Today is better by far

Well, last night a literal load was lifted off my shoulders when our lovely landlady Virginia offered to mail books for us from the states (Media Mail being inexpensive). We took her up on the offer and packed two boxes with a total of 55 pounds of books! These are books we now do not have to pack, do not have to carry to the airport and do not have to pay overage fees on! YAY FOR VIRGINIA! God has truly blessed us with a wonderful landlady this year. I can only hope our next year's living arrangements can be equally friendly.

Also, things seem to have cooled down at the office. My co-worker who was mad at me yesterday has been quite amicable today. I think more in her life is stressing her than just this job and she kind of let that stress out on me yesterday. It's okay...I just wish I'd known now what I know then - would have made my life a lot less miserable.

Finally, I brought a fan from the house (again, thanks to Virginia, The Great Landlady) which makes the temperatures in our office much more bearable. It's not really hot here - just very, very stale. And they've said they're going to turn off the heat...so we should be dressing for A/C in about 2 weeks time. Yay!

I also got a good night's sleep with pleasant dreams. Even though we went to bed late last night (due to packing boxes with books, so a good late!) I slept almost 8 hours and felt rested when I woke up. I could have easily slept more...but I was okay with the amount I got.

God is good to me. He takes care of His daughter. He loves me. It's amazing how quickly I can feel His love when I need it - I just wish that I could feel it even when the outward situations are not so conducive as they are at this moment. Them's the hard times.

Also, we can has tickets! Flying in to Abilene at 8:30PM on Tuesday, May 13th! It was not terribly more expensive to fly in to Abilene - so we'll catch the puddle jumper from Dallas and save my folks a trip. See ya'll soon!

I didn't realize how the day had worn me down until now...

Sometimes I think it would be good to work all by myself from home - because the politics and the people can get on your nerves. It's almost like a prison some days, locked in a room with the same people all day every day for a whole week. If you don't build a REAL rapport with your coworkers, then you're doomed for not good days. Many not good days.

So, pray for me you guys. Because one of my coworkers has decided that I'm trying to edge her out for a job that I don't even need to keep past the end of the month. It just sucks. Because my days are not going well...and I'm trying, I'm trying to be a good Christian....they know I'm a Christian...but it's a hard thing. And it's all these subtle things...people intentionally going into other rooms to talk away from me...snide comments...it's just hard. I'm facing a bad situation and I need to make the best of it. Pray for me. Because I need strength tomorrow. Strength I don't know I have.

A Glorious Day!

Hmm, it seems that I shall be using this blog for it's most stereotypical purpose - to tell about my day. How very normal of me.

This morning was highly successful. I woke up at 9AM and yawned, turned over, went back to sleep for a little bit. Then, come 10, I got up and hauled the Reluctant Husband out of bed as well. Setting him on the task of laundry & dishes, I proceeded to clean other parts of the house. Together, we have made our small apartment MUCH more habitable, with novelties such as a cleaned off coffee table, mopped up floor and clean laundry hung in closets not in piles on floor. YAY!

Then, we headed out, taking the TTC to Chinatown to purchase some fruit for our fun times planned for the afternoon. After acquiring fruit, we TTC'd down to the Eaton Centre where we waited for our friend Sybila at Lush (after a brief pit stop for a VERY TASTY lemonade for me and a quite good Raspberry Tea for Scott.

We then went out to the Toronto Island, where we really just meandered around, appreciating the amazing weather and lovely scenery. We'd hoped to be able to take the little trolley they offer there, but it was closed for "winter" (even though it was 70 degrees today). Ah well. It was amazing just to be out in nature, walking among trees and to look out at the beautiful lake and just talk with Sybila, who is a truly unique, wonderful and interesting person. (And no, I don't think she reads this blog, so I'm not playing to my audience.)

Then, Sybila took us to an AMAZING Thai food restaurant. Not only did I have some of the best food I've had in Toronto, but I also discovered how to use my sticky rice - it requires mangos & coconut milk to make instant amazing! mmm mmmm nom nom.

Then, completely unexpected, Sybila offered to treat us to a movie. We went to the nearest theatre, which was playing only things none of us had heard of. We were willing to give it a shot, though and signed up for "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day." Awesome. Movie.

