Charm switch return to off.

I just got home from the company Christmas party. I helped plan it in that I called the caterer and DJ when my boss was too busy. Then, she didn’t show up to the party, and I inherited the job of coordinator. I didn’t even particularly want to go, and I ended up having to stay until the end to help kick the party people out.

The poll shows that I am a favorite of most of the engineers’ spouses. I got advice, compliments, and even a gift from the husbands and wives of the people I work with.

I shall be a live-in babysitter.

I found a grad program that is both interesting and in the same city that I work in!

Happy December. NOT.

For some reason I feel like even more of a slacker every time we change months. It means that I've let another one go by without accomplishing anything much. I think I did okay in November, but I suppose I'm looking for a huge leap instead of small baby steps.

I had a snow day today. It's not as much fun when you lose something from it, in this case MONEY. But I walked to the bank and opened an IRA, which was kinda fun. I've been putting it off for a while, but I thought I might as well today. So I did.

That was about all I did today of value. But it was a good day anyway.

Ick, I joined MySpace.

I went to *gasp* as SGI meeting this last weekend. There was a visiting leader who used to know my parents. I kinda recognized him and I definitely recognized his name. He told me that every time he sees me *and how often is that?* I look more and more like my mother. I was speechless, which is not a common adjective to describe me. I couldn't even come up with something polite and innocuous. Why would he think I would want to hear that? Should that make me feel good? It was really weird and I just kind of stood there until they brought out dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets and we could comment on those.

I am officially a hypocrite. I got offered a regular position at work (surprise surprise, but hey, coulda been that they didn't like me or something). And remember how I said I might turn it down? Well, I'm not gonna. Yes, that's right, I sold my own self out for money. Making the transition ups my salary by $2/hour. That's a leap I like. And alas, have not fallen upon my dream job while thinking wistfully of my future.

I had a sort of epiphany. It's pathetic when someone is only doing their job because they can't think of anything else to do. I know, I know, the pot and the kettle and all that. It's especially pathetic when they look down on their own job. I don't want to be like that forever. The hamster is running fast in the hopes that the brain will be able to come up with a reason I'm not as pathetic as the epiphany-inspirer.

It's already November, and I'm scared that the next time I poke my head out of the sand, 23 more years will have passed. Time is dumb. When I take over the world, I'm going to suspend all time. Oh wait, I got demoted to Duchess, I forgot. Can a duchess suspend time? I'll just have to redefine the position.

I'm having trouble following through on my goals. But. Lately, I've been spending more time thinking that I should be doing something. It really cuts into the pleasures of vegging. Maybe one day something will happen.

Yesterday it took me forever to get to work, but at least I got there. Today I can't even get out of town!

It took me an hour and 20 minutes to get to work today. And an hour and 30 to get home. And then, when I did, it turns out the water supply in my city has been contaminated by the flooding! But if we take the House and the Senate, it will be worth it.

I called in sick to work today. I'm bad, but work is so boring! I had a whole conversation online with Rumiko the other day. And it wasn't me who had to sign off.

I'm spending today trying to figure out what to do. I'm still not a permanent employee yet, and I'm thinking that I may go a different way when it comes time for the permanence (if they want me that is). But I also can't think of what else I'd do or where else I'd go, so I'll probably stay.

I realized/admitted to myself today that I hate to read anything I've written. I can't decide whether it's because I recognize that I'm no good or just that I have a weird phobia.

But, as we discussed several times in Japan, there is such a thing as too much self-reflection.

I'm bored with my life. If this is how it's going to be for the next 60-70 years, I don't see the point. Life is supposed to be made up of the mundane, and we are supposed to find happiness in the little moments, because no way can we sustain that highs that most people seem to expect from life. But lately, okay for a while, that hasn't been happening. I don't even answer the phone anymore, because it's too much trouble. I have ideas that make me happy, but they also depress me because I know they most likely won't happen. And somehow, I can't seem to motivate myself out of the funk. Recognizing it has not gotten me much closer to defeating it. Maybe it only works for alcoholics. At least if I was an alcoholic, there would be a support group. Maybe I should join the club. Yeah right, I don't even have the energy to do something self-destructive.

I'm getting old. I listen to NPR on the way to work instead of music.

