Hrmm...

So I'm not so good at keeping up with this, but I really want to...does that count for anything?

Things are going pretty well at work, I'm now an official keyholder and can close the store all by my lonesome (though really they had no other option, one of our experienced employees left last week). Still, not bad for having worked there for two months. I'm trying to think of amusing customer interactions, and the thing that springs to mind was a woman who called and asked for "pH neutral adhesive." I had to pause, and informed her that we do indeed have acid-free glue. Such a strange way to phrase it...like asking for linseed oil pigments.

I cannot praise this website I recently discovered enough: Paperbackswap.com.



You go on, list the books you don't want anymore (the ones Half Price Books was going to give you three cents for), and for the first 10 books you list, you get two free credits. Anytime someone requests one of your books and you successfully mail it to them (costs less than $2.25 to ship most paperbacks, so fuck you Amazon and your $3.99 book shipping cost), you get another credit. All books are 1 credit each, so you just go request one (or put yourself on a wish list for a popular book). I've sent out six books so far (mostly romances), and have gotten seven books. It's cheaper than even buying them at HPB, and I've found so many books that I've been looking for for months. If you have an excess of books lying around, and the post office is relatively convenient to get to, you should go try it out. And if you do, my screen name on there is "katieann" so go sign up and say that I referred you, and I get a free credit. :)

new job

I had forgotten how weird working in customer service can be at times. (Oh yeah I got a job, the one I really really wanted, and it's pretty cool so far.) An interaction observed between a mother and her probably 5 year old son:

Boy: MomcanIhaveaneraserthey'reonlyeightcentseach? [spoken in one long breath]
Mom: No.
Boy: CanIhaveapencilsharpener?
Mom: No.
Boy: Can I have [insert any of the items on our shelves]?
Mom: No...*looks down*...I have chocolate on my pants...

Kind of sums up motherhood, no?

I think I'm going to like this job. Before, I'd only ever used a cash register, and I was all intimidated by credit card transactions and such, but they are much easier than I thought. I've only worked there two days but I've caught on really quickly, and the people there are nice (which is good, since I'm only one of five employees). Plus, there's a Sonic about 2 minutes from there and I can get there, eat, and get back in like 15 minutes. And best of all, I get to wear jeans and comfortable shoes, which I can kiss goodbye when I start teaching.

I gotta say, it needs to quit raining and being all cloudy and shit. I want to go swim and get some color on my legs and I kind of need the sun for that. Take note, sun.

bear with me

I feel so neglectful of this little blog that no one reads. Also, I feel like an unfit blogger for starting one with no purpose or theme. I'm not a mother, so I can't talk about my kid's wacky hijinks, nor do I have any pets to take memory card after memory card of pictures. I'm not (publicly) dieting, so no one gets to follow my weight loss (or pathetic lack thereof) with encouraging statements. Plus, school just let out and I haven't yet found a job, so I don't even have any cool stories of classmates dumb enough to inspire spontaneous violence, nor silly customers. In the mean time while I stall look for a job, I'll pretty much be sitting on my couch on the computer or watching movies, or reading in bed. Both highly thrilling to read about, I know. I'll try to think of some interesting things soon, so just you wait.

nnnngh

In preparation for the impending job (wherever it may be, I just know that it will exist this summer) that will most likely necessitate a normal schedule, I've been waking up progressively earlier this past week. For the last semester or two I've been pretty good about not sleeping past 11:00 am, a statement which seems to make most people want to slap me. Especially when I defend myself by saying that that's a whole lot better than the 2:00 pm limit I used to have for the first few years of college. But see, just because it's not normal to you, it's is regular, which is what I need. Naps fuck me up bad, so I try to avoid them most of the time, but they happen anyway sometimes. My body hates me and thinks that just because I dozed off for half an hour that evening that I'm totally recharged and can still be wide awake at 3:30 am that night, and then I feel like shit when I force myself to get up at 10:something the next morning. I get up to an alarm every day, otherwise I wouldn't get up at all, and I've been setting it 15 minutes earlier each day, I got up at 9:45 am this morning, which isn't bad. Really, the fastest method for me is to just start waking up at 8 and let my body deal with it, but that will undoubtedly lead to napping and such. Plus, I've barely been at all productive in the 2 hours I've been awake today, I can't imagine what I'd get done when getting up at 8 for no reason.

