So this weekend was extremely hot for Seattle weather, probably reaching 95 in direct sunlight. My sister threw a bbq down at my parent's cabin on a lake. My mom decided to invite half the neighborhood.
This meant that Dad and I who went down early saturday morning, got the wonderful task of cleaning an entire house for nearly 20 guests who arrived on sunday. Oh joy.
One of my tasks was to clean out the old shower which was downstairs in the basement. This tiled out-cropping probably hadn't been cleaned in 10+ years if the thick layer of crunchy bug carcasses was any indication. The base had been coated with an insecticide called Diazanon. So after vacuuming out the bugs with a shop vac, i had to get in there and scrub. I figured when I was done, i would go jump in the lake anyway so i went barefoot. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue as Diazanon isn't harmful on the skin. But as normal, i got called away to do something else, and put my shoes back on.
I spent the rest of the day eating, entertaining people with small talk, and spending every moment i could in the water. I even managed to escape getting sunburned. I went home that night quite tired and pretty much went to bed immediatly when i opened the door.
The next morning, i cleaned my bathtub at home with bleach to kill the mold which was starting to grow. Got in, and took a shower since i hadn't taken one when i got home the night before. Then i went to work.
Within an hour, my feet were burning, within two i couldn't stand having my shoes on, within three, i was in real pain and left work early. My mom gave me anti poison oak medicine, then i soaked my feet in baking soda water, then thinking it might have been a sunburn, put aloe on the bottom of my feet.
I spent most of the rest of the day with my feet about a foot from an AC unit as the inflamation slowly went down.
It wasn't until we went through a list of everything i did the previous two days that we made a connection. Bleach and the Diazanon residue in my shoes: DO NOT MIX!
Granted we're not scientists, and could be wrong. But I'm not inclined to try and find out.
In other news, I have my TV up in my room now! :D
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Home Stretch
Rounding third base, and coming in for the home stretch. Mark, get your mind out of the gutter.
I'm down to approximately one more car load (my car, little economy Ford Focus (not Fuckus Brittany *glare*)) and then a moving party with my dad's big ole van which we'll move my bed, dresser and other such big things. That's scheduled for Friday which is pretty much the coolest day this week. And i really want to get it done before the weekend which is projected to be 95 degrees. Moving that heavy stuff in that kind of heat? Um...no thank you!
I've been weighing the pros and cons of moving over a larger period of time or in a single day like i did last time. Wondering if I'm stressing myself out more by having my things in boxes for longer periods of time, or inducing less stress because everything is organized, labeled, and there's no rushing necessary.
After contemplating this for a week....I still don't have an answer. Fact of the matter right now is that the end of july is freaking HOT and after working 10 hour days, I don't have the energy to go faster. If i needed to...i know i could make it happen. But since I don't....i'll take it easy.
My only goal is to be mostly moved in and unpacked by July 31st. That will take a great deal of stress off when my aunt and cousin get in from New York and spend a week and a half here. Beyond that....everything is just my dad's incredible icing on top of a already delicious cake.
Yet again...I hate TV dinners. to the point where I'm avoiding buying them in order to have an excuse to order in from places like Olive Garden. Let's see...dehydrated meat, lumpy sauces and under cooked pasta, or Olive Garden? hmmmm...tough choice.
Yes! I'm a food snob! Yes! I care about the quality of food i consume; the taste, texture, seasonings and the fact that it's uniformly warm! TV dinners are vile. Bearable, but still gross in my humble opinion. I can't wait to unpack my kitchen stuff and use those sexy stainless steal appliances.
I'm down to approximately one more car load (my car, little economy Ford Focus (not Fuckus Brittany *glare*)) and then a moving party with my dad's big ole van which we'll move my bed, dresser and other such big things. That's scheduled for Friday which is pretty much the coolest day this week. And i really want to get it done before the weekend which is projected to be 95 degrees. Moving that heavy stuff in that kind of heat? Um...no thank you!
