What I Miss about College.

So it's almost September. Classes at the U of I have been in full swing for a week. While I'm overjoyed that I haven't had to spend hundreds of dollars on textbooks or countless hours trying to write that perfect first paper of the semester, there are things that I miss.

1. Skippable classes. You know...those ones where the professors rarely takes attendance and really only cares that you show up for exams and turn in your assignments. Or even the ones where the professor does want you to show up to every class, but they give you 3 or 4 freebies to use throughout the semester. If you don't show up, they won't ask questions--they just trust that you'll be there the next day. Too bad my bosses at Target don't think that way.

2. Great literature classes. I have fallen in love with so many books that I never ever would have picked up off a shelf in Barnes and Noble, thanks to my many lit professors and TAs with their brilliant syllabuses. Without them, I've resorted to typing "good books" into Google to determine what I should read next. Sad, yes.

3. Walking to class. Because I love nature but don't see enough of it now. The U of I has such a pretty campus, especially at this time of year. And I miss the exercise! All those brisk walks/sprints through campus, trying to make it to class on time, were doing me a lot of good.

4. Reading and having a caramel macchiato between classes at T.Spoons in the old capitol mall. When it starts to get chilly, in October, I'm going to miss it ten times more.

5. Using school as an excuse to only work 10-15 hours a week...and being able to get away with it because of leftover student loan money.

6. Workshop classes. If only a group of well-meaning English majors, along with their wise TA, could randomly show up at my door to read and discuss my writing with me. And then I could read and discuss their writing with them. That would be lovely.

7. Not feeling like you need to worry too much about the future, because--hey, you're still an undergrad! No one expects you to have things figured out yet. Or at least that was the attitude in the English department.

Wow.

I am SO out of shape.

I just did a super easy workout, and I feel like passing out. Or maybe throwing up. Stretching, bear walking up and down our hall, 10 squat thrusts, 10 lunges, 10 push-ups, 20 crunches...easy, right? Nope. Not when you're using muscles that have been gathering dust for the past four years. Ugh. I feel like crap. But I feel good, too. I'm proud of myself for doing some sort of workout, pitiful as it may be.

It was so easy for me to stay in shape in high school because of P.E. Forty-five minutes, two or three times a week. So, I'm thinking that if I can manage to work out as much as I did back then, I'll be back to a size 3/4 in no time...and will no longer wear myself out walking up a flight of steps. I also need to try to curb my snacking habits. Maybe eat a little less ice cream...or switch it out for frozen yogurt! Oh, and drink more water. Yeah.

Soy, faux caramel lattes, and Netflix...oh my!

After I got off work tonight, I decided to stop by Target's market section for a few grocery essentials--milk, bread, coffee creamer. For some reason (all the back to school shoppers, college kids stocking their dorm refrigerators??), Target was out of skim, 1% and 2% milk. All they had was whole, and various lactose free varieties. NO WAY am I buying whole milk (I actually just started drinking skim to cut some unneeded fat from my diet), so I decided to try Silk soymilk, the vanilla kind. I had some tonight with a bowl of cereal, and it is really good! About the same thickness as 2%, and it's pretty tasty. I don't know if skim or soy is healthier...all the sites I've been to say it's a toss up, more or less. I might just keep up with the soy milk, though--I think it tastes better than skim. And it's definitely healthier than the 2% that Jordan prefers. :)

Ah, and another find, courtesy of Target's limited grocery selection: vanilla caramel coffee creamer. It was one of only four flavors that Target had (original, french vanilla, and hazelnut are the others--I have all of these in the back of my cupboard and I'm bored with them). I've seen the flavor before but I always thought that it would taste bad...I guess because I had a bad experience with another brand's attempt at "caramel macchiato" flavored creamer. But this stuff is delicious. It makes my regular old cup of coffee taste remarkably like a caramel latte.

While I'm on the subject of new discoveries, I also just started experiencing the joy of Netflix. I've been longing to catch up on the two seasons of The Office that I missed in the past few years, and now I can! Not to mention the whole movies sent to my door, no late fees ever thing. And for $8 a month?! Amazing. Jordan and I have spent more than that on ONE MOVIE from Blockbuster, when you include the unavoidable (for me, at least) late fees.

I really don't have anything else to blog about...life's great, but pretty uneventful.

