SuperMandy

Holy Crap!

2008-02-28T09:04:00.001-06:00

There are fewer than 100 days until Jeff and I get married. Is it possible to be both the most excited you've ever been and the scardest you've ever been at the same exact time? If it is, I've done it.

Edit: Theknot.com didn't account for leap year being this year. There are actually 100 days today.

I got an A!

2007-12-11T14:26:00.000-06:00

My very first grade as a graduate student has been posted, and it's an A! I'm excited! This is a great start. I also passed my very first music therapy quiz-out yesterday afternoon. I'm functional on guitar.

Close to the end

2007-11-20T10:26:00.000-06:00

The end of my first semester as a graduate student is coming. Due to the nature of my program, it hasn't been all that different from my experience as an undergrad. I have a few extra projects, but I finished one of those last night, and it wasn't all that terrible of a process.

I have a ton of stuff to do over Thanksgiving break. I hope Jeff doesn't mind me working in the car while he drives. I'm actually glad this one project is due before we leave for break. It's one less thing to worry about this extended weekend.

I hope everyone is having a joyous holiday season so far. Hopefully, I'll actually get a Christmas letter out this year instead of a Valentine's Day letter or whatever I actually sent.

Peace Out, Kids!

Woohoo!

2007-11-01T19:38:00.000-05:00

I love Christmas season, and the radio stations have declared it to have started. I'm cleaning my apartment mostly for the purpose of putting up my tree. I love this time of year.

I'm Officially Old

2007-10-24T23:36:00.000-05:00

Today I plucked a completely white hair from my left eyebrow. It was weird and depressing. I'm now an old person.

Today's Rant

2007-10-23T14:42:00.000-05:00

I'm annoyed with a few things. I decided to blog about them. Lucky for you, reader.

I hate low rise jeans. I'm so tired of seeing buttcracks. I would much rather look at a person with pants up to his or her chest. Likewise, I feel uncomfortable when too much of my butt is exposed. I've hated low rise jeans since they came onto the scene. I saw two buttcracks today and one yesterday. I'm grossed out.

The second thing that is currently bothering me is the John Mayer song "Dreaming with a Broken Heart". I basically like the song, but one thing drives me crazy about it. Whoever made the editorial decision to pound out that E on the piano during the intro was stupid. The note is high enough in the context of the section that it does NOT need extra emphasis. The weight given to that note on that particular instrument is too shrill and tinny. It makes me cringe every time that note is played. It even makes me cringe later in the song when there is a piano interlude playing a nice, little melody. Even there is no special emphasis on that E during that interlude, I still cringe when I hear it in the context because of how my pitch memory works.

Yesterday in the mail, I received coupons from Target. I was really confused, though, because all of the coupons were for baby items. I'm not pregnant, and I have no idea why Target thinks I am.

Dumbledore is gay. Interesting.

God's Blessing?

2007-10-21T10:06:00.001-05:00

Instead of going to church this morning, I decided to watch TV church instead. At this moment I'm watching Joel Osteen and his huge Lakewood Church in Texas. I have a big problem with his message. Basically, he is telling people if they are faithful, God will bless them. This is true, but he is implying these blessings are material and of this world. He says God will more than provide for each of us. God does bless each of us, but I think the importance of promotions and wealth is scary. My blessing from the Lord is that I won't go to hell when I die.

Seeking material blessings does not seem very Christ-focused. It seems a little Me-focused. It would be incredibly difficult to remember all those blessings come from God. I think the temptation from the devil would be too great to accept a destructive way of thinking. I see Satan telling these once faithful people they gained all those things alone. Satan would tell these basically good hearted people they don't need God because they have achieved things without His help. Wow. What a terrible problem.

Mark 8:34b-36 "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" (NIV)

Luke 6:20b-26 "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. But woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets." (NIV)

Matthew 19: 21-26 Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven. Then come, follow me."
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of god."
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
(NIV)

Matthew 6: 19-21, 24 ”Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." (NIV)

My treasure is in heaven. I'm blessed now on this earth, but I'm so glad it will be even better when I leave it.

Money Makes the World Go 'Round

2007-10-02T20:27:00.000-05:00

I am very happy to announce that I will be paying only in-state tuition costs for my graduate education at the University of Kansas. I have been very blessed over this past year and a half.

I'm a Rockstar!

2007-09-24T16:49:00.001-05:00

I'm pretty awesome. I just did some car upkeep. This morning, I discovered the bulb in my left turn signal was out. Today, I went to an auto parts store and then successfully changed the bulb. Pretty much, this was the most I have ever done on a car. I can add oil and gas and stuff, but that was about it until today. Now, I would like to add that this wasn't like changing a bulb in a lamp or anything. This actually required strength. I think I might have gotten a little boost of testosterone this afternoon. I hope I don't have any chesthair.

Internet Banking is Beautiful

2007-09-04T15:48:00.001-05:00

I love being able to check my bank balance online. I'm a pretty serious checker, so I have only have one instance where I ran into trouble with not having as much money as I thought. I recently (within the past hour) have discovered another great thing about internet banking. I can look at cancelled check images and actually print them if needed. For my petition to only pay in-state tuition rates, I need to prove I've been paying rent. Instead of having to bother some teller with my problems, I just went online and did a search of my checks for the images I wanted. I found them and printed them with no interpersonal communication. I didn't have to talk to a single person, but I am still going to get what I need for my application. Life is good for this non-confrontational person.

$9.95!!!

2007-08-30T15:24:00.001-05:00

I just paid $9.95 towards the principle on my student loan. I set up my account so I could make payments on the interest while I was still in school. My interest so far was $40.05, and I made a payment online today. I made my payment for $50 and checked the little box that said "YES! Apply the extra to the principle." It's a small contribution, but I'm feeling proud of myself for the time being.

This is great!

2007-08-28T10:28:00.001-05:00

Taking a year off was probably the best decision I've ever made. A year ago, I was not in a place where I would have done very well taking classes. I was tired of the whole state university system, and I was just plain burned out. This past year, I've really done a good thing. I worked in a crappy job and advanced my life in a social sense. I've become more the adult I hope to be in the future. So far this semester, I've found a renewed interest in academic pursuits. I'm so excited about all of my classes. It's crazy. I haven't been this excited and frustrated all at the same time for years. Also, if I would not have taken this year off of school, I would not be engaged to the most wonderful man in the world. I'm so thrilled to be on a life journey with Jeff. We might not agree on who should be the next President or which college football team to cheer, but those are just little specks of dust when compared to our similar views on things that deeply matter.

My life is in a good place right now. I'm excited for the future.

Finally getting it straight

2007-08-22T23:18:00.000-05:00

As of today, I finally have this class schedule thing all right. I'm taking 9 hours, which for me means 5 classes. There are seven of us starting the program this semester, which is nice to know there are others in the boat with me. Mostly, I'm annoyed by the undergrads in all of my classes. I'm making up classes I've "missed" by not having a music therapy undergraduate degree, so all of my classes are either cross-listed or undergrad classes entirely. I have been to all of my classes at least once, so I'll give my initial impressions now.

Principles of Music Therapy: This is an intro class where my super awesome and nice prof employs music therapy on her students. I feel really great when I come out of that class.

Clinical Techniques for Children: This is a class about working with kids, more specifically kids with disabilities. I've ordered a book for this class I might not be getting for another month or so. That's convenient.

Guitar: I'm really terrible at playing the guitar so far. We've "learned" how to tune and play three chords. I hope I actually learn how to play because the sound of 20 guitars playing out of tune at the same time is painful at times.

Choral Performance Clinic: I've only been to this class once, but it seems fine so far. I guess I get to sing a lot and then conduct towards the end of the semester. Should be a good time.

Voice: That's right. My degree in vocal performance doesn't get me out of this class. The other students in the class don't pay attention and are disruptive, but the prof ignores them. We have to prepare a song and perform later. I hope I can handle it.

On Monday I was really missing UNL. I just like knowing the customs and procedures. It's nice to not be clueless. (Side note: Paul Rudd, who plays the hippie-ish ex-step-brother in the movie Clueless went to KU.)

I'm tired now, so I'm going to bed.

Taking classes for sure now

2007-08-13T16:46:00.000-05:00

I'm registered for classes! I'm not registered for all of them, but I so far have 7 hours of classes scheduled. I'm going on Wednesday for new student stuff, and the piano placement tests are that day also. I feel like I should be preparing for that or something.

I have a lot of catching up to do. I'm hoping some of it will be available for me to do during summers.

I'm pretty pumped!

A dirty and amusing story

2007-08-09T00:22:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I left my apartment for Nebraska to visit the family. This always involves taking laundry home where it is free to wash. I have a system of separating my laundry into baskets and bags before I take them to the washing machine, so I have multiple things to carry when I take my laundry to the car. This process yesterday took about three trips. I'll now go over what happened during those three trips last evening.

Trip #1: I am met on the stairs by a middle-aged man looking very "bubbly" and holding a can of what appeared to be beer. I've never seen him before in my life.

Trip #2: Drunk man is looking out the window and adjusting his pants.

Trip #3: Drunk man is gone, and the whole hallway smells like a cat made a mess. I contemplate whether or not this could have been caused by a neighbor's trash bag but decided it hadn't smelt all day (and the bag had been out all day). While looking in the general direction of the trash, I see a pile of poop in the corner. I really think that man crapped in the hallway. I left and hoped it will be clean by the time I come back.

That's all I have.

Family News

2007-08-03T00:41:00.000-05:00

Things are once again crappy in my family. Both of my grandmothers are in the hospital right now. Polly fell and bumped her head pretty bad. She has 12 staples on the top of her head from most likely hitting something on her way down. She's also very confused and in lots of pain. Charlotte is in a different hospital with heart issues. I'm not sure exactly what they are going to do with her.

In other news, I've managed to make yet another person angry with me about wedding-related stuff. I didn't show my aunt my dress when I bought it, so I'm now on her list. Apparently, I have yet to do anything right in planning.

My dad has two cute puppies right now. If I can talk him into it, I'm going to take one next summer. Jeff has already been convinced that we need one. I like puppies.

I finished the Harry Potter book. Very awesome. It might be my favorite of the series, but I'm not sure. Next week my niece and nephew show animals in our county fair. Hopefully, I'll be able to see them.

Veils are expensive. I think I've convinced my sister to make me one. Even if she had to attempt multiple times to get it right, it would still be cheaper than buying one.

That's all for now.

Stuff

2007-07-20T09:11:00.000-05:00

I am now the owner of a beautiful wedding gown. I won't describe it here due to the wrong person getting an idea in his head about what it looks like, but if anyone would like an email about it I could arrange it. Note: We also took some pictures of me in it, but they were with a disposable camera.

