KirstenL4W

FH and I decided to paint some walls in our new home.  We have a media nook, or a nook in which we decided to place the entertainment center because of the convenient location of the cable outlet.  This nook has the same wall treatment as the rest of the house - textured walls with flat, builder off-white paint.  We decided that the nook needed something so that the entertainment center, as large as it is, wouldn’t look lost or out of place.  We went for black.  The entertainment armoire is black, as are the electronics and even the CD racks, so this color choice made sense to us.  And as soon as I get a new battery for my little point and shoot camera, I’ll show you all how awesome it looks.

As we were preparing the area to paint, a discussion about the wall texture came up.  Where I come from, walls are smooth.  Here, walls are textured.  FH said that in California, only old homes have smooth walls.  Back east, we don’t bother much with the spray and knockdown texture stuff, and most people who know their way around a hardware store know how to patch a hole in drywall so that it comes out smooth.  This texture stuff is new to me.

I asked FH why the walls are all textured out west, and he told me that it’s so that no one will notice that the walls aren’t straight.  So am I correct in assuming that it’s easier to teach someone to spray some texture and float it out than it is to teach them to use a level?  This West Coast stuff is too much for me to take sometimes.  East Coasters, when people tell you that California is like another planet, trust me.  It is.  And although I’m in Nevada, about 25% of the people moving here are from Orange and LA counties alone - just two counties out of 58 in CA.  That means that they bring their interplanetary weirdness with them when they move here.  FH is from California, but the northern part.  It’s a bit more normal up there, but they still have textured walls.

Well hey there, it’s a computer!  Let’s see, we put this wire into this plug, and that cord into that hole, and push the button…. it works!  Hallelujah, it’s a miracle!

So I got my computer hooked up and back online.  And not the vile Vista laptop.  Ok, I shouldn’t talk smack about it like that - it kept me online when I had no other way.  But now, I am on my computer, my beloved desktop PC, with all my files and music and good stuff like that.  And wires.  My goodness, this thing has a lot of wires.  The electrical spaghetti beneath my desk is astounding.  My next computer will definitely be an iMac, because they are sleek, and with wireless technology the only wire you absolutely need for it is the power.  One single wire.  Oh, how I long for the simplicity of it all.

But I digress.  Now that I have my PC unpacked, FH is playing WOW again, and we are settling into our new home, I anticipate having much more time to blog and be blogged.  There is still more unpacking to do, more stuff to buy, and oh yeah, a wedding coming up, but I’m happy that I can finally get back to my PC.  Don’t forget, it’s not just that I haven’t been online the past few weeks - the entire year that FH and I lived in that tiny, 1-bedroom apartment, my computer was in the bedroom and FH’s in the living room, and since I like spending time with him I spent my time in the living room, using the laptop to keep caught up and keep myself alive as far at the world wide interwebs are concerned.  I do have files on the laptop that need to be moved, but that’s nothing a flash drive can’t take care of.  For now, I’m happy to be home.  Home on my computer, and home in the home that FH and I are making for ourselves.  He’s here in the office (a room dedicated to wasting time with computers!) with me, playing WOW, and I can still reach out and touch him if I want to.

Life is good.

Our house looks like a box bomb went off in it.  It’s times like these that I don’t like having a full time job, but I really can’t do anything about that.  Oh, plus I just got myself a lovely cold to deal with, so the energy level isn’t there.  Computers and the home office will be the last thing to be set up, so I’m not the only one missing the online world.  The goal is to get things set up ASAP, so we’ll be busy doing that.  I’ll be back soon!

We are in the midst of packing right now, so posts will be few and far between until we get set up in the new home.  I’m doing my best to keep up with all of you in the meantime!

On Thursday, we had our “New Home Orientation,” or what’s more commonly known as a walk-through. We met with a representative of the builder, who showed us everything in the house, down to the last light switch. He showed us how everything worked, where all the major utility things were, and how to take care of everything. Then, armed with stickers of colored dots, we went through and marked everything that needed fixing or touching up. They will be taking care of those things over the next few days so we can move in once we take possession. Then we went to the closing. It’s done a bit differently here in Nevada than what I know and how it’s done in Massachusetts. In MA, you go to a lawyer’s office, sign a bunch of papers, and walk out with the keys. In NV, you go to the title company’s office, sign a bunch of papers, and wait. Once the seller receives the money and their reps give the OK, the sale is recorded with the relevant office (in our case, the county recorder), and once word is received that the sale is recorded, then we can pick up the keys. We are supposed to do that on Tuesday, and plan on moving next weekend. In the meantime, we have a lot of boxes to pack. We plan on starting that today, and I’ll be doing quite a bit of it this week while FH is driving all over the desert at the request of his employer.

Now for pictures. I’ll post a couple below, but you can also click here to see them all.

