All posts in: weekly

lance romance
20 Aug 2012

2012: week thirty-three

August 12 – August 18

I know we aren’t yet married, but the boy and I have been dating for almost 9 years and have been living together for 3.

Plenty long enough to finally merge our music collections.

100 GB of pure love. As you can see from this screen cap, a large percentage consists of retro pop and children’s easy listening.

Some other couple-y activities of this week included extensive apartment cleaning, co-hosting a final in-this-apartment evening get-together, and running daily miles diligently around the little pond.

If you grow weary of all this lovey-dovey nonsense, never fear. Next week, the boy returns to work so I am losing my summertime house-husband. In related news, I need to keep better track of my house keys, remember how to cook, and start having my packages delivered to work.

And although our mp3s are stored safely on our new external harddrive, I am glad that after spending 30 minutes on The Great Music Merge I took this screenshot and emailed it to myself, because this morning, someone decided to system restore his computer. For the fifth time this year. Add to couple-y activities: discussing payment plans for updated technology. This week, looking forward to fun couple-y activities such as debating what percentage of a honeymoon a new computer is worth.

Ain’t love grand?

Reading:

Watching:

  • Oh my, so much LOST, so much LOST…. getting so very, very close to the end! What will we watch next? We are flirting with Breaking Bad.

 

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weekly
13 Aug 2012

2012: week thirty-two

August 5 – August 11

Life is so much better, now that…

  1. I don’t have to work multiple jobs.
  2. I don’t have to job search on top of working multiple jobs.
  3. I signed a lease for an apartment for September.
  4. I am home every night to cook dinner.
  5. I work in the same place where I pick up my library holds.

This past week was about feeling out my schedule, enjoying the fruits of my labor, and building some good habits. Like this one – putting away your clean laundry! AND THEN, while you put away your laundry, put together five outfits to wear and then hang them on individual hangers, so you don’t have to waste time looking for that one particular tank top that you like to wear under that shirt and where are my pants and why are they wrinkled?

This should not be a huge revelation, I realize. I am an adult, I swear. I bought a vacuum today, dammit!

I do miss my two housemates just a little, though. What are they doing all day while I am a working stiff? Cuddling? Playing Skyrim? Vacuuming? The possibilities are endless… they are usually ready to hang out when I get home, though, so I suppose all is well.

 

Reading:

Watching:

  • More LOST! We’ve finally reached the episodes I haven’t seen yet! And boy, are they weird…
  • A little bit of Louie… which is pretty funny, and a good show to pack to.

Listening:

  • I am finally back at work, so I can resume my podcasting ways. So much Marc Maron this week! I have also officially converted L into a WTF-onaut, so I get to listen to some shows in the car, too. Love it.
weekly
06 Aug 2012

2012: week thirty-one

July 29 – August 4

From a distance, my past week (month, year) must seem chock full of adult-ness and taking-care-of-business. I went to the RMV (again, please don’t ask), filled out HR paperwork, sent important emails, wrote large checks for apartments, and did all of my laundry. All of it!

However, all is not mature here in this maison; I’ve been sleeping in like my life depends on it, like I’ve entered a short-term coma each morning between 7 and 10, like I’m 16 (or 22, whatever) and it’s summer vacation.

It’s been balmy here in my third story apartment – hot in the morning, hotter in the afternoon, hot at night – so I give the heat some of the credit. It’s hard to get the motivation to leave a good dream when you’re other option involves being alert for your feverish sweating.

But then this morning, I realized I hadn’t set an alarm since I came back to Boston. Yes. That would do it.

Summer vacation is over, however – new job begins today, with a properly set alarm. Reality awaits!

 

Reading:

Watching:

  • More LOST
  • After the boy enjoyed Moonrise Kingdom, I forced him to watch The Royal Tenenbaums.
life maintenance
30 Jul 2012

2012: week thirty

July 22 – July 28

On Monday, we drove across the state of Michigan, got a haircut, met the Pastor who will officiate our wedding, had dinner & wine with my best friend/co-maid of honor and her rollicking family, and then came home and played The Hat Game with my own rollicking family.

