Unemployed Hoosier wakes up in the Desert

Our 2010 Christmas card

2010-12-02T05:39:00.001-08:00

oh, the places you'll go

2010-08-02T20:05:00.000-07:00

So my husband and I were talking about all the places we wanted to visit, especially those we want to see before moving from Arizona. This got us thinking about all of the new places I have visited over the past year. About one year ago, I moved from Indiana to Tucson, Arizona. I had never been west of Iowa prior to our move.

The most notable places I have been (or will be going to) for the first time over the past year are:

Albuquerque, NM
Las Vegas, NV
San Diego, CA
Virginia Beach, VA
In Oklahoma:

Tulsa
Oklahoma City
Enid
Woodward
Waynoka

In Arizona

Tucson
Mt. Lemmon
Phoenix
Douglas
Bisbee
Tombstone
Sierra Vista
Hereford
Yuma
Benson

I love checking places off of my list. We are hoping to go to the Grand Canyon in October and will be returning to Oklahoma for Christmas. Next summer is hopefully the big Italy trip, but this could change. We also have to see the Rockies before we leave the southwest.

weekly schedule

2010-08-02T14:25:00.000-07:00

I made a weekly schedule about a month ago, and so far so good:

Monday

Trash day
Yard work
Vacuum
Organize/clean computer files
30 mins cardio mixed with strength training arms and shoulders
Complete stretch

Tuesday

Clean bathrooms
Grocery store
Long walk
Abs and short stretch

Wednesday

Clean kitchen
Food prep
Make dog food
Cardio video
Complete Stretch

Thursday

Trash Day
Clean den, living room/dining room
Vacuum
Strength training: legs, butt, lower back

Friday

Clean bedrooms
Run errands
Grocery store

Saturday

Laundry day
Clean hall closets
Clean garage
Iron
Cardio
Strength training: chest, back, abs

Sunday

Food prep
Dust
Clean master bedroom and closet
Clean laundry room
Iron
Long walk
Pilates

dog stuff

2010-08-02T12:19:00.000-07:00

Sam destroyed a Frisbee and a basketball within 3 minutes last night. She had so much energy, so we took her into the back yard to try to get rid of some of it. We had already gone on a walk a few hours earlier. We threw the rope toy and the squeaky ball. She ran for a few seconds, but mostly doesn't want to run unless she is chasing us or we are chasing her. This wouldn't be too bad except that she is so big and a little clumsy, so she often runs into us leaving us bruised and/or finds her mouth around my arm, which is just not fun for me. If we aren't running around she lies on the floor and acts bored. The minute we stand up, she is nipping our feet. (This doesn't happen all day long, just at night when she is hyper).

Anyway, at one point during the night she was going for a ball that was in my hand, and accidentally ended up with her jaws clenched around my arm. I was a little concerned when she wouldn't let go. Luckily she didn't bite down. I don't know what the heck she is thinking. So we stopped playing with her. Then we complained about how she will only play if we physically run around, which is not fun for us. I asked my husband if he thought she would enjoy playing with a soccer ball because we could kick it for her.

I went to the garage and found a Frisbee and basketball. She went nuts. We have never seen her go so crazy. She had such a good time with that basketball. She was throwing it all over the yard. Rocks were flying everywhere (we have a rock yard). She bit the ball until she was able to carry it around in her mouth. It is slightly flat. And the Frisbee, she went nuts and it is now destroyed. We again found ourselves watching her with our jaws dropped. She is so insanely powerful and apparently full of energy. We think perhaps she was just bored with her previous toys and would probably like having new toys from time to time. We might have to get creative. So far, the biggest hits have been a broom, a large cardboard panel, a basketball, and a Frisbee.

I had also put a couple of new toys (a rope toy and stuffed squeaky toy) into her toy bin while she was outside with A. When she came in the house, she immediately took those toys out of the bin and started throwing them around the den. So, we have decided she really likes new toys. Maybe, we will try to rotate toys more often. She then proceeded to take all of her toys out of her bin and drop them on the floor in the den, which made us laugh hysterically. A swears she is worse than a kid.

This morning while she and I were hanging out in the den, she again removed her toys from the bin and then kept walking back over there to check for more toys, but she had taken them all out. 5 minutes later, I looked over and she had taken one of her collars out of the bin and was flinging it around also, perhaps she thinks it is also a toy. I need to try to think of some games to play with her because she is obviously telling us she is bored.

One of her favorite games is chasing and killing bugs. And although we were sad to see the lizard leave after a month of living on the side of our house, Sam seems to be a more effective bug killer. She had a spider and a large grasshopper for a snack. She loves moths and flies.

Getting ready to do some crafty things in my craft room, so I better go throw the basketball for a few minutes if I want her to leave me alone and sleep nicely at my feet :)

Nonna

2010-08-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

Shout-out to my most faithful reader, my Nonna. I think she checked my blog almost every other day since my last post in November. She and my husband might be my only readers, but that is okay :) I received an email from her today telling me to keep up my blog, I guess I should probably try harder :) Thanks Nonna :)

a married woman

2010-07-31T10:23:00.000-07:00

I again put a coke zero in the freezer last night and forgot about it. It exploded. The mess in the freezer is less than desirable, but more than that I am very upset with the fate of my one and only coke zero. I carefully, as to not cut my hands any more than they already are, popped the remnants of the can into a bowl, smashed it up, and am now enjoying a somewhat odd tasting coke zero out of a sunflower yellow fiestaware mug, hoping perhaps to put a sunny spin on my current predicament.

Back to the hand cutting... I somehow always manage to have cuts on my hands, most often the fingers. Right now, I have a cut on my left index finger and left middle finger, both right at the tip so it stings as I type. I guess I am somewhat amused, if that is the right word, by the sensation, because I am still typing and also keep tapping them onto the counter, I guess just to check if the action still creates the same feeling. Yep, it's still there. The index finger cut is a mystery, but I pretty much always get cuts on the finger from knives or ridicuoulsy sharp JIF peanut butter jar seals. The misddle finger cut is, I am positive about this one, from a serrated steak knife. I was cutting broccoli for the big white beast who roams my house.

The big white beast would be our new dog, Sam. Make that our only dog, who happens to be a fairly new dog, Sam. Well, not new to the world, but new to this house. She is actually 2.5 or 3 years old, according to our veterinarian. Her name is Sam. She is an American Bulldog. And she is a person. Take that Cesar Millan, I just did what you warned me not to do, which is first talk about the dog as a name, then a breed, then as a person. He says we need to think of dogs first as animals, then the species dog, then as the breed, then as their personality. So, I guess I should introduce her as my animal, who is a dog, who just happens to be an American Bulldog, and her name is Sam.

Stubborn ass bulldog.
Haha, so I just typed "stubborn ass" into google to see if I needed to use a hypen, which I do not. But interestingly enough my first return was a video on youtube titled "Bella stubborn ass bulldog." I suppose this is a common personality trait among bulldogs. Sam is so stubborn. We used to have to pick her up and put her in her crate (not as easy as you might think when you have an all muscle 70 lb bulldog), she would go totally limp and then dig her claws into the carpet to avoid this nighttime ritual. She is finally going in by herself, with a few minutes hesitation of course, after I toss a treat in the crate.

She will also randomly choose not to sit when asked and just stare at us. When we stare back and after about 10 minutes of nothing, she finally makes a loud huffing noise and sits.

I make her lie down and wait for her food each morning... this takes about 10 minutes also. She sits and stares at me until she finally realizes I won't cave. Again with a huff, she lies down and waits until I invite her to eat.

