Seriously?

Have I really not written in a month? Wow.

Guess I've been busy. And yet I don't feel like I have any super interesting updates to give...just been working five days a week. Work has kind of sucked. I like my job all right--on quieter days, I legitimately enjoy it, and it makes me think about how I would like running my own cafe/bakery at some point in my life. But I get discouraged/pissed off by inconsiderate guests, and coworkers that leave me with extra work...but more than anything, it's really difficult to stay positive about my job when the pay is SO TERRIBLE. Blah. Thinking about quitting and waiting tables again...we'll see. I've been visiting my family a lot on my days off...I've seen them nearly once a week for the past month or two, which I love.

So yes, busy. While I read and write a lot in my free time, it doesn't ever feel like enough. Every day, more or less, I find myself wistfully longing to stop working altogether so I can focus more on writing. Impossible, of course. I guess should have married a doctor (kidding). I am utterly terrified that my MFA applications are due in five months. Still waiting for that spectacular story to fall out of my head...

If you were stuck in a room with your ex for 24 hours, what would you do? I don't know. We'd probably just talk, or politely ignore each other.
What's your favorite kind of smoothie? Raspberry banana.
What's the beverage you drink most often? Coffee. And according to some random article I read today, it might be giving me cancer! It's been linked to that in recent studies, apparently. I'm really sick of hearing about how everything we do and come in contact with is giving us cancer...
What song are you listening to? I don't know what it's called...some trance track that Jordan is streaming.
You can read people's minds or see the future, what would you choose? Read people's minds. Having either power would be hard to deal with, but I think knowing the future would drive me insane.
have you read the twilight series? No.
What is your favorite thing to do when your at the beach? Depends on the weather. I like to swim, if it's really hot. But most of the times I've been to a beach, it's been too cold. In that case, I like sitting with my feet in the sand, people watching.
Are you ears pierced? Yes.
If you were to get a tattoo, what would it be? Something related to/symbolic of music, or Jordan, or my family.
If you were given a chance for free plastic surgery,what would you get done? I would be really, really tempted to have my ears pinned back...but I don't think I would. Jordan would be upset with me, and I think all my family would be, too.
Pepsi or Coke? Pepsi. Though I try not to drink pop. My coffee addiction is bad enough.
Your favorite boy's name? Ugh, I have too many! If I were pregnant right now, here are the names I would be begging Jordan to consider: William (Will or Liam for short), Sam, Alan, Alexander (Alex), Bennett (Ben), Grady.
Favorite Girl's name? Same story, too many. Elizabeth (Lizzie or Ellie for short), Alice, Margaret (Maggie or Greta), Fiona, Catriona, Marlena (Lena).
What's your favorite website? Monkeybicycle.net when I'm in a literary mood, cheezburger.com when I'm in the mood to laugh, facebook when I'm in the mood to waste time.
What's the song you have most on repeat? Somedays by Regina Spektor.
Favorites!
Lotion? Burt's Bees milk and honey.
Drink? Good coffee with a little sugar in it. Or a caramel latte.
Color? Green.
Book? Too many to name.
Song? ^
Artist? Tie between Regina Spektor and Nichole Nordeman. Two very different female vocalists.
Dog? As in breed...? Jordan and I are partial to shih-tzus. I like small-ish apartment friendly dogs that are fairly hypoallergenic.
This Or That.
Iced Tea or Soda? Iced tea, if it's sweetened or flavored.
Pink or Blue? Depends on the shade. Probably blue.
Sundress or shorts? Sundress.
Back To Random ;)
What's your age? 23.
Would you change that? Nah.
What's your name? Amy.
Do you have a zillion nicknames? No. Aim or Ames. Though I guess Katie still calls me Asrl now and then.
Do you believe that the world will end in 2012? No.
What is your favorite alcoholic beverage? Moscato wine. Or any tasty sweet white wine, really.
Do you like coffee? Yes, we've established this.
Are you freakishly obsessed with Rob Pattinson? Not in the least.
What's your favorite way to wear your hair? Down.
What time did you wake up today? Around noon, since I was up til 3:00 AM.
What year do/did you graduate high school? 2006.
Do you like hot or cold weather? Hot. Well, warm is my favorite--like 65-70 degrees. Spring/fall temperatures.

I just want to say...

It is wonderful to be reminded that Jordan and I are perfect for each other...so happy to be utterly in love with my husband.

SURVEY! Because I'm feeling lazy before work and I haven't done one in months.