This has been a thrilling post, I'm sure, but it's given me one more thing to do to try to wake myself up a bit.

i <3 my books

A month or so ago, Alex and I were operating under the assumption that he would get hired on where he is doing his internship, we'd move out of this on-campus apartment when our lease was up at the end of May and into the complex that's within walking distance, and all would be well. Then the job didn't happen, and we decided that if we were going to have to live in a shitty cheap apartment we might as well stay in our shitty reasonably cheap apartment and save the cost and hassle of moving. But in the original moving excitement, I had some boxes lying around so I went ahead and packed up the books that I'd already read, and they stayed in their boxes up until about half an hour ago.

It was kind of neat to get to go through and reorganize them. My favorite hobby is reading, hands down, and I purge my book collection pretty regularly to keep the volume down, so the ones that I have kept are the really, really good ones and the ones with sentimental value. It was nice to organize them and remember how awesome each book was, and how I felt after reading it. I will admit to fondly caressing one or twelve. I still have around 30 on the to-be-read shelves (c'mooonnn summer!!), which is exciting.

On an unrelated note, I probably should not be able to smell the molten lead from the bedroom where Alex is soldering shit. Does this mean he has already filled up half of the apartment with his lead fumes and they are seeping into the living room...?

yeah another one

SCATTERGORIES...it's harder than it looks!

*Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following...
*they have to be real places, names, things...nothing made up!
Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same
1st initial.

(WHICH BY THE WAY IS HARD IF YOU ALREADY READ THEIR ANSWERS)
You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl.


1. What is your name: Katie

2. 4 letter word: kelp

3. Vehicle: Kia

4. City: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

5. Boy Name: Kenneth

6. Girl Name: Katy

7. Drink: Kool Aid

8. Occupation: kite maker

9. Something you wear: knickers

10. Celebrity: Kirsten Dunst

11. Food: Kitchen Sink Soup*

12. Something found in the Bathroom: kiwi strawberry body wash

13. Reason for Being Late: kid missed the bus

14. Cartoon Character: Kiff (Futurama)

15. Something You Shout: kick 'im good honey!!

16. Animal: kid (different from #13, this is the bebeh goat)

17. Body part: knee

18. Word to describe you: katieriffic

*I just searched allrecipes.com for "kitchen sink" because they're recipes that just have a lot of shit thrown in ("everything but the kitchen sink"...get it?), but oh my god the thought of soup coming from my rancid dish-filled sink makes me more than a little nauseous...

success!

I finished two of the three paintings I'm working on this semester in my independent study painting course, which is quite an accomplishment since I've been working on these bitches since Jan/Feb. Fuckin' oil paint needing multiple coats for everything to get an even color...but they do look awesome. I'll take some pictures next time I'm on campus and post 'em.

Also, I made an A on my last psychology paper on the first try! The first two papers we had to revise and resubmit, and I managed to make As on both of them after some editing, but on this one (which I wrote in a weekend pretty half-assedly) I made an A on the first go round. Woop woop.

Yesterday I finally got the rest of the money from selling my car waaay back when, like probably eight or nine months ago. We sold it to a friend of a friend of my parents, who I'd never met, and he agreed to give me $300 up front and $200 later in the week. (Ha.) I called him a few months ago and said hey give me a call so we can meet up, he's just on the other side of Dallas, and he agreed to call me the next day to let me know when he would come by. Yeeaaah, as you can guess, that never happened, and I pretty much gave up hope. (I'm perhaps too laid back, and would rather just forget about something than cause a fuss.) Then yesterday the friend of my parents called me and asked why I hadn't told him the guy never gave me the rest of the money, I explained that I pretty much gave up on it and wasn't too worried (this car was a piece of shit, I felt grateful for just the $300), but he told me the guy was on his way, he needed me to sign some paper to finally transfer the title. So I'm thinking if he hadn't needed that paper signed I never would have heard from him again, which I'm still okay with, but $200 is always appreciated.

