I Love It When These Things Match My Life...

This week's horoscope from Free Will Astrology:

How well have you been attending to 2010's major themes, Gemini? Since we're midway through the year, let's do a check-in. I hope that by now you are at least 15 percent sturdier, stronger, and braver than you've ever been in your entire life, and at least 20 percent better organized and disciplined. I hope that you have outgrown one of your amateur approaches and claimed a new professional privilege. Now write the following questions on a slip of paper that you will leave taped to your mirror for the next six months. "1. How can I get closer to making my job and my vocation be the same thing? 2. What am I doing to become an even more robust and confident version of myself?"


Let's see:
[o] sturdier--check
[o] stronger--check
[o] braver--check
[o] better organized--check
[o] better disciplined--check
[o] outgrown one amateur approach--hmm...not sure about that one...
[o] claimed new professional privilege--I POUR COFFEE GOOD!

I was going to add little notes after each "check," but all but the last two ended up being one thing: out of necessity. Not only necessity because of the move, but necessity causing the move. If I hadn't been strong, brave, or well organized, I would not be doing as well as I am; I would still be working barely part-time, half-assing my education, not doing anything real with my life, and not trying out of fear.

I am indeed going to write those questions on a slip of paper, although they'll be going on my computer monitor instead of my mirror, as (a) I look at the former more often, and (b) the latter is shared with the house and it'd be...odd. They are good questions, and I think they'll help me focus on Diplomatic Solutions and my art, as well as being a good worker at Starbucks. :)

Up and Down.

Today started off by not really starting off. I woke up, had some breakfast, checked my internet things, then stared at the TV for a couple of hours. Bleh.

Work was much different. The night shift is, not surprisingly, pretty slow, although there were odd moments of busy. Mostly it was cleaning and prepping for the morning open, serving what few customers there were, and chatting. Most of the shift it was just JH, DH, and myself, and we all get along really well, so it was a lot of fun. :)

Two highlights of the day, both money related: I set up direct deposit for my paycheck, and I got tips for the first time, which was very nice--especially since I haven't really had cash on me in a while, and getting to my bank's ATM is a a tiny bit of a hassle. The tips weren't exactly huge, but it's nice to have some paper money on me.

Next week's schedule, which I got today, is pretty similar to this weeks, with one difference: all night shifts, but FULL shifts, adding up to 30.5 hours! Woo!

Time to eat and relax. Tomorrow I go in "earlier"--1:30--so I had better get to bed early...snort.

Of Course, Sometimes It IS Exciting. Or At Least Busy.

Today was a busy, productive day. Yesterday was productive, too, but in a more laid-back way.

Let's see...
[o] FINALLY washed two blankets that we didn't even mean to bring along with us. They got used as impromptu packing material in the trailer, and have been sitting in a corner since we moved in. Now they are folded and tucked into the hall closet. Or, one is, and the other will be when we get around to pulling it off the drying rack.
[o] Did some research into websites that allow users to upload pictures for the purpose of printing and selling them. I looked into three of them--Imagekind, SmugMug, and backprint--and sent links and thoughts off to Dad. He replied saying he liked the look of backprint back, and I've been tasked with getting us set up on it. The plan is to make some spare money from our pretty, pretty pictures, since we both enjoy taking them, enjoy sharing them, and enjoy paying bills.
[o] Entertained and fed Dan and his girlfriend, Kathleen, for the half hour they were able to stop by on their way from Chicago to Pittsburgh. It was a little bittersweet, but mostly just really nice to see an old friend, and meet his girlfriend. And to feed them sandwiches and soda, as they hadn't had lunch yet and were looking at another six hours of driving...
[o] Finished up research and small errands for my return back to Diplomatic Solutions. Explanation!:

Diplomatic Solutions is an online academic journal for graduate students of international studies. I helped found it back in February with my friend, Chris Smith, whose baby this really is. His friend and classmate Patrick Hall is also heavily involved, with business-side contributions from others as well.

At first, Chris told me I was going to edit for it. That's right, told me, knowing full well that I love to edit and needed something to do with my brain. I then got bored one day and decided I would make a logo for it. Next thing I know, I'm the Creative Editor, with some business stuff thrown in.

Now, as we get close to the official launching date, our legal and technical shtuff has gotten more or less settled, and I am the Business Manager. My duties include keeping the minutes of our online meetings, keeping track of the finances, maintaining our networking presence, creating external advertising, and working on website advertising. I'm Graphic Design, Accounting, Secretary, Marketing, and Sales all rolled into one!

There's obviously a lot more to it than what I've written up here, but it's too complicated to try and make into an entertaining read at 11:30 at night. The gist of it is, I'll be in charge of money when we have some, I'll be handling all advertising both for and on our site, I've made and will continue to make our graphics (such as the logo at the top of our website), and I maintain our Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter pages. Those last two are really the fun things XD

Set-up was burbling along fairly well the first two months or so. Then, from the end of April until last week, I was basically on hiatus, what with moving and settling in and all. I had a meeting with Chris on Sunday to get caught up with what they've been doing in my absence, and did my best to reacquaint myself with my part of things in the two days before tonight's meeting. I feel pretty confident in my ability to keep up with the tasks, and I'm excited about them, too!

Anyway...that's been my productive day! I think I did other stuff, too, but those are the things that stand out. Seeing a dear friend, getting caught up with the business I'm helping to start, researching other creative and professional venues, and...laundry.

Tomorrow I go back to work, four in the afternoon to ten at night. I'm curious to see what the "late shift" will be like, and hoping that I don't feel that horrid combination of waiting/rushed I sometimes felt in the hours before working only-evenings at Curves.

Now, I've prattled on long enough, and I've been sitting at the computer for four hours straight. Back to the living room, to socialize and maybe art a bit!

It Can't All Be Exciting.

Apologies for the lack of update today. To be honest, it was a boring day--errands, chores, World of Warcraft, TV. The highlight of my day was my phone call with my dad*, followed by hanging out and bullshitting with the household.

Tomorrow, however, should be fun and exciting! Our friend Dan, and his girlfriend Kathleen, will be stopping by for lunch near the middle of the day. Ryan has known Dan since middle school, and we all met in high school. Since then, Dan has gone to college to Boston, and lived in New York and Chicago. Ironically, a month after Ryan and I move within 2 hours' drive of where Dan is--closer than we've been in years--Dan and Kathleen are moving to Arizona, by way of Pittsburg and South Carolina. Sadly, this will be our first and last chance to see him for quite a while.

I consider Dan one of my favorite friends. There are few people in life you can just hang out and bullshit with, no masks, no expectations, and still have pure fun. Dan is one of them, not to mention one of the funniest people in the entire world, and a ridiculously talented actor, writer, singer, etc etc.

Sorry, I'm gushing. I'm just very excited to see him tomorrow, finally meet his girlfriend, and have a chance to spend some time and get a good hug before they go off again.

I'll admit, I'm worried about how this will affect my emotions for the rest of the day, or even the week. Not only will it be the first time seeing one of my dearest friends in almost two years, for the last time for who knows how long...this will be the first "Connecticut person" we've seen since moving. I've been feeling a little more nostalgic and homesick the past week, so it might hit me harder than it should. I guess we'll see.

Anyway. That was today, and that will be tomorrow. For now, the sleep that comes in between. My aren't I creative.

*Hey, Dad, that weird tone-and-voice-cut-out I mentioned at the end of the call? Turns out it was my phone telling me I had low battery. Ha!

Grumble Grumble.

Today was interesting. First morning shift in a week, massive thunderstorm in the middle of the day, coworkers I haven't spent much time working with thus far, etc.

