As long as we don’t have birds in the ceiling again

I unlocked the door today, looked up, and saw something slightly out of place. A bird’s nest….forming on the top of our door frame. Ehhhhhh.

We were at work, in a warehouse, making salads & sandwiches today….by 7 a.m. And while you might think that traffic wouldn’t be as bad around 6:30 a.m., you’re wrong. As was I. Veryyyy wrong. And these drivers aren’t only taking up my morning road space, but they’re craaazzzyyyy. Cutting people off, no turning signals, getting off the exit ramp past the point where it has separated from the highway. Not good.  Really makes for a bad start to the day….

Being all efficient and super productive after lunch meant we might have gotten out of there early. Except that the world of food service was against us, and the one thing we had left to do was stalled by about half an hour. Instead, we ended up leaving about 15 minutes late. Gahhhh.

After being almost run off the road, getting a little lost on our way to a craft store (must buy materials for final project on Friday. whooooo….), and then finally making it back home about an hour later, it would be pretty safe to say I was grumpy. And a little hungry. And pretty much falling asleep in the passenger seat. All of this by 4:30 in the afternoon. Awesome.

So back to where we started. To top off the day, it looks like a small flying animal is creating it’s abode on top of our door. Which can only mean bad things. Things like….. we’ll be stepping in bird sh*t every time we go in/out the door….we will hear birds chirping. all.the.time……and if we’re really lucky, they’ll find some tiny hole and climb into the space between our ceiling and the roof. Which, I know from previous experience, is the most obnoxious/annoying/frustrating noise EVERRRRR. When it sounds like the pigeons are bowling small eggs while simultaneously pecking their way through your ceiling (which is probably paper thin), you might as well greet the world of insomnia with a big ol’ grin. Cause you’re gonna be greeeat friends.

At least this time I’ve been warned.

I guess when you graduate these are called “reunions”

I’ll have my first official visitor in, um…..3 days!!!!

Yes. I’m excited. Veryyyyy excited.

Aside from holiday breaks where I get all adventurous and head West, I have lived next to or with this person for the last four years. That’s basically 1/5 of my life. And she’s basically the best roomie ever. And basically, Friday can not come fast enough. How are we supposed to adjust to going from daily doses of each other to having to schedule reunions??!

Gah. This ‘graduating’ thing is a little crazy. My roomies are all spread out now. I can’t run across the hall and say “LB I need fashion advice. ASAP!!”. Or watch Sally do her nails while we all watch TV. And I can’t go next door and sit on Em’s floor, and chat with her, and listen to her music that always grows on me and steal her jackets when I’m freeeeezing cold because I’m still in some southwestern-fantasy where I don’t need winter clothing.

But, for this weekend, I get a taste of my former reality. I get a nice big breath of fresh air.

Em is heading up here for the weekend and staying with me!! Really, she’s also visiting a certain someone at a certain Academy, and I get to provide room & board (and drinks!) and tag along. Yesssssss.

It will be our first overnight visitor. The apartment is finally ready for this. Stocked with a couch and lounge chair. Neither of which came from a thrift store. Thanksss IKEA. And I am more than ready for this.

All the lights were Off, and it was really hot!

We got off early enough for me to enjoy a nice long run outside today. After the crazy tropic rain storm that came through here over the weekend, this was much needed. I also needed to shake off Friday’s incident (found heere). Gah.

I left one of the lights on. Not for any particular reason, I just remember leaving it on. About an hour later, I walked into the apt, and it was off. Roomie (who will be further referred to as C, typing roomie is just too lonnggg) was not home yet. Sooo, she didn’t turn it off. Hmmmm. It felt as hot inside as it did outside. Checked the thermostat and turned the air down (which actually means “up”, because it’s getting cooler right? Yah, that always confuses me too). No noise….hmmmm.

I tried to turn on a lamp, and nothing happened. Ahhh! What if there’s somebody in the apartment doing these crazy things?!?! Yup, that was my first thought.

