i can't believe today is a new month- its already october. it's officially fall.
and per my last post, i thought i would update my "to do" list that was supposed to be checked off by today.
1) regarding "i want to know if i'm moving or not"
and the answer is - drumroll please - yes! its official- we are moving mid November, which gives me a month and a half to pack. which seems like plenty of time, but in reality, its not much. so I have obtained a few boxes and am starting little by little. the things i'm most excited about?:
-living in a bigger place that will eventually be just ours (me & the boy's)
-not having to deal with flooding issues any more
-living in a loft space where sunlight just floods in and perhaps my plants won't keep dying
-having a 3rd floor porch (aka- not having leaves and gunk and mowed grass come in all year long no matter how much i try to keep it clean)
2) regarding "i want to have my entire apartment organized"
okay so i think that was probably the most "lofty" (haha- pun intended) goal on the list. its one of those "slowly but surely"/"rome wasn't built in a day" kind of cliches. but now knowing that moving is inevitable, its definately a motivation to organize and declutter til i drop. my 3rd party friend & i have already made lists of what to bring/store/goodwill for at least the kitchen area. so thats one room down. not to mention i've been drawing diagrams, buying containers, and spray-painting shelves to help decorate/organize our new space.
3) regarding "i want to be done with scrapbook #1 for myself"
i just finished the scrapbook yesterday so right on time! and if i do say so myself it is quite nice looking. you (my readers) will have to take a look at it next time you're in town. also- bring your scrapbooks/scrap-calendars if you still have them as it would be fun to see other things i made in the past.
4) regarding "i want to be at least halfway through reading my second book for the book club i recently joined"
this is where i'm lacking the most motivation- especially now that it doesn't seem like a huge priority compared to packing. that, and the book itself seems a little hard for me to get into, at least, the one last month was much more interesting to me. but i still have 20 days to finish.....its possible right?
5) regarding "i want to have a job"
still no news. i thought it was hard for me to make decisions...sigh. and i know the saying goes, not to put all my eggs in one basket, but i am. for good reason. i was called in for a second interview; i have a 50/50 chance of being chosen, as i'm one of the top two candidates. and the best part is, the job is a receptionist/personal assistant type position for a chiropracter whose office is less than a 10 minute commute from my apartment. no more corporate bullshit, no more temporary employment. this is the change i need and the job i want. so more to come on this.
so for now, at least i've got 2 out of 5 figured out. and in the meantime, i guess i just have to learn to be patient.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
when september ends...
i want to know if i'm moving or not.
it was recently discussed that jesse & i move into a 3 bedroom with a friend whose lease is also coming up and is having trouble finding another roomate/affordable place to live on her own. we've seen the apt. layout- its way cool. basically the same apt. we have now, but with a spiral staircase leading up to a huge loft area, where, until we could afford to live there by ourselves as a couple, she could have as a quasi-studio area. and all 3 of us would save money. there are some reasons why living together might be scary. but overall i'm super excited at the possibility. the problem is, its not 100% available yet. and it might not be. if it is, i have until november to pack. i want to know asap so i can either start packing/not waste my time either way.
i want to have my entire apartment organized.
regarding the prospect of moving or not moving, and also just to keep myself busy, i have since spring been cleaning & organzing bit by bit. trying to get rid of all the unnecessary junk i've been collecting over the years and size down on items, such as my wardrobe, etc. after a weekend with my parents trying to help them get rid of things, and realizing that they both have trouble with hoarding, i gained even more motivation to clean out my own closet. i do not want to become like that. addicted to stuff, i mean. or so poor in spirit that i associate past ownership of items with money/treasure. its one thing to hold on to cards or small trinkets for sentimental sake, especially when they can fit into a number of shoeboxes. its another thing (in reference to my dad) to keep empty cat food & litter bags in case he needs them for something. its quite another thing to keep old sippy seal lids from when we were little, despite their collection of dust and grime from being in the garage. pretty sure if i have kids someday, they will not get their mouths anywear near those lids. and my mom wouldn't part with several other unecessaries- like a box full of old mini-soaps her aunt collected while growing up. even after we took out 2 of each design for me to make a collage with. again, i do not want to be like that. it doesn't seem like i have a lot of stuff (especially in comparison), but best to start now before its too late and i end up leaving all the work to my kids to have to deal with. and then make them feel guilty pre-mordem for talking about giving to goodwill then what should be garbage now.