I've been weighing the pros and cons of moving over a larger period of time or in a single day like i did last time. Wondering if I'm stressing myself out more by having my things in boxes for longer periods of time, or inducing less stress because everything is organized, labeled, and there's no rushing necessary.
After contemplating this for a week....I still don't have an answer. Fact of the matter right now is that the end of july is freaking HOT and after working 10 hour days, I don't have the energy to go faster. If i needed to...i know i could make it happen. But since I don't....i'll take it easy.
My only goal is to be mostly moved in and unpacked by July 31st. That will take a great deal of stress off when my aunt and cousin get in from New York and spend a week and a half here. Beyond that....everything is just my dad's incredible icing on top of a already delicious cake.
Yet again...I hate TV dinners. to the point where I'm avoiding buying them in order to have an excuse to order in from places like Olive Garden. Let's see...dehydrated meat, lumpy sauces and under cooked pasta, or Olive Garden? hmmmm...tough choice.
Yes! I'm a food snob! Yes! I care about the quality of food i consume; the taste, texture, seasonings and the fact that it's uniformly warm! TV dinners are vile. Bearable, but still gross in my humble opinion. I can't wait to unpack my kitchen stuff and use those sexy stainless steal appliances.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Launchday!
I have the keys to my new apartment. Simple pieces of metal really shouldn't make me this happy, but I just don't care. I have keys to the most gorgeous apartment ever. *dances*
Also:
Kelsie is amazing and negotiated for us to have an actual GARAGE...with a clicker and everything!
Now when i can buy a motorcycle...i also have somewhere to put it.
Hmmm decisions decisions.
Also:
Kelsie is amazing and negotiated for us to have an actual GARAGE...with a clicker and everything!
Now when i can buy a motorcycle...i also have somewhere to put it.
Hmmm decisions decisions.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Apartment Adventures
I'm happy to announce that my credit and background checked out just fine and I'm signing onto the lease tonight unless I hear otherwise and then it's just a matter of rescheduling rather than changing minds.
It's not that I was worried per se. But over the last months, when i was 99% sure everything was going to be fine, it was that 1% which screwed me over repeatedly. So I've been walking around like I'm waiting for the ax to fall all weekend. Even my sister found out just how on edge I've been. Saturday night held only 2.5 hours of sleep for me. On the other hand I finished a book cover to cover.
I've developed a highly strategic plan of attack on my apartment. Now all i require is the energy after work each day to actually execute this plan.
...And BOXES!
It's not that I was worried per se. But over the last months, when i was 99% sure everything was going to be fine, it was that 1% which screwed me over repeatedly. So I've been walking around like I'm waiting for the ax to fall all weekend. Even my sister found out just how on edge I've been. Saturday night held only 2.5 hours of sleep for me. On the other hand I finished a book cover to cover.
I've developed a highly strategic plan of attack on my apartment. Now all i require is the energy after work each day to actually execute this plan.
...And BOXES!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
When the going get tough, the tough get tougher
459 emails related to my roommate search since December.
Of these,
I actually had conversations with 136
Met with 92
Said yes to 11
Offered 3 a nod of approval with any level of confidence
2 turned me down due to outlying circumstances
and 1 was actually turned down by the apartment complex.
Why on earth was this so hard?
I might be picky to a certain point but, come on! I've got horror stories coming out of my ears!
God I want out so badly. I have a hunch if Kelsie will let me, I'll be moved in by the 25th at the latest. Turn the power, and cable/phone/internet off then and just go back to turn in my keys when the lease is officially up.
The new place is unbelievably nicer. If I ever have to leave, it's goign to be hard to go back to economy style.
Speaking of Kelsie, *yes that's the right spelling* let me tell you a bit about her from what I know so far.
She's a blond version of me, taller, bubblier, and a little older. I believe she told me she was about to turn 27 soon.
She's very regimented in a good way, she even had a list of questions she wanted to ask me.
She does the tangent thing when she talks, