Weekend Recap

Friday- Took the new drugs for my head cold. Learned that Sudafed makes me jittery and insecure. I was invited to Brinner aka breakfast for dinner at a friend's house. I proceeded to freak out about going there alone, and was dramatically indecisive. I told my mom this, to which she replied, "this is how meth makes people feel." Um, okay. Guess I'll stay away from meth too. I didn't end up going. Instead I hung around the house and then went to bed early. I was super tired anyways.

Saturday- Slept in, hid out from my family aka I didn't go to my uncle's birthday party. I just didn't feel like it. Now that I think of it, I really didn't leave the house much that day either. I spent most of the day in bed, reading. And then I moved to the couch and watched Project Runway. But finally I did go for a drive around the neighborhood, and then actually showered and did my hair and makeup and actually looked presentable because my good friend Jen and her husband were in town. I took them to the Cherry Cricket, where we had rounds of beer and yummy food. It was definitely a good night. And in true Wonderful style, I got lost on the way taking them back to their hotel. But I didn't use my GPS either, so maybe that's where I went wrong.

Sunday- Woke up surprisingly early, and bought breakfast from Atlanta Bread Company for the fam. I totally had a dream about Jay, the winner from last week's Project Runway challenge. In my dream, he was my hairstylist, and he cut my hair and we talked like we were bffs. Yeah, it was strange.

After breakfast, I drove to Lafayette to check out a place that was listed on craigslist. Basically, the rent was super cheap, the people seemed nice, and I had already blown the girl off the day before, so I went. And, well, the room was definitely small. Like the girl now has a twin bed in there and a small dresser. But my bed is a full, and i have a huge dresser. I'm pretty sure there's no way I could get it to fit, even though I did send her the measurements and she thinks it will work out. Besides that, I realized I have alot of stuff. And their lease ends July 31, so I'm not sure if it's worth it to move now and then have to move again in a few months. So I left confused, but by the end of the day I realized that it's just not the right fit.

So in a random mood, I posted an ad on craigslist looking for my own apartment or condo. And so far I've gotten like two legitimate responses. Everyone else has been a male (not gonna work), looking for a roommate (Um, I said 1 BEDROOM), or they want me to "check out my credit score." (No thanks.)

The search continues....

How was your weekend?

Weekend Recap

For once in my life, I actually got MLK day off. Needless to say I was excited about having a long weekend.

Friday- I didn't have any plans. I figured I'd just be 90 and go home and read a book or something. But I ended up having a nice evening out with my mom. We had dinner at Rock Bottom Brewery, followed by the movie Leap Year. The movie was predictable but cute. Not something that was amazing, but still nice to see.

Saturday- I slept in till like almost 10. It was beyond amazing. I <3 sleep. Seriously. I stayed in bed for a few more hours and finished reading The Tiara Club by Beverly Brandt. It was cute. Finally at around noon, I got out of bed and made myself some lunch and watched Project Runway. I had no idea a new season has already started! I had the house to myself for a bit, which was awesome. After Project Runway, I watched Kendra on the E! channel. I had never seen her show before, but it was the episode where she has her baby. I don't know if I'd watch it again, but it was at least something to watch. Shortly afterward, my dad stole the tv from me via Slingbox, so I had no choice but to get off the couch and actually do something. I took the dog for a walk and then came home and played Wii.

Sunday- I slept in, went to Costco, attended church, hung out the family, and thought about going out but never did because my friends had gone out the night before. Then I started to feel sick with a runny nose. Not fun at all.

Monday- The dog woke me up at like 6:45am. It was torture, but I got up and then applied for a couple of jobs. Yay for productivity. Then went out to breakfast with my family, where my mom lectured me on how I need to keep my room clean and how she wants me to help her clean the closets out. To which I said, no and no. I mean, who really wants to spend their day CLEANING? Not me. So, I conveniently took the dog to the muddy dog park for awhile, then headed downtown to have lunch with M at Pete's Greek Kitchen.

