A number of things have happened recently which make my quite the happy camper.

For starters, I am counting down the days until I get to see Rian (6 days now!) and anticipating the time we will be spent together, some of which will be here, some in San Antonio with his family, some in Wausau with my family (where my mom has offered to pay for us to rent a car and we will be able to get a discount at the hotel where she works because we’re family) but most of the time here. However, while here we’ll have Wendy staying for a week or so and celebrate our anniversary late at a hotel. (=

Also I am very excited because, for the first time since I moved, Samantha talked to me on the phone last night and she told me she loves me which is only the second time she’s said that. You cannot believe how happy that makes me and I am so anxious to see that little girl. I don’t know if this has to do with the fact that I’m coming home and that makes he be less angry with me or maybe it’s because I pretended to cry on the phone when she wouldn’t talk to me. -chuckles* But I’m super happy and when Mom called today, I could hear Samantha in the background begging to talk to me, so she did. ^_^ Also, I cannot wait to give her the little Dora the Explorer snowglobe I bought for her.

But Samantha isn’t the only reason I’m looking forward to going to Wausau; I get bourbon chicken! YES! I’ve missed that so much. I’m planning a “bourbon chicken party” with all my friends to see them at once and catch up. And I kind miss Mom too, but don’t tell.

Another great thing happened yesterday. My old friend Val(Jetta) from Ozpark e-mailed me and it was great to hear from her as well. It’s great to catch up with her; we used to be super close and talk every day but she’s a busy lady with her children and work.

Also, Wendy’s friend bailed on her which means she has 2 tickets to the Family Values Tour and no one with whom to go so she asked me. Of course we’d have to ask Rian and buy another ticker because it takes place when they’ll both be staying with me but I figured, why not, it’s a decent line up and something to do. The only roadblock we have is that we don’t really have a way there (Wendy’s friend was her ride) so we’re contemplating renting a car for a day or so. I wonder i f any local radio stations would have a bus or something going but I don’t know where to look, really. We’ll see.

On another note, today my friend Christina called to tell me she’d gotten engaged to the guy she’s been dating since earlier this year. I had a chance to meet him and while he was quite, he seemed okay. For some reason I’m much more excited for her than Ashley and, while I feel bad, I don’t feel so bad anymore. I guess Ashley hasn’t been keeping Christina updated about the wedding, either.

At this point, I think I could go to Japan and join Rian before the wedding but, of course, the problem is I’m supposed to be in the wedding and I’ve already backed down as Ashley’s matron of honour (because I don’t believe in the relationship) and I’d feel bad going but I don’t want to stay, nor do I have the money as Rian and I had decide I didn’t really need a job if I can go so much sooner. So I have to have a big talk with Ashley but, of course, she never calls me or anything. Bleh.

Speaking of calling, once in Wausau I’ll be able to get a new cell phone. I broke the screen on mine a few weeks ago and while I can receive and make phone calls, I cannot use anything via the screen (phone book, alarm, texts, etc). Unfortunately, my cell phone carrier doesn’t have any offices further south than Marathon County so I’ve had to wait to replace it.

So that is about all my good news for the day. -grins*

I just recently stumbled across this book in the Milwaukee County Library Catalog system and decided to give it a whirl. Although it wasn’t what I expected, it was an interesting read but certainly not a work of any literary genius. The chapters of the book float through author Robin Shamburg’s experience of being a dominatrix to subsidize her her life as a write and cover her theories on the life and the clients, her advice on being a dominatrix and her experiences in the profession which does not involved sex or prostitution and is completely legal. It’s an interesting read if you’re interested in becoming a professional dominatrix, alternative lifestyles, or just have an open mind.

The second book I finished recently I picked up upon the day of its release as I had been anxiously awaiting it: Phantom by Terry Goodkind. I had been reading the series since graduation and had finally caught up to Terry’s writing speed so I’d filled the offtime with several other books of considerably less pages. (The books in the Sword of Truth Series often are between 600 and 900 pages.)

Anyway, I picked up this book, the second in the ending trilogy of the series and went through it anxiously as the war loomed impossibly over Richard Rahl’s head and there seemed nothing which could be done to win it. Simultaneously those closest to Richard, while they may or may not believe in Kahlan’s existance, beg him to stop chasing phantoms which gives Riachrd an idea which may be the key to turning the tides of the war.