I have one coworker who seems content to ignore me unless (a) I ask a question about how to do something, or (b) I've done something wrong that happens to catch her attention. Today's example: I open the pastry case to get cookies, turn around to grab a bag and tongs to grab them with, turn back to see her about to close the case as she walks by. I say "Wait!" She stops, turns and sees me out of the corner of her eye, says very distractedly "Keep this closed," and keeps walking and talking like nothing happened. I have yet to have a problem with leaving the case open, I was going to come back with full hands, so I opened it for convenience. She barely noticed any of this, barely noticed I was there, but yet thought it best to admonish me. Just in case.

Yesterday's example: I walked in, she was the first person I saw. I said "Hi [name], sorry I'm late." She replies, "Yeah. You're late." In a tone that implies I didn't already know, despite the fact that she responded to my saying I was late, and, oh yeah, I just acknowledged I was late.

I don't know...she's a shift, so she's a step above me, so I can understand not wanting to be buddy-buddy with me...except she's buddy-buddy with everyone else. She's a good worker, she's nice, she just seems to have me set to Invisible. Both of these instances were the only times she spoke to me the entire shift, except to tell me to take my break. Shrug.

The thunderstorm was fun! We knew it was coming in, but it still surprised us...enough that two workers had to dash outside to save table umbrellas. Two of them were left outside, since they were already down and not about to blow away, and they didn't want to touch them any more than needed, since they're made of metal.

I am currently pretty tired, my feet are very sore, I have an online meeting to get to right about now, and a four-hour raid in five hours. And, in case it wasn't obvious, I'm a little grumpy. All I want to do is sleep. Oy.

Whee-hehe!

First off, a warning: I didn't sleep all that great the past two nights, I worked six hours, had lots of sugar and caffeine today*, and am just generally exhausted but jazzed. I think the expression is wired and tired, but, for the moment, I prefer LOOPY!

Today, work was work. I was five minutes late because I was stupid about my hair and BJ accidentally stole my keys, and one of my coworkers was a little...uncharitable about it, but whatever. It was a good day besides that, and my boss made light of it, so I'm moving on.

I exercised! :D It was only fifteen minutes, but dammit, it was fifteen minutes of exercise. Two of my last three attempts at a full half-hour workout left me feeling sick and exhausted, so I decided that I needed to scale back and work my way back up again. I don't like it, but there it is.

Tomorrow, Sunday, is my Friday, as I have Monday and Tuesday off. Confused yet? So am I! I'm not sure what day it is anymore! Is it Saturday? Is it Thursday? It's still June, right?

Loopy!

Anyway, as I was saying: I have work tomorrow (9 am to 2 pm), then two days off, then three days of night shifts. I have the feeling that, at the end of next week, I'm going to get pulled aside by the store manager or a shift supervisor, and asked which time of day I've preferred working. My first week was all mornings, this past week was all afternoons, next week I don't get off work earlier than 10, soooo I have the feeling I'm being tested on all shifts to see which I one prefer/which one prefers me.

I have to say, based on the past two weeks, I preferred working in the morning for the non-work time, but I would choose afternoons based on the people. The morning people are great, don't get my wrong, but the afternoon people are my favorites. Of course, none of them read this, so it doesn't really matter what I say...for now.

Anyway: long day today, early day tomorrow, very tired presently, so that's it for now! :)

*For my parents the record, the past two nights' sleep quality haven't had anything to do with caffeine, but other outside influences. I actually haven't had that much coffee since working at Starbucks, hence it still making me slightly hyper when I do have it. So nyah.

Stuff About Work (SURPRISE!)

The biggest things today were (1) I learned that having two days off in a row turns you into a complete moron when you come back to work, and (2) I was making frappuccinos all by myself! :D Ironically, I was asking more questions about the hot drinks than about the blended ones. I seem to have blended down (except smoothies), while everything else still hurts my brain.

Oh, another thing would be that my coworker got into graduate school. That makes five people at my store leaving in the near future. O.O We're getting someone from BJ's store (which he is just livid about, apparently she's Awesome), but beyond that, I have no idea what we're going to do about staffing. Ryan and I think that Sameh should move to my store, and he could take her place at her current store. Couples wouldn't work together, and I could work with Sameh, who is also Awesome.

My hours this week and next week are under 30 hours each...I am curious as to how many I'll get once people start leaving. Curious in both a fearful and hopeful way. More hours = more money = more time on my feet.

On a final plus side, I have Tuesday off. This is great because that is the day my friend Dan goes through town as he moves from Chicago to Arizona (by way of Pittsburg and South Carolina), and I don't have to worry about switching shifts to be able to see him. Yay!

On a final final plus side, I am working 7 hours on the Fourth of July, which, as a holiday, means time and a half. \^.^/

Call Me Lover. Change-Lover.

The following is this week's horoscope from Free Will Astrology, the site the features Pronoia (the belief that the world is conspiring to shower you with blessings) and eerily accurate horoscopes:

Congrats, Gemini! You have not only weathered your recent phase of relentless novelty; you've thrived on the adjustments it demanded of you. I am hereby awarding you with the rare and prestigious title of Change-Lover, which I only bestow upon one of the signs of the zodiac every four years or so. So what's next on the schedule? The shock of the new will soon subside, giving you a chance to more fully integrate the fresh approaches you've been adopting. I suggest you relax your hyper-vigilance and slip into a slower, smoother, more reflective groove.

Well, this certainly feels true! It was one month yesterday that we arrived in Indiana, with only two cars and a trailer full of stuff. Relentless novelty is a perfect phrase for the past month--so perfect I feel the need to bold it. Everywhere I've looked, there's been a new store, a new restaurant, a new bird, a new habit, a new phrase, a new way of saying or doing things. And I have thrived on it, especially with the new environment of Starbucks.

I know I've been obsessively updating with every little thing about my new job, but I can't help it. I feel more competent and useful than I have in a long time. I wasn't bad at my job at Curves, this is evident from the card the members all signed for me, the presents they gave me before I left, the love and support they gave me. But I could have done more, and I will always regret the way I worked there--hiding in a corner, not striving to shine. I was always afraid of not being able to keep up a conversation, or relate enough with a member, or be motivating enough.

At Starbucks, all my tasks are concrete--pouring, pushing, pulling, mixing, washing, sweeping, mopping, moving. The only abstract element of the job is the attitude, and it's easy enough for me to be upbeat and bubbly, even if I don't feel it 100%. It is immediately evident if I'm doing something wrong, or if I need some improvement. That, along with the fantastic feedback from my superiors and co-workers, leads to feeling like I'm learning and improving, and not just getting by. Thriving, even.

My point is, if this horoscope speaks the truth, then I need to work at slipping into a "slower, smoother, more reflective groove." And not only do I feel that it speaks the truth, I feel like it screams it. Getting into that groove should be easier now than two weeks ago, as I'm getting a paycheck next week that will take off a lot of the stress I've been holding, and I'm feeling more comfortable and confident at my job.

For today, I have done the grocery shopping, and now I plan on grabbing my camera and going back out, to search for picture opportunities. I'll try to be slower, smoother, and reflective as I click away.

But I Don't Have A Little Dog...

What'd I do yesterday? Oh, not much. Did some laundry. Took the recycling out. Watched a tornado from my balcony. The usual. For Indiana.

Okay, no, I didn't see a funnel cloud. I did get to watch the sky get unnaturally dark for 8ish. I watched sheets of rain go down the street. I felt the wild, invigorating wind. Ryan and I saw what was either a very long-lasting lightning bolt, or about 5 bolts in a single second. We got multiple Emergency Broadcast System Weather Warnings on TV, including one that said a tornado touched down briefly to the east of South Bend. We even filmed a little bit of the storm from the door on Ryan's camera!

Here's a news story I found this morning about the storm. I feel so bad for the people who just regained power last night, only to have it taken away again. Almost six thousand people in South Bend are without power! That's nuts!

