Coloring My Life

Today was a somewhat relaxing event. I got to check out a few yard sales, lay in the grass, read outside, and watch my new bedroom slowly change color.

The yard sales ended up being a bust, no desks or kickballs to be found. Although Amy did buy a cute pair of faux Uggs, you know ones that will actually hold up in the snow.

It was a beautiful day so while Amy finished up her homework (yes, she is still in school, yuck!), I caught up on some reading. I'm still 3 books behind for my goal of 100 for the year but I'm hoping to remedy that by mid-June and get back on track. Plus I should probably mail those library books back to Framingham at some point.

The bedroom, which used to be my 13 year old cousin's room, was painted orange when I moved in. We bought two gallons of primer and a wonderful sage green color to paint over that. I offered assistance to my uncle multiple times but he insisted that he didn't need any help. Not one to argue, I let him paint the room to his little heart's desire. Well actually, I picked the color so I guess he was painting the room to suit my heart's desire, but I digress. And here is beautiful finished product that I couldn't be more happy with. Now I don't feel nauseated whenever I walk into my room!

 What else can I update you on?
Well my phone interview for the GA position on Wednesday went really well and in fact, I will be going in on Monday for a follow-up in person interview! I'm so excited. I think I have a really good chance of getting the job with my background, but keep your fingers crossed for me just in case!

Oh and for those of you without Facebook, you should probably be aware that I cut off all my hair, again. Even more than usual. I did an angled bob, with it longer in the front this time, something I've never tried before. I'm in love with it. And I let Amy paint my nails a vibrant purple color (Selena Gomez by OPI as a matter of fact, Marshalls for $5.99), which she managed to do with minimal color on my nail beds!

I made delicious lemon poppyseed muffins from scratch because Kenny and Amy had never had them before (oh, those poor deprived children!) and promised Amy that I would make chocolate chip cookies with her soon.

For dinner, I tried something I had never done before called taco cups. My aunt was going to make them but I decided to give it a try while they went to church. Luckily, they came out tastefully, no pun intended, and the family devoured them. I must say, I loved this new way to eat 'tovers.

 And once the painting had been done, I was able to move my stuff back into the room and finally set up my bookcase! It makes me so happy to see row after row of books lined up in order and alphabetically. And I am now using the top shelf for my movies, Amy says I have too many, which works out pretty well. Overall, a successful and happy day. Hopefully I can find a desk soon and get that set up and then it will REALLY feel like home to me. I like having a place to sit and work separate from just hanging out to watch TV. Which reminds me, my aunt picked up a cable box for me today so I'm going to have actual TV again! *pats self on the back*


What I'm reading: The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Progress: Maybe a quarter of the way through?
Reaction so far: A very odd book. There is plot movement without a lot happening and there is very little in the way of explanation. I feel like a Pevensie thus far. And according to a good friend, that feeling won't change by the time I finish reading the book.

Recently Finished: The Vow by Jessica Martinez
Thoughts: A great story about personal growth and love. You can learn a lot about yourself from falling in love and breaking up. The main characters have a strong friendship and it endures throughout the book, which I loved to see. And even when you thought one of them was going to fall apart, they managed to pull through with the help of the other. It was heart-breakingly sad but uplifting in a greater sense. I enjoyed it but I definitely can't read it while homesick.

McFluffy, Highways, and Libraries

Today was the first cold and rainy day that I've had since moving. Granted it's only been about 5 days but still. It's a system shock to go from 85 degrees to 55 degrees in the same week. (I know, I know you think I shouldn't be complaining.)

Today also happened to be the whole reason I moved down so early: a job opportunity. My interview for the Teaching Assistant (TA) position occurred at 12:30pm and I feel good about how it went. I think it will be an amazing opportunity for me if I get it. But first, I had to pick an outfit. And as usual, I picked the wrong one for the weather. I thought I'd be safe with one of my pant suits but figured since it's after Labor Day and I won't have many chances to wear it, I took my white Nine West suit out of its garment bag and hung it up to admire. With its nautical themed buttons, short jacket, high-waist pants, and all around form fit, I thought it looked pretty good. Plus white on a rainy day, a nice distraction, a way to stand out. And it wasn't even raining when I was getting dressed. So I put on a  little make-up and the suit and pulled my hair up into a twist (man, I can't wait to cut it off). I grabbed my trusty Bentley Alumni resume book (it's actually a leather padfolio but I like my term better) and headed out the door with full confidence in swing.

