Chewing Ice and Other Fun Past Times

It looks like I might be iron deficient.  Along with being unreasonably tired, I've found myself chewing ice.  Lots of it.  I actually had no idea that my new behavior could indicate anything other than boredom, but I stumbled upon one of those "5 things you didn't know..." article this morning and it happened to be on it.

So, I'll probably be going to get some blood work.  Eventually.

Ben and Amy (and Joey, their wee dog) are here!  Unfortunately, they leave for Medford on Monday.  Boo.  According to Google Maps, their new place is 258 miles from ours.  Further than our guest bedroom, closer than Korea.

Tomorrow we are going to OMSI!  I'm totally stoked.  I'll be sure to take lots of pictures.

Good night!

Inactivity

Motivation. Want to.  Energy. Productivity. Ambition.

Whatever you want to call it, I am lacking.

I am so tired all the time.  Even on "short" shift days I have a hard time doing anything before work.  I'm always thinking about getting ready to go and I feel too rushed to do much else.

Ava is feeling better.  She's more alert and interested in attention.  Her ears are still pretty red, though.  We give her treats after her ear drops to take the edge off.

We are watching C.S.A. The Confederate States of America. It's pretty funny, I recommend it.

Well, I don't have much else to post since I haven't written a sentence of fiction or otherwise.

Good night!

Mint Ice Cream

I love mint ice cream.  In fact, I could really care less about ice cream as a dessert until there's mint involved.  So, I was really excited when I finally found these at Fred Meyer:

The "Purely Decadent" coconut based dessert is about 10 times better than the "So Delicious" soy based flavor.  It's creamier and the mint is much more powerful.  All soy based ice creams have a soy undertone, so I tend to go with nuttier flavors usually.  You can usually taste the coconut milk in these products, too, but I didn't taste any crossover in the mint chip.  Both are made by Turtle Mountain, so proceeds go to helping endangered sea turtles.

Ian chose a color for our bedroom (and Ben painted it, because he is the world's greatest house guest.  He should have his own reality tv show...) and:

Instead of "yellow grass" like it was billed as, it's mint ice cream, too.  I still like it.

Random Updates

So, I'm starting to adjust to my new schedule.  The best part is that I see Ian about 110% more than previously. The worst part is that 97% of that time is spent working at the shop.

I signed us up for the Run Like Hell 10k at the end of October to keep us motivated with our workouts.  I'm out of shape and my joints ache, but I'm confident that I'll be ready for the race.  Mom is doing it too, and (last I heard) so is Danielle, so it should be a blast.  It's Halloween themed (with the sub theme of "zombies" this year) and you're encouraged to do it in costume. I think it's a good, laid back choice for a first race.

It's been uncomfortably warm.  The past few days have pushed 90 and we have yet to acquire a fan...  The cats laze around all day.

Like this:

And this:

Ben also painted our accent wall and dining room because he is awesome.

This color is actually much more yellow.

I made Mom some vegan caramel for her birthday.

This:

Plus this:

Equals this:

Except I have no candy thermometer and it didn't set properly.  So, it was delicious sauce instead.

ANDREA CAME TO VISIT.  And we took about 2 whole photos.  We had excellent food and cocktails at Hungry Tiger Too and went to Mom's to relax and see her before she goes to Bali (tomorrow night!).

Andrea and I at the Olympia Waterfront.

We were waiting for her bus because:

It was super late.

Ben dared Ian to walk across the fountain, so he did.  He walked very stiffly, as he was afraid he would get wet the whole time.

Well, that's life right now.  I work open to closes over the weekend, so I'm not sure when I'll get to post again.  I'm excited to get pictures from Mom when she's in Bali.  I'll post any that I get here. 

It's Alive!

I've been away forever!

I don't have much time, as I am posting from Oasis (where I live now).

But, I wanted to give you a few photos from our little camping trip.  Our mini vacation turned out to be a bit boring because there wasn't enough to do and virtually no vegetarian (let alone vegan) food.

Oreos and beer.  That's mostly what we subsisted on for a few days.  Don't judge.

It felt good to carry my ruck sack again.

 Ian is king of the beach.

Two years.  Oh my goodness.

Beer and fire.

