Really? I haven't updated since Tuesday? Sheesh. I blame the heat. It's melted my damn brain.
It is SO. FUCKING. HOT. Yes, I dropped the f-bomb, it is just that hot.
Weather.com warned us of a heat index between 110-115. My car read 105 when we first turned it on. We chatted briefly with the Post Woman on our way out, and she said the thermometers inside the postal trucks were reading 130.
Our apartment is pretty awful at night. During the day, not so bad as long as we leave the shades closed. At night, everyone gets home and turns on their computers and uses their ovens (well, maybe not), and we have apartments below us and behind us. Despite a few fans and adjusting of the AC, it's still 80 in here at it's best.
I used to love summer...but that was before it tried to kill me.
Showing posts with label Indiana differences. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indiana differences. Show all posts
Friday, July 22, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Thoughts on Driving In Indiana.
Recently I've noticed that, since moving to Indiana, I pay less attention to traffic lights.
Don't worry: I slow when it's yellow, stop when it's red, go when it's green. But, unless I am the first in line (a rarity), I don't watch the light as much as I used to. I pay attention to cars more than before--I follow the lead of the one in front of me in lieu of watching the light, I keep an awareness on the ones to either side, I keep half an eye on those ahead turning from side streets or parking lots.
I am surrounded with more cars on a daily basis than ever before in my life--and this is taking into considering that I was on the highway 100% more often in Connecticut than here. Last week I gave a friend a ride to the South Bend airport after following her to her home in Goshen, meaning two long trips on the bypass. It was one of only two times I've been on anything resembling a highway since we got off 80/90 last May and first drove down our street. It took me way too long to realize--oh, right, I have to go 60 now! AAA THIS IS SO FAST AAAA.
Anyway--more cars. Which means more people. Which means more opportunity for miscommunication and accidents. And did I mention this is a college town? The number of times I glance over and see a cell phone in the driver's hand, either next to their head or in front of their face, is terrifying. So I watch cars.
As I said, I pay less attention to traffic lights. I also pay less attention to, well, anything that isn't a car. I don't watch the sides of the road in case a squirrel or deer decides to try and play chicken with my car. I've only seen one deer since arriving--it launched itself out of the woods on Ironwood one rainy night last summer, glancing off my front right bumper as I slammed on the brakes and disappearing into the bushes on the other side--and almost no squirrels, chipmunks, groundhogs, etc. Beside the deer, I've only ever had to brake for other cars and a single dog, a tiny Shitzu lost on a residential street.
The roads are straight and level, so there's no blind corners to watch carefully in case of surprises on the far side. I no longer drive down the one "wooded" section (also dead-straight), and when I did I only had that one incident with the deer. The biggest danger here is other cars.
I think about Connecticut roads--89, 74, 44--and heave deep sighs of longing. There is one--one--mildly swooping piece of road here. It's on Cleveland just past 933, less than a quarter mile long, and gave me an honest-to-God Connecticut flashback the first time I went down it. I will grudgingly admit that, only 90% of the roads are completely straight, but that other 10% is not curvy so much as...jagged and indecisive. As if the two stubborn city planners met up along an intersection and neither one wanted to budge the rest of their maps over a few yards.
Changing subjects slightly, from road differences to weather differences: winter was, as warned, much harsher here. I saw more snow from October to February than I ever saw in five Connecticut winters. However, as much snow as there was, it was almost entirely light and fluffy, almost inconsequential. Shoveling it took a tiny fraction of the time it would in Connecticut, even when the car was out of sight when you started.
The summer was surprisingly hot and humid, the temperature hitting the 90's regularly. I was told about "solar days," when citizens are warned to stay out of direct sunlight as much as possible to avoid the intense UV rays. Fall was a blink, a week or two of mild weather between scorching and freezing.
Sunny days are gorgeous, barely a cloud in the bright blue sky. It never breezes but it blows, never rains but it floods. To sum up: weather in Indiana means it.