My GPS came in handy once again and helped to arrive safely to campus with 15 minutes to spare. Luckily, my aunt told me which parking garage to leave my car in that would be closest to the McKeldin Library, where my interview was being held. I parked and paid for an hour, nearly losing my receipt to an angry gust of wind and being able to punch in my cell phone number to be notified when I had 10 minutes left on my parking meter, and walked in a light rain to the correct building. Thankful that there were signs. I managed to get in and find the office with no issue. The three women I met with were very polite and informal. I felt vastly overdressed, a feeling that I am used to after attending Bentley. (A huge thank you to everyone at Bentley who insisted on formal dress for presentations, dress for the part you want, business is about perception and being perceived in the best light for a first impression is key.) Anyway, we sat at a table, they took turns asking me questions, mostly about what interested me in the job and what I would do in certain situations. Then as I asked them a few things in return our conversation turned even more informal until we were discussing our backgrounds and what Vegas was like at various times of the year. Connecting with people is my strong suit and I think I nailed that in this interview.

I headed back home and started making a mental checklist of things I need to accomplish before we paint my bedroom on Saturday. Oh yes, pick up the kids, make lemon poppyseed muffins since apparently my cousins have been deprived and never had them, finish my laundry, move out all my boxes of books. That's all I can think of so far. The next few days will certainly be an extra dose of adventure. I wonder what happens when you put a 13 year old, a 10 year old, and a 25 year old in a room with 3 gallons of paint...

In other news, for all my cat fanatics (Alli, you may want to skip this), here are some pics of my new friend, Ripken. He was supposed to be my aunt's cat but has gotten incredibly addicted to my cousin, Amy. He is pretty anti-social towards me, except when there is no one else around and he wants to be pet or let out. He is actually kind of a pain in my butt. He gets what my cousins' lovingly refer to as "tail junk" which means that because he is a medium furred cat, he has a fluffy tail, and he is an outdoor cat, hence his fluffy tail attracts things such as leaves, maple tree helicopters, burrs, twigs, etc. Oh and it's tick season. Good thing he is too afraid of me to come in my room much, I hope he stays away for a little while. Although I did catch him on my bookshelf last night. Not impressed. It's a really good thing he is a cute. He was waiting outside the bathroom for me this morning, purring and wanting love.

What I'm Reading: A Tale of Two Centuries by Rachel Harris
Progress: About halfway
Reaction so far: Not quite as interesting as the first book so far. Alessandra learning today's world is far less engaging to me than Cat learning 15th century Florence. Great characters and solid plot, enough to keep me entertained by not fully tuned in.

Kat the Explorer

After my horrific experience at Comcast yesterday, I decided to get some badly needed retail therapy. And what better place to start than TJMaxx, which I happened to drive by on my way to Comcast?
I pulled into the shopping center and saw a sign for a sandal sale at Payless, so obviously I had to pop in there first. I found a few things I liked but decided not to buy right then. I wanted to see if anything better could be found in Maxxinista territory.