She's crazy. She was dragging a 5ft x 4ft piece of thick cardboard around the yard yesterday and flinging it around like a toy. I guess that doesn't really sound that spectacular, but it made us realize how powerful she was and we watched in astonishment. She never ceases to amaze us. She is so beautiful and an absolute blessing.

I am sure it is obvious by this point I am obsessed with the dog. Not sure why. I think I like her more than I like people, my mother assured me this is normal and all people like dogs more than they like other people. I guess this makes sense. They are far less annoying and pretty much keep their thoughts and judgments to themselves. All I think about lately is the damned dog and my in-laws' new dog, Smokey, who is absolutely adorable. I constantly have to tell myself not to dognap him while they are sleeping :)

I am still unemployed. Well, I was working at a daycare for just over 6 months, but that just did not last and was not for me at all. At least not that particular daycare. It was more a moral and ethical decision to quit than anything else. I love the kids. I still really would enjoy working with children, well most of them, but I can't see myself in a teacher position at a daycare ever again. I wish I knew more people with small children here who needed babysitters, the gig actually pays pretty well and I really enjoy it.

I did have one family I was sitting for. They had an amazing 4 yr old boy. He was a joy to work with. But, the dad was a bit too creepy for my taste and wanted me there even when he was there. Then, the mom informed me they were getting divorced and his creepiness factor rose. It was a bummer the whole thing fell through because I got $100 a day and I really love that kid. Oh well, thus is life.

I did apply for an actual library position at a community college here. I thought the interview went very well and I really enjoyed meeting the panel, all 6 of them. The Director emailed me later and said they had already had a current employee lined up for the position, but she did say I did awesome in the interview and made them question their previous decision. She wished she had another opening, but she didn't. Bummer, that's all I have to say.

I guess it wasn't meant to be. I am not sure what is meant to be, but I am going stir crazy, sort of. Mostly I just want to be making my own money again. I have been bringing in the dough since I was 16. I like having my own paycheck. Mostly, I just like having money I suppose... is that bad? I don't even really spend it. I am the most frugal person you will ever meet. I think I have a money hoarding problem. I don't want to spend it, I just want to know it is there incase something horrible happens. I start getting panicky when I think money is low. I suppose this is because I spent so much time worrying about my mom's negative bank balance when I was an adolescent. Either way, I am really weird about money. It makes me sick to spend it most of the time, unless I am getting a crazy good deal. I never buy anything full price (except maybe Wal-Mart brand soap and toilet paper) and have a coupon binder that would make most soccer moms green with envy.

The problem is I am so picky about where I work, I suppose this is not a bad thing... but I kind of feel like a spoiled brat being a childless homemaker and not trying to save the world or at least bring home some money. Shouldn't I be doing something more than running a household at my age? Don't get me wrong, I love not having the constant stress of the workplace and being able to set my own schedule. I have really come to enjoy many aspects of my day. I love steam cleaning carpets and even really enjoy vacuuming. I get a freakishly satisfied feeling when I see what all I picked up out of my carpets. But as I was saying, I am so picky about where I work and what I do. I would love to work at a craft store, but the closest one is over an hour drive away. The public library is cutting library hours and reducing staff. The college library already turned me down (they only have maybe 3 professional positions at this branch anyway). I feel a bit strange having a Masters and not using it in my career. But honestly, I am not even sure what to do. Now I even wonder if the library is where I am supposed to be. Perhaps, I am supposed to pursue some other path. Hopefully it becomes clear soon. Maybe God is just testing my patience and ability to trust and listen to Him.

Regardless, I am currently enjoying my position as homemaker, my husband's wife, and Sam's human.

yes, i am still alive

2009-11-01T19:49:00.000-08:00

Of course I haven't blogged in a long time. I suppose a lot has happened since then. We bought a house and close this Thursday. We are going to start moving in this weekend. I am not sure we will get everything moved in this weekend because I am behind on packing. Apparently I had some sort of viral infection that turned into a secondary infection, leaving me with sinusitis and bronchitis. I went to the doctor and got drugs today. I hope to feel significantly better early this week. I need to pack and also go to work. Oh yeah, I got a job as a Teacher at a daycare. I have my own classroom made up of twelve 3-yr olds. In the mornings, I have a total of about 16 kids all to myself, ages 3-5. The mornings are crazy. The job is crazy and I am pretty sure that is where I picked up my illness. Those snotty kids are always sick.

The past three months were fairly uneventful. Suddenly, there are a million things to do. The minute one thing comes along, everything starts happening at once and I get sick. It has always been like that :)

square two?

2009-10-09T01:05:00.000-07:00

I think I am getting closer on the whole finding a job and working thing. A couple of places contacted me this week about interviews. One of the organizations was the same one I interviewed with a month ago. They decided they didn't want me then, but a month later wanted to reconsider. I had an interview with them today. The interviewers were not the same people I spoke with last time. Turnover is so high at this place they had gone through quite a few people since the last time I saw them (three weeks ago). Anyway, I was excited and thought it could be my chance at a meaningful job. The interview went well today, but I thought they went well last time. And then, I had another observation period, where I go and observe the clients engaging in daily activities. Last time, I only experienced mild behavioral issues, it was strange, but I still wanted to work there. After today, I am almost positive I do not want to ever step foot in that place again. I am angry, but I didn't realize it until about half an hour ago.

The organization provides rehabilitation programs for delinquent youth who have been sentenced there by the court. Their options are either complete the program or go to jail, I was told. I didn't realize just how serious the situations were. I was appalled by what I saw. The place is extremely depressing and I felt very uncomfortable, even with the staff members. I saw lots of strange, inappropriate, and disturbing behavior today. Plus, one of my primary duties would be breaking up fights and tackling teen boys.

Four pop-tarts, spaghetti, two lean pockets, potato chips, an apple, a kiwi, a large dinner salad, a breakfast bar, etc., and several hours later, I can now put into words how I feel. Violated. No thanks. I will have to remain jobless a bit longer. This is not the job for me. My life is finally on the right track and free of dangerous wackos. I am done playing with fire. I will not let severe dysfunction creep its way back into my life, no matter what the disguise. It is not my job to save these boys; it's too much for me. I have to listen to my gut this time. Ignoring it has been my biggest pitfall in the past.

I am so glad they didn't offer me the job a month ago.

Good news, a daycare called me today to see if I was interesting in a teaching position, which I am. Hopefully I can setup an interview with them when I call tomorrow :) Hopefully that job won't involve tackling, and if it does, at least the kids will be much smaller and more mangeable.

update

2009-10-02T12:38:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted anything in a long time. I still don't have a job. But, the good news: we are buying a house! The house hunting process and securing the contract have been a roller coaster. We close on November 5th if all goes well, and I think it will from here on out. I will post more later. I need to clean.

How to Discover Your Life Purpose in About 20 Minutes.

2009-09-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

Sounds promising. Cough. Cough.

But what the hell, I have nothing else to do today. I suppose I can spare 20 minutes.

"Perhaps you’re a rather nihilistic person who doesn’t believe you have a purpose and that life has no meaning. Doesn’t matter. Not believing that you have a purpose won’t prevent you from discovering it, just as a lack of belief in gravity won’t prevent you from tripping. All that a lack of belief will do is make it take longer..."
Haha, liking this so far.

"If you want to discover your true purpose in life, you must first empty your mind of all the false purposes you’ve been taught (including the idea that you may have no purpose at all)."

Okay, that sounds insanely difficult.

"So how to discover your purpose in life? While there are many ways to do this, some of them fairly involved, here is one of the simplest that anyone can do. The more open you are to this process, and the more you expect it to work, the faster it will work for you. But not being open to it or having doubts about it or thinking it’s an entirely idiotic and meaningless waste of time won’t prevent it from working as long as you stick with it — again, it will just take longer to converge.
Here’s what to do:

Take out a blank sheet of paper or open up a word processor where you can type (I prefer the latter because it’s faster).
Write at the top, “What is my true purpose in life?”
Write an answer (any answer) that pops into your head. It doesn’t have to be a complete sentence. A short phrase is fine.
Repeat step 3 until you write the answer that makes you cry. This is your purpose.