Some things never change, however. I am pleased to discover that, despite the intensity of Midwest weather, despite being 800 miles away from the place I spent all my Marches and Aprils and Mays for the past 25 years...spring still feels the same.
Don't worry: I slow when it's yellow, stop when it's red, go when it's green. But, unless I am the first in line (a rarity), I don't watch the light as much as I used to. I pay attention to cars more than before--I follow the lead of the one in front of me in lieu of watching the light, I keep an awareness on the ones to either side, I keep half an eye on those ahead turning from side streets or parking lots.
I am surrounded with more cars on a daily basis than ever before in my life--and this is taking into considering that I was on the highway 100% more often in Connecticut than here. Last week I gave a friend a ride to the South Bend airport after following her to her home in Goshen, meaning two long trips on the bypass. It was one of only two times I've been on anything resembling a highway since we got off 80/90 last May and first drove down our street. It took me way too long to realize--oh, right, I have to go 60 now! AAA THIS IS SO FAST AAAA.
Anyway--more cars. Which means more people. Which means more opportunity for miscommunication and accidents. And did I mention this is a college town? The number of times I glance over and see a cell phone in the driver's hand, either next to their head or in front of their face, is terrifying. So I watch cars.
As I said, I pay less attention to traffic lights. I also pay less attention to, well, anything that isn't a car. I don't watch the sides of the road in case a squirrel or deer decides to try and play chicken with my car. I've only seen one deer since arriving--it launched itself out of the woods on Ironwood one rainy night last summer, glancing off my front right bumper as I slammed on the brakes and disappearing into the bushes on the other side--and almost no squirrels, chipmunks, groundhogs, etc. Beside the deer, I've only ever had to brake for other cars and a single dog, a tiny Shitzu lost on a residential street.
The roads are straight and level, so there's no blind corners to watch carefully in case of surprises on the far side. I no longer drive down the one "wooded" section (also dead-straight), and when I did I only had that one incident with the deer. The biggest danger here is other cars.
I think about Connecticut roads--89, 74, 44--and heave deep sighs of longing. There is one--one--mildly swooping piece of road here. It's on Cleveland just past 933, less than a quarter mile long, and gave me an honest-to-God Connecticut flashback the first time I went down it. I will grudgingly admit that, only 90% of the roads are completely straight, but that other 10% is not curvy so much as...jagged and indecisive. As if the two stubborn city planners met up along an intersection and neither one wanted to budge the rest of their maps over a few yards.
Changing subjects slightly, from road differences to weather differences: winter was, as warned, much harsher here. I saw more snow from October to February than I ever saw in five Connecticut winters. However, as much snow as there was, it was almost entirely light and fluffy, almost inconsequential. Shoveling it took a tiny fraction of the time it would in Connecticut, even when the car was out of sight when you started.
The summer was surprisingly hot and humid, the temperature hitting the 90's regularly. I was told about "solar days," when citizens are warned to stay out of direct sunlight as much as possible to avoid the intense UV rays. Fall was a blink, a week or two of mild weather between scorching and freezing.
Sunny days are gorgeous, barely a cloud in the bright blue sky. It never breezes but it blows, never rains but it floods. To sum up: weather in Indiana means it.
Some things never change, however. I am pleased to discover that, despite the intensity of Midwest weather, despite being 800 miles away from the place I spent all my Marches and Aprils and Mays for the past 25 years...spring still feels the same.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Long Hard Day. Yeah.
I worked for a whopping two and a half hours today.
I was scheduled for 1:30. Unfortunately, I'm a dip, and didn't think I needed more than 10 minutes to warm up and clean off my car after two days of nonstop lake effect snow. Needless to say, I was late.
Then, because of this same nonstop snow, we closed at 3:30.
I clocked in around a quarter to two, clocked out around a quarter after four.
And drove home under clear, cloudless, empty skies.