Also, the tree that fell into a house, in the news story? Two miles north of here.

Man, Indiana is exciting!

Rain, Rain, Go Away...I Wanna Do Stuff!!

Today is gray, wet, glarey, and just plain icky. It's raining too heavily to take out the trash or recycling, or to carry the laundry to and from the laundry room. It's also too heavy to go take pictures--as I said on Facebook, it's not a light enough rain to go out and take pictures of water on flower petals. And, finally, the quality of the light is giving me a bad headache.

That leaves me with going out to buy more groceries (four people + not enough room for everyone to get entirely enough of what they want = many small grocery trips), or sitting on the bed and reading all day.

Guess which one I'm choosing.

They Sound Alike, I Swear...

Not much to talk about today. I learned more about cold drinks. I finally have a partner number and can therefore clock in and out on the register. I keep thinking people are saying "whipped cream" when they're saying "with cream." Or maybe it's less "people" and more "this one guy who should speak up." Not sure which.

My feet hurt a bit, but I can sit down now, and I have TWO DAYS OFF IN A ROW, so I'm actually pretty content. :) Honestly, I leave work every day in a good mood. I love my coworkers, it's sunny, I have a free yummy drink, and I get to go home and Not Stand. Life is good.

Tomorrow I do a buttload of laundry. That's all I got.

Maybe sometime soon I'll get a life and have something to post about besides work. Right now, however, it's all I've been focusing on, so it's all I have to write about. Apologies, and, again, hopefully I'll find something else to blog about soon.

My First Afternoon Shift! *ducks*

Today I worked from noon until six. I worked with almost everyone that was working at any time that day, as everyone's shift either ended or started during mine. This made things interesting, going through different personalities.

I learned a few more drinks today--mocha, white mocha, latte, caramel macchiato, strawberry lemonade, etc. The biggest problem I have is remembering the order of all the steps, but I seem to be getting that down. Wait, I take it back, the biggest problem is remembering the number of shots or pumps that go with each size. It doesn't help that it's always across-the-board...unless it's Drink A. Or Drink B. Or iced. *throws hands up*

One shift supervisor, JH, has been extremely helpful. Everyone has been very supportive and willing to answer questions, but he's been more of a teacher...more like David, actually (my stepfather, for those just tuning in). Firm but friendly; insistent that you do it on your own with as little instruction as possible, but willing to offer help when really needed; only answering questions when it's clear that you don't really have the answer on the tip of your brain. And, of course, ready to support and praise and assure you that you've got it down pat.

Tomorrow is another six hour day (11 to 5), then I get Tuesday and Wednesday off. Two days off in a row! Luxury!

If I had to choose, based on today and last week, between morning and afternoon shifts, I would be hard pressed. I like the idea of getting up first thing in the morning and going to work, being productive, and getting out with enough time left in the day to do other things, like go shopping or take some pictures, or just hang out without it getting too late. On the other hand, the afternoon shift seemed pretty relaxed, which lead to more training, what with not having a line of people to serve with a trainee slowing it all down trying to remember how many pumps a grande mocha gets.

Almost the entire week is afternoon shifts, with the earliest being from 9 to 2. So I have a week to experience that side of things before making up my mind...not that it'll matter, as I have essentially no say over what shifts I get. Which is fine by me, as long as I get more than 20 hours a week. :D

I will say one thing: being able to sleep past 9? Mahvelous.

Eye Is Twitching...Maybe It's Trying To Tell Me Something...

Today is my day off, and I'm not entirely sure what to do with it. The only thing I know I want to do is work out, as I haven't been able to for a week. I am very afraid of what the scale will tell me...

Things I could do, or would like to do:
[o] talk to the rental office about a mail key (if they're open today?)
[o] take out the recycling
[o] go to the grocery store for some cheese and smoothies
[o] drive to the "old"* cemetery I found and take some more pictures
[o] finally wash the blankets that were used as packing material

*Ryan pointed out that old gravestones in Indiana won't be nearly as old as those in New England. Makes them less ideal for Dad, but I still like some of the carvings on the "newer" ones.

I'm mostly trying to think of things to do that don't require vision too much. My eyes still hurt from yesterday's demanding 4+ hour Photoshop session (and I'm sure the 6-hour shift beforehand didn't hurt, even if it wasn't visual-detail-oriented). I know, taking pictures is definitely visual, but it's a nice day, it's not too too hot (might only get to 80 today! Goodness, what a cold snap!), and it's my last day off until Wednesday and Thursday. Seeing as it's supposed to start raining and storming tomorrow and not stop for three days, I'd like to get my pictures while I can. Plus there was some Banksy-style graffiti at the graveyard I've been eying, and I worry the rain would wash it away...

Two things I definitely have to do today are the guild ICC 10-man raid at 8, and calling Dad and David at some point to wish them a happy Father's Day. :)

For now, I'll wait for the dishwasher to finish, have some breakfast, get on the scale, and go from there.

Mindless Activity Fail

After ending my last entry saying that I was going to relax and do something that didn't require much thought, I decided to give my photo collection another scour to see if I could find jewels among scrap.

I found two!


Queen Anne's Lace


Maple Tree Fall Silhouette


Both of these were lessons in Photoshop, and the first is not just my creativity.

As the note with the picture says, I had asked Ryan's opinion on having it in black and white, and he suggested only having the Queen Anne's Lace in black and white, leaving the vibrant background. It took about an hour to get all the spots between the flower blossoms "cut out" so that the green would shine through. I think the work was worth it, although it was far from restful, for my eyes, my head, or my neck and shoulders.

The second was taken next to a road, with power lines going by and through the leaves. I have no idea how long it took to Photoshop those out, especially since I actually did it twice. My first attempt was on a cropped version of the picture, and I decided, after getting the lines out, that I preferred the "longer" version. After failed attempts at copying and pasting, I did it all over again.

Again, not restful, not easy on eyes or anything else.

I am going to collapse on the bed now and do something else. I promise.

My First Rush!

I promise this is the last "My First [Insert Work Experience Here]!" entry title. Just couldn't resist.

There was a fairly large, if quick storm last night. Little rain, LOTS of wind. The drive to work this morning showed many downed branches...

...and half the intersections turned from stoplights to stop signs due to lack of power...

...and at least one closed Starbucks.

No, not mine. Mine had the people who normally go to the Ironwood Starbucks, where Sammeh works. I arrived to see cars lined up around the building, and a line that reached the door. I was put to work immediately, fetching and restocking and cooking and bagging and cleaning, etc etc. After an hour or so, I was asked to wash out a couple of dairy carafes so they could be pre-chilled, and I ended up doing dishes for close to three hours.

May sound unpleasant, but it was actually kinda nice. I was doing something helpful instead of standing on the floor waiting to be barked at (nicely), there was a mountain of various vessels that were desperately needed on the floor, and I was told numerous times how much I was helping out. Yes, I got soaked head to toe several times, and my hands hurt, and the fingers on my washing hand are still pruney, but still!

It was also a good day because we had a Sammeh. As her store was closed from lack of power, the workers were sent out to other stores, and mine got my roommate! :D She's a very good worker and very friendly, and I asked my store manager if we could keep her. :)

I still don't have a partner number (the number used to clock in/out, get partner discounts and beverages, etc), which is irritating and no one's fault, but BJ has given me his, so I can go order Starbucks clothing! Yay for guideline-following clothing that will STAY TUCKED IN!

I am very tired and out of it, so I'm off to...I don't know, read or something mindless. I know I work an attention-demanding job when reading feels mindless...

My First Opening!