That’s it. It doesn’t matter if you’re a counselor or an engineer or a bodybuilder. To some people this exercise will make perfect sense. To others it will seem utterly stupid. Usually it takes 15-20 minutes to clear your head of all the clutter and the social conditioning about what you think your purpose in life is. The false answers will come from your mind and your memories. But when the true answer finally arrives, it will feel like it’s coming to you from a different source entirely.

For those who are very entrenched in low-awareness living, it will take a lot longer to get all the false answers out, possibly more than an hour. But if you persist, after 100 or 200 or maybe even 500 answers, you’ll be struck by the answer that causes you to surge with emotion, the answer that breaks you. If you’ve never done this, it may very well sound silly to you. So let it seem silly, and do it anyway.

You may also discover a few answers that seem to give you a mini-surge of emotion, but they don’t quite make you cry — they’re just a bit off. Highlight those answers as you go along, so you can come back to them to generate new permutations. Each reflects a piece of your purpose, but individually they aren’t complete. When you start getting these kinds of answers, it just means you’re getting warm. Keep going. It’s important to do this alone and with no interruptions. If you’re a nihilist, then feel free to start with the answer, “I don’t have a purpose,” or “Life is meaningless,” and take it from there. If you keep at it, you’ll still eventually converge.

Discovering your purpose is the easy part. The hard part is keeping it with you on a daily basis and working on yourself to the point where you become that purpose."

Okay, why not. Maybe after breakfast. I'll let you know the results.

You can read more at Steve Pavlina's blog. Everything in bold belongs to him.

Puppy Love

2009-09-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

Today we played with an almost 3 month old Yorkie Poo and an almost 3 month old Boston Terrier. Both female, both adorable. The Yorkie Poo has very sharp teeth!! The Boston was insanely hyper until she was fed, then she was totally sedated. They apparently cost $1700-$1800 each... no I didn't accidentally add an extra zero. You read it right. Unbelievable. It isn't like dogs in general are a rare commodity. There are plenty of perfectly lovable (and potentially grateful) dogs at your local animal shelter. Why are we still breeding them like crazy in puppy mills and keeping them in tiny pet store cages? My tips for finding a wonderful dog and being a generous human being:

First check your local humane society. These dogs are not only more affordable than buying from a breeder or pet store, but are also usually desperately in need of a home. The best pets I have ever had were found at a shelter or on the street. Often vet visits, spay/neuter, and other perks are included in the adoption price.
Go to Petfinder.com and type in your zip code. You can even type in the breed of dog for which you are looking. Tons of animal shelters and rescue groups post their pets on this site.
Check for rescue groups in your state or nearby if you are looking for a specific breed. There are Boston Terrier rescue groups in many states, including New Mexico and Arizona.
Buy from an ethical breeder who doesn't raise their animals in adverse situations.

I am sure pet stores mean well and in some cases, may not know where the puppies are born. Everyone has to make their own decision on whether or not an animal is right for them and where they are going to look for their puppy. Personally, I am not quite comfortable buying an $1800 'designer' puppy that looks just like all the others when there are deserving, homeless dogs with wonderful personalities and quirks available for less than $100 (everything included).

But, all puppies deserve love. I still like to go and give my love to the pet store puppies.

What you've heard is true.

2009-09-17T14:27:00.000-07:00

I am a digger.

This was first brought to my attention many years ago by my mother who accused me of a being an ice cream tunneler. The rule of no tunneling was quickly established in our house. I was guilty as charged.

I dig. I dig for the hunks of cookie at the bottom of the ice cream container. I search for only the cheesiest of the cheesy Doritos. I thrust my arm to the bottom of the popcorn container (quietly or during loud sections of a movie) in search of kernels saturated in butter. I eat the chip crumbles at the bottom of the bag, guaranteed to be the saltiest. I retrieve peanut butter only from the bottom of the jar, where there is less oil. Yellow gummy bears have no chance, and neither does anyone who might want a bear of the yellow variety.

I prefer bread from the middle of the loaf. I select items at the grocery store which are placed somewhere in the middle of the shelf. I reach as far back as I can into the milk cooler to find a jug with the latest possible expiration date.

Yes, I am one of those people.

And finally, I have found someone who does not mind my tunneling tendencies. In fact, when he comes across a particularly large piece of cookie in his ice cream, he offers it to me. He surrenders the yellow gummies and doesn't mind lending a long arm when I can't quite reach the perfect container of cottage cheese.

Let's Play a Game

2009-09-14T23:24:00.000-07:00

It's called: What dog would Morgan choose if she could have a dog?

The contestants:

1. Spartan

2. Mouse

3. Denali

4.Chewey

5. Lola

It seems Lola is the best-behaved. She knows sit, down, shake, stay, etc. She is also good with dogs of all sizes, cats, and children (or so I hear). And she is freakishly calm for a 1-yr old dog.

October is Adopt a Dog Month

2009-09-14T22:56:00.000-07:00

Get Ready!

awesome.

2009-09-12T21:39:00.000-07:00

According to my Sept. 21, 2009 BusinessWeek, "Michigan and Arizona have lost the most jobs as a percentage of total state employment over the past year." (MI: -8.1%; AZ: -7.4%) Nice to know.

Not Quite my Mother

2009-09-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

As do all of my urges to take a bath, this one came on suddenly and without warning. Baths are not something I sit around thinking about or plan. They are one thing in my life that remains spontaneous.

I was craving ice cream, but didn't want to go to the store to get any. I then decided to make vanilla pudding, which is usually what I make when I want ice cream, but am too lazy to go to the store. I poured myself some iced tea after placing the pudding in the freezer to set quickly. Suddenly, I decided I would take a bath. I marched to the bathroom with my tea and some cleaning supplies (I never take a bath without cleaning the tub first). I moved the pudding from the freezer to the fridge, dug a candle out of a waxy box (thanks Arizona heat), managed to find a lighter, and grabbed a book from the table.

I only take about five baths a year. You have to make sure you have enough time to take a bath before you start. Baths are not something I want to be rushed through. I go into the ritual thinking I might be there for an hour, I always get too hot, but the point is, I like to think all I will do that night is take a bath and then sit around thinking about being warm and cozy.

Today in the tub, I had a flashback to when I was a little girl at the farmhouse taking a bath with my Barbies. I hated how their hair would get wet and never return to the same texture. And don't even think about cutting it. I tried that a few times and it always ended in tears. They do not put warnings on the boxes not to get the hair wet or cut it. Plus, they make pools for Barbie (I had one) and they show water in the pool on the box. How are little girls supposed to know Barbie will never be the same after you dunk her? I also hated when they got water in their heads, it never totally came out because it would drip down into the body. Then if you took the head off to empty out the water, it never went back on the same and your Barbie was left with a shorter and less flexible neck. I had many drippy, short-necked, frizzy haired Barbies. I got newer Barbies who were not allowed to get near the water with their friends.

The tub doesn't seem nearly as big now that I am three times the size I was during my Barbie days. It is still a fairly deep tub and holds the water in, always a plus. At my last apartment, the tub had a problem retaining water. Within ten minutes, the tub was almost empty. Even worse, the water never stayed hot enough to fill up the tub. I actually boiled water in pots on the stove and hauled them to the bathroom. This made for some very toasty baths.