Of course, it's going to start snowing gangbusters again tonight--if it hasn't started already--so I feel a little less guilty about that last part.
Ryan is almost entirely better (yay antibiotics). Sameh, on the other hand, is getting worse. Both eyes now have pink eye, and the right one is swelling, she thinks because of a reaction to the eye drops she put in when the pink eye first appeared. Poor thing...at least her cough seems better!
And now to sleep. Wonder if I'll be able to find my car in the morning...
I was scheduled for 1:30. Unfortunately, I'm a dip, and didn't think I needed more than 10 minutes to warm up and clean off my car after two days of nonstop lake effect snow. Needless to say, I was late.
Then, because of this same nonstop snow, we closed at 3:30.
I clocked in around a quarter to two, clocked out around a quarter after four.
And drove home under clear, cloudless, empty skies.
Of course, it's going to start snowing gangbusters again tonight--if it hasn't started already--so I feel a little less guilty about that last part.
Ryan is almost entirely better (yay antibiotics). Sameh, on the other hand, is getting worse. Both eyes now have pink eye, and the right one is swelling, she thinks because of a reaction to the eye drops she put in when the pink eye first appeared. Poor thing...at least her cough seems better!
And now to sleep. Wonder if I'll be able to find my car in the morning...
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
*Pant Pant*
Yesterday (Monday):
[o] sleep in
[o] go out with Ryan with the plans of shopping for Christmas presents, with a quick stop at the eye place next to BJ's Starbucks to see about an appointment and prices
[o] find that the optometrist is available and ready, spend a couple hours there getting Ryan an eye exam and new glasses. Yay! He hasn't had either for THREE YEARS! Also got suggestions for eye drops to help his dry eyes, and turns out our insurance is AWESOME, and the whole thing came to under $200. Eye Site Optical is also the prettiest and coolest optical place I've ever been to and had the neatest, trendiest glasses ever! Highly recommend!
[o] stopped at BJ's Starbucks to get some drinks and a snack :D
[o] got Secret Santa present at mall (muahaha)
[o] did some quick shopping but didn't buy anything else
[o] got gas, got dinner, went home
[o] WoWed for a little bit, but moved to TV when Ryan's poor dilated eyes couldn't take the computer anymore. The TV, at least, doesn't need to be focused on to be enjoyed
[o] watched an awesome episode of Top Gear, went to bed without a single thought to my blogging audience. Sorry!
Today!
[o] Ryan got up at 8:30 and went off to work
[o] I slept until 11 and opened the curtains only to shriek "REALLY?!?!" at MORE SNOW coming out of the sky. Seriously?!
[o] did laundry
[o] laundry was stupid. Went back and forth between apartment and laundry room several times due to forgetting quarters, not having enough clothes to fill machine, forgetting keys, etc.
[o] took very quick shower
[o] ran to grocery store and was stupid there as well, going back and forth across the store to get things I'd forgotten
[o] came home, put groceries away, sorted through laundry and combined two half loads of Not Quite Dry laundry into one dryer
I am now waiting for that last load, which will really only be taken out and thrown onto the bed, as I will have to immediately leave for work afterwards. Between then and now, however, I wanted to get this entry up so no one thought I was dead (don't ask me why Sunday's entry appeared as a Saturday one, it shouldn't have, my apologies for any confusion), and now I'll be giving some new tiny tupperwares a quick wash and filling them with nuts and grapes before throwing them into my bag and throwing work clothes on.
I'm closing tonight, and, as I mentioned previously, it's snowing fairly heavily* outside, so I'm guessing it's going to be pretty slow. I'm hoping to be able to relax for the first time since I last worked!
*I will say this for Indiana snow: it's light and powdery, so it's not caving in roofs, turning car-cleaning into an immensely sweaty chore, or really doing anything but being pretty and making it cold and making everyone drive a bit slower, which isn't too bad a thing as it is, eh?