So,How's your day been? Meh. Work was kinda crappy, but since I've been home, it's been lovely.
Do you ever watch pokemon? No.
Ever feel just not that beautiful? Definitely.
Have you ever kissed someone in front of your parents? Yeah...I think Jordan's the only one, though.
What do you do most everyday? Lots of things. Ingest some sort of caffeine (usually coffee), clean myself, play my keyboard, facebook.
What do you think is most over rated right now? Being tan.
Do you like sweets? Yes. Too much.
What flower do you think is most beautiful? Hard question! Daisies are my favorite, but I wouldn't call them the most beautiful. It's really hard for me to pick a most beautiful...especially when I'm not familiar with very many different kids.
Can you play Guitar Hero on Hard? I don't play Guitar Hero.
How many books do you think you've read this year? Between twenty and thirty, I think.
Who knows your most darkest memory or secret? I don't even know what my "darkest memory or secret" is. If anyone would know it, though, it would be Jordan.
Are there clothes on your floor right now? Yeah.
Do you still Trick-or-Treat? I never did.
Ever played a prank on someone? Not that I can recall.
Do you believe in Karma? No.
Do you hate anybody? Nah.
Ever stared at the underwear section of a store and gotten weird looks? Yeah.
Did you play with dolls when you were little? Yeah, a bit. They weren't my favorite though.
What's your favorite food to eat? Too many to choose from. I can't even pick between sweet and savory...
Ever thrown a drink at someone just because? Hmm, pretty sure I haven't.
How many minutes did you spend on your hair this morning? After I washed it, about ten seconds.
Is anyone else in the room with you? Crosby.
Ever done something that you still regret? Eh...nothing huge.
Have you ever broken something due to anger? Yeah.
When did you last cry and how did you stop? I don't remember.
Last movie you saw? The Philadelphia Story.
Was it good? Yes!
Has anyone ever sang to you? Yeah.

I'm up!

Can you believe I'm up at 9 AM? Not only am I up, but I've already walked Crosby and been to Starbucks. Oh, caramel latte and blueberry muffin, you put me in such a morning person mood. :)

Jordan and I finally celebrated our anniversary on Monday night. We ended up going to Brown Bottle. It was fabulous! Delicious food, and since it was 5:30 (and a Monday), we pretty much had the place to ourselves. I must mention--I had a fabulous plate of biscotti (with a cup of coffee) for dessert. They didn't tell me the flavors of the biscotti, but as far as I could tell, they were lemon poppy seed, almond, and chocolate hazelnut. So tasty.

We're finally getting our second car! Sometime in the next week...possibly Saturday. I'm so excited. It'll be nice not having to always be worrying about who needs the car. Jordan can work something other than third shift now! And I can work weekend cashier shifts! Not that I want to...but at least I have the option.

Four and a half hours until I have to go to work (yay!). I have every intention of being productive until then. Doing dishes, folding laundry, and writing are all on the agenda. We'll see how that goes. But first, survey addiction demands attention(at least it's a short one!).

what is an article of clothing you like to wear during winter? Hats.
whats a song you could keep on Repeat for hours? Whatever song I've recently become obsessed with. Lately, it's a variety of Glee soundtrack songs and Glitter in the Air by Pink.
whats the best Movie you've seen so far this year? Mmm...I'm not sure. Inception was pretty good. I can't really remember what I saw earlier in the year.
Are you ready to go back to school? No, I'm ready for my year off! Though part of me really misses the back to school process.
do you make a To-do list for everyday? No. I rarely make to-do lists.
what is an unusual animal you wouldn't mind having as a pet? A pig! They seem so sweet as pets.
do you like Museums if so what kind? I haven't been to many...but I do like them. I probably like historical and art museums the best.
whats the most unusual topping you've had on a pizza? I haven't had much unusual pizza in my time. Chicken alfredo at the Olive Garden, I guess.
Ever had the urge to drop something Electrical in water? Yeah...just a passing "I wonder what would happen" impulse. I wouldn't ever actually do it.
what career do you wish to pursue? I want to be a writer. Well, I am a writer...I mean I want to be a published writer, with an income. And also a creative writing teacher.
are you aware of your weaknesses and strengths? if so what are they? I like to think so. I have a lot of both. One of my weaknesses is caring too much what other people think about me. One of my strengths is my good work ethic.
what's the longest you've gone without sleeping? I'm not sure. Probably around thirty hours.
whats the last pair of shoes you worn? Gray and pink flip flops.
what nicknames do you respond to? Ames, Aim, Sissy, and generic terms of endearment (baby, cupcake, sweetie etc).
are you good at word puzzles? I'm okay. Though I don't think I'm as good as people expect me to be. For someone with an English degree, my vocabulary isn't very big.

Meh.

I should really be trying to go to sleep...or doing the dishes...but I don't want to do either of those things. Especially not the latter. So I'm going to fill out a survey and then try to fall asleep. If only I didn't have to work tomorrow, I wouldn't have to worry about getting to bed at a decent hour. Oh well...looking forward to having Monday off! Jordan and I are finally going to have our anniversary dinner. Anyway...survey.