Baths at my old apartment were always fun because I had a cat at the time. He would sit next to me on the toilet and stare at me like he couldn't figure out what in the world was going on. It was one of the places he wouldn't try to climb all over me. He would alternate between staring intently and talking. His 'meoooows' always had an extra 'eooooow' to them when I was in the tub. It was a more drawn out, lower meow. Almost like he was yelling at me or asking what the hell I was doing. Water was always a mystery to him. He loved to watch it, but did not want to get wet. Occasionally, he would surprise both of us by sticking his paw in the water. Sometimes I would put balls in the water for him to bat around. He could only touch the water for so long before he got too creeped out and had to pull out his paw with a disgusted look on his face and run away yelling.Water was intriguing, yet also extremely offensive to Henry. I miss that little devil.

I realized today I hardly ever read the books I bring with me to the bath, but I always have one and I make sure to put a towel close by, so I can wipe off my hands before reaching for the book. Today I also had iced tea and an amber and myrrh candle. I started to wonder why I bring a book with me each time even though I never read more than a few pages, if any. I think maybe it is something I do that reminds me of my mother, or at least something I remember seeing my mom do. My mom always looked the most relaxed when she was in the tub with a book. She always handled bath time gracefully. I am not quite sure how she did it. I get water all over the floor, can't keep my hands dry enough to touch the book, and always get too hot about 15 min into my bath. One day I will be able to take baths like my mother. I finished off my iced tea and reached for the towel.

Bitching

2009-09-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

I am craving something creamy. Perhaps a 'cream of ' soup or extra creamy coffee or warm milk with raspberry syrup. The warm milk with raspberry syrup wins.

I got a rejection email from Three Springs today for a job I wanted very much. I thought the three interviews and the observation period had gone very well. Apparently, they decided to go in another direction. I guess it was not meant to be, but I cannot help but be a little disappointed.

I am honestly not sure what to do next. I have applied for over 50 jobs. I have either gotten rejections or have not heard anything in a long time from all of them. I would really like to start working again. It would be nice to have an income and a more permanent residence. I am getting tired of the boxes. I want to be surrounded by my things again and know where everything is.

I know it will happen eventually. I feel foolish for thinking I wouldn't have too much trouble finding a job out here. Apparently it sucks and, at least for me, is nearly impossible.

I promise my next blog will not be as bitchy, but this one is going to be mostly bitch.

Let it all out:

I want a job!
My back is killing me. It is a radiating, throbbing, won't go away, nerve-pinching, upper/mid-back pain. My chiropractor said he could probably fix it (for about $1,000). X-rays revealed my 5th vertebrae is out of place and my spine does not curve enough to let my lungs fully expand. Two doctors have told me this. I know I need to go get a third opinion, but I am not sure where to go. For now, I CANNOT get comfortable.
The stupid air conditioner is broken in my car, which makes driving around in 106 degree weather miserable. I show up to places with a sweaty shirt. Plus, sometimes when I stop at a light, the car sounds like it might turn off.
My laptop cannot read its battery, the ethernet connection has broken, it takes 21 min. to boot, and now it just dies if I use it for 30 min.
My cell phone's battery doesn't last half a day before it dies.
The dishwasher is broken. And will not wash the dishes or dissolve the tablets.
Andrew's car needs to go to the shop because something on the window is broken and flapping.
There are too many dishes.
More than half of my stuff is still in boxes. The boxes are in the way in various stages of unpacked-ness. It's a mess. I can't unpack because I might move at any time. I have no idea where I will find a job.
I got a Ped Egg yesterday (which works very well) but filed too much and now my left foot is sore and pink.
I have about 20 new bug bites on my legs.
I am very far from my family.
I have no friends here.
My back hurts.

Okay, change of plans. The warm raspberry milk is going to have to wait. I need a nap.

I do have some good news, I won't leave you with only the bad stuff.

Andrew is taking me out to Sweet Tomatoes tonight (love that place).
My feet are softer.
I watched Fried Green Tomatoes.
My life is pretty darn good and I have lots to look forward to.
My boyfriend is wonderful.
I am slowly getting my cardmaking and scrapbooking supplies organized.
I can sleep when I am tired.

Do you know what sucks? This is the moment in my life where I actually have the time to go on a vacation or to visit family, but I don't have the income to do so. Is that ironic? When I do have the income, I won't have the time. Oh well.

Dear Sir

2009-09-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

Hehehe, it happens a few times a year... I sign my name, and receive a Dear Sir or Dear Mr. in return. Today is no exception.

I hate writing Ms. Morgan after everything, but I suppose I need to when it actually matters.

Honestly, I like the fact people cannot be sure of my gender just by seeing my name. Hopefully it becomes clear upon seeing me in person.

The watched pot boiled.

2009-09-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

After a three day holiday weekend, I am using Tuesday as a day of rest. I am watching Gone with the Wind and drinking coffee with raspberry syrup and milk. I am becoming spoiled, but hopefully these long days of doing nothing will end soon.

I have only seen Gone with the Wind once, and I think I was 10. I didn't remember much about it, so it is like watching it for the first time. And I love it! Scarlett O'Hara is hilarious, but even better is Mammy.

Time for more coffee.

Update

2009-09-08T02:35:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't blogged recently, but I have been some combination of busy/lazy/uninspired.

Let me get you up to date.

Last week, Andrew's parents were out of town, so I spent some time over there watching the house, watering the plants, and enjoying their cable. I actually really like watering the plants. The only bad part about it is the sun.

I did have some good news on the job front last week. On Monday, I got a call and had a short interview. I then had a more in-depth interview on Wednesday at the location. They had me come back on Wednesday evening to observe the facility and so they could also observe me with the kids. I had sort of an informal interview after that. I thought it all went very well, but we will see what they think. I haven't heard back from them yet, but they have to do a background check and speak with my references and previous employers. I believe they were closed Friday-Monday for the holiday, so I don't expect to hear anything for the next couple of days. I am ready to find an apartment and have an income again.

The bad news is apartments are expensive where I want to live... the good news is most come with free basic cable. I would not purchase cable for myself, but it is definitely a bonus if the apartment provides it. I wish they would provide free internet instead.

On Friday, I went to an animal shelter and played with a very hyper and insanely strong black lab named Spartan. He was very happy to be let out of his cage. He yanked me all over the courtyard and pranced in front of the other dogs, who were barking hysterically. I couldn't get him to calm down because of all the barking. He did sit on my lap, well part of him did, for a little bit. I am sure if he was away from the barking he would calm down. He did not want to go back into his cage. He almost won, but eventually I got him in there. He is a bit too strong/hyper/big for me... plus I can't even have a dog right now anyway.

Saturday, Andrew had his test and I did some shopping at Goodwill and a Thrift Store. I found some books, a shirt, and a few random things. After the test, we headed over to the other animal shelter. We didn't play with any dogs there because they make you fill out papers and go through an adoption interview to even get one out of its cage. I was happy to see many of the dogs who were there a couple of weeks ago had been adopted. They get some amazing dogs coming through there.

After that, we went to Macaroni Grill to use a gift card. I had never been to one before. They go a little crazy with olive oil though. Everything was very shiny and slick. The place was also slightly dirty. The floor was nasty and looked like it hadn't been swept. There were dirty glasses stacked up on the ledge above our table. The booth seats were also dirty, but the food was great.

We went to the mall for a bit to get some shoes for Andrew and a shirt for me. I discovered I have very few short sleeved shirts. Plus, if I get this new job, I am going to need some new shirts. I have to wear pants and shirts that show no skin at all. There cannot be any midriff showing even when I reach my hands up high (this is hard to find since my torso is so long) and I cannot have any cleavage at all or too much neck when I bend over. Basically, I have to be able to tackle teenagers without showing any skin.