I am currently running on 3 and a half hours of sleep and lots of caffeine. I had work at 4:30, so I:

[o] planned on being asleep by 7,
[o] attempted to go to bed at 8,
[o] re-attempted going to bed at 10,
[o] fell asleep around 10:30,
[o] woke up around 2,
[o] lay in bed until my alarm went off at quarter to 3,
[o] left for work at 4,
[o] arrived at work at 4:15,
[o] started the work day at 4:30!

And I worked a full eight hours, until 1 p.m. During that time, I was forced into drinking a cup's worth of black coffee (two french press tastings, one Verona and one Kenyan), a venti caramel frappuccino, and a tall caramel macchiato. Seeing as I barely drink soda, that much caffeine is having a very obvious effect on me. :D

It was a good day, despite/because of it being busy. Apparently the busy days at my particular Starbucks are Friday and Saturday, with today being no exception. The original plan to have me on the third drive-thru headset, sitting at a table and marking cups for practice, was scrapped due to all three headsets being worn by co-workers. Instead, I was as useful as I could be with my limited knowledge, bagging pastries, warming sandwiches, fetching plain coffees and teas, replacing stock, washing dishes, etc etc.

I only felt sleepy once, which is a bloody miracle. That time was when they ran out of dishes for me to wash, and it was too busy to evem have my bumbling self in the bar area. I was sent out to the floor to sit and play the Dice Game, which involves order dice (one die with drink sizes, one with milk types, one with syrup types, etc) and a notepad of order labels. I sat there for about 15 minutes, rolling dice and marking slips, trying to remember what the markings were for Whole vs Nonfat vs Whipped Cream vs Extra Hot, etc.

Of course it calmed down eventually (although not by a lot), and I was taught a few drinks as they were ordered. I made a iced venti quad caramel macchiato (at which point, when I mentioned that I hadn't had one, I was told to make a tall so I could learn & try it..although mine was a single, thank god), a cappuccino, and two very foamy and mediocre lattes.

I have to say, I am very grateful for my coworkers, my boss, and my customers. No one has made me feel bad in the least for any of my mistakes. On the contrary, they have all been extremely patient and helpful, teaching me at every opportunity (except when it was just too busy, because customers come before training), encouraging me to ask as many questions as I need to (even repeats, even "stupid" ones), letting me know when I've done a good job, and, most importantly, being extremely patient. This is to be somewhat expected from my coworkers, who have been in my exact shoes before, but I have been touched by the customers' patience. A few regulars came in both yesterday and today and asked how my second day was going. Some, upon hearing my cheerful "Sorry for the wait, I'm still training!", gave me big smiles and told me it was no problem. Many wished me luck. It's been very encouraging :)

I'm looking forward to tomorrow, as (a) I should finally get my partner number and be able to clock in and out and get my free beverages without feeling like a mooch, and (b) I get next week's schedule and see if I really am going to stay a morning person. I have Sunday off, and, while I am really liking my job so far, I am really looking forward to the day off! I love being useful at work, I love learning everything, I like the camaraderie and everything, but it is exhausting. The only times you aren't on your feet are your two ten-minute breaks (one of which you might not get, if it's too busy), and your half-hour meal break. I have started treasuring those breaks more than I can tell you. A quick snack, a few minutes with a book, a chance to sit down? BLISS!

Soon BJ and Sammeh will return, and the three of us will set out on a mini-shopping trip. Unless I decide my items can wait, which I might just. Either the caffeine is wearing off, or I'm getting complacent while sitting in this lovely chair, this chair that allows me to sit. I like sitting. It's very nice.

My biggest concern right now, with life in general, is my eye. The bottom eyelid of my right eye has been twitching for a couple of weeks now. Not constantly, and actually a little less since starting the job, but enough to be worrisome. When it does occur, it stays for quite a while--15 minutes to a half hour. The only way to make it stop is to pull down on my cheek, stretching the eyelid out so it can't move.

As you can imagine, it's very distracting and just plain annoying. I'm really not sure what to do about it. Seeing a doctor doesn't seem like the best idea, as the twitch isn't reliable enough to count on it happening during an appointment. And, really, what would anyone say? Cut down on the caffeine that I wasn't ingesting when it first showed up? Cut down on the stress that I have no control over? Spend anywhere from a few days to a few weeks waiting for medical records to arrive so I can get on a waiting list for a neurologist that I'd possibly have to take time off of work to see, get directions for, drive who knows how long to get to, who probably wouldn't have any better answers?

No thanks.

If it continues on for another few weeks, I'll see a doctor. I'm going to try eye drops and see if those work, but I have no expectations. Oddly enough, it hasn't ever happened at work, except for the first, two-hour day, where I was still very nervous about being able to be anything but a bumbling idiot behind the bar. I am extremely happy that it's stopped at work, as I know for a fact that it is both visible and noticeable, and I don't want to scare my co-workers or customers.

Well, I need to start laundry, and decide if I'm going shopping, and so on and so forth. I hope this huge entry makes up for the past few cursory ones. I also hope I don't crash too early tonight.

Until tomorrow!

My Second Day of Work. My Feet Hurt.

This won't be a long entry as I'm hungry, Ryan is making me dinner, and I have to be in bed by 7 so I can get a full 8 hours before getting up at 3 for work at 4:30.

Funtimes.

The main goal of today was to learn register, which I more or less did. I only made two mistakes the whole day...at least, two mistakes that went past the money-tendering part. I made plenty of other mistakes, but they were more easily fixable.

I also learned about the vats of coffee, and how to fill the whipped cream dispensers, and how to clean the ovens, and refill a Starbucks card, and and and.

Lots of stuff. And I haven't actually learned how to make a drink yet. Which is kinda Starbucks whole, y'know, gig.

My boss had me go home two hours early so I would have plenty of time to relax tonight and get a full night's rest. I like my boss :)

The best part of my day, funnily enough, was when I was leaving. My boss said "See you tomorrow, Ruth. Good job today!"

:D

Edited to add: Ryan's dinner for me? Grilled turkey cheese sandwiches, with the last of the bacon, saving none for himself. He also gave me an extra pickle. I need more ways to say this one is a Certified Keeper.

Activity #2,719 To Never Do At...You Know...THAT Time.

All I really did today was get a haircut. I went to the MasterCuts in the mall, and asked to get about two inches off my bangs, and shorten the back of my hair to the bottom of my ears. I was horrible at translating this to the stylist, and that, paired with her inability to follow what I did translate, led to a haircut I am not happy with.

The bangs, while now out of my face, were cut in such a way that they hang badly. Even after telling the stylist that there was no such thing as "too short," she kept taking off a quarter-inch at a time for fear of going too far, until I just gave up and said it was fine. The back of my head is still longer than I'd like, and I'm not entirely sure how I didn't notice at least that after the stylist finished. I felt good enough about it when I paid and left--after all, the hair I cared about was all shorter. Later, after it had dried out from being spritzed for cutting, it started forming into a helmety shape, and the bangs refused to behave, and regret set in.

When BJ got home, he felt the need to try and fix my hair, using Sammeh's hair supplies. Alex and Rachel stopped by while he was attempting to straighten it, and it turned into a what-can-we-do-with-Ruthie's-hair party. In the end, I looked like a Mudkip, and my hair was stiff and goopy and...weird.

I showered all the crap out, and used a little styling gel in my wet hair to put it how I wish it would stay. That mostly worked, and I think I'll be doing that every morning as my hair grows back out. I don't plan on going back for a repair or refund, as it's half my fault for not being clear about what I wanted, and I didn't express displeasure at the end of the cut. I'm just taking it as a few valuable lessons learned:

(1) Know exactly what you want when you go to get a haircut,
(2) Make sure the stylist understands what you want, and
(3) To make it easier all around, never get a haircut when you're menstruating.

I thought I knew better...

My First Day Of Work. For Realz.