Future Husband and I have been house hunting, as you well know.  Yesterday we spent the afternoon with our realtor looking at resale homes.  We figured if we can get pretty much the same exact thing that we looked at when we were at the builder’s models the other day, but pay quite a bit less, then it was worth it to investigate.  We saw these homes, but the thing is, the real estate market right now kinda sucks.  During the boom a few years ago, it really was a BOOM in Las Vegas.  So many people bought thinking it was easy money.  So many people got in over their heads and trashed their homes when they were foreclosed on.  Out of everything that we looked at yesterday, only one home, the first one we saw, would have been worth it.  It needed some cleaning and new carpet, but the carpet wasn’t terrible.  After that, it all went downhill.  The last one we looked at we were in for about 5.3 seconds before we walked out.  FH and I talked and realized that if we had to put that much work into a resale, the money would work out just as well, and our peace of mind would be much greater, if we went the new route.

We went back to the new home community today with our realtor, and it turns out that a plan we like came back on the market just today.  We looked at a couple of other finished units last week, but they backed up to the main road.  This one doesn’t, and though we can’t choose any options at this point, the ones that were in the home were well-chosen.  FH isn’t keen on the laminate countertops, but I’m ok since it’s all I’ve ever known, and this patter won’t show every freaking speck like the solid white we have in our apartment now.

We ran to the bank to get some dough, and ran back to the sales office.  Then we spent the next hour signing papers.  This is just the offer!  I need to exercise my hand for closing.  Tomorrow we visit the lender to sign more reams of paper for the loan paperwork, and if all goes well we should be good to move in at the end of April.  FH is a bit shellshocked, but
I’m excited.  This place is twice as big as our current apartment, with 3 bedrooms, 2 ½ baths, and a mini-yard with a covered patio.  I can’t wait - it’s a bit nerve-wracking, but like I said, exciting.

As I mentioned yesterday, Boyfriend and I bought a Christmas tree. Today we finally got it decorated. Boyfriend thinks we need more lights, since there’s only about 400 on there. He thought that would be sufficient when we bought the lights last week, before we even had a tree. I do need to go buy more garland since I guessed at how much we would need and also had no idea that Boyfriend would feel the need to decorate the back of the tree. Lights and garland all the way around the tree. That’s how he was brought up, with a better than picture perfect tree, decorated all the way around even though it was in a corner. Ours is against the slider, and boyfriend thinks that if we decorate the back it will look nice to people outside. Um, we’re on the second floor, overlooking the pool. I don’t want it to look nice to people who are making that much effort to peek in our windows.

Boyfriend and I went back and forth on the proper way to decorate a tree and how it should look. He’s on the side of prettier than a picture. He can find fault in professionally decorated trees (and I’m not talking about the ones on display at the mall. I know what kind of rag-tag crew puts those up. I used to be one of those people). I, on the other hand, think a tree should have imperfections in it. Not deliberate imperfections, but come on now. The most important thing that should go into decorating the tree is love, not OCD. I myself have a perfectionist streak in me, but I know how far is too far with the tree. I told Boyfriend to chill on the decorating or I’d decorate the tree like I was 3 years old - you know, with all the ornaments really low to the ground and in one small area.

Now about this cold. I’m stuffy and I’m not happy. I’m not liking this a bit. At least today was a day off so I could rest up a bit. I hope it doesn’t get worse. That would be the last thing I need right now.

The other day I stopped by the apartment office to remind them that I still have a puddle of water under my sink. I know they are having major issues with other things like leaky roofs and heaters, but some acknowledgment would be nice. They’re so very nice when I go in there, but then they never call. I did manage to figure out where the leak was - sort of. Seems that the lines to and from the dishwasher have water dripping down them. Oh, and there’s a clamp missing on one of the lines, which may not necessarily be the spot where it’s leaking, but is definitely a disaster in the making. I can’t exactly put a bucket under it, because the water seems to be not only leaking out of the various places the hoses connect at the top, and where that connection connects to the faucet, but water also runs down these hoses and dribbles all over the place. Perhaps instead of a bucket I can try to fit a kiddie pool under the sink. As it is, the floor of the cabinet is so rotted out that there’s a huge dip in the floor. I think the only thing holding it together is the peel and stick vinyl tile that maintenance put down to fix cover up the rotted cabinet. If they ever decide to come and fix it, it will be interesting to see what their solution is.

In other news, time is careening towards Christmas at a breakneck speed, and I still have so many things that I need to get done. Here’s a close to complete sampling:

• Make craft for my Mom
• Make craft for a friend of Boyfriend
• Make a stocking for Boyfriend with no sewing machine and remedial sewing skills
• Find blank address labels amongst my stuff in the garage so I don’t have to buy more when all I need is 2 sheets
• Sign, address, and mail Christmas cards
• Burn and send latest CD for mix exchange
• Find time to finish Christmas shopping, as soon as I figure out what to get
• Mail Christmas presents to family back home!
• Which means I need to buy the right size boxes, so I guess I should finish shopping first, eh?
• Make banana bread out of bananas I didn’t eat before they turn to total mush and rot through the counter
• Regularly scheduled Thursday night oil change with our friends at the Greasy Spoon. The food is great, if you like it greasy!
• Attend Sweet 16 for our friend’s daughter Friday night, which will likely be followed by an after-party for the adults
• Keep from getting myself committed to the loony bin or having my insanity making the national news.