Have you ever had a controlling boyfriend/girlfriend? Eh, no, not really.
How many true heart breaks have you had in your lifetime? Two.
Who last grabbed your ass? Hubby.
Do you have any gay family members? No.
Where did you get the shirt you are wearing? At a performance of The Wizard of Oz that I went to with my eighth grade class.
Do any of your friends dislike each other? Not that I'm aware of.
Who is your last missed call from? I don't know. My phone is completely screwed up. I don't get missed call notifications. Or text messages. I only get notifications when someone leaves me a voicemail. Stupid.
Do you feel like everything is falling apart around you? Not at all.
Was your first kiss romantic? It seemed romantic to me.
Do you miss any of your ex's right now? No. Well, sometimes I miss having them as friends.
Have you ever overdosed on anything? No.
Is your dad really strict? Nope.
What would you say if you found out your last ex was in a relationship? Cool story, bro.
How many chances do you tend to give people before enough is enough? I've never told someone "enough is enough." But then again, no one has really pushed me very far in that sense.
Do you know anybody whose last name is a color? Yes.
Where was your last kiss? Outside our apartment door.
Do you get along with your siblings? Yes. We're starting to get closer, now that we're adults.
Who was your date to Prom? Tony.
Do you still talk to your first love? Nope.
Whos wedding did you go to first? I don't remember. I went to tons of weddings all through my childhood, with my Dad always singing at them.
When is the last time you went to the beach? Does a lake beach count? If so, then in 2006, at teen camp.
Do you ever feel like life is going by too fast? Yes. I can't believe Jordan is turning twenty-four in less than a week. Weren't we just nineteen and twenty like five seconds ago?
Have you ever made out with someone in a pool? Yes.
What are you doing this weekend? I have Friday and Saturday off :) so possibly hanging out with Carissa, or maybe going to Burlington for a quick visit. Unfortunately, I have to work on Sunday.
Whos the last person that slept over your house? Katie.
Do you still talk to the last person you kissed? Ha, yes. It's rather unavoidable.
Are you frustrated with anyone right now? Yes.
Have you ever kissed someone with a tongue ring? Nope.
Was your mom ever a stripper? Ha, no.
What did you dream about last night? I don't remember.
Do you regret any of the relationships you were in? No.
How many tattoos do you have? None.
Do you have good or bad dreams more often? They're usual pretty neutral. More weird than good or bad.
Do alot of people think bad things about you? I don't think so.
Do you wear a toe ring? No.
Who's the last person you said I Love You to? Jordan.
Is there someone that always intimidates you? Yes.
Have you ever liked anyone that was in a relationship with someone else? Yeah.
Are you afraid of clowns? No, but I don't like that.
Do you think that you're classy? Eh, I don't know about that.
Have you ever wanted to be famous? Not really.
Would you ever get a boob job? Only if I had horribly asymmetrical boobs, like one A and one C. That would be awful.
Did your last relationship end because of you or the other person? We mutually agreed to end it, based mostly on his stupidity.
Have you ever tried to break up anyone because YOU liked the guy/girl? No.
Is your belly pierced? No.
Have you ever cried cuz you missed someone so much? Yes.
When is the last time you felt left out? At work. But it isn't a negative thing to me. I prefer to have my space. I really hate polite chit chat with my coworkers.
What would you think if you found out your ex was gay? I would be rather surprised.
Why aren't you texting the last person you kissed? Because I live with him. And my phone is stupid. And why do I need to be texting someone right now?
Who are you texting right now? No one...
Would you ever take someone back if you found out they cheated on you? It depends on the situation. If he cheated because he's in love with someone else, obviously not. But in other circumstances, I believe I would.
What color is your hair right now? Brown.
Do you keep a diary/journal? Yeah.
When is the last time you ate chocolate? Yesterday. Had a brownie at work.
Do people ever compliment your eyes? Yeah.
Do people ever tell you that your funny? Sometimes.
When is the last time you saw one of your ex's? Easter.
Who was the last person you hung out with? Jordan.
Which one of your ex's do you hate the most? I don't hate any of them. Joey is the only one that I have negative feelings about. I feel perfectly neutral toward the rest of them.
Would you be upset if you caught your boyfriend looking at porn? No.
Do you regret alot of things you did in the past? Nah.
Whos the last person that called you in the middle of the night? I don't remember.
What would you say if your last ex told you they still loved you? "It's a little late for that."
How many people have you kissed this year? Just the one.
Have any of your ex's ever given you roses? No.
What's the last song you listened to? Mr. Brightside.
Who is the last person you went to the movies with? Carissa and Brian.
Are you an only child? No.
Whats your Zodiac sign? Sagittarius.
How long have you known the last person you kissed? Almost five years.
Do you think one of your friends is a slut? No.
Do you think your last ex ever thinks about you? I doubt it.
Would you ever take any of your ex's back? No.
Are you a bitch? No.
Do you look intimidating? Ha, hardly.
When is your birthday? Nov. 24th.