After lunch I drove over to Waterworks to get my car washed. I was so out of it, that I accidentally tossed my keys in the trunk. It was only mildly embarrassing, but it was worth it. My car is actually clean now (minus the trunk where I tossed everything). I didn't want to home home and help my mom clean closets, so I ended up going over to my friend's house for awhile. We took her dog for a walk and caught up. Around 5ish, I decided I should face my mom, so I drove home. I had forgotten that my mom was watching my lil cousin Ben, so that was nice. His new word is "nope." He says it in response to pretty much everything. After a few hours, I left and went over to Kristen's where I had pasta for dinner and caught up with her.

We basically agreed that we aren't going to live together. We feel like two weeks isn't alot of time to find a place and move. Not to mention that her apartment complex offered her a 1 bedroom at a lower price, which means it'll be easier for her to move. I feel okay with this decision because I know things happen for a reason. I still haven't heard back from the job interview I had last week. The interview itself went well, but it apparently only pays $10-$12/hr, which is a joke to me. Why work there when I make more at my current job? So I pretty much have decided I will turn it down. I'm supposed to hear from them this week.

As for me, I'm feeling sick right now. My nose is similar to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and I'm sick of blowing. I took some Zyrtec last night and am going to keep taking it to see if that helps. I also forgot to use my flex spending account to buy all this stuff, which sucks but I'm going to try and be more aware of it next time.

Besides feeling sick, I am so tired today. It was like death going back to work. Not to mention that we're on deadline so things are like not at all calm. I seriously bought myself a White Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks an hour ago so I could stay awake, because I'm that tired. I can't wait to go home, skip dinner, turn off the ringer on my phone, and pass out.

How was your weekend?

I don't want to be miserable

So not much to report here--the catering job interview went well. I guess they are hiring now but their busy season doesn't start till April, so my hopes of having a part-time gig now isn't likely. However, a future part-time gig is positive.

The other interview was a joke. I took four tests, each about windows or the internet. Like I'm talking basic stuff. And then I had an interview in which they told me more about the position. Basically, they said the pay is only $10-$12/hr and I'd be a contract employee. They thought I was a good fit for the position and I should hear next week whether I got it or not.

But here's the thing. After that interview, I knew I would hate this job. Like seriously hate it. I mean, I'd rather get something in my own field than do a crappy job like that. Granted some of my friends have said that it's better than being laid off and having no job, but if I'm miserable beyond belief, why do it?? So I'm not going to.

As for the moving out thing--well, I haven't talked to my friend yet. We've been playing phone tag. I'm pretty sure if I want to live on my own and still pay off the debt I have, I'm going to have to get a part-time job or at least start freelance writing again. That way I can guarantee I will still stick to my budget, but also pay off the debt. And part of me is okay with this. The other part of me is like, ew, another job. no. don't make me do it. But, the reality is, I need to take control of my finances, and if getting another job is the answer, then so be it. I'm just going to make sure I balance it all out. I don't want to be a workaholic. I'd rather sleep in and spend time with my roomie on the couch than work all the time.

Hopefully after I talk with my friend I'll have a better feeling if this is even going to work out.

Open Doors

I realize I still need to share some pretty hilarious stories with you all, but this topic takes precedence. Because it's like important. Like I-need-your-input kind of important. So here's the opportunities complete with my pro/con list.


Job: So, as you know, we have to move again in March, because the company that we share the space with now has expanded and basically wants our space. So I have no clue where we'll be, but we're supposed to move in March. That being said, my mom has a bad feeling about this and thinks that my company's going to just shut us down. Which I don't know. I mean, sure, there's only 5 of us left now, but our company overall has actually hit their fall forecast, which is good. But at the same time, we are in a crappy space, I'm not sure if the company cares about us anymore.