This is the movie I will be showing to my in-laws and EVERYONE from Ginger to Terry to Taylor will enjoy it - all for different reasons, but all, I think, sincerely & equally. I'm not AS sure that my family would enjoy it...but if they could get past the "1950's pin-up" moments, then I think we'd all be enjoying ourselves greatly. (See Scott's blog for further review of this movie.)

THEN we take the train home and, literally 6 minutes after we walk in the door, as I'm pulling on my comfy sit-around-the-house PJs, Kent calls us. And I proceed to have a rip-roaring conversation with him. Such fun! I am really looking forward to being able to enjoy my friends on a regular, not-so-long-distance basis in the near future. And, while I will miss my Toronto friends, we will be able to host people at our house again with ease...and THAT, my friends, is something I am truly looking forward to.

Now Scott is talking to Kent...it nears 11PM...and the day has been terrific. Thank you God, for this wonderful, beautiful day!

This is William Shatner "singing" a Frank Sinatra tune...as only he can.

My cup runneth over...

Take a look at these cool robes. Now imagine Scott wearing them. (I know, the excessively perky girl who is wearing them at the moment makes this difficult. I LOOKED for a different picture and we had one last night...but I cannot find it at the moment.) Quick! Take away the wooden stick of doom! Such things are dangerous for Scott to carry for too long. He is bound to swing them dramatically or, at the very least, get "ideas" about how it lends to his "dignity."


Okay, that's better. Those are some pretty cool robes, no? They make Scott look very cool, no? I sure think so. I wish I got a cool velvet tam hat like that. Maybe I'll buy one. Only green. And no tassel. Yep, then I will have a cooler hat that Scott. But he will still win the regalia contest. Because in 4-6 years, my friends, he will have those robes, wear those robes and receive a doctoral diploma in those robes. (Well, not the exact ones said perky girl is wearing...what would she wear then, poor thing?!)


Now gaze at this gorgeous skyline. Yes, it is the skyline of a big city. But it IS the folk music capital of the south. I mean, Flight of the Concords came here! Cool, no? Plus, the countryside around Austin is beautiful. And the hills, the old trees...Austin has some of the loveliest landscape in all of Texas. Somewhere in that skyline, hiding on the edges...somewhere near campus, in a nice neighborhood, a house has been neglected by it's owners. It is up for sale. And it will be mine. Mine to love, mine to appreciate, mine to remodel and improve. Also Scott's. But mine. Ours. In a way that no place has been mine or ours before.



Also somewhere out there is a job for me. The Right Job for me. Maybe working for the Faculty of Music or for the university library. Maybe somewhere else. But it is there, waiting for me to find it and claim it. And this job will not be like all the other temporary positions I have held. It will be, in fact, PERMANENT. I cannot tell you how much this thrills my heart. But the amount is large. And if you've read my blog for a while, and read how hard temping can be on me, then you know a small portion of my jubilation.



Now this, my dear friends, this is not a cowboy hat. It is an IMAGE of a cowboy hat...and as such, it is a symbol of all the "Things Texan" that I shall be reclaiming.

-- Warm weather and sunshine in the wintertime.

-- Enchiladas, Tex-Mex, burritos, beef from my parent's cows, REAL salsa (not this fake sweet
not even hot stuff), mom's Lasagna...

-- MOM and LYNNA and DAD and MATT and all my family! FRIENDS! Garbacz Family!


-- Bathtubs & baths taken in them. Our lovely sleep number bed. Our blue/green couch. All the wedding presents we had to leave behind and all the books.

-- Central time - which means an earlier bedtime during the weekdays.


But don't think I will be turning away from Toronto without regret. On no. Toronto has given me much and I am grateful. I am so very thankful for:

-- Grace Toronto & Grace Toronto Friends! You will be missed but we will stay in touch via Facebook, I promise! Come and visit us in Texas anytime! It's WARM there even in winter! (Usually. But if you don't like the weather, wait a while...it'll change.)

-- Mass Transit. Hopefully we will be taking enough advantage of the UT shuttle system to remain a 1 car family. (Also to not have to pay for parking at the university!) But I shall miss you, TTC.