(I swear, I tried to post this hours ago, but the wifi on my laptop was being stupid, and I didn't get around to c&ping it until now. Enjoy!)

Today was my first day at Starbucks. Eight hours, green apron, behind the counter, on the bar, etc etc.

First off, my coworkers are awesome. Funny, dirty-minded, geeky, helpful, understanding of mistakes, smartasses, etc etc. It helps that at least two of them are "new," too--started within the past six months or so. They're miles ahead of me, but they understand being new and making mistakes. Hell, even the "veterans" do, so no one is going to be snobby or annoyed when I spill or mess up, as I have and will. That, and the kinship of perverted geeky smartasses, make me feel very confident that I'll be happy there :)

I spent the first three hours or so reading through manuals--safety, whole coffee and tea, frappucinos, food case, etc etc. The rest of the day was learning various things from my co-workers: where things live, how this is done, how that is done, don't ever do this, always do this, etc etc. I haven't learned how to make any fancy drinks yet, I was only lead through Americano, latte, and pour-over (individual orders of brewed coffee)...now ask me if I remember anything! XD

I did a coffee tasting (Sumatra...tasted like coffee with notes of soil*), tasted various steamed milks to see the difference between under, over, and perfectly steamed, and tasted espresso shots to taste the difference between just pulled and pulled-for-too-long (SO. BITTER.).

I mopped, I toasted, I cleaned, I filled ice buckets, I laughed, I burned myself, I made a mess, I got myself all sticky. Whee!

When I recited the last bit of the above list to my co-worker, JH, he said "Welcome to Starbucks!"

I have tomorrow off, then work the same hours (9 to 5:30) on Thursday, open on Friday (4:30 a.m. to 1), work earlyish on Saturday (8:30 to 2:30), and have Sunday off. Next week, no idea. People kept asking if I was going to be a closer, since they were apparently looking for night people, but I have all morning shifts, and my interview kinda tricked me into saying I preferred mornings**, so...*shrug*

It was long, tiring, at times boring, at times daunting....but it was a really great first day. And I'm really looking forward to my next one. :D

*It wasn't just me being a coffee hater! My co-workers agreed! Seriously! It's supposed to taste like dirt!

**"What hours would you be willing to work?" "Any. Really. I'm a morning person, I'm a night owl, I can be cheerful and productive at any time of day." "But if you hadto choose..." "Really, anything is fine." "....But if you HAD to choose..."

IN NON-JOB NEWS!

....well, there isn't really any news news, just general life stuff, little things.

1) I'm getting another hair cut tomorrow. Really a trim, as my bangs are trying very hard to blind me while I learn how to handle hot coffee. I've been wanting to trim it for the past two weeks, so I am way more excited than I should be. :D :D :D :D

2) Ryan and I are taking Sammeh to the doctor. Poor thing has some kind of sore throat/cold going on...she had to go in for 5:45 this morning, then came home around 1 and slept until past when I got home at 6. She barely has any voice, aches all over, and looks pretty miserable :( I'm hoping she can get some medicine and a couple days off and feel better soon!

3) Um...that's it for now. I'm boring. :)

My First Day Of Work. Kinda Sorta.

Of course, I waited until I really have to go to bed to remember that I haven't blogged yet today.

Today was my official first day of work. All two hours of it. I barely got there on time (note to self: stop second-guessing directions that you know to be correct when you're barely running on time), but after that it went pretty well. I filled out tax forms, read a manual, got a mini-tour of the store, and talked with my new boss, Kim.

The official name of the first day is First Impressions, the very beginning of the first part of training. Tomorrow will be the first full day: Eight hours, from 9 to 5:30. Kim said most of it would be reading, but she'd pull me to the bar once or twice to learn little hands-on things and give my eyes a break.

The highlight of the day is a tie between the good feeling of joining a team, starting a job I feel good about...and Ryan's cooking.

Ryan thawed out the last two chicken breasts from his first meal here in Indiana, and made us dinner with them, rice, mushrooms, and red and green peppers. He flavored it all with soy sauce and salt and pepper, and, holy cow, my man can cook. Seriously delicious. The best part is, it smelled and tasted like so many good meals I've wanted to dig into in the past, but couldn't because of the onions. This had no onions, and I could just eat with full enjoyment, and it was fantastic. Being picky sucks, and all of you who never have to carefully pick through your meals for the ingredients that make you sick don't know how lucky you have it.

Anyway. I'm rambling, and I need to get to bed early. As I said, tomorrow will be the first full shift, if not the first real day. That will be the first day that I'm on the floor, even if it's just being trained. Or maybe it won't be until the day I'm off the training wheels...we'll see how I feel. For now, to bed! Good night!

Productivity Before...Well, Anything Else.

It's been a mostly lazy day so far. I got up, got a smoothie, got on my computer, and got working on editing some more pictures. After 3 1/2 hours and one WoW-related interruption (blame Ryan), I've uploaded three more photographs:


Bubbles and Whorls 1


Lupine


Perfect Marjoram


I did edit other pictures, or rather I attempted to, but was not satisfied with the results. I may have even run out of pictures to edit! I have many, many pictures on my computer, but I've sifted through every single one, and the ones I've uploaded to Flickr are the ones I feel are worthy of public view. The rest are either unsuitable, unfixable, or just "meh."

You know what this means, of course. I need to go take some more!

But first, I should really get dressed and eat something. And take out the recycling. And do some laundry. And maybe get a haircut...

Edit: I figured out how to post the pictures! Woo! Going back to edit the previous picture post, pronto!

Boring But Productive Day, Blogged For Your Entertainment!

Not much to talk about today. I had my first attempt at hair styling, which, while not a failure, wasn't a blazing success, either. Ryan and I attempted to shop at the second of the two Meijer's in town, got lost in doing so, but figured out where we were! We got ourselves unlost in our new home town! Woo!

The best thing I have to show for today are two more pictures that I've edited and uploaded:


Headstone Face with Lichen


Albertine L Kimball Flower


Tomorrow is the last full day off before I start work at Starbucks. I got my schedule today, and I have over 33 hours this week, including 4:40 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday. That...will be fun.

Tomorrow night is premiere night! True Blood at 9, Design Star at 10, and Color Splash at 11. Eee! Vampire drama, reality TV, and interior design all in the same night...Squee!

The final thing to report for the day: I did a full work out this morning, and then some. A total of 41 minutes and 171 calories. \^.^/ I hope to keep it up tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, and the next...although maybe not Friday. Friday may be a day off for exercise. Or anything beyond surviving a 3:30 a.m. alarm. Oy.

Employment and Flooding, In The Same Day!

As I've mentioned everywhere else now (meaning Facebook, Twitter, and via phone calls)...I GOT THE JOB! :D

I was almost late to the interview, and really got there a little early by pure luck. The manager, Kim, was very nice and friendly to talk to. She's even a bit of a gamer, although not big on Warcraft. And she promised not to hold it against me that I'm from UConn territory, or that my father is a big Huskies fan ~.^

Tomorrow she'll e-mail me the schedule, and I should be starting training on Monday. She warned me that the first two or three days will be extremely boring ("Lots of reading." "I like reading!" "Yeah, you say that now..."), but she was pretty upbeat about it. From what my roommates tell me, the Cleveland store is fairly slow, mostly getting business from the dozen hotels that are really there for football season.

The store is, in my opinion, located PERFECTLY for me. It's a couple blocks from Notre Dame--meh. It's next to a Game Stop, a Taco Bell, and a Fazoli's*--DING DING DING DING DING!

The real bonus is the drive. I thought that it would be 5 minutes to get there, same as just about any other place in this area. Nope. It's 15 minutes, and it's down less urban roads with some woods. It's far enough away that I can listen to a good two to four songs on the way to and from work. While driving past trees. Next to drive-thru pasta. Glee!