Today is Friday, and I only have three Fridays of working at the Mac Shack left. I'll be going to Saturdays and Sundays only at that time. This will be much better especially since my favorite manager is leaving this week. The environment there will be weird for a while until a replacement is found.

Jeff went on a little vacation this weekend (extended weekend) before he starts work in just over a week. This begins the 9 or 10 month stretch where we only see each other a little bit. (Once a week or not at all) Pretty much, this is going to suck.

Harry Potter 7 comes out at midnight. I'll be at the store. I've never done that before, but I think this might be fun this time. I will probably not get off work until 11 or so this evening, and Borders is in the same parking lot. I am estimating we might have a late rush of Potter fans in our restaurant tonight. Stuff for kids starts at 7:30 with stuff for adults at 9:30. I'll wander in the bookstore when I get off and wait about an hour. I'll probably also stay up late tonight reading.

Music

2007-07-13T09:39:00.000-05:00

I wish people would just let me be a musician without having to defend myself about it. To me, music isn't just a silly waste of time. All of my life I've been studying and making music. Music is a deeply engrained part of my psyche. Please, let me be who I know I am and study music for at least a few more years.

What's in a name?

2007-07-06T11:47:00.001-05:00

How would you all feel to be 24 years old and not know if you indeed have a middle name or not?

Jeff does not know his middle name anymore. We tried to get our marriage license yesterday but couldn't do it. His reprinted birth certificate has only his middle initial while his driver's license has his full middle name. The very unhelpful county clerk refused to give us a license since the middle name issue didn't match. It was pretty terrible. Yet another issue we've had with this whole getting married/wedding thing.

I hate the world right now

2007-06-24T22:19:00.000-05:00

I procrastinated, and now it's too late. I just want something I plan to go right.

I'm going to go crazy before next June

2007-06-13T18:16:00.001-05:00

I'm pretty sure all my blog readers know this, but I recently got engaged. Jeff and I are planning on getting married next June. Basically, planning a wedding sucks. Everyone and their dogs have something to say on the matter, and no one is content with letting the bride and groom do their own thing. I feel like nothing I decide can go without some criticism. This is my blog, so now I'm going to complain about the complaining.

First of all, the date itself has been pretty much a problem. My mom wanted the date of the wedding to be in May because she would be less busy in May than she would be in June. The only possible weekend turned out to be Memorial Day weekend, so after putting that date on my church's calendar and telling multiple people that would be the day, we changed it to June 7, 2008. That date will not be changing. The place has irritated one person. I didn’t think anyone would criticize my choice of getting married in the church in which I grew up, but I was wrong. I have an aunt that dislikes my pastor and asked me if I considered getting married in the Methodist church in the next town over. I couldn’t believe it! (Jeff said he wouldn’t marry me if we didn’t get married in the church I grew up in.) We haven’t picked a reception site yet, but I’m sure someone won’t like it.

My colors have been set for at least half a dozen years, but this is the second biggest complaint from people. No one agrees with me that black and white with highlights of red will be classy. Next time I hear a complaint, I’m changing the colors to bile and diarrhea. My sister, struggling for an argument, even said that black and white “don’t go together”. What! That’s so insane! Does anyone else see how that’s crazy?

Speaking of my sister, she’s offended by something, I guess. She wants to be involved, but I’m not sure what she wants to do. I asked her to be my witness, and she wasn’t listening to me because she said that was an “aunt’s job”. I’m not sure what to do with her.

My brother-in-law was even worse about the reception. I’m beginning to find out that no one cares about the actual wedding. All people are thinking about is the reception, which really isn’t all that important to me. Anyway, Mat thinks our decision to not include alcohol or dancing is insane. We don’t want a drunk fest on our hands. Is that too much to ask for? Also, I’ve been to 5 weddings in the past year, and all 5 had dinner at the reception. This is a sign to me that people expect to be feed. So, we’re having a meal with toasts and cake cutting and bouquet throwing and garter tossing, but without the dance part. Mat argued very heatedly about how receptions are cake and punch affairs with lots of booze and dancing and the opening of presents. The good news is now Jeff and my mom are on my side about having a meal. There is no one left to argue with that is important at all.

Tonsilitis?

2007-05-22T15:01:00.000-05:00

My throat has been hurting for approximately two weeks now. It's pretty annoying. At first, it was just a dull pain, but the last few days have been really horrible. I don't have any other symptoms, so I'm very confused about what I have or don't have. Basically, I'm being a whiney baby. I've started coughing in the last hour or so, making me hope my body is kicking this crap out of my system.

Money

2007-05-17T23:20:00.000-05:00

I just e-signed my student loan agreement. I know owe a lot of money. Life is not good. Well, it is, but owing a ton of money is not good.

Yay Presents!

2007-05-09T12:45:00.000-05:00

I have pretty much no money, but today I'm going to purchase graduation presents for my wonderful beau, Jeff. I'm going to the mall, I think. I don't think I need to go to the mall of stuff, but I'm going there anyway. I feel like it's been too long since I've been shopping. I'm pretty excited about it. I might possibly also buy myself a birthday present.

I'm officially a dumbass

2007-05-03T23:01:00.000-05:00

I apparently can't read. Numbers are confusing to me, I guess.

As probably everyone who reads my blog knows, I'm going to KU in the fall. I'm going to be a freaking graduate student, and I can't figure simple things out. I got my acceptance letter on January 31. I was very excited and hung it up on my wall in my apartment. A few weeks ago, I filled out the fafsa for the second time in my life. I got an email from KU financial aid office yesterday while visiting Jeff saying I could view my offers and needed to accept or decline them within 30 days. There was a problem with this. I needed my student ID number to do all this. I didn't know my number and had no idea when I would be told this number. I freaked out a bit. I called the office of admissions to obtain this magic number so I could proceed along my academic journey. My call was forwarded to the office of graduate admission, or whatever it was, where some lady told me my ID number would be mailed to me. I asked when this comes after a department letter, and she said typically 2-3 weeks. I freaked out some more. It had been way over that amount of time since I got my letter. I was angry all day.

When I got home tonight, I looked at my letter from KU from way back in the day. The first 5 words of the 3rd paragraph were "your student ID number is". I'm pretty much an idiot. Anyway, graduate school is going to be very expensive for me. I did a few things with my student ID tonight. I joined the Kansas facebook network, and I discovered my next step in my journey. I was considered an out of state student, so I need to work on getting in state tuition rates, finding if I qualify for an exchange program between Nebraska and Kansas, and/or applying like mad for outside scholarships. And the beat goes on...

End of April

2007-04-30T01:11:00.000-05:00

My favorite month is on the horizon. I'm pretty excited.

Happy

2007-04-25T13:54:00.000-05:00

I think things are going pretty well in my life right now. I had an issue at work the other day. The wrong people apologized, but at least someone did. I guess it's all fair; I pulled a stunt on them a few weeks ago.

I'm going to visit churches in KC starting this Sunday. I'm not sure I'll find what I'm looking for. Basically, I want a small church with programs set up. More specifically, I would like to join a Bible study for people around my age. Pretty much, I'm craving quality friends. I love most of my coworkers to death, but I need some separation from work and social time. Once I start classes, I'll maybe start getting some KU friends, but I probably will have a small barrier since I won't be living in Lawrence.

I'll stop rambling. I started studying music history a bit, singing, and playing the guitar. I want to be a little bit prepared for school. I probably won't be.

Crazy

2007-04-20T11:28:00.000-05:00

For some reason today I'm missing people with crazy. Just everybody. It makes me want to take road trips this summer to visit people. However, this is expensive. I'm not sure what I want to do this summer with my time.

Sad

2007-04-17T14:25:00.000-05:00

My heart goes out to the community of students, parents, faculty, and staff of Virginia Tech. This was a terrible tragedy, and I hope it will never be repeated. I pray for peace and strength for all those affected.

I miss UNL

2007-04-11T10:23:00.000-05:00

I had a dream this morning that I went to the ninth floor and Pound Hall, and it was mostly empty. The RA had been there, and she put new names on the doors. It was really sad for me to think I'll never live there again. I will never live "down the hall" from my friends again. I will never share a meal in my pajamas with anyone other than my family. I won't sit on comfy couches and read with people. I got even more depressed when I realized Elise wasn't even that RA who put up the signs. I'm so sad.

In other news, Steph is engaged! I'm pretty excited for her. I'm so glad I got to know her my last few years. I know of people getting married this summer, but I won't be invited to any of them. So far, I think 2008 will be the next busy wedding summer.

I'm going home today to see my nephew. It's his 14th birthday. Geoff and Kate are pretty much my height. I'm glad to be going. Work has been frustrating lately. Pretty much, there's one manager that bothers me. My attitude is completely different when he's the only one there than when there is someone else in charge.

My feet hurt

2007-04-07T12:53:00.000-05:00

That's all.

In other news The Ten Commandments is on tonight. I love that movie.

Dammit, I want a kitty

2007-03-21T11:15:00.000-05:00

I would like to have a cat. A fuzzy, cuddly one. I'm in the pet mood again. Jeff doesn't like cats, so I think I'll have to wait for a dog. I don't like inside dogs, so I'll have to wait until I have a house with a yard. That's all.

Part 2

2007-03-13T16:41:00.000-05:00

Today, I played a song! Who's excited?! That's right. It's me! My fingertips are a little numb on my left hand, but I made it through. It sounded pretty bad. I don't really care. I can play E Major, A Major, G Major, D Major, and e minor. I was having some mental issues with the chord progression I was told to play by the book. This was due to my pre-programmed listening of the bass note being the tonic of the chords. Not all the chords I played on the guitar were in 5-3 position, so it didn't sound quite right to me. (It didn't always end in a PAC, so it felt unfinished to me.) No worries, though.

My mom's mom is in the hospital. She's going back to the nursing home soon. If she stays in the hospital for three days, Medicare will pay for the first 100 days in the home. This is what we're hoping for. Elderly care is expensive. I'm not excited about Grandma being back there, but I know it's probably where she will get the best care.

One of my dad's friends died last week. I feel pretty sad about this one. Larry was such a nice man. He used to call my grandfather after he was diagnosed with cancer. He was a kind neighbor to my grandparents for the last 8 or so years. Larry and Dad spent hours upon hours fixing cars and other projects. He will be missed.