My Labor Day weekend was totally horrid! I went out for breakfast on Sunday morning, got horrible service, didn't enjoy the omelet, got charged an arm and a leg for it, and spent the rest of the day nauseous. Spent Monday on my back in bed with the worst headache I've had IN MY LIFE (and I don't think I'm exaggerating on that one), Tuesday mostly in bed. I went to work for about half the day today. I'm not throwing my anymore, but my stomach hurts like the dickens and I don't know why. But I'm too afraid to go see a doctor about it.

I WANT MY 3-DAY WEEKEND BACK!!

And it's my last week at work, so I have to, have to, get through the whole day tomorrow and Friday with something like productivity.

Happy Birthday to me and Cassie. Another year older and wiser.

Yesterday was the worst day of work ever!! Okay, probably not, but I had a pounding headache, I didn't eat anything for lunch, the owner sent everyone but me and two new girls home early, and then my boss was trying to joke with me! I was feeling guiltly about leaving, but yesterday pretty much finished that up for me.

My dad told me that his headhunter often places people in this company called Corbis. I think it's owned by Microsoft or the same people? Anyway, apparently they make bank, but they also work crazy hours to do so. He told me that if this next job doesn't work out, he'll talk to this lady about placing me there. Then I could work crazy hours for a year or two, pay off my loans real quick, and emerge a butterfly. Okay, maybe I made that up about the butterfly, but why couldn't he have told me about his nice headhunter BEFORE I found myself a job?

I had this crazy dream that reminded me of a Patricia McKillip book. I'm thinking of trying to write a story around it. And has anyone heard of The Buzz Ballads CDs. My coworker got them and burned them for me. They are the COOLEST set of compilation CDs EVER!

Yesterday, my boss, who has been pretty much ignoring me, called me in to have another "what are we going to do with Jessica talk." He blah blah-ed at me for a while, but he actually said a couple of interesting things about me while he was expounding on his vast knowledge of the entity known to the world as Jessica. He said that the reason I'm not happy is that 1)I'm an artist and 2)I need things to be static and I'm afraid of dynamism. That first one kinda distracted me with the thought that "hey if he sees me as artistic, maybe I am" but then I realized that he could just figure because he knows I like to write. But then I came around to the second point and I'm wondering. I know that I always say that I don't like change, but I never really believed it. Now I'm wondering. Part of the problem at work stems from other things, but maybe I really don't like change after all. It's gotten me to thinking anyway.

Not that it really matters anyway. They FINALLY called me back and I start the new job on the 11th. I don't remember if I mentioned it, but the liaison between us kept calling me and telling me that the chick wanted to hire me, but she was just waiting for approval from higher up. Well, she finally got the word, so here I am. And they also hired the person who will be replacing me today, she starts Friday, so I'll have two full weeks with her.

Switching gears. I took my cousin and her friend to a concert last night (on a work night, aren't I a great cousin) and I started to wonder if it's possible to be slightly bipolar. The headliners were Bowling for Soup (the people who did 1985) and the other bands were pretty similar, so it was good, but not great music. So anyway, I was pretty quiet during the whole thing and I got to thinking that I have only two setting on my volume control, mute and really loud. And I'm kinda like that everywhere else as well. I'm either bubbly or mopey. But I don't get suicidal (which is a good thing) and I don't think I get maniacally happy (except for every once in a while). So, is it possible to be slightly bipolar and can I take pills for that? I think that my mopey stages last too long and are getting in the way of my life.

Ah ha!

Today we learned how to fit our new line of diabetic shoes. Sound exciting doesn't it!! I played guinea pig and it turns out that I should be wearing a size 7 or 7 1/2 shoe. Is that insane? The other people who got fit were wearing the right size, it was only me. And I was thinking that I must just have wide feet, but they aren't all that wide. A "B" or "C" tops. So that is my world shaking event of the day.

I'm thinking I may have to buy some diabetic shoes though. They look sooo comfortable, and they are made so that they won't irritate your feet in any way. They cost quite a bit, but you can also get inserts that are molded to your feet!

I went on an interview last Friday, and things look pretty good. The lady said it was an "excellent interview" and that she'd get back to me early this week...but I was told that they are a little slow sometimes, so I'm not worried yet. Better pay, better benefits, a company that is not failing...what is there not to like? Eh, longer commute, but not too bad.