Today, I hate my job.

Ah, blog. It's been a while.

I've been busy lately. Working five days a week (and pining for the days when I was a student and had an excuse to only work fifteen hours a week), visiting Matt in Michigan (he had his junior recital and he was AMAZING! I'm so proud to be related to such a great artist/composer), reading and writing a lot.

Oh, the reading.../contented sigh. I'm reading a few classics, rereading Jane Eyre (one of my favorites)...but for the past week, I've been focused on The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. It just came out last month--book two in his Kingkiller Chronicle trilogy. (The first book is The Name of the Wind. Friends reading this, you should get in on this series. Seriously, it's incredible. I typically don't even read fantasy and I'm in love with these books.) It's about a thousand pages long, which I actually love. If it were normal novel length, I would have finished it in one or two days and then been depressed that it ended so fast. (Plus my beloved Kindle keeps me from having to deal with lugging around a cumbersome book the size of a bible.) Anyway...great book. It's been demanding several hours of my attention every day.

Now here's something wonderful and sad. Patrick Rothfuss is coming HERE, tonight, to read in a bookstore downtown. Like most authors, he typically plans his readings months in advance. This was more spur of the moment, though, only decided a week ago. He's coming here to have his brain photographed, apparently for a study of the way creative people's minds work. He decided to try to do a reading/book signing while in the area, since he has no idea when he might be coming back to Iowa for anything. I read this on his blog two days ago. I only look at his blog once or twice a month...obviously, I could have easily read that post this weekend, after he had come and gone. The timing seems like a minor miracle, right? So OF COURSE I would be scheduled to work tonight. And OF COURSE the cafe opener today couldn't possibly swap shifts with me. And OF COURSE there was no one else who could cover my shift because only 4 out of 180 team members know how to properly work at the cafe.

So while Patrick Rothfuss is reading and signing and being generally delightful downtown, I'll be at Target...popping popcorn.

The good news is that Spencer and Jordan are going. Spencer is the one who told me I HAD to read The Name of the Wind a couple years ago, that it was the best book ever, etc. He hadn't heard about the reading tonight, either. When Jordan called to tell him about it and see if he wanted to go, he wouldn't stop screaming on the phone. He's ecstatic. So I'm happy that he gets to go and enjoy it. Jordan is just going to buy copies of the books and have them signed for me. He also claims that he's going to start reading them, on his breaks at work. That would make me super happy, since he normally hates reading. Yes, I married a man who doesn't like to read. Shameful, isn't it?

Well, it's about time for me to go to work and sulk all night. Oh, on a random note, if you enjoy the spicy deliciousness of ginger, you have to try Tazo green ginger tea. I've been drinking it as I've been writing this entry, and it's quite good. I believe I would occasionally choose this over a cup of coffee, and that's saying something for me!

MFA Freakout

So, lately I've been compiling a list of MFA programs that I'm interested in. There are fourteen traditional programs on my list. Five low-residency. To be honest, I'm probably going to scrap the idea of low-residency all together because the funding is so terrible. Low-residency=taking out loans and needing to keep working as I'm in school. As much as I would love to stay here and complete most of the program online, financially that's not so desirable. Traditional=probably being awarded an assistantship, having tuition waived and getting a stipend (at least at the schools on my list). So, yeah. We'll probably have to move and live in a different state for a few years...but totally worth it. It might be kind of fun to live somewhere else, temporarily. Jordan is all for it, as long as we don't move anywhere that's colder than Iowa (he wasn't too happy to hear that one of my top picks is in Michigan).

Even with forgetting about low-residency programs, I still have fourteen on my list. Not too thrilled about dropping $800 in application fees, though, so I'll probably narrow my list down a bit. I'm incredibly tempted to skip the ones that require the GRE...because I don't want to take it! Taking the ACT in high school was just awful, and I was really counting on never having to do anything similar in the future, ever. Obviously the most important part of all this MFA crap is making sure my writing sample is really good. I'm having a hard enough time with that--I don't need to add STUDYING for a stupid test to my list of things to do. There are six programs on my list that do not require the GRE. Is that a reasonable way of narrowing things down? Or should I just take the damn test, save up some money, and apply to all of them? I don't know!

