"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
06/20/2019 at 11:08 • Filed to: Updates
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"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
06/20/2019 at 11:08 • Filed to: Updates | 8
| 15 |
Between the Gambler 500, Pride, motorcycles, fangirling over Harley-Davidson, and planning for the next Gambler 500, I’ve not really updated the shitshow that is my life!
A lot of this is bucket list stuff with the others being goals I had for 2019 like resolving the foreclosure and getting things better with my parents.
Vehicles:
Jumped a car - Check!
Went on an offroad adventure on a scooter - Check!
Killed a car - Check!
Bought a car/truck that’s not a smart - Check!
Found a type of motoring I really love - Check! Offroading.
Bought a manual car/truck - Nope
Finished my offroad smart - Nope
Found an ideal motorcycle stable - Almost! Notice how I haven’t bought a bike in a while, there’s a reason for that.
Sold some motorcycles - ALL my scooters.
Fixed the 451's ABS problem - Meh, no real need until Fall.
Got the 450 cabrio running and driving again - Sooooo close, need a couple more tools.
Myself:
Foreclosure nightmare - Resolved! My mom is filing for bankruptcy and it appears I will no longer have any responsibility for the loan. Thanks IM and colleague!
Losing weight (again) - 20 pounds since April, 30 to my initial goal weight!
Relationship with my parents - Getting better! I instituted a hard rule of no money. It was hard at first but they seem to be accepting the reality. Meanwhile, my dad is cancer-free! Their home is as chaotic as ever, but at least our relationship has been on the upswing. Still keeping my distance.
Eating disorder - Still working, but getting better with it.
Finding a “best day of my life” that isn’t tied to a previous relationship - Gambler 500!
Making better IRL friends to replace the abusive ones - Yeet! :D
Name/Gender legal change - Working on it! Just found out that it’s far cheaper to change your name in a conservative IL county than it is in a liberal one.
Surgery - Not sure if I’ll come even close to this in 2019. My new insurance isn’t all that hot.
Student Loans - Still working on getting the ITT Tech loans discharged.
Credit/Savings - Savings looking better since I started my “NO” policy with my parents and credit is slowly recovering from all my 2018 gut punches.
Misc:
Learn how to shoot a gun - Surprisingly I really want to learn how to shoot. I wouldn’t want to own a gun, but I’d love to know what the experience is like and see how good I could be. Any advice? There’s a shooting range a mile from home!
Changed my career - I’ve decided to stay in tech, but double down with being in K12 tech, so being a sysadmin for a school district.
YouTube - This has been the hardest thing to get back going. I love filming videos...hate editing them.
Motorcycle Demo Days - I really need to get into these things.
Dating - I’ve somehow found out how to enjoy single life for the first time in my life. :)
CalzoneGolem
> Mercedes Streeter
06/20/2019 at 11:11 |
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Keep on eating this elephant one bite at a time girl!
GoodIdeaAtTheTime
> Mercedes Streeter
06/20/2019 at 11:25 |
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Things are definitely looking up! Stay happy! and everything else will fall into place. People love to be around someone who is genuinely happy!
Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
> Mercedes Streeter
06/20/2019 at 11:27 |
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ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
> Mercedes Streeter
06/20/2019 at 11:39 |
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Sounds like lots of good news. On the shooting a gun thing, lots of people do it and will be happy to show you, but there are a lot of astonishingly bad habits and techniques that folks have... It very well may be how their dad/granddad/uncle/hunting buddy/friend taught them to do it, but it doesn’t mean they weren’t very wrong. My advise would be to go out with someone who has actually carried a firearm for a living. If you know anyone who is/was in law enforcement, or did combat arms in the military (Marines, many Army folks, and a small scattering of Air Force and Navy folks), that’s who to go out with.
shop-teacher
> Mercedes Streeter
06/20/2019 at 11:46 |
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That’s some pretty good stuff. Good on you.
“ Dating - I’ve somehow found out how to enjoy single life for the first time in my life. :)“
Especially that part. This is so important for being a complete and happy person.
bob and john
> Mercedes Streeter
06/20/2019 at 12:09 |
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the gun thing: a lot of gun ranges offer ‘try it out” days or something.
you get a gun, a few rounds, and a instructor for a few hours. Highly recommend.
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Mercedes Streeter
> ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
06/20/2019 at 12:13 |
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Thanks for the advice! The local range does appear to offer classes and learning day sorts of things. I also do have an ex I’m friends with who is former military and somewhat recently taught me the proper way to hold a pistol. lol
Sovande
> shop-teacher
06/20/2019 at 12:17 |
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I couldn’t agree with this part more. When I broke it off with my son’s mom I didn’t date anyone for almost 6 years. What I did was get sober, get my shit together and remember what it was like to actually like myself. It was a long process, but the upside is that I now honestly know what I want and I know how to get it.
Future Heap Owner
> Mercedes Streeter
06/20/2019 at 12:20 |
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I’m happy to hear all the good news in this post! Very impressive progress on your auto bucket list. This makes me want to find a group to do the Gambler with even more (especially that pic of the car stuck in mud).
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shop-teacher
> Sovande
06/20/2019 at 12:27 |
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That's excellent.
Snuze: Needs another Swede
> Mercedes Streeter
06/20/2019 at 13:28 |
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That’s lots of great news, especially with your family relationships and enjoying the single life. I’d been in a long term relationship and when it ended it took me several years to figure myself out and get back in the game. It can be tough sometimes but I honestly think you have to be comfortable and happy with yourself before you can truly be that way with someone else.
Re. the gun thing, lots of good advice in here. Find a range that offers a rental package with some instruction, that’s your best bet. Barring that, someone with military/LE experience will at least teach you how to safely handle and shoot a gun, if not how to shoot it well. There are also competent civilians (some of my civilian friends can outshoot my military/LE friends), but it’s hard to know who is good and who is bullshitting you until you see them first hand. I was in the Navy and I carried a gun pretty regularly for a period. And I couldn’t hit shit with it - they taught me how to be safe, but now how to be accurate. I didn’t get good until I got out and got involved in a gun club and started going to clinics and shooting tournaments. Now I compete in a few different disciplines, volunteer at a range, and assistant coach a junior rifle & air rifle team. If nothing else, I’ll take you to the range if you’re ever in the MD/VA area. Oh, and one other piece of advice - start on something small like a .22 or .223, at least till you get comfortable. If someone tries to give you anything crazy like a magnum, a 12 gauge, etc. for your first time, you should pass on that.
450X_FTW
> Mercedes Streeter
06/20/2019 at 14:36 |
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Damn Miss Merc, you’ve got a helluva lot on that list checked off. I was happy when I had 1 or 2 items checked off out of maybe 5 on the list.
MattHurting
> Mercedes Streeter
06/20/2019 at 14:39 |
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Great news! Thanks for sharing.
fhrblig
> Mercedes Streeter
06/20/2019 at 14:46 |
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Cool! Sounds like things are going well for you, I’m glad to hear it.
I’ll be honest about shooting... I don’t really care for it. I’ve been to a gun range a few times with my stepdad, and he’s very knowledgeable and a good teacher. The problem is I can’t ever see when I hit a target right after I shoot because I’m nearsighted , so I never really feel that payoff. By the time I see the target up close I’m all over the place. We always have a good time, but I much prefer archery. That’s a blast!
pip bip - choose Corrour
> Mercedes Streeter
06/21/2019 at 07:46 |
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i’ve never fired a gun, no interest either, but each to their own
as for single life, works for me
as for the rest, well done keep going!