WHEE!
[o] sleep in
[o] go out with Ryan with the plans of shopping for Christmas presents, with a quick stop at the eye place next to BJ's Starbucks to see about an appointment and prices
[o] find that the optometrist is available and ready, spend a couple hours there getting Ryan an eye exam and new glasses. Yay! He hasn't had either for THREE YEARS! Also got suggestions for eye drops to help his dry eyes, and turns out our insurance is AWESOME, and the whole thing came to under $200. Eye Site Optical is also the prettiest and coolest optical place I've ever been to and had the neatest, trendiest glasses ever! Highly recommend!
[o] stopped at BJ's Starbucks to get some drinks and a snack :D
[o] got Secret Santa present at mall (muahaha)
[o] did some quick shopping but didn't buy anything else
[o] got gas, got dinner, went home
[o] WoWed for a little bit, but moved to TV when Ryan's poor dilated eyes couldn't take the computer anymore. The TV, at least, doesn't need to be focused on to be enjoyed
[o] watched an awesome episode of Top Gear, went to bed without a single thought to my blogging audience. Sorry!
Today!
[o] Ryan got up at 8:30 and went off to work
[o] I slept until 11 and opened the curtains only to shriek "REALLY?!?!" at MORE SNOW coming out of the sky. Seriously?!
[o] did laundry
[o] laundry was stupid. Went back and forth between apartment and laundry room several times due to forgetting quarters, not having enough clothes to fill machine, forgetting keys, etc.
[o] took very quick shower
[o] ran to grocery store and was stupid there as well, going back and forth across the store to get things I'd forgotten
[o] came home, put groceries away, sorted through laundry and combined two half loads of Not Quite Dry laundry into one dryer
I am now waiting for that last load, which will really only be taken out and thrown onto the bed, as I will have to immediately leave for work afterwards. Between then and now, however, I wanted to get this entry up so no one thought I was dead (don't ask me why Sunday's entry appeared as a Saturday one, it shouldn't have, my apologies for any confusion), and now I'll be giving some new tiny tupperwares a quick wash and filling them with nuts and grapes before throwing them into my bag and throwing work clothes on.
I'm closing tonight, and, as I mentioned previously, it's snowing fairly heavily* outside, so I'm guessing it's going to be pretty slow. I'm hoping to be able to relax for the first time since I last worked!
*I will say this for Indiana snow: it's light and powdery, so it's not caving in roofs, turning car-cleaning into an immensely sweaty chore, or really doing anything but being pretty and making it cold and making everyone drive a bit slower, which isn't too bad a thing as it is, eh?
WHEE!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow...*Puke*
It snowed some more. Cuz we needed it.
Took me forty minutes to get to work, but only twenty to get home, so I guess my commute today averaged out to normal?
Tomorrow is a glorious day off. The plan is Christmas shopping, but we'll see how the weather is! Yayyyy.
I'm tired, I had a 7 1/2 hour day that was mostly just sitting on my butt because it was SO FREAKING SLOW, and I haven't eaten in four hours, soooo....night!
Took me forty minutes to get to work, but only twenty to get home, so I guess my commute today averaged out to normal?
Tomorrow is a glorious day off. The plan is Christmas shopping, but we'll see how the weather is! Yayyyy.
I'm tired, I had a 7 1/2 hour day that was mostly just sitting on my butt because it was SO FREAKING SLOW, and I haven't eaten in four hours, soooo....night!
Friday, November 5, 2010
Indiana Weather: It Means It.
I couldn't tell you how much sleep I got last night. I tossed and turned, dreams melded with being wide awake in the dark. I felt hyper enough to be up and at 'em at 6, then my alarm was going off for 7 only 2 seconds later.
It was a rough night.
I went in to Starbucks, found my boss, and asked "Is it too late to say 'no, I don't want to work at 8 in the morning?'" She said yes, and I said oh, and the day went on.