The one co-worker I will miss is kinda weirded out by me leaving, which makes me feel good, but I'll worry about her if (when, WHEN!!) I go. I think I'm the only person she really talks to about everything that freaks her out at work, most of the other people are slightly brainwashed, and if they aren't brainwashed, they are earmarked to be fired. That's where all my hesitation comes from - I hate to leave her with all the crazies, but she has a husband who is willing to support her if she quits, so I don't feel too bad. This week (all two days of it so far) has been pretty hard, so I am seriously ready to leave.

I have a job interview tomorrow morning. And surprise surprise, I'm conflicted about it. My bosses are starting to depend on me more and more, but they are firing people right and left. They hired someone last Thursday, then they fired two people Friday (supposedly for financial reasons), then they fired the person with the most seniority on Wednesday. Supposedly, these were layoffs, but they didn't start at the bottom of the totem pole, or else I would be gone. And now you understand why they are depending on me more and more.

On a side note, I think my arch-nemesis knows how to use the internet and is mad at me for writing about him. He wasn't in his accustomed spot when I came home this evening.

My arch-nemesis is a poofy black cat who sits in the parking lot right where I swing out to pull into my parking spot. I don't know his name, but I glare at him and he gazes back at me unimpressed. And I've been parking crookedly for weeks.

Once again I have to say that Hillary Clinton is cool. Not necessarily for her politics, I don't know that much about them and they are not relevant in this post. She is cool because she will tell Rumsfeld that he is incompetent and then she will tell an entire anti-war rally that she doesn't think a set date for troop withdrawal is smart. In short, though politicians have to pander to their constitutents, she tells them what she thinks even if it's not what they want to hear. We need someone who will tell us what they think so we know what they will do, instead of them telling us what we want to hear and then doing what they want anyway.

I'm playing hookie today and applying for jobs.

Do you think Ann will still make me rice balls if I ask her? Or does chanting and rice-ball-making go together? Wait! Do you have to chant to be able to EAT rice balls???? Oh no! Quickly, call the SGI hotline!

I'm getting really tired of living from weekend to weekend. Come Monday, all I want is for Friday to come.

So we had this idea for my aunt to find me a position as a second wife with some rich sheik. That way I wouldn't have to work anymore. She says they give each wife their own house, so I wouldn't have to deal with an upper wife bossing me around. Downside - I'd have to move out of the country. The sad part is, she could probably find me a position, but I'd have to convert to Islam.

Happy Friday. My boss told one of my co-workers that he likes me, but he doesn't think the company has a place for me. He says I belong in school, that that's where my heart lies and that he thinks it would be good if I just worked part time and went to school.

The same co-worker agrees that I just need to find a husband who will support me so I don't have to work full-time.

I'm so ready to leave my job! Today wasn't even a bad day, it was mildly successful. No one got particularly mad at me, except for one lady who figured out that she was the one who made the mistake. I got most of my little things taken care of. And most importantly, I didn't mess up anything - that I know of. Unfortunately, I spend all my time anticipating that next angry customer so much that I wince when someone walks in the door. Or something stupid happens with a product that we carry or a policy that comes down from on high, and I figure that nothing is ever going to change. Or my boss is going to expect something out of me that I just don't want to do.

I've figured it out. It's not my job that I don't like, it's the company. I am embarrassed to work for such a messed up company. I've been here 8 months, and it's not any better. I actually see the problems more clearly, but no one will listen to me who has the power to change it. I think the only way I would stay is if my boss sold the place. Maybe. It's also just an inherently messed up business model.

I used my nicer boss as a job reference, but I didn't tell her. Do you think that's going to be a problem?

I really really want the PR people to call. And if I were them, I would call me. The only requirement that I don't have is the PR degree. But it said elsewhere, PR, communications, journalism, or similar. With Humanities and The Pearl, I've got to be covered right? But I'm always nervous when I send out a resume. I feel so inadequate. What if they look at my address and figure I'm a waste of time because I live so far away. It is a little worrisome to think about that commute, but I could handle if for a while I think.

I got an email confirming that they received my resume, but that wasn't until 2:30 this afternoon. How long are they going to take? Hopefully enough time for me to finish getting my teeth done.