To celebrate, Ryan, BJ and I went grocery shopping, and got Cold Stone ice cream before coming home to raid. WOOOO PARTY.

Of course, this is after I drove back through the SCARIEST RAIN EVER. We might get downpours in Connecticut once in a while--our definition being rain that's falling hard enough that you can't see very well out your windshield. From what we've seen so far, that kind of rain is "normal" here. Today's rain was also normal, which frightens me.

More than once, I had to change lanes to avoid small ponds; other drivers went on the (empty) sidewalks. The roads in our complex had turned into small rivers, WITH CURRENT. AND WAVES.

MY WHEELS WERE SUBMERGED. MULTIPLE TIMES.

I dashed inside, was in the rain for less than 15 seconds between car and door, and was DRENCHED from head to toe, enough that I had to change every bit of clothing. I entered the apartment, expecting Ryan and BJ to be as amazed at this watery apocalypse as I was.

Nope. Just chatting.

I recounted my accidental attempts at boating and fear for my life--or at least my car--and BJ just chuckled and asked "What, you don't get rain like this in Connecticut?"

For a belated birthday present, anyone want to send me an umbrella? Maybe a rowboat?

Presenting...Pretty Pictures!

I am posting for two reasons.

First, to point to a box in the column to the right of this page which includes four examples of my photography as well as a link to my Flickr photostream.

I am finally publishing my photography to the world. There are only 27 pictures at the moment, but I plan on editing more of dozens of photographs on my computer until they're presentable, as well as taking many more pictures out here in Indiana. Those 27 are my personal favorites, the ones I am proudest of and feel are the best representation of my creativity, my talent, and my luck.

Second, a personal note to my father: :P

Working Out Is Haaarrrrrd To-o-o Do!

For a month or so before the move, I'd gotten into the habit of working out everyday. I'd get up early so I had time to eat, work out, and shower before the day really started. I had a routine on the Wii Fit that was a good mix of yoga and strength-training, covered almost all the muscles I needed work on without overworking any group, and burned about 120 calories in half an hour, plus any bonus calories from the fun workouts I'd throw in after the routine.

I've tried to get back into that since moving, but it's been very hard. For the first few days after we arrived, I was too busy/tired/sore/unable to find the console to work out. When I finally did, it was, of course, a little harder to get through than previously--after all, I'd had a week off.

I did my first post-move work out on the 1st. I've done five total, including that one, and including the unfinished one I did on Wednesday. Of the half-hour routine, I only completed 17 minutes worth. Despite getting enough sleep and eating my normal breakfast, I had to stop a few times because I felt too weak or sick or hot. I realized that I just plain wasn't up for that day, and haven't been on it since.

My main problems have been sleep and time, or rather sleep and time-related-issues. I have been going to bed late, and sleeping like the dead. In Connecticut, I got used to going to sleep between midnight and one, and getting up between 8 and 9:30. I felt like crap if I got up any later, like I was burning daylight. Here, I've been regularly going to sleep between 2 and 3, and getting up between 9:30 and 10:30. Sometimes later, on both sides. And waking up is difficult, like dragging myself out of molasses.

By the time I'm awake and fed, it's, well, about now: past 11. And that's when my neurosis sets in, telling me that spending an hour exercising and showering in the middle of the day is a waste of time. I know it's bullshit, especially since I've had literally nothing else to do, but there it is, and I can't get my mind off of that idea.

I might have been tempted to berate myself onto the Balance Board today, despite it being "late," except for one thing: the interview. It's not for hours, so time isn't the problem. But I'm afraid that I'll attempt the routine, or even less exercise, and feel as crappy as I did on Wednesday after barely doing anything. And that would completely kill my confidence for the day, on the day I really, really need it.

Argh.

On the plus side (ha ha), I realized on Wednesday that I had been tracking my weight incorrectly. The game doesn't give you an actual weight at every Body Test, just the change from the last one. I've been writing down each work out, and using the recorded weights and given changes to track my weight. Turns out I messed up at some point, and I'm actually a pound or so lighter than I thought. It's not much, but hey, I'll take it!

I'm hoping that BJ and Sammeh are right about today's interview. It would be the best thing ever...bah, no, I won't get into how great it would be, I won't get into how many things it would fix right now. I refuse to celebrate until I have something concrete to celebrate.

To raise my spirits and feel more useful and productive, I'm going to shower, get dressed, and DO THE LAUNDRY! TA DA!

Finally Have Something To Post, And I Take All Day To Post About It

The news is short and...short. Ryan got a call from Starbucks; he did not get the job. I got a call from someone else at Starbucks; I have a follow-up interview tomorrow. Sammeh and BJ tell me that "follow-up interview" is code for "this is the position we're offering, with the hours we're offering, do you want it?" Which would be nice.

I refuse to get my hopes up and feel happy about it until I actually know that's what it is, and know for a fact that I have a job. Then the celebrating and bill-paying begins. Because we all know that the best parties involve canceling out debt!

We spent most of today driving around the area, picking up job applications for Ryan. Our roommates again assure us that the area is doing well, employment-wise, which seemed to be proven by the number of Help Wanted signs we saw. The area is rife with strips malls and plazas and shopping centers, and most of the population, 9 months of the year, are college students who don't actually live here. While in Connecticut the summer is the worst time to find a job, here it may be the best; what few students did have jobs have gone home for the summer, leaving vacancies that Ryan can fill with full-time availability.

I feel extremely nervous about tomorrow, and somewhat guilty. Call it an employment version of Survivor's Remorse, regret for getting the good end of the stick when someone else gets the bad end. Ryan seems to be in good spirits about everything, though, so I've been concentrating on acting normal and positive. And hey, better one than none, right?

The household spend the night watching more True Blood. We only have two episodes of the second season left, with the third season premiering on Sunday at 9. After that is Design Star at 10, and Color Splash at 11. May be the best Sunday ever.

I REALLY need to get to bed now, so I can get plenty of sleep and have plenty of time to get ready and keep myself calm for the interview in the afternoon. Wish me luck!

Makes The World Go 'Round...

As noted at the bottom of the previous post, I fixed one of my money communication problems: turns out I put in an incorrect account number, which, of course, caused the payment to not actually go through. I put in the correct account number, talked to someone at Citi, and instead of the 30 days of not being able to make an online payment, I only have to wait 24-48 hours to do so. So, yay. My own damned fault.

In the same vein, Ryan and I got our ATM cards today, which was a small sigh of relief--not that we have more money to spend with those, but it'd been over a week since we opened our accounts, and it was starting to feel like we'd been waiting a little too long. Paranoid, I guess. Hopefully the checks follow soon.

Today was really just a lot of True Blood, and a lot of pancakes. Being broke sucks in that we can't go out and do anything, but we're lucky to have other way to entertain ourselves: internet, TV, movies, video game consoles, and, of course, our roommates.

I haven't talked about them much, and maybe I'll fix that soon with a About The Roommates post, but the important thing is that they're awesome, we really like them, and they really like us, and we all get along really well. I'll admit that I was a little nervous about how we would all get along once we lived together--we all were, let's be honest--but I feel better about it every day. They've really helped us ease into this new environment, and make this apartment a home. :)

Tomorrow, I hope to do some laundry, get the damned dining table in from BJ's minivan (it got transferred from the moving trailer to his car in the rush to go buy a mattress, and we still haven't moved it in two weeks later!), and maybe use it to draw or plan or just eat on. Although it'll be from a computer chair, as there are no other chairs in the entire apartment, and none of us can afford to buy any just yet.

Independent living is just so much fun.

Whups!

Apologies for the lack of update yesterday. To be completely honest, I spent most of the day feeling kinda depressed; no energy, mental or physical, and just a sense of lacking something.

