Oh How the Mighty Fall

Yeah, things have changed since my last post. The last time we talked, I was in Seattle, employed, and loving my surroundings... and now... I'm Toledo (again!), unemployed, and despise nearly every minute of my day. In fact, I'm quite reluctant to even post to this blog, for many reasons. (1) I don't have much to write about considering my current situation, (2) Even if I do come up with something, I'm afraid it might be to much of a downer or full of self-pity that no one will even want to read it, and finally (3) I don't know who the hell even looks at this thing anymore anyway! 

Well, I'll just assume my readers are the few who happen to stumble upon this mess by accident, so I'll just try to whip something up to amuse them. Yeah, that works.

All right, let's see, what shall we cover today? I suppose I should try to rap about something important to our everyday lives, like the current state of the economy (but really, who isn't talking about that?), the war in Iraq (what's left to say? Expensive, pointless, shoulda, coulda, woulda), unemployment (let's not go there)... But really, I'm not that deep. So let's think of something else...

Okay, did anyone catch Levi Johnston (aka Bristol Palin's Baby-Daddy) on the Tyra Banks Show earlier this week? I only put myself through a few minutes of it, mostly because it was dull and at times uncomfortable. And after watching those few precious moments that I will never get back I have to assume two things: 1. Tyra banks pays her guest for their interviews, and 2. After the interview, our boy Levi is gonna start dating black girls, now that he knows they aren't all like New York from Flavor of Love. 

Okay, that's all I got for now, I'm tapped out. I'll try again soon when I'm hopefully feeling more inspired. 

25 Days of Victoria's Secrets Widget

Merry Christmas from Seattle!

After work yesterday I wandered down to Pike Place Market (about 2 blocks away) to check out what they had going on for the holidays. It was beautiful (ya know, not counting the crackheads hangin' out in the park across the street), and the dense fog actually added to the scene. The lights and colors seemed like they were just bouncing off the air. The market was closing down by the time I made it there, but there were still some people around, and plenty of them were snapping pictures too, so I didn't feel like a complete dork. But I guess that doesn't really matter, I'm just trying to take as much in as possible before I leave. And I'm excited about the holiday spirit around here, so much so that I can tolerate the Christmas music at work much more than most of my coworkers. But they just don't know how good they have it. Last year at Michael's, we had to put up with a damn singing tree... starting in September! At least at World Market we have actual songs, and cool ones, like Bruce Springstein, The Waitresses... Songs with actual words!

Oh, and this reminds me that Saturday I watched Fred Claus, with Vince Vaughn. I had pretty low expectations because I had heard how bad it was when it came out last year, but I was pleasantly surprised! It had me laughing out loud more than a few times. Even kinda gave me a little warm and fuzzy feeling inside... okay, maybe more tepid than warm, but whatever. It got the job done. I wasn't asking for much.

Oh yeah... I'll be home for Christmas! I'm coming home on December 13th, and will probably start my mom's Christmas shopping soon after. Wait, no, I'll probably put the tree up first. So, that's the good news. The bad is that I'll be home waaaaay longer that I'd like. And the ugly... I'll still have some bills to pay off from this quarter. *sigh*

All right, enjoy the rest of the pics. Don't forget to click on the images to get the fullsize, it's worth it.

Happy Holidays!
Edit: I just added a little Christmas music player to the side panel. I suggest you turn it on as you enjoy the pics. And don't worry, all the songs on there are the good ones... even the Alvin and the Chipmunks song!!!

Heading toward the market from work, on Western Ave

The pigs at the market are kinda like their mascot, so here they have them lined up to welcome Santa!

Another shot of the main entrance, that most people recognize, and where the famous seafood vendors that throw the fish are located.
Edit: You can see Rachel the Pig, the symbol of the market. Can you find her?

Close up of the sign.

No, Jesus isn't a Macy's shopper, it's just a huge star they have mounted to the building. Lights up the entire street. 

Leaving the market and heading to the downtown shopping centers, where they have a Christmas display.

Westlake Shopping Center, same street as Macy's.

Across the street now, the carousel the yave set up for the holidays. 

Do you see how dangerously close the Sephora is to my apartment?! Okay, that wasn't the point of this shot, but I just thought I'd point that out. 

And finally...

...the Space Needle. This was actually taken a few nights ago, because last night the fog was so thick I literally couldn't see it! You can kinda see it here creeping in, already low enough for the light from the Christmas tree on top to bounce off of the clouds.