The Guitar Chronicles, Part 1

2007-03-10T15:49:00.000-06:00

I'm starting to actually learn a little bit about my newest intrument. I'm not sure how many people know this, but my dad bought me an acoustic guitar last summer. I'm going to have to learn how to play it for school, and this was my dad's way of saying he approved of my scholastic endeavors. Anyway, my guitar (which I have yet to name) has sat mostly untouched for almost a year now. A few days ago, I decided to change that. I bought Guitar for Dummies and a songbook containing songs of various skill.

I've started a bit of playing over the past few days. I sort of skipped over the beginning chapters, taking only what I thought I needed from them. Today, I played my first chord, E Major. It was a beautiful day, indeed. I've attempted A Major and D Major as well, but they didn't sound quite right this afternoon.

I only get to play for 15 minutes max each day with how my schedule works. (That, and my fingers start to hurt at that time.)

Seven

2007-03-08T20:19:00.000-06:00

I think I have a thing for seven part series of books. I'm a Harry Potter fan, and pretty much the whole world knows that is a seven part series. My favorite books ever are the Dark Tower books by Stephen King. Yep. Seven once again. I have recently found myself being unable to put down the first book in another seven part series. I'm two chapters from the end of Ender's Game, which was recommended to me years ago. It's pretty good, so I'm planning a trip to Borders to get the second book tonight.

My car is without trash tonight. I took out an entire kitchen trashbag full of crap out of the car. (I didn't find my second set of keys, so things are bad on that front.) My cleanliness has exploded beyond my apartment. It's so clean I almost feel like it's not really where I live.

Tomorrow I go back to work after a three day hiatus. I'm not looking forward to it, but I think I may finally have a schedule I like. (Not love, but like.) I'm going to be getting two days off in a row in the middle of the week. Pretty much that rocks. I'll be able to actually visit people and get things done.

The Lofte is going to be doing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat this summer. I would love to be in this show. I'm hoping to be able to do it. This is probably a horrible move financially for me, but experience is worth it.

Getting more things done

2007-02-28T14:33:00.000-06:00

My taxes have been filed for 2006. This makes me happy. Everything is all sent, and I should be getting a couple of refunds within the next few weeks. Score! My apartment is slowing getting spring cleaned. Bathroom was already done, and I just finished the kitchen this afternoon. I'm pretty excited about this.

The weather is beautiful outside today. I can't wait to sit outside and read for hours.

Netflix still rocks my socks off. I have a movie to watch tonight after work. This is pretty sweet.

Speaking of work, I really am feeling rested today. I'm sure it's because I haven't been there in over 24 hours. I am going in tonight, but this little amount of time off was awesome. I'm glad I asked for some time off in April. I think it will keep me going through March.

Wow. Being an adult is completely boring.

Edit: I don't think my dad knows when my birthday is. I looked at my taxes from last year that my dad had someone prepare, and my birthdate is wrong. The year is right, so that's good, but the month and the day are both incorrect. I hope the IRS doesn't get me for fraud because my dad doesn't know his own daughter's birthday. Oh well. Such is life.

Still cleaning...

2007-02-25T23:54:00.000-06:00

My kitchen is now almost clean like my bathroom. The same goes for my bedroom. But enough about that.

Netflix is the coolest thing ever. I'm really liking how user-friendly it is. I watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. I've seen this movie a few times in my day, but my review is that this movie is a classic. Indiana Jones was officially my first crush ever. Next up is Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Things were slow at work tonight, so I got to see quite a bit of the Oscars tonight. This made me very happy.

My life is boring. Sorry.

Clean!

2007-02-24T17:38:00.000-06:00

My bathroom is clean. This pretty much hasn't happened since I moved in. I'm very excited about this whole process. Hopefully, this cleaning mood will last for a while. I also started on the kitchen. I'm not very far.

I've been playing the Sims a ton lately. The latest expansion pack is coming out at the end of the month. I'll probably not be able to buy it for a while. I'm pretty bummed about that, actually.

Work has pretty much been sucking more than usual lately. This has caused me to ask for excessive amounts of time off.

Netflix rules all. I watched my first movie and will send it off on Monday. I might be able to get two movies next week if I work fast.

I think I'm due for a trip to Nebraska. I miss my people.

I really think I should brush up on my basic music history and theory while I have the time. I saved my text books, so I should probably start there.

Missed it!

2007-02-21T14:54:00.000-06:00

I was going to sign up for Netflix today through mypoints.com so I could get the DVD rentals AND 1,000 points in one shot. However, I was stopped in my tracks when I went to the Netflix site. They no longer offer a $4.99 a month plan. The cheapest plan is now $9.99 a month. I missed the window of opportunity for the cheap plan.

I think I'll still do it. (Going through mypoints like the original plan was.) However, I will have to make sure for my own peace of mind that I watch more than 2 DVDs a month. To make myself feel really good, I'll have to watch 5 or more DVDs a month.

I'll most likely sign up tonight.

Spring?

2007-02-20T12:49:00.000-06:00

The weather is lovely so far this week. February is almost over. I'm ready for March and a rainy season.

I'm very happy right now because I have a lunch shift off today. I was ready for it.

My life isn't very exciting at the moment, so I really have nothing to write about.

Happy Mardi Gras today!

It's a sad, sad day

2007-02-13T01:53:00.000-06:00

John Mayer and Jessica Simpson!? What is that all about? I completely disapprove of this. John is way better than Jessica. His music is amazing and smart, and she's a bimbo. I am very disappointed about the whole thing. Hopefully, he'll realize his mistake and break it off.

Love it!

2007-02-11T15:26:00.000-06:00

Someone drew Trogdor in a table at the Shack today. It pretty much was the coolest thing ever.

Feeling the burn in my legs!

2007-02-10T14:44:00.000-06:00

I've renewed interest in working out. I've found that kickboxing is more fun than dancing, and I still like walking. The jury is still out about whether or not I like straight areobics. (Probably not, but the DVD was only $2.50 at Target.)

I'm watching my new school play my boyfriend's school in basketball right now. I know nothing about basketball. I wonder if I'll ever learn. Next fall, KU plays NU at home, so I'll try to go. This is fantastic because I win no matter which team wins. Yay for me! KU is playing MU in KC, so there will probably be pressure for me to go to that game, too. I think that would be pretty fun also.

I'm pumped about going back to school. I love learning.

I'm also seriously considering Netflix. I think I can handle $4.99 a month for two DVDs. I have some ideas. One, is that I could try out two new movies each month. Two, I could try out a movie and a workout video for a week or so. And, three, I could get a movie and a television series set if that counts as one selection each month. Or, I could just alternate those three and be extremely happy.

That's enough of my silly entry. Have a great day!

Enough already, Tara!

2007-02-06T00:41:00.000-06:00

Is anyone else getting really sick of Miss USA? Could she get more publicity for being bad? So she makes out with her roommate, drank while underage, possibly did illegal drugs, had random male visitors at her apartment, and may have witness abuse early in her life?

I don't know much about the various beauty pageants, but is Miss USA the unwholesome version of Miss America? Is Miss USA the rejects of the Miss America stuff?

Anyway, I'm tired of hearing about stupid, changed-for-the-better, Miss USA. I can't wait until her reign is over.

New Blogger?

2007-02-01T11:45:00.000-06:00

Should I switch to new blogger? I don't know anything about it, so I have no idea if I should do it.

My mother is now officially old. She's 60. I don't like the sound of that.

The final Harry Potter book is being released on July 21st. Good thing there is a Borders down the street from me.

My sims genetic experiment is moving along smoothly. Sims are just popping out babies like mad but are needing to buy larger houses with more rooms which is leaving them poor and unhappy.

I should go get some laundry done. Yeah, my posts have been lame lately. My life is pretty lame, so deal with it.

Target

2007-01-29T18:26:00.000-06:00

I love Target. I just spent a very long time there, and it was good. I purchased some great stuff at low prices. Yay Target. I got some fuzzy pants for $3.74. I love clearance. I put lots of things back, but I just love to look at the stuff.

I'm having a great afternoon off. I took care of my car. It's happy now. I'm also happy.

I think I'm going to waste a bunch of time this evening. I will be getting a few things done, but I just want to rest my feet for a while.

Getting the fever

2007-01-23T16:33:00.000-06:00

I'm getting excited once again for Harry Potter. It's early, but I'm still excited. The fifth movie is due out this summer, and the final book has a name. I don't think Rowling is done writing, but it's getting about that time for Potter Mania to hit the book sellers. Some have speculated that the seventh book will come out this July on 07/07/07, but that seems a little too soon to me. Shouldn't the editting process take a few months? It's almost the end of January already.

It's also Oscar fever time. I've pretty much seen nothing this year, as is the case most years. Oh well. I still get excited every year. I'm the type that will someday have Oscar parties.

Speaking of movies, I think one of those mail-in movie memberships would be cool for me. If I had extra money, I would do it.

I'm also excited because I'm finally wearing my favorite Christmas present. I love it!

Still alive

2007-01-14T02:01:00.000-06:00

I'm still alive. It's sleeting or something like that here, but I'm lukewarm in my apartment. My application is all sent to KU, and maybe one of these days I'll apply to another school. I have the rest of the month to accomplish that, so hopefully I can muster the motivation.

My Christmas tree is still up and beautiful. I should maybe put it away soon. The problem is that I love it too much.

Speaking of Christmas, the holiday did good things for my checkbook. Not only did I get money as gifts, but business at the Mac Shack had a boost. I finally had extra money at the end of the month. This was even after paying my credit card balance in full. This month, I've already paid all my bills other than my rent. This is highly unusual for this early in the month.

This year my taxes are going to be a pain. I have to file in two states in addition to my federal taxes. I've tricked Jeff into agreeing to do my taxes for me, but I think it will be a pain. I should probably do it myself. We'll see how it goes.

My paternal grandmother had a heart scare last week. She had excess fluid around her heart and went to the hospital for a few days. She's home now, and I could tell she was going to be fine when she made a joke about dying. She's thought she was dying any day now since before I was born. My other grandmother is doing alright. Slow, but alright.

I really wanted to write a Christmas letter this year. Then, I decided to write a begining of the year letter. When that didn't happen, I've decided that maybe I could write a Valentine's Day letter. I probably won't, but it could happen.

It's after 2 am now, so I should think about going to bed. I'll go to bed, but I'm sure I won't sleep. I've been reading Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King. I love reading. For some reason, I mostly purchase non-fiction, but fiction is what really gets me going.

Have a wonderful Sunday tomorrow, and a peaceful MLK day on Monday.

Yes!

2006-12-19T17:48:00.000-06:00

I created a video with JohnRoss today that is the last step in my KU application process. This will take a huge weight off my shoulders. I will now be free to do other things like clean my apartment and finish projects. One of those projects is my Christmas letter. That's right. I'm going to be one of those people. But, don't expect this actually prior to Christmas. It will be more of a "holiday season" letter.