On Tuesday, I pulled my angsty cat out from under someone’s bed, shoved her into a carrier, and then drove across the country, back to the state of Massachusetts.

On Wednesday, L signed his papers at his Brand! New! Job! We also looked at a steal of an apartment, and took the night to decide which one we wanted.

On Thursday, we got denied BOTH apartments. Other than that, I felt quite ill and didn’t really do much.

On Friday, I cavorted around Roslindale acquiring various forms of identification. Please do not ask me about my MA driver’s license. I look like a hag and my signature is clearly the signature of someone else entirely and not indicative at all of my penmanship.

On Saturday, we did errands and played Skyrim and went out to celebrate a small child’s 21st birthday.

On Sunday, I went to Sorella’s, and then my life was complete.

Reading:

Watching:

  • LOST
  • Say Yes to the Dress (studying)
  • Ally McBeal (which I watched 4 seasons of a year ago and just now decided to finish…)
lance romance
23 Jul 2012

2012: week twenty-nine

July 15 – July 21

Let’s see how much wedding planning we can do in seven days!

We can look at ceremony venues and reception venues and talk about MONEY and FOOD and a GUEST LIST and oh yes, try on dresses!

Question for all the successfully married or soon-to-be-married ladies: so, this mysterious, magical dress that is “THE ONE” just doesn’t exist, right? I don’t mean that in a Eh-get-married-in-a-Hefty-trash-bag-whatever kind of way; I mean, the idea of this Say Yes to the Dress OMGTearsTearsTears moment is just Hollywood-wedding baloney, right? Or at least, you’ll have That Moment if you want That Moment; if you don’t have one, that doesn’t mean the dress isn’t a great dress.

I case you didn’t notice, I am not the person who wants That Moment. I am not the person who attributes some magical talisman-like powers to a piece of clothing, I am a person who has been broke so long I’ve forgotten how to shop for clothing besides the occasional white undershirt, and I think I am still operating under a certain level of disbelief regarding most aspects of my life.

Including my status as an engaged person and any related decisions.

This post brought to you by The Confused Bride, who may possibly be married in a Hefty Bag.

Reading:

Listening to:

  • Lots of Beatles
  • Lots of old mix CDs
  • Lots of Michigan’s 94.1 – I will be kind of sad to leave this radio station behind in a few days
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weekly
16 Jul 2012

2012: week twenty-eight

July 8 – July 14

After six months of writing these silly little monthly posts, I can see patterns in my life that I didn’t really know existed. First of all, apparently I am no longer quite the homebody I’ve always known myself to be. Some weeks, this means that I was far, far too busy and suffered for the lack of personal time. Some weeks, things were just normal. In retrospect? Just boring.

I am changing. Life is changing.

I’ve been busy and I’ve been busy and I’ve been busy, but this week took the cake. All sorts of crazy, big-decision stuff going on, general work/life, saying goodbye to friends, impromptu picnics, and culminating with a drive to Michigan.

(That took 18 hours and 2 new tires. And I forgot my wallet.)

This week, though, will certainly amount to a boring report. Michigan without the threat of homework or impending school is the type of lazy I’d forgotten about. Video games in your pajamas lazy. Too lazy to eat a proper meal. Didn’t leave the house to even buy a cup of coffee lazy. Being stupid with my sisters. Should be riveting. Stay tuned.

Reading:

Listening to:

  • Got to listen to the last few discs of Daughter of Smoke and Bone with Lance… what a great re-read!
  • WTF interview with Molly Shannon was so good. I love listening to smart, successful, hard-working women share their lives.
boston
10 Jul 2012

2012: week twenty-seven

July 1 – July 7

I would say this was a “roll with the punches” kind of week, but I don’t know how much rolling I did. It was more like a “get punched in the stomach” week. Nothing job-related, this time, but everything else was not going so well this week… which was kind of comforting, because at least I could say to myself “Well, maybe you will get a shiny new job and then this will all will feel like small change.