Sorry for the whining, but it makes me feel better. I don't really have anyone that I can whine about this stuff to. Some of the people I might whine to are right in the middle of it, i.e. coworkers (and that just doesn't feel right), and then everyone else is having extreme selfish-time - everyone wants to talk about they're own problems and they don't have time for anyone else's (I'm not leaving myself out of that group, just saying that it's happening to everyone all at once).

I just got back from "the girl trip" with most of my female family members. I just have a couple things to tell you all.

Louis and Clark got stuck on the beach for six days just before they made it to the Pacific Ocean. That spot is now called Dismal Niche. Cool huh?

We were playing a bunch of 70's songs on the way down. Have you ever heard the song that goes "I've got a brand new pair of rollerskates, you've got a brand new key..." My aunts were all laughing at the double entendres going on. Something about "going around the world." I thought I was pretty up on the dirty talk, but I'm lost on this one. The key thing is obvious, but what the heck do the rollerskates mean? Maybe it's better that I don't know.

Moving on, I found the perfect job for me. It's the PR assistant for the Seattle Symphony. Unfortunately, I'd have to move MUCH closer to Seattle, with about 6 months to go on my lease, but I'm applying tomorrow anyway.

I've had a revelation. Why is it that there has to be something, some career that I want to do? Can't it just be that I'm lazy and there's not going to be anything that makes me happy? Yup, that's my destiny. Except for becoming a platypus of course.

I was carrying my computer and thinking *something something,* "hey, I should definitely blog that." When I had the computer hooked up to the internet again, I had completely forgotten. I'll have to find something else to tell the people who come to read about the car wreck that is my life. Or maybe it's the car that's still sitting in the garage because I can't manage to hit the switch to open the door so I can get to the point of impact that will create the car wreck.

I had today off because I'm working Saturday. They told me yesterday. I'm getting tired of getting mixed messages. One minute, the boss is all worried about me and wants me to be happy, the next I'm being tossed around at the last minute because...I have no idea. We had everything all worked out, but... yeah.

On Tuesday we are going on our annual girl trip. My three aunts, my cousin, and I are going...down to the Oregon coast??? I think. I just get in the car and end up wherever we end up.

Ellie and I bought plane tickets for Japan. Somehow the tickets for October are more expensive than the ones for August were. At least we finally bought them. And they're non-refundable, so we have to go.

I went to Bellevue to buy sunglasses this weekend. I haven't seen the sun since.

My boss somehow got wind that I was ready to quit, and now he keeps telling me that he wants me to be happy and that he doesn't want to lose me because I'm "adorable." I don't know if I can put that on a resume. But anywho, he basically asked me to design my job description, since he can't figure out what I'll do if we can manage to find someone else to take over the parts I don't like...

Sleepy sleepy, always sleepy

I need to try harder, try everything harder.

I'm so lost I don't know where to start.

I was in meetings today for hours while my boss tried to convince me that I need to be more critical when evaluating employee performance. And trying to convince me that we all need to take more personal responsibility for the reason the company's as messed up as it is. I think if he would just leave, we'd get a lot more done. At least he asked me what would make me happy at work.

My coworker gave her two-week notice today. Sigh, I suppose that means I won't be quitting anytime soon.

When does a tough situation go from a growth opportunity to a bad situation?

I'm having doubts as to what I can offer the world. Yeah I'm good at stuff other people can do, but I really want to differentiate myself somehow. I don't know if I can settle for anything less. I'm losing faith that I can?

I TRIED to tell my boss today that I want to quit, but she never got back to me.

AHH, I'm wavering on quitting the job!!!!! I'm STUPID STUPID STUPID. Today was a good day, but tomorrow probably won't be. Why can't I just make a decision and stick to it? But I am going to have a talk with my boss tomorrow (hopefully...if I can get her on the phone while I have a couple minutes to breathe).

p.s. I need to get a different dentist.

Two Mondays ago my boss calls me at work about 8:45 and tells me that he fired one of the girls who worked in Woodinville store and for me to go down to work there. And I've been down ever since. Last Monday, I gave up on the company and started searching for new job opportunities. I'm still trying to get up the nerve to tell my boss that I'm looking for another job.