New Favorite Song

2006-12-08T00:55:00.000-06:00

I purchased the Mulberry Lane Christmas album this past week. My new favorite song is "Christmas in Nebraska". It's pretty awesome and captures exactly how I feel in a very, very specific way.

My large tree is decorated as of tonight. It's been 3/4ths complete for a long time, but I finished it tonight. I have yet to decorate my four miniature trees, but I'm sure that will come with time. I just feel so guilty decorating when I have other things to do. Oh well.

That's all I have, kids.

Anonymous

2006-12-01T22:52:00.000-06:00

I've seen this a few times through blogs and facebook, but I've never really had the motivation to do it. For the Amanda version, I'm going to go through three categories. I'm going to write what I would like to say to various people without naming names. I'm sure some of you will figure a bunch of them out, and that's the fun for the people reading. Most of the people I'll include aren't readers of my blog, and that's the way I intended it. I feel inspired to get some things out right now, so I'm going to spend at least an hour writing this. I've decided to include ten people in each category. This is going to be a long read.

Family

I cried the other day thinking about you. I didn't know how much you had touched my life until you were already gone. I admire your strength and good nature. I'm glad I just don't have a child's view of you. You were an amazing individual, and I miss you.
Stop calling me sis. I'm not your sister. You are a horrible human being. You creep me out. I know you are a liar. I hate liars. Stop hugging me. I hate it. Hugging you makes my skin crawl.
Thank you for choosing me. There was a time I was angry about that, but I'm so happy now.
I'm sorry about your son. You are smart, strong, and loving, and I'm thankful for all your help this past few months.
Sometimes you frustrate me, but I still love you. I'm not sure I've ever actually told you that, but I do. I admire you. I wish we could talk more often. I think you are amazing. You are the model of strength I want to be and have in my life.
Why are you so angry? Have you ever thought about inviting Jesus into your life?
Do you feel lost and alone? Is that why you are giving up control of your life? Do you resent your children? I'm sorry.
You are so special. I don't think you know that. I love you very much, and I miss you. You are growing into a very special human being. If I had the money, I would buy you a life-changing operation. Life will get better after middle and high school. I promise.
You are a light in everyone's eyes. Stop swearing so much.
Quite frankly, I'm frightened of you.

Friends

I love you in an awesome way. I want to love you with reckless abandon. We're crazy, but I trust you completely. You are making me a better person. You are so kind and loving. We're different and yet the same. It's weird. Each passing day with you is better than the last. I wish I could prove to you you have nothing to be jealous about.
I don't think you know this, but you hurt me over and over again for about a year. Things are fine now, but things were not fine for a while. The fact you didn't really know was the worst part about that. I've forgiven you, and I've pretty much forgotten everything, too.
You are so strong. I didn't think you were, but I was thinking tonight that you really are a strong bird. I wish you luck.
What's up with you lately? I've heard reports you haven't quite been yourself. Is there something bothering you? Are you feeling lonely? Are you jealous of something someone else has? You can tell me.
I wish we would have known each other a lot longer. I really value you. Thanks for being there whenever I needed you. I think we're kindred spirits, as Anne Shirley (Blythe) would say. You are a pillar of strength.
Hey, we haven't hung out in a while. How are things? We are very different, but I still think you are pretty cool. I was so scared of you when we first met, but now I know you wouldn't hurt me.
Keep me out of your drama! My goodness you have a lot of it.
I like my hair the way it is. I like myself how I am. I'm not that girly. Deal with it. Also, I don't care about your drama, either. I'm usually not interested, but you don't even notice. We can't be as close as I think you would like to be because I'm not open to it. I'm sorry.
We have akward conversations. I don't know why, but I don't think we're ever going to get past that.
I don't what happened, but we aren't close at all anymore. I'm pretty much a bad friend. You're a bit crazy, but that didn't really bother me, so that wasn't it. I made a choice to avoid drama, but it ruined things between us. I really had a great time with you whenever we were together, and we had some great talks. I wish you luck in your life adventure.

Miscellaneous

I want to reach out to you right now, but I'm not sure if that's my place or not. In my crystal ball, I see you moving to a real category someday, but that will happen with time. I feel sorry for you and could probably help out a bit, but it's actually a scary move for me. I'll ask some advice and get back to you on that one.
I'm still angry at you, and now my boyfriend would like to break your face. That gives me a sense of satisfaction. You are a child, and I'm glad you don't live in the same state as me. Good riddance.
Don't talk back to me. You are a punk, and the world does not revolve around you.
I should call you. We could be friends. I liked hanging out with you the few times we did it.
You made me hate music. Luckily, I like it again, but I will never again have the same passion I once did. Thanks.
I learned a lot in your class. I knew I was learning at the time, but now that I've been uprooted I know how much of what you said was true. Thanks.
I'm sorry you are going to lose your baby. That sucks a lot.
I'm glad we got to try again a bit in college with the friendship thing. I shouldn't have been so mean to you in high school. You're a great person, and I was stupid not to realize that. I guess I thought I was cooler than you. What an idiot I was. I was never cool at all. Sorry.
You made my skin crawl every time we were in the same building. Pretty much everyone hated you here. Good riddance. Things are so much better now.
Life wasn't fair to you. You are loved. I wish you wouldn't have looked for love physically. You didn't have to do that. Good luck with everything.

Frigid

2006-11-30T14:07:00.000-06:00

I'm pretty cold right now. If I had a coffee mug, I would be drinking some hot chocolate right now. But, alas, I haven't such mug. Yesterday, I drove through an ice storm on my way from Nebraska to KC. I drove very slowly, and I didn't go off the road once. It's currently snowing. It's a delightful supply of big, fluffy flakes. I would enjoy the prettiness of it all, but I have to go back to work in a few hours.

I've decided I don't have enough holiday music. I really want the Mulberry Lane Christmas cd. They have a song called "Christmas in Nebraska". I listened to the snippet on itunes, and I can really relate to it.

I think I've successfully gotten Christmas Eve off. So far, I'm the only one who has actually gotten approval for the day, and I'm the first one on the list anyway. This is good. I'm excited for my own Christmas in Nebraska. Pretty much everyone I love is at least a 2 hour drive away. Sometimes, I get homesick still.

I have a big mess in my kitchen. I've decided to ignore it and hope it goes away. We'll see how well that one works.

It was almost fun today at the Mac G. Like one of my fellow employees said, "only the freaks come out on days like this." Boy, was that ever true. There was a couple who wanted to sit in a corner, so we took them to the area we call The Cave. It's set off a bit with walls on three sides. They were definately making out. These weren't teenagers or anything you would expect such behavior from. Definately over 30, and everyone knows people over 30 don't have fun.

Bills are expensive. I've got some big ones coming up. Hopefully, I'll be able to pay them by the end of this week. Living is expensive.

Something else that's expensive is dating. I don't even spend as much as Jeff does, but I'm still feeling the pain in my checkbook. Good thing he's worth it.

The snow is really falling now, and I feel hungry. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, and I wish everyone a happy shopping season.

Yum Chipotle

2006-11-13T15:06:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite things ever is to eat a yummy Chipotle fajita burrito. I usually get this with chicken and the green chili sauce. Just thought you all would like to know. Anyway, I find this meal to be perfect for my crazy eating schedule. If I'm working a double, it's just great to have in between my two shifts. It's big enough I pretty much don't have to eat for the rest of the day. Good times. Plus, it's only a few blocks from my apartment.

In a related note, I've gained five pounds. I think I should work on that.

Last night I made more progress on my Christmas decorating. My tree has lights. Purple and clear. I wasn't a huge fan of the purple at first, but they are growing on me. I'm sure it will look better once all the other decorations are there.

I had a dopamine conversation at work yesterday. It excited me greatly. Brain chemicals rock.

I love having a little free time. Last night I also did a little bit of scrapbooking. I didn't make any pages or anything, but I organized (put in piles) a bunch of stuff. I also made some piles of pictures for a couple of people.

Tomorrow, I'm going to practice. This will be good. I really need it.

"It's the most wonderful time of the year"

2006-11-07T18:00:00.000-06:00

I'm already in the holiday spirit. I drove for over two hours today, listening to Christmas music. It was glorious. I'm a big fan of it. The beautiful songs always make me a little teary eyed. Christmas music is great stuff.

My actual tree is about halfway put together. It's fun to watch it all come together when I have a little extra time to work on it. I'm pretty darn excited to have a big girl tree this year in addition to all my little girl trees. I also have a coupon for Hallmark, so I'm certain I'll be making a visit to a store to get some more ornaments. Next year will be a sad one, though, because Hallmark is discontinuing the miniature ornaments according to some sales clerks I've spoken with this holiday season. I'll have to spend more money on bigger ornaments.

I purchased my first Christmas present of this year last night. Oddly enough, it was for my atheist brother. I couldn't pass it up. Who can resisit a Darth Vader Mr. Potato Head? Not me. That's for sure. Darth Tator (tee hee) also came with a storm trooper Potato Head. How awesome is that?

If fall wasn't being so darn pretty, I would even ask for some snow.

In a good place

2006-11-02T17:46:00.000-06:00

Things are going well here in OP. My apartment is clean, I was able to pay all my bills this month, and I have the night off tonight. One of the radio stations in the area has already started their holiday music, so I've been listening to them non-stop while driving. I'm the type of person that is the reason this stuff starts earlier and earlier every year. I never get sick of the Christmas season. It's November 2nd, but I'm trying hard to resist the urge to put up my trees.

On the grad school front, I've done a little more than last time. I've picked my four selections for my audition video. I've made copies of two of them so far, but it gets old, so I stopped for the night on copying.

I've got some good Sim stuff going on. I've been playing off and on for a while. All 16 of my sims are juniors in college. I'm ready for them to start their time in the "real" world.

Another thing I am ready to work on again is my college scrapbook. I'm hoping to have this done this month. I think I have a new idea for a fourth scrapbook. It will be a good one, but I don't have a lot of stuff for this one yet. Hopefully, I'll have a bunch of pictures and trinkets for this one in the coming years.

I'm ready to vote on Tuesday.

Nothing going on

2006-10-29T21:23:00.000-06:00

This is an update on my life. Things are fine, but there isn't very much to report. I'm boring.

Shallow

2006-10-26T13:11:00.000-05:00

I was attacked by shallowness this week. I really haven't been feeling down on myself lately, but luckily someone decided to change that. Basically I was called ugly. This was discussed by two co-workers and overheard by a friend at work. It really hurt me. It's silly, I know, but I had actually attempted to look nice this particular night. I was off my game the entire night.