In other news...it's 70 degrees out! Feels fabulous. Back to regular semi-cold April weather after today, though. Oh well. I'm hoping the warm weather will keep people OUT of the mall...out of Target, specifically. I hate busy Sundays afternoons. Speaking of, guess it's time to get ready for work. /sigh.

Caramel Macchiato=Happiness in a Cup

Three day weekend! Even though I just had two days off last week, I feel like I need this so badly. Probably because last week's days off were filled with traveling and busyness and fun--all the things that make days practically evaporate. I had a really long week at work...with lots of stupid moments (backroom flooded from a clogged drain, preparing for a visit from our auditors, accidentally throwing away my cafe keys and thinking that a customer had picked them up, etc), so I'm ready to decompress. And probably force myself to do the dishes and laundry at some point, as well.

I have a Kindle now. :) When I first heard about e-readers, I believe I shook my head, scoffed...probably even half-seriously vowed to never own one. I like the feel of a book in my hand, and the look of them on my bookcase...I like turning and dog-earring pages and writing in margins and I adore bookstores. So why would I want to give all that up for...portability?

But Carissa talked me into giving it a try, primarily because it would make it easy for us to read the same books and have a...book club, of sorts. And I have to say, I kind of love it. Maybe this is just leftover baggage from being an English major and taking multiple literary classes each semester, but I really like reading several books at once. I enjoy the option to switch gears, based on what I'm in the mood to read at any given moment. Right now, I'm reading a book of newly crafted fairy tales (My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me by forty really fabulous writers), a Victorian novel (Villette by Charlotte Bronte), and a contemporary historical novel (Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen). Being able to have all three books in my purse at the same time is AMAZING. In print, they're a collective 1500 pages. In print, all three in the purse wouldn't really be an option. So, that's the main perk. There's other little things I love about it...the design makes it really easy for me to eat and read at the same time (which I do often, on my lunch break at work). With an actual book, it's always a challenge...trying to keep the pages from flipping on me with my elbow and such. Kindle can read to me, which is awesome. It's just a computery voice, not dramatized of course, but it gets the point across. I know I'll totally be making use of that during a long drive at some point in the future. Oh, and everything on Amazon is cheaper in Kindle version (and ridiculously cheaper than Barnes and Noble's in-store prices).

So, all of the above (plus even more little things that I won't bore you by mentioning) is why I abandoned my initial "e-readers are stupid" stance, and now happily own a Kindle. Besides, I'll still buy actual books, as well as electronic ones--just not as often.

Okay, I think I've devoted enough of my afternoon to blogging/gushing over Kindle. Time to pay attention to my keyboard. <3

You know you needed a day off badly when you're enjoying yourself CLEANING THE APARTMENT. Sounds crazy (for me), but it feels so good to have the time to get our place looking nice. I enjoy being home so much more when there isn't crap everywhere.

Target Cafe is officially reopened, as of today. :) It looks pretty great, and we have some tasty new menu items, including two flat bread sandwiches (chicken spinach artichoke and chicken marinara!! How good do those sound?). It actually looks like somewhere you might want to sit down and eat now...so I imagine we'll be a lot busier than before.

Parents are coming to visit tomorrow! Since they recently put all new furniture in their living room, they're giving us their old coffee table. Can't wait! All we have right now is a tiny end table, which I love, but you can barely fit one plate of food on it. I'm feeding them, for once--making a pot roast with carrots and potatoes. Mmm. Hope it turns out (but really, what can go wrong with pot roast in the slow cooker?). I'll probably do a little shopping with them while they're here, and they also want to check out the pet store. They're thinking of getting a puppy! I know, pet stores are bad and ideally, all new pets would be adopted from animal shelters...but with my mom's allergies, they're really limited in the breeds they can have. My mom wants to have a chance to hold a poodle, or another supposed hypoallergenic dog, to see if she has a reaction or not. So we'll see how that goes.

Okay, oatmeal creme pies are way too delicious. One of my favorite cookies growing up...my brothers and I were so vicious about each getting our third of the box. I hadn't had them in a long time, but tossed a box in the old grocery cart earlier this week on a whim. How did I ever stop eating these?! I think I might like to try making a homemade version sometime...there's a ton of recipes for them on the internet.