"Toasted" bagels for brekky.  Really, it was more like they were smoked because the grate didn't fit all the way across.

We went whale watching, but the fog wouldn't lift.  So... we went fog watching.

Jesus loves you and wonders if you'd like to buy a t-shirt.

And lastly:

Ben is here!  That's him in Pioneer Square drinking some broth that came with his chicken and rice.  Food carts!

Alright.  Hopefully, I'll be back soon.

New Glasses

I picked up my new glasses from Costco the other day:

Primary pair.  Lucky Brand.  Nerd!

Second pair.  Kirkland (Costco brand), made out of recycled materials.  Cat eye!

Facebook is crazy.  It wants me to send him a message for our anniversary.  Hey look, there's Wendy!

Good night!

Morning Tea

I've had a good morning.

I got my story in to Pure Slush.  It's slated for September 6th in the itinerary.  He's put it under nonfiction, which isn't stylistically accurate, in my opinion, but that's alright.

I may have a small contract writing job with a wholesale cosmetics company. We shall see.  I don't even know any of the details, yet.

Top all that off with a well rounded breakfast of tempeh, rye toast and fruit.  And some tea, of course.

I don't know if I've blogged about this before, but Ian and I bought this 2 cup teamaker from Teavana awhile back.  It's pretty rad.  You put loose leaf tea in, follow it with hot water to steep and then you set it on your mug.  The bottom is pressure released, so it opens and pours in your hot tea.  This is Thai inspired tea with dried fruits and star anise in it.

We don't have a microwave, so coffee and tea water gets heated on the stove top.  That's fine until you need a warm up.

Delicious.  I like how it foams just a little.

My mom gave me this mug for Valentine's Day four or five years ago.  Ian says it's heinous, but I think it's hilariously adorable.

Too. Damn. Hot.

I shouldn't complain.

It's 75 degrees with 86% humidity in Chicago.  Right now.  It's night.

79 in New York.

And 97 in Phoenix.

But, man do we need a fan.

I went out with Heidi and company for her birthday on Friday.  It was a very swell time.  I'm pretty stoked that they're right next door.  Now none of us can move for a good, long while.  Ha.

Big development:  I put in my notice at Netflix.  We hadn't expected it to be quite this soon, but I'm actually needed at the shop.  Another employee is moving onward and upward.  'Tis the nature of the industry I guess.  To be honest, it's very much for the best (for the shop, I mean).

I could only give a weeks' notice, which made me feel pretty crummy.  But, Netflix only needs 48 hours.  Gabe (supervisor) is incredibly supportive.  Somebody give that man a position at the top, seriously.  I'll be sad to leave him.  I'm re-hireable, so that's good.  Just in case.  Gabe has kindly agreed to be a reference for me, as well.  Since my last job was in Korea, I can use as many of those as I can get.  I'm surprised at my mixed emotions.  But, though a step back in pay for now, I know that this is one very sure way of moving toward a career level job.

Necessity breeds motivation.

And, I am still able to be "currently employed" on my resume.

Saturday will be my last day.  I'm having Ian bring pizza.

Also, I will have a Pure Slush draft up on Tuesday.

Good night!

Good Weekend

This weekend was the best.  

Tuesday: Volunteering and date night with Ian.

Wednesday: Seaside mini-vacation with Rob, Danie, Grant and Audrey.

Thursday: Impromptu hang out with our neighbors and their friends who are working fervently to get a job in Korea.

I also ordered our camping stuff (all from Campmor, thanks Peter! They had great deals and intelligent reviews.).

Tomorrow I am back at the 'flix.  I'm working 7am-8pm.  Whew.  Saturday, as well. Overtime pays $21/hour, so that helps.

I am so excited for the 31st-4th (that's when we're going on our anniversary camping trip).  I'm going to pretend we don't have jobs and are living the lives of renegades.

How was your ...week?  I guess it wasn't your weekend.

Good night!

Paths

I'm considering becoming certified as a substitute teacher.  However, it looks like Oregon state may want you to be fully certified; which I would be willing to spend a year doing, but cannot afford.  I don't want to be a full time teacher, but I love being around children and I felt like I started to get good at creating curriculum while we were in Korea.

