I think this world is perfect

...well, not always, and not exactly perfect either, but right now, I am on top of the world.

My weekend was amazing. The snow cheers me up even while it pisses off everyone else. After a brief phone conversation with my dad on Friday night, I told him that I needed to go because Jackie and I were gonna go cut down a tree and pretend it's Christmas. We didn't really cut down a tree, but if the neighbors piss me off again, they better take inventory of the fake trees in the elevator lobby because we have our eye on them ...

We stayed home Friday night to enjoy being snowed in. We were joined by John, Dan, Kayleen, Aaron, Julie, and Terry. What a great crowd. Since moving out of the old house, we are really starting to learn who our real friends are. There were a ton of the "convenient" friends that used to just hang around the house, but strangely enough, we don't hear from those people anymore. Some good friends have surfaced through the ashes of disaster remaining at the old house, and for that, I'm happy.

So, anyways, I have to get back to my story about what made the weekend so fantastic, but I have some more tales to tell before I get up to that point.

My Saturday consisted of:
Carpooling to a family birthday party, free drinks, and good buzz fairly early in the day. My mom drove me home from Dwain and Gabby's joint party, where I instantaneously hit the couch and fell into a beer induced nap. Jackie rattled me awake a short time later to tell me that we were going out, and the friends that were coming to pick us up were in the elevator at that very moment. I obeyed command and changed faster than Jacks can flip her hair.

We ended up at a bon fire in Snohomish. After taking quick inventory of the men around, we voted on who was the most eligible bachelor and I singled him out as my target. I didn't drink anything more that night since I was already dealing with a cocktail of tired/groggy/buzzed. It was a small get-together, maybe 10-12 people tops. We got to know everybody pretty fast and had a good time.

Okay, so you can call me obscene, but I need to explain a backstory here to explain my motivation and why I use the term "target". My group of girls have an ongoing game of sorts... Sometimes it carries the name "waiter-hunting", which is when we don't allow ourselves to leave a restaurant without a phone number. Sometimes it goes by "scavenger hunt", but that's typically only when we separate at a store and see who can get the most phone numbers written on their arm before time's up. It's all in good fun though. We never call... it's really more of an ego thing.

I somehow ended up standing next to my target, and I soon learned his name is Kip, and just to make sure I was hearing correctly, I had to verify with Jackie, "Kip? ... like ... Napoleon Dynamite Kip??" Yes. Exactly like Napoleon Dynamite Kip.

As it turned out, Kip and I ended up talking throughout the entire night and before I knew it, the sun was halfway up in the sky and it was time to coordinate a ride home. I haven't had a conversation like that in a long time. It was refreshing. Maybe even renewed my faith in men just a teensy bit. It was nice to run into someone who was actually interested in talking to me. Just because I enjoy the twisted games us girls play, I definitely do not enjoy guys viewing me as their "target"... that generally carries a different definition in the mind of a man. I'm kind of a contradiction, I know, but hey I'm okay with that.

And that right there, was what made my weekend so fantastic. Amazing how simple that is. A good conversation and I haven't stopped smiling since.

I'll be seeing this Kip fellow again in the very near future. Stay tuned :)

ballin' in the rental car

What a great week it's been! We've been having a fabulous time in our new place. We have different friends over almost every night, the drinks never stop flowing, and the neighbors still hate us- but at least now they have a few substantial reasons.

The old lady right next door has a sign outside her door that says, "No unexpected visitors any time of day. Deliveries okay." While some guy friends were helping us move, one of them stopped to read the sign, and said something along the lines of, "That must be a frigid old bitch that lives there," and within seconds, she busts the screen door open and glares at him. Talk about awkward.

Oh yea, remember my idea about the kiddie pool during the summer? The board totally rained on my parade already. We were given an official rule book yesterday, and it actually states that we are not allowed to have any sort of pool. There's gotta be a loophole somewhere. I'll put some serious thought into it later.