(Or I will get rejected and start to cave in on myself. Either or)

It’s not all doom and gloom, however. There was a Wet Hot American Summer party on Monday, Fourth of July shenanigans on Wednesday, and I made two kinds of delicious cupcakes – Brown sugar poundcake with brown butter glaze and Champagne. We got caught on the roof during a flash rainstorm, during the fireworks show – a soggy, fun memory that I think I will have for life.

Also, I woke up the next morning with awesome looking curly hair. Fourth of July miracle.

And once I make it through this week, I get a week in Michigan.

I think I can handle that.

Reading:

goals
02 Jul 2012

2012: week twenty-six

June 24 – June 30

This week, I struggled a lot with this whole “self motivation” thing. My life no longer has a lot of those helpful supports that enable productivity – jobs where I sit in front of a computer, regularly scheduled work shifts, time by myself at home. But life is life, and now it’s time to work on discipline, habits, and other skills that keep me from feeling like a useless, underemployed lump.

On Friday, I went to a job interview in a beach town in Eastern Connecticut. Afterwards, we paid 5 dollars to park in someone’s front lawn and spent a few hours in the sun & sand on the Long Island sound.

First of all, I think I should start going to the beach after every interview. Packing a nice bag with snacks and sunscreen and a book counteracts some of that pre-interview dread.

Second of all, the above home is available for year-round rent in the area, for the same price as my current two bedroom apartment, and includes:

  • Three bedrooms
  • Large kitchen
  • Basement with washer & dryer hook up
  • Two car garage
  • Access to a private beach

I’ve been applying for a lot of jobs in the Boston metro area, but I think I might be doing it wrong…

Reading:

Watching:

  • LOST Season Four, you are ridiculous.
  • Watching This Emotional Life, a three-part PBS special on happiness. Very interesting and engaging – definitely recommend!

 

weekly
25 Jun 2012

2012: week twenty-five

June 17 – June 23

I am really into beverages. I think most daily activities deserve an proper drink to accompany. Besides those grocery trips in college, where I would walk in with 50 dollars and walk out with 2 Lean Cuisines and soy milk, lemonade, hard cider, bottled water, and  three varieties of juice, it hasn’t been much of a problem.

However, since I’ve added an extra cup of coffee to my regime, and since that coffee usually comes in an oversized iced variety that takes me a few hours to finish, I’ve been feeling a bit dehydrated. I like water, but I am literally drinking too many other drinks to have time/room in my stomach for H20. This is a problem.

This week, I made a good intentioned impulse buy, to encourage my water intake – I bought a stainless steel cold cup. I love it. I love it so much. I want to drink water out of it every second of every day.

It reminds me of the time we went to Wilmington, NC – Dawson’s Creek Land – and the air conditioning wasn’t working so great in the minivan that summer, so we were hot, and we were hungry. We walked into the first restaurant we found, and they poured us glasses of ice water into stainless steel chalices. I was entranced then, and I am entranced now. I never thought that one might actually buy a metal chalice, but I did. From Starbucks. Did you know you could buy a chalice at Starbucks?

In other, less random news, that guy I live with is home for the summer. Since it seems I occasionally have a morning or evening off, it’s been nice to spend some of it in his company. We have also started a house-wide “let’s wake up early” plan, accompanied by a house-wide “let’s not become obese” plan. Out the door by 7 a.m. to run/walk, Monday through Friday. I suspect we will all be ultramarathoners by September 1.

Reading:

Watching:

  • A few more episodes of LOST
  • Started watching the Up documentary series… we are halfway through the 14-year-olds!

 

weekly
18 Jun 2012

2012: week twenty-four

June 10 – June 14

Last week was 50% working nights and 50% ChLA. Met the lovely Jess Ferro (and again, at random, today, when I was yet again Working Nights).

Brief assessment of life post-grad school – I am still just as busy as I was before, during the workday, but I don’t make as much money because my hours/job locations usually do not allow me to do back-to-back shifts, and I spend more time in-transit.

And when I get home, I don’t have homework – I have Skyrim.

(Oh, and blogging. And reading. And book reviewing. And doing my dishes. And other things that maintain life. Buuuuuuut…. Skyrim?)

Reading:

Watching:

  • Finally finished Season One of Gilmore Girls! Yay!

 

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