i want to be done with scrapbook #1 for myself.
pretty self explanatory. i'm over halfway done and i have a tendency to not finish what i started when it comes to crafty projects, especially when they're for myself. it doesn't always carry the proper motivation because, hey i don't plan on going anywhere. but i've recently come up with a self-resolution: to finish what i start and follow through on things i say i'm going to do. which doesn't necessarily mean i'm planning on overextending myself, just to think before i speak. whether it be cooking a meal i planned instead of eating out, or finishing this project before starting another. for a girl who has ADD tendencies, and lots of great ideas that often fall through one way or another i think all i need is a little self-guidance. i think it will help me to realize that yes, i'm just one person, but hopefully that i'm still worth it.
i want to be at least halfway through reading my second book for the book club i recently joined.
yes, i joined a book club. nerdy? yes. awesome? most definately! and the book for October is twice the length as was this month...that i didn't finish, even though i was close! so again, deja vu about the whole finishing what i started phenomenon.
i want to have a job.
again, pretty self explanatory. still waiting to hear back on my last interview which was the only interview for a real, non-temp job i've had all summer long. and the job is so ideal and perfect for me, waiting is the hardest part. i just don't want to go back to dealing with a temp. agency and all the instability that goes with. i really, really need this.
it was recently discussed that jesse & i move into a 3 bedroom with a friend whose lease is also coming up and is having trouble finding another roomate/affordable place to live on her own. we've seen the apt. layout- its way cool. basically the same apt. we have now, but with a spiral staircase leading up to a huge loft area, where, until we could afford to live there by ourselves as a couple, she could have as a quasi-studio area. and all 3 of us would save money. there are some reasons why living together might be scary. but overall i'm super excited at the possibility. the problem is, its not 100% available yet. and it might not be. if it is, i have until november to pack. i want to know asap so i can either start packing/not waste my time either way.
i want to have my entire apartment organized.
regarding the prospect of moving or not moving, and also just to keep myself busy, i have since spring been cleaning & organzing bit by bit. trying to get rid of all the unnecessary junk i've been collecting over the years and size down on items, such as my wardrobe, etc. after a weekend with my parents trying to help them get rid of things, and realizing that they both have trouble with hoarding, i gained even more motivation to clean out my own closet. i do not want to become like that. addicted to stuff, i mean. or so poor in spirit that i associate past ownership of items with money/treasure. its one thing to hold on to cards or small trinkets for sentimental sake, especially when they can fit into a number of shoeboxes. its another thing (in reference to my dad) to keep empty cat food & litter bags in case he needs them for something. its quite another thing to keep old sippy seal lids from when we were little, despite their collection of dust and grime from being in the garage. pretty sure if i have kids someday, they will not get their mouths anywear near those lids. and my mom wouldn't part with several other unecessaries- like a box full of old mini-soaps her aunt collected while growing up. even after we took out 2 of each design for me to make a collage with. again, i do not want to be like that. it doesn't seem like i have a lot of stuff (especially in comparison), but best to start now before its too late and i end up leaving all the work to my kids to have to deal with. and then make them feel guilty pre-mordem for talking about giving to goodwill then what should be garbage now.
i want to be done with scrapbook #1 for myself.
pretty self explanatory. i'm over halfway done and i have a tendency to not finish what i started when it comes to crafty projects, especially when they're for myself. it doesn't always carry the proper motivation because, hey i don't plan on going anywhere. but i've recently come up with a self-resolution: to finish what i start and follow through on things i say i'm going to do. which doesn't necessarily mean i'm planning on overextending myself, just to think before i speak. whether it be cooking a meal i planned instead of eating out, or finishing this project before starting another. for a girl who has ADD tendencies, and lots of great ideas that often fall through one way or another i think all i need is a little self-guidance. i think it will help me to realize that yes, i'm just one person, but hopefully that i'm still worth it.