I’m sure you all deduced what was going on faster than I did. The power was out. Completely OUT. All the rooms were dark, all the clocks were off, it was getting hotter by the minute (and I’m still sweating from the run. Mmmm, disgusting). I opened the fuse box and checked everything. Which did nothing. Gah. There goes the extent of my electrical knowledge. I sat on the floor and pondered all options, which all led to electricity. I wanted cold water, so I opened the fridge and things were already starting to feel warm. Ah! We just went grocery shopping! Not. Fair. Plus, I had ice cream in the freezer. What if it melts?! (Ben & Jerry’s Frozen Yogurt Half Baked. Yesssss. So delicious.)

C returned from the gym and informed me that she was basically thrown off the treadmill because the power went out in there too, and the track came to an abrupt stop. Scarryyyy. I always worry about that when I’m on those things. Seriously, they could do it. And if you fell off, that would hurt!

We sat there for over an hour complaining about everything we couldn’t do without electricity. It’s amazing, really. No internet. All our homework things are online or on jumpdrives. Not helpful. No cooking. No light in the bathroom for a shower. I went to grab my little fan because we were both so sweaty. Umm, nope. Can’t plug it in. No TV, obviously…….

……………………………

…..Decision: go grab something to eat. For all we knew, the power could come back on in five minutes….or five hours. Besides, it was very boring in the living room, realizing what we couldn’t do. No no, we like to be pro-active over here. Off we go!

LIghts were on when we got home. Thank youuuu. These two chicks definitely needed a shower. And to catch up on Gossip Girl. And to lounge around on lap-tops browsing the internet, writing to you people. Ahh, electricity. Welcome back.

Is a thrift store couch ever really sanitary?

In our continuing search for something to sit on in our living room, we have gone far and wide. Which means we’ve gone to IKEA, Target, and a thrift store.

No luck at Target. I know, I know. This is never good. Target has everything and everything Target has is wonderful! Buuut, they do not have inexpensive couches. This is serious budget-time, meaning we even have to be picky at Target. Gah. Sad day.

IKEA has two promising options. Because we basically decided that since we’ll only be in the apt for 10 months, there’s really no sense in going all out for this. Not only because of the time thing, but also because we have to carry it up the stairs. Not. Fun. And put it together. And then take it back down the stairs. Yah, that’s a lot of stairs and working. So we ruled out anything kind of big and even a little bit “expensive”. I won’t go into detail as to what we’re considering “expensive”, because, um, we’ll be mocked. But! We found something, albeit a little on the small side, that was only $150. Yup. A couch, for $150. And then a little arm chair (because approximately 1.75 people can fit on the couch) for only $99. Yessssss.

Before purchasing we figured it’d be worth it to check out all options. I noticed a thrift store within 2 miles of our apartments, so we checked it out. Because, really, who doesn’t love a good thrift store?

We found the furniture section and there were some interesting options. Among them was a nice, looong (it might actually fit 3-4 people), dark green couch. It had big fluffy cushions and looked reallyyy comfortable. Ding ding ding! Just to add to this, it was only $80. That’s it! For a couch! Whoa.

As we stood there pondering this amazing discovery, a few things came to mind. How would we get this back to the apartment? There’s NO way it’s fitting in either car. Hmmmm. How would we get it up the stairs? Not doin’ it. Where would we find a nice strong boy, who also has a nice big pick-up to do both of the above tasks for us??

Ok, and honestly, how many Febreeze sprays would it take before I actually felt comfortable lounging on this thrift-store buy???? I’m thinkin the answer to that is summed up in two words: A. LOT.

We’re still without couch, but I guess we’ve moved off of square 1. And really, watching Project Runway and the Jon & Kate + 8 marathon on the floor really wasn’t that bad. Ehhhh.

We just need a couch

The past four days have been spent moving/settling into the new apartment. It’s weird to be out of central Pennsylvania and into a new state, a new room, a new place to navigate. I’ve already got the drive to Target memorized, so obviously things will be okay. I also have a grocery store across the street from me. Again. Now I know I’ll survive.