We went to Redbox a couple of times this weekend and watched Sunshine Cleaning, Adventureland, and Labor Pains. They were all okay, but Sunshine Cleaning and Adventureland were not nearly as funny as we had hoped. I guess we assumed they were comedies. Honestly, I enjoyed Labor Pains the most; I am slightly ashamed to admit.

On Sunday, we visited the zoo (see the previous post).

On Monday, it was time to clean and get the oil changed in Andrew's car. We went to Wal-Mart to get a few things, including a new planner for myself. Andrew's parents also returned from Virginia. We all went to Olive Garden and a few stores near the mall. I took a nice long nap from about 6pm-9pm, which is why I am awake at 2:30am blogging.\

I am also watching Camelot right now. My Nonna was right, I am enjoying the music.

Reid Park Zoo

2009-09-08T02:09:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we decided it was about time to take a field trip to the zoo. I lathered on the sunscreen and charged the camera. I even packed some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to make the experience more authentic. It was a lot of fun.

The Reid Park Zoo in Tucson is not huge, but big enough and well worth the $6/person tickets. There is even a little water area where kids can get soaked, always a hit. Plus, the zoo is located in Reid Park, which is a huge park full of lots of other free things to do and see.

We saw everything in three hours. We spent around 40 minutes watching and feeding otters and giraffes. There are plenty of places to rest in the shade and even some affordable food ($1 will get you a hot dog, bag of chips, or a 20oz fountain drink). Bring your own water, because the water from the fountains is lukewarm and tastes strongly of chlorine. We had packed only two bottles of water and were ready for 40oz Sonic limeades afterwards.

We got to the zoo just in time to watch the keepers feed the otters. They had fish and zucchini, and are absolutely adorable. Being an otter looks like a lot of fun. If you haven't ever seen one swim or play, you should look into it. If I had to be one of the animals at the zoo, I would pick the otter.

Next, we discovered several people feeding the giraffes, so we decided to participate. They were eating some sort of bean pod things from a tree. Their tongues are insanely long and slobbery. Andrew and I both got to feel their tongues and feed them. I even pet one on the nose! I had never been so close to a giraffe before. It was probably the highlight of the trip.

I think we saw more tattoos than we had ever seen in one place. Seriously. It seemed like every adult we saw had at least one tattoo, many had several. Some had body tattoos all up and down their arms and necks. I didn't think any of them were attractive. It was like crazy tattoo day at the zoo and no one was scared to show them. People can do whatever they want and I try not to judge... but are you kidding me? One guy had a crown (you know, like a king wears) tattooed over his left eyebrow. There were a lot of daggers on calves, some names on necks and forearms, Betty Page and other mostly nude women on forearms and biceps. Of course there were plenty of others, but those come to mind immediately. Think before you ink. If you still think it is a good idea to get Michael Jackson tattooed on your butt or an eagle or wolf on your chest, then by all means go ahead. It would probably suit you anyway and would allow the rest of us to get a much more accurate first impression of you.

I do not have a favorite animal from the day. I liked them all a lot. I probably had the most fun watching the giraffes, otters, big cats, and bear. I also really liked looking for birds in the atrium, which is something I can take the time to do now that I am not a child or with a child at the zoo. I think birds are something you develop a taste for the older you get, kind of like bridge, prunes, and sandals with socks. Looking for the birds was cool; they didn't have an overwhelming amount of birds and they provided a two-page identification sheet for those they did have. The bleeding heart dove is a bird I had never heard of before, but am intrigued by its name. My pictures of it didn't turn out very well, so if you want to see one, just google it.

Andrew was very excited about seeing the polar bears, but they were not out at all the whole day. He also really loved the anteater and the Great Hornbill. We also really liked the bear.

I swear this bear was walking around his cage smiling. And I am pretty sure the face he is making is the same one I have seen my parent's dogs make.

Some other pictures from the day:

follow your heart

2009-09-01T05:19:00.000-07:00

I can't sleep. I woke up around 3:30am slightly panicked. Sometimes I wonder if my dreams are the issue causing distress. I remember most of them (at least I think I do). I know for a fact some of the ones I remember do bother me, but I wonder if there are some I don't quite remember that make me tense.

A more likely scenario: I woke up around 3:30am slightly panicked because I am nervous and oh so excited (I guess nervousness implies excitement... well, I'm just doubly excited) about my upcoming interview! Even right now I have that funny feeling in my stomach. Deep down I know if it is meant to be, it will happen regardless. If it is not meant to be, it will not happen and I shouldn't push it. But still, one can't help but be nervous. I already had a preliminary surprise phone interview yesterday. I was not nervous at all and thought I did fine, probably because I had not been anticipating it.

I think I would actually enjoy this position very much. It was definitely one of my two top choices out of the over 50 jobs to which I have applied and is something about which I could be very passionate. I was actually starting to worry I would have to take a job where I would have to work very hard to be happy and find fulfillment (like insurance sales... not for me at all).

I am slowly uncovering my path and purpose. Cliche as it may be, I have always believed everyone has a purpose and a calling. I was a bit bummed the other day because I was worried I would never find what I am supposed to do in my life, but I think I am on the right path. When I think about it, I have this drive I cannot quite put into words. I think I finally have faith it is actually there. It is a feeling that when ignored, becomes an unavoidable shove. If ignored further, the result is confusion and a feeling of hopelessness.

It is not in my nature to be comfortable just letting things happen, but I think this is what I was supposed to work on and realize these past two months.

All we need do is listen. The best advice I have received was from a former boss and is so simple, "follow your heart". I tell myself that every day. I am not sure what it is I am supposed to do or how to put it into words, but I think I am following the right feeling and no matter how annoying it is right now to be unemployed... that is exactly what I am supposed to be (slightly annoyed and unemployed).

Perhaps it is time. If not, you will probably have to read another blog like this in the future :)

Goodwill Treasures

2009-08-31T22:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, while Andrew was studying hard for his GRE, I decided to take a trip to the Goodwill I had recently discovered was very close to the house. It was an interesting experience. In most Goodwill Stores (like those in Indiana), things are on hangers and clothes are separated into categories. At this particular Goodwill, everything is mixed together in a series of bins. There is no order whatsoever! But, the good news is all clothes are only $1. This includes anything, including coats.

So yeah, it took me about half an hour to warm-up to this unruly Goodwill store. My first impression, "what a lot of crap". But, I had nothing better to do, so I decided to dig a little. There were plates buried under bins filled with stuffed animals, worn socks tangled in outdated Christmas tinsel, the occasional tacky wooden fish wall hanging, and a board game which had been torn open and its pieces tossed haphazardly in random bins. I hope it gets all of its pieces back, that's just sad.

Anyway, I dug a little. I found something. I dug a little more. I looked at the shelves of 'artwork' that seems to go unnoticed. I dug deeper. I found some treasures and had a lot of fun.

My new coat, for $1. Perfect for Tucson winters:

Exercise jacket for those fall walks, $1 It is actually a pink color, but it looks orange here:

Skirt for $1:

Another skirt, this one brown, for $1. Oops, the belt loop is supposed to be on the side:

Shirt for my boy, $1. He's wearing it to work tomorrow:

If I ever want to make a cake or some cornbread.... I love the silicone, the colors, and the fact that the blue one is Kitchen Aid. $2 for all three:

These will go in my new place. A little more expensive than the other things at $3.50 for both:

I love this little picture frame. It was only $1. I stuck a postcard in there, but will change it soon:

Throw pillow with removable case: $1; large dark basket: $2; lighter basket I'll use for remote controls: $.50.

It looks better in person. $1 :)

I don't care for the images, but I love the frames and matting. Now to find new pictures. $3.50 for both.

