Happy Thoughts

• Only 20 more days til I'm in Seattle with Michael for the long weekend. 
• Only 64 more days til I'm in my new apartment
• I've sold my loft bed on Craigslist finally
• I don't have a gas bill this month, somehow I have a $5 credit on my account that will be taken off next months' bill.
• I am a student at J Sargent Reynolds Community College to start the fall semester 
• I have a play date with one of my girlfriends next Wednesday on my day off
• I got my hair done again (first time I've been able to afford it since Christmas)
• My phone bill is current for the first time since like ever
• I have enough food in the pantry to not have to worry about where dinner is coming from for at least a few more weeks
• My laundry is almost completely done
• My dishes are all clean
• I have no trash in the apartment
• I have two more bags of things for GoodWill
• I only have three more episodes of season 2 of The Walking Dead to be finally caught up for the new season

So far, everything seems to be going my way. And it will continue this way because I got this.  Being a grown up gets easier, but it takes time and effort and sometimes it's really, really frustrating.  I wish someone had warned me how hard it was when I was younger so I'd have been prepared for it to be this bumpy.  I never saw it being hard for my parents so I kinda assumed it wouldn't be hard for me too.  Boy was I ever wrong! But now that I'm at a good place, I can see a bit more clearly where I want to go with my life so here's to making my vision a reality.  Soon I'll be done with school and I'll have a degree which will enable me to get a better job with benefits and paid time off and sick leave and everything I took for granted when I worked at Circuit City and Panera.  I will be able to enjoy life a little more living with my amazing boyfriend.  I love how things are just coming together.

Edit: I ended up getting 20$ more for the bed than what I asked since the girl was so stoked that I held it for her for an extra day.  Sometimes it pays to put your prices lower and to be a nice person :) 

Looking up

I think I found someone to buy my loft bed.  I hope he can pick it up around noon on Wednesday, that way I won't have to worry about changing my hair appointment.  But I really could use the extra $50.   I need new work pants and possibly a new work shirt if I can swing it.  I think a trip to Regency mall will be in order afterwards.  I think I'm also going to put my other mattress on Craigslist when I can move the other one in the apartment.  I've never used U-Haul or anything like that but I guess there's no time like the present to find out how that works.   My step-dad took care of that the last time I moved and I wasn't there with him to see all of what is involved, what kind of price we are talking about having to pay for the use of it.  I guess I'll go to the one by Level Up Customs, it's pretty much the closest one I know of in the west end.
I am going to inquire at JSarge on Wednesday morning if I have time about classes, prices and what not for state employees and how do I get signed up for a class in the fall.  At least one, I need to get back into it and if I just take the intro to back to school class I should be okay.  My only fear is that I'll be bored and my brain will shut off and I won't get anything out of the class and I'll end up thinking the same way I did at VCU, that it wasn't worth my time.  If only I can figure out how to remain positive about the whole thing, I might actually do well this time around.  I figure I can't do any worse than drop out right? I don't think Michael will let me do that, I've already had to once and I don't think I'd even let me do it again.  I really hate not having finished school and now that I know what I want to do, I have a clearer goal in mind other than just going to go cause I don't know anything other than school.
I just wish I didn't have to work a 10 hour shift today.  I'm not in the mood for a lot of interaction with people and I don't want to see any of our customers, even the ones who are really nice.  Maybe this anti-social feeling will go away once I have some coffee but I dunno. Sometimes it sticks with me all day.  I'm supposed to go to Horrorshow after work to see the SFX make-up guys and see Pete.  I'd really like to be good to go and not feel like I need a beer to get through the night, but I can already sense it's not going to be that easy.  I'm not buying myself a beer, but maybe I can talk Rick into getting me a Magic Hat. We shall see how the night plays out, I may be too sleepy to want to go out after work.   Anyways, I'm off to fix some coffee and eggs for breakfast.