As soon as I walked into the store I realized how spoiled I've been over the last two years going to the TJMaxx and Marshalls down the street from TJX headquarters. Not to say that this store was a bad one, in fact it was one of the cleanest and neatest stores I've ever been in. The aisles weren't overflowing and the floors were clean and the entire place was well lit. I think the size was about what I expected, it was the merchandise that caught me off guard. Compared to what I was used to, the store looked...empty. There was a good selection of merchandise but I haven't seen aisles this wide in a long while. It was a spacious store and some great finds, along with a few interesting pieces. I just think I've been spoiled. But I digress. I wandered into my usual sections. First the purses and other accessories. There was a lovely Lucky purse hiding in the back. And if I could wear scarves in 90 degree heat, I definitely would have picked up one of beautiful lightweight ones. The jewelry display was gleaming, watches catching my eye and earrings for my cousin who just recently got hers pierced. I browsed the career pants, you know in case I manage to get one of the 15 million GA positions that I've applied for over the last couple of months . And I found myself wishing it was jean season so I could buy more Express and DKNY before they get gobbled up. There was some nice workout clothes and comfy-looking home section, where I did find what I've been searching for for about two years: gray sheets! I own two purple and gray comforters (one also has cream in it) and have been searching for the perfect non-white sheets ever since I purchased them. And yesterday was my lucky day! Cynthia Rowley, full size for $24.99, I nearly jumped for joy! I didn't want to push my luck so after I found them, I bought them and headed back to the house. But I wanted to make a pitstop first: Marshalls, of course.
I used my GPS (which I have a feeling I will be using for a long time to come) to navigate my way over the town centre where Marshall's is located. I had one snag: I turned into a construction site instead of the road I needed...the workers in the truck had a good laugh at me I'm sure. Good thing I have out of state plates! Anyway, I found a parking spot and wandered my way into the store. And then was when I first became confused. When you first walk in, the store looks tiny, and then I realized the wall on the left side jutted into the store, it didn't cut it off. The men's section was on the other side of it. No idea why it was built that way but there it is. Okay, and then I saw the shoe section. If you had been watching the cameras, I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped. The entire shoe department was the size of the women's shoe section at the Marshalls back in MA. I nearly cried. Don't misunderstand, the selection was actually quite good, just once again, I've been spoiled and it was less than I expected. I browsed for a bit before I sought out my D2/4 guys to look at. I found some Lucky and MK and other loves. That made me feel better. The bright pink Cube sign caught my attention so I went to look at juniors, they usually have dresses that are a good length for my height. I don't feel like I'm swimming in cloth as much. And I found one that I am definitely going back to buy when I hit the grocery store tomorrow :)

But the BEST, absolutely the BEST part of my day was this amazing #fabfound that I had at Marshalls. For those of you not in the know, here is the quick back story: Me and the girls from TJX used to have girls' nights, you know the usual wine, food, and chatting and one night, Krystina brought over this spectacular chocolate peanut butter popcorn (that we devoured in about 5 minutes) and we have all been searching frantically for it ever since. Unfortunately, none of us have ever seen it again. I did stumble across Cosmos Creations in the Q-line during one of my many trips to Marshalls, which I purchased and quickly became addicted to. And of course, after I bought the second bag, the last one on the shelf, I couldn't find it again. Devastated, I made my sisters search the Marshalls and TJMaxx closest to them, no dice. However, the stars must have been in my favor yesterday, because I managed to find an entire shelf of them plus a new flavor to try: Salted Caramel!! (The original is sea salt and butter.) And damn if I wasn't more excited than I had been after finding my sheets. Oh what an eventful day yesterday was, which has actually made me a day behind in posting. So I'm going to finish this, switch over my laundry and write about how today went. Bear with me.

What I'm reading: Have Your Cake and Kill Him Too by Nancy Martin
Progress: About a third done
Reaction so far: I'm addicted to this series. It's not too light, it does have depth, but it's still an easy beach-type read that I don't have to think too much about when I get into it. The  Blackbird sisters are up to their eyes in shenanigans and murder once again and some extra complications are making it extra interesting. I can't wait to see what Nora does next!

Comcast Not On Demand

Sometimes you just have a day that is beyond frustrating. Other times, you can just let it slide. I'm not entirely sure yet how I feel about today but here's what happened.

Woke up around 8:30am and made a pot of Mocha Mint coffee, kindly provided by my aunt and settled in to watch a couple of hours of Supernatural. It was wonderful. I decided I would shower when I realized that one of my least favorite episodes (Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie) was on, and I didn't really feel like dealing with clowns before an interview. So I got dressed and ready for the day and waited for the phone to ring. About 11:51am, my cell phone went off to the Laser Breakdance Beat (from Ocean's 12) and I picked it up excitedly. Phone interview for a graduate assistant (GA) position at the Smith School of Business, a great opportunity for me, especially after my disheartening rejection from the Library of Congress Fellowship. It was a quick round of Q & A, by them and me (you should always have a couple of questions in mind for an interview) and then it was over. I hung up feeling confident and ready to conquer the day!