So cute. $2.50 for both.

Awesome finds

2009-08-30T14:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend was awesome. Not only did I go to Tombstone (see previous post), but I also found some new stuff at Big Lots and a craft store I had never seen before. Lots of card stock in various shades of red and I love the cowboy stickers:

Even more exciting than Big Lots, I went several garage sales on Saturday morning. Andrew and I found some cool stuff:

This little dresser is going to be my new nightstand. I don't actually own one. I think I will strip it and paint it white. Not bad for $5:

I got these 5 wire containers for $5:

Cute. I think I will drill a hole in the bottom to hide my ipod and cell phones while they charge. This is also perfect for mail. The price was right at $.50:

Love this piece. I think I will put a candle in the middle. It will be perfect for a patio table when I get one. I splurged and spent $1:

I had been looking for a caddy to hold cleaning supplies to make cleaning the house more efficient. I finally find one at a good price, $.50:

We love our games. Sorry for $1, Andrews game for $.50, The Book Thief (hardcover) for $.25, the Hatchet for $.25, a metal ruler and wooden ruler with a sharp edge for $.25 for both, and lots of sheets of card-stock cut into greeting card size for $.25. All of this for $2.50:

Dri-weave shirts can be very expensive. The two darker shirts were brand new with tags. The light one was barely used. I got all three for $6. My walks got more exciting:

Total spent on garage sale finds: $20.50, which is not much considering what I found. I am happy :)

Tombstone

2009-08-29T21:11:00.000-07:00

We went with Andrew's family to Tombstone today. It was a lot of fun and one of my first little old western town experiences. I am starting to understand why it is called the Wild West. I like it, but probably would not have survived very well back in the day.

Tombstone has plenty of cool buildings and little things to look at and do. I am going to go back sometime, hopefully soon, with my Nikon.

We did some shopping. There are plenty of cute little gift shops for tourists. I got a postcard. Matt got some gold and silver nuggets in little jars.

Treva and I almost got some adorable hats... but the boys weren't that enthused.

I am also going to go on this carriage ride next time I return to Tombstone. It is only $10 a person and you get to hear the history of the town.

Matt did give us a ride, but it wasn't quite the experience we were looking for :)

I got to see and stand in the place where an actual shoot-out took place in 1881 between 4 lawmen and 4 cowboys. We were not able to stay and watch the reenactment, but I hear it is really good. We're also going to go back for that.

We did get to meet one of the actors who plays Doc Holliday. He was good. I guess the guy made his money playing, cheating at, Faro. He had members of the audience participate; including Treva, Matt, and myself.

Morgan Earp was the name of one of the gunfighters and friend of Doc Holliday. He is kind of a big deal in Tombstone. Here is my pizza parlor.

come on get happy

2009-08-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

I look forward to the day when I can make my own home. I have been living out of boxes for about two months. I am so lucky to have a wonderful place to stay, but I am a little tired of the boxes.

Tonight, I did something to make myself smile. I decided to make a bedroom. All I need is a comfy bed, a TV, some Friends DVDs, my computer, and no clutter or boxes. First, I put the bed on a frame and added a dust ruffle (I don't like looking at mattresses). I added lots of color to my bed.

I put the DVD player in the cabinet and hid the cords (something that had been slightly bothering me). I got rid of the clutter in that room. I also created a makeshift nightstand out of boxes and a lovely piece of colorful fabric. At night, I close the door on the boxes and play Friends.

I have something that is starting to feel like Morgan. I was beginning to miss it. I have also come to the conclusion I cannot survive without color.

What is today?

2009-08-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

I feel like a teenager on Summer Break... except without MTV, a bag of Doritos, and the annoying kid brother.

My former annoying kid brother is now an adult living in Arkansas with better things to do. I am scared of keeping Doritos in the house. And I don't have any TV channels. Instead, I am watching the Office Season 4 on DVD from the library and eating lots of oats. I love oats.

I have pretty much run out of jobs to apply to and am now just waiting. I have received four rejections and no interviews. I have been applying for pretty much anything.

I have tried to see what volunteer opportunities I could find. The library I wanted to volunteer at told me they have no volunteer openings at this time. The other library has openings a month from now, but they need a semester commitment. The animal shelters want a commitment of at least 6 months. I understand why they need a commitment from their volunteers, but I have no idea where I will be in a couple of months. The problem is I might be living 100 miles from here in a month, so I am not sure where to start volunteering. Everything depends on finding a job. I am trying to think of places that might need temporary or one-time volunteers. Any ideas?

I am actually pretty proud of myself. I have been unemployed and out of school for almost two months and have not gone crazy or died of boredom! I am surprised. I always thought I would be one of those people who would loose my mind if I had no work or school commitments for longer than a month, but I'm doing okay. I am not sure how I manage to make the time pass, but I think I have discovered how to keep myself entertained and busy (something my mom has been encouraging for years). I am sure she would be proud.

An ideal day

2009-08-24T22:19:00.001-07:00

I love magazines.

I also love my orange sheets.

I finally found them!

I am content.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

2009-08-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

We finally went to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. It is only $6/person if you arrive after 4pm on Saturdays during the summer. They have also extended their hours for the summer and remain open until 10pm on Saturday.

I assumed everything would be well-lit once the sun went down, apparently we did not get the memo. Most guests (maybe regulars) had flashlights or headlamps. We could still see enough to walk down the main trails, but we had to light signs and the maps with our cell phones. Also, they do not light the exhibits, but everyone was very nice and didn't mind illuminating the animals for us after dark.

By the way, is it just me or is the desert pretty scary at night? I now know just how well all of the animals blend in. Most of these animals are very hard to find in their cages. I can't imagine trying to pick them out in the wild, let alone at night.

We were just in a desert museum, but I still had a nasty spider jump on me on my way to the restroom after dark. I saw a huge spider swimming around in a pond (not part of an exhibit). I have always enjoyed camping, but I don't think I want to camp in the desert anytime soon, or be out there after dark.

We still had a few hours to look at the animals in the daylight though. The website suggests most people need only two to three hours to look at the whole museum. We were there for 5 1/2 hours, and I am going to have to go back to see the rest. Maybe I am slow, but I would suggest planning for more than two to three hours.

We were able to catch two shows. We had amazing seats for both, right in the front. The first show was about feathers, fur, and scales. They brought out different animals. I thought the porcupine was the most entertaining.

The second show was all about birds that prey at night. A hawk flew over our heads several times. They flew so low to us, unbelievably low. It was amazing. My favorite animal from this show was definitely the great horned owl, plus we got to see it eat a mouse.

You must go see this museum! They are always expanding and building new exhibits. There are beautiful images of the animals on the museum's website, but here are some of ours from the day:

Although raccoons are always funny and entertaining:

My favorite animals were probably the wolves (surprise):

A's favorite was this parrot

I had no idea he liked parrots prior to this trip. Apparently, he really likes parrots. The parrots were pretty awesome and all, but who would you want on your side in the desert... a parrot or a wolf. Enough said.

Focus on the positive

2009-08-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

Next-door kitty did not visit all weekend! I even saw him in his yard on Saturday, but he seemed too scared to come over and visit. A suggested he probably just takes the weekends off. That did not make any sense to me. But, sure enough... 10:30am rolls around Monday morning and I hear a meow at the door. I was being called out to play.

He wanted in the house very badly.

We cannot have kitties in the house though, sorry pretty boy.

Until tomorrow.

When I get a job, I will definitely miss next-door kitty time.

little white whale on the go

2009-08-22T07:06:00.000-07:00

I bet my boyfriend wishes he had never asked me "is that really how that Baby Beluga soon goes anyway." I think I sing that song every morning.