Being a substitute teacher in Washington is much easier, but I'd like the option to apply to school districts in both states.

Subbing could be a good career path for me, as I could use the time during which I don't have teaching assignments to write.

Do any of you have information on this?  I'm primarily interested in Early Education and Elementary.

I'm still applying to writing positions, though.  It just seems that there is a greater need for educators of all kinds than for writers.

What do you think?

Good night!

P.S.  The shop is particularly busy for a Sunday night.  Hurray!

Unproductive

Tomorrow is a normal length work day for me.  Hopefully, I'll feel less exhausted and more creative.

I sent Pure Slush a bio and picture just now.  I'm sort of watching Secretariat.  I can't even think straight. I may be coming down with something.  Or maybe my allergies just suck.

I'm ready to go to Seaside.  Can it be Wednesday?

Uff da.  Good night.

Sleep

I think I overestimated my stamina.  There is no way I can edit and write something decent after a 12 hour shift.  Boo hiss.  Tomorrow I'm off at seven.  Hopefully that'll make it feasible.  I also have a million emails/ job applications upon which I much catch up.  

Today wasn't as bad as I was expecting.  Most of the people I spoke to were happy to pay for what they were using.  The new structure actually saves a lot of people money.  They also had heaps of fresh berries in the break rooms and passed out candy and popsicles; "We're sorry, have some food."  Oh well.  Berries can buy me.

Also, I finally have an extension cord, so I could light this:

My mom made that wine lamp.  Pretty cool, right?

Good night!

Time

I don't like posting just to post, but I want to make sure that I stay consistent in writing daily.

I had no time this "weekend" for writing.  I guess, it's better to say that I didn't make time.  I wanted to, but there was so much to do.  But, as that's always the case, I really need to harness some self discipline.

Tomorrow I am working a 12-hour shift with a 1/2 hour lunch.  Envious?  When I get home (at 8:30 or so) my full intention is to poor myself into my draft and make some further edits.  I also need to send out several resumes and cover letters.  Then on Saturday I'll be working an 11-hour shift with a 1/2 hour lunch.  I've got to put in 4 hours of overtime a week for the next couple of weeks.  At least, as it is right now.  It could go on longer.  Hopefully not.  Luckily, I'll get Wednesday off from the shop and I'll be meeting Rob and family in Seaside for the day.  The break will be much needed.

Today was painfully slow at the shop.  I thought I might fall asleep at one point.  But, it picked up a little during happy hour and again around dinner.

Wish me luck tomorrow. Gulp.

Good night!

Neighborly

The neighbor and I have become door pen pals.

We won't have time to get together until August, so we've taken to writing 1-2 notes a day and leaving them on each other's doors.  It's really fun.  I need more cute stationary...

In other friend news, it seems pretty likely that Ben and Amy will be heading over toward the end of the month.  Stoked!  I think the tv was the tipping factor.

It was a pretty mellow night at the shop.  A Canadian family came in toward close and we chatted a bit about taxes and then health care and then schooling.  I realized tonight that I don't even have a totally firm grasp on the income tax I pay.  It's about 20% on my paycheck.  But I don't know the real numbers or if there's one percentage for everyone.  I need to do some studying, apparently.

Good night!

Opposite Day

So yesterday didn't turn out how we expected it to at all.  We started out needing cat litter and ended running errands all day.  It was alright though, for the most part.  Here are some highlights:

This guy puts poetry out in front of his house for everyone to take.

Trader Joe's sells premade bibimbap now.  Just don't read the ingredients.

And... we got a new tv!  We weren't necessarily expecting to do it (and it's completely against the challenge for this month).  But, we've decided to spend the money on our apartment while we still have a pretty decent disposable income.  Come the middle of next month, I'll be working at the shop more and more while I look for writing work.

This is the only picture I found of the old tv:

Here is how everything looks now:

All the consoles and the router fit behind the tv, so now it looks much cleaner.  I'm going to look into FreeGeek to get rid of our old laptop(s) and tv.