My dilemma is that I don't want to get into another bad job situation, but I've been tempted almost every day to give my two weeks and use my savings while I look for another job.

My dad came over today because my brother picked up a virus (or 12). Garth didn't even realize it was Father's Day, aren't we a loving family. The weird thing is that I actually wanted to hang out with him (my dad). He didn't stay long, he played with the computer for a bit and we joined a bunch of cousins at my grandparent's house, but he had to go take his girlfriend plant hunting. Also weirdly, I wasn't too annoyed that he wanted to go hang out with his girlfriend except that I kinda wanted to talk to him.

What's your 4400 ability? the4400.com

Jessica you are a MIND CONTROL MASTER

There's nothing you like more than getting your way, and you're not opposed to cutting corners or stepping on toes to make it happen. And you're in luck - your abduction by-product would be the popular 4400 power of mind control! Think of all the time and breath you'll save by condensing your complex mind games into a split-second. Now you'll have time to work on being a little less calculating and a little more genuine. Just a thought.

Someone! Tell me where and when and how I should go back to school!

I went to Princeton Review to see if they could help...in any way. Instead, I read the seven (seven?) questions you're supposed to ask yourself before you go to grad school. The scariest one is something like "what job prospects are there for after school?" Ah man!

It only seems to have taken me three days of inept online research to find the perfect grad school for me. So why am I so leary of it?

Some background on the decisions I've made about grad school:

1. Not only have I decided to go to grad school, but I fugure I'll need at least two M.A.s, if not more. I'm looking at one in the Communications area (writing being all about creative writing, and that's not what I'm looking for) and one in the political arena (international relations/studies, politics, American Government...etc)

Backing up again for some who may not have heard:

• I decided that my dream job is to be like Rush Limbaugh (except for the politics and that people could probably spell MY name on the first try).
• I want to talk the talk without having to walk the walk. That shouldn't surprise anyone who knows me!

Fowarding again:

1. (Can't make the thing do 2) The best one before this current good one is George Washington University with a Masters of Media and Public Affairs, which I think is almost perfect with just the one M.A., but then I'm thinking, "oh no, then the second M.A. will be redundant."
2. (Do you see how I make a decision and then am affraid to change it?)
3. GWU would also be cool because it's right next to D.C. and it says that their students work in the capital a lot.
4. But then I'm thinking, if I'm going to be a rational Rush, I had better know what I'm talking about, so studying the "interactions among media, politics, economics, and human development" isn't really good enough.
5. Back to the two M.A.s
6. (Have you got the sense that I haven't even begun to look into the funding of this new little adventure?)
7. Then I find the NYU School of Journalism with their Cultural Reporting and Criticism Department.
8. Sounds really good. Not hard facts journalism, but biased, opinionated journalism. Doesn't that sound like the ticket.
9. Only now I'm waffling and am a bit intimidated.
10. Should the writing part come before or after the content part (meaning the political study)
11. GWU is really in a good spot for learning about politics.
12. And you have to submit a bijillion writing samples, which I probably should have thought of.
13. And I probably shouldn't set my heart on one program anyway right?
14. And it's in New York City for crying out loud! I don't even like going into SEATTLE.

So someone tell me. I seem to have found that it's going to be easier to find a communications school than a politiky one (not that I haven't found interesting ones), so should I wait until I'm finishing up the first one before I do research on the second, just in case I change my mind somewhere in there?

Update on the politiky part

• Interesting Program #1: University of Chicago, Center for International Relations. Sounded interesting to me, they say they are one of the oldest International Relations schools in the country, and it's only for one year.
• Interesting Program #2: University of Warwick, Politics and International Studies (located in Britain somewhere). Be kind of cool to study politics from another perspective, but I think that, if I somehow managed to become known, it would be a detriment to have studied outside the country.
• Interesting Program #3: Seton Hall University, Diplomacy and International Relations. Diplomacy is a good thing, it involves knowing both sides, something I am an advocate of. But who the heck has ever heard of Seton Hall before, and where is it?

Okay, I'm done. Sorry to go on for so long, but now that I have actually taken the fork in the road, I'm all confused. But I think it's a good confused. At least it gives me a goal, and I found that I can be more positive at work, focusing on what I can contribute in the (mostly likely) year before I leave for grad school, wherever that may be.

