19.8.10

I'm currently enamored by this song. I cannot really call it a song; it's more of an experience. Enough to keep it playing on repeat for the next 24 hours straight.

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:Cosmic Love by Florence and the Machine:

A falling star fell from your heart and landed in my eyes
I screamed aloud, as it tore through them, and now it's left me blind

The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out
You left me in the dark
No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight
In the shadow of your heart

And in the dark, I can hear your heartbeat
I tried to find the sound
But then it stopped, and I was in the darkness,
So darkness I became

The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out
You left me in the dark
No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight
In the shadow of your heart

I took the stars from our eyes, and then I made a map
And knew that somehow I could find my way back
Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too
So I stayed in the darkness with you.

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17.8.10

A Little Note

So I've completed my move from the middle-class Tampa West suburbs to the seriously rundown section of east Tampa just past 34th st. I jokingly refer to it as "The Ghetto", but in reality it has all the characteristics of what a ghetto neighborhood is to most people. Shirtless people ride second or third generation BMX bikes down the streets, people drive by with their booming systems and lots of others walk down dilapidated sidewalks on their way to the bus stop.

These streets and locations around here aren't on Tampa City Council's list of places to renovate, either. These roadways have long been surrendered to pot holes and seriously rough road surfaces without a second thought. There's a sense that the poor people stuck living in this area were abandoned, too. Panhandlers selling bottled water in the medians between busy lanes of traffic are an all-too-common sight on my way home from work everyday, an ever-present reminder that there is no such thing as job security. I'm updating my resume on monster.com just to be on the safe side.

Despite the surroundings, the apartment isn't too shabby - constructed in the mid-to-late 1970's, it comes with the usual lead-paint disclaimer and onsite laundry facilities(which I'll never ever use). There's a balcony for smokers, though I don't subscribe to that vice and likely won't be bringing anyone back to my place anytime soon. The bedroom and walk-in closet betray the ravages of time the most. The closet door doesn't close all the way, due to the door jamb apparently being a part of the building which settled oddly. In contrast, the kitchen feels mostly new, the counters and appliances are extremely clean; this is a good thing.

My justification for moving here is a simple one: I felt as if I was living beyond my means in west Tampa. I moved here because the rent there was borderline extortion - $915 per month with very little income to spare for living and automobile upkeep. I'm currently saving a small random per month on rent, which should add up significantly in the coming months. I've already repaired my poor late-late-late model Toyota Corolla to the point where I can actually feel somewhat comfortable going out again (after several years of not) and added a few notches back to my self-esteem in the process. Unfortunately, most of the people I would like to have spent time with are no longer around to do me that honor.