I won't get into the whole background now, but I will say that I've dealt with depression and anxiety for a long time now. It had lessened considerably over the past month or so, the time period where we decided to move and acted on that decision. For a month I was packing, planning, organizing, and putting all my thought and energy into the biggest thing I had ever done, a major life change that took a lot of courage and strength. Even after we landed, I was busy unpacking, building, organizing, shopping, and otherwise working to make this place a home.

As of last week, however, we hit a point where we had...nothing else to do. We're waiting to hear back from Starbucks about whether or not we have jobs, and we're in a holding pattern until that phone call. We can't buy anything more for the house, we can't start applying elsewhere yet, we can't really do anything except wait...and probably call today to check in.

The past two days have basically been a vacation of not really doing anything productive, mostly on purpose. As I already mentioned, I had basically no energy all day, and by the time I did, it was due to activities that distracted from blogging--talking, hanging out, getting dinner, watching TV, etc.

Today will hopefully be a bit more productive, and I will have something to write about tonight or tomorrow. I'm hoping to get money communication problems sorted out: credit card charges haven't processed yet, a payment got reversed because the bank didn't respond*, we haven't gotten our ATM cards or checks yet, etc etc. Wish me luck!

*The payment isn't due until next week, so it's not a Problem, but ARGH.

Edit: Turns out I put in an incorrect account number, which is why it bounced back. Two phone calls and a $39 Moron fee later, it's all fixed. My credit card is essentially useless for the next two days, but after that it's all back to normal. Yay. :)

Pictures!

Ryan and I finally got picture wire today, which means we were finally able to hang up the pictures above our bed, which means we were finally able to take bedroom pictures, which means we are FINALLY able to post them online and show everyone our new home!

Click right here to see them on Facebook!

Hopefully this works for those of you who aren't on Facebook. Let me know if it doesn't, and I'll post them another way as well.

The pictures above the bed really do make a difference. They make it even more "home."

That's all for now, as that's really all we've done today, beyond other small errands that are really not at all exciting. Bread. Juice. Wow.

Ah, Weekends.

Today was pretty boring, at least to write about. BJ and Sammeh had work early, Ryan and I slept in. I worked out. Ryan and I played video games all day. The four of us watched a couple more episodes of True Blood. I'm about to chow down on a large amount of cheese tortellini, then the four of us are participating in a raid on WoW at 8, which will go until midnight.

This weekend was pretty empty...I did some laundry and fetched smoothies, but beyond that, nothing "productive" happened. Usually this would bother me, but...it doesn't. The past week and a half since we arrived have been pretty busy--moving, rearranging, building, shopping, buying, setting up house and accounts and lives. And if all goes as planned, sometime in the next few days we will get phone calls that will make life even busier. We're hoping for it. So two days where barely anything of Value happened might turn out to be pretty valuable in the long run.

Now, this pasta is much too tempting, so I'm signing off until tomorrow. *nomnomnom*

Oh, something kinda cool. New character in the show, crazy hippie-dippie chick named Amy? Character is from Storrs, Connecticut. Ryan and I chuckled, and I then couldn't help but notice how weird she sounded among the Louisiana characters.

Anyway. Nom.

The Rest of Saturday, June 5th.

The day ended up being pretty boring. I fetched smoothies, did laundry, played a lot of Pokemon. There were three highlights:

[o] The smallest thing was watching three more episode of True Blood, an HBO series about vampires in the south that BJ and Sammeh (mostly BJ) have introduced us to. It's very good, with fantastic characters and great writing.

[o] Next up: DRIVE-THRU PASTA. There's a chain here called Fazoli's that is basically just what I said: pasta in a drive-thru. Alfredo, lasagna, chicken parmigiana, ziti, etc etc. Anyone who knows me, and my pasta obsession, can only imagine my happiness when I learned of this place. Is it the best pasta in the world? No, but it's damned good for drive-thru. And the breadsticks! Yummmm....

[o] Last but never least: I finally got to talk to David for the first time since Ryan and I moved, and since David and Dorita's trip to Ireland. I learned that it wasn't the trip they had planned. Originally, they had signed up for a caravan--horses, wagons, the whole bit--across the country. Talk about awesome! But the first day, Dorita ended up being dragged by her foot by a horse, and destroyed most of the muscles and tendons in one foot. She's going to be fine, and she actually had the best foot and ankle doctor in all of Ireland operating on and treating her...and from what David told me, it was almost a better trip from then on.

Everyone they encountered was beyond courteous, beyond nice, beyond anything they were used to. The hospital, the U.S. Embassy, the taxi drivers, the visitors for other patients--everyone went out of their way to help them, whether it was giving David a place to stay, providing internet and phone numbers, pushing the wheelchair in the airport, everything. They were already changing their views and perceptions of the world, and this really motivated that even further.

It was a lot to absorb, and, while I got what he was telling me, it's hard to put it all down in writing. Plus it's not entirely my message to share; it's just part of what happened me today. However, knowing the two of them, I'm very glad for all the positives they are going through right now, even if it's influenced--recently and currently--by seemingly negative circumstances (guess what the key word is). I completely supportive and happy for them :)

And now, as it's almost 2 in the morning, I'm finally off to bed. I'll find something else to talk about tomorrow, I'm sure.

Slightly Belated

Didn't update yesterday due to rampant busyness. Started off the day with exercise and a shower, followed by laundry (which included jamming one of the two washers with a quarter, >.<), followed by a long shopping trip with BJ and Ryan.

I already knew these two would be tight. They were pretty tight when they just talked online on a regular basis. Then they were able to go clothes shopping together, sharing the same size, relatively same taste, and a VERY heavy slant toward the "metrosexual" side of the scale.

After about 15 hours in the Big & Tall section of JCPenney's, we hit Best Buy, then made a stab at finding a "local" liquor store that sells my beloved framboise. What we thought would be a simple trip turned into a mini-adventure, finding ourselves in a much more rural section of the town (if we were still in South Bend at all, I'm not entirely sure).

We eventually gave up on it for the day and headed home, but I must say, if I have to make a semi-weekly trip all by myself, with the windows down and stereo blasting, down roads with more trees than houses on either side of the road...I'll manage somehow. :D

Ryan and I had decided to make this a stay-in day, with game playing and relaxing and not spending money, but I remembered just this morning that the Beloved Smoothies came in yesterday, and the store will be closed tomorrow. SO! One tiny outing, then a day of relaxing. And laundry. And dish washing.

I'll find something to update about later, I'm sure. Early warning: there's a chance it'll be WoWtastic.

Edit: 11:11 am. Changed up the template and colors! I thought the previous one felt too closed in, and too dark despite it being fairly bright greens. This one, to me, feels more open and bright. Let me know what you think: good, bad, like this color, hate that color, etc etc. I'll go make sure anonymous commenting is allowed so my parents can join in...

Mmmmm.

One of the biggest changes to our world, thus far, has been FOOD. Never before last week had we seen, or eaten at, Popeye's, Long John Silver's, Cici's, Del Taco, Panda Express, Chik-Fil-A, Steak n' Shake, or any of the other dozen eateries that exist less than a mile away. We have sampled from many of these in the past week (I still haven't had the craved macaroni and cheese pizza at Cici's, but soon!), and they have more or less all been extremely tasty.

Even the food we're used to are different. Subway has a drive-thru, offers Monterey Cheddar bread, and makes personal-sized pizzas. The grocery store carries varieties of favorite brands that we had never heard of (such as Hawaiian Red Baron frozen pizza, Ben & Jerry's Peanut Brittle ice cream, and CAFFEINE-FREE MOUNTAIN DEW WHAT THE HELL).