At the end of the book Kahlan is still missing and Richard is kidnapped by a witch woman no one knew existed, and although the war is turning slightly in their direction the conflicts are ongoing and won’t be resolved until the very end, the end of the series that is. I heard the enxt book won’t be out until 2008. -pouts-

Anyway, this is a good book which will really keep you on the edge of your seat and Terry has made it very easy to understand Richard’s conflicting emotions about the war and Kahlan. While any of these books really stand on their own, if you’re interested I suggest you start form the beginning of an awesome series.

This last week or so has been pretty hectic. I took the bus up to Wausau so I could attend my aunt’s wedding reception (they were married in November) and wound up doing most of the work because it was so poorly planned and her husband doesn’t help with anything. Unfortunately, that didn’t leave any extra time for me to spend with Samantha but we did spend the reception together and she is as adorable as ever.

I had signed the lease on Thursday and spent some time checking out my apartment, making phone calls and getting lunch and was almost late getting to the Greyhound station because I just missed the city bus getting there but I had a few minutes to spare and we actually didn’t leave until well after 3 (the bus was supposed to leave at 2:30) because we had to wait for people at the Amtrak station. he bus made good time even though it stopped at 5 or so different cities along the way and the trip was uneventful, for the most part.

Friday and Saturday morning I helped with the reception and Saturday evening it went off, with quite a few “hitches.” Who in their right mind has a reception 30 miles from anywhere (And whether or not Stratford counts as a place is doubtful at that!) and then forgets to bring stuff for her own reception which results in forcing her brother and nieces to drive back to her place to fetch them which takes at least 45 minutes each way? Anyway, minus some family drama and the fact that my aunt’s husband’s family looked super trashy and no one really showed up, it was okay.. I guess.

Sunday I skipped out on their gift opening party and spent time with Robyn, Wendy and Ashley at the fair although it was boring and super hot. Fair food is super yummy, though! Maybe it’s just because I’m growing older or perhaps the fair really is going downhill, but we were all disappointed with it.

Mnoday was the moving day and we started off later so we didn’t arrive in Rapids until late afternoon. Liz and Tom’s coworker, Shane, agreed to help us move. More or less, we made it to Milwaukee with ease and packed the U-haul up fine, despite the fact that Tom is old and drives super slow.

But the unpacking is another story. Thought they call is the 3rd floor, my apartment is actually on the 4th and Tom wouldn’t back the U-haul up the alley next to the building so we could use the back door which is much closer to my apartment. Needless to say, an already difficult task became nearly impossible and 2 hours later we were still hauling stuff up. That is, until they left me by myself to finish the job. Yup, with everything in the front hall, they up and deserted me. Nice, huh?

It took another 30 minutes to an hour to get the last of it up the stairs and I was exhausted. My arms and legs are still killing me and I also gashed myself nicely on the finger while carrying in one of the last boxes.

Luckily, I found out my refridgerator didn’t work, too! But they replaced it this morning and yesterday Becky helped me rearrange the furniture so it’s more or less how I want it. I have books and movies to unpack but the rest will have to wait until I buy a desk or until it can go into the basement storage.

So I’m sore, exhausted and disappointed in many people and things, as well as still unemployed, but alive and on my own.. again. Yay?

I bet someone is. -peers among the faces in the crowd* At the very least, I bet Sav or Elyse might stumble upon this entry. -chuckles*

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I’ve been in the Milwaukee area for over a week, specifically in a little south-western suburb called Greendale. It’s bigger than Milwaukee but doesn’t seem so. All it is is houses – houses which were government built and owned for smoe time so they looked astonishingly like houses one might find on a military base. Pair this with the fact that while the houses are oddly rectangular, there are no normal square shape blocks and half the roads are only one block long, ending at someone’s house proving it a bit of a task to get turned out after you find yourself on one of these roads.

Enough of that.. A bit about the situation. Becky’s house is small and even though my cousin, Violet, is only there half the time, it definitely can be straining. Becky is a bit of a neat freak in denial – at one point she called Violet a slob – which she certainly is not. She is just a normal 13 year old girl and Becky’s expectations are.. way too high and just not realistic. Becky is also stressed because she’s very busy at work and because of this, she feels she shouldn’t have a house guest (obviously me) but she did anyway. I would have preferred she just said so in the first place so we could avoid this mess.