AND, I am here to announce to the world at large that following up on job applications pays off. I submitted an application somewhere on Friday, and decided to call them today to see if the position had been filled yet (either way, at least I'd know whether to stop crossing my fingers), and it hadn't. The managed sounded like he hadn't really looked through the applicants yet, so I think that already put me ahead. :) Anyway, I have an interview tomorrow at 3:00, and this is my first choice for a job right now. I figured I had nothing to lose, if they said no thanks I could move on and look elsewhere, but this worked out in my favor this time. Wish me luck...

getting to know me

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now?
we've actually done a rather good job of keeping this one tidy, all that's back there is a Dallas Mapsco and an empty water bottle (that was previously full, not sure how the water escaped)

2. When was the last time you threw up?
quite a long time ago, I don't vomit easily

3. What's your favorite curse word?
fuck

4. Name 3 people who made you smile today?
haven't really seen anyone I know today, so it was mostly just polite smiles in passing

5. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
sleeping, amazingly, as that's when Alex's alarm goes off and it usually wakes me up

6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
probably switching the laundry (I have nothing else at all to do today, so I've decided to tackle one of the bigger domestic issues)

7. Favorite board game?
aww I love them all, but no one will ever play with me...I kick some major ass at Balderdash though

8. Have you ever been to a strip club?
doesn't really appeal to me

9. What is the last thing you said aloud?
"Fuck!" (after stubbing my toe)

10. What is the best ice cream flavor?
I don't discriminate (though I've been really craving Blue Bell's Cantaloupe and Cream, which I haven't seen in a long time)

11. What was the last thing you had to drink?
water, always water

12. What are you wearing right now?
welp, I'm home and it's warm outside, so disrobing began almost immediately upon entry...a t-shirt and undies

13. What was the last thing you ate?
the cherry lifesaver currently in my mouth (I have a cold, and these are tastier than most cough drops)

14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
no, sadly, Alex said our allowance will be slashed in half next month due to being poor and I've already borrowed quite a bit from May, so I'm being very picky about what I spend my money on

15. When was the last time you ran?
I scuttled towards the elevator today before it closed

16. What's the last sporting event you watched?
I think there was some bowling on "Dexter"...otherwise, nothing

17. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
a nice mild beach with warm water and a delicious meal waiting for me in my hotel room that I don't have to clean

18. Who is the last person you sent a comment/message on myspace?
prolly my older sister Wendy

19. Ever go camping?
when I was little we used to camp in a bus my dad gutted and made into a camper, but nowadays I'm a little too fond of air conditioning and no bugs to get very excited about it

20. Have you ever lost anything down a toilet?
probably, though I have fished my cell phone out of a (thankfully) clean toilet before

21. Do you use smiley faces on the computer a lot?
I like the basic :) one, don't go for the fancy ones

22. Do you have a tan?
my arms have gotten a little darker in the recent past, but this is nothing compared to how dark I'll be in a couple months

23. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
23 (ha!)

24. Do you drink your soda from a straw?
I don't drink soda, and mostly only use straw in restaurants, I only drink from water bottles at home

25. What did your last text message say?
"Ready!"

26. Are you someone's best friend?
a couple people I imagine

27. What are you doing tomorrow?
I have nothing at all planned (no school! no work!), so who knows

28. Where is your mom right now?
probably at work finding a bastard file for someone

29. Look to your left, what do you see?
curtain, headphones, and a lens cloth

30. What color is your watch?
don't wear a watch, but I have a beautiful one that I made that is silver with pearls on it



31. What do you think of when you think of Australia?
kangaroos

32. Ever ride on a roller coaster?
last time I did I puked (the first time that had ever happened), sadly, so it's kind of turned me off

33. What is your birthstone?
sapphire, which I'm not a big fan of, though my engagement ring has white sapphires in it (as well as amethysts)



34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?
if I'm alone, always the drive through, and it depends on the food if I'm with someone else

35. What is your favorite number?
9

36. Do you have a dog?
not yet, perhaps someday when I'm not on the third floor in 450 sq. feet

37. Last person you talked to on the phone?
Alex last night to see if he was still in the computer lab

38. Have you met anyone famous?
I met Kelly Clarkson when I was working at the movie theater in high school (a theater she used to work in as well)

39. Any plans today?
"American Idol" is on tonight, but other than that, no

40. How many states have you visited?
17, though many of those were just driving through



41. Ever go to college?
I am currently going to the University of Texas at Dallas, and will hopefully finish someday (though most likely in December)

42. Where are you right now?
on my couch in front of my computer

43. Biggest annoyance in your life right now?
I'm going to go with the oppressive heat and humidity

44. Last song listened to?
"Sing" by The Carpenters

45. Last movie you saw?
in the theaters, "Juno," in general, "Futurama: Bender's Big Score"

46. Are you allergic to anything?
no, but occasionally I break out in itchy little bumps on my hands, so there must be something out there I haven't pinpointed yet