That being said, a week ago, my Dad heard that his company was hiring 500 people. So he asked around, and found out they were help desk positions. So of course he told me to apply. And I did, even though the last place I did customer service for, I hated. Like h-a-t-e-d. Because the people there were losers. They were all like fat or smokers or just like rejects of society basically. So I was like, great, why apply for this job if I'm gonna hate it? But apparently it will pay more than what I'm making now. And I do have experience. And it would be the night shift but I would still have weekends off. So I grumbled and I applied for it. And last night while I was at Target, buying bacon (cuz clearly bacon is a household staple) I got a missed call from an unknown number. You all know where this is going...it was an "onsite supervisor" asking me to come in for an interview either today or tomorrow. I called him back but no one answered so I left a message. He just called me back and I am interviewing tomorrow afternoon.

At this point, I'm like, why not give it a shot. Do the interview and see what happens. But is it worth working a job you (might) hate just for the money?

Fast forward now to my other dilemma.  

Housing. So right now I live with my menopausal mom and 9-year-old brother while my Dad is away in China. I moved in to pay off my student loan and save money. Well, I still have half of my loan to pay off but I have till May. And I have an interview for a catering job tomorrow, which could help supplement my income aka go straight to paying off that damn loan.

My friend Kristen wants me and her to be roomies. She needs to be out of her apt by Feb. 1. Which isn't alot of time. So, the pros of living with her is that I forsee us getting along just fine. She loves cake and beer, both of which are necessary characteristics of the perfect roomie. Her bf is out in Texas, so I won't be sexiled. And we both are poor (she's in grad school). I still don't know if we want the same area(s) or types of living (I don't want to live in another cookie cutter apt complex.) But we are supposed to talk tomorrow about this.

The pros of moving out this month is that my storage is free this month only, which means that I can put that $200 I have been paying towards the deposit of the new place (assuming I live with her). I could have my stuff again. I could start cooking again! I would be totally totally much happier. Just the thought of being on my own again makes me squeeeee. Actually, I don't squeeee. I'm more of a YAY! type of person.

So that's definitely tempting. But my debt isn't going to go away either. So do I risk the chance that I won't be able to pay off all of my loan like I had planned to by May but gain my sanity (and stuff) again? Or do I continue to live at home, continue to be miserable in my current job, and put all my money towards the loan?

What would you do? I need your input...ready...set...GO!

What a week

Man this week flew by. Here's a quick recap:

-Tuesday: Was a lazy girl, talked with M for over an hour at Wendy's about our life & future, our hopes and dreams...yadda yadda yadda. Didn't really get much packing done.

-Wednesday: Went out with Bobby. Originally we were set to go to Il Vicino, but then we decided that you can't beat pizza from Wazee's. What's funny, in a deja vu matter of sorts, is that a) the last time I was there was with S, and b) we seriously sat in the same exact spot as I did with S. seriously. Dinner was good, both the conversation and the food. I talked alot more and we ran the gammet with topics of conversation varying from work, to drinking, to religion. Afterwards, we walked around downtown, and went to the Tattered Cover where I got to show him the current issue of my magazine and which sections I wrote. I even saw a 'cuse alum in the store and randomly struck with a conversation. After the bookstore, we went to the the highlands bridge and saw a public piece of art and talked some more under the stars. Shortly after, I went home, but it was a great time. And good to see him during the week. I look forward to his birthday on Monday, but more about that later.

-Thursday: Took my brother to school, worked hard all day aka took a two hour lunch, came home and went with M to pick up moving boxes. I had posted on craigslist earlier this week asking for bigger moving boxes, and I got a great response. And I tend to like options, and so I overestimated the boxes I might need. But M put up with me. We grabbed boxes from a lady in Superior, and then headed to Lafayette to grab newer ones and padding, where we met this nice lady named Janis. She was so so sweet, had a southern twang, and recently moved back from Sweden, where her husband is still working. Both M and I were curious about her life story, so I suggested we get tea next weekend. She was such a sweet lady, I could totally see her being a good mentor. Then M and I packed until past midnight, and we're still not done. We have the kitchen and I have the closet and bathroom to go. It's amazing how much crap you have, and how much you really need to live on.

