8:30 a.m. I woke up at my girlfriend’s apartment. I spent some of the time in the morning working on blogs and uploading videos. The important thing to do today is go with my girlfriend so she can sign for her new lease on the apartment she saw yesterday.
12:30 p.m. My girlfriend and I drove together to Methuen to fill out the paperwork at the realty office for her new apartment in Lowell. The women at the real estate office were very thorough. It took the better part of 2 hours to get all the paperwork filled out. The biggest concern that we expressed was the bad neighborhood. The landlords assured us that the apartment was safe and they had good tenants. Personally I would not choose a place like this for my girlfriend, but it is the best and cheapest option she has at the moment. This is a result of the realty and rental crisis in Massachusetts that plays a huge role in forcing some people into poverty.
3:00 p.m. My girlfriend and I leave the reality office and drive back to her apartment where my car is parked. She is going to pick up her son, and I plan on getting something to eat. I stopped at Market Basket in Danvers, I bought an eggplant Parm sub, cookies, Reese’s pieces, and a chocolate bar. I eat the sub at Market Basket, and then I drove to Salem to my camp.
5:30 p.m. I hiked out into the woods with my supplies. I’m still sick with RSV and I’m exhausted. I have a dry cough, along with congestion in my sinuses. It’s hard to drink or eat because of a sore throat. It’s been a long week, never mind the last few days. When I get to my camp I lay down, talk to a few people on my phone and scroll through social media. I’m asleep by 7:30 p.m. Luckily it’s a warm night, around 40° f.
HINDSIGHT: 11/2/2025
I paid 2 thousand for my girlfriend’s car and 3 thousand for her to get a new apartment that she could afford the rent at $1,400 a month, with the expectation she’d pay me back. The apartment she was getting kicked out of was $2,500 a month. This was a very difficult decision for me. I took so much into consideration, like her tirades, that I didn’t trust her, that she was a good partner most of the time, her son… It was not a waste of my money, because I cared for her son. His mother needed someone to help her learn to be more responsible with money, and teach her to live within her means, without having to depend on a man to contribute. Because, well, she goes bananas and chases any good man away. I do not think I would have paid so much to help her if it wasn’t for her 3 year old son. I hoped her and I would be able to work through our differences, and took a chance getting her stabilized at a steep expense. This would be the last money I would give her.