The problem with someone insulting my personal appearance is that this is one area where I am self-conscious. I've never been a pretty girl. I've always been overweight and plain. However, I've tried to be kind, smart, and talented. If anyone insults me for doing something dumb, it doesn't bother me.

I guess the lesson here is that things that don't matter still bother me.

Apparently, I watch scary movies with my boyfriend and football by myself

2006-10-21T11:55:00.000-05:00

I managed to not make enough time to watch a scary movie during my two days off, but I might make time next week. I turned on the television this morning to a wonderful surprise. Nebraska is playing Texas right now on ABC, which is the station that has most of my favorite shows anyway. Anyway, the Huskers are playing at home, which is great for my homesickness. The band is playing familiar things, and I've heard the crowd yell things I've heard many times. There's red everywhere, the stadium is a sight so often seen, and I think I might just sit on my couch most of the afternoon. Win or lose, I'm just happy to be watching. I'm nervous, but still happy.

I Watch Scary Movies Alone

2006-10-18T11:49:00.000-05:00

I'm really in the mood for a scary movie. I have the next two days off, so I think at some point I'll watch one. I'm a sucker for Wal-Mart's $5 movies as most people who know me already are aware of, and the last time I visited a store scary movies were $4.88 for selected titles. I found Rosemary's Baby in the bin, so I purchased it. I believe it's about a demon baby or something, which really is the best kind of scary movie. I'm pretty excited to watch it. I like scary movies best when they have some evil-demon action.

This will not be the first time I've watched a scary movie alone. If there is one on television, I have pretty much always watched them alone. I've watched several Stephen King adaptations alone, but those don't always make very scary movies. More recently, I watched The Ring for the first time by myself. Anyway, I'm probably going to do some Halloween gearing up by watching a scary movie very soon, maybe even tonight after the Dancing with the Stars Results Show. (I voted again. I didn't even watch the actual dancing last night, but I had to vote for Jerry.)

A good deal of my friends are married now. I have to admit that I've noticed. Things aren't as lonely as they once were, and I have to admit a good deal of that is because it is no longer the way that 90% of my closest friends are in relationships when I am not. This has shifted for two reasons which are very simple. I'm in a dating relationship myself, and some of those coupledoms have dissolved.

I love days off. I've been lounging in my bed for two hours while on my computer. Good times. I played the Sims for a while last night. I'm sad because a new expansion pack should be out this week, but I don't have the extra money to buy it right now. This month has been not good for me financially. I'm thinking of even dipping into my savings account. I hate doing that with a passion. I've decided, though, that I'm going to get it anyway once it's on sale. The bad part about that is that it's on sale at Target right now. Who am I kidding? We all know I'm going to buy it as soon as I can.

I think I'm going to spend my day cleaning/getting tasks done. I'm off to register my car this afternoon. This should take hours if it's anything like the last time I tried to do it. I'm also going to the bank today. I have enough to pay two more bills. This is good. I only have my credit card bill and my rent left for this month. Good times. I should probably start my day now that I've wasted the morning. Have a good one, all!

Yes!

2006-10-06T16:07:00.000-05:00

I have enough money in my possession right now to pay a bill! I'm very close to being able to pay 2 bills even. I also bought some grocery items. I didn't go overboard or anything, but I got some essentials like milk and bread. I spent less than $30, and I think I'll be able to eat for quite some time on this. (by the way, I got paid today)

Living

2006-10-05T15:37:00.000-05:00

It's so expensive to live. I think this year for Christmas if my family asks me what I want, I'll just hand them a bill to pay. I'll ask them how much they wanted to spend on a present, and I'll hand them a bill that is approximately the same amount. I think that's a pretty fair trade. You want to spend $50? Sure. Here's my phone bill from last month. $25? Well, my electric bill is about $30 so how about that? I'm finally getting my credit card bill under control, but I'm actually applying to schools now. This means I'll be charging the application fees to the card in addition to the fee to send my GRE scores places.

Here's the thing, though. I have enough money to cover everything, but it's in a savings account. I really don't want to dip into it. The savings account is for something special. Perhaps I can justify using money from it for grad school related expenses. As soon as I start grad school that account will probably be drained, but I guess that was what I saving for in the first place.

I get paid tomorrow. I hope I actually made a little money this time.

Halloween

2006-10-03T23:03:00.000-05:00

I'm ready for Halloween. I'm going to reprise my last year's costume as Cinderella. The best part about living in a new place is that I can reuse old ideas. Maybe I'll get better shoes for the part.

I have a pumpkin to carve. I'm not so much excited about the carving as I am with the once a year chance to eat pumpkin seeds. I really love these.

I've been told I dance like they do in The Breakfast Club, but until tonight I didn't know what people were talking about. I guess they are right.

This is the month for scary movies. Now, all I need is a group to watch them with. I really haven't had this since high school. I'm pretty certain I'm going to make Jeff watch scary movies with me, but we don't like the same kind of scary movies. Well, I like most of them, but my favorite are the ones that involve supernatural scariness. The kind I don't like are the ones that are just bloody for the sake of being bloody.

Fun size Snickers are now the new feel good food for sick people. As a person who is currently sick, I feel I am completely qualified to deem this so.

I am now officially a TV junkie. I've voted on a reality TV show. I wanted to make sure Jerry Springer got at least five votes for this week's Dancing With the Stars. He amuses me so I want to keep him on the show. Other reasons I'm a TV junkie include taping four shows and week and the fact I've spent at least four hours in front of mine today. I don't even have cable or NBC.

I really need to get my butt into gear with a lot of things. I'm hoping tomorrow I'll feel a little better so I can get some stuff done. Laundry needs to occur. I also should figure out if I am indeed a registered voter in Kansas. I thought I was, but now I'm not so sure.

Okay. I'm done now.

Bad Blogger

2006-10-02T08:16:00.000-05:00

I can now finally be accused of being a bad blogger. I've let this thing go for a long time without any new posts. I think the problem is that the one thing I want to write about is something I also want to not write about.

I'm ill. I can't talk right now, so I'm going to have to call in sick to work. I'm not sure how I will be able to call in exactly, but I'll try my best. I don't really feel all that sick, but the not talking thing is no good.

My grandmother is 90 today. That's really old.

I missed Survivor and Grey's Anatomy this week. Oh well. At least I got Desperate Housewives, which is really my favorite show anyway.

My family is pretty cool. Crazy, but still an alright bunch of people.

I'm crazy for still being awake right now. I'm going back to bed where my pillow loves me very much.

Tickle me again?

2006-09-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

There is another Tickle Me Elmo out this year. Let's just say I don't need one. It looked pretty dumb on television.

I think I'll hold out for better presents. (Yes, that was blatently selfish.)

Merrily we roll along

2006-09-19T12:37:00.000-05:00

Life just keeps moving. For once, I'm happy it's moving along. It's cold today, and I'm excited for the change. I've always liked the changes of the seasons. I get sick of summer and winter after a while, but I could probably stand longer fall and spring seasons.

I've been playing the Sims again. I'm trying to get my multi-racial sims out of college so I can start the genetic experiment. I'm such a geek, but I really like watching what happens. I'm also gearing up for when the next expansion pack comes out next month. Yep, I could also be considered a loser, but I spend a great deal of money on this game.

I was very short of money recently, but I think things are maybe turning around a bit. It's frustrating, but I feel like all the money I earn goes into living expenses. Last month, all my extra money went into car maintenance. That sucked. This month, I bought work clothes. This was quite a chunk of change. We are fast approaching the holiday season, so there goes more of my money.

Yep. My life is boring. Oh well. I still like it.

Elections

2006-09-14T18:19:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure I'm going to vote this year. I'm just not sure about any of the candidates or issues. I don't even know who any of them are here. I suppose a good citizen would figure this all out by November, but I'm lazy.

I'm undecided about fertility drugs. I would like to think I would just be happy to adopt if I couldn't have kids the usual way. However, I understand what a wonderful process having a child of my own would be. I have at least five years before I need to actually think about all this.

We're coming upon new episodes on television again. I'm starting to think I might become like my mom with the tv watching. She's a chronic taper. I have three shows I like, and I'm so glad none of them are on NBC because I don't get an NBC station in my apartment.

I'm going to have a Friday night off tomorrow that I won't be able to enjoy. This is bad. If anyone calls me, I guess I would pick it up, but I'm not going to randomly come in and hope to work.

I should get some stuff done because I plan on playing this Sims later tonight. I might even run to Wal-mart and pick up the latest thing for my sims. I'm such a geek. Yeah, I think I will do that later tonight.

It's been a long time

2006-09-12T11:04:00.000-05:00

I've become one of those bad bloggers. I'm sorry about that, but I've been spending an awful lot of time working. This may change in the coming weeks, and that is probably a bad thing. Pretty much everyone has had a drop in scheduled hours. While I enjoy the time to do anything else, my bank account feels a little pain.

Right now I'm just lounging in my room. I tried to sleep in, but could only make it until about 10:30. That's my normal wake-up time these days. That sounds pretty lazy, but when I don't get home from work until 10 or 11 at night, I can't just go to bed at a reasonable hour. I'm driving home for some stuff today. I didn't get to visit my sister last week, and I miss her so I'm going home.

I think this is the start of present season. I'm invited to a wedding and a baby shower in the coming couple of weeks, and there are four important birthdays coming up also. Once those have passed, then it's time for Christmas. Let's hope I can pay for things.

I haven't played the Sims in months, but I'm feeling like it's time I start that up again. I miss my little people.

Another thing I need to do is get my camera fixed. I have an idea, but for some reason I can't find electrical tape. I believe I need to visit a hardware store.

Peace out, kids.

Visit

2006-09-05T15:26:00.000-05:00

I'm not in Kansas anymore. I'm in Nebraska where it's the good life according to the sign. So my life has been interesting lately. I'm not sure whether or not I'll be making any money. For a while, I was doing alright, but things have taken a bad turn recently. I officially stated the grad school application process. I've already made a few mistakes, so that's really exciting.

Right now I'm hanging out with a couple of people in Lincoln. At some point I need to visit all my family members. I think I'll do some of that tonight with tomorrow being a super social day for me. Speaking of being social, I've been on facebook to see all the new craziness. Wow. It's insane.

I don't actually have much to say. Good day, all.

Edit to last post

2006-08-31T23:36:00.000-05:00

I don't feel quite so bad about school stuff right now. I've decided that perhaps I felt so awful about it because I was letting it get in the way. I gave it up, and now I'm going to let things happen the way they are meant to happen.