I know I already blogged today, but I have to share. I'm looking up grad schools, trying to figure out what to do, what to do. I found a Master's of Humanities at Salve Regina University in Rhode Island, and you can go straight on to a Ph.D. Basically it's a Master's of Core I with the option of a Ph.D. in Core I. This is the description of the Master's:

The Master of Arts in Humanities is an interdisciplinary program that seeks to foster a broad understanding of the qualitative aspects of life and culture through a study of disciplines such as history, literature, philosophy and religion. The course of study is intended for individuals who want to broaden their intellectual and cultural horizons. It also serves as excellent preparation for the Ph.D. degree in the Humanities.

And here is the Ph.D.:

The doctoral program in humanities provides an interdisciplinary investigation of the question “What does it mean to be human in an age of advanced technology?” In one form or another, this question commands attention as we enter the twenty-first century, and find ourselves continually challenged by technological change. This crucial question is addressed from a humanistic perspective: the fields of art, ethics, literature, management, philosophy and religion direct our investigation of advanced technology's implications on individuals and society.

I am actually and offically blogging from my own apartment. Yes, that's right, now it may actually be possible to contact me.

And let's also make it official that Jessica has decided to go to graduate school. I realized today that it was exactly a year after graduation, weird. Where and for what exactly, the research has yet to be done for, but something involving the written word. Rest assured, you will be kept abreast of all decisions.

This is my life:

• Alarm goes off at 6:12.
• 2 sessions of snoozing.
• 6:30, throw off the covers and spend 3-5 minutes convincing myself I really do have to get up and take a shower.
• Shower, dress, eat breakfast, all while trying to convince myself that today won't be such a bad day.
• Chant for a couple minutes, because, hey it can't hurt, and maybe it'll help.
• Read, stare, and/or try to figure out what I'm going to do at work all day long off into space for 15 minutes before I leave for work at 7:45.
• Get to work 5 minutes later.
• Spend the first 10 minutes trying to come up with a plan for the day that will trick my boss into thinking I'm being productive
• Spend the first 2-3 hours doing what I know is productive.
• Try to get someone to give me something to do that will be productive.
• Lunch, oh the freedom that an hour can bring.
• Spend the rest of the day trying to do what my bos wants me to do without being totally miserable and trying not to think about how usless it is.
• 5:00, get kicked out of the office, try to have a productive evening.
• At home, eating dinner and trying to convince myself that I shouldn't read the night away into oblivion because that makes tomorrow and the next day of work come too quickly.
• Try to think of what to do: look for another job? keep plugging until I can get a handle of the work situation, if that's possible? continue to be miserable and do nothing?
• Word on the "thing" I'm trying to write to see if there's any future in it for me for a few minutes and stare off into space.
• Go to sleep rediculously early becuase trying to avoid rocking the boat or making any decisions and reading all night is hard work.

Wow, I didn't realize I was so depressing.

Wow, the last time I posted was in February. Time is sure flying by, and I don't have all that much to show for it, how sad.

I just spent about a month and a half covering for a co-worker who quit suddenly. We've been having such a problem with personnel they didn't want to rush somebody in when we'd just have to cover again in another month. So anyway, I didn't mind so much, it was a much less stressful (overall) position with a lot less responsibilities. Unfortunately (for me) it was working with customers, and that was just too stressful when we didn't have exactly what they wanted or we screwed them over and I was the one they yelled at.

But now I'm back in my regular position, whatever that is. It changes every week anyway, and now I'm all confused about what I'm doing, what my priorities are and all that. My boss and I were talking and I was agreeing with everything he was saying (because duh, not so healthy to argue and he's a pretty confrontational person anyway) but then he made a comment about me not really having any position. And yeah, I knew he was talking in a circle and kept changing his mind, and I guess it was a little trap, and I fell into it, but I have no idea how to fix the company. Come on, it's so messed up!! I'd say scrap it and start somewhere else. Not the most profitable type of business, I don't know what possessed them to start it.

That's my rant about my work situation. My brother might be moving in with me. He's doing exactly nothing right now, and I'm hoping that if he moved in with me, I could bug him into getting a job or going back to school. But it's possible that the only thing that'll come of it is that I'll kill him and be an only child.

Ahhh, enough.