I’m sure there’s more that I just can’t think of right now. And, of course, as if the weekends need to be any busier, there is a possibility that we need to go to Colorado the weekend of December 15. Please, let’s do it after the holidays, and if we have to go, please, Santa, bring me some winter boots size 8 1/2 narrow for Christmas. Living in Vegas means that I don’t need to have winter boots unless we actually go somewhere that has winter, and everyone who has seen South Park knows that Colorado has snow year round.

I’m gonna try to cook some banana bread now, if I don’t blow up the kitchen or something. We ended up with pizza for supper tonite because I went shopping to get stuff to make Shepherd’s Pie and forgot potatoes. There are 3, count ‘em, THREE, ingredients in Sheperd’s Pie and I forgot one. I don’t know where my brain is today. Hopefully I have enough of it to get the banana bread right. So, I’m gonna go insane make banana bread and try to get to work on a craft or two, and try to keep reminding myself that plenty of sleep and my full-time job are good things and not getting in the way of everything I have to do this month.

Not me. No, I’m fine. My apartment, on the other hand, well….

A couple of weeks ago I found water under the sink. Again. I put in a work order with the office but they have yet to call us to schedule a time. In the meantime, I figured out where the leak was coming from, and Boyfriend tightened up a loose connection. However, the floor of the cabinet has sagged even more, and I swear the only thing holding it together is the peel and stick vinyl tiles that they used to “fix” it last time.

Last night when I was cooking dinner, I heard a weird thump. Looking around to find the source, the silverware drawer looked a bit off. It’s not supposed to be tilted like that. At first I thought that it had come off its track, but it wouldn’t lean like that. No, the drawer was on the track, but the track had come off the back of the cabinet. Oh yeah. That’s fun. Sitting here again this morning, Boyfriend and I looked at each other and laughed when we heard it collapse again.

We’ve already decided that we are going to be looking to buy a house so we can hopefully move when the lease is up. At least then when stuff like this happens we can have fun fixing it ourselves instead of bitching about the apartments that are fixed by maintenance people who don’t know shit.

Edited to add: Boyfriend went to the office to pay the rent, and inquired about the status of our work order. Due to the heavy rain all day Friday and Friday night, the office was flooded, and quite a few residents were complaining of leaky roofs, so I guess the puddle under our sink is no longer a priority. I guess we’ll remind them about once a week or so until it either gets fixed or the mold kills us, whichever comes first.

Why is it that when you have a vacation, the week after is total crap? I mean, I didn’t have a totally crappy week (except for the damn soda explosion), but it wasn’t very satisfying personally. Monday after work I slept, because I was dead tired and needed a nap. Boyfriend and I couldn’t get our groove on as far as food goes, so we didn’t eat all that well. And Friday, of all nights, I was dead by 9pm. Nine! I was snoring on the sofa way to early for a Friday night.

The weekend was better. Saturday I finally got some stuff unpacked. Remember, I move in with Boyfriend back in May, but I never unpacked most of it because I had a few issues to work through and it was just too freaking hot. Who wants to schlep boxes up the stairs when it’s 115F outside? Not I. So they sat, until yesterday. I brought up some more clothes, all my hangers to hang them on, my file cabinet so I can clean off my desk, my candles (which somehow survived being in the garage in that heat), one box of stuff for my desk, which actually gets stored in a cabinet I have, along with my other bed pillow and my blanket that I like to use when I get a bit chilly. Not a lot of stuff in the grand scheme of things, but it’s a start. For starters, the bedroom closet now looks like I live here. And while I was downstairs I re-organized the rest of the boxes so that like items are together. I have 5 boxes of books, which are easy to unpack once I actually get them up the stairs, and there’s a bunch of kitchen stuff. Boyfriend and I have to go through that, go through his, and pick out the best of the best. Other things, like decor, just aren’t getting unpacked as long as we live in this tiny apartment.

Today, after a long, leisurely brunch with some friends, Boyfriend and I took a quick look at a new housing development. They’re all over town, so it’s easy to find one. We didn’t really like the layouts of the homes we viewed, except one, but that particular builder used some materials we thought were inferior. It did give us a chance to talk about what we wanted in a house, and it was exhilarating to know that for over 95% of it, we are on the same page. So buying a house, while not immediately in the future, is a goal that we both have. This tiny apartment will not suffice forever.

As it is now 11pm and I seem to have lost an hour (more or less) surfing the web and catching up with all your posts, I’ll leave you all for now. I hope to be back sometime this week for more fun in the life of me.