The day included snow! First it was the saddest, most pathetic Charlie-Brown snow you'd ever seen. Sad little flakes that didn't add up to anything.
I left a little after 6 because the sky had turned white, visibility was beginning to look hazy, and I was afraid of it getting cold enough to freeze.
It's still snowing. Big ol' wet snowflakes. Ick.
I got some writing done, although not nearly as much as I would have liked. I think I just work better when I don't have work-work. My current word count is 8,112; ideally it would be 8,335. I'm not that far off, but I just had a hard time concentrating.
In case the rambling nature of this post wasn't enough proof for you.
Tonight is a raid night, although I'm not participating. I may spend the evening poking at other photography projects, or I may try to plug in my ears and unplug my internet and bang out those last 223 words. Meh. We'll see.
Tomorrow is another day off. Ryan has work at 9:30, meaning we'll be getting up at 8:30. There's an area write-in at Indulgences, a pastry shop a few minutes away that has caught my eye before. It's only from 8 to noon, so I'd get 2 1/2-3 hours at best, but still. An excuse for a pastry shop and a write-in with, at the very least, my super-cool municipal liaison? Sounds good to me!
Wish me luck!
It was a rough night.
I went in to Starbucks, found my boss, and asked "Is it too late to say 'no, I don't want to work at 8 in the morning?'" She said yes, and I said oh, and the day went on.
The day included snow! First it was the saddest, most pathetic Charlie-Brown snow you'd ever seen. Sad little flakes that didn't add up to anything.
I left a little after 6 because the sky had turned white, visibility was beginning to look hazy, and I was afraid of it getting cold enough to freeze.
It's still snowing. Big ol' wet snowflakes. Ick.
I got some writing done, although not nearly as much as I would have liked. I think I just work better when I don't have work-work. My current word count is 8,112; ideally it would be 8,335. I'm not that far off, but I just had a hard time concentrating.
In case the rambling nature of this post wasn't enough proof for you.
Tonight is a raid night, although I'm not participating. I may spend the evening poking at other photography projects, or I may try to plug in my ears and unplug my internet and bang out those last 223 words. Meh. We'll see.
Tomorrow is another day off. Ryan has work at 9:30, meaning we'll be getting up at 8:30. There's an area write-in at Indulgences, a pastry shop a few minutes away that has caught my eye before. It's only from 8 to noon, so I'd get 2 1/2-3 hours at best, but still. An excuse for a pastry shop and a write-in with, at the very least, my super-cool municipal liaison? Sounds good to me!
Wish me luck!
Monday, September 27, 2010
"Day Off."
Yesterday's entry just plain slipped out of my head. That seems to be happening a lot lately--sorry!
Today is my first "day off" this week. I don't have to "work" in that I don't have to make coffee or clean anything or serve customers today. I do, however, have to be at my store at one for the two-hour store meeting, followed by a three-hour "party" at Gino's East. I'd be less annoyed if it weren't taking up a large chunk of the middle of my day, but oh well, I'll live. I get to spend my evening with Ryan, hopefully will be able to get some Halo: Reach playing time in with Sameh...honestly, it looks to be a good day, overall. I'm not even annoyed about the meeting, and the "party" should be fun, even if one of my favorite people is on vacation...one of my unfavorites is in class until almost the end of it, so it kinda-sorta evens out.
The weather is starting to get cooler. It was in the 50s yesterday, looks to be the same today; cool enough to require a hoodie, even while working. The air is starting to feel like fall, too...that crispness is there, even if 99% of the leaves are still green. Heck, when I left work last night at 11:30, the air almost felt like snow. *cross fingers that it won't come for months and months*
It's going to be weird going through a non-New England fall. I just now realized that it's not going to be the same; even if the air is crisp, and the leaves colorful, it won't be the same as Connecticut.
Off to move the laundry, continue the day, etc etc.
