Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Possibly my last blog of 2009.

I can't believe it's almost 2010! Craziness! This year went by so fast. Well, the second half, at least. Planning/anticipating our wedding made the first half seem like a year in itself. I hope all two of you reading this have lovely New Year's Eve celebrations. I'll be partying it up at Applebees. Whoo.

So, the mole on my collar bone is getting freakishly big and weirdly shaped. And yesterday, a dark spot appeared on part of it. I wish next Thursday (my appointment at the U of I dermatologist office) would get here sooner. I want this thing off of me. In the meantime, I really need to increase my turtleneck/high-neck sweater collection. I keep wearing the same shirts over and over so I don't have to show my freak mole. /sigh. Jordan and I are going to the DHS office today to see if we qualify for IowaCare (health care program for people that can't get Medicaid)...because we don't have health insurance right now.

On to happier things. Christmas was great. Jordan and I were only able to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas morning together because of weird circumstances (him having to work on Christmas night and the weather being so awful)...but we had a lot of fun with his family. And I thoroughly enjoyed spending a few days at my parents' house. My big present this year was a keyboard (YAY!). It's not a full-sized keyboard--I think it's only 60-some keys...but that's okay. If it were any longer, it wouldn't fit in the perfect spot where it currently resides in our living room. I love it! I've played at least two hours every day since I've been back in Iowa City. Today, I'm going to go to West Music and buy some new piano books. I bought the book for Pride and Prejudice's soundtrack, but all the songs in it are really similar...so that's not doing it for me. Plus it has a bunch of weird time signatures that annoy me (7/8, 5/8, etc). Anyway. I wish I could have spent more time in Burlington...I miss my family. :( Jordan and I should move back in with my parents. Or just move to an apartment in Burlington. I could transfer to the Burlington Applebees...or better yet, get back my job at the Great Wall! lol.

Okay. I need to get off the computer. It's already almost 2:00 and we still need to go to the DHS office and turn in our rental applications for the Valley Forge apartment. Stupid errands. Why can't I ever just have a lazy day off work where I don't do anything productive? Maybe I should take some lessons from my husband...lol.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Home Alone

Why am I never tired when I should be? I felt tired earlier today--I yawned every five seconds at work but now, at 1 a.m., I don't feel like going to bed at all...which means tomorrow's shift will be more of the same thing. Of course, even a full night's rest can't keep me from yawning my way through a morning shift at Applebees... /sigh

I finished my Christmas shopping tonight! All I had left were our gift exchange presents (both of our families do gift exchanges every year). That can be tricky--trying to pick out something that everyone will like and that's under $10--but I'm satisfied with what I found. While I was out, I bought two toys for the Applebee's toy drive. We're supposed to bring in a receipt to prove that we bought something over five dollars (its part of some contest with the other Applebees in our region)...and since I bought about fifty things at K-Mart and had a huge receipt, I thought I'd be cool and highlight the two toys on the list. Why didn't anyone tell me that a highlighter more or less erases the ink off a receipt? Obviously my manager will still be able to see how much the toys cost with simple addition and subtraction...but still, I feel kinda dumb. Oh well.

So, I'm home alone tonight. Bryant and Spencer both went home for Christmas already and Jordan is at work. It feels weird...maybe that's why I don't want to go to bed. Once I lay down in the dark, I'll probably start hearing odd noises that I would normally blame on someone else in the apartment...and then I'll remember that I'm alone and will proceed to freak myself out by imagining that someone broke in somehow. Yep. Maybe I'll make use of that lovely sleep feature on my TV... I really need to try to get to bed. After I get off work tomorrow, Jordan and I are going to try to catch a matinee of Avatar in 3D, and I don't want to be all sleepy for that!

Friday, December 18, 2009

I can't sleep.

Yep, I'm blogging AGAIN. I can't sleep...and I've spent an appalling amount of time facebook stalking, so I needed to change gears.