A wonderful boyfriend. Memories of heartache. A blog post. Birthdays. Stress about the car. All these things and more brought about the feeling, and decision, that I wanted to go back home to New England. I told Boyfriend, through tears, what I wanted to do. He was willing to give me whatever it takes for me to be happy. Then I went to bed, and the overwhelming thought that I had made a mistake came over me. I couldn’t help but think, “What the hell have I done?”

I journaled about it, and what came out of my pen surprised me. I mean, I knew I was having these thoughts, but the way they came out on paper surprised me. I talked to Boyfriend some more. He really is wonderful. He didn’t want me to go, but he didn’t stand in my way if that’s what I really wanted. So I thought a lot, about a lot of things. Why I came here and everything that’s happened since I’ve been here.

I came here, simply, because I always wanted to move far away. It was something I’ve wanted ever since I was a kid in school, and we’d get a new student who came from far away. I wanted to be that kid, but it never happened. In a more abstract, overthinking sort of way, I wanted to be closer to me. I come from an area where my family is well known, and they all live very close to each other (think walking distance). Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Knowing lots of people and everyone knowing you can be very advantageous, and having everyone so close means you never miss a birthday, cookout, holiday or other gathering. But I had become the person that everyone wanted me to be, and it pleased everyone but me. I had this idea of a person inside my head that I was, that I wanted to be, and being away from everyone and totally on my own allowed me to be a lot closer to that person. Moving away allowed me to become closer to myself, to know myself better, and to show the world who I am.

I still miss everyone. I miss being there for holidays. I traveled home as often as I could, but it wasn’t enough. This August is the first time that I won’t be there to celebrate Messy J and Bubba’s birthdays. Bubba misses me too much. He’s turning 14 on Tuesday and though he won’t admit it, he really likes having his Aunty around. He’s a great kid, and I miss having him around too. Messy J is just adorable, and I miss being there for her and being silly with her. It would be easier to be away if I didn’t have such an amazing family, but I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

Boyfriend is also amazing. He put aside his own feelings to let me talk through this, and he is so great at listening. So good, in fact, that after yesterday’s session with my head shrinker I realized that I get so much more out of talking with Boyfriend, and head shrinker and I are not on the same page anymore. So I didn’t make another appointment with her, but I also walked out knowing that what I have with Boyfriend is so amazing, that I can’t give that up. I tried by telling him I wanted to go home. And I realized that why I said I wanted to go home all came down to me not totally opening myself up and giving my all to this relationship. See, in the game of love, I had been hurt before.

The last significant relationship I had was one that saw the hurt dragging on much longer than it should have. I fell deeper and was hurt more than ever before, and my insistence on trying to work it out and staying friends (with the intention of it picking back up again someday) kept a certain level of heartache in my life, because I refused to see that it would never happen. Eventually, I cut my losses and was better for it. But I was also determined to never get hurt like that again. So I built my life, alone and was content with that. Content. Not necessarily happy, but that’s where my walls were. In refusing to allow myself to be hurt again, I was also refusing to allow myself to be happy. As wonderful as Boyfriend is, I kept thinking that it wasn’t going to last, because everything ends, right? I actually had myself convinced that I was better off alone, because with all those walls built up I could control everything, down to my emotions. I started focusing on what I didn’t have with him that I had when I was alone, but in the end I realized that I had so, so much more than I had given up. To be able to eat a pint of ice cream in one sitting while watching sappy chick flicks can still be had - when Boyfriend goes away on a business trip. I’m not giving anything up by being with him.

Boyfriend finally came out and said he thought that I was making a mistake. He said I was unhappy enough to leave New England in the first place, and if I went back I’d be miserable. I know he’s right. I pictured myself living at my mom’s house, feeling dejected, like I had failed in my attempt to leave home and be happy. I wouldn’t be going home with a new sense of purpose and a fresh outlook on life, like Macoosh decided this week. I didn’t want that. I didn’t want to go home knowing I left a good life and a great Boyfriend. I didn’t want to go away from anything, and although I have my family and friends there, they’ll always be my family and friends no matter where in the world we are. So I wasn’t going to them. I wasn’t going to anything. So I’m going to stay here, in a place where I have so much more than I could ever have imagined.

Remember when I mentioned about the leaky sink and the moldy results? Well, here’s the rest of the story.

So as not to gross anyone out by sticking them in your face, you can go here to see the photos.

Almost a week after the original fix, we got someone out to fix under the cabinets. It took that long because I called the office and wouldn’t let them in without anyone being home, so I had to make an appointment so I could let boyfriend know. So, they came out, slapped down some peel and stick vinyl floor tile, caulked it and called it good. Well, all was not good. They totally ignored the little cabinet to the left of the sink, which was also damaged. The huge gap under the dividing wall between the cabinets should have been a clue, since the floor was severely warped and the two cabinets share a floor. But, no, it was not fixed. So on Monday I called the office again, and told them that I was not happy with the fix and that part of the damage was completely ignored. I was told that the maintenance supervisor was just back from vacation and he would head over to look at the damage. He did, and Boyfriend told him to come back the next day since Boyfriend works from home most of the time.