Today is my first "day off" this week. I don't have to "work" in that I don't have to make coffee or clean anything or serve customers today. I do, however, have to be at my store at one for the two-hour store meeting, followed by a three-hour "party" at Gino's East. I'd be less annoyed if it weren't taking up a large chunk of the middle of my day, but oh well, I'll live. I get to spend my evening with Ryan, hopefully will be able to get some Halo: Reach playing time in with Sameh...honestly, it looks to be a good day, overall. I'm not even annoyed about the meeting, and the "party" should be fun, even if one of my favorite people is on vacation...one of my unfavorites is in class until almost the end of it, so it kinda-sorta evens out.
The weather is starting to get cooler. It was in the 50s yesterday, looks to be the same today; cool enough to require a hoodie, even while working. The air is starting to feel like fall, too...that crispness is there, even if 99% of the leaves are still green. Heck, when I left work last night at 11:30, the air almost felt like snow. *cross fingers that it won't come for months and months*
It's going to be weird going through a non-New England fall. I just now realized that it's not going to be the same; even if the air is crisp, and the leaves colorful, it won't be the same as Connecticut.
Off to move the laundry, continue the day, etc etc.
Monday, August 16, 2010
To Day Trip Or Not To Day Trip, That Is The Question...
Apologies for not updating yesterday. Timing just didn't allow for it.
Yesterday was work, dinner, and playing games and watching TV with Ryan, Sameh, Kitty and Alex. Good times :)
Today and tomorrow are my days off, and the rest of the week looks pretty good, if oddly inconvenient. I love my hours for this week, but they greatly get in the way of hanging out with Simon while he's out here visiting. Ryan is hoping he and I can get Friday night off, so we can all raid together, but I'm not sure that's going to work out. *shrug*
Tomorrow, BJ and I might be dragged along to Chicago with Kitty and Alex while Alex has a job interview. I'm not sure...my energy yesterday and today has been kinda meh, so the idea of driving for hours to wander around a huge, strange* city is a bit intimidating. Also, if my first trip to Chicago doesn't involve either aunt that lives there, I might very well get in trouble with one side of the family or another.
My father's sister, my Aunt Jeanie, lives in Chicago, as does my stepfather's sister, Aunt Kathy. I haven't seen Aunt Jeanie in 15 years (since my one and only visit with Dad's side of the family, for a wedding), and I haven't seen Aunt Kathy in a few years (since she and I had overlapping David visits). I really do need to call them up and say hi, go and visit, reconnect, etc, but, as with all things in my life, time and energy have been downright unavailable.
On a different note: today is the first day that Ryan is at work, and I am not. If Sameh did not also have the day off, this would be my first time being in the apartment alone for more than a few minutes. Since arriving, the only times I've been alone have been in the car, driving to work. I'm not complaining--I'm a very social person, and I'm pretty sickeningly happy to spend lots of time with my boyfriend--but it's just interesting to realize that I've had almost no "me-time" in Indiana. *shrug*
Now, since it is a lovely day (lovely meaning the sun is out but not trying to kill us out), I'm going to sit on the balcony with a book until either (a) the shower is available, or (b) the laundry is done.
*Yes, I have been to Chicago before, a half dozen times or so. However, the visits were over 14 years ago, and they were family- and not tourist-oriented, so memories of the city itself are pretty fuzzy.
Yesterday was work, dinner, and playing games and watching TV with Ryan, Sameh, Kitty and Alex. Good times :)
Today and tomorrow are my days off, and the rest of the week looks pretty good, if oddly inconvenient. I love my hours for this week, but they greatly get in the way of hanging out with Simon while he's out here visiting. Ryan is hoping he and I can get Friday night off, so we can all raid together, but I'm not sure that's going to work out. *shrug*
Tomorrow, BJ and I might be dragged along to Chicago with Kitty and Alex while Alex has a job interview. I'm not sure...my energy yesterday and today has been kinda meh, so the idea of driving for hours to wander around a huge, strange* city is a bit intimidating. Also, if my first trip to Chicago doesn't involve either aunt that lives there, I might very well get in trouble with one side of the family or another.