Sooo, Jordan and I saw Valley Forge Apartments today. Not the best looking complex on the outside, but very cute and cozy inside. With the exception of the small kitchen (which I could live with, since we wouldn't be sharing it with anyone else), it's a great size for us. The bedroom is bigger than our current one, and there's more closet space. I could totally picture Crosby running around the apartment! The only problem is that they want all of their tenants to have a monthly income of 3 times the rent. We only make 2 times the rent. We're hoping that they'll overlook that, since I'll be graduating in the spring and by summer, I'll be working much more than my current 12 hours a week. And if not, we're going to try to talk my parents into signing a lease guarantee agreement...because we really like this place!

Even though I'm on Christmas break, I still feel super busy!
Tomorrow--working a double shift. Hopefully seeing a late showing of Avatar after I get off work.
Sunday--going to Burlington to sing for the Christmas service at Flint Hills and to have lunch with my family.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday--Work.
Thursday--Spending Christmas Eve with Jordan's family.
Friday--Spending Christmas morning with Jordan's family. Then off to Burlington to spend the rest of the day with my family. Jordan has to leave Friday night because he's working at 11... :( but I'm staying in Burlington.
Saturday--Relax and spend time with the family! Hitch a ride back to Iowa City with Carissa and Brian...though this might happen Sunday instead.
Monday--Back to work!

Well, I'm still not very tired...but I feel really achy. Applebees was so busy tonight...we were on a wait list for two hours, so of course everyone was running around like crazy. Definitely not normal! My legs are hurting like they used to after serving a Saturday night at The Great Wall. Ugh. On that note, I think I'll try to get some sleep. I'm glad I don't have to work til noon tomorrow!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

I'm on break!

Today, I went to Barnes and Noble and bought a book TO READ FOR FUN. And I got my haircut, in the middle of the afternoon. And I lost track of time because I had no reason to keep looking at a clock. I love being on break. :)

So, all my final exams, papers, and projects went well enough. I think. I don't know about that last one...(the one I hated so much that I had to blog about it). But I already know that I got an A- for my playwriting seminar and an A for my fiction writing class. Still waiting on the rest of my grades. I'm not really sure what to expect...I'm pretty confident I'll get an A in one of them, but the other two could go either way--A or B. I'm not too worried about it...just as long as my GPA stays at or above 3.5, I'm happy.

On Friday, Jordan and I are going to see a potential apartment for next year. I'm so excited! My hopes are very high. These apartments have just about everything we want--they're in Coralville (closer to Jordan's job), the rent is in our price range (plus hot water and heat are included), and they allow dogs! There's a swimming pool, too...definitely a bonus. If we get there and they're super crappy and rundown...I'm going to be really sad. Hopefully they're as great as they sound and we love them.

You know, I think I've been really good about not throwing so many surveys up here. It's been at least two weeks...so I'm sure you'll forgive me for this one. It's pretty short, anyway.

How old will you be in 4 months? 22.
Have you ever felt betrayed? Yeah.
How long have you been friends with your best friend? Over a decade.
Do you think you're dependable? Yes.
Are you single? Nope.
If not, what is your significant others name? Jordan.
Are you happy? Yes.
Why did you cry the last time you cried? I was very upset about locking my keys in the car and having to walk home from Hy-Vee in the middle of the blizzard.
Has anything exciting happened today? Not particularly...though I got pretty excited about scheduling the apartment showing for Friday.
Team Edward or team Jacob? lol...Jacob.
Do you even like twilight? It's okay. I liked the movies...I've never read the books. I've heard good and bad things about them. According to Stephen King, Stephenie Meyer can't write worth a darn, lol.
Where you single on your last birthday? Nope.
What color is your digital camera, if you have one? Blue.
What grade are you in? Senior in college.
What did you do yesterday? Finished my paper, went to my last class, walked Jack and Suki, took a nap from noon to five, then watched TV and drank wine most of the night.
Who did you last hang out with? Jordan, if he counts.
Would you rather shower at night or in the morning? Morning.
What are you wearing at the moment? Jeans, pink tank top, tan cardigan.
How did you and your best friend meet? School.
Do you always reply to texts? Not always. Sometimes it isn't necessary.
Who last made you laugh? Jordan.
What is the last movie you watched in theaters? New Moon.
Who did you watch it with? Jordan.
What are your plans for tomorrow? I'm working in the morning. Nothing planned for the evening...probably going to do laundry.
Would you rather go out or stay in? Stay in.
Two best friends or a big group of friends? Two best friends.
How much time do you spend on the internet? A couple hours a day. Though that might go up quite a bit now that I'm on break.
What is your favorite movie right now? I'm bad with favorites. I'm not sure.
Would you rather be funny or serious? Depends on who I'm with.
Do you hate when people typ lyk dis? Yes.
Or lIkE ThIs? YES. The alternate lower and upper case letters is the worst...what a waste of time, typing everything like that! And it's harder to read, too!
What is the last book you read? Middlemarch by George Eliot.
What color is your hairbrush? Grayish.
What is the last thing you ate? Meatball marinara sub from Subway.
Can you drive? Yeah.
If so, have you ever been in an accident? Only as a passenger.
Do you tan? No.
Are you fingernails painted? No. I hate painting my fingernails.
Is anyone else in the room you're in? Yeah, Jordan.
How many people live with you? Three.
What is your least favorite color? I'm not sure...probably purple, though I really like certain shades of it.
What color shirt are you wearing? Already covered this.
Where is your dad? In Burlington, I think.
Do you have any siblings? Yes.
What are you listening to? My woodwick candle crackling :)
What time is it? 5:15
Did you like this survey? Sure.