The next day, they come back to try and fix this and immediately start in with the peel and stick vinyl floor tiles. Boyfriend stops him and tells him that there’s mold. Boyfriend was told that the white stuff was hard water stains and that mold is black, but maintenance humored Boyfriend and poured some bleach on it before covering it up with the vinyl tiles.

Now, I’m not an expert or anything, but if you look at the photos you will see that there are plenty of black bits on that cabinet floor. And I know enough about hard water to know that the buildup of limescale is not furry!!!!! Anyone who has seen a rotten piece of fruit, however, knows that mold can be furry.

Since the apartment has considered this problem to be fixed, I have taken pictures and documented our experience in the event that I ever need to prove that we did everything that, as tenants, we are legally obligated to do. But seriously, this just sucks that such a “nice” apartment complex would be that lackadaisical about mold.

I’m willing to bet that some unnamed neighbors will soon be having similar maintenance issues. Our water was off for a good part of the day, so I encouraged Boyfriend (who works from home most of the time) to call. Technically, they’re supposed to notify us in the event of an outage of essential services, and since the water was off for a short time yesterday also, we figured they knew it would be off again today. Anyway, it turns out that a neighbor in our building had a leak - a major leak - that required maintenance to shut the water off to fix. They couldn’t fix it yesterday, so they tried again today. It comes as no surprise to us that maintenance had a hard time with the leak. If this leak is a major as the office made it out to be in their attempt to elicit sympathy for the need to shut the water off, and it had been occurring for more than a few hours when it was discovered, and if maintenance fixes up the damage resulting from the leak with the same expertise they did our cabinet, then it looks like we’re not the only ones with problems. We should find out who the neighbor is and get friendly with them, because should this spread, we could very well have a case for at the very least getting out of our lease without penalty.

Here in the desert, the season when it supposed to be most likely to rain is known as monsoon season. Now, those of you reading from parts of the world where monsoon means that it doesn’t stop raining for months at a time, I understand you may be laughing at me. But in the desert, a quarter-inch or mere centimetre of rain is serious business. The desert ground is not unlike concrete, in that it is not absorbent. The water from the rains just runs off into the lower lying areas. For those not familiar with the topography of Las Vegas, we are in a valley. For this reason you will frequently hear the metro area referred to as “The Las Vegas Valley“. Water tends to follow gravity downwards. What am I getting at? Well, I’m not drowning. But I am sitting here, staying up a bit later than I ought to be, enjoying the smell of the rain, the flash of lightening, and sound of thunder as I blog, listen to Boyfriend play some silly computer game while sorta watching tv. Yeah, I know, all the electronics during an electrical storm. Whatever. Read the paper to see if I fried.

It was nice to get some time to relax this evening. I took a short nap since I was soooo exhausted today, then made some dinner and sat down with the laptop so I could be online while still being able to spend time with Boyfriend. He’s not been feeling well lately, which we suspect is due to the mold. (No comment on that situation at this point.) Anyhoo, when we’re both on the computer we don’t usually get to be together because of the setup here at home. We have a 1 bedroom apartment, and his computer is in the living room. Because there’s no room left out here, when I moved in my desk went in the bedroom. It sucks, but it will have to do for now until we get a house. But thank goodness he has a laptop, so I can spend time with him while computing. I’m currently set up on the sofa so that I can easily look over the screen here and see the left half of his wonderful face staring intently at his screen as he tries to survive his silly little game.

Anyhoo, the storm seems to be over for now, the clock is getting later and later, and I really need to get some rest.

Google Reader it is. Thanks for the advice, everyone. I already have the Google toolbar, so this makes it easy, and all the blogs I love to read are there. It’s made my blog reading so much quicker now that I don’t have to go to my own blog and click on all the links in my blogroll. There are only 3 blogs (indicated in my blogroll by a *) that don’t have feeds (Mist1, I’m talking to you!) so I still need to remember to come here and actually read them the old-fashioned way.

I’m still contemplating a complete move over to Google, including my main email address. That will take a bit more time to think over, because I’ve had my current email for about 8 years now, so old habits die hard. Like I said, still looking into that.

Last night Boyfriend and a bunch of our friends went to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I’ve seen the movie, but never seen it live, so it was quite the experience. It wasn’t at all what I expected, either. The crowd was way rowdier than I thought they’d be, and since the venue doesn’t allow the audience to bring in props, they sell their own weenie-bag of props for $1. The bag included a piece of newspaper, a few sheets of toilet paper, 3 playing cards, a party hat and noisemaker. No toast, no rice, no squirtguns, none of the good stuff.