And here I am on the internet after two week without. I swear, I gotta get some at home or it's going to be a disaster.

So here I am, working, eating, and sleeping most of my days. But I did go to an open house kinda thing at a dance studio where a girl from my work goes/teaches. I went with another girl from my work and her husband. They signed up, but it was just a little too different for me. I had a girl trying to teach me salsa who still had to count semi-out-loud. It was odd. But it was fun and the first time I danced in a long time. I also learn the basic steps to the waltz, foxtrot, tango, and some silly thing called the hussle (just the merenge with a slightly different empahsis). They kept saying, "you follow well," or "you have natural hip movement" and I'd tell them that I did some latin dance before, but they'd still try to teach me every little thing. Oh well, they needed to teach me more than I needed to argue with them about how I didn't need it. But learning the other dances was kinda cool. I wish I could learn them fully, without having to deal with the plastic people who were the teachers. Oh yeah, and which side does the gay earring go on? There was an our-age guy there with an earring who looked just a little too polished to be straight, but not as gayfulicious as some of the other men who could have taught Male a thing or two about moving your hips.

And thus ends the narrative of the only interesting thing that I have done in the past two weeks, unless you want me to go on a rant about my work, which I assure you, you don't.

Been running around a lot lately, trying to buy all sorts of furniture to make it possible to live on my own. Almost there I think.

Random thoughts of the last little bit:

I'm going to vote in 2008 for the person who is willing to tell it like it is, name names and who cares about playing nicey nice with all the stupid people. Topping the list are Hillary Clinton and What's-his-Obama-dude.

And has anyone else noticed the gas prices creeping back up without anyone screaming about it? I think the gas companies realized that we weren't going to take it and lowered the prices until we shut up, then it's back to business as usual.

I'm been half awake while I'm dreaming. I dream that I laying there thinking, or something, or it's part of my dream to return to my bed. It's weird, and it makes it hard to get a full night's sleep.

Furniture and household implements just come out of the woodwork when you ask for them! My entire kitchen is stocked with hand-me-downs from the randomest people. I have more pots and pans than I could ever need from my grandfather's regular Monday breakfast waitress. Tomorrow we are going to check out a bunch of furniture the local diner owner has in storage. And I got the collest little vanity from my great-aunt. Not to mention the people who you would expect to give me things. The one person who hasn't given me anything? The father. How weird is that? He did drive some of my old stuff to me that he had been keeping in storage, but that benefits him too, because it's not hanging around taking up space. I'm trying to make him buy me a couch, because with all the other stuff, I will otherwise be sitting on the floor for a while.

I'm feeling guilty for not posting. Or maybe not guilty, but that I need to post something. Problem: I don't have anything to say. Okay, resorting to narrative of my day.

I bought a bookshelf-type deal and a plant from the nextdoor neighbor who is moving away. My dad brought me my old bedframe and a shelf from his storage space. I had very zero luck buying a mattress for any decent price. I took some stuff to my new apartment, put some stuff together, brainstormed a layout, discovered the I already need 3 standard lightbulbs. Then I came to the current-for-now home and packed up a bunch of stuff for transport tomorrow. Now we're watching The Tick. And I'm trying to convince my uncle to get me Smallville season 3. I'm addicted.

That was/is my day. I hope you all enjoyed the detail.

Seattle was on Good Morning America this morning for all the rain. Uhh, don't you think there is more important news around?

Oh yeah, and I'm moving into my apartment this weekend too Sammi.

I signed a lease for an apartment today. A little more than I wanted to pay, but the guy let me sign without doing a background check and with the understanding that I have little to no credit. It's a two-bedroom, so you can have your own room when you come to visit.

I found out that my new favorite band is from Bellingham. Their's was the first CD I put in this year. The first song on the CD is called "New Year." It starts, So this is the New Year. I don't feel any different. Talk about coincidences.

Yesterday I drove around for about 4 hours looking for an apartment. Okay, so we were also checking out the crazy cool historical houses as well. Bottom line, I need to settle for an old old place, or find a roommate. But I really want my privacy. Going out to look at a place this afternoon, we'll see how it goes.

My internet silence in over. Blah blah blah.

We put an ad out for an assistant for me. Isn't that cool?

Let the silence continue.