WonderfulPessimist.com

I hate John Denver for the most part. Not him, but his music. Moreso when I was younger. But cold days like today are the type his songs were made for. “Almost heaven, West Virgina. Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River.”

My dad always talked about his time in the Blue Ridge Mountain area during his basic training, prior to his trip overseas in World War II. I’ve never been there, but I plan to visit someday with my wife.

I got to surfing and looked up some Blue Ridge real estate properties, and from the photos it really does look beautiful there. Maybe in a few years, my wife and I can save enough aside for the big move. We need to eventually, for her health.

I was sitting here thinking about electronics and warranties. No one wants to buy the insurance plans that protect high-tech electronics, but when a computer or a cell phone or an iPod crash, how many people can honestly say they know the first thing about circuit board repair? Certainly not me.

What made it clear to me was a few years ago. I’d just moved to Wisconsin and my HP went down. Hard drive, in that case, but it could’ve been anything. Fortunately, I was still under warranty. Bust Buy repair guy drove up to me, swapped out the drive - provided an even bigger one at no extra cost, actually - and was on his way.

I kinda envy these tech types. Bet they make better money than I do selling cell phones. But, heh, that doesn’t set the bar very high, does it?

With temps dropping and snow on the way, it’s about times like these that I start wishing my wife and I could move further south, where the winters would be easier on her asthma. Not to mention our heating bill.

That’s when I start daydreaming about buying a house somewhere where a person doesn’t get buried under several feet of annual snowfall every winter, where the heater can go out in your car and you don’t have to fret. That’s when I start surfing casually, daydreaming about places like Cary NC Real Estate.

I bet the Raleigh area, which Cary is near, is a whole lot warmer than we are in Minnesota right now. *sigh*

Well, we’ve avoided it longer than any winter in recent memory, but forecasts are for snow by Christmas here in Minnesota. I know, I know, I live here, I should expect it and be used to it by now.

Trouble is, this winter, I’m driving in a less reliable car than I’ve owned in a long, long time. The tires are way too tread-worn, the engine’s old and the car doors don’t even lock. (Well, half of them do, but what good is that?) Heck, even the heater doesn’t work!

I’ve been thinking the best way to handle the situation is to start being smart and stocking my car with emergency kits, in case the worst happens. I think blankets, candles, matches, some non-perishable food and maybe even some bottled water would be a good start.

One of the many things that are messed up, moreso in California than anywhere else, are how child support cases are handled in that state. Was listening to the radio today and a guy called in to a talk show and shared his story.

Seems an ex-girlfriend of his, who he’d never slept with, got knocked up by another guy she had a one-nighter with. Not knowing that guy’s name, she put his in as the father and he was sued by California for child support. Noticed arrived to him late and he missed the court date, resulting in summary judgment against him for full child support.

Thy guy got the ex to recant, but the state won’t reverse the judgment because even though he’s not the dad - even the ex admits that now - the state would rather stick him with the bill than take the burden back on the state.

Missing a court date is a bugger, but at least now there are DNA testing services available that could’ve helped him prove he wasn’t the parent when falsely accused like that. The prices are lower than I expected, meaning that you don’t need to be a CEO to prove whether you’re a parent or not.

Normally, I’d say practicing some premarital self-control would prevent situations like this. That’s why this story caught my attention. This guy remained celibate with this gal and he’s still stuck with paying child support. Yikes!