Another big difference: almost every single place closes at 9. The drive-thrus may stay open later, but all dining rooms close at 9. Meanwhile, the liquor stores are open until 2 in the morning, and they don't put tarps down over the alcohol in the grocery store on Sundays. This lead to an interesting scene at the self-scan on our Sunday grocery run: I scanned the six-pack of Woodchuck hard cider I had found, the machine called for assistance, and, instead of checking my driver's license, the attendee took the hard cider away. She was very nice about it, especially when I explained about Connecticut and tarps and aren't we silly country bumpkins.

On this same grocery foray (at Meijer, another store we had never heard of before now), we bought more food than we had been able to for a long time. That night, Ryan cooked up dinner for the entire apartment: chicken breast marinated in a Cajun-terikyaki concoction he mixed up, with rice and frozen veggies on the side. It was delicious. The next night, he made a fruit smoothie: cherries, mango, banana, and yogurt. Also delicious. He has now been voted the house chef.

My only experiences in cooking since arriving here have been boiling water for frozen pasta, and helping with the rice and veggies when Ryan made chicken. I haven't even made myself eggs yet, which is a little ridiculous, given how much I've missed being able to do that.

However, I can forgive myself the transgression for one simple reason: I found the Beloved Smoothies. And I ordered up a case of it. Tomorrow evening, 12 Stonyfield Farms Yogurt Smoothies (in Peach!) will arrive at the Garden Patch Market, and I will pick them up and put them in the fridge and do a dance of Happy Yogurt Time. And devour them.

I'm still torn on whether or not I should order myself a case of Guru, the energy drink I fell in love with back in Connecticut. It does exist here, but only in Original and Original Lite, and I'm head over heels for the Juicy variety, in Superfruit. A case of 12, shipped to our door, would cost $26. I'm thinking I'll wait until I have a paycheck, and then order it. Maybe.

It's an interesting combination of two new worlds: we have the space and tools to store and prepare healthy, delicious meals, and we have a new, vast selection of deep-fried delicious drive-thru to choose from. It should be interesting to see how these opposing forces shape us in the near future.

Indiana!

I could do a whole long post to explain how, from April 20 to now, Ryan and I made the decision and went through the process of moving from Stafford, Connecticut to South Bend, Indiana. Except the idea of that whole long post is exactly what has been keeping me from posting on this blog. The idea of reliving the process I just finished, and typing it up in a way that is at least mildly entertaining, is exhausting.

Here's the short version:
The only way Ryan and I could afford to move out of his mother's basement was to move to Indiana, where we were all but guaranteed to get full-time jobs as Starbucks baristas, and where our friends BJ & Sammeh had a 2-bedroom apartment waiting for us.

So we jumped.

So far, it's been great. We get along very well with our new roommates and their friends, and have been having a lot of fun. The area is interesting (to us), and has enough trees for me to get by. There have been bouts of homesickness, and attacks of "OMG WHAT DID WE DO HOLY SHIT," but for the most part it's been...well, good!

I would like to try and blog on a daily basis--partly to keep my writing going, partly to keep my friends and family updated. I've attempted at this commitment before, but let's pretend there's a good chance, hm?

So...what is new, here in Indiana, with Ruth and Ryan, as of June 2, 2010.

Yesterday, BJ took us down to the Rental Office to be added to the lease as Occupants. We got parking stickers, cards for the exercise room and pool, and our very own copy of the lease.

We took this copy over to Inova Credit Union, which is BJ's bank. I had asked both BJ and Sammeh about their banks, to see if they'd be good for us to join, and both had agreed that BJ's was best. We sat down with a friend of his, and she set about with setting accounts up.

First she put in our address (which we had proof of, with our pretty new Xerox!).
No go--we don't live close enough to qualify.
She asked if we would be working closer to the bank, or going to church in the area. We must have looked confused, because she then explained:
"Membership is based on where you live, work, or worship."
I can guarantee that all the New Englanders reading this blinked at that statement. We did!

We ended up being grandfathered in under BJ's membership, which had been grandfathered in from when he lived with his parents (who apparently live in a qualifying area). The next hour or so had Ryan and I filling out forms and answering questions, while BJ snarked in the background. We should be getting our checks and cards in the mail any day now, which has me really excited. I almost feel as giddy as when I got my first bank account that wasn't a joint account with my mother. An account! With all my money in it! It's no longer in an envelope in my desk! Huzzah!

From the bank we went to a little organic grocery store called Garden Patch, which carries the Blessed Smoothies.

For those who don't know, I've been all but living off of Stonyfield Farm Yogurt Smoothies for years. They're delicious, there's no High Fructose Corn Syrup, probiotics up the wazoo, and they work well as a snack or part of a breakfast. I've been going through 3 or 4 a day for the longest time, and the week I've gone without them has been devoid of yogurty goodness.

But the Garden Patch had them! Only in Strawberry, but good enough! For some reason I only bought three, and now only have one left, so I may go down today and buy more...and see how much a case would cost.

The Garden Patch was followed by Del Taco and Ritters, two chains Ryan and I had never heard of. The first is pretty self-explanatory: tacos, burritos, and other vaguely Mexican food (plus fries and hash browns), filled with your choice of chicken, steak, or fish. Ritters is a local ice cream chain which we now know makes the most delicious ice cream and ice cream delights this side of the UConn Dairy Bar.

Yesterday was also my first attempt at using the laundry room for our section of apartments. The laundry room is attached to the complex, but only accessibly from an outside door. It's essentially a large hallway, the first half of which is lined with storage lockers for each of the section's apartments, and the second half of which holds two laundromat-sized washers and dryers.

I learned several things:
First, that the laundry room is always locked, and only unlocked by turning the key and knob separately.
Second, that it costs $2.75 per complete load of laundry ($1.50 for wash, $1.25 for dry).
Third, that the washer takes roughly half an hour, and the dryer takes roughly a week.
Fourth, that the size of a washer load is actually just too big for the dryer to completely dry everything in it.

Sadly, I learned that last item as we were heading out to the Rental Office. And I had filled up both dryers, expecting one to be done by the time I finished loading the second. We ended up calling Sammeh from the bank, and she was kind enough to fetch our laundry for us. I now owe her something shiny, not that she'll take it without a fuss.

Looking back over this post so far, it may seem one very packed day. Up to this point in time, I had:
[o] done 40 minutes of exercise
[o] taken out almost all of the cardboard recycling*
[o] done 3 1/2 loads of laundry (one dryer load had to go through twice >.<)
[o] become an official Occupant of the apartment
[o] opened a checking and savings account at a local bank
[o] and sampled even more local cuisine

*Some morons tried to thwart me by leaving a small love seat in the cardboard recycling dumpster, but I was not deterred!

That sounds like enough, right? But no! There's more! Fortunately, the rest is fairly easy to sum up:

Shortly after BJ, Ryan and I returned, BJ's parents visited. They were friendly and funny and all around awesome people. BJ tried to break silence at one point by pointing out that they are pro-marijuana, which they seemed scandalized by until I piped up that I was, too, being raised by the biggest hippies in history.**

**Well, almost. As far as I know, neither of them went into grocery stores wearing only loin cloths. And if they did I don't want to know about it.

After they left, two our other three friends in the area, Alex and Rachel, came by. We ended up staying up until two in the morning playing board games (Things, followed by Apples to Apples, followed by Quelf). I could not have been happier, being a a deprived addict of both board and card games. They're having a rough time right now with money and employment, and seemed to really get a lot out of the night, so we will be harassing them to come over and unwind on a regular basis. :D

All in all, yesterday was a long and positive one. Today I return moldy cheese to the grocery store, buy more smoothies, and hopefully hear back from Starbucks with the results of our final in-person interviews.

I'm hoping to post again tomorrow saying that we'll be starting training in the next week, or we've won the lottery. I'll take either.