"It may be a rollercoaster.

Your highs are going to relieve you but your lows are going to feel extreme. It may feel frustrating and in fact it probably will feel impossible. But you know what? Its who you decide you are going to be in the end that will determine the outcome. What satisfies you will be the result of how you've hung in there- how you never quit. And not quitting will make all the difference."

What did I do today you ask?

I took my car in for a check up and spent 3 hours bumming around at Panera in the process (my car is ok, no worries!). Then, I went to Salvation Army and got a wicked ottoman for $5 (it was half off!). THEN I went to Target and a garage sale and got two cutesy chairs and a wrought iron table for my porch (please see: future posts about enjoying meals/reading outside). Next came a visit to the Ames Public Library. I went crazy and got two books, a movie, and the 2nd season of Six Feet Under.

Then I came home for awhile. And I left again. Where to? Joann Fabrics, of course!

There are got 3 and a half yards of black anti-pill fleece and hoo-boy did I go crazy and cover the freecycle chair I got on Tuesday. Yes I did! Now the chair is covered and I still have to do the ottoman, but I am fresh out of energy and desire to cover it! Plus my knees are magnificently rug burned.

I also spent some time feeling miserable and hungry, which I've sort of taken care of but now that the chair is covered I am really going to ponder what to eat (talk about eating dinner later than normal!).

Breath. This is what happens when I am left to my own devices for 2 week. Thanks, Joe! :)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Read it. Love it.

I was enthralled by this novel almost from the moment I picked it up. I am such a sucker for mystery novels though - it's probably because I love hearing gossip (though not necessarily passing it around), reading tabloids, etc. purely for the knowledge of whatever the information may be. It could pertain to something that I don't have a care in the world for (please see: anything to do with celebrities) but I just want to know, otherwise just knowing there's something within my grasp to know would drive me crazy.

I digress. (That all makes me sound like a crazy person.)

Although the book is a translation from Swedish (which can sometimes be hit or miss), I could barely tell the difference. That's what good editorial work should get as a result!! Ahem. I got so engrossed trying to figure out the mystery that I was scribbling notes on scrap paper and cross referencing different things mentioned earlier in the novel. I think I've lost more sleep over this book than any other I've read for a long time. I couldn't put it down last night so I resolved to get only 4 and a half hours of sleep before putting in a full work day. AND THEN I am up til 1am again to finish it! Without a doubt I am sleeping in tomorrow.

In short, it's great. I would very much recommend it be added to your list of things to read.

Up next? The Girl Who Played with Fire, of course!

When you least expect it

BAZINGA!

:)

My mom is coming to visit this weekend! Two whole weekends of fun (the first with Brooke)! What more could a lonely girl ask for? I need to start thinking of things for us to do!

I am trying to decide if I should brave the library's used book sale tomorrow night (the first night) when it costs moolah to get in, or wait til the books have been picked over and go on Saturday. I guess that's up to momma. Man, I love used book sales!

In other news, there was a HUGE fiasco with my new laptop purchase. It's a long story involving billing address confusion, many phone calls, and a super nice lady named Jackie, so I will spare you. BUT! It finally got resolved, and it should be on its way to me soon. Hooray! Then I won't need to use a computer without a functioning left-click button OR N key. It's more difficult than you'd think to hit the little key nub that hides under that shiny, plastic key on the keyboard.

Also, I am finally getting better at parking in my garage! That thing is super tiny. At least this way I don't need to defrost/defog my windshield in the morning now that it's getting colder.

I JUST REMEMBERED TOMORROW IS PAY DAY!

I am being a complete and total spaz at the moment. I think it's because I am super tired. I guess this means goodbye for now.

Goodnight moon.

My computer

is on it's way out. I had to pry up the left-click button on my laptop because it doesn't pop up anymore and was stuck down and I couldn't do anything because my computer thought I was left clicking everything at lightning speed! So now I have to tap on the touch pad to click things, and it's just not as effective. I COULD just get one of those portable mice with the USB connection, but my computer overheats like nobody's business, I can't close it or the screen will get stuck turned off, and it's moving slow/still running on XP.