Mondays

Normally, Mondays are not my favorite day of the week.  Firstly, I end up having to either open the store or pull a 12 hour shift there, depending on which Monday of the week it is.  I normally don't mind, it's pretty dead and I get a lot of work-related things done.
However, when I'm off, I generally don't do much of anything really.  Today was different; I really did get a lot of things accomplished.  I paid off my Verizon phone and internet bill, most of my dentist and car repair bills, my credit card bill, my car insurance and renter's insurance, and listed my unused loft bed on Craigslist. I have even inquired with the electric company about the best way to go about getting my account switched to the new place and the same with my internet.  I feel much more on top of things this time around with the move.  Michael has agreed to pay the first month's rent and the deposit so that I don't starve during the month of September.  I guess I should also put the mattress and box spring on Craigslist as well, Michael's parents have decided we can have the old bed in his old room.  That will mean I will need money for king sized linens to fit it. It's a good thing I love to shop and that Bed, Bath and Beyond is one of my favorite stores.  
I have yet to do any actual packing but I've decided on a few things to get rid of.  First I have a bag of clothes and linens to donate, I no longer need any twin sized anythings.   At least not until our non-existent children are about 3 years of age and that's pretty far off in the future, so no need hanging on to them.   Then I have a box full of books that need to be dropped off at Stories Comics in hopes of getting enough credit to buy the next Deadpool comic book.  I am sure about 40 books will be worth about $5 credit or so.  Just enough to be useful. I may get more than that, some of the books are hard cover and are in excellent shape.  Who knows.  The other thing is to trash my VHS tape collection, well, only the ones with the X-Files recorded onto them from the TV.  I don't really need to keep those around, as long as Netflix is up and running anyways.  That should get rid of at least one huge box from my living room.   It's just one less thing to tote around unnecessarily.  
Last night, Michael and I ended up picking The Wolf Man for our movie of the night to watch, even though we didn't discuss it.  3000 miles away and we're still pretty much in tune.  It's a beautiful thing.  Since he found out about it, he's decided we should watch at least one movie "together" a night so we can have a discussion about it the next day.  It sounds like a good plan and tonight's viewing is of Dracula, the one with Bela Lugosi.  I haven't seen it since I was little so I'm pretty stoked to see it again.   I love the old Universal films.  Hopefully we'll do some Hitchcock films as well; I really want to watch Rear View again.  I may make him watch it as my next pick will be on Wednesday.  I wonder what he's going to pick for tomorrow...
Anyways, I have to run to work to pick up my chicken and veggies.   I forgot to take my chicken home with me yesterday and I figure I should get it out of the fridge before Bill goes nuts.  The veggies should have been brought in today by one of our regulars who planted way more than she could use.   She said she was dropping off squash, zucchini, string beans and tomatoes today, so I will hopefully be pleasantly surprised by whatever she's left for us (I'm going to split what ever's there with Pauline) .   I also have to make it to Cap Ale for the semi-regular Monday Burger Night with Tom and Fritt.  I haven't been going nearly as often, mostly due to Fallout having 25 cent wing nights with $1 pints of PBR with a movie viewing.  For anyone who says there's nothing to do in Richmond, they obviously haven't been looking hard enough.  Ciaos!  

New Beginnings

A lot has happened since the last time I posted here. I was pretty broken up over a short two and a half fling with a good friend of mine. I can't believe it bothered me so much, I really don't know why I felt as I did knowing we really didn't want anything from it.   Anyways, I ended up leaving that mess for what should have been a one night stand but turned into a two month annoyance with his ex.   Oh it was fun but I really shouldn't have wasted the time and effort.  It's okay though; during the crazy two months, Michael and I started to talk again and he and I have been seeing each other since April of this year.  So far, so good. He's back from Afghanistan, all in one piece.  We have an apartment together and I am currently packing and getting ready to move to it on September 3rd. I know it seems like so far away, but it's only about 60 days or so away.  I just don't want to have to do everything at the last minute. I have about 3 weeks to get things out of this place when the lease starts at the new place. I'm just going to turn the utilities off here and turn em on at the new place on the 3rd.   I figure we won't need the light's here and I'll have most of the larger furniture moved into the new place by then.  I will at least have my microwave and my computer at the new place so that's all I really need the electricity for.  Well, that and the fridge.  I don't need to keep food here, that's going to be moved in on the 3rd as well.  The new place is a little bit smaller, by about 20 sq ft but that's not much.  I feel like my place by myself is a bit too big for just one person. It was perfect when Michael was here on leave.  We didn't kill each other and when either of us needed some thinking space, we could just go to a different room and just veg.  That's one good thing, we both like to be close but we need to be alone with our own minds at times.  I am just glad we are back together and finally where we should be.  We both feel the same way about how things are and how they've been going for the past six years and I am very happy we are on the same page.   For once, I feel like everything is right with my life.  I'm going to look into taking at least one class at JSarge for the fall.  One of my coworkers let me know we get a discount on tuition because we work for the state so I just might be able to swing it, at least for one class to start back at it.   I know what I want to do when I go back so at least I have some direction and I won't be wandering aimlessly anymore when back in school.   I think I've done a whole lot of growing lately and it's been showing a lot lately in almost every way possible.   (not in the waistline though thankfully!)

Our new place is not in a bad part of town and it's really close to work.  It's also really close to downtown and the colleges so at least I won't feel so isolated from everything; I plan on being a bit more social and my goal is to make a new friend every three months or so.  I figure a small goal is easier to achieve, even if it's just for networking purposes.  I don't need a new bestie every three months, just to take the time and get to know a new person to hopefully keep my mind open to new things and new perspectives.   And, hey who doesn't like making new friends?

I will be putting applications out and about for new jobs outside of ABC to just see if I can't get an office gig where I can get benefits and the like.  I love working for the liquor store, it's fun and not at all stressful but they pay is only so-so and there are no benefits and I have to work almost every holiday.  Also, they've decided to open all the stores on Sundays so I don't even have a set day off any longer.  So that's kinda also my motivation to find a new place to work.  I hope I can find something, I don't really have any experience outside of food service and customer service in a retail setting.  I can type properly and I am very organized and I know my way around Excel, Word, Outlook, and Access so hopefully I can find something somewhere soon.  I just hope my search is more fruitful than my mom's last job search. It took her two years to get the job she has now and she's not really happy where she is, but she won't start looking elsewhere now, not with my step-dad retiring at the end of this year.

To think I only have 100 days til Michael is back on this coast and back at our home.  Finally, it's been a long five years but it's gotten us to a better place and hopefully we will last together for fifty years or so if we're lucky enough to live that long. I can't wait til we can get our own place and yell at the kids to stay off our lawn :)  And for anyone wondering, this is the man I plan to spend the rest of my life with :)

I think we make a great couple, don't you agree?