KirstenL4W

That’s right folks, in just 8 hours I will be on Runway 25 Right at McCarran International Airport, hopefully inside a Boeing 757, ready to take off for New Hampshire, where my new car awaits me. I’ve got my boarding passes printed out, but since I’ve been sooooo busy with work and being a social butterfly, I still have much to do in the next 8 hours.

I’ve already done laundry, but I still need to pack. I’m running the dishwasher, now that it’s fixed, so that I won’t have dirty dishes sitting while I’m gone. I’m currently ripping CDs into iTunes so that I can update my iPod, and I’m also searching for other tunes I want so I can upload those too. Then there’s the blog updating, apartment cleaning, taking out trash, double and triple checking that I have everthing, catching up on blogs, and perhaps sleep if there is time. With the schedule I’ve been keeping lately, I somehow doubt I’ll get to sleep before it’s time to go to the airport, which is fine with me. I am very good at sleeping on airplanes, and whether I get a decent amount of sleep or not, I do plan on sleeping in flight.

My cast has a decent amount of graffiti on it now. Here’s a sampling:

• “Oops” - from my new boss
• “Hope u get better” - VegasRic
• “Get off my arm fast!!!” - Russ, the other half of the A/V crew at church
• “Crash + Burn ♥” - a teen at church
• a picture of a donut - new boss’s son
• - AJ
• “Kirsten, I enjoy dancing with you in Vegas - Love, Valentino” - Assistant Shoe Boss (whose name is not Valentino, and who I have never danced with)

I’m sure I’ll get more graffiti on it during my trip, so I’ll take a picture of it later for you. And yes, even though I’m not packed yet, my camera is on top of my still-empty bag.

I have had a busy few days. I got home Saturday morning from VegasRic’s house a bit after 7, slept for about 4 hours, showered, ran an errand then went to my friend’s office to help him organize a bunch of papers. Boy, there were tons of papers just thrown about in piles. I got a lot done, got free lunch and some money (always a bonus), then another friend picked me up around 8 for a Halloween party. That was a blast, and I even got bitten by a vampire! It didn’t break the skin, unfortunately, but it was a great bring-me-to-my-knees bite on the back of my neck. What fun! I got home from that around 2? Not sure exactly with the time change, but I did manage to get a few hours of sleep before church this morning.

I couldn’t stay for both services at church this morning, since I had to go into the store earlier than I am available. I agreed to that because today is the only day all week that I am working, so extra hours are good, plus I was scheduled to work with AJ, whom I haven’t seen in too long. We were laughing because Ashes quit, but the manner in which she turned in her notice was different, to say the least. Yesterday, Shoe Boss called Ashes about something, perhaps her schedule (I wasn’t made clear on the purpose of the call), and her voice mail picked up. It went something like this: “Hi, this is Ashes, I can’t take your call, leave a message. Oh, and if this is the job, I quit!” Yeah. Anyway, AJ and I worked for about 4 hours together today and had great fun talking about computers and catching up on life in general (in between selling shoes of course).

Now, I don’t think I will have much chance to get online over the next week or so while I am driving cross country, so please, don’t panic!!! I am still here, and I will be taking many notes to be able to have one heckuva post for you when I return. I’ll be taking pictures, visiting friends, listening to music, and spending a lot of time on the open road, in addition to a little visit with my family. I’m really looking forward to this. Of course, once I get back, I will be starting my new job and getting back to super busy and all that jazz. But I’ll still blog. Just not for the next week.

See you all when I get back.

You have a million things to do. I am leaving on a 7am flight Monday morning to go back to NH to get my car. I am really looking forward to this trip, for a number of reasons. It’s spontaneous. I get to see my family. I get to take a road trip. And I get to DigsMeet my way across the country. So I leave in about 52 hours, and I have so much to do and so much planned.

Tonight, the plan was to get off work, do some laundry, and go out later for a couple of hours. The later turned into earlier, I didn’t get laundry done, and a couple hours turned into double that. Then, because I have work to do for VegasRic that for some odd reason I can’t do at my own home, I am now at his house, at 1:30am, to get it done. He says no hurry about the time, but it’s bugging me that I can’t get it done at home and I want to get it done sometime this year. So maybe in another hour or 2 he’ll be ready to get down to work.

Saturday (later today), I might try to get that laundry done in the morning. Then in the afternoon I told another friend that I would help him organize his office and get some filing done. If it’s as big a mess as he says it is, that will take until, oh, maybe 6pm or later. Then I am going to a Halloween party, but not sure exactly what time it’s at. Knowing this crowd, I’m sure it won’t start before 8, but it will go well after midnight. Don’t worry about me though, this time I am getting a ride so I should arrive home completely intact.

Sunday will be my usual - church and work. But, we change the clocks back so I should be ok for sleep and be able to get through the day. Then after work I will need to go home and do laundry because I will have neglected it again Saturday morning. I also have to pack and remember to set my alarm for an ungodly hour (as in, I’d rather stay up that late than wake up that early). Get my ass to the airport, turn in the rental car, and hope a plane to NH. I just read some nasty news about the weather back there, so I hope it holds out long enough to get me into town without too many delays and get out of town without slipping and sliding all over the roads. It’s been nearly 4 years since I’ve driven in the snow, and in a new car very out of practice, and so soon after getting into a wreck is not the time to try again. Heck, living in the desert I can barely drive in the rain anymore.