He must have been impressed when I was able to pull up a couple of versions on my computer to prove it. You better believe I gots all sorts of Raffi up on this machine! Now he is whining, "Morgan Elizabeth, you just played that song!" (This coming from the guy who will play the same 70s rock song multiple times in a row.)

Oh, I love Joshua Giraffe! Maybe I should put on my headphones. Never mind, I think he has decided it is music sharing time. I am now listening to Collective Soul and hearing a story about how he saw them in concert. And now his computer is frozen, so it is skipping. He's still singing though.

Still skipping...

This is what you get for messing with Raffi.

Oh Wonderful Storm

2009-08-21T16:03:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I am loving Tucson. We had a marvelous storm, causing the temperature to drop from over 100 degrees to 79. I got very excited around 3pm when the sun started to vanish. I went outside to enjoy it, until it started pouring. I don't know where my umbrella is, so I came inside. But I did throw open the windows and patio door. I am currently enjoying the cool breeze and muted sun. And the blinds are open for once!

The house smells of Italian sausage, which I am preparing for dinner. We'll have salad, sausage, pasta with red sauce, broccoli, and baked potatoes (because the boy loves potatoes with everything :) Then, it is off to the mall to look for some new pants for A. His seem to be shrinking.

Tomorrow, we might actually make it to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. I hear it is amazing. And tomorrow is Family Astronomy Night with lots of cool stuff, including a bird show featuring hawks, owls, and falcons. They emphasized these were live birds... I would hope so.

Next-Door Kitty Returns

2009-08-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

I had just settled in after an early lunch, when I heard a meow at the door.

We shared a drink; had a snuggle; and went our separate ways.

We'll probably meet again tomorrow.

Friday.

2009-08-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

Friday pretty much rocks. Yes, it is the beginning of the weekend, which means I get to spend plenty of time with my boyfriend. But, even more importantly, Friday is the day I get to gather trash from all over the house and put it outside to be hauled away. It is actually a very cool concept and the highlight of my week.

New Love

2009-08-21T09:45:00.000-07:00

I probably eat too much of the stuff, but man is it good. Nothing like mayo and lettuce on a sandwich. I used to really like Miracle Whip, until I discovered Mayo with Olive Oil. So good! It's also a little healthier since it is made with more olive oil than soybean oil and contains less fat than regular mayo. Yummy! Dreaming of eating it again soon...

Oh, the Simple Life

2009-08-20T22:15:00.000-07:00

Just finished watching:
What can I say... I'm a sucker for reality TV, even if it is not so real. This show just cracks me up. And I know the cool thing to do is hate Paris, but I just can't. If you so desire, you can buy all of Season 4 for only $5.99 on Amazon right now, which means it must be terrific.

Tomorrow, I watch:And I can't wait. My life is very exciting right now. I love you Netflix. Maybe I will get a job interview between episodes?

For now I am just sitting at home using my keen observational skills to come up with deep questions. For example: Why did they put Paris and Nicole's names on the cover for Season 4, but not Season 5? And also,we seem to be running dangerously low on toilet paper, where can I get a good deal on toilet paper?

Rinse, wash, repeat.

2009-08-20T14:01:00.001-07:00

Oh today is a good day. Well, I guess it is just like any other day.

I am bored. And while I have enjoyed these past five weeks of being unemployed (cough, cough), it is time for me to get back to work. I went to a job fair yesterday. At least I got to practice making small talk, but that was it. Most of the employers wanted insurance salespeople. I can't do that. Maybe if I am still desperate in a few weeks... I have received a few rejections, mostly from places I do not really care that much about. I still have not gotten any interviews. I don't understand. People keep saying it will happen. I know I will have a job again one day, but it seems I would have at least one interview after applying for over 50 jobs.

The highlight of the day: getting three Netflix movies in the mail. I also got some new magazines, always fun. Apparently a music magazine to which I had a subscription went out of business, so in its place they decided to subscribe me to Maxim magazine... No thanks. I called first thing and got that canceled. I am not sure why they did that. Well, to avoid refunding customers' money.

Not so good parts of the day: I got yet another hospital bill in the mail! I love it. And the AC in my car seems to be broken, and has been all week. My fingers are still crossed :/ Okay done complaining.

I am still waiting for that beautiful next-door-kitty to come visit me today. He has a glittery blue collar and meows a lot. He hangs out on the roof of his house at night, probably looking for lizards. Yesterday he kept thumping up against the front door meowing loudly. I went out to play with him. He is very sweet. I call him Pretty, but I don't really know what his name is.My days usually include:

Some combination of oatmeal, peanut butter sandwiches, and turkey sandwiches.
Thinking about next-door-kitty, Pretty. Visiting with Pretty.
Thinking about or visiting doggies at the Animal Shelters.
Sitting or sleeping.
Sometimes cleaning.
Watching reality TV shows on DVD... Project Runway and the Simple Life.
Watching How I Met your Mother.
Pacing.
Looking for work.
Taking a walk with my boy.
Watching a movie with my boy.
Sleeping.
And now, blogging, I guess.

It is an interesting change of pace considering I used to be a full-time graduate student with two part-time jobs. I am learning to keep myself busy. It is a good skill to have. And I think I am doing surprisingly well all things considered. I am out of school for the first time since I was 3. That's pretty sweet.

Who am I?

2009-08-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

About a month and a half ago, I decided to quit my job and move to southern Arizona. I had just enough time to put in my two weeks notice before the truck pulled out of the driveway (or sketchy alley in front of my even sketchier apartment).

I had graduated with a Master of Library Science in May and my apartment lease was ending in early August. My job was only part-time and brought in just enough money to barely pay the bills. Plus (the deciding factor), I had fallen in love with a guy who had just accepted a job offer in Arizona.

So I went west.

Now, you might be thinking this is not a big deal. And you would be right, it is not really a huge deal in the scheme of things. I mean, people move all the time. People see the world. But for me, this was a big step. Prior to July 16th, I had never been west of Iowa. I had never been outside of Indiana for more than a week. I still haven't been on a plane.

Now that I have been in Arizona for a month, I must say it is not a big deal. Arizona is just like Indiana in so many ways, except the scenery is a bit different.

When I first got here, I was a bit scared. It can get pretty windy in the desert, causing your car to drift to the side of the road. I kept hearing scary stories about drug gangs. There are 'Watch for rattlesnakes' signs in town. I had crazy bugs coming into the house. A black widow had been in the garage. There are scorpions and sun spiders and tarantulas. There is not always enough water, depending on where you are. The temperature is pretty much always over 100. People in Arizona have the highest rate of skin cancer in the U.S. and the second highest in the world. Plus, the area we were moving to supposedly has some contaminated water that had been known to cause cancer and leukemia. My skin got dry and I got sunburned through my clothes. In Indiana, I only worried about tornadoes.

Things are different here. It is too hot to do anything in the middle of the day. It looks different. Everything is brown/gray. They bring in gravel to fill the yards. I missed the grass. I missed the trees. I missed green. I went on a hunt for trees and flowers. I did find some. The cacti produce beautiful flowers occasionally. There are some trees.

I still have not seen any tarantulas or snakes. I did have a sun spider in my bag one evening, which was creepy. I have seen only two scorpions, but tons and tons of lizards. I love the lizards. I have seen three beautiful tiny owls, each let me get about a foot away from them. There is a cat next door who hangs out on the roof of the house at night and visits me during the day.