i want to be at least halfway through reading my second book for the book club i recently joined.
yes, i joined a book club. nerdy? yes. awesome? most definately! and the book for October is twice the length as was this month...that i didn't finish, even though i was close! so again, deja vu about the whole finishing what i started phenomenon.
i want to have a job.
again, pretty self explanatory. still waiting to hear back on my last interview which was the only interview for a real, non-temp job i've had all summer long. and the job is so ideal and perfect for me, waiting is the hardest part. i just don't want to go back to dealing with a temp. agency and all the instability that goes with. i really, really need this.
Monday, August 30, 2010
ode to summer days
i can't believe it will be September in just 2 more days. its amazing to me how it flew by so fast, even though i had all this "free" time, not working and all.
i could say this was the summer of being poor and depressed, and having my PapPap diagnosed with a very rare disease. but even though these huge things are like dark clouds on my life, that doesn't mean that the sun didn't come out for me to enjoy on occasion. so in order to recognize this summer as a good one despite my other inclinations, i decided to make a list of all the good things that have happened since the end of May:
*having a super fabulous 27th birthday party eating @ the Cheesecake Factory and seeing Sex & the City 2
*seeing my far away friend that lives in Alaska and having a 2nd birthday shindig for both of us....including the same restaurant & movie because they were that good ;)
*making new friends at the infamous one and 1/2 week long job assignment- it was the best working experience i've ever had. hence the phrase short and sweet.
*spending 2 whole weekends with my sister- making up for lost time and re-getting to know each other
*receiving an unexpected email from a long lost friend, whom i had a falling out with. a sign that all things forgotten are not always lost...or all things lost are not always forgotten.
*having fun in the sun with jesse's family, when his dad took us and his little sister to the local aquatic center
*making the yearly trip to Valley Junction farmer's market with my friend and eating gormet cupcakes
*having a "staycation" with Jesse @ Gray's Lake when we were supposed to be in Colorado
*going to my very first I-Cubs game for free, all due to my bff in Des Moines
*making plans with my best friend from high school to catch up & hang out-just us girls. something pleasantly unexpected after people get married and don't live too close.
*starting a new scrapbook, just for me this time. the first out of 7 that i get to keep.
...and i'm sure there are more pleasant memories or things that happened simply because i didn't have other set obligations, job wise. so to invite another cliché into the mix, that is the silver lining to my dark clouds.
i could say this was the summer of being poor and depressed, and having my PapPap diagnosed with a very rare disease. but even though these huge things are like dark clouds on my life, that doesn't mean that the sun didn't come out for me to enjoy on occasion. so in order to recognize this summer as a good one despite my other inclinations, i decided to make a list of all the good things that have happened since the end of May:
*having a super fabulous 27th birthday party eating @ the Cheesecake Factory and seeing Sex & the City 2
*seeing my far away friend that lives in Alaska and having a 2nd birthday shindig for both of us....including the same restaurant & movie because they were that good ;)
*making new friends at the infamous one and 1/2 week long job assignment- it was the best working experience i've ever had. hence the phrase short and sweet.
*spending 2 whole weekends with my sister- making up for lost time and re-getting to know each other
*receiving an unexpected email from a long lost friend, whom i had a falling out with. a sign that all things forgotten are not always lost...or all things lost are not always forgotten.
*having fun in the sun with jesse's family, when his dad took us and his little sister to the local aquatic center
*making the yearly trip to Valley Junction farmer's market with my friend and eating gormet cupcakes
*having a "staycation" with Jesse @ Gray's Lake when we were supposed to be in Colorado
*going to my very first I-Cubs game for free, all due to my bff in Des Moines
*making plans with my best friend from high school to catch up & hang out-just us girls. something pleasantly unexpected after people get married and don't live too close.
*starting a new scrapbook, just for me this time. the first out of 7 that i get to keep.