So anyways... I finally got my car into the shop on Monday and it won't be ready until roughly the 28th. I miss my car already! Enterprise didn't give me a choice of rentals and put me into a 2005 Dodge Neon. Call me spoiled, but I am not impressed lol. It feels like I'm back in the stoneage... no navigation, no XM radio, no flashy LCD screens, and crappy gas mileage! I hadn't really even thought about how convenient it is to have a hybrid... my ten gallon tank usually lasts around a week and a half. In the Dodge, I go through 1/4 of a tank just going to school and work every day. Oh, and go figure, Enterprise doesn't offer insurance to driver's under 21 years old. Being in the rental makes me so paranoid. The fact that it's white seems to make me more of a moving target than usual. I've decided to never purchase a white or gray car for myself.

Yesterday I was driving down highway 99 and a huge truck pulled out of a business driveway and practically aimed for my car in his quest to make it to the third left lane. He's lucky... if I was in my car, I woulda let him hit me lol. I love insurance money :) .

Last night, Jackie and I both had our mom's over for dinner. The food was fantastic! I never knew Jackie could make such amazing salmon. We also plowed through 3 bottles of wine, a whole box of crackers, and a barrel of cheese between the 4 of us. It was a great night, to say the least.

More adventures to come, but have to work for now.

the HOA hates us...

The relator left out the tiny little tid bit of information that we were signing up to be proud renters in a community ran by a Home Owner's Asssociation, and we've already found out that we are the youngest people in the building by at least 40 years. Oh, and what a blessing, we share a wall with the President of the HOA. Greatttt.......

Last night we had three run-ins with board members. A few people even felt it necessary to come knock on our door to remind us of more rules.

• quiet time is from 10:00pm-8:00am
• "guest" parking in front is not for overnight parking, and while we have a guest parked there, they need to leave a note that says their name and what condo they are visiting.
• while moving in, we need to use elevator pads.
• Plus, they are already not happy with us because nobody notified them that renters were moving in.

There were more things that we were repeatedly reminded of, but sadly I let Jackie take most of the heat. I was nowhere to be found when the doorbell rang. That's not a bullet I'm willing to take lol. She'd answer the door while I hid around the corner and listened.

I think we violated the "quiet time" in every way possible. Washer and dryer were both running, tv was on, and we both took showers. People are going to hate us but hey I'm okay with that. We stepped out of the elevator last night on our qwest for Taco Bell and got sneered at. There were two old ladies hanging a HOA sign on the wall in the elevator lobby, and one turned to look at us and very audibly said, "Stupid kids."

Hey now lady, no need for bitterness. You'll soon come to learn that the ruder someone is to me, the more obnoxious I become. You know that tiny lil sign in the elevator that says "Maximum 15 persons". Keep it up, lady, and I'm going to take that as a challenge.

And when it's summer time, I'm gonna find me a little plastic kiddy pool and fill it up on my porch. I'll sit out there, splash around, listen to music, and have my own little mexican fiesta, coors light in hand, during YOUR nap time.

Then I'll steal your big plant and door mat that are outside your door, and even though our doors are right next to eachother, I'm sliding them to my side and will cause a scene when you try to take them back. Looks like that's the way it's gotta be.

I'm sorry it had to come to this.

A fabulously dreary Monday

This morning I overslept my alarm but magically woke up at 6:45. I made it to school with time to spare and had a fairly productive day. School makes me feel good... like I have some sort of purpose in life besides only working 5 hours a day... like my life is actually moving forward. I'm looking forward to this quarter already. I like the program for my psychology class because it's more like an independent study, and math will be challenging but I'm glad I will actually learn from this teacher. I got an "A" in math last quarter, but that's no testament as to how much of the course material I actually understood. I think the teacher had a soft spot for me and would pretty much correct my tests without marking me down. I probably deserved a low "C". Different teacher this quarter though, and it's a she. Lol.

Only taking ten credits this quarter. Hopefully a move is in my very near future, and on top of having to take care of getting my car fixed (will take 11 days in the shop), I just didn't feel like taking on a full schedule. I'd rather enjoy my time in school, even if it takes me 6 years to complete a degree (which is sadly very realistic). On the bright side, at least it excuses me to remain on my parent's car insurance :)

I'm gonna change topics now to something else that has been on my mind all last night and today. I can't even begin to explain how complicated the situation is, but yesterday I had a "falling out" with someone that I once considered a very good, close friend of mine. I've heard before that the reason friends come and go throughout life all boils down to a matter of convenience. I think there is a lot of truth in that statement... I've had neighbors in the past that became very good friends of mine, but as soon as someone moves, it melts away. I've had good relationships with old coworkers, but as soon as I find a new job, it's gone. I have a ton of friends from high school that will always be just friends from high school. When I lived with my sister I considered her one of my best friends, but when I moved out, the relationship faded a bit. It really is just a matter of convenience... finding someone who needs you at the same time you need them..