Where?

2006-08-31T18:18:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about where I want to spend the next few years of my life. It makes me feel like I'm actually becoming an adult. I've never had to think much about my residence. I never lived anywhere but the farm as a child/young adult. I only applied to one college. (Technically, I applied to two, but I withdrew my application after learning about scholarship information.) I moved here because I wanted to go to a certain graduate school. My life just might be turning upside down, and suddenly I need to widen my scope of potential living sites. My goal for the evening is to decide some potential schools. Goodness, gracious what a goal.

Movies

2006-08-28T15:49:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I get into a mood to watch movies other people would find strange for me to want to watch. Anyway, I'm watching Schindler's List right now. This movie is amazingly artful. The acting is also fantastic. The story is heartbreaking. The music is also a wonderful Williams score.

Nail update: There is more smooth nail than bumpy nail right now.

I think I'm going to lounge around and clean today. That sounds nice.

Problems

2006-08-26T17:22:00.000-05:00

My car wouldn't start this morning. This is bad. Very, very bad. Luckily, my family in the area is pretty darn awesome, so my uncle came and saved me this morning. I ended up being only a half hour late, and I still made $50. I've decided I'm going to show up late for the dinner shift tonight. Anyway, my car is going to make a trip to an auto shop of some sort for some TLC. All I have to say is that I'm very happy to be making a little money these days because I can actually afford this right this moment. I can't really pay for much else, but I can officially say I can pay my rent for September and have my car looked at (and probably buy a new battery).

Time to get my clothes out of the washing machine.

Right...I'm no longer a student

2006-08-24T14:52:00.000-05:00

I got a bill today from the University. I was pretty annoyed with it. It said I owed them money for my cell phone I cancelled back in May. My service was cancelled, but apparently my billing statements were not. Luckily, I only had to make one phone call, and the nice person on the phone fixed it for me. It's a good thing they handed me my diploma or else they might try to charge me more tuition or something.

In other news I received my first flowers from a boy today. (Flowers from male, platonic friends or prom corsages don't count.) That totally made my week. Yippie skippie!

Tristan

2006-08-22T20:34:00.000-05:00

I have another plant. His name is Tristan, and I love him already.

I bought some plant stuff today, so all of my plants will have new pots and potting soil. They really are like pets I don't have to feed and stuff.

I got a bonus night off tonight, and I also have the next two nights off. Whatever will I do with my time? Nevermind, I'll just clean my apartment or write the rest of my personal statement. I should really make a trip to Lincoln before the end of August. I hope it will fit into my schedule. Scratch that. It will have to come in September.

Tomorrow, my parents are coming to visit me. This will be awesome because I miss them. They are bringing more furniture, which is super awesome. I might have places to put my stuff now. Lappy Jr. will no longer live on the loveseat. He's happy about that.

Anyway, life is fantastic. I should clean something now.

Still Alive

2006-08-21T15:30:00.000-05:00

I'm still alive and well. I don't have much to say on the blog, but I'm still here. I'm currently doing some laundry, which is how I spend a lot of my time. It's getting quite expensive. My parents are coming to bring more stuff on Wednesday. Next week I may take a small trip. I might be in Nebraska, but I'm not set on that yet.

Not much else to say.

Work, Work, Work

2006-08-17T16:18:00.000-05:00

Today I started my week from hell at work. The lunch shift today was fine, but it's going to be one long week. I'm off tonight, but after that I'm working every single lunch and dinner shift for the rest of the week. This will suck a whole bunch, but my manager assured me this will be the only week I'll have to do that. We are getting a whole bunch of new people, and a couple of servers are taking vacations this week, so she's probably telling the truth.

I have to say right now my life seems pretty pleasant. I'm sitting in my cool (cool as in temperature) apartment and blogging. I'm getting an entertainment system in about an hour, so maybe I'll go about hooking up my television and stuff. We'll see. I am in the mood to watch a movie. I'm also in the mood to have some shelving to put my massive movie collection on. I'm well rested, and I'm happy.

I put my new license plate on my car. I think I'm officially a resident now. I also think I'm officially not going to be completely poor. I might even get to start saving up some money, or at least replacing the already saved money I've had to spend this summer. Being an adult is expensive.

I'm off to pretty myself up. Have a great night, everyone!

Ode to Toys

2006-08-15T15:45:00.000-05:00

This is my 500th post, so I wanted to have a cool topic. I'll probably do a poor job at being entertaining because I'm so boring, but at least I came up with a good thing about which to write. As the spoiled darling of the family, I sure had a lot of toys in my day. I still have quite a few toys, as I'm not quite grown up yet. Here's a run-down of many of the favorite/influential toys I've had in my day.

My Little Ponies: I had over 100 of these little guys. I played with them constantly. I remember being heartbroken when they stopped making them, and I think the new ones they have today look stupid. I would always rename my ponies, but I had so many I would have to write their names on their bellies so I wouldn't forget. I don't much care for real horses, but there is something special about My Little Ponies.
Barbies: I loved Barbies, and I usually played with them in conjunction with My Little Ponies.
Hello Kitty: Hello Kitty is the new My Little Pony in my life today. I'm thinking of stopping the obsession, but I dig Hello Kitty. My favorite character is Hello Kitty's friend Keroppi the frog. He's extremely hard to find these days as he has been retired.
Board Games: I love playing games. I always have. I'm pretty sure it's because I grew up by myself. When I had a person to play with, it was a real treat. It was one of my favorite things to do when I went over to my friend Ashley's house as a kid. I would play games with her and her sister, and I was ecstatic.
Marsha: Marsha is my red-headed Cabbage Patch doll my sister bought me for Christmas when I was five. For those of you who don't know, my sister has red hair, and I have brown hair. Jennifer is very proud of her hair, and she is quick to tell me how much prettier her hair is than mine. All I have to say about that is I have much prettier, dark eyelashes. Even with all that, because my sister gave her to me, Marsha was pretty much my favorite doll ever.
Oskar: This was my snake that lived in my car. I hate snakes, but I loved Oskar.
Pound Puppies: I liked these guys a lot.
Video games: I used to play video games all the time. It was something Dad and I did together. We weren't very good, but we played Mario constantly.
Random science kits: I had a ton of these as a kid. I think science kits are the perfect way to trick kids into learning. I buy them for Geoffrey all the time. I don't think I've purchased a straight "fun" present for my nephew ever in his life.
Legos: Had a bunch and played a bunch.
Dollhouses: I asked for a dollhouse every year for Christmas from the time I was five until I was thirteen and finally got one. I was so excited about it that I put it together in five days. However, I got bored with the shingles, and that thing still isn't completely decorated. I got Kathryn one this year for Christmas, and Jen and I spent a lot of time getting it together and decorated. I'm pretty sure when I'm old and retired building dollhouses will be my hobby.
Winnie-the-Pooh: I went through two Pooh phrases. One was when I was in preschool, and the second was in junior high.
Stuffed animals: I will always appreciate a cute stuffed animal.
Mad Libs: This is another way to get kids to learn while still having fun. I'm a huge fan. Oddly enough, I thought my senior prom might get boring, so I actually brought a pad of Mad Libs. We did a couple at our table, so I think I made a very good decision even if it was completely geeky.
Lite Bright: I had one of these and liked it.
Play Dough: I liked this stuff, too.
Silly Putty: Jen and Brian weren't allowed to have this stuff, but I was. I'm pretty sure it's because Mom loves me best.
My cats: Farm cats are a good time. I treated ours like they weren't live animals but more like toys so I'll include them.

I saw something interesting today. I watched someone get arrested from my apartment complex. I pulled into the complex and saw these three people walking towards a car that happened to be in my way. (The car being in my way made me annoyed, but I'm always a little annoyed.) I watched one of the guys open the door for the woman, and I thought to myself how nice that was of that man to do that. I then noticed she was handcuffed and felt kind of dumb. I then looked at this car more closely, but it didn't have any lights on the top and nothing really out of the ordinary about the rear so I didn't feel too stupid anymore.

I have a lot of random bruises on my arms and legs. I don't know why. I don't know if it's because I'm so pale, clumsy, or anemic.

I'm a big fan of facebook. That's all I have to say about that.

Blogger is refusing to check my spelling today, so if I misspelled anything I don't know it.

Hi

2006-08-12T11:23:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to give a little shout-out to all of my new visitors. I don't have much else to say, and I should be getting ready for work, so I'll just leave it at that.

What's Important

2006-08-11T13:04:00.000-05:00

Warning: This is going to be a sappy post. Deal with it.

I've realized what's important to me by seeing what very few things I've put away in my apartment. The only things I've been able to bring myself to do since I've moved have been pay bills, go to work, and display my pictures. As the extreme-analyzer of people I am I think this means that responsibility and people are important to me. I think I threw up a little in my mouth from all the sappiness I just spewed.

Today I am proud to say I am a registered voter in the state of Kansas. I got my driver's license yesterday, which was very unpainful. The most painful part was seeing the corner of my Nebraska license cut off. That license was still good for another four years. The goals for today are to register my car and go to the bank. Other goals for the day included screwing around, which I am currently accomplishing.

I also wanted to add that there has been a serious lack of blogging activity lately. I'm bored and need things to read. I'm going to have to start actually getting my apartment put together if I don't have enough things to occupy my time with on the computer.

One last note: My thumbnail is halfway normal and smooth now. This is very exciting.

Da Books

2006-08-10T15:06:00.000-05:00

I have a really not cool story about a table I had last night, but I've decided to do the book post instead because it's happier.

1. one book that changed my life: The Giver. It made me appreciate the little things in life and free choice

2. one book I've read more than once: There are a couple, so I'll list them all. The first four books in the Dark Tower series, The Glass Menagerie, and To Kill a Mockingbird.

3. one book I'd want on a deserted island: The Bible wins yet again for two reasons. The first is that I should read more of it, and what better time and place to do that than on a deserted island. The second is because this book has everything: poetry, adventure, happiness, sadness, etc. (If I could bring two books I would also bring The Stand.)

4. one book that made me laugh: I honestly can't really think of any right now. I usually read non-fiction or dramatic books.

5. one book that made you cry: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

6. one book I wish had been written: The one where I'm swept away by the prince on a white horse to a castle in a far away kingdom.

7. one book I wish had never been written: My Antonia

8. one book I am currently reading: The Birth Order Book

9. one book I have been meaning to read: I have two. God's Politics and The Science of God

10. tag five people: no thanks

My Boring Life

2006-08-09T13:13:00.000-05:00

I'm still losing weight. I think I will actually make it to at least one of my goals. I should hope so as I only have 3 pounds to lose for goal #1. I was really happy when I looked at the scale. I was also surprised as I thought my weekend of not doing much of anything but eat would have made my loss slow down a bit.