So that’s it for now. I promise I’ll post again before I leave, because once I’m on the road I’m not counting on having internet access. But I will bring my camera, so no worries there. You’ll hear all about it when I get back.

Why is it, when I have a day off with no plans, that I end up with lots to do? So far today I’ve been playing on the computer, but I did get the slides for church done and organized some of the songs to (hopefully) make putting the slides together a bit quicker.

Now I’m looking around my apartment and it’s bugging the sh!t out of me that I’ve let it go so much since the accident, so it’s a lot of cleaning to do, which I would like to get done. I’m leaving early Monday morning and I don’t want to get back to town and have to clean it then. It’s mostly just picking stuff up, since I get these lazy streaks where I just put things down wherever and let it stay there. Now I have piles of stuff everywhere.

I also have to do laundry, so most likely I’ll do that after work tomorrow evening. I’m going out later in the evening, but that won’t be until 10 or so, possibly later so I’ll have plenty of time to get it done. And at the same time I suppose I’ll pack. I just gotta think of the best way to pack for a road trip with a cast on my arm.

I’ve got some friends offering me some work in the meantime. VegasRic wants me to write descriptions for one of his websites, which is cool but we need to hook up because I’ve done a few already and they aren’t showing, so I need to make sure I’m doing it correctly. Also I woke up to an IM from another friend this morning asking for help filing and organizing in his office if I have time this weekend, so I’ll clear Saturday day for that. There’s a Halloween party to go to Saturday night but I think I can fit it all in. Besides working a lot at the store, this extra stuff will help. I hate asking for help, but if I can make myself useful for a few bucks, then I feel better about it. Speaking of money, be sure to check out the links on the right labeled “Help Me Make a Buck”. Buy something through one of those links, like that new MacBook you’ve been coveting or some way cool organizing products, and help me make a little extra money.

I am getting so sick of having this stupid cast on. I’ve been working as hard as I can at the store, to the best of my current physical abilities, but I’ve been trying too hard. My doctor would probably have a shit fit if he saw me at work. I’m getting used to the cast, but I want to flex my wrist so. fucking. bad. right now it’s not even funny. I’m sure those of you who have broken bones in the past know what I’m talking about. Typing is easier now that I’ve gotten used to it, but my backspace key still hates me. Just hold on a bit longer, babe, and you’ll get to rest soon.

That’s it for now. I think I’ll get some food in my tummy and get some things picked up around here. And before I go, big hugs to VegasRic. He needs a sense of normalcy due to all the stupid bullshit drama going on right now. He’s a great friend to me, so I really hope I can be the same for him.

I was having internets issues this morning and couldn’t even read all your blogs, never mind post on mine. But that’s ok, I’m caught up now, and I’m posting now, so I feel better.

First of all, my dad told me my car will be ready by the middle of next week. Yay! I booked a flight to fly out on Monday to visit for a day or two and get my car. So, I’m asking y’all, if anyone lives within close proximity to Interstate 40 and wants to host a dear blogging friend for a night, please let me know. Money’s slim these days, so any nights of friendship I can get would be greatly appreciated. Lunatics need not apply.

Also, I am definitely starting my new job when I return to Vegas with my new car. So another yay! There’s still a few details that need to be worked out, but it’s a definite go.

And an uh-oh - I think I am coming down with a cold. I so do not need this right now. I have no plans tomorrow, so I’ll most likely stay home and rest up, trying to nip this in the bud. Friday I have to work at the store during the day then I have plans later in the evening, and Saturday I’m off, so that’s time to run a few errands and do laundry before a Halloween party in the evening, which I really want to go to. And of course Sunday will be my usual church/work combo, and I fly out Monday morning.

I think that’s all for now. I’m fading quickly here, and of course when one is getting sick (NO!) lots of rest is key.

I’m working at the store a lot this week, which will keep me busy enough. Seems like after the excitement of last week, between the accident, ending a job, and the break from a real schedule, I’m back to something quasi-normal and honestly, it’s a bit of a letdown. Oh well. Things will be exciting again soon enough. I should know by the end of the week about my car.

I also talked to my new supervisor at my new job. Yes, I will definitely be working for my friend. Of course this car thing put a crimp in the plans, so I’ll be starting when I get back from NH with my new car.

I would really like for my dishwasher to be fixed. I can deal with using paper plates and plastic utensils, but I still can’t cook for myself because I do not have disposable cookware. How do I make scrambled eggs? Macaroni and cheese (something I’ve been really craving the past few days)? I went and ordered a bunch of Chinese food last night just to have something to eat. As much food as they give you, it’s never as much as you think it is when you start planning meals.

Blah. Time to get back to my boring life.

I slept really well last night, which makes up for the lack of sleep or any sort of schedule the past few days. Of course, my sister called and woke me up this morning to pretend to bitch about the picture of her pregnant belly that I posted from my vacation. After that I went back to sleep for 3 more hours.