Holy Moly

Wow, I just realized how long it's been since my last post. I apologize! I may not have very many readers, but the ones I do have, I like to keep happy!
I guess a lot has gone down since my last post. We even have a new President-Elect! I don't know about where you were on election night, but Seattle erupted in celebration after all the networks called the race. It was effin' awesome! People were, literally, dancing in the streets and cheering, in huge mobs. When was the last time huge masses gathered to publicly celebrate something that didn't involve sports?! Okay, maybe going to a Big Ten school has jaded me a bit, sorry...
All right, as as far as personal updates go, I guess I have at least one. I got a job... woohoo. It's only retail, and technically just seasonal, but it's a job. Which means money is coming in... not more than is going out, but we won't talk about that right now. Let's just be happy that Mama got employed, ok?
Thanksgiving is closing in, and normally I'd be damn near giddy about it. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a big ole dork about the holidays. I watch all the cheesy specials, bake cookies, listen to the 24 hour holiday music stations (starting immediately after Thanksgiving, thank you), Tivo the Food Network Thankgiving Specials, wake up early so I can watch the entire Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade... everything just short of wearing the bright, Frosty the Snowman sweaters, you know, that kinda make you look all MR/DD. I'm usually adamant about cooking the turkey and Fat-Kid Stuffing (it's the bomb), and oh you gotta have the green bean casserole... *Sigh*
All right, so now you're asking, "What's wrong? Why aren't you giddy?"
Well, this is the first holiday season that I've spent so far from home. *Tear* Yeah, yeah, I know, allegedly I'm a big kid now, and I chose to move so damn far away so this is a consequence... whatever! Alls I'm sayin is that Thanksgiving is gonna be different this year and it's bringin' me down a little. I just hope that I can muster up my normal Christmas cheer to make it through the season. I don't know if I'm allowed to put a Christmas tree in my apartment or not, but I'm going to purposely avoid asking about it so I can play dumb if I get busted. Genius plan, don't ya think? Besides, it's essential to my survival right now. I need a tree to get me through my first holiday season away from my family.
In other news, I bought a fabulous hat on Monday!

Can't Wait to See This!

Damnit, Emmy/Monica (my movie buddies). If you were here, I'd so drag one of your asses to see this! Notice I said, "If you were here," and not, "If I was there." I'm subtle like that!

Checking In With the Morning Report!

Who can tell me what movie that's from? It's a Disney flick!
OK, anyhoo, I finally got around to transferring some of my pics to my computer. Yay for me! I know this doesn't sound all that exciting, but I consider it worthy of mention because I couldn't do it for a while. I lost the USB cable for my camera, and of all the random ones that my dad had laying around, none of them fit. Well, then I got a PSP, and it takes the same memory stick as my camera... and then Mama just got creative!

Don't forget, you can click to enlarge:
A view from my apartment, facing East. You can kinda see Lake Union (at least that's what I think that is). It's actually reall pretty in the early morning, just before the sun has fully risen. You can see the moving headlights of all the cars off in the distance.

View facing NorthEast. Yep, that's the Space Needle! It's actually a bit closer than it appears in the picture, that's just how it got compressed when I rotated it.


View from the ferry, as we're leaving Seattle and headed for Bainridge Island. I know it's all shaky, but I was on a frickin' ferry!

Another view from the ferry. And if you're a Grey's Anatomy fan, then this is probably best known to you as the site of the "Meredith Falls into the Sound and Dies While Tending to Ferry-Crash Victims" episode.



My sister's old friend lives in Washington, about 2 hours or so away from the city. She came to pick me up for the weekend and showed me around town, then took me over to her side of the Sound, on the peninsula. I wish I could remember what we were looking at. I'm pretty sure it's due North.

These next few are of my apartment (per Chanthamaly's request):

It's actually bigger than my old kitchen, in the studio apartment I had in Columbus.

Rest of the kitchen.

Big giant window that I've been taking all of my pictures from. I guess the smarter idea would have been to open the blinds, and then take the picture.

All right, what else would you like to see? I'll try accommodate, even if it makes me like a total tourist. I cruised Pike Place Market a couple times this week, and maybe I'll do it again this weekend when I have some more time. Hell, I know I will, cz the fishermen are cute. I'm not ashamed.
Tonight, I'm going to a community center to volunteer my time at the annual Halloween festival, so that might be worth a few photos. Oh, and I guess there are the obvious ones, like my school, street... ME. I dunno, we'll see what I come up with. I'll also upload these and maybe some others to the little media player thingy that's on the left panel of this page - if I can remember how to do it.