I had a quick sandwich and headed out the door with my GPS in hand to my desired destination: the Comcast Service Center in Lanham. I was able to find the place with no issue, except for a couple lane changes that tripped me up. The building was hidden down a creepy dirt road but with lots of cars in the parking lot, I wasn't too concerned. When I got inside, there was only one person working and a line at least 12 people deep. I resigned myself to waiting, at least it was air conditioned! When I made it up to the front and was called forward, I place my modem on the counter and the woman proceeded to type in the serial number. Then she did it again. Then she asked where I got the device from, so I told her: Massachusetts. I told her I have the account number, which she took down and tried to type that in. Then she said the service center only has access to customers within that county. That is by far the most ridiculous thing I have heard in quite a long time.

Let me back track for a minute and point out that I called Comcast to cancel my service on Monday. I asked if they could send me a box in order to ship back the products. Sure, no problem, we'll mail that right out to your old address. Can you send it to a new address? Let me check...unfortunately, I can't but if you log onto the Web site, you can enter the address you want to have it sent to. Okay, great!
So I logged on to the Web site and lo and behold, it says right there:

Alright, then the next logical step would be to drop it off at a service location. Which brings me back to standing in front of the counter being told that they cannot access my account because it's not in the same state and that I will have to ship it to the service center closest to the address that I moved from, which should be listed on the back of my bill. I'm not the type to lose my temper at service people, it's not their fault that the system is working like it is. So I thanked the woman for her time and explanation and headed out the door. And decided I needed some retail therapy, which I will get into on my next blog post.
But for now, just remember: disconnect your cable/internet BEFORE you move if you aren't going to have it hooked up at the new location or that service provider isn't available in your new area. Because this is a hassle that no one needs to deal with.

What I'm reading: The Vow by Jessica Martinez
Progress: Almost a quarter done
Reaction so far: A puzzle of friendship that is slowly unraveling or a friendship that is becoming unraveled, I'm not sure which yet. Unique, realistic characters in a small town life that makes you think about how small the world has actually become and what love really means.

Oh, and I finally finished The 5th Wave. It was awesome. I can't think of a better word to describe it. There were so many twists and shadows and alleys that I was shocked after every reveal. I picked up on small signs and missed others. I enjoyed it immensely and might actually pick up the next book in the series once I'm done with all these library books I borrowed from MA.

Moving Day(s)

Driving isn't the most interesting activity in the world, even when you have someone in the car to talk to. Leaving Massachusetts at 8am isn't the most fun a girl can have but with a bagel in my belly and a "cubsta" iced coffee from Brooklyn Water Bagels, my parents and I began the 400 mile trek to my new home.

There were few things of interest along the highways we traversed:
The distance to CT is much shorter than you think it is
NY calls rest areas "text stops"
The Tappan Zee bridge is over a mile long
NJ rest stops are all named after someone
Philly is further away than you think it is
The Fort McHenry Tunnel is the world's only 8-lane underwater tunnel

Oh, and we did see a Lamborghini, a Maserati, and silver/black Mustang Shelby with the license plate "Elannor" on it. What else is there to do when you drive except watch the other cars?

When we finally around at about 4pm, the neighborhood was quiet. Nice suburban Sunday here in Maryland. My cousins had some friends over and so my mom quickly bribed them with pizza in exchange for helping to unload the moving truck. Luckily, I didn't bring that much stuff. All my furniture was left in MA, including my bed. The only large piece was my bookshelf, which I obviously couldn't live without, considering I brought just under half of my books with me. (A sorting task which had taken 2 days to complete.)
Bringing in all the boxes only took about 15 minutes.Then of course I had to rearrange the bedroom to my liking. Because, as my father says, I can never do anything the easy way. The bed was the first thing to move, I had to place it facing the door and my bookshelf had to be installed but not set up and then I had to push the dresser into place. Oh, I've definitely decided to paint over the current color of the room...


