I Hope You're Ready, Life!

'Cause we're about to start livin'!

No Ikea

I didn't make it to Ikea as planned. Instead, I went on a mini shopping spree last weekend and had to content myself with my local Target. I bought a new down comforter (and managed to finally sew up the tear in my old one a day later, who knew my feather problem could have been solved so easily with 10 minutes of patience?). I love my new comforter though. I paid extra for the nicer one, and I don't regret it. It is warm, and it's still pristine. I've covered it with one of those micro-fiber throws that I had under my old comforter to keep my dog off of it.
I also got a really simple, inexpensive curtain set, which I put up myself. It's not fancy, but it's lightweight enough to let the natural light flow through (which is one of my favorite things about my apartment), but enough substance to shield my naked body from the view of my smoking neighbors.
I found a few cheap frames: two plastic in olive green and teal, two gold wood (but not aggressively gold), and one cream colored, thick wooden frame. I'm pretty satisfied in the variety I'm building. Right now, all of the photos are just lined up in their frames on the floor underneath my living room window, and I have to say, I almost kind of like them there.
My bff is bringing me a lamp from Ikea when she comes down, for a little lighting by my big, comfy chair. I still need to find a side table to put the lamp on though.
Other than that, I want a new rug for the entryway. The one I have now came with the place, and frankly it's dirty and grosses me out to think what unknown things have crossed it.
And a new duvet cover, but that's moved down the list for now.
I'll post some pictures once I figure out which angle to take them from.
This little shopping spree has not helped my debt management plan, but it has been fun. Especially the part where I bought drill bits for my power drill (thanks Grandma & Grandpa) and used them correctly! Yea!

Country Music Marathon

In my effort to do, and be involved, and and and and, I decided to organize volunteers from my office for a water station at the Country Music Marathon & 1/2 Marathon this year. I have volunteered twice before, and both times it was a very amazing, inspirational experience.

Through several annoying mass emails, I have rallied enough troops (10) from my workplace to man a water station. I'm a little disappointed that we're going to be in the back half and won't see as many runners as I have previously (at Mile 4); nevertheless, I am looking forward to it, and I think that it's still going to be really cool to see this totally different part of the race.

I just went to the first meeting today after work, and you are looking at the blog of a Water Station Captain. That is right. Looks like the Yacht Rock Captain shirt that I bought two weeks ago was but a portent of titles to come. A lot more work goes into everything than anyone ever realizes. I got a little nervous at the beginning of the presentation, then got pumped up, then got a little disappointed as I realized that my group wasn't big enough to work on its own, and that we'd be grouped with other small groups, but I'm feeling pretty good about it.

I go meet up with my "Sector Coordinator" tomorrow to check out our site, Water Station 14 (between miles 19 and 20) of the course, and to meet the captains from the other two groups. Coordinating the tasks between three different captains should be interesting, but I'm excited to see where we're going to be and who we'll be teamed up with. Also, the more I think about it the more comfortable I feel about having more people than I'd anticipated at the station.

I still need more volunteers, so if you're interested, hit me up! And if not, you'll be hearing about it at least!

The New New New

I haven't said much about it (with the exception of a few people), but I applied for a different position within my company last month. Wednesday they informed me that I got the job. I started training this morning.

Whew. A lot more emailing goes into label copy than I realized. I'm excited. And nervous. And ready to put my brain to new tasks and information.

I've been at my current company for four years now, doing the same thing in the same position. And while I'm pretty good at it, I decided back in September that it was time for a change. I mean, I've changed everything else in my life over the past six months, why not this area too?

So. Here I go. Wish me luck.

Turns Out

That I'm an idiot. The perfume was coming from my new shirt. Which had been enclosed in a gift box with a sample scent prior to my wearing it. No wonder I couldn't get away from the smell. Ha.

I Am A Responsible Grown-Up...

