Well, I've had blogs before on other sites, and in all likelihood I'll have yet more on other platforms to come in the future. But for now, on this evening, I am staking a flag on this virtual plot.
This year has been one of a lot of change for me, but in subtle ways. After years in college, Steven's finally finished school and found employment, and it's truly amazing how fast things can change with two incomes. We can suddenly afford new furniture, new plates, we can get food and drinks we once considered luxuries. I know it's oft considered bad form to talk about money, but I really don't think I'm bragging by any means when I say having even a little more income when you have so little can be life altering. Today I want to talk about my new couch, which I am sitting on at this very moment.
A couch can do so much to change the way you think about yourself. Since moving into my house, I've had the same couch and love-seat for 8 years. They were grey and cheap and most of all I got them because Fred Meyer was nearby and they'd deliver it inside my house for me. Two cats, a dog, and nearly a decade later they were just ... just abominable. Stains, tears, gouges, deflated cushions, stuffing pouring out of corners, metal poking at uncomfortable angles, my cats would burrow into it like an antfarm. We hated these couches. They looked awful, and it made our entire living room look awful in a way we couldn't ever counter balance.

But then we did the math on how our finances have improved, and realized with a few monthly payments we could easily afford to get a new couch. So we did. And it's beautiful and leather and came with a matching ottoman and we're so so so happy about it. I am truly in my 30s because I am OVER THE MOON about funiture and home goods right now. Now that this ugly burden wasn't plaguing our house, we could actually make the living room look nice, and like we could have guests over without feeling a twinge of embarassment over the slovenly state of things. We realized too that throw pillows only cost 10 bucks, comfortable blankets only 15 at Costco, you can easily find nice stools and coasters and baskets on Facebook Market and Value Village. It doesn't take a lot to have a lot.

Anyways. I'm sure this all sounds very superficial, but sometimes it's important to feed into those superficial needs now and then, if not just to feel like a human being.
Perhaps this couch shall be the metaphor for the good fortune and comforts to come in the remainder of 2024.
Speaking of the remainder of 2024, I'm not gonna talk about the election in this post.