For the first time I have my own furniture (thanks to Ikea, and the help of a fellow carpenter), and it matches and I could coordinate things and my room actually feels like mine. And it’s a very cute room. Just sayin’. Another first is having something that actually organizes and displays my shoes to me. For whatever reason, they’ve never had their own display, which they certainly deserve. So I finally purchased a hanging shoe rack, that is adorning the back of my door. And let me tell you, I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. I can look at all of them, choose carefully which ones to put on, and marvel in their beauty……all 25+ plairs of them (I had never counted before! Weird, right? Yup.)….allll at the same time. Yessssss.

So here we are, new roomie and me, all set up. Luckily she brought in some necessities (i.e. a kitchen table, TV and stand, an actual knife set, dishes), and so did I (kitchen randoms, shower curtain, DVD player). We do need one thing thing though…uh, a couch. We’re workin on that.

Ikea: Sweedish for you will Not leave empty-handed

As much as I had heard about this place, this haven of furniture and all things housing and cute, I had never been. Until today.

I loved the sign when you walk in “Hej! Sweedish for hello“. And “Mums! Sweedish for delicious“. But I think there was a sign missing…

“IKEA! Sweedish for…it will take you at least an hour to leave this store, because it’s that confusing, and you will certainly Not leave empty handed, because it’s that amazing! Yup. Have fun”

I’ve never been so lost, and so mesmorized (I want to LIVE in those displays!!!) by one store. There was a map. It did me noooo good. Except to show me that by following the arrows, I am supposedly going in one direction. And while I’m going in that one direction I will see more adorable and chic housing goods than I have in my 22 years of life combined. Whoa.

I’m not gonna lie, by the 1000th arrow on the floor and sign on the ceiling indicating “EXIT –> this way”, I was kind of thinking we were just going to be stuck in there forever. Headed for a life of sleeping in a different style room every night and raiding the Cafe’s treats every day. Doesn’t sound too bad. Right? Ehhh.

I think I have a new weakness to add to the list of I-can’t-leave-without-a-purchase. So now it looks like this: Target, TJ Maxx, and Ikea. I’m not complaining.

I walked away with a dresser, desk, night stand, chair, bookshelf and a cute little red storage box. My new room is well on it’s way to wonderfulness. Yessss.

Apartment Searching

Alright, all you “real worlders” (aka, non-college-ers), I might need some advice.

As mentioned below, I finally found out where I’ll be living/learning/working next year. Which is awesome, and a huge relief, and *whoa*. For the first time in my life, I have to find an apartment, live with people I don’t really “know”, in a city that I’m totally unfamiliar with. And I’m SO exciteddddd.

I’ve done all of the above, just never all at once. I’ve lived in Orlando (internship), and had no idea where I was going for about a month. I knew how to get to and from work, and to and from Target (obviously). That’s about it. But I lived there with LB, and our apartments were provided. Oh, the good life.

I’ve lived with people I don’t know, but someone I did know was always there too (see above). In fact, we lived with 6 other “someones” that we didn’t know. 8 girls, 1 apartment. Yes, I’m crazy. But it turned out to be amazing, and I still love them and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Not to say I’d do it again, if I don’t have to, but we live and we learn.

I’ve lived in an apartment for two years (also with LB, and Sally, and Em, hi!). However, I had nothing to do with the selection process. LB said “Hey we have an extra space, want to be our roommate?”, and I said (omg, YES YES YES) “Sure! That’d be awesome!”, and then I made sure that Em could come too. And that was settled. And two years later I refuse to accept that I have to move out in three weeks. We are not talking about that. Oh, college.

Anyway. Now I have to exit this “bubble” of a town and enter the real life. I’m searching for apartments online and hoping that the picture I see isn’t cropped to avoid displaying the rotting property next door, or shot from an angle that makes the “beautiful park in front” look spacious and inviting, instead of the 10 ft square of grass that it actually is.

No, I’m not actually that pessimistic about this process. But this is definitely quite the task to take on while finishing up classes, studying for finals, and packing (which we are not thinking about). Plus, I won’t be able to go down there to actually visit any of these places, which is also hard. Because I happen to be driving across the country in the other direction. Of course. Alas, on goes the apartment search!

Any advice, throw it out there. I’m all ears! (or reading eyes)