My father's sister, my Aunt Jeanie, lives in Chicago, as does my stepfather's sister, Aunt Kathy. I haven't seen Aunt Jeanie in 15 years (since my one and only visit with Dad's side of the family, for a wedding), and I haven't seen Aunt Kathy in a few years (since she and I had overlapping David visits). I really do need to call them up and say hi, go and visit, reconnect, etc, but, as with all things in my life, time and energy have been downright unavailable.
On a different note: today is the first day that Ryan is at work, and I am not. If Sameh did not also have the day off, this would be my first time being in the apartment alone for more than a few minutes. Since arriving, the only times I've been alone have been in the car, driving to work. I'm not complaining--I'm a very social person, and I'm pretty sickeningly happy to spend lots of time with my boyfriend--but it's just interesting to realize that I've had almost no "me-time" in Indiana. *shrug*
Now, since it is a lovely day (lovely meaning the sun is out but not trying to kill us out), I'm going to sit on the balcony with a book until either (a) the shower is available, or (b) the laundry is done.
*Yes, I have been to Chicago before, a half dozen times or so. However, the visits were over 14 years ago, and they were family- and not tourist-oriented, so memories of the city itself are pretty fuzzy.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
When It Rains...
A second update! Because stuff has happened since the last one! Exciting stuff! INTERESTING stuff!
It thunderstormed. Big surprise. Lots of water. Whoop dee do.
Ryan and I are both home, playing World of Warcraft. Sameh knocks on the door. She says a neighbor was knocking on doors asking if anyone owned a black Toyota. Ryan does. We ask why.
Oh, the parking lot's flooded and the black Toyota in question's horn is stuck.
We go downstairs, and sure enough:
One of our neighbors helped unhook the battery to make the horn shut off. Fortunately, neither he or Ryan were electrocuted in the process.
And I got more pictures, to show you folks in Connecticut (and other parts of the country) the FUN you're missing!
:D
The other half, the BETTER half, of today: Ryan has an interview tomorrow! At Target! At 10:30 in the morning!
Yeah, that last part's going to be brutal...
Fortunately, his interview is hours before I have work, so he can take my car and not have to worry about drying his out beforehand. All prayers, thoughts, wishes, energy, etc toward him are MUCH appreciated! Think employed thoughts!
It thunderstormed. Big surprise. Lots of water. Whoop dee do.
Ryan and I are both home, playing World of Warcraft. Sameh knocks on the door. She says a neighbor was knocking on doors asking if anyone owned a black Toyota. Ryan does. We ask why.
Oh, the parking lot's flooded and the black Toyota in question's horn is stuck.
We go downstairs, and sure enough:
One of our neighbors helped unhook the battery to make the horn shut off. Fortunately, neither he or Ryan were electrocuted in the process.
And I got more pictures, to show you folks in Connecticut (and other parts of the country) the FUN you're missing!
:D
The other half, the BETTER half, of today: Ryan has an interview tomorrow! At Target! At 10:30 in the morning!
Yeah, that last part's going to be brutal...
Fortunately, his interview is hours before I have work, so he can take my car and not have to worry about drying his out beforehand. All prayers, thoughts, wishes, energy, etc toward him are MUCH appreciated! Think employed thoughts!
Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'...
Today's To Do list involved:
[o] Going to the bank to deposit the large pile of rolled coins I forgot we had, and change some of them into quarters so we can continue doing laundry.
[o] Editing the other two articles.
[o] Buying some Tylenol and looking into switching my prescription to a CVS here in Indiana.
[o] Looking into the cost of shipping my iPod Touch to Chris (part of the iPad deal)
[o] Researching credit card transfers to see if any would help me out.