And lastly, here is what's going on at the 'flix. I don't intend to be harsh, but this is incredibly stressful.  I'm not here to tell you whether I agree with the change or not.  I am not Captain Netflix.  Obviously, this is going to be a rough few weeks.  I have to put in overtime there, too.  So, don't comment about the change here.  Or on my Facebook.  I don't want to hear it and I'm not supposed to play a customer service role outside of work.  Netflix doesn't like it's employees out in the world playing protector (or, alternatively, questioning their practices or insulting their customers).  Also, hearing friends and family say the exact same things that the ...folks who call me say fills me with rage and contempt.   I hardly got any sleep last night.  This job, on an average day, packs the 'umph' to give me a panic attack.  I'm sure you can imagine that going in on Friday feels a little like staring down the barrel of a gun.

Just a little honesty before my breakfast.  Please understand.  40+ hours a week is plenty.

On that note, I really need to head out for a run to relax.  Zoom!

Hey! Look over there!

Gah, I am so tired.  I had to sign up for extra hours for Friday and Saturday at the 'flix because of anticipated call volume (more to come on that after it's no longer confidential... [read: Wednesday]) and I think my body is exhausted in anticipation of overtime + Oasis.  Oh, and it's Monday.  We had a really good night at the shop, though.  About $850.  Huge for a Monday. And everyone was in such good spirits.

I am looking forward to reading (I am currently reading The Help, thanks Danie!), writing and baking tomorrow.  Totally low key.  We were supposed to finally meet our neighbors Heidi and Jesse tomorrow, but it had to be postponed because they've been wicked busy.

So, in lieu of something interesting from me, here are a couple of articles that I found interesting today:

Focus on the Family Responds to TOMS Controversy (source: Jezebel.com)

The abstract art of Jackson Pollock is a case study in complex physics (source: io9.com)

Good night!

Fortunes

Ian finished the STP at 4 today!  He's home and exhausted.

He wanted Chinese for dinner, so I picked up some Mu Shu veggies for him from Shendong.  I had some very disappointing braised tofu.

But, our fortunes were humorously related.

Weird, right?

Good night!

Are these tomatoes or Gremlins?

Just seems like a lot of rules for tiny red ...fruit.

For dinner tonight I made a salad with spring mix, the Gremlin tomatoes, green grapes, and tofu.  It was pretty fantastic.

Good night!

Pure Slush Response

I heard back from the editor of Pure Slush and he said he wanted to run my story, but that he had some edits in mind for it.

So, I made some changes and hopefully it will be to his liking.  I can tell that this editor has a very particular style and not all of his edits were true to my voice, but I made most of them anyway.  I need the exercise in hubris, as he won't be the only editor with a picky style and I'm not yet in a position to argue.

But, I am pleased.  It was nice to hear back so quickly.  And I know I benefit from each new point of view on my work.

The next story I'm thinking of working on is set in Angkor Wat.  The main characters are a young couple, but not necessarily Ian and I.  I'm thinking that I may need to branch out further, though.  The book will center on us as characters, but I think I need to stretch my creative writing muscles before I lock myself into only fiction-from-fact writing.

And now for something completely different...  Ian left for the STP (Seattle to Portland Bike Race) today.  I miss him so much!  That's weird, because it's not like we're together all that often, anyway.  

Our opposite schedules are really getting to me.  I'm also having a lot of anxiety regarding work.  I work for a great company (and I'm really thankful for my supervisor and team), but I no longer think I'm well suited for the call center environment, though I'm moderately good at it.  It's not uncommon for me to have a panic attack when I think about it.  On top of that, I feel incompetent for having those feelings.

But that's not what this blog is supposed to be!  Beg pardon, but I just needed that off my chest.

Cheer for Ian tomorrow and Sunday!  He's got 204 miles to go.

Good night!

Presentable

Soon I will no longer be embarrassed to invite people over to our apartment!  Very soon!

Progress:

I replaced the cover for the futon and got some cheap pillows.

I ordered (and picked up) my photo prints from Costco and marked up the layout with paper on the walls. 11 4x6, 22 8x10 and 3 11x14...  I'm glad my brother sells awesome framing for a living.

Not necessarily apartment related, but Ava was excitedly watching crows out the back bedroom window and chirping at them.

When I post the draft of "Welcome Dinner" (I'm still not sold on that title), do you guys want me to highlight the text or no?

Good night!