Once we put everything into the room again, it was time to take a break. After driving for 8 hours and then hauling in the boxes, a rest was definitely in order, a standing rest. My aunt and uncle came back from the wedding they were attending and we put in an order for some pizza. After dinner, we started up a kids versus adults kickball game. Now, you may be thinking what adults want to play kickball against kids? Wouldn't they lose horribly? Well we told them right away that we weren't going to let them win, they had to win on their own merit. By the bottom of the 3rd inning, it was 9-0 in favor of the kids. Apparently we needed some time to warm up because we came back 9-11 and kept a two run lead until the final inning. The kids ending up winning 26-21 but it was a hard-earned win ;) The next day, we played Maine versus Maryland teams...also fun and entertaining. Maine lost. I told my aunt that if we were going to make this a regular summer event then we will have to buy an actual kickball and bases, instead of soccer ball and various Frisbee-like objects that we had been using.

The last couple of days have been hectic and stressful but it feels good to have finally accomplished the move. Now I don't have to worry about it. I just have to find a job so I'm not bored with summer. A girl can only work on her tan and read so many books before she needs to find a distraction!

What I'm reading: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
Progress: Still about halfway
Reaction: I'm getting a Stephen King vibe from this book, nothing is what you expect it to be and it switches character perspective often. Good, creepy, and sometimes sad.

Packing

Book by book, shoe by shoe, box by box, my things have been packed away. It's funny how much stuff I realized I have once I started putting it all into boxes and deciding what would come with me and what would be shipped back to my parents' house. All the purses and shoes and clothes, an ever-increasing pile since my stint in a retail corporation, had to be sorted and examined. Some are being donated to charity, others are coming with me, and still others are being put into storage, either for winter or until I need them again. Hard to say if I will ever wear my jumpsuit in the next couple of years, although hopefully I can before it falls out of style again. So all my things have been sorted, lovingly packed away by my hands or my parents'.

(Sidebar: Speaking of which, if you aren't already aware or haven't had the opportunity to meet them, I pretty much have the best parents on the planet. They are loving and supportive and genuinely want me to succeed and will do just about anything to see that happen. They are two of my best friends and most trust companions. I never have to worry about being judged or feeling like a burden to them. They have given me so much over the last 25 years, from my education to my morals, my motivation, competitive drive, curiosity and knowledge. I have learned a lot from both of them, as individuals and as a unit. They provided guidance and structure to me a child and have allowed me to become an adult in their eyes and treat me as such. Not to mention, they are helping me to pack and move (again) for the third time in four years. And this time, it includes multiple trips and being in a car with me for seven or so hours.)

Tomorrow, I will start a new adventure, one that is 400 miles from where I currently am and about 600 miles from my immediate family. I have a ball of fear and anxiety settled in my stomach. But my heart is full of hope and excitement. There is always an amount of uncertainty when beginning a new phase in your life but this will be the biggest change I have gone through since I made my move to college almost seven years ago. Seven years, has it really been that long since I was a freshman showing up to Bentley's campus? Hard to believe.

This time, I will also be going to school, one that I have admired from afar for many years. I am so grateful for this opportunity and all the pieces seem to be falling into place. Step by step, I have registered for classes, received my financial aid, located housing and now the move is finally here. It was bittersweet to leave my job but I don't think that reality has fully sunk in yet. I was sad to go and teary-eyed during several goodbyes but I haven't gone on a crying jag yet. I think my boss was right, I think Monday will come and I won't be at work and then I will realize what a big change I have just made in my life. While I will greatly miss everyone I met and was able to work with over the last year and a half, I know that I am taking a big step forward in my personal growth. I hope that this will help to let everyone know that I'm doing okay and stay updated on all the new things I have in store for me.

So here is what I hope to accomplish with this blog:
Staying in touch with all my friends and family
Keeping all my previous coworkers entertained and updated
Recommending some good books
Making people smile

What I'm reading: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
Progress: about halfway
Reaction: Intense post-apocalyptic (I know, I know, I thought I was done with those for awhile too, but here I am) featuring a brutally honest heroine and inter-weaving plot lines that keep me turning those pages, or at least clicking the arrows on my kindle.

One good thing that happened today: I got to have hibachi with one of my best friends who made the trip out to see me one last time.

One bad thing that happened today: I tried to change a lightbulb in my bathroom and ending up dropping it, shattering glass all over my bathroom floor.


And PS-my bookshelf without books is probably the saddest thing I have ever seen.