seven days...

Fab news...it is officially one week (well, 7 days + a matter of hours) until we will be rid of our unwanted houseguests/roommate.

In other news...I am off to the doctor to see about the case of walking death I seem to have come down with. I've had a "cold" for a week and it doesn't seem to be letting up. I don't remember having been sick like this before and am hoping that the doctor can give me something to help me get over it.

More news and details to come.

Update: Walking pneumonia. I'm on antibiotics now, hope to be better soon. I'll need all the energy I have to clean up the roommate's spaces, paint, reorganize the kitchen, move furniture, etc., etc., etc. next weekend.

rabbit

I'm in love with a new band. Lucky for me, I fall in love with music easily. Lucky for you, I share some of my musical affairs here. Note: this really isn't a music video, just a photo w/ music, but I love this song and wanted to share it.



Have a listen to more of their music here: http://www.myspace.com/saverabbit. Also available on iTunes and Amazon.

28 in 28: how did i do?

1. paint the living/dining room – pending – paint has been purchased and is ready to go – will do after roommate's departure – see #27
2. throw a big party – COMPLETE – did this for Halloween
3. read 10 books of my own choosing – COMPLETE (half were about greyhounds, but I chose that topic)
4. bake an apple pie from scratch, including the crust – COMPLETE – thought it was a strawberry rhubarb pie instead of apple
5. plant that big ol' vegetable garden I keep pining for – COMPLETE – not as large as I’d wanted, but not too shabby either
6. finally hang the curtains in the living/dining room – pending – see #27
7. take a "family" photo in a snowstorm – FAIL
8. get another tattoo (or two) – FAIL
9. join a gym - COMPLETE – best decision ever
10. whole-heartedly commit to daily exercise (work out at least 4 days a week - no ifs, ands, or buts) – ONGOING – I'm really happy with this goal: feeling much better, not seeing visible results, but living with less pain
11. pay off my credit card debt - pending – setbacks and unexpected medical bills threw a wrench in this one, but am getting back on track
12. go to Ikea – COMPLETE – went twice, and actually bought stuff the second time
13. finish my thesis, get it conferred, shut the book on that damned project – PARTIALLY COMPLETE – all that is left is the defense
14. visit Kristen in Door County (before she finds a fabulous new job and leaves) – VOID – she already left for a new job...I have, however visited her in the places she has lived since
15. fix the ding in my windshield before it cracks – COMPLETE – actually had to do this twice
16. make at least one home-cooked meal each week, regardless of the roommate's whereabouts – COMPLETE – it happened, but not necessarily well
17. get new tires for the car – COMPLETE – it was pricey, but I did it before the first snowfall
18. visit my nephews and the new baby at least twice – COMPLETE – have seen them three times
19. go to some sort of professional development that I actually find useful – COMPLETE – have attended four useful conferences
20. cardio – even though I despise it, I will do cardio at least 3 days per week (my cardiologist and my physical therapist will finally be happy) – COMPLETE – reluctantly plugging away at this one, and am doing cardio each day I go to the gym
21. complete the landscaping around the perimeter of the house – COMPLETE – expansions will likely occur, but the perimeter is finished
22. make a calendar for our family members – it will be funny, the man and I have discussed it for a couple years – COMPLETED – and we've begun a calendar for 2011
23. take another college class – PENDING – I am, however, taking a couple community-based short-courses not at college level
24. send/give thank-you cards for each gift given – COMPLETED – not including birthday gifts I've just received
25. six-pack abs, or something close to that without being too manly – PENDING – not quite a six-pack yet, but definitely closer
26. write to my grandmother at least once per month – FAIL – didn't do it every month, but was well over 50%
27. make the transition away from having a roommate – FAIL – I’m glad that murderous rampage wasn't on my list, because I surely would have completed it. Roommate is draining my will to live, one day at a time – oh, and he had a mini-nervous breakdown and has guilted the man into not throwing him out just yet. We won’t get into that right now.
28. complete three NaBloPoMo month-long blog runs – FAIL – I find this to be nearly impossible, as I like to go weekends without turning on my computer

28 things I did in my 28th year

This isn't my goal list from the past year, but it is a list of accomplishments, which is ultimately better in my opinion, because the word "FAIL" doesn't show up in this one.