Monday, December 14, 2009

I just wanted to say...

That I hate this paper! And that I can't believe it's already 10:30, and I only have half a page written. I started working on it at 7:30... In my defense, introductions are always the absolute hardest part of a paper for me. Now that I'm done with that, I'm hoping the rest will go by fast. Four and a half pages to go, and ten hours left on the clock (assuming I don't go to sleep tonight). I should have started this yesterday, instead of going Christmas shopping. Ya think I would have learned my lesson by now.../sigh. Back to work.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

I'm a professional procrastinator.

I finished my online classes on time! YAY! Phew! It was pretty close...I took my vocab building exam about five hours before the deadline, and I turned in my final short story for fiction writing five minutes before the deadline...seriously. Yeah, I'm pretty much a professional procrastinator.

And now, all I have left for the rest of the semester is a one page critique of a classmate's play (due tomorrow), a group wiki presentation to give Tuesday morning, and a 5-7 page paper, also due Tuesday morning. The first two things, no problem...but I don't even want to think about the paper. 5 pages isn't bad at all, but I'm so burnt out and sick of school that I want to put this paper off until the absolute last minute. Which means I'll probably be finishing it at 9 AM on Tuesday, forty-five minutes before it's due. I'm starting to wonder if I'm even capable of writing a paper thoughtfully and carefully, over several days' time. I'm in my fourth year of college and it hasn't happened yet...

So, what am I doing today instead of working on my paper? Making a cake! Strawberry, with vanilla frosting. Jordan picked the flavors. I don't think it occurred to him at the time, and I didn't think of it til just now, but they're the same flavors as our wedding cake that we fed to each other. Aww. That makes me smile. :) I'm waiting for the cake to cool so I can frost later...I think I'll go do some Christmas shopping in the meantime. I can't believe it's less than two weeks away...wasn't Thanksgiving like three days ago?! Feels like it.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Snow Day!

Ah, what a delightful snow day it was. It felt so good to wake up at 8:30, see that classes were canceled, and then sleep til noon; I'm finally caught up on sleep! And I got a lot of homework done today--completely finished a project that's due on Friday. One less thing to worry about! I'm actually not feeling stressed out at all. I only have two big things left on my agenda--final vocab building exam on Friday and a 5-7 page paper due next Tuesday. By 11:00 on Tuesday, I'll be DONE! Well, until January 19th.

You know, I realized something about myself as a writer today: I hate writing second drafts. Second drafts of anything. After I write something, whether it's a poem, an essay, a story or a play, I want to be DONE with it. In the fiction writing class I'm taking, my teacher always sends me back really great notes on my stories, telling me what to keep in mind for my second drafts and so on. And I'm always thinking..."second draft? Pfft. No, this thing is finished." Which is actually really ridiculous, now that I think about it. I know nothing I write is ever perfect the first time; I know I could make so many improvements...and yet, I rarely make the effort. And I'm not even sure why I do that. A bad habit left over junior high/high school, I guess. I got way too much praise and not enough constructive criticism in writing classes. But it's suddenly occurred to me that if I want to be a writer, I have to get over my fear of second drafts...and even become open to third, fourth and fifth drafts. So...something to work on over Christmas break: REVISE all the old stories that I've abandoned.