-- Chinatown. How I shall miss you...the bun shops, the produce, the awesome bargain hunting.

-- Our very fun landlady Virginia, our lovely little apartment.

-- The Granite Brewery - you are expensive burgers and good brews - but both are super tasty and worth the trip.


However, all in all, I'm very glad to be going back to Texas. I have missed so much and gained so much...but, all in all, the South is my native land. I am glad to be returning. I am glad Scott got accepted to UT. I am super glad he gets a progressively better paying TA-ship. I can't WAIT to see all my friends and family again. The Good Times, they shall roll.

WANT!

Okay, I was looking on Amazon.com for the book on buying/contracting repairs that Mike Holmes is supposedly writing/has written. And I came across this shirt. Which I want. In black with white letters. Ah...for the days when I worked for a T-Shirt company.

Least Favorite & Most Favorite...chore?!

Okay, so occasionally I go over to my LiveJournal and one of their "Writer's Block" tips really catches my interest. Such happens today. The prompt was: What is your least favorite chore?

So, what is my least favorite chore? Cleaning the bathroom. Funnily enough, this is not because I really mind the gunk & dirt...when you grow up on a quasi-farm, you get used to nasty dirt and know how to deal with it. No, it's really the big, gigantic process. Bathroom cleaning, unlike other cleaning, requires you to get out paraphenalia. You need special scrubbers, special disinfectants, special everything! Plus, you have to section off a big block of time. Because no bathroom cleaning task is short. You're scrubbing a toilet or a bathtub or shower or mopping the floor...no short tasks there.

This year, it is made even more difficult by the fact that my bathroom is TINY. I mean, literally, there is barely a place to stand...which makes the prospect of trying to manuever a mop around the floor rather daunting.

I wish I was better at this. I really do. But at the end of a long week of indeterminite work and frustrating lack of acceptance letters, the last thing I want to do is spend an afternoon in a 2x3 box filled with cleaning fumes.

On the other end of the spectrum is my most favorite chore. I love to chop vegetables. This has shown forth in our preferred eatings as I tend to favor stir fries & pastas...things that let me chop, chop, chop away. I chop in front of the TV, watching Holmes on Homes or Star Trek: Voyager. Life is good.

And now. . . . .you know.

Knut is going to kick butt!

see more crazy cat pics

I know, I know...this is probably not my favorite German baby polar bear. Heh, it might not even be a polar bear. But still...I heart K-Nut and his Song! I will gladly e-mail it to you if you have not heard it.

Looking forward to heading back to the states!

As I lean back in my plush pink swively rocky chair I think about the various things that I will leave behind when we leave Canada. Scott and I spent about 30 minutes yesterday talking about the things we plan to take with us when we go home, the things we'll leave and those few things we will really miss. It's an interesting cross section of our life here in Toronto.

Things we'll be taking:

Our rice cooker. We love our rice cooker, we love its non-stick surface, we love its size and its efficiency.

The legs from our Ikea desk/table. This is a "if we have room" item, but I really hope we have room. These are red Ikea legs that will go on any Ikea table top. We can't afford the weight to bring the table top, but I figure, it'll be fun to pick out a new one, perhaps a rounded one...and this'll be my craft table/desk.

Our Pom glasses. We started this year by buying 2 glass containers of "Pom" pomagranite tea. Mine has a little color on it, Scott's has the Pom logo in relief. These glasses have been our individual water/juice/ginger ale/chocolate milk glasses all year long and will always instantly evoke memories of this year.

Our pillow top mattress cover - I bought this one in a queen size intentionally so that we could use it later. I mean, we can't leave all our $100 purchases in Canada, eh?

Things we'll be leaving with much regret

Our beautiful swirly red lamp shade. Well, maybe if I can fit it in somewhere...it doesn't weigh much!

The bookshelf we spray painted red. It's pretty - but not pack-able.

The aforementioned tabletop.

My black boots - they've served well, but their time is slowly becoming past.

Our Goodwill overcoats - they have served their purpose and will be retired...probably back at a Goodwill somewhere.