This One's for Chanthamaly!

I told ya they had all kinds of Pho restaurants. Even cheesy, Americanized ones.

Week 2

Or 3, or 1 and a half. I lost track. Whatever it is, I'm still here and doin' well. I'm hot on the tail of some job leads. I've met with 3 placement/temp agencies since yesterday, and already I have a solid interview tomorrow. So, woo hoo!! I might be "bonafide" soon!
Well, as far as everything else... lets see... Classes started last week and we hit the ground running. I had a crap load of homework, but I'm being a good student and getting it all done ahead of time. You see, that's my pattern. I start out enthusiastic, telling myself that I'll be a good girl this time and get everything done like an overachiever. Then, after a couple of weeks I get a little lazy and, well... you know the rest. If you don't, refer to the archives of this blog.
I spent last weekend with a friend of my sister, who lives out this way. She picked me up on Friday and showed me all over the city, which was enlightening. I have some exploring of my own to do this weekend. She showed me some hotspots, but I definitely want to spend some time out there on foot, finding things on my own. But so far, I'm still in love! I'll be sure to send pics, if I can get away with not looking too much like a tourist. Well, now that I think of it, I do have an assignment for my typography class to collect samples of font, which involves me taking a lot of photos of things I see around town. So, I'll already look like a weirdo, snapping pics of street signs and what not. But if anyone is interested, I'll put some of the project pics up for your enjoyment.
Oh, Mom and Dad bought me a webcam! I don't have it yet, but I will soon, so I may include some video. Maybe I'll get some shots out of my window, if the contruction crew in the alley ever shuts up! Ugh, they actually get the building rattling!
Well, I wish I had something more inspired, but I don't. Really, I just wanted to get something up in case anyone has been checking in, and maybe wonderin if I'm still alive. So, I think that's all for now. But keep lookin' in, 'cause you never know when the mood might strike.
PS Hello Donna!! Thanks for the card, it made my day!

I'm heeeeeere...

Good lord, it's been about a year and a half since my last post. Well, that's mostly because there hasn't been much to report! But if you're just dying to be filled in, I guess I can oblige.

Well, that last job that I mentioned, the restaurant gig? Yeah, that didn't pan out. It made me miserable... which ultimately made me broke when I quit it and couldn't find another job for 4 months. I ended up working at Michaels full time for a year - which included the holiday season, which I will never do again - which also made me pretty miserable. Okay, not that miserable, I wasn't downright suicidal all the time or anything. 

Anyway, to make a long story short, I am bloggin tonight from a new city, on the other side of the Mississippi. Okay, I'm in Seattle. I'll give you that much. So yeah, that gets us up to date.

What? Long story made too short? Need more details? Sheesh, all right. Well, what the hell else is there to cover? No jobs in the MidWest + more-than-no jobs in Seattle = my moving here. Admittedly, I do not yet have such a job, but I'm workin' on it. I've only been here a few days.

I suppose you wanna hear about the city and my adjustments and all that now, don't you? Fine...

So far, I love it. The more I explore, the more I realize that I made a good decision. Now, I'm not an idiot, so I realize that I might be singing a different tune in a few months, when I've gone without seeing daylight for weeks, but for now... I'm pretty stoked. I've been out to explore everyday since I got here, and so far I'm impressed. Sure, there are some unsightly things/people prowling about my neighborhood, but you'll have that. I ain't perfect either. But for the most part, I'm impressed. I feel like I can really get to call this place home. 

And as far as the adjustments go... well, I'm not gonna lie, it was tough leaving my family. We're closer than your average unit, so the first day away was bumpy. And I'm sure the worst is yet to hit, because right now it feels like I'm just away from home visiting somewhere, and not like I've actually moved. I'm also planning to go home for Christmas, so I think that's softening the blow a bit. 

I'm also aching for my friends a little. The broads that make me laugh everytime I talk to them, who completely understand my bitter sarcasm... yeah, it's gonna suck not being so close. And the thought that I have to break in a new group, well that's just frightening. I was just getting my old friends used to me! Well, here's hoping they make 'em as tough in the Pacific Northwest as they do in the MidWest. That's all I'm sayin'... 

Well, I know you're probably dieing for more info, like what I'm doing with my time, if I've met any cool people... but I'm just too tired to cover all that right now. You'll have to wait. See how I do that, get you roped in an all strung out for your next visit? ;)

TTFN!