I've got a handful of friends that have come and gone throughout my life that I will always hold our memories dear to my heart. Some friends have made such an impact on my life that I'll never let go of what we had at one point just because it's no longer convenient. The kind of friend that you can see twice a year, but even at that, it feels like there was never a time gap because you automatically reconnect.

I can't really say that I'm upset about the abrupt end of this particular friendship. I think I've mistaken a good drinking buddy as a good friend. At this point, there's no reason to salvage what's gone. I'm glad that I still have some of the best friends ever and I'd rather find out sooner rather than later if someone is going to stab me in the back.

I hope everyone is having a decent day on this dreary of drearist Mondays. Have you ever heard the saying, "It's not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain." Even with so much negativity and tension floating around my group right now, I can still look around and see so many reasons to smile, and I love every one of you :)

the aftermath

This has been the worst kind of weekend, and a miserable wrap up to Spring Break. It's kind of a toss up between being in pain from my car accident, or taking my pain pills and then being sick to my stomach and in La-La-Land. I don't think my doctor took into consideration that I'm only 120lbs when he prescribed me such high doses. Being in the car for more than 5 minutes makes me sick and it's impossible to concentrate on anything. Have you ever been so drunk and gotten the spins? It's like that; these pills turn my world upside down, inside out, and underwater.

I'm supposed to start classes again tomorrow. I don't even have books or my schedule, and I'm lacking the energy to care. I haven't gotten a decent sleep all weekend and haven't been able to hold down anything I've eaten. Ugh, gross I know. I'm kind of glad the phone kept ringing last night because it would wake me from one horrible dream after another. I still dream about Chris. I don't know if that will ever go away.

In other news, Jackie and I are hopefully getting our condo TOMORROW. We're both really excited. It's amazing, and incredibly affordable. We're planning a house warming party and if you're reading this, consider yourself invited. :)

I need to go hop in the shower and try to be productive today. Ha, wish me luck.

33 things you probably didn't know about me, and some you wish you didn't find out.

None of these are in the least bit important, but I can't sleep and I'm bored. Enjoy.

1. I love miserable weather. It makes me want throw on my long, black coat and walk around Seattle in a sea of people wearing the same thing. Paired with a coffee in hand, you have a stereotypical Seattle-ite. I love it.
   
2. I hate my bare feet touching the ground in pretty much any situation. Unless I'm in bed or in the shower, I will always have socks or slippers on my feet.
   
3. I like guys with nice grammar.
   
4. I have a "Frequent Customer Card" for Lover's Package.
   
5. My favorite animal at the zoo is the giraffes.
   
6. I've never broken a single bone in my body.
   
7. I worked at Subway for over a year. The Subway diet actually works!
   
8. I've been in 4 car accidents in the last 2 years. Only one was my fault.
   
9. I'm the post sentimental person ever... I save everything. I still have all my yearbooks from middle school through high school, as well as my school ID's, and almost every birthday/ Christmas card I've ever recieved.
   
10. I've never changed a tire or my own oil.
    
11. I've never mowed a lawn.
    
12. I really dislike Easter colors... can't explain it.
    
13. I think Disney Land is the most annoying place on earth.
    
14. I have no problem using the fact that I'm a girl to get what I want, such as a discount or a better grade. Just bein honest.
    
15. I have a 16 year old cat who sleeps on the corner of my bed and snores. Her name is Kuhlua and I love her dearly... I think my next furry addition will be a kitten named Bailey.
    
16. I was the biggest tomboy/nerd when I lived in Oregon. My daily attire consisted of an oversized men's t-shirt from Goodwill, cheap Walmart pants, and my cowgirl boots. Pack an extra 50 pounds on that and you have me four years ago.
    