Things we miss...and are looking forward to reclaiming

A bathtub...any bathtub. 'Nuf said.

Our couch...with the bed and the relaxing for a movie...it has not been the same without you, green/blue couch!

Many, many books. We had to leave so many good friendly books behind!

My sewing stuff! I hadn't realized how much a part of my life I'd made sewing...until I didn't have it for a year!

Summer. I miss summer. I miss the sunlight. I miss the heat. And could do without the bitter wind.

My craft & scrapbooking stuff. This is really more about the space to lay it all out and DO crafts and scrapbooking...I brought some stuff with me, but haven't really been able to use it for lack of space.

Choice Lolcat of the day

see more crazy cat pics
Another spotted cat makes it's way into my heart...sneakily.

My life is full of Awesome!

Okay, to start off - Blogger's "Google Blogs" April Fools is just funny.

And so are the comments on my facebook photo album cum birthday present for my bro about Milk In A Bag.

But, you know what, my life is full of even more awesome than that! So, today is my day to take from both the classic meme of counting your blessings and my friend Lily's blog and have a "Things I Like in my Life (and just plain things I like).

Thing One:
This Saturday I got to spend 2 hours with Tamora Pierce and her "spouse-creature" Tim. This was a pretty amazing event for me. I have been reading Tammy's books since I was about 14 (MaryLynn has a head start on me...she's 14 now and has been reading them for 2-3 years!) She writes well-crafted fantasy stories about girls growing up and discovering their strengths. Her heroines are interesting and often unsure of themselves. It is how they overcome their uncertainties that makes these characters truly interesting and believable. Spending time with Tammy over lunch was, therefore, a really awesome experience. I got some inside tips from a best-selling author on how to create interesting characters. And we talked about Star Wars, and politics and the publishing industry...and many other random things. Thanks Tammy, it was amazing!

(P.S. I made the mistake of forgetting to get a picture of Tammy & Tim...sad puppies. But this one from an AudioBook website is the closest to what she looked like when I saw her that I could find online. I guess authors who have been writing for a while have a large number of pictures - because I was amazed at how different she looked in her different pics.)

(P.P.S. I did not, however, make the mistake of not getting a book autographed. I may be silly but I'm not THAT silly!)

Thing Two:
Okay, this one falls in a "things I like" category. I found out the other day that David Tennant is playing Hamlet at the RSC. This is cool. Because it's awesome to see a really interesting actor go forth and play serious roles as well as funny ones. (Yes, I am aware that, for all intents and purposes Hamlet is about the least serious role you can get in a Shakespeare drama...or at least the most famous least serious one. But theatre people take the role seriously...which is what I meant.)

Thing Three:
This is a small, but big thing. My lovely pastor's wife Sue and, of course, my pastor Dan (but Sue comes first, 'cuz she's the to-be-mom) will be getting to adopt a baby this May. They found out last Thursday. Like I said, this weekend has been one for good news.

Thing Four:
I like lolcats. I really, really do. Why? Because they are funny. And they are cats. I want a cat. But I don't have one. But many, many lolcats are pictures of Bengal cats - because Bengal cats tend to do things that you want to take pictures of. Plus...SPOTS! My kitteh will be named Pounce. When I get her. Which is not yet. Because we are short of the monies. And therefore...no kittehs for the moment. Except lolcats. Like this one:

Moving Right Along (To the beat of a different drummer)

I saw this shirt online today and laughed smugly to myself. Not just because it is funny but also because, for me, it is true. I've been moving all over the place and each move has been different. I utilize everything from suburbans to suitcases. I have moved all my possessions that I "need" to live in 6 suitcases. I have loaned couches to friends. I have ruthlessly used said friends to help me move. I have done many, many things. I think the next time I have a "moving party" I will make it a costume one...or provide Zorro masks. Why? Because its FUN!

In other news, pray for me. God is showing me that stability is a thing I need to depend on Him for. And I'm having a nice little yelling contest with Him about His methods.

When Scott and I saw this picture, we both knew it was awesome. But it was Scott who pointed out why. Yes, indeed, this is another perfect example to go into the informational pamphlet that we will someday publish entitled "The Joys of Force-Lightning" Of course, when the picture is in the pamphlet, it will be enhanced to show the actual force lightning being generated by Hilary's evil, evil mind.