1. I chopped off all my hair again.
2. I got new glasses.
3. I created a new ottoman.
4. I developed an affinity for New Glarus Totally Naked beer.
5. The man and I became official domestic partners (at least official in the eyes of my employer and health ins. company).
6. I got a new laptop.
7. I finished planting around the perimeter of the house.
8. We were "adopted" by a new cat. His name is Chuck Norris.
9. I thrifted (or bought at extremely discounted prices) nearly all the items we needed for our “new” house.
10. The man and I bought a car – together.
11. I had great evenings spent with wonderful friends.
12. I created a new coffee table.
13. I added a niece to my list of loved ones.
14. I said goodbye (for now) to my oldest friend.
15. I finally began to see my parents as people, not just parents...people who I would love whether they created me or not.
16. I went through a terrifying health scare with the man.
17. I made a homemade pie.
18. I finished my chair makeover.
19. I fell in love with the man all over again.
20. I had a no-spend month (moratorium on spending).
21. I joined a gym.
22. I started wearing heels again.
23. I pared down my closet and donated things to charity.
24. I threw a big birthday party for the man (he helped).
25. I paid off one of my student loans.
26. I embraced the fact that I cannot commit to blogging daily without going batshit crazy.
27. I learned my “personality type” according to Myers-Briggs.
28. I realized that I’m far too young to not be having more fun – hello, 29, we’re going to tear up the town.

birthday cupcake - and it's orange!

I work with a wonderful group of people. One of them made me this for my birthday:


It was delicious AND it was the biggest cupcake I've ever seen. She was nice enough to pose it next to a normal-sized cupcake for comparison sake.

another awesome youtube vid

If you haven't watched Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, then you are missing out. If you watch it here, then you will no longer be missing out:

another band i really like

I've been listening to a lot of The Damnwells lately. They haven't become mainstream, but they are quite good. Their music is somewhat moody and it fits my frame of mind lately, which is likely why I have three of their albums on repeat as I write this.



This is their video for the song "Sleepsinging," which I believe is the only real music video they've done, though I could be wrong. I must admit that I'm not so much a fan of the video as of their music.

If you are interested in getting more from The Damnwells, you can find their music on iTunes, but it is actually (and unfortunately) cheaper to get their cds on Amazon (including shipping). Check them out if you like alt-rock/country type music.

who's that knocking? oh yeah, it's the end of my twenties.

When you are happily unmarried, you don't want kids, and you live in the house you want to live in forever, what else is there to look forward to? Material things? Trips? Really, I want to know.

I'm career-minded, but not to the point that I'm going to put in 80 hour weeks to climb the corporate ladder - hell, there's a reason I work for a non-profit and it isn't money or power.

I look forward to purchasing a new couch, projects around the house, hanging out with the man for the next 50 or so years. I look forward to my niece and nephews growing up, but I'm in the periphery on that one.

A lot of the people I know have kids, are trying to have kids, want kids, etc. I think I'm struggling with the prospect that my endeavors seem small by comparison. I'm not trying to "make life," I'm trying to make my life into something. I'm nearly 29 and I'm still trying to figure out what that something is. 28 has given me perspective. Now I need direction.

words and beauty

This is fabulous:

i bought stuff - in may, not recently

I bought a bunch of stuff at Ikea in May. I had a pretty good list going in, and as the worthless, assbag of a roommate and his dirt-faced tumor (aka girlfriend - seriously, I've heard him call her "dirtface" himself) should be moving out in the next couple months, I may actually be able to use the stuff I bought.

You likely have no idea how much it sucks to have all of these new things stacked in the laundry room, waiting for the bane of my existence to finally pack up his shit and leave. Ahem, it has not happened yet, despite indirect and very direct insistence on my part. Unfortunately, when someone has pervaded nearly every area of your property and spewed random objects willy-nilly, it becomes more complicated to "kick" them out.

Anyway, back to my shiny new treasures (well, they aren't "new" anymore, but they are still unused). I know some people are snobs and say that Ikea is for divorcees and college students, neither of which I am, and at this point I will tell those people to just suck it. I like Ikea and I can afford Ikea, which makes it even better.

Anyway, here's what I purchased for the kitchen:

This is the Norbo wall table. This table will become our new "kitchen table." We have some space for a small dinette set in our kitchen. Currently, our hand-me-down dining table is occupying that space right, but when that gets relocated to the dining room, we'll have some space for the good ole Norbo. I like it because we can put it at counter height and use it as a breakfast bar (when it is just the two of us) and then when we host parties, it can be folded down and replaced with a larger table. Call me Ms. Smartypants. Along with a table, generally one finds chairs. In this case, two stools:

Enter the Anssi bar stool. These are stackable, which makes them absolutely perfect. Oh, and they are cheap, but still kind of look reasonably un-cheap.

This might not be as awesome to anyone else as it is to me. One wouldn't think it was so difficult to find a suitable knife block, but it is (if you are unwilling to spend $50+ on a block of wood in which to store cutlery). I've been looking for a knife block that would accomodate the carefully-selected collection of knives in my possession for quite some time (ahem, 4 months). I've been to a myriad of stores in the flesh and online, all to no avail. I finally stopped perusing Amazon and finer shopping establishments and looked at Ikea for a suitable option, and have purchsed this: Say hello to the Reträtt knife block. It's tall, but that is a good thing because I have some wasted space next to the stove where I need some height (the cabinet above is wider than the stove, and it looks a bit off).