The rest of this week has been fairly uneventful. The remodel continues in my department at work, though my cube is done and I have settled in. The heat continues to wear me down, even though I don’t spend much time in it. Twice this week I’ve come home from work and taken very long naps. That totally screws up my routine, so I can’t do that anymore. Ah, and yes, I’m sure you want an update on the whole leaky sink issue. The sink is fixed and doesn’t leak, even though the ill-fitting drain assembly looks like shit. The cabinet, on the other hand - well, the cabinet directly under the sink was “fixed” by maintenance laying down a new layer of thin parquet to cover up the damage. It’s still warped, and the mold is still there, just covered up. Absolutely no attention was taken with the cabinet directly next to the sink that was also affected, so this is still unusable. We’re gonna go talk to them to see what they want to do about this. Should I mention that we’ve both been feeling a bit stuffy and congested the past few days?

So that’s about that for now. Today we’ll try to see the new Harry Potter movie with some friends. I’m not that huge a Potter fan, I’ve never read a single one of the books, but I’ve seen the movies thus far, thanks to my wonderful Boyfriend. So that’s the goal for today: Harry Potter, don’t forget to eat due to our lazy asses around the house this afternoon or our busy schedules later, and try to get to bed at a halfway decent hour so we don’t start the week in a major sleep deprived state.

First of all, I’d like to say thanks for all your suggestions on feed readers. I’ve decided to try out Google Reader, since it seems that I am slowly but surely moving everything to Google. I got myself a Gmail address (still using as a backup at this point) and I use Google Docs on a regular basis for things that I need to share or need to access on multiple computers. Anyway, a few of the blogs I want to put on Reader don’t have feeds, so they are starred* in my blogroll only as a note to me to check them from time to time.

Now, for the news. Yesterday I cam home for work and decided to do some chores before Boyfriend came home from work. (Usually he works from home, but goes into the office once in awhile. Yesterday was one of those days.) I got right to work doing dishes, which has been frustrating because our brand new cheap ass apartment issue dishwasher seems to actually dirty the dishes rather than clean them. So wash by hand it was. But, the sink doesn’t want to hold water - if I fill it up it still drains out. So I wash dishes by running the water, which Boyfriend hates because of the waste.

I finished washing the dishes and put them in the large drying rack (formerly known as the dishwasher). Then I decided to go under the sink to get a cleaner to clean a few things. I noticed that the can of Scrubbing Bubbles was wet. Weird. Then it dawned on me - the Mystery of the Draining Sink was solved. It was 4:45 at this point, and the office closed at 5, so I called up and requested that a maintenance person come over right away. Ten minutes later, my doorbell rang and Danny was there to fix it all. One problem - I knew more about this stuff than Danny apparently did. He didn’t have the proper tools, then he thought he fixed it when in fact he was looking at the wrong part of the drain. So, he goes to get a new drain assembly and starts to install it, with the packaging included. I pulled out the cardboard pieces and gave it back to him to install. I also slipped into the other room to call Boyfriend to tell him that I needed him home NOW because this guy wasn’t too brilliant. Boyfriend tells me later that Danny is the HEAD of maintenance. Great. Anyway, the drain is fixed, though the gasket is too large and the drain sticks up out of the sink. Now we just have to get someone else over to replace the floor of our kitchen cabinet and the cabinet next to it, because those rotted out.

Today is a lazy day, which is about to end. Boyfriend and other friends who are seemingly allergic to daytime have just made plans to meet up for dinner and to watch one of our friends play in his band. But I had a productive day, at least for a lazy day. I caught up on sleep, organized some paperwork, found a bit of space on my desk in the process, and went through some more music on iTunes so that I could get rid of songs I really don’t care for. I got them on there when I uploaded entire CDs from my collection, so I’m in the process of going through the approximately 2500 songs I have to get rid of the ones I really don’t like. And the CD burning is put on hold a bit until I get myself an external hard drive, because my 80Gb drive that I thought would be way more than enough space apparently isn’t. Of course, I wasn’t using iTunes at the time. Quick question for the pod people out there: if I simply move my music files, will I have a problem with those that are copy-protected? I know I can’t copy them or burn more than 7 copies of them, but will I have a problem with simple relocation?

That’s about it for now. I still have more blogs to add to Google Reader, but that will have to wait for now, since I need to get ready to go out with the gang.

I’m still on the hunt for a job. I registered with a couple agencies and have been going on interviews. Soon I shall have something, fingers crossed. It’s hard to sound excited about being an administrative assistant. I mean, it’s not like it’s a career goal anymore. Years ago there were secretarial schools that women went to, because it was one of the 3 accepted careers for women (the others being nurse and teacher). If a woman was going to work, that’s one of the very few choices she had. I don’t know how anyone ends up being a career assistant, especially in this day and age where getting a new job every couple of years is the norm.