47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
it's usually whatever color of Old Navy flip flops I want to wear, but the most comfortable ones are the ugly solid black K-Swiss ones I bought for work

48. Last book you read?
"Thirteen Reasons Why," by Jay Asher...excellent book, a girl committed suicide and sent out recorded cassette tapes to the people she feels contributed to it

49. Are you jealous of anyone?
maybe someone who is currently at the beach...

50. Is anyone jealous of you?
someone who is cold perhaps?

51. Do you love anyone?
I do, several wonderful people, and one in particular especially

52. Do any of your friends have children?
pretty much just my younger sister Becky, who has the delightful little Xoey

53. Do you eat healthy?
I can if I feel like spending the money on produce, but we've been eating a LOT of frozen stuff in the Hot Pocket/Bagel Bite/Mini Corn Dog vein lately

54. What do you usually do during the day?
school and work and internet and TV

55. Do you hate anyone right now?
whoever gave me this cold

56. Do you use the word 'hello' daily?
I'm more of a "hi" girl

57. Do you have an iPod?
oh, I do so love my iPod touch *hugs*

58. What will you do after you post this?
maybe go sort the clean laundry to be hung up, but goddamn this couch is looking mighty comfortable and nap-able

59. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
live a hop, skip, and a jump from the original Six Flags Over Texas, so yes, several times

60. How did you get one of your scars?
I was cleaning my room in high school and my mom started calling my name all urgently from the living room, so I jumped up and ran for the door, slipped on a magazine, and sliced open the front side of my ankle on the corner of an open drawer...her urgency: "Look, it's that girl from Buffy on TV!" Thanks, mom.

Come partake of my steak on this fine Sunda(y)ke

I hosted a steakapalooza today down at one of the communal grills, courtesy of my lovely sister at Rendon Meat Market. Some of them were pre-marinated when I got them in a bar-b-quey, vinegary sauce, and I did those that weren't in olive oil and Montreal Steak Seasoning. Taaa-aasty. I got interrupted while making twice-baked potatoes, so I have 8 baked potato halves scattered around my stove, and also made some delicious sugar cookies with cream cheese frosting and chopped pecans on top.

Two new (to me) shows that I've become recently addicted to are The Office and Dexter. I've given up on most of the series that I used to watch and sadly the only shows I still try to catch the new episodes of are American Idol and America's Next Top Model. I'm actually liking AI this season, especially Jason Castro (though David Archuleta may be the most talented, Jason just rocks). And ANTM is just something that I've watched since the beginning and even though this season blows I'll probably keep watching it since it's on at a convenient time. But these new shows are just super. The Office is something that I've heard mixed reviews of, and I think the problem is that it's not really a show that you can just catch mid-season on a lark and enjoy it completely, it's really something that you have to have been watching for a while, get to know the characters to get the intricacies of the characters to get it. And Dexter is just awesome...forensics blood splatter specialist cum serial killer protagonist who only kills those who he feels justice missed.

When I discover new shows to love I like to hoard them and then watch them in one massive catch-up marathon. I'm 75% through Dexter (started watching it on Friday) and maybe half done with The Office, since I have to wait for Alex to get home at night to watch it (this is one of the rare TV shows he actually cares about).

Still not sure I've hit the interesting stride yet, I'll keep trying.

the obligatory first post

I was looking back through my old Xanga and realized something...I'm fucking hilarious. I'd stopped doing the online journal thing (before the word "blog" even existed) because it made me neglect real paper journals, but I haven't even seen my journal in months. And I keep having spurts of amusement that shouldn't be contained, I mean really, is that fair? Or healthy?

I'm Katie, 22, married for almost 3 years to a delightful computer nerd, and so very close yet so far away from finishing college. I'm a double major, psychology and visual arts, because psychology was what I picked originally and art is what I realized I really wanted to do once I was like 85% done with psychology, so I chose to just finish that one. (If I didn't add the art component I'd be done by now, curses!) I only started painting in college but have taken many, many classes in it so far, but have recently fallen back in love with drawing, which I hadn't done with any real seriousness since high school. I want to be an art teacher when I grow up graduate, for high school ideally, but I'll likely wind up in a middle school or--god forbid--an elementary school until something opens up, because I just do not see many openings in high school.

It's late and nothing particularly interesting has happened to me today, so I'll end this now and percolate on some witty ramblings for tomorrow.