Anyway, the first week was disappointing and frustrating – because of the reasons already mentioned and because of my job and apartment search. Although I had sent out a few resumes early in the week – mostly to temp agencies – and done a few online applications, I had recieved no call backs so I went back to the phonebook and called every temp agency listed (and there were 6 or so pages) and sent out resumes to everyone I qualified for. I figured temp work would be fast to find, based on its nature, but I guess I was wrong.

I finally got some call backs and have gone on one interview which might lead to something, and have 2 more interviews tomorrow and Friday, one of which is at a law office. Wouldn’t that be cool? There wasn’t much in the paper when I looked and I don’t have the experience in the field I’m intending on breaking into (clerical) so that leaves me with fewer options still and, even then, Becky thought I was aiming too high but that call back certainly gave me a boost of confidence.

During all this I’ve been making numerous phone calls about apartments – mostly studios. I’m a bit surprised that everything I’ve looked at is cheaper than I expected rent-wise and most of those include most if not all of the utilities, unlike the apartment in Wausau.

I’d looked at a few but kept running into dead-ends when it came to leasing and being unemployed. It was either I needed a cosignor or a double security deposit. The latter while doable, was not prefferable. The apartment I liked the most, actually doesn’t require either, which rocks! I hope I get it. -crosses fingers-

I’ve been looking at what Becky calls the “fashionable East side” close to downtown and UWM so there would be a lot of people my age there which is good; I don’t like being lonely. Plus, it’s definitely not the suburbs!

I’m way excited to be in the city because there’s so many shops and restaurants which look like a ton of fun – plus I’ll be close to shows, concerts and festivals (they do a weekly Jazz in the Park thing and just had an art fest at the museum plus, of course, Summerfest! (they have a whole Dew-sponsored stage.. how cool is that?!)) and the musem is a real live one, not like our pitiful excuse for a museum up north.

So, anyway I don’t really have money-issues to worry about and even if the jobs don’t work out, having an apartment much closer to downtown (where I desire to work) will allow me to check it out and find something there. Did I mention I’m so relieved to be done with Wal-mart? Well, I am!

The “here” is Dessert Public Library, a two roomed facade not-so-aptly named with only around 5 rows of books but, yes, it does have computers connected to the internet so I can’t complain that much – now can I? I can’t explain the name but what else can you expect of Mosinee? It’s the hole in the wall kind of town, just shy of 5,000 residents with picturesque blocks still reminiscent of the olden-days and nothing better to do than walk to Piggly Wiggly, the one and only grocery store.

It’s a nice place, though. Small and hickick, but nice nonetheless. And I’ll be able to go to Sami’s grad party tomorrow night with Fernie (yay!) and my aunt Liz isn’t charging me to stay so I can lounge around being a jobless bum – for now at least.

Sunday we’ll pick up my aunt Grace, Maria (a family friend) and head down to Rapids, home of the grandparents, deposit some boxes in their basement and then have the Grandparents hop into their vehicle and lead us to my aunt Becky’s house in Milwaukee. Enough
aunts for you, yet? Don’t worry, I have 3 more. Becky is the most important in this equation because a)she looks like Dr Weir from Stargate: Atlantis and b) she doesn’t really like to be called Becky. (It’s Rebeccaaaaaaaaaaa!)

Nothing of much significance except that I miss having my computer, am acomplishing a lot of reading (Terry Goodkind’s Chainfire and Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys), have rented quite a few movies (Lady and the Tramp, Tristan and Isolde, Fun With Dick and Jane, Nanny Mcphee, Wedding Crashers and, finally, Big Momma’s House 2) and am drinking waaaay too much Mt. Dew.

I have, happy, rediscovered makeup and have done a find job of making myself up these last few days. Along with my wonderfully sexy new purple sunglasses and my newly discovered “sex kitten hair” I must say I am quite the vixen and could easily put Mariylon Monroe to shame. My apologies Miss M, but it’s just the truth. ;)

I have actually taken quite a few pictures of myself and many have come out quite nice; of course, they’re all stored in the digital camera with no way for me to connect it to a computer so they will stay in that format until I am settled in Milwaukee and, hopefully, that will be sooner rather than later.

Samantha is, quite possibly, the cutest little girl I’ve ever known and, no, I am not biased just because she’s my little sister – I’ll have you know that I thought she was a horrendously ugly little baby, but no longer. Not only does she have a great face and cascading long brunette curls but she says adorable things such as “You can count on me, Cole!” Granted, it’s a little annoying after the 87th time but I know she means well I am going to miss her terribly. )=

With that, my lovelies, I leave you.