I had a sad time with the laundry yesterday. The dryer ate my quarters. This was extremely sad. I cried a little bit. Just kidding.

I have a table today. I don't have to continue to eat on my couch. Yippie! I still can't have dinner parties though because I don't have enough silverware or plates. I only have 2 bowls so I for sure can't have soup.

My goal for this week is to get a new driver's license.

I remedied my extra money problem by paying bills yesterday. It was sad. I got another bill today, and that makes me sad also. Basically, I have to stop answering my phone during the day. I don't do a lot of calling during the day, but every once in a while someone calls me. I have to just ignore them or stop being so damn awesome to talk to.

I may have to only go black and white in the entire apartment. I have this really sweet vase that happens to be red. I could just put it in my room, but it's really awesome. Another solution would be to get another vase for the living room. My goal is to have empty vases around so people will think they need to buy me flowers. I think that's a great idea. I don't know how well it will work, but I can always hit Hobby Lobby when they have half price fake flowers to take up the space.

I'm making progress on my personal statement. For such a short document, I'm having a hard time with it. Probably because I'm supposed to sell myself in it. I am much better at pointing out my faults. Once, I made a list of over 100 things I was bad at. I think I'm going to find that list actually. I might even make a new one later.

Night Off

2006-08-08T10:29:00.000-05:00

This weekend I have a random Saturday night off. This is pretty sweet, and the first thing I did when I got home from the lunch shift this afternoon was make plans.

Sleeping in the apartment has been actually pretty awesome so far. I haven't had too much trouble with the actual falling asleep part. I don't wake up sweating which is awesome.

Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised to see how much money I have in the bank. Those are the best kind of surprises.

Last Wedding of the Summer

2006-08-07T10:24:00.000-05:00

I am currently on my way home from my cousin’s wedding in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. I learned some things this weekend. One is a lesson I keep learning over and over again. This is that my mom is a person that annoys me when I’m stuck in a car with her for a long period of time. Mom and I usually get along really well, but put us in a car together, and I’m just on high annoyance. The second lesson I learned is that Catholic weddings are long and confusing. I knew I was in for a long time when the bride and groom got to sit down. Not a sign of a half hour wedding. The third thing I learned is that butterflies are not a good idea. That didn’t make any sense, but I’ll explain. My cousin-in-law (?) likes butterflies, so she thought it would be a good idea to have them released when they exited the church in place of rice or bubbles or whatever. This was expensive, and you’d have to get a crap-ton-load of them to make it look cool. It was not very cool. I think they had about ten butterflies, and they were carried away in the wind anyway. Personally, I have a few other ideas for that sort of thing, but I’m not getting married anytime soon so it might be creepy (creepty even) for me to share my plans.

I have some wedding singer stories (complaints) and one foot in my mouth moment to share. So it’s always a great time when you hook up with musicians the night before a gig. It makes me very nervous as a perfectionist, but I sure as hell wasn’t driving ten hours to rehearse with the pianist for the wedding I wasn’t getting paid to do. (I have a degree now. I should be worth at least something. I know this was family, but it wasn’t exactly close family.) Anyway, at the music rehearsal was a fun time. I was annoyed with my sister right away. She decided she can sing with whatever songs she felt like singing. She practiced fewer times than I practiced, which is amazing to anyone who knows how little I do that. So as a person who practiced and knew the music it really bothered me to have little miss diva singing in my ear. If a person really knows the songs and the chord changes, it wouldn’t bother me to have her sing with me, but when a person doesn’t even know the melody I don’t want them messing up my song. The pianist was very nervous about the whole deal. She had never played at a wedding before, but she was a piano teacher with fifteen students. I couldn’t believe it, but I understood the not wanting to perform deal. Anyway, during rehearsal she dropped beats and stuff and was not very accurate, but I figured we would get through it with enough practice. I was mostly right, but we had one big flub. She didn’t go to a coda during the last song and asked me where we were. I guess her page turner turned too many pages, but I just think she couldn’t find the sign right away or didn’t know we had already done the third verse. It was pretty embarrassing, but my sister went over and pointed at the music to show her where we were. Way to be tacky, sis. I had one other annoyance with the music learning right at the end. Two of the other musicians asked me if I wanted to learn the mass (Mass? Is it supposed to be capitalized?) Anyway, I was irritated with that because even though the music was simple I was not going to learn anything more the night before the wedding. Enough about music.

I guess everyone really cares about my foot in my mouth experience. That story is way more interesting anyway. So my uncle has been divorced for at least ten years. Anyway, I haven’t seen his first wife since I was probably nine. As I’ve mentioned a bit before, I don’t see this side of the family all that much anyway, so I’ve probably seen Carol only a half dozen times in my life anyway. (And I have to say most of those times are before my memory kicks in.) So anyway, I hadn’t seen my Aunt Carol for many, many years. I’m much more familiar with my uncle’s fiancé. (I’m really excited to have Aunt Gail join my family, and there is not relation between this Gail and the subject of a previous post.) The first person I saw when I entered the house in Minnesota was Gail. I went directly over to her and asked to see her ring. I didn’t even notice the person sitting down at the table. After a while someone called me over to say hi. I went over and asked this person who she was thinking this was some person who is related to Shari since this was, after all, her parent’s house. She then informed me she was my aunt Carol, and I felt like a complete ass. I hugged her and said I was so sorry because I felt absolutely horrible. My uncle, new aunt, mom, and other aunt thought this was really hilarious.

Dude

2006-08-04T07:14:00.000-05:00

I always thought this was a lie people told to control the masses, but I guess there really is a 7 am. I was skeptical at first, but then my mom forced me to see it.

Lack of blogging

2006-08-03T18:31:00.000-05:00

This is a public service announcement. I will probably not be blogging this weekend. I am going to be in a small town in Minnesota for my cousin's wedding. I'm taking Lappy Jr., but there may or may not be internet in the hotel. I'm guessing there probably will be, but one can never be sure.

Excited!

2006-08-02T15:21:00.000-05:00

Well, kids, I'm very happy right now. Most of my readers probably know why, and a few more need to receive phone calls for updates soon. I'm sure I'll share later, but I feel odd writing about it on my blog.

I'm still losing weight. As I'm writing this, I'm eating, so I'm not anorexic or anything. In January, I made a four part goal for myself with weight loss. I'm three pounds from the first part of the goal.

I'll be done with the mess of my cousin's wedding after this weekend. This brings me great joy. Also, I actually got the entire weekend off without having to switch anyone shifts or anything. This is good.

I get to spend some time this weekend with my family. If Mat weren't going, it would be even better, but he just won't let my sister out of his sight. Seriously, she would be with my mom, my aunt, and me the whole weekend. There would be no way she could get into any trouble. Besides, she's an adult and doesn't need constant guarding.

I will be actually living in my apartment when I get back from Minnesota. This is really exciting to me. Another exciting piece of news is that I intend on spending my car trip writing some things for grad school applications and working on a fun project. Pretty much, it's time for me to do that.

I've started to gain a work group of friends. This is really great. I had been feeling like I was very different from most of my co-workers, but now I feel like I can actually fit in.

However, I think I've found a liar. I won't go into details too much, but I find myself not believing this one person I've met. I feel that many of her stories are exaggerated or completely made up. It makes it hard for me to want to listen and be nice because I hate liars. Lying can be overcome.

I'm really happy.

Life keeps rolling on

2006-08-01T00:38:00.000-05:00

My life has changed, and it will continue to change for a while. It's kind of crazy, but I can see little decisions I've been making recently have possible long-term effects. I wish I could contemplate more on that, but I'm exhausted.

The summer is coming to an end, and at this time I don't want to see it go.

Not Much Going On

2006-07-29T16:19:00.000-05:00

I had a phone conversation with my sister today. She claims I'm not easy to get to know. I think I agree with her. Then, I told her how cute and charming I happen to be. She didn't really reply to that. I'm not really sure what that was all about. Oh well.

Someone at work described me as the girl with the long, blonde hair the other night. I didn't really appreciate that. Why can't people see my hair is brown? In other hair news I think I should get a haircut pretty soon. I might even go Monday afternoon if I get off of work in time. Does anyone else feel odd tipping the person at the salon? I just can never do it smoothly. Maybe I'm just an akward person, but it just always feels odd to me.

Nail news: My thumbnail is still growing in smoothly. Once my nail isn't so gross, I've decided I should get a manicure. I've never had one, and I think it would be an appropriate reward for myself.

I'm going to start being extra crafty. I'm even going to take my sister's extra sewing machine. I'm thinking of sewing my own curtains and other fun decorative items.

I think I should go do something for about fifteen minutes before I need to put on the rest of my work clothes to go back for another round of extreme excitement at the Mac G.

Last Night

2006-07-28T14:27:00.000-05:00

I decided since I didn't have to get up by any particular time today I would spend the night at my actual apartment. I'm amazed I didn't fall off my new bed. It's too small, and it looks silly in my gigantic bedroom. I need more stuff in there. As per usual, I didn't sleep very well in a new place so I had to get my rest in doses. I was also kind of excitable when I went to bed, so my mind wouldn't let me sleep anyway. I am also in desperate need of secondary window coverings as too much light got in through the blinds.

My life for the next week or so will be filled with work. At least I get money out of it. I am very close to having enough to pay my rent. I believe I will be paying my very last bill to UNL today. It was a doozy, so I hope they are happy. I'm also going to pretty much finish off one of my bank accounts by paying a large portion of my credit card balance.

Now that you are all bored I think I'll end this post. I've decided I like both red and green. I've also decided I need to find a thrift store for some cheap stuff. I'm also going to use my crafty side a whole bunch. I'll probably also bug my crafty sister for some stuff.

In conclusion, life is great.

I can't decide

2006-07-27T17:22:00.001-05:00

I need some help deciding what my decor in my apartment should be. It's a very neutral color with a few dark brown furniture pieces in the living/dining area. I'm thinking of going with either an olive green or a burgundy for an accent color. I was also contemplating having both of those colors, but then I'm worried people will make fun of me for being sort of like Christmas. I think it will be easier to piece together an olive room, but I have this affection for burgundy or wine, as anyone can tell from looking at my wardrobe.

My bathroom decor will be blue and yellow with possible rubber duckies. I haven't decided on the ducks yet.

My bedroom will be the black/white/red room. This makes me lean even more towards the olive living room as I'll already have red somewhere.

