So far so good...

Hopefully I'm not speaking too soon.

It is day 2ish (well technically I've been here a day and a half) and we are all still alive. My sister has a new kitten. My parents (in a weird move) brought their two cats with them AZ. My sister has a dog. The cats don't exactly get along, but they're getting over it. They are all unified in their hate of the dog. (Currently Jack, the kitten, is playing with a toy under the table I'm sitting at. Sweetums, big cat, is sitting on the table and growling so hard at Jack I can feel the table vibrating through the computer.)

We're making New York Cheesecake for my mom and niece tomorrow. (Kayla's birthday was last week and my mom's is tomorrow.) We'll also make the cake balls. I got everything we needed to make them from Wal-Mart. I do not love the Wal Mart, but it was useful in this situation.

Since my sister and I have had control of the remote, I have not been subject to hours of Tru TV's "Most shocking" shows.

On Monday through Wednesday, we go to Savannah. I'm pretty excited about that. We made reservations for a haunted pub crawl and a tour in a hearse. How fun! Also, just to support my nerdishness, we're going to the Girl Scout birthplace. I will have to do some more planning to know where else to go so we don't get caught unawares.

We get back sometime Wednesday afternoon and I leave on Friday evening. Nice easy trip.

A Christmas Eve Adventure

Yesterday, I thought I was going to have a nice easy day. I had a lot I wanted to get done, but it seemed not impossible. I woke up early. I did laundry and finished up the frame for my parents. I packed my suitcase and then headed out to lunch with Stephen.

Here's where my day went completely awry. I was tossing my garbage in the dumpster when the bag kind of fell against my face. I thought I had knocked out the left lens on my glasses and I was thrilled when I hadn't. Unfortunately, I had no idea that I had knocked out the RIGHT lens. Stephen came into my parking garage to see if we could find it. He even climbed into the dumpster for me! Sadly we couldn't. I'm pretty sure it fell into the storm drain I was standing on. I called my vision place. They were closed for the holiday. I called lLens Crafters. They were open and could get me in. Unfortunately I had to have a new exam since I didn't have my prescription. (Yes I know I'm entitled to have my prescription, but since I've been going to the same place since I started work at my current employer, it isn't like I've ever needed it before.)

I went there at 2. I had plans for a 4:10 movie and I still had to go home and get my suitcase and pack my back pack. Luckily, I had good bus luck and caught the bus I wanted to catch right as it was pulling up. I managed to get myself packed and get downstairs. We JUST made it to the movie as it was starting.

I went and saw the Princess and the Frog. I liked it. I thought it was pretty good. Kind of intense, but really good.

Caught my plane at 10:15 and now I'm in FL with my sister and parents.

Not What I Expected

I volunteered for The Rockettes' Christmas Show this morning. At 9:30 this morning. I don't know what I thought the Rockettes' show would be like but it seemed weird to me. I think I mostly liked it. Maybe. It was kind of cheesy. There was singing and dancing and kicking and precision moving. I think I might have thought the Rockettes danced more than they do. I mean they dance, but a lot of their schtick is the precision work, which was very cool. The turns completely in sync and of course the kicking. It did make me wonder if there were like 2 troupes to the Rockettes... a touring one and one that stays in NYC. My friend Jen from high school used to tap dance and one of the performances they always did was the toy soldier march from the Rockettes. It was interesting to see it done by the real thing.

The thing that surprised me the most was the end. They do a big song about winter and there's singing and dancing and you think it is done, unless you work for the theater and know that the show runs 1 hr and 57 minutes and there are still about 17 minutes left. Then you think hmm... And then it starts. The religious portion of the show. I wasn't expecting this twist at all, but they did a living nativity and the whole Jesus story and all that. It was all very solemn and religious. The most interesting part, to me at least, was that they had 2 real camels and sheep and a real donkey on the stage. Who was expecting a real camel?

I have 2 more shows to do. I don't think I love it enough to sit through 2 more shows. Both shows are 9:30 am shows (we have to be there an hour and a half before showtime). They scheduled these shows very tightly... my show starts at 11 and ends at 1, the next one starts at 2 and ends at 4 and the 3rd starts at 5 and ends at 7. Since they open the doors an hour before showtime it is very close.