So, it's time for a new one I guess. I just don't know anything about computers (except, on the whole, Macs are super expensive and Dells are crappy). So here's to hoping that doing some research can help me. I don't want to spend a huge chunk of money either. If I wanted to do that, I'd just go ahead and buy a Mac.

In other technology related news...the servers went down at work today and we were without an internet connection for over half the day. That was super. :) Good thing I had other things I could work on that didn't require sending emails or searching things online.

Man, I am so tired. I just can't seem to ever stay asleep. I wake up about a million times for one reason or another - a passing train is blaring it's horn, I have to pee, I dreampt my alarm already went off and I wake up in a panic even though my alarm never did go off, and "just because" are a few of my favorites.

Yawn.

I think I might go get my new Iowa driver's license this week! I also am going to register to vote in Iowa. Caucus, here I come!!

To the person who hurt my car:

The HUGE scrape on my car is unacceptable and rude. I am very upset about this. Like, really upset.

:(

This just made me even more exhausted.

EDIT: Karma Police just came on my iTunes. You've been warned, whoever you are!!

Adventures in Friend-making

When I got to Ames, the only people I "knew" here were a friend of a friend, and my uncle's daughter and her husband. And I have seen neither since arriving.

That being said, after a week and a half in Ames, I still am friendless.

It's not that I am a hopeless case, it's just that making friends takes time.

BUT!! I am not without hope!

But for now, I am going to finish my episode of How I Met Your Mother (the 2nd go 'round) and go to sleep. It's LATE for this granny. Thank you 6:45AM Mon-Fri.

So sleepy.

My first two days of work have been both overwhelming and wonderful. I definitely think I'm going to like this place a lot. The people are great. The benefits are great. The amount of time off I get is great. I especially love my HR contact (she is in Indy and not in the Ames office because we're small!) which is a good feeling. Hopefully everything stays that way. I have a LOT of systems to learn, and just a lot to learn in general. Hopefully, once I get the hang of things, everything will make a lot more sense and thus me less overwhelming.

My apartment is all moved into and set up. See?


The living room!


The dining room!


The kitchen!


My bedroom!


The bathroom!


My amazing walk in closet!!

So I am all settled. Now I just need to make me some friends!

14 new job applications in,

one phone interview down, one face-to-face interview to go! Fingers crossed SOMETHING pans out. I'd really love to have a more secure job than working part-time at Target.

However, my 90-day probation period at Target is almost at it's end. After that I can be cross-trained in other areas of the store, so I can do other things besides just cashiering! So that wouldn't be completely awful, if need be.

In other news, an Editorial Assistant position at Simon & Schuster opened up in their Children's Division and I am doing everything I possibly can to get an interview with them.

Sigh.

So of the 24 days of July

I've been scheduled at work (I don't have the last week's schedule yet) I will work 20 of those days. Craziness.

That's what I get for picking up extra shifts. Bring on the big bucks, Target. :)

Here is the point in my life

when I wish I knew what was ahead. I don't want to know intricate details or anything, but I would like to know things like how long I will have to live at home working at Target, if I will get a job in publishing or if that's just a fleeting dream, etc.

Sigh.

I will be back home in Wheaton in one week from today. Probably around this time too.

...I wish this cold would beat it.

So now

I've moved from sore throat to stuffy nose and congestion. Typical. That's okay though. I much prefer this to the severe pain of the sore throat.

In other news, I'm on this recycling task force on campus with a few other students and the VP-Business Affairs and we're doing a walk-through of one of the dorms to see where we'd put recycling bins to ensure student participation. This whole experience has been both interesting and frustrating. Everything moves too slowly for my liking. Ah well. That's life.

Time for more rest, and some Mucinex.

I am in one of those moods

where I am super happy, yet feel like crying all at once.

I am really super tired

so I think I am going to hit the hay. Yes I realize it's only almost 10pm on a Saturday night. But I am acting like a zombie, so sleep seems like a good choice.