I also picked up some other kitchen-y odds and ends, which I will not bore you with. Perhaps this has already bored you, but when you are in a position such as mine where retail therapy is on hiatus, talking about things you've previously purchased are as close as one gets to release.

I bought some other non-kitchen things, which will be share with you all when I do a major reveal of the house, post-roommate exodus. I'm planning to take a full week off from work (a first for me) to get the house in order, and am super-excited about it. Crossing my fingers that it will be before my birthday, but am not holding out that much hope.

life list: bask in the amazingness of my domesticity

Goals, you'd better take cover. I'm on a fucking role. I'm knocking shit off my life list and my 28 goals for my 28th year left and right.

And this whole anti-spending kick...I'm kicking its ass and taking its name. I've been a goddess of domesticity and spend all of my time doing stuff around the house or going to the gym (more time at home than at the gym because I'm not psychotic, just poor).


My new computer has a memory card slot, so I'm finally able to share with you the fruits of my labor (let's just say that even though I've been cleaning, the connector for the camera is still missing). Anyway, there are a ton of pics I've been wanting to share with you, but have not been able...until now (like how the ellipses keep popping up? just wait, there's more).


Here is something ooey and gooey and delicious that I whipped up using fresh, homegrown rhubarb from my parents' place and farmers' market strawberries.

So now I can cross this off my life list. See that lattice crust? I did that...on my first ever pie from scratch. And it tasted delicious. I could hardly believe it. But then again, why wouldn't I believe it. I was wearing an apron...isn't that the prerequisite for superb baking?





Yes, it is retro...yes it is fabulous. No, I didn't color coordinate the tank top - God did. He was very excited about the pie, I guess.


There is more to come tomorrow.

my precious

This is my first post from my new laptop, which arrived in the mail last night. It was a gift from my unbelievably giving parents, despite my authentic disagreement that they should spend the money on me. It is a Toshiba Satellite A500 something-or-other and it is very fast and very pretty.

Unfortunately, there was a "power glitch" which radiated a high-pitched, incessant beeping noise from the computer when I first powered it up. It took a very nice customer service rep 30 minutes to diagnose and help me fix, but now things are smooth-sailing and I'm really happy.

Funny thing is, Cat Named Jack loved the sound and proceeded to rub his face all over the edge of the laptop, getting very angry when I tried to pry him away (to the point where he bit my upper arm a couple times - not hard, but enough to prove a point). He seemed a bit confused, but not too unhappy when the sound went away.

This moratorium on spending isn't all that bad when you have a new toy to play with. I bought some groceries (necessities) for the man before I left for my parents', but other than that and gasoline, so far so good on the anti-spending month.

july 2010 goal: moratorium on spending

I’m pretty frugal, all-in-all, but there have been a few things happening to our happy little twosome over the past few months which have thrown my frugality into a tailspin. We've had two major vehicle issues and I won’t bore you with the rest of our unplanned expenditures, but I’ll tell you that there were many and they sucked both my enthusiasm for shopping and my bank account dry.

As a result of the monetary shit-storm of the past few months, I've been looking at my personal budget once again and find it even more vital that I pay off my credit cards as soon as humanly possible. I am sick of paying for something that I don’t use and I don’t like having a revolving balance to remind me of the stupidity of my youth. I've decided to impose a moratorium on any and all unnecessary expenditures. Here is my plan.

I’m going to continue to pay my bills as I normally do, including:

• Student/Consolidation loans
• Rent
• Cell phone/Internet
• Credit card
• Auto loan
• Insurance

As for the rest of my monthly expenses, these all need to fit into a budget of $250 for the month of July:

• Gasoline
• Groceries
• Dining out/Entertainment
• Shopping (haircuts, home improvement, pet stuff, etc.)

This will help me to separate my “needs” from my “wants.” Of course, if some sort of emergency arises, I’ll have to pay for it, but $250 will easily cover the rest. I could really get by with only spending $150, but I need to be realistic and remember that I have already planned a trip to visit my family up north and that I'm required to go to a conference in Denver for work at the end of the month. Luckily, I'll be reimbursed for the conference trip expenses, but I am allowing myself some leeway since I've never been to Denver before and I might as well enjoy the only so-called vacation I'll be taking this year (I'm budgeting $50 for the trip to Denver, not including reimbursable expenses like food and cab fare).