Since I’ve been home looking for a job, I’ve also been trying to get my stuff all unpacked and settled. That’s been going even less successful than the job hunt. First of all, it’s over 100 degrees outside, so going to our garage and hauling boxes into the upstairs apartment we have isn’t an appealing thought. Also, Boyfriend and I live in a 1 bedroom apartment, so space is severely limited. We’ve both been frustrated with the process, but we are slowly but surely making progress. On the plus side, my computer is set up and online via wirelss (yay Boyfriend!) so no more issues with that one silly little laptop key. The rest of my desk, on the other hand, is in a miserable state of being partially done, since a lot of the relevant crap that goes with having a desk is still boxed up in the garage.

Other than that there’s been not a heck of a lot going on. I’ve been trying to keep up with blogs, though I haven’t been able to check all of them as often as I used to. That’s ok, because if I get a job that has me as busy as I want to be, I won’t have much time to read them all, so it’s something that I should get used to. For now, though, I need to get some stuff done around the house to make things easier for when Boyfriend gets home and perhaps eat some lunch.

What a week. I quit my job last Friday, which I’m kinda glad about because I was so freaking bored. I mean, you saw the frequency of my posts increase, and they were all posted during work hours. So, needing something to do, I went out in search of a new job. If anyone in Vegas has any connections looking for an admin, let me know.

Saturday Boyfriend and I moved my stuff. Ugh. Next time we hire someone. I’m still not all completely unpacked, but it’s been tough trying to fit all my stuff in with his. I’ve been going thru and making decisions on what can go, and honestly, I feel fine with that. I start getting anxious sometimes when I think about all the schtuff I have, but in this day and age how is it possible to do with less? I mean, I have a computer, and with that goes lots of cords, printer, modem, paper, speakers, blah, blah, blah. Next time I get a new computer, it will be a laptop because at least then I won’t need such a big freaking desk to put everything on. Anyhoo, yeah. Just trying really evaluate what I need and don’t.

And one more thing:

It’s spring, my lease is up in 23 days, and I’m never at my apartment anymore. So, it’s time to move. This spring brings a first for me - I’m moving in with Boyfriend. I’ve never lived with anyone in this capacity before. I’ve had roommates, but that was purely out of financial necessity, and given a choice between a roommate and living alone, I’d rather be alone. But, since I’ve been over at Boyfriend’s house pretty much since we met, stopping at my apartment only to pick up more clothes and toiletries and check the mail, we decided that me moving in would be best.

Now, why his place over mine? Well, here’s a comparison:

So, it made more sense to move me there than the other way around. Now we have just over three weeks to pack my stuff up and figure out where it’s all going to go. Each of us on our own has enough stuff to fill that apartment, so I imagine some compromises will have to be made. But I am a very organized person, and I am confident that I will be able to come up with something to fit it all in without too much being stored in the garage or getting donated.

I do have to admit, though, that the next few weeks until we get all my stuff settled in will be a bit trying. I’ve been living with only the bare minimum of my own possessions, and I can make do on that, but eventually I will have them all again. I also have the feeling that I’ll be able to shed some of my stuff rather painlessly. I do miss my kitchen stuff (one area of our apartment that is in dire need of reorganization) and more of my clothing, even though very little of it fits at the moment (it will again, and hopefully soon). What I really miss is my “office” area - my computer, desk, files, books, music, and all the other things that I like to do. That I think should be a top priority, getting my desk set up.

This is definitely an adventure. I’m in my 30s, and like I said, I’ve never lived with someone in this capacity. We’ve already talked a lot about this change, how we feel about it and on a more practical level, so I’m confident we will be able to get through this on continue on with our relationship, which so far has been absolutely wonderful.

And, friends and family, you’ll be getting address updates soon. My phone number and email address will not be changing, so I’m always reachable that way.

(taken from Chitowngal who took it from Poi who took it from Henna)

aprons - y/n?
nope, I don’t have any, therefore don’t wear any. Perhaps I should though.

baking - y/n?
If I can cook it in a toaster oven, sure.

clothesline - y/n?
No, nowhere to put one. But I do have clothespins.

donuts - ever made them?
Nope, but I might have to start because there are no Dunkin’ Donuts here.

everyday - one homemaking thing you do everyday?
Homemaking? Daily? You’re kidding, right?

freezer - do you have a separate deep freezer?
I live in a studio apartment. That should tell you what you need to know.

garbage disposal - y/n
Now this I have. I like using my disposal.

handbook - y/n?
Well, my mom brought me to see this show for my First Annual 29th Birthday, and I bought the DVD after the show. It came with a handbook. I can’t do anything in it though. Cuz I’m a girl.

ironing - love it or hate it?
Hate it. I avoid it to the point that I wear mostly knits.

junk drawer - where is it?
I don’t believe in junk drawers. Everything should have a proper home.

kitchen - design and decorating?
One of these years, yes. But right now I live in a van down by the river studio apartment. I can try to give it all the love I have, but it’s still gonna be a tiny, horrible kitchen.