More packing awaits me. Oh joy. *twirls finger in the air

Moving

Moving is hard work. Now I know why I didn't move for two years. Today I finally started taping together boxes and packing things. And lemme tell ya, it's hard work. Not only is it hard, but it's like energy draining and emotional all at the same time. I did however manage to pack two bookshelves, and my entire set of dvds/vhs, along with a half-filled boxes of what my aunt would call "knickknacks." So I suppose that it's a start.

I am leaning towards reserving one of those P.O.D.S. because then I won't have to make multiple trips to a storage place--they will come drop it off and pick it up. I'm just worried about getting the right size. I didn't realize how much furniture my mom had given me--I have two recliners, two end tables, not to mention a dining room table set with chairs, two stools and a island type thingy, plus a couch. Oy.

I was planning on bringing my dresser home, but of course my mom has to put the kibosh on that. She's now decided that I won't be allowed to bring my dresser home, and that instead I get to use her 10+ year old armoire that only has two drawers and currently has a tv in it. "It's really meant for storage, not a tv, so I'll put that in your room." Great Mom, just great.

The one perk to them jetting off for Spring Break Training in Arizona is that I get to housesit. Yes, I always hate housesitting because I have to watch the dog, and get up early, but this time might actually be beneficial because....I'm planning on moving stuff into my room while they are gone. I've already decided to put my bike in the garage and stuff a few boxes of needed stuff into the closet. mwahahaha.

In other news, my dad comes home in t-minus 6 days!

New Beginnings

Our office is seriously in a state of disrray right now. I actually was given the day off today because none of our computers or phones are set up yet, so that doesn't leave much to do besides unpacking boxes, which I couldn't do because the server is in my office and the IT guy was sitting in my chair alll day yesterday.

All I did yesterday was stack boxes of back issues in bookshelves, dust, and scrape off tape from my desk drawers. And don't get me started about the amount of grim on my desk drawer handles. Let's just say it took an average of 5 paper towels for each handle to get clean. The desks are L shaped, and the drawers can move, so that is a plus. That means I can rearrange whenever I get bored. The desks themselves are definitely old. Like circa 1970s is my guess. But, at least I have a job.

Our publisher was so sweet yesterday and bought each of us a little vase with red carnations in them to brighten up our work space. And she treated us to lunch. I definitely like how close I am to the bus stop, and I like that our new space has character. The bathrooms on our side are unique--one is all like stainless steel and the other one is fully tiled with fancy lighting and handsoap. The other company hasn't moved in yet, but they are supposed to on Thursday, so that should be interesting to finally meet our neighbors.

At least I might have the internet tomorrow, so that I can update more often.

I like to move it, move it

We're moving! I packed up my entire office today and it felt so right. I don't know, some people are sad but I'm in such a hyper mood--I am like yay! And everything is done and all I have to do tomorrow is clean off my desk--it's dusty. But it wasn't bad, I hated taping the boxes together but I felt organized, and I'm ready for the new space. I might not enjoy it as much as this one, that is for sure, but oh well. I found out I'm sharing an office with my coworker Shannon, who is actually one of the nicest people in our office. And apparently our computer server is going to be housed in our office, which is not so good, but oh well. There's not alot of space, but I think it'll work. We'll make it work. That's for sure!

All this packing has made me more excited to pack up my apartment. I know it's going be 10x more difficult because I have alot of crap, but I've never ever packed on time. Even in college, I threw stuff into boxes at the last minute. So if I pack ahead of time, I could actually be organized! And even label the boxes! What a concept! Hopefully I can start gathering some boxes this weekend and start with one room at a time--I was thinking I'd start first with my closet/bedroom. And then progress to the living room with my dvds and cds. And then last will be the kitchen. Does anyone have any other packing tips or moving advice?

TGIF

Yay it's Friday!!!!!! I am still trying to wake up right now but if I could, I would jump up and down in celebration. Tonight M and I are going to happy hour--we haven't done this since like last year. Seriously. And then we're gonna go check out this condo in Boulder.

Speaking of moving options, I saw the house with 2 roommates and met them on Wednesday night. It went well, but I don't like that they are for sure not renewing their lease come August. So that means if I move, I'll have to move again in another 4 months. Which is really just a bummer because I have alot of crap. Tonight's possibility looks like more of a long term option, but I have to see if I get along with the girl and if my room is big enough. Decisions, decisions.

I can definitely say that I must have been on crack or something when I said last month that I could totally move home and have it work out. Based off the past few experiences with my brother and my mom, I don't think this will work out at all. In fact, I dread the thought of moving home. It makes me want to cry. But like my spiritual advisor said, I need to pray about it, and that's definitely something I haven't been doing lately. So perhaps it's a good thing that it's Lent, because I plan to give up watching tv two days a week and do pray time every other day.

Other weekend plans include visiting my old lady friend, actually making it to church this week, going to a vegetarian potluck with M and others, and seeing Bobby again. Should be good times.

I'm somewhat refreshed

After getting 9 hours of sleep last night, I feel much better. Not nearly as exhausted, and no need for a nap today. I can't wait till Monday, because we get it off. It'll be a glorious to have a 3-day weekend.

I meet a potential roommate tonight--wish me luck.

The Amish Friendship bread is coming along. I came into work today to find it puffed up with air, but I guess that's normal. I'm on day two, so all I had to do was "mush the bag." Easy enough.

It was hella windy outside today yet I still managed to go to Sunflower on my lunch hour. I had a hankering for Boars Head Mozzarella, mixed nuts, fresh basil, and some leafy stuff--spinach & romaine lettuce. It certainly was a productive trip.

Tonight I'm hoping to get 10 hrs of sleep--we'll see.

Updates

M and I turned in our 60 day notice to the apartment people yesterday. We just signed a simple form and then we were done. Pretty easy. I don't know why but I feel like packing already. And that is strange, even for me. When I had to move out of my dorm in college, I never packed, my parents always had to help me pack, and usually it was all last minute, so it was basically just throwing all my crap into boxes. It was kinda stressful, I'm not gonna lie. But for some reason, I feel like doing things different this time. I feel like getting organized, and labeling boxes and having them ready to go before we move out. At this point I'm keeping my eyes peeled at work for boxes, because I'm gonna need alot of them (I have alot of crap).

On another note, I'm not too sure if the Binghamton trip is going to happen. L and I were talking about it yesterday and we haven't heard from Gwen at all. On one hand I'd love to see her before she jets off to Australia to be with her bf, but one the other hand, I wouldn't mind saving the $300+ it would cost me to fly out there. At this point I feel as tho both L and I have put in all the effort we can. It's Gwen's turn to reciprocate. My only potential frustration is that she's going to decide, say, late next month, that she does want us to come out. That will for sure be frustrating because I bet it will be even more than $300 to fly out there, not to mention the short notice. L is luckier because she lives in the same state and is just a Greyhound bus away. I, on the other hand, don't have that luxury. So, we'll see. But at this point I'm counting that trip out.

It's official

M and I are not renewing our lease. And after March, we won't be roommates either. M is going to move downtown and I...well, I haven't quite figured it all out yet. If you asked me last week where I was living come April, I would've confidently told you I was moving back into my parent's house. But, in a recent conversation with my mom she recognized that I wouldn't be happy at home and that in some ways it would be "a step back." I agree with her, but it's pretty costly living alone & finding a roommate presents another challenge, especially because most of my friends here either are married already or live alone and are currently in leases. So we'll see, surprisingly I'm just happy that we for sure made the decision of whether to renew or not. Now I have two months of making up my mind.

I contacted the Apartment Finders, have scoured craigslist, and even posted on Facebook that I'm looking for a roommate. Apartment Finders got back to me but most of the 1 bedroom apartments they found in my price range don't have washer/dryers included. So I'm going to keep looking. At this point I'm just open to wherever life takes me. I know, it's a very Zen approach, even for me. But all I can do at this point is take each day in stride, appreciate the last months in my beautiful apartment, and hope for the best.

While on craigslist the other day, I saw a posting for a girl that's looking for a roommate. She's a PhD student at CU, and has lived in the US for 6 years; she's originally from Taiwan. She's very quiet, doesn't do drugs, and seems very friendly. We emailed back and forth about places and just answering general "about me" questions. She seems like a good fit...I mean clearly no one can replace M, but for a roommate, she doesn't seem too bad. The only drawback at this point is that she needs a place to live by Feb. 6. She emailed me the other day saying that she's still looking for a roommate and found a nice condo to rent. She offered if I could move out early, that we could have a trial period of sorts. I'm still confuzzled by her email to be honest, but I think that's what she was suggesting. I emailed her back about the place, and am awaiting to hear back. I might meet her for coffee or tea this weekend to see if we'd even get along. Who knows, we might or might not be roommates. My mom freaked out when I told her I had been emailing a girl from Taiwan, but ultimately, it's my decision. I have to make my own mistakes. But I'm very open minded to different cultures and personalities.

I think either way I'll be fine. At first I was freaked out about living alone. Like what will I do if I hear scary noises at night? It won't do any good to call someone because if it is something serious, I'm screwed. But after my intial freak out session, I am confident that I'll be fine either way--alone or with a roommate. I just think at this point, I definitely don't want to live at home. But, if I don't find a place by March 31, I know I can go home. So either way, I'll be fine.

Decisions, Decisions

I am the sort of person that doesn't always enjoy making decisions yet loves to have the control. Somedays I am extremely indecisive, even about mundane things such as what to wear for work or eat for dinner. But there are also sometimes when I am sure of what I want. Today is one of those days where I feel indecisive, only this isn't about a mundane subject. It's about housing aka where I'll be living come April. M and I found out that our rent went up by $60. We've lived in our current place for almost two years now, and we love it. It's a spacious 1300 feet, complete with den, a kitchen with lots of countertop space, and bedrooms on opposite sides. Another perk is the garage with offers covered parking at no additional charge.

As great as this place is, and perfect for a first-time renter such as myself, I find that M and I are a crossroads, which isn't a bad thing whatsoever. But I feel as though change is on the horizon, not only with our president, but with my life in general. As I told M this weekend during a long walk, everything is changing, why not just add a new place to live too? It was good to discuss with M, because she felt the same way--she sees change coming along too. We discussed moving to a smaller place and saving money, or going our separate ways.

With my Dad leaving for China, my mom is open to me moving back home so I can pay off some debt and save up for house or condo. I have mixed feelings on that though. It's not a pride thing either, because I think it's very nice of her to open up the house I grew up in to me again. But I have concerns. I don't want to assume more responsibility with my little brother because I'm not a parent, I'm just an older sister. I don't want to lose my social life. Sure, I'll still have my car and friends, but I will lose my privacy I'm sure. And then there's the question of budget. Will I be saving money? Will I have enough to contribute to the household if I move back home?

The hardest part of all of this is what decision to make. At this point, I am unsure. I feel pressured to make a decision too because our apt wants 60 days notice if we're moving out, which means we technically have till the end of the month to let them know either way. Which is not alot of time at all! I would be fine with living by myself but I'm not sure if that's the most economical decision I should make at this time. But I also don't want to live at home for another year or longer. I just don't know what to do. In this case, I just can't see the big picture because I'm too worried about the details. *sigh*