So what did I do today? I got the slides done for church. I finished posting all the widgets for my blog. I labeled all my posts (boy, was that a chore). I chatted with Officer Friend. I chatted online with other friends. Helped VegasRic proofread a site he’s working on (I really wish he’d let me help more, all the proofreading did was add to his to-do list)

I did laundry today. Someone almost burned down the laundry room by stuffing a comforter in one of the washers. Last week I neglected doing laundry and went out instead, and nearly got myself killed. Tonite I stay home and do laundry, and someone almost burns the place down. Can’t win. I don’t know if I’m supposed to do laundry or not.

I changed my cell phone plan today. Every time you do something like that you are subjected to another year on your contract. Between changing plans and taking advantage of free upgrades, I think my cell phone contract runs for another decade. But the accident this week and my recently exploded social life made me run way over my minutes this month, so for the next 3 days it’s only text messages. If anyone calls me, just leave a voice mail and I’ll check it on Wednesday, when my new billing cycle starts.

Also did some banking today, watching my bank balance dwindle. But I’m working about 30 hours at the store next week, so that will help, especially if I’m to be away for a week getting my new car.

And one more thing - if anyone has a subscription to my blog, I’M SORRY! I tagged 163 posts today, so your feeds have probably been going beserk. It won’t happen again, I promise.

That’s about it for now. I’m getting good at typing with a cast on, but it’s still a major pain in the ass. Or hand, rather. You’ll just have to deal with shorter posts for awhile.

I finally finished getting my blog back up to speed with the new Beta format. Let me know how you like it, I welcome any and all comments on it.

Now I just have to go back and label my posts, but I read today on another blog that this has been made really easy. I’ll find out, that’s for sure.

There’s only so much computing one can take with an injured hand, otherwise I’d have more stamina to get more work done faster. But that’s not the case. As you can see, the main parts of my changeover have been done, and you can see what it all looks like. It’s not as beautiful as my old template, but it’s all mine. One of these years when new non-Blogger issued tempalates become available that allow users to take advantage of widgets, I just might get myself one of those pretty custom widgets. But in this game where design and technology are fighting with each other, the technology won this round.

I still have more widgets to add to my site, but I like the 2 sidebars that will allow me to organize all that content a bit better. And I have to go through 160 or so posts to label. I have no plans tomorrow, but first I must catch up on sleep. I’ve gotten so little of it since I’m not working my day job.

That’s all for now. I’m so ready to crash it’s not even funny. And no, I will not be crashing into any cars, just my bed. Gotta nip that joke in the bud.

I did it - I made the switch to Beta. There will be some changes coming. I’m not clever enough with code to make my new template Beta compliant (as in, take the old template and be able to use widgets with it) so I will be making changes. I will no longer have the beautiful template you all have come to know and love, but it will be saved for future reference. I will be changing to a new template that will allow me to use the wonderful widgets, which will allow me to be better organized. I’ll also be going thru the 150 or so posts I have and tagging them all so I can dump Technorati. No offense for those that love it, but I only got it for the labeling abilities, and now that I can do that directly in Blogger, the other one goes.

In any case, be on the lookout for changes within the next few days. I made the switch, but to finish things up to get them the way I want will take time. But first, I have some errands to run, sleep to get since I didn’t really get any last night, and plans tonite. Gah, being unemployed sure keeps me busy!

Thank you soooooooooo much Dad, I cannot even begin to tell you how much I appreciate everything you do for me.

See, my dad owns a garage and used car lot, but since I moved to Vegas, it’s been of little help to me, because he is in New Hampshire. You can link to him in my link list. Anyway, when I told Dad that the adjuster totalled my car, a 2003 Kia Spectra, he asked me how I’d like a 2005 Ford Focus. Hey, at this point I’d like something with 4 wheels and an engine. But I have nothing against the Focus. Dad’s in tight with the credit union he does business with, so he can get repo’s really cheap. This is a repo, and in decent shape save for a few dents and desire for interior detailing. So Dad’s fixing it up for me, and the cheapest way to get it to me is for me to fly home and drive it back. That I’d be more than willing to do, so I just might be doing that next week. I’ll let you know.

Oh, the cost. Can’t forget to tell you this. A 4-yr loan, with my $1,000 deductible rolled in, at a much lower interest rate than I have now (Dad won’t mark it up at all) will result in my car payment being about $100/mo less than the Kia. Can I have an Amen?

I had a really bad experience buying the Kia, so I was never attached to it and I’m not sad to see it go. But it turned out to be a very safe little car, since all I ended up with was a broken hand and not even a scratch elsewhere. Even my back and neck are fine - in fact, they’ve never felt better. So even though I was not fond of that car solely because of the circumstances under which it was acquired, I thank God that I was in such a safe vehicle at that unfortunate moment.

Now, I’m hoping for a quick, impromptu visit with my family and cross country drive, in which I hope to avoid hotel stays by visiting friends and family along the way, getting back to Vegas in time to start a new job. Lots of things to work on during the next few days, and lots of possibilities around the corner.

Now if I could just type at a pace other than backwards. I just hope my backspace key holds out!