17. I was voted "Hunkett" my senior year for the year book, and my friend Dane was "Hunk".
    
18. I don't like recieving gifts, unless it's flowers :) . Let's be honest, I'll probably have to pretend to like it because there's really nothing that I want or need. I'm also not very good at giving gifts so when it comes to birthdays or other holidays, I'll probably take you out to dinner or on a fun adventure. I think the experience is better.
    
19. I love pictures and taking pictures. There's still a bit of photographer in me. A lot of people probably don't know this but I wanted to be a photographer when I graduated high school. I did school pictures and santa pictures for a little over a year.
    
20. I volunteer at the historic theater in the University District every Thursday night.
    
21. I feel bad when I step on ants.
    
22. I spent a lot of high school, not at school.
    
23. If I had the choice and knew that someday I'd marry rich, I would seriously say screw school, because what I want more than anything would be to be a stay at home mom. When I used to do school pictures, the PTA moms would always organize everything, brush the kids hair, etc. They would sit around at their little table and talk about how many years they'd known eachother through the PTA, while rolling their huge wedding rings around their fingers. The really cool moms would order us huge Subway party sandwiches and that would always make my day. I want to be a PTA mom, soccer mom, load-the-kids-and-dogs-up-in-the-truck and head to the mountains kind of mom. I would spend my days packing lunches, decorating for holidays, and loving every minute of it.
    
24. My dad makes me paranoid. I always hear the worst case scenario of everything... (hint; don't ever ask him about his funeral plots or his opinion on rental cars)
    
25. My middle name is Michelle.
    
26. I hate hearing my voice on recordings. I sound 9 years old.
    
27. People always tell me that my pupils are huge. It's odd...
    
28. When I'm in a junk food mood, I absolutely love Taco Bell. Anything with cheese and sour cream... yum..
    
29. My favorite flavors of ice cream are cookie dough and cookies and cream, and I actually have a bowl of ice cream almost every day.
    
30. I've never been to a concert.
    
31. I can't stand violence... even if it's just a fight scene in a movie. It doesn't make a difference if there's blood or not. I don't even want to see people being hit. I'm a pansey.
    
32. When I eat a Subway sandwich, I take it apart and eat all the vegetables first. When it comes down to eat, I basically only like the meat and cheese, but I gotta get my money's worth so I load it up.
    
33. It's been about a year since I've had my hair cut.

I think I'm running out of ideas... It's now 5am and haven't slept all night. Fantastic, I can feel a very un-productive day coming on. My pain pill is wearing off, and it feels like my back is tingling on fire. Time for more pills, and maybe I'll emerge from my room by 2:00pm if we're lucky.

Hey, I'm not bitter.

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there... to serve some sort of purpose, to teach you a lesson or help figure out who you are or who you want to become. Sometimes things happen to you at the time that may seem painful and unfair, but in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength, will power or heart.

Someone came into my life recently and had a brief but meaningful visit. Through his friendship, I realized a lot about myself, especially when being called out on a couple generalizations I make, such as being told, I'm "too young to be so bitter at the world." I'm not bitter at the world... really... and I hope I don't come across that way. I think life is great and I couldn't be happier with the people in mine. It's the new people that come into it that I've learned to question motives. It's not a bad thing to be cautious, especially with men. Everything I do has a reason behind it. I push guys away because I like them better at a distance. Everyone knows I have absolutely no desire to date so it's better to keep a definitive line there from the beginning. Is that bitterness? Or just knowing what's better for me?

I read back over my old blogs that I have saved on a flash drive, and a journal that I sometimes write in. I realize that I make the same mistakes over and over again and yes, I wear my heart on my sleeve. I'm almost always late to my first class, I hardly ever make my bed, take my dishes to the kitchen, or return phone calls, but I’m happy. Happier than I’ve ever been, if you can believe that. I’d love to be in love, but not so soon after the Chris fiasco. One day, my friends, but for now, I'm happy knowing that I'm too selfish for a functional relationship, and that there's too much of the past still in me. Give me a few more years of "waiter hunting", Seattle adventures, radio hosts, random parties, shenanigans, hotels and hookah bars before I ever commit again.

Here’s to hope and eternal optimism. To partying. To having a good time. To dating but remaining single. To those who got away and the ones I’d wish would never come back. Cheers.