I’ll keep you updated as to my progress throughout the month.

things i did on "vacation"

• weeded the garden
• kept myself from buying more plants
• ate a lot of nachos
• went disc golfing
• hung out with the man - a lot
• watched a few movies
• watched a couple Y&R episodes
• researched new laptops
• picked up the new Jack Johnson cd
• cleaned the garage
• worked from home, despite being on vacation
• had (yet another) conversation with the roommate re: him moving out
• picked up a new (used) pair of shoes
• fixed the curtains in the den
• ate a lot of cheese popcorn
• went to the courthouse
• walked around by the capital
• reconfigured downstairs floor plan on floorplanner.com
• attempted to find lost camera-to-computer cables
• ate Chinese food
• ate a lot of popsicles
• played with the dog (numerous times)

favorite things: 1

I like to snack. I snack mainly because I go through a couple days a week when I don't really have an appetite or feel like eating. (Perhaps that is because I snack.) Luckily, there is always a combination of food that I feel like eating. I must admit that there are two staples that must be in our house at all times. Fresca and Old Dutch cheese popcorn.

I go through at least one large bag per week. Luckily, the popcorn is air popped and a good source of fiber (and significantly healthier than potato chips).

I wash it down with Fresca. For some reason, I never get sick of it. Since I can't have caffeine, if I don't feel like drinking water, this is what I turn to.

Why am I posting this? Why do you care? Well, I'm going to be posting some of my favorite things in the next few weeks, and this is where I'm starting.

Now I'm going to head back outside to soak up some sunshine while we still have it.

vacation day 1 - definitely no picnic

Today was far from relaxing. Multiple hours spent "working" from home off-the-clock. A few really sad moments due to the grieving process. Much rain and humidity causing an all-around sense of yuck. I am very optimistic that tomorrow will be better and have a goal of not checking work e-mail until Monday (unless I hear through the grapevine that shit is hitting the fan).

Also, I'm trying to persuade the man to go strawberry-picking with me (so far, no such luck). I want to go to the beach, weather permitting. I want to eat grilled chicken (that I don't cook myself). I want to listen to live music and drink cold beer. I want to go disc-golfing. I want to eat Babcock ice cream.

I'm pretty easy to please, so let's hope this week doesn't disappoint as much as the first day.

days off, yippee!

Today was a 10+ hour day at work. I'm emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted after the events of the past couple days. But, good news: I have the rest of the week off from work! I'm very excited. The man has a couple days off as well, so I plan on putting him to work for part of the time (so many projects around the house) and perhaps going on a day trip later in the week.

I should have more time to post this week and hope to get some more photos up. Since I don't have much for you tonight, I will leave you with this wonderful video:

Enjoy!

sad day

I just found out today that my dear, dear friend passed away in her sleep last night. Her name was Emily and she was the most amazing 90-something year-old women you could ever meet. She was my babysitter from birth through kindergarten and she was one of the most influential people in making me into a strong woman.

Emily's life began in Chicago (which she loved) and eventually led to her living in the northwoods of Wisconsin. It wasn't until her 50s that she was freed from her bad marriage and became the Emily that I knew. She taught me never to settle, to know who I want to be and to strive for my goals. She told me that I was important, and that I should never put myself behind a man. She taught me the importance of earning and deserving love, and of giving that love freely when it is also deserved. She taught me that I am independent, but that it isn't wrong to depend on others.

She was my neighbor, an additional grandmother, a confidant, and a friend to me and I am devastated that she is gone, but happy that she was able to spend her last months with her adoring daughters. I will miss her and love her forever.

the sofa has been chosen

I have finally found our perfect sofa. We had the following criteria:

• modern/contemporary
• not overstuffed
• not leather or microfiber
• loose cushions
• back must be high enough to rest head on
• wide arms, but not rolled
• grey-ish in color
• removable cover (preferable)
• and, of course, comfortable

After looking at seven different furniture stores, I faced the realization that what I wanted would cost over $1000. This was not at all feasible. Luckily, I had not yet physically looked at Ikea...I know what you are thinking, but not all Ikea furniture is for divorcees or college students. This KIVIK sofa fit all of our agreed-upon criteria.

It has memory foam in the cushions, so it is really comfy and the back cushions are high enough for the man (in my opinion). We just have to save up the rest of the money and then we'll go pick it up. I know that they deliver, but since the man hasn't actually sat on the sofa himself, he needs to do that before we spend the money.

I'm super-excited about it and knowing what we want makes it even harder to wait for the roommate's departure. It is, however, good to have things to look forward to.

must see: the fall

I just watched a good movie, surprisingly good actually (Netflix sometimes steers me wrong): The Fall. It was fanciful and heartwarming and endearing, all wrapped into one. Beautiful scenery, fight scene choreography, cinematography, and storytelling:

...not to mention that I've loved Lee Pace since he was the weirdo, academic brother in Wonder Falls. See it and love it...and if you don't like it, then don't tell me (because I don't want to hear it).