Thursday, September 24, 2009

of orange juice, boxes, kitchen knives and spices...

Orange Juice.
I was accepted into a program at work that is essentially for people who have the potential to cost the university a lot in insurance and health care. (that's me!) I and my cohorts have enough risk factors that the university is paying for a program designed to lower that risk. So - day one. four hours in and I'm kindof excited about it. 32 oz of watered-down orange juice and the worst part was trying to figure out how to store the rest of the OJ after I watered down the portion I'm supposed to drink today. I finally settled on a pitcher I purchased from Fiesta! and the jug that used to hold margarita mixer. I won't be needing the margarita mixer for awhile... no sugars until I break the addiction. so - down the drain it went. I didn't cry. I'm guessing it was because I'm also out of tequila and haven't yet found the blender so - no big loss. I'll let you know the progress of this new adventure as it unfolds.

Boxes.
I have unpacked exactly 10ish boxes. which, by my count leaves about 30 (or perhaps 300) more. Things are slowly finding their way to where they belong. Tonight... I need to decide between the kitchen and my clothing... But I like the new place. I met some neighbors, Danny and Laura who live upstairs and diagonal across the courtyard. He's a seminarian and she's just as sweet as can be. They go running every morning. They made me cookies. I invited them over for boardgames once I find them among the boxes. Perhaps they are geeks like me.

Kitchen Knives and Spices.
These are things I haven't found yet. They exist somewhere behind and underneath layers of stacked cardboard in what is supposed to be my office/spare bedroom but what is now just a room full of boxes. I'm having trouble cooking with only half my kitchen unpacked - and that half not at all placed where it's most convenient or makes the most sense. My mother found and unpacked a box labeled "kitchen" which happened to contain coffee mugs, shot glasses and wine glasses. So, all beverages in the past 5 days have been consumed in coffee mugs, because it seems silly to consider drinking water, lemonade or juice from a shot and or wineglass. She did not find the dishes, bowls or drinking glasses. they're around somewhere.

Let me know if you want to lend a hand. ... and if you find those kitchen knives!

Monday, September 14, 2009

a moratorium on rooftops and jumping

damn.

Found out today that the aforementioned assumed good news was well... premature. Someone was promoted. ...just wasn't me. So congratulations to that other girl. and for me.. well, it's one day closer to my turn.

Friday, September 11, 2009

preparing for changes: a kind of catch-all

There's so much going on and I can't really say some of it out loud as of yet so this seems some sort of substitute for the type of rooftop shouting or at the very least jumping up and down that has been building inside me for a week or more.

First off - the movers will be here a week from tomorrow and truth be told I'm not much farther along than the last time we talked.
So this is apt to be a busy weekend indeed. The hope is to leave out only what I need to survive for the next 7 days and box tape and label the rest for transport. I pick up my keys in a week and will go over to the apartment that night and figure out furniture configuration.

Second - I think it might be nearly safe to consider the possibility of saying here, while not actually announcing (ie. rooftops and jumping), that I should hear (good news) about a (possible) promotion today. I have no details. I have had no details for a week and it is killing me. Gotta love bureaucracy and all the paperwork and steps involved. This could mean a sizable move up in position and ...benefits. of course again... no details. did I mention that it's killing me? ugh... the waiting.

soon, the jumping


A milestone occured the other day. It's been four years since I rescued Libby from the shelter, and since they figured she was about a year old when we adopted each other, she's now about five years old. ...and still as goofy as ever. So - in tribute and celebration I offer some of the silly tidbits about my faithful companion:

Yesterday, I needed to do a little vaccuuming and as I sucked up bits of doghair and dust from the carpeting, Libby felt the need to inhale all the food in her bowl just incase the vaccuum decided to pick up more than what was on the carpet. She looked extra-satisfied when she licked the bowl clean, just as the vaccuum was moving from livingroom to bedroom, past the now empty bowl. Mine, all mine.

Motorcyles crive her especially crazy... that, and city buses. Their presence, idoling on the street below our picture window, is known to throw Libby into bouts of high-pitched whining and increase the need for her to jump from the windowsill to the floor run about in cirles, only to return to the windowsill for more whining. Special caution is to be taken while traveling with dog in car, passing motorcycles and city busses as there is considerably less room for the running in circles/whining routine.

Waking is a duty Libby does not take lightly. After the alarm, but before the master has risen from the bed, if I linger too long... Libby will take to her post. She stands directly next to the vertical blinds which cover the sliding glass doors to the balcony and wag her tail. This sets the blinds into a frenzy, knocking against eachother and filling the room with light from outside. This, I have decided, is the worst noise in the world.

I'm hoping she adjusts to the new home well, and somewhat sheepishly - this is one of my main concerns about the move. I hope she will love that the new apartment is bigger, even if the windows are not as dog-friendly. I hope that she appreciates my shorter commute as much as I know I will. Plus, we will be within a few miles of two dogparks. w00t!

Well - today's a big day with the building dedication at my school - so I best be off to greet the VIPs... hopefully this day will go quickly with all it's festivities... and the news and the yelling from the rooftops and the jumping up and down can begin shortly thereafter. for now - the waiting... and the VIPs.