So, this week I've got a new job - and it may just be the best one yet. I'm not sure why this position was called a "receptionist" - because that's not anything like what I do. I am working in the Rotman MBA program's Admission & Recruitment office. It is an amazingly fulfilling job. Which, just goes to say, "I told you so!" Well, maybe not you specifically, but I certainly told many people that I'd like working for a university department office. And boy, oh boy do I enjoy it. The really interesting thing is that, it is the intangibles that make this job better than all the rest. I've actually had jobs that pay more, jobs with better perks (i.e. free coffee, sodas & lots of gourmet food.), and jobs where I had a more comfortable chair, much more free time and many other things that other people might consider good. But this job makes me feel good. I am Making Things Right, Working for the Little Man, being the Only Voice that many prospective students have.

This is a good feeling. I am working intensely, thoroughly and doing much more than I have in other jobs. There is a regular banter between myself and the other lady in my office regarding the stupidity of people who send e-mails asking questions of an MBA program. I mean, they're trying to get an MBA...and about 50% of the e-mails we get I copy-paste replies direct from the website! That they HAD to have visited to get the e-mail address. Sheesh.

But then there are people like the lovely young lady whose only fault is that she took her degree in Mexico. Her English is better than many people who may get into our program this year, but she still has to take the TOEFL...and therefore can't get into the program she wants to apply for. Such sorrow! And all because of a test date!

All that to say, I like my job. Because it is fulfilling. And also, and I have to say, this is a factor, I think this job may last me a good long time...maybe until we leave this here country.

A Challenger Has Emerged!

You have to use three words to answer each question. No more, no less.
It's harder than you think.

1. Where is your cell phone?
Don't have one.

2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend?
Silly Bouncy Boy

3. Your hair?
Changes Color Often

4. Where is your father?
At home, eating

5. Cheesecake?
Where? Give, now!

6. Your favorite thing to do?
Read, Game, Eat.

7. Your dream last night?
Antics with Broccoli

8. Your favorite drink?
Vanilla Herbal Tea

9. Your dream car?
Convertible Mustang Hybrid

10. The room you're in?
Warm yellow, red

11. George Bush?
Good times, but...

12. Your fears?
Clowns. Snakes. Falling.

13. Nipple rings?
Why torture yourself?

14. Who did you hang out with last night?
Dear sweet hubby

15. What you're not good at?
Lying to friends

16. Your best friends?
Sweet cuppin' cakes!

17. One of your wish list items?
apple iPod touch

18. Where did you grow up?
Abilene, O Abilene

19. The last thing you did?
Ate yummy potatoes

20. What are you wearing?
comfy green PJs

21. Tattoo on the lower back?
No, nay, never!

22. Ketchup?
Seasoned Fries Better!

23. Your computer?
Mac Mini Happiness!

24. Your life?
Full of anticipation.

25. Your mood?
Slightly guilty...fixable.

26. Missing?
Three Acceptance Letters

27. What are you thinking about right now?
Love my honey

28. Your car?
Don't Drive. TTC!

29. Your work?
Changes Almost Constantly

30. Your summer?
Home where warm?!

31. Your relationship status?
Head over heels!

32. Your favorite color(s):
Green for growth!

33. Last time you laughed?
Reading teh lolcats

34. Last time you cried?
Sad TV moment

35. High school?
Home school girl!

36. This quiz?
Fun but easy.

Music Hath Charms

The lyrics of some songs are most agreeable in their disagreement with their music. I shall 'splain...no, there is too much, let me sum up. On the other hand, 'splaining is fun - and kinda the purpose of this blog. So perhaps I should 'splain instead.

So you'll be an Austrian nobleman
Commissioning a symphony in c
Which defies all earthly descriptions
You'll be commissioning a symphony in c

I have no idea which particular historical Austrian nobleman is referred to here, probably one who commissioned a symphony or two in his time...possibly from Motzart. And, for the first time, I find myself mourning my inability to post music - because the contrast I'm looking at here is between the story that these lyrics don't so much tell as allude to and the hip, bouncy rock music it is sung to.