I have become much more used to the heat. I felt like I was constantly in a sauna until a few days ago. I suddenly realized I had been gradually feeling colder indoors. The thermostat in the house is at 77, which is okay, but if you turn on the ceiling fan, I go running for the sweats and blankets. I think I am adjusting :) And after sitting in a restaurant or shopping, I am so thankful for the 100+ degree weather. It feels amazing. Plus the humidity is nothing like in Indiana, so it does not feel like you're being punched in the face every time you walk outside. It just feels like a lovely sauna. Don't get me wrong, it is still insanely hot here and you have to be extremely careful, but overall, it is much more tolerable than an Indiana summer.

Anyway, I am starting this blog for my family and myself. Mostly, I want to post pictures for my family, so they know I am alive and well and have not been kidnapped by a boy, or a drug gang, and locked in a basement somewhere. So that's the plan. And as my stepfather would say, As a matter of fact it is all about me.

Something for the yard

2009-08-16T21:43:00.000-07:00

A's parents brought us some lawn chairs!! I was actually thinking about getting one myself. Now there are four. One for me, one for my feet, one for my magazines, and one for A. Now in the backyard there are rocks, one weed, a hose, and four chairs. Things are getting interesting.

Ralphie

2009-08-02T22:59:00.000-07:00

Getting my dog fix.

A's brother and his girlfriend have a sweet dog, Ralphie, who visits A's parents on Sunday evenings.

He makes me smile.

Rock Yards

2009-07-30T19:42:00.000-07:00

When we got to Arizona, A was excited to see new gravel in the yard. Apparently, they haul in trucks of gravel for the yards around here. I guess I am not sure what I expected. I was naively hoping for grass I suppose, not realizing how much time or money you would have to spend watering your lawn.

The yard at the house:

The neighbor's yard:

A's parent's yard:

And yes, he does actually spend time throwing rocks :)

The House

2009-07-25T16:58:00.000-07:00

Today is the day to unpack, a little.

Searching for Internet

2009-07-22T21:33:00.000-07:00

Well, we don't have internet at the house. So, we spend evenings at the library using the free wireless. The only problem is that the library closes at 8pm Mon.-Thurs., and much earlier the other three days of the week. We decided we needed to find another source of wireless. Introducing Del Taco. Free wireless 24/7. I will warn you though, the crazies start coming in when it gets dark. For example: there was a guy hanging out in the women's restroom for about 20 minutes. We aren't going back there again. We decided to order internet at the house. The only problem is Cox said they wouldn't be able to hook it up for a week.Who knows why it takes so long.

Cave Numero Uno

2009-07-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed some burgers at Red Robin today with A's parents. It was my first time at Red Robin. I had the salmon burger and a side of cantaloupe. I couldn't believe they have bottomless fries, crazy.

We then headed over to Colossal Cave. I of course purchased a post card from the gift shop while we waited and resisted putting 61 cents in a machine to get a smashed penny.

The tour was like most cave tours. The guide told us Kartchner Caverns is actually much better. Does he have no pride in his own cave?

We didn't really spend much time in the park, except to see the cave, but I would like to go back sometime because it is beautiful.

Plus, I found two cool bugs.

Storm #2

2009-07-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

Another storm. Not gonna lie, they're kinda fun.

Working man

2009-07-21T21:39:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for his second day of work with a hearty whole grain pancake.

Monsoon Storms

2009-07-20T19:11:00.000-07:00

I was told there would be some good storms (without tornadoes!) in Tucson during monsoon season. However, I was told they have not really been bad this year. I experienced my first. The storms are actually really cool and I know a tornado won't destroy me. The lightning out here is beautiful. It can get pretty windy, making it difficult to drive. Here's my first:

You'll be getting my card.

2009-07-19T23:58:00.000-07:00

My first full day in Arizona!

2009-07-19T23:56:00.000-07:00

I knew what I wanted to do my first day here, so I grabbed my wallet and a piece of mail (I had thought ahead and made sure some would be waiting for me). I came home with this:Of course we also walked around downtown for a bit, because the library opened later than we thought. We went to the Visitor's Center where we met a very helpful lady, whose job I want. I got some literature on the area and successfully found some flowers and green things:

The highlight of the day was the library. It was complete with crazies; including a woman who seemed to be sort of sleeping and talking to herself in the parking garage stairwell. I felt right at home. I hear the winters here are amazing, so I guess that is why there are so many homeless people... but I am not sure how they survive the summer. I could barely take a few minutes of that heat. By the way, it was the hottest day of the year to date.

That evening, we went to visit A's parents. Wow are there some pretty mountains around here. I can't wait to explore them... when it cools down.

My temporary home

2009-07-19T09:31:00.000-07:00

So, I really do have a place to stay and am not sleeping in a car under a bridge. A's parents own a house where their sons lived when they were going to college. No one was living there at the time, so they offered to let us stay here until we figure out what to do next, which was very sweet.

And to the backyard...

The Move: Day 4

2009-07-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

Up and ready to go for the fourth (and final) day of driving.

Made it to Arizona, so exciting.

No longer do I have to stare at the U-Haul:

We made it to the house on the fourth day, where the A's dad met us and helped us unpack. We then had a nice dinner and went to bed very tired.

The Move: Day 3

2009-07-17T22:30:00.000-07:00

More Oklahoma, and a little bit of Texas... and finally New Mexico. And yes, we hit Albuquerque during rush hour and the construction was even more ridiculous than anything else on the trip... insanely narrow lanes and all. I got out the camera today. I was a feeling a bit more relaxed and thought we might finally make it to our destination. The scenery: beautiful and like I had never seen before.

Things were feeling and looking a bit more dry than I was used to.

For lunch, we found a Dairy Queen:

And for dinner, Taco Bell and assorted items from the hotel and a gas station:

The Move: Day 2

2009-07-16T22:10:00.000-07:00

Ooooklahoma!!! For the first time. And man does that state go on and on. Things were starting to feel hotter. We stayed at some little truck stop hotel in the middle of nowhere, it was okay minus the cockroach in the bathroom. Subway for dinner. I had a whole foot long to myself and enjoyed half a gallon of water. Tulsa was a bit crazy to drive through. We managed to hit both Tulsa and Oklahoma City around rush hour, which is how the story of our trip goes. Plus it seemed there was construction everywhere, not fun with the U-Haul. I still went to bed feeling like we were getting nowhere.

The Move: Day 1

2009-07-15T21:23:00.000-07:00

Well, a million little things happened that made us pull out of Bloomington later than we wanted. But, we finally hit the road. I didn't take any pictures the first day. I spent all my time worrying the trailer carrying my car attached to the back of the U-Haul would hit something. It did not. We made it to St. Louis right in time for rush hour. By the way, a full U-Haul pulling a car with a trailer does not go as fast as one might hope. It felt like we were never going to make it. We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express in Cuba, Missouri the first night. If you want a good laugh, make your Tom-Tom say 'Cuba'. I also had my first meal from Jack in the Box. It was okay.

Andrew had quite an interesting time driving the U-Haul. I guess that thing can be pretty challenging to steer. I must say, by the end of the trip, he was driving it beautifully. Poor guy had to listen to just the radio for about 30 hours. I on the other hand had a 5-disc CD player, an ipod, and amazing AC. I was driving his car.

Family to the rescue

2009-07-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

The day before we pulled the truck out of Bloomington, my wonderful family came to help us load the truck. It was kind of last minute, but we were very thankful for the help. My brother even came up from Arkansas. I could not find my camera that day. I later found it packed in a strange place, so unfortunately I have no pictures from that day. But, I'm sure it looked something like this:

Packing

2009-07-12T22:38:00.000-07:00

It might not look like it, but two days before heading out, we were making progress. And oh yeah, I had the flu.

The goodbye party.

2009-07-09T23:51:00.000-07:00

So, this is for my Nonna who always gets so excited when I reassure I do have friends. A little less than a week before the move, my friends from work and I all went out to celebrate and say goodbye.