 case of beer = 6 boxes of mac&cheese, 2 cans of beans, 2 large bags of dried pasta, 2 cans of decent pasta sauce, 2 bags of frozen vegetable meddleys, and maybe a box of instant rice.

Next month we will have money, and this month is only tight because we spent so much going to Halifax and when Pookie's friend was down. We aren't in dire straights: we have shelter, food, gym memberships paid up, internet, cable (we are on our 2 month free trial of digital cable!), music, sex, books, and a pretty neighbourhood.

Cheers,

The Magus

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