[o] Continuing the creation of a budget. I am thoroughly enjoying this because it involves SPREADSHEETS!
[o] Watching some Avater: The Last Airbender Book 2 with Ryan, as promised.
The coins: My bank doesn't take rolled coins. They'll take loose coins and machine-count them and take off 5%, ala CoinStar, but that's it. The teller suggested I try a grocery store, "like Kroger." I go to Kroger, they don't change them, either. One of the employees mentions that her uncle gets his coins changed at 1st Source Bank, and he's not an account holder. I call Ryan, he tells me where the nearest branch is. I go there--huzzah! No limit of how many rolls I can cash! No need for an account! All I had to do was write my name and number on each roll. A small price to pay to finally have my damned money!
For the record, that was $61 in 8 rolls of dimes, 5 rolls of nickels, and twenty-two rolls of pennies. Yes, thirty-five rolls of coins, each one marked with my name and number. Whee!
I got Tylenol, so that's done. Easy.
I got a credit card offer in the mail that may be doable, although it's for an American Express Blue Sky card. I don't travel, and I've heard iffy things about AmEx, so...*shrug* I'll see what else I can find.
All that's left is looking into the costs of shipping the iPod Touch, editing two articles, and doing something with Ryan. Avatar may be out, as Sameh has a friend over to watch some True Blood, plus Ry and I have been wanting to level some characters together.
The articles may be pushed until tomorrow, either before work or during my lunch. I also got myself an iPad case today, so I can take it to work with me! Woo!
As an added bonus, I worked out today. Two days in a row! WOW!
Off I go to finish stuff off. Tomorrow is back to the grind, with not antoher day off until next Tuesday. Must remember: money GOOD.
[o] Going to the bank to deposit the large pile of rolled coins I forgot we had, and change some of them into quarters so we can continue doing laundry.
[o] Editing the other two articles.
[o] Buying some Tylenol and looking into switching my prescription to a CVS here in Indiana.
[o] Looking into the cost of shipping my iPod Touch to Chris (part of the iPad deal)
[o] Researching credit card transfers to see if any would help me out.
[o] Continuing the creation of a budget. I am thoroughly enjoying this because it involves SPREADSHEETS!
[o] Watching some Avater: The Last Airbender Book 2 with Ryan, as promised.
The coins: My bank doesn't take rolled coins. They'll take loose coins and machine-count them and take off 5%, ala CoinStar, but that's it. The teller suggested I try a grocery store, "like Kroger." I go to Kroger, they don't change them, either. One of the employees mentions that her uncle gets his coins changed at 1st Source Bank, and he's not an account holder. I call Ryan, he tells me where the nearest branch is. I go there--huzzah! No limit of how many rolls I can cash! No need for an account! All I had to do was write my name and number on each roll. A small price to pay to finally have my damned money!
For the record, that was $61 in 8 rolls of dimes, 5 rolls of nickels, and twenty-two rolls of pennies. Yes, thirty-five rolls of coins, each one marked with my name and number. Whee!
I got Tylenol, so that's done. Easy.
I got a credit card offer in the mail that may be doable, although it's for an American Express Blue Sky card. I don't travel, and I've heard iffy things about AmEx, so...*shrug* I'll see what else I can find.
All that's left is looking into the costs of shipping the iPod Touch, editing two articles, and doing something with Ryan. Avatar may be out, as Sameh has a friend over to watch some True Blood, plus Ry and I have been wanting to level some characters together.
The articles may be pushed until tomorrow, either before work or during my lunch. I also got myself an iPad case today, so I can take it to work with me! Woo!
As an added bonus, I worked out today. Two days in a row! WOW!
Off I go to finish stuff off. Tomorrow is back to the grind, with not antoher day off until next Tuesday. Must remember: money GOOD.
Monday, June 28, 2010
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!
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!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
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!
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!
Friday, June 11, 2010
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?
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?
Thursday, June 3, 2010
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.
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.
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