So I guess there's a slim chance that the U or I might cancel classes again tomorrow. I, of course, don't really care because I don't have any Thursday classes. If only Applebees would close...I'm sure we'll be dead tomorrow. Who's going to venture out for lunch in a foot of snow? Not to mention the fact that tomorrow's high is TEN. Ten degrees. Yep. December, you suck. Anyway, since there's no chance of Applebees closing tomorrow, I should get to bed. I'll have to get up half an hour earlier than usual to dig my car out of a snow drift...

Friday, December 4, 2009

Warning: Incoming Pity Party

So...I just finished my commentary that's due today--the last commentary of the semester. And that felt really good, for about five seconds. Then I remembered that I have to finish a short story and turn it in online today, too. And I have to write a 20-40 page play by Monday...and a rough draft of my paper on children in Victorian novels is also due by Monday. And I need to turn in my last assignment for my vocab building class this weekend and take the exam by next Friday. Of course, I won't be able to take the exam at all if my professor doesn't grade and return all my assignments...which he hasn't yet. I'm kinda freaking out right now. If I'm ever a teacher at a college somewhere down the road, I'm going give my students a big project early in the semester and a teeny tiny easy one at the end. That way, they'll have one less thing to freak out about when they're all having their end of the semester panic attacks.

On a happier note, my parents are coming with the tree today! And tomorrow should be a good day...not working and vicariously reliving the wedding dress experience with Carissa. /cheer

OKAY, shower time.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Christmas Tree!

I'm confused about why my blogger dashboard is telling me that I'm not currently following any blogs...because I definitely am.

Jordan and I are getting our Christmas tree this weekend! Whoo! I'm so excited to put it up. We already have some miscellaneous decorations around the apartment that Perrian brought us--a couple Christmasy rugs, some snowmen, etc. All good stuff, but our apartment just seems sad and empty without the tree. At least to me. The boys don't seem to care...lol.

Well, aside from more complaining about work and homework, I don't have much to say. So...survey.

Have you ever snuck out of the house? Don't believe so.
Did you go out to meet someone? ...
What color is your hair brush? Gray.
Do you straighten your hair? Nope. Straightening it only makes it look thinner.
What color is your favorite jacket? Pinkish peach. I haven't worn it since I bought it in the spring...I miss it. I meant to get it out and wear it this fall, but I kept forgetting. And now it's too cold. :(
When is the last time you been to the zoo? I think I was ten.
Have you seen the movie Armageddon? Yeah.
Was it a good movie? I liked it.
Are you stuck up? Don't think so.
What is your favorite alcoholic beverage? Moscato di asti! Or peach sangria from the Olive Garden.
What about nonalcoholic beverage? Any sort of latte.
Are there any websites that are blocked on your computer? No.
What was the last thing to annoy you? The barrista that made my caramel macchiato got a big glob of caramel on the outside of the cup and I stuck my finger right in it.
Did you hear about Michael Jackson's movie? Yes.
Do you like girl scout cookies? Yeah! The mint ones and the ones with coconut on them are my favorites.
Are you optimistic? Usually.
Do you have mood swings? Yeah. They're not very violent, though. Jordan's probably the only one that ever sees evidence of them.
Tell me a random fact about yourself. Now that it's winter (well, almost), my hands are cold all the time. And will continue to be cold all the time for the next four or five months.
Have you ever been kicked by a horse? No. That would be awful.
Why are people so against gay rights? There's tons of reasons. Personal beliefs, personal biases, ignorance, etc.
What does your last sent text say? Ooh okay. Have fun! Just lemme know when you're on your way.
Whats the worst song you have ever heard? I'm not sure. The songs I dislike the most tend to be rap songs or rock songs where they just scream the whole time.
Are you a people person? Eh, to some extent. I definitely wouldn't say that I'm bad with people or that I have poor social skills...but I can be very introverted.
As a child were you ever bullied? Sometimes.
As a child were you the bully? Definitely not.
Do you lie to your family? No. I always don't tell them everything, but I don't actively lie to them.