Have you had a productive day so far? It was a typical Saturday--hectic eight hour shift at work, following by relaxing at home. Not exactly productive.
Do you have a favorite extinct animal? If so, what is it? Giant sloth.
Don't you hate it when you forget something in the sun and it gets ruined? Yeah. Completely ruined the covers of a couple books from leaving them in my backseat.
Have you ever had a tooth KNOCKED outta Yo' face? If so, HOW?! Only in my losing-the-baby-teeth years. And that happened in a variety of ways. I once lost a tooth from biting Matt after he kicked me.
Have you ever helped out in a 'suicide watch'? No.
What's worse: Having a big scar on your face or going bald? Why? It depends--can I wear a wig on my bald head? If I couldn't wear a wig, then going bald would be much worse.
Do you prefer Tin-foil or Plastic wrap when saving food? And, Why is that? Lately, tin foil because our plastic wrap isn't clingy enough.
'Ever been to a Tupperware party? How'd that go? Nope.
Do you ever think the little unidentifiable bugs flying around have cameras inside them? No. That never occurred to me.
Do you like those 'cheekies' underwear? Yeah.
Do you think it is ever necessary to lie to someone? Sometimes.
The closest tree to where you are: What type is it? (pine, maple, etc) No idea.
you prefer to feel safe, or do you like to feeling of being in 'danger'? Safe.
Have you ever purposely mismatched your shoes? Maybe on "opposite day" of homecoming week. Or if I was trying to decide between two pairs.
What is your favorite comic book/graphic novel based movie? why's that? Ooh, I dunno. Maybe the X-Men movies. I love Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.
Do you prefer your music to be politics-free? Yeah, pretty much.
Have you ever slammed your WHOLE arm in the car door? How'd that feel? No, just various fingers.
Do you think any Gospel in the bible has artistic value? If so, which one? Interesting question. I'd have to reread them more closely with artistic value in mind. Also, it obviously depends on the translation.
How many people do you think are in the world that are just like you? I can't imagine that anyone is just like me.
Do you know how many hammers are inside a piano? Nope. I know there are 88 keys, but for all I know, there are five hammers for every key.
The funniest thing you ever read on a public bathroom wall/door was: Ooh, I dunno. Random debates about boys and literature on the walls of the English Philosophy Building bathroom stalls.
Is it immoral/disrespectful to photograph the dead? Why/why not? I don't know if I'd call it immoral...but it does creep me out.
What was the last thing you made out of felt? As in the material felt? I haven't a clue.
[hypothetically]Your daughter demands to wear only boys' clothes. Do you let her? Sure. Better that than skimpy, too-revealing clothes.
Where is your favorite place to sit in a movie theater? Middle-ish.
Do you have any band-aids on you at this time? No.
Tell me about something that is happening outside RIGHT NOW: I can't really see outside...and I doubt that anything is happening, anyway.
How do you reply/react when people insult you or misjudge you? I usually try to move past it/shrug it off.
Describe how your favorite type of weather makes you feel. Crisp, sunny fall days...make me feel chipper and inspired and happy to be alive, and get me really excited about Thanksgiving and Christmas.
When was the last time you ate a slice of stuffed-crust pizza? It's been quite a while. Maybe years?
If you had wings, what would they look like? (Fairy,angel, bat etc.) Like fairy wings, but not pastel or sparkly. Dark green or blue, iridescent.
What was the best part about yesterday? Yesterday was technically Saturday since it's 2 AM, but I'm going to call Friday yesterday. And the best part was not having to work.

Update! AKA the longest blog ever.

I have two and a half hours before I have to go to work, so I figured now would be a lovely time to blog about how life has been going the past couple weeks...

The move to our new place went very smoothly. Even though all we had to work with was a minivan and a few cars, we got all our stuff moved over in six trips. My parents were their usual much-too-generous selves and bought us a microwave for the kitchen and a table for our dining room. They also stayed up here til about 10:00 helping us unpack and put together furniture. The next day, Jordan and I went to Burlington. I sang and played the piano for church, we had lunch and hung out with my family for a few hours, and then, we finally stole Crosby away from my parents!

Right now, Crosby is doing great. We let him outside every 4-8 hours and the only accident he's had in the last five days is when he peed on our bed during a thunderstorm. Poor dog is terrified of thunderstorms. But the first few days we had him were really rough. Apparently, he had forgotten that peeing inside is not okay, so he just went whenever he felt like it. Even if he had just been outside an hour before. And what drove me so crazy is he wouldn't give us a signal that he had to go. But enough scolding, and he got the message. He's learned that he can hold it for a few hours if he tries and he even cries when he wants to be let out. So proud of my puppy for adjusting so well! He's also doing relatively well with meeting other dogs (though he wasn't a big fan of Jack, sadly. With Jack dashing around our apartment, Crosby was pretty much a grouchy old man grumbling at some young whippersnapper). As far as meeting people, he's pretty hit or miss. It depends on the person, obviously. He responds best to calm, confident people (Cesar Millan is spot on with the whole calm-assertive energy thing). He really likes our neighbor Elsie and her dog Daisy.

As far as the apartment, we love it. Jordan and I both agree that it feels more like home than our last two places. Largely because we don't have any roommates, of course. But it's very cozy. Some things are outdated...for example, we have a window air conditioner, not central air. And the water tastes awful (but that's how it is everywhere in Coralville). The kitchen is tiny, but I don't hate it like I thought I would. It's actually kinda cute. I think I might even love it if there was a dishwasher. Oh well. I'm adjusting. One of the best things--it takes me two minutes to get to work! I love it! And it only takes Jordan about five minutes. Compared to the twenty minute drive to work from our last place, we're saving so much money on gas. Know what else I love? Having our mailbox IN our building. And a laundry room IN our building. The washers and dryer are old, but super cheap (75 cents to wash, 25 cents to dry) and they work really well! So nice after a year dealing with those crappy machines at Keokuk Apartments.

So, our anniversary was on Sunday. We both had to work, so we didn't get to spend much time together. We ate our year-old wedding cake (which, as you can imagine, was horribly freezer burnt. We each took a tiny bite and then threw the rest out) and then split an "ours" size container of Coldstone ice cream. I have this Friday off, so we're going to go out to dinner somewhere. Maybe Blackstone or Brown Bottle. Excited!

Work has been going well. I was finally trained to work on the front lanes and I hated it. Monotonous and fast-paced is not a great combination for me. I much prefer Food Avenue. At Food Ave, there's a huge variety of stuff to do, and there's not an endless stream of people coming at you. I really like having a whole section to myself. As a cashier, you're in this tiny box and the GSA (guest service assistant...stupid Target acronyms) is always hovering in the area, monitoring things. (No one ever monitors you at Food Avenue.) I felt really claustrophobic. So, I'm getting as many Food Avenue hours as I can. Judy told me that she will try to give me four shifts at Food Ave and one short cashiering shift, and that will put me at around 35 hours a week. She also wants to train me to do all the things she does--take inventory, fill out weekly orders for supplies, etc. That way, she might actually be able to take a vacation this year. In her eight years of running Food Ave, she's never had a legit vacation! Then she wants me to be trained in other areas, too, like sales floor. I'm all for that--knowing how to do everything in the store would make me an excellent candidate for a promotion.

Now, because I still have some time to kill (and because this blog isn't quite long enough), here's a survey.

What are you eating? or drinking? Nothing at the moment. Just finished an apple danish and a cup of coffee.
Where are you? At my desk, in the living room.
Who's with you? Crosby.
What are you supposed to be doing? Nothing, really. Too early to get ready for work.
What are you thinking about? Work...and how I hope it's a slow night so I can get my cleaning done early.
Is anything worrying you? What? Not really, surprisingly!
What would you like to be doing? Having another day off. I had yesterday off, and it went by way to fast!
Are you waiting for anyone? No.
Who do you miss? My parents, Katie, Kobie.
Is your hair done? Hah, no.
What are you wearing? Gray shorts and a black Hawkeyes t-shirt.
What color are your nails? Natural.
Whats your sign? Sagittarius.
Your age? 22.
Single? Taken? Married? Married.
Looking or not? That's a no.
Straight? Gay or bi? Straight.
Favorite color? Green.
Favorite singer? Too many.
So do you have any kids? Nope.
Do you live with your parents? No.
Do you have any special talents? Depends on what "special" means. I have talents, but I don't know if any of them would qualify as special.
What religion are you? Christian.
Is the rain better than snow? Depends on if I have to be outside or not! If I don't have to be driving, I like snow better.
Are your bored? No.
Do you think your personality matches your sign? I don't know enough about astrology to know.
What sign is your partner? Taurus.
Do you think you match? I don't know if our signs match or not, but I know that we match as people.
Do you even believe in that? No.
This or That:
Cupcake or muffin? Hard choice! I love both.
Juice or Milk? Juice.
Candy or chocolate? Um, isn't chocolate candy??
Neon colors or light colors? Light.
Pizza or burger? Burger.
A big mansion or you dream car? Big mansion.