...who takes back her new yellow iPod Nano to the Apple store upon discovery that it is not compatible with her work computer's version of iTunes (which is not version 9) instead of buying a new computer on credit to go along with her new yellow iPod.
See how responsible I am? Responsible, I say!
Sigh.
Also, area rugs...they cost as much as 5th generation 16 GB yellow Nanos, just in case you were wondering. Just in case you were trying to be a responsible grown-up who buys area rugs for your new apartment rather than flashy new Nanos that you can't utilize anyway.
Humph.
Being a grown up. Boo.

I Can't Stop Smiling

I put a deposit down on an apartment. Like 25 minutes ago. I will be a resident of the West Side in roughly three weeks (apologies to those of you trying to recruit me to the E. Side, but I know that you understand). It's off of Murphy Road. It's older. It's an upstairs, studio apartment. It's not very big, but it will be big enough for me and my boy. As long as there are no roaches, I will be happy. The rent isn't much more than I pay now, plus I figure that since water and electric are included, I'll actually be saving money at this place. Plus it's super close to work. I'm so excited. I feel good about this.
I will be working some major overtime to make up for the overlap in rent, but I really don't care. It will be worth it. It has wood paneling. I don't care. It will be worth it. I'm so excited. I am going to go baby-sit now, but I had to share.
Well... hello, Nashville.*

*Please read this in your campiest Kim Cattrall SATC voice.

We Didn't Start The Fire

Or, um. Yes, we did. If we is me. And is that too trite of a post title? It probably is, but I'm rusty, so cut me some slack. I've been in a fairly deep rut, and I'm trying to mentally climb out of it, but I feel more like that pregnant lady in Apocolypto trying to scramble out of a pit with a small child clinging to her leg. Except without being pregnant, and minus the child, but you get the feeling of futility and frustration, right? Anyway, it's mundane; I'm working on it. No need to fret. No suicide watch here. Just a little mid-life blah.
Now, back to my trite title. I accidentally tried to set my apartment on fire this evening. Good thing for smoke alarms, right? The place might be crawling with roaches and car burglars, but at least your smoke alarms are functioning, right? Right? Wrong. More like thanks to our water heater that only heats about five minutes of hot water, or we might've gone up in smoke. We being me, my fantastical dog, the roaches, and the other tenants of my building along with all of their worldly possessions.
I took the Boomy for a walk/run while T went to work out. We got home ripe and sweaty. I pre-heated the oven for some fish sticks and got in the shower to rinse off before preparing a tasty, if unoriginal, meal. I just happened to forget that the last time I used the oven, I didn't follow directions, threw the pre-cut pizza directly onto the rack and lost half of it to gravity. It was a smoky ordeal which I promptly forgot.
'Til I came out of the bathroom to find an equally steamed up apartment. The oven was smoking. The old pizza was actually on fire in there. Whew. Scary. I managed to not panic, take out the racks, and throw a wet towel on the burning cheese and toppings.
Not a fire fighter, but given my absentmindedness and short fuse lately, I'm quite pleased with myself. Just not looking forward to cleaning that oven.

I've Got a Cuke!

It looks like a gherkin, but there it is.

My garden consists of three pots. The camera died before I got a shot of the cherry tomato plant. See how my cucumber plant is trying to take over the world? By strangling the tomatoes?

Don't Do This

Um...so if you see your bowl of 1+ week-old black beans sitting innocently in their bowl in the work fridge, don't, under any circumstances, dump them into the garbage disposal. Should you follow this unsuspecting path, you will, instead of trapping the sulfuric (read: fart) smell of the beans into the pipes, be spreading it out into the office. It will take about 2.5 minutes for the entire floor to start muttering about the awful smell and wondering aloud about its origin. It will seep its stinky way into the offices at the other end of the building. People coming from other floors will ask in disgust, "What is that awful smell?"
You will be forced to confess that you are its origin. This is not the kind of shame that you want to subject yourself to. Take it from me.
In attempts to cover up your shame, some co-workers might spray Oust and Febreze into the atmosphere, which instead of making the smell better, simply give you a headache on top of the sewage smell. Oh, happy day.
Diffusion* took no time to humiliate me, but is taking its sweet time in remedying the 1st floor stink.
Don't do it.

*Movement of a fluid from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. Thank you, Mrs. Royal, 10th grade biology.