...and i'm sure there are more pleasant memories or things that happened simply because i didn't have other set obligations, job wise. so to invite another cliché into the mix, that is the silver lining to my dark clouds.
Monday, August 16, 2010
sweating never felt so good
today and yesterday i was blessed with an extracurricular activity- walking a friend's dog while she was out of town.
she must have taken pity on me, because about a month ago i designed these "Pet Nanny" fliers, to provide services for people who needed someone to walk their dog, take care of their cat, etc. this was one of my many ideas for extra income, work, fun, and exercise. and unlike almost all my other ideas for entreprenuring (sp?) my skills, i actually followed through on this one. the bad news is that i haven't had any business with the exception of the past two days, and i don't even expect to get paid since i'm doing it more as a favor, after all. but the good news is- i had so much fun doing it! and i even got a pretty good workout without feeling like i was trying too hard.
the dog's name is Guiness, partially after the lager because his coat is dark black and brown, and partially, i'm told, because he should be in the "Guiness Book of World Records" for being the cutest dog around. which, during our walk today, i dicussed with some old ladies we passed on the sidewalk. "we" being me and the designated doggie of course ;)
and the thought came to me, wouldn't it be funny if the world was run by dogs? instead of saying hi or shaking hands, we would greet strangers by sniffing their crotch. we would be more excited to walk outside sniffing greenery than walking around a mall (which i sometimes am anyway, but it mostly depends on the day.) we wouldn't care about watching tv or movies, we would just want to play fetch. we wouldn't need to "get away from it all" with an expensive vacation, we would just want to go for a ride in the car sticking our heads out the window, not caring that it would mess up our hair.
so maybe it wasn't i that was walking Guiness, maybe in turn, it was he that was walking me. and i feel better for it, in many many ways.
she must have taken pity on me, because about a month ago i designed these "Pet Nanny" fliers, to provide services for people who needed someone to walk their dog, take care of their cat, etc. this was one of my many ideas for extra income, work, fun, and exercise. and unlike almost all my other ideas for entreprenuring (sp?) my skills, i actually followed through on this one. the bad news is that i haven't had any business with the exception of the past two days, and i don't even expect to get paid since i'm doing it more as a favor, after all. but the good news is- i had so much fun doing it! and i even got a pretty good workout without feeling like i was trying too hard.
the dog's name is Guiness, partially after the lager because his coat is dark black and brown, and partially, i'm told, because he should be in the "Guiness Book of World Records" for being the cutest dog around. which, during our walk today, i dicussed with some old ladies we passed on the sidewalk. "we" being me and the designated doggie of course ;)
and the thought came to me, wouldn't it be funny if the world was run by dogs? instead of saying hi or shaking hands, we would greet strangers by sniffing their crotch. we would be more excited to walk outside sniffing greenery than walking around a mall (which i sometimes am anyway, but it mostly depends on the day.) we wouldn't care about watching tv or movies, we would just want to play fetch. we wouldn't need to "get away from it all" with an expensive vacation, we would just want to go for a ride in the car sticking our heads out the window, not caring that it would mess up our hair.
so maybe it wasn't i that was walking Guiness, maybe in turn, it was he that was walking me. and i feel better for it, in many many ways.
Friday, August 13, 2010
just pennies
so here i am, turned down from yet another job, about to go to the store, because the cupboards are getting emptier and emptier.
per the grocery store's daily special, i'm getting prego sauce for 99 cents, a bag of boneless skinless chicken breasts for 3.99, lettuce for 38 cents, & the other essentials; a carton of eggs, half a gallon of milk, and some mozzerella cheese. so if i'm lucky i can keep it under $10.oo.
and with me i'm bringing empty soda cans and a jar of pennies to exchange for cash in their "coinstar" machine. and i'm hoping & praying i can get what i need with just pennies.
per the grocery store's daily special, i'm getting prego sauce for 99 cents, a bag of boneless skinless chicken breasts for 3.99, lettuce for 38 cents, & the other essentials; a carton of eggs, half a gallon of milk, and some mozzerella cheese. so if i'm lucky i can keep it under $10.oo.