With money you squeeze from the peasants
To your nephew you can give it as a present
This magnificent symphony in c
Youll be commissioning a symphony in c

Completely filling the palace concert hall
Its warm and golden like an oven thats wide open
It has a melody both happy and sad
Built on victorious young triads

I think this last phrase is what really makes me like this song. The "victorious young triads" is exactly what the rock music is based off of - but, when you think of "victorious chords" and "symphonies" - you really, really don't think of those employed by Cake. They are masters of the subtle dance between lyric and music. And they do it while barely making any sense at all. Many artists have to write about compelling things to succeed - but not Cake - they can write nonsense and have it be both pleasant and historically referential nonsense. And people will probably enjoy it. I look forward to "The Rhineland Crematory Waltz"... :-p

In contrast, I shall put forth "Dangerous Game" from Jekyll & Hyde.

At the touch of your hand -
At the sound of your voice -
At the moment your eyes meet mine -
I am out of control -
I am out of my mind -
Full of feelings I can't define!

Here the music & lyrics amp each other up to great extremes. Even without brilliant actors (like Seibert & Organ of my ACU homecoming musical wonderfulness) portraying this dynamic struggle, you can hear it in the voices, the words, everything plays up in the very best of dramatic music. (For those of you who weren't there or didn't know, I used another piece from Jekyll & Hyde in my wedding...because it's BEAUTIFUL...plus I had an amazing soloist for a MOH, so I had someone who could do it proper.)

Pictures of Pubs that inspire me

After my last post, I decided to get some visual elements to make me happy about my pub hopings...here are a few.

Of course, a pub called the "Green Lady" has to have a beer garden.

Homes I have yet to live in

I'd love to think about something that isn't work or money related - but it is very, very hard to do. I think the closest I can come while actually at work (where I have much free time, but am stuck at a computer and can't read or play Wii...my true escapes) is 2 homes - both of them future hopes & dreams. It's almost like a 5 & 30 year plan....but that would be thinking about money - so I stick to the visuals, the dreamy parts.

In the next five years...

I want to buy & sell a house at a profit. I've been watching a lot of shows where people "flip" houses for loads of money - but that's not what I really want to do. Well, sort of - on a very protracted basis. What I want to do is buy the ugly house, the fixer-upper with excellent structure but hideous paint & a couple of walls that need careful knocking down. I could learn to knock down walls. Surely there's a self-help book out there "How to Knock Down Walls for Fun & Profit".

But this house wouldn't just be about profit - it would be about testing my many design ideas, discovering my limits in some new & exciting ways...and all without winding up with a "Disaster DIY" or some such. Careful planning is the key - I think, careful planning and lots of good advice & help. That and friends who are carpenters, plumbers, etc. And we would live in this house for the 5 years while Scott is getting his doctorate - and we'd pay it off, coming out of the bargain with enough profit to buy a nicer house for our "permanent home"...and hopefully without a huge mortgage on that one. This is all "the plan" - and I dream about "the plan" and the house, and what I might do with it...and I look on realty websites and find out where I could spend money well and where it would be silly...etc. This is my five year plan. Isn't it lovely?

In thirty years...or maybe 35...

This is our "retirement" plan, the way to be relaxed and happy at age 55. And it is called "The Green Lady." It is a home, but also a business. We assume that by this time, Scott will be an established professor with tenure at a lovely university. We have been putting money back, hopefully ever since Scott got his first position at a university and we moved into a little "family house" to raise our little family. So, we've been putting money into a special savings account labelled "Green Lady" - and once we get a nice tidy sum, (say $1000), we'll put that into a good mutual fund...and just keep contributing to it.

The Green Lady is our little pipe dream. And we talk about it all the time. It is a pub, it is a boarding house and it is our home. We hope to build it ourselves...but would not be adverse to restoring some old monstrosity. It is close to the university, right on a corner between commercial & residential. It has 3 floors at minimum. The basement is the pub. We have limited hours and do not depend on income from the pub to do more than support the pub. We sell the best burgers & fries anywhere and we have procured the recipe for Mushroom Pepperpot from the Eagle & Child. We bring in esoteric beers...and attract the beer snobs. We encourage philosophy clubs and the occasional poetry night. This is the heart of the Green Lady - this is where you can join your professor for a pint. We host poker nights but not Texas Hold-Em tournements.