I still need a dining room table, but I think I'll be able to take one off someone's hands in my family. I also need a dresser, but I also have one of those coming for free from family. The last large piece of furniture I need would be an entertainment center. Right now, my scrapbooking table is being used as one, but it is not strong enough for this to be permanent, and now I have no place to put my scrapbooking stuff. I'll probably also need more random shelving to put all my crap.

I'm also going to make a list of random things I want to buy, like a malt maker. Yes, I understand how much I don't need that, but I like chocolate malts. I also think they look cool in a kitchen, and I'm a sucker for crap I don't need. I was also thinking of getting a hand mixer so that I can make cookies. I love cookies. I also might need a cooling rack and a cookie sheet or two. I have a gift card for a fair amount of money for Sears, and they have random stuff. There is one with lots of clearance items not too far from where I sit and type right now, so I'm planning on getting some kitchen-y stuff there. I also bought some sheets there earlier, but right now I'm glad I didn't because I got some cheaper somewhere else.

The point of this post was to get opinions about olive or burgundy. Discuss.

Best Lunch Shift Ever

2006-07-26T15:45:00.000-05:00

Today, I walked out of the Mac G with $74. This was fantastic for a lunch shift. Actually, I would love to make that much on a dinner shift. I only had one table I wanted to strangle today, which is also pretty darn good. The guy at the table asked me if I had any kids then proceeded to tell me if I took his kids they would be the best form of birth control ever. Next, he shared his knowledge of different kinds of birth control that could be used concurrently. I wanted to stop him from speaking, but I work on tips so I have to be nice to weirdos. Other than that one table, I had a very pleasant day. I sang for at least four birthdays today. One of them asked me what sort of training I had, so I told her. She then told me she is also a graduate of UNL's School of Music. She's a vocal teacher who has also taught her three secondary instruments which are trumpet, piano, and violin. Her only downfall is that she is an SAI instead of a Mu Phi. She was very excited I want to be a music therapist. Another triumph of the day is that a side of spinach button has been added to our computers. This creates less work for me.

I have lost the battle of the big girl bed. My dad just went ahead and picked out and paid for a new bed for me. I guess I don't get a say, but I guess it was free so I won't complain.

Faith

2006-07-25T15:19:00.000-05:00

Warning: This is a very religious post, so if you have a problem with religion don't bother to read it.

Second warning: I do no want to have a theological debate with anyone about any of these points either. My relationship with Christ is not based on intellectual pursuits; my relationship is based on feelings and general ideas. I do not care to debate the fine points.

I've been having a problem remembering to have faith lately. My relationship with Christ started with the faith of a child quite literally, and faith has been a strong characteristic of many things in my life through the years. As I've gotten older, I've found my faith to be faltering.

This will sound nuts to people who don't understand spiritual gifts, but I am certain my two gifts are healing and faith. I know I've been called to heal people. I can't explain exactly why, but I know it's been put on my heart. And I'm not saying I'm going to go out and be a faith healer or anything, but it's affected many decisions in my life in a past few years.

My personality is a very easy-going personality. As I've been more committed to Christ, my tendencies to freak out and such have gone down tremendously. This was because of faith. The Good Shephard kept me calm.

Two weeks ago during a time of reflection, I came to realize how little faith I had about a few situations in my life. I have two problem areas right now, and I really should just give them to Jesus. I tried at that time, but apparently I didn't do a very good job of it. Last night, I went over my problem again. I prayed pretty hardcore about it, and I hope I've regained my faith for a while.

I hope everyone else is having a great last few days of July.

I've had quite the eventful past few days. I've been on demand for the past week. Most of my blogging friends already know what was going on, but a few might not, so I'll share. JohnRoss and Molly came to the area Wednesday night. I had the pleasure of spending the evening with them. We walked around the Plaza in the heat for a while, had dinner, spent a lot of time in the Discovery Channel store, and finally ended up at a bar. Those two were quite tipsy, which was entertainment for me. I had the drive home so I only had one drink. Captain Morgan popped in to share in our adventures. He lives in Molly's purse. The Captain is my friend. Anyway, after putting the two drunks to bed, I got lost going home. My thought is that the state of Missouri likes me and didn't want me to leave. This caused me to miss the turn into Kansas. I drove a while out of my way then turned around and found my way home.

Thursday was a really fun day. I woke up way before I ever do so that I could meet John and Molly at World's of Fun. It was extremely warm outside, and I got quite a nice sunburn on my chest, but fun did we have. Because it was a Thursday that happened to be the day before a predicted cool-down, there were hardly any lines for the rides. Maximum ridage (yes, I meant to type that) was had by all. I really love roller coasters. I also like fun that is free. Thanks, JohnRoss, once again for the ticket. After all of the out-of-doors time I had during the afternoon, I went out again for more outside fun. I went with my new friend Jeff to my very first professional sporting event ever. It was a good time, and I had a new experience. Plus, the Royals won so it was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me.

Friday began with ultimate sleeping in. I was very tired. After the morning sleep was over, I had lunch with John and Molly. The three of us then found our way to a music store because we are geeky musicians. I was looking for two choral pieces and found neither, but I was at least happy to find a store that had a ton of academic music as well as fun music. I left the music store for work. While I was at work, my next two visitors showed up. Steph and Erin also came to visit me this weekend. When I finally got home, the three of us had our normal girly discussion time then went to bed.

Saturday was a record of Mac G trips. John, Molly, Erin, Steph, and I went there for lunch. It was yummy, and I tried a new dish. After, we all ventured to my empty apartment for some internet time on my laptop. Yay for Lappy Jr. I broke up the party due to my extreme poopiness as I had to go back to the Mac Shack for a meeting. At that time, John and Molly began the journey home to Nebraska. I assume they made it safely. Steph and Erin then headed to Oceans of Fun. I assume they had fun. After my meeting, I made a series of phone calls to various other friends who had called me in the last couple of days then had to go back to work to serve. I made a lot of money that night, but I had a crappy time. Oh well. Life goes on. When I got home from work, there was a meeting of "The Club" held at IHOP. We met Gail, who is the subject of the last post.

Today is Sunday and the last day of my popularity for a while, I fear. I had to work a double today. Steph and Erin took off when I left for the lunch shift. I assume they made it back safely. I pretty much worked all day. I didn't make too much money at dinner, but I fared alright at lunch. After dinner, I went to the Store-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named because it was open. I bought laundry detergent, and currently I'm working on washing some clothes.

It would be really awesome to have a day off soon, so I can make a trip home for some stuff. I'm going to have to actually sleep at my apartment coming up in a few weeks so I might need a bed. There will be trips to my parents' house in the upcoming days, but I probably won't be able to do anything but pack.

Gail

2006-07-23T01:03:00.000-05:00

What began as an innocent trip to IHOP quickly turned into a soap opera. Three friends drove to IHOP at midnight not knowing they would affect the life of Gail. Gail is missing a tooth, running on three hours of sleep, and is 50 pounds overweight (according to Gail). The three friends quickly developed the opinion that Gail may have some additional issues. Gail sat down with the girls at least twice throughout the evening to chat. She hates her boss, is feeling suicidal, AND THERE IS DEFINATELY NO ICE CREAM LEFT AT IHOP TONIGHT. Tears were shed as she told her story to these three friends. At the end of the night, Gail smiled a toothless smile and wiped away a tear as she thanked the girls for making her night bearable.

Wherever life takes you, Gail, we wish you all the best. Keep serving it real. Tell those drunks off like a champ.

Question for me to ponder

2006-07-21T10:47:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure how much of my personal life I want to write about here. With a link to this page from facebook, I feel like I shouldn't really write too much about things because anyone can find it. And let's face it, I don't really share very often about my personal thoughts and feelings. I always feel like if I share my inner thoughts about important things, it will come back to bite me in the butt.

I guess this all comes down to how I want to use my blog. I have once used my blog as a tool. Does anyone else remember my series of posts about the chemical process of love? I wanted to show someone they were wrong using words of science. I no longer feel the need to use my blog as a tool. It would make sense for me to write about all the important things going on in my life to keep my friends that are far away up to speed with my life. There are two problems with me doing that completely. The first problem was touched on in the first paragraph. I don't want the world to know everything. The second problem is that my life doesn't just happen with me alone as the sole character. I don't feel comfortable sharing tidbits that affect and/or involve others.

We'll see in which direction my blog ends up going. I'll end this post with a small triumph in my life recently. Pretty much everyone I know has seen and been grossed out by my thumbnail on my right hand. I am proud to say I have not picked at it in a long time, and I have a cuticle over 2/3rds of the nailbed right now. I also have approximately 1 cm of smooth nail growth. This is am amazing feat of self-control on my part. This gives me hope that someday I can stop being self-conscious about my hands.

Hallmark

2006-07-18T17:01:00.000-05:00

I should so work at Hallmark. The one in the mall is looking for part-time help. I'm going to apply.

Adventures in weight loss and sad news

2006-07-17T18:08:00.000-05:00

I have lost 10 pounds since I've started working. A co-worker noticed yesterday. I'm pretty sure this was psychosomatic, but today I think my pants are a little loose.

I'm a big geek. Today, I told a table I would bring their drinks post haste. Wow. The things that pop out of my mouth are amazing sometimes.

As most of you know, I've been housesitting for about a month now for my cousin. Basically, she wanted someone to feed her dogs every day. Today, the old dog had to be put down. She got maggots within the last 24 hours. They could have been gotten rid of, but Sabrina would have had to live inside for the rest of her life. This wasn't very feasible, so my cousin made the decision to have her put down.

A Break in the Clouds

2006-07-16T00:20:00.000-05:00

My life hasn't actually been bad at all lately, but I'm really happy right now. I think I'll go sing about it. Talk to you all later.

Tomorrow!

2006-07-14T00:25:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, I'm "moving" into my new apartment. This is exciting. I'll be officially an adult. I don't have a whole lot else to say.

I like rain. Storms rock my socks off.

I'm pretty sure I'm random. Yay!

Bitter

2006-07-12T22:27:00.000-05:00

I think I'm a bitter old man trapped in a young woman's body. Seriously, I'm crotchety. That's a pretty fun word. It was a vocab word back in the day of public school. Lately, I've been really annoyed with things. I'm pretty sure no one has noticed yet, but it hasn't gone away for a couple of weeks. Hopefully, I won't blow up at a customer. That would be bad. I might be fired on the spot for that.

Today my feet hurt worse than they have yet since I've started my job. I bought arch supports tonight and some other pain relieving substances. My other exciting purchase of the day was new eye makeup. I didn't really "need" that, but I really wanted it. I'm such a girl sometimes.