and with me i'm bringing empty soda cans and a jar of pennies to exchange for cash in their "coinstar" machine. and i'm hoping & praying i can get what i need with just pennies.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
make a list, check it twice
i was going through some old notebooks, as i do from time to time (especially now that i have more of it), and found one in particular that sparked my interest.
it was just a small notepad, interspersed with grocery lists, unfinished poems, schedules, the "lists" go on. :) and as i was reading myself to sleep with my random past, i came upon a few headers that made me chuckle, such as :
*Upcoming Stressors
*Stressors B4 Thanksgiving
*Things that make me want to scream
...all of course, involving senior year exams, thesis work, etc.
but the best out of all of these didn't have a header. this list simply read, top to bottom;
-Fidel Castro/Cuba
-Kids running away
-Person runnng for Mayor
-Road Trip
(Wtf right?)
so i racked my brain trying to come up with some logical reason why i had made a list as random as such. maybe they were wierd dreams i had, or maybe they were possible topics to write about for my fiction class, but even then i can't think of one good reason i would have chosen to write about Fidel Castro. but alas- here i am, doing just that.
it was just a small notepad, interspersed with grocery lists, unfinished poems, schedules, the "lists" go on. :) and as i was reading myself to sleep with my random past, i came upon a few headers that made me chuckle, such as :
*Upcoming Stressors
*Stressors B4 Thanksgiving
*Things that make me want to scream
...all of course, involving senior year exams, thesis work, etc.
but the best out of all of these didn't have a header. this list simply read, top to bottom;
-Fidel Castro/Cuba
-Kids running away
-Person runnng for Mayor
-Road Trip
(Wtf right?)
so i racked my brain trying to come up with some logical reason why i had made a list as random as such. maybe they were wierd dreams i had, or maybe they were possible topics to write about for my fiction class, but even then i can't think of one good reason i would have chosen to write about Fidel Castro. but alas- here i am, doing just that.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
stickers
before i could afford/choose my own clothes, shoes, purses, etc., stickers were a form of expressing myself.
this evening as i was leaving wal-mart, i was enchanted; a sentence i never thought i would say. but after picking up the necessary items an unemployed women of my stance needs (e.g. mountain dew and ibprofen) i noticed a female employee at the exit handing out wal-mart logo stickers to small children. and i smiled, remembering my not so far from current obsession with that stationery "must have".
when i was younger stickers were my life. they were worth more than gold. in fact, if i got money for my birthday, or christmas, i would go out and buy more stickers. i had sticker books, containers for stickers, a sticker making machine, the list goes on. i adorned all of my favorite objects with my favorite stickers; there were the adhesives of cats on my phone, self-made stickers on my school supplies, and generally anywhere else i had been you would find glossy prints of cute animals, or flourescently colored shapes to make everything look better. sort of like a non-cryptic note saying "sarah was here."
and sometimes its easy to forget where you come from, and what used to make you happy. its important to remember, and i was glad for the little reminder in an insignificant place, at an insignificant time.
so here's to the small things in life: may they never be out of style.
this evening as i was leaving wal-mart, i was enchanted; a sentence i never thought i would say. but after picking up the necessary items an unemployed women of my stance needs (e.g. mountain dew and ibprofen) i noticed a female employee at the exit handing out wal-mart logo stickers to small children. and i smiled, remembering my not so far from current obsession with that stationery "must have".
when i was younger stickers were my life. they were worth more than gold. in fact, if i got money for my birthday, or christmas, i would go out and buy more stickers. i had sticker books, containers for stickers, a sticker making machine, the list goes on. i adorned all of my favorite objects with my favorite stickers; there were the adhesives of cats on my phone, self-made stickers on my school supplies, and generally anywhere else i had been you would find glossy prints of cute animals, or flourescently colored shapes to make everything look better. sort of like a non-cryptic note saying "sarah was here."
and sometimes its easy to forget where you come from, and what used to make you happy. its important to remember, and i was glad for the little reminder in an insignificant place, at an insignificant time.
so here's to the small things in life: may they never be out of style.
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