The second floor is for boarders. This is where a few (between 5 & 10 probably...but it might be more...depending on roommate situation) students get to live. We promise their parents that we'll look after them and we promise the students that while we won't interfere - but that we will care. We are not an apartment complex or a dorm - we are a boarding house. We have rules and expect our tenants to follow them. The idea is that eventually living at the Green Lady will be a kind of "secret priviledge" - something that is neither the talk of the university nor completely unknown. And that the right tenants would begat future tenants, through recommendations, friends, siblings, etc.

Who am I kidding, we'll be starting this project as soon as it's affordable! I get so excited just writing about it. Once Scott gets tenure...we shall proceed! This is my big dream - the reason I'm so interested in the hotel and B&B business. A way to bring a little bit of the UK home with us and live in it always. Big comfy chairs & little Victorian cozy booths with lots of woodwork & wrought iron.

So...these are the things that I think of when I want to avoid thinking about the stresses that are currently majorly bugging me out. These are my long term goals...to live happily with my hubby...to make enough money during the semester that we can travel during the summer...and to have a little place that is all our own, and distinctly so. I can't think of the "reality" of these dreams yet - I can't even put aside any money for them, there are too many immediate things going on to do that. But I can scheme. I can know WHEN I should be putting down money for them. I can collect pictures and watch home improvement shows and visit lots & lots of pubs, B&Bs and "college student housing." These things I can do. So that when I'm a little older, a little greyer, but no less spry of mind (I have high hopes of taking after my paternal grandmother who is a force to be reckoned with to this day, all leather and wit), then I can paint a wooden sign, put up a chalkboard with the "brews of the month" and polish a bar 'til the granite gleams. (or wood...but right now I'm thinking dark green granite on a wooden base...sounds nice, huh?)

Tumbleweed Me (Good Advice)

I am sincerely tempted to photoshop up a picture of me as a tumbleweed. But I have no idea what it'd look like, except probably something out of a really bad '80s horror flick. So, no - I am nothing if not a professionally dressed tumbleweed. But a tumbleweed is what I am - the Texas tumbleweed that blows along, going from one place to another not out of its own voalition, but instead out of the whims of others. So, a new metaphor for my life as a temp.

Sometimes I wonder if I should've called this blog "the adventures of a temporary employee" or something like that. Perhaps. But I intend to be writing about my days much longer than I intend to be a temp. So there. It shall remain the enigmatic and inside joke "A Truck You Say?!" and that's that. For the true wisdoms behind my adventures as a temp, you may look to my up & coming wikiHow on "How to Succeed as a Temporary Employee" - where I dispense my hard won advice for free!

Someone once told me that advice is worth just about exactly what you pay for it, and I tend to agree...but I always take into consideration payments made not by me. For instance, when my Dad gives me advice, he dispenses it for the price of "I listen to him" - but the advice comes at the price of his own experience, which is considerable. Needless to say, I listen to his advice and usually (but not always) take it. I always, however, take something from it.

Step by Step

Well, things are progressing here in the cold North. The wind doth blow and the snow doth fall and the drifts doth form. I eat my oatmeal with no sugar, only raisins (yay! This is good! Less sugar!) I'm also working on a D&D campaign that should be lots of fun. I'd love to say what it's all about, but some of the people who read this blog are in it. But this is my first time DMing, so I'm pretty excited. We're going to do the whole thing online - via e-mail & chat. Should be a good experience, y'know? Fun times shall be had by all.

I'm realizing now that this is the first post of March. Well, this week has been decidedly odd. I'm working at TD securities, at least a little - I'll get...31 hours total from them this week. But, honestly, the less hours are worth the less aggravation. I'm just covering shifts @ lunch & breaks...helping out with a few things, but even only working 6 hours, I still spend a lot of time just sitting around. Without a computer! Well, speaking of, I've gotta go. Don't want to be late, y'know.