love - what is your favorite part of homemaking?
How about “home - what is your favorite part of lovemaking?” to which I answer NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS!!!!!!

mop - y/n?
Mop? I’m confused.

nylons - wash them by hand or in the washer?
I live in the desert. It gets very hot here in the desert. Hotter than the sun sometimes. Nylon has a very low melting point - about 420-430 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, I don’t wear nylons because I don’t want them to melt onto my legs.

oven - do you use the window or open it to check?
I don’t use the oven. I use a toaster oven. I live alone, don’t forget. No sense firing up the big old oven to cook a little something for myself. Did I mention that I live in a studio apartment?

pizza - what do you put on yours?
Sauce, cheese, and sometimes I like sausage and onions on it. Just as long as it’s not spicy. And it’s not on me.

quiet - what do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?
A quiet moment during the day? Nothing, it’s too short. But if there are enough of them all strung together, then I take a nap.

recipe card box?
I have a bunch of cookbooks that I don’t use because I’m rarely home to eat. Does that count?

style of house?
Dumpy, needs to be renovated 20 year old studio apartment. But it’s a good size for a studio.

tablecloths and napkins - y/n?
Tablecloths no. I tend to drag them off the table with my thunder thighs when I sit down. Napkins are a necessity. Can’t live without them.

under the kitchen sink?
cleaning supplies and tools. Neither of which I use very often.

vacuum - how many times a week?
I vacuum semiannually. People actually vacuum multiple times per week?

wash - how many loads do you do a week?
1? 2? It depends on how many clothes I wear.

x’es - do you keep a list of things to do and cross them off?
I am a compulsive list maker. I am not, however, a compulsive list-crosser-offer.

yard - who does what?
I live in a VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!!!!! The landscapers take care of all that.

zzz’s - what is your last homemaking task for the day?
I may or may not be home for my last task of the day. And it may or may not have to do with homemaking.

Yes, despite popular belief, I do have a personality. Gem has been encouraging FOGs (Friends of Gem) to see what their personality type is. I am an ISFJ, which means this:

I — Introverted: turned toward the inner world of symbols, ideals and forms. An introvert, or introverted type, is one whose dominant function is inwardly focused. Introverts are inclined to express themselves, using their primary function, indirectly, through inference and nuance.
S — Sensing: physiological perception; perceiving with the five natural senses. Extraverted sensors are attuned to the world of sights, sounds, smells, touches and tastes. Introverted sensors are most aware of how those perceptions compare with their ideal internal standards. In Jung’s typology, sensing is an irrational function. Sensing’s opposite is iNtuition.
F — Feeling: Making decisions from a personal perspective. In Jung’s typology, feeling is a rational function. Feeling’s opposite is Thinking.
J — Well, you just need to read this page to understand it a bit more.

I also got the same result from this test, so since internet based quizzes have never been known for their accuracy, I’d encourage you to do a few to see what the results are.

In other news, despite my relaxing week so far (actually, its been a lazy week), I’ve got some built up frustration and anger somewhere, so I need to get rid of that. I was chatting with a friend a little while ago online, and some of my anger is directed towards him, which it really shouldn’t be because he didn’t do anything really to deserve it. So rather than hitting him, I’m going to try and go out tomorrow to hit baseballs. Whenever I have this kind of pent-up energy I always feel the need to hit or throw something. Once, in college, I was angry and threw my keys towards the wall. They didn’t bounce off the wall, instead, they stuck in the wall. I was so upset that it didn’t even amuse me at the time, and it really scared my RA when she came in to see what was wrong. So I try to stay away from that kind of damage now, and heading to the batting cages might be just the thing. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Also, I finally got my above-mentioned friend to help me drag in the cabinet I bought. My desk area just doesn’t have enough storage space in it to really be effective, and because of this I constantly have a pile of stuff on the floor beside my desk. You can’t see the pile, but here’s the desk and mess on top of it:

So, what I’m going to do is move this bookshelf next to my desk:

Now, I know that I have the file cabinet next to the desk, but it’s on wheels so I think I’ll be fine just rolling it around to be out of my way. Also, I don’t go in the far side of my closet too often, so it’s not a huge inconvenience for that side to be blocked. So now there’s just the question of what I am going to put where the bookshelf was. I do need to put something there, since I do still need some sort of storage space, which studio apartments are notoriously lacking. I bought this at War-Mart:

I have the bottom cabinet and the 4-square cubby thing to put on top of it. I think that it will give me plenty of storage space. I won’t have to have my laundry stuff on display (yay!) and it will be a much better system for storage than I had before. I can’t wait to get started, and I even thought about starting it now, but I need to try and get back to daytime hours before my first day of work on Monday.

Oh, and I’m done v-cat (what I’m calling the xxxxxx Catalogues), my mix cd. I’ll post more on that later. I just need to fine tune one little thing, then I can burn them all. I hope to have them mailed out on Friday.