Sometimes

I want to stomp my feet and sulk and scream "Give me want I want Universe! I'm a good person! I deserve it dammit!" And then I remember I don't believe in that crap and life goes on. :)

A tale of insanity

Once upon a time, Michelle and I were sane, rational people who did enjoy the holiday known as Black Friday and would be up to shop at about 4 AM. We made it a point to not go to Best Buy because that place is just madness. Madness I say! This year, those sane, rational people were replaced by lunatics. This year... we braved Best Buy. Starting at 8:30 on Thanksgiving night Michelle and I were camped out at Best Buy. There were about 30 people ahead of us in line which we figured gave us pretty decent odds at getting what we were looking for. I wanted a cheap cheap laptop and Michelle had her eyes set on a netbook.

Armed with a kindle each, blankets, some snacks and my Nintendo, we braved the California cold and set up our chairs for the long winter's night. At about 11:30ish I started to doze off. I can sleep anywhere apparently. I was just at that place between awake and asleep when some jackhole drove by in his big truck and honked his big truck horn loudly. I jumped out of my chair and when the nice young man behind me asked how I was doing I assured him I was fine and went about arranging my blankets as though THAT was what I was doing.

At midnight we got cold. Really cold. Michelle went home for more blankets. She came back with what must have been every blanket in their house: 2 quilts, more afghans, jackets and mittens. Warm and toasty I know I dozed off for like 2 hours. I think she did too. I woke up at about 3 when things were starting to shuffle around. We did our shopping. Michelle got her netbook and I did not get my laptop. (That's okay my mom picked one up for me at Staples so it all worked out in the end... the advantage of tiny town life). We did the rest of our shopping and were done by around 11.

The problem with the all night Best Buy adventure reared its ugly head later. We got home about 11ish and almost immediately fell asleep. I think I slept until like 3 and was pretty much wiped out the rest of the day.

The rest of the visit was good. Michelle's kids Kay and Oh are so big. Kay cracked me up most of the weekend, however I could tell I'm totally used to living by myself because Kay would sing. And initially I was fine with it but the longer she would sing the more I would cringe. Michelle pointed out that eventually you tune it out.

Could this have BEEN a more Seattle morning?

So this morning wearing my Converse high tops and my Columbia fleece jacket I hopped into the Zipcar to take my pet to the vet. She's getting a shot that isn't necessary to extend her life but it will give her more fur. After that I stopped on an impulse at Whole Foods where I spent a ridiculous amount of money on gluten free food and I bought a reusable bag. Then I popped in to an independently owned pet store and bought Rigby a ridiculously overpriced pet sweater that I'm sure she won't wear (because I've put it on her twice and she slides right out of it). The only way I could be more a Seattleite after today would be if I were driving a Subaru and was planning on going hiking.

Another one bites the dust

Just got home and there was a sign on my door. Another apartment manager has bitten the dust. The weird poly couple is no longer our managers. I wonder if they know this or if they discovered it the same way one of the other ones did - sign on the door indicating a new manager in place. They at least lasted six months I think.

That's one way to lose weight

So when I got home on Sunday I had to lug my suitcase up 5 flights of stairs because the elevator was broken. I was unhappy with that. Yesterday morning I left and elevator was still broken (makes sense since it isn't like the repair guy came out overnight). HOWEVER yesterday evening I got home from Girl Scouts to discover the elevator was still broken. Apparently it needs a part. That part has to come from Germany. Now when the apartment managers told me that I thought wow... god this is going to take forever. Upon further reflection this morning I thought, are you kidding me? It is 2009. Fedex, UPS, and a wide variety of other shipping companies can have a part here in less than a week. This should not take forever to fix. However if the part doesn't fix the elevator then it may need a new motor. The apt manager in the next building (who is owned by the same owners that own my building) says if that's the case the prop managers (higher than apt manager on the food chain) may not get it fixed. Fuck that. Damn good thing I'm moving out. Then I thought... how on earth will movers get my bed down the stairs? It isn't like these stairs were designed to have people moving couches and whatnot up and around and over them. Christ what a pain in the ass. Also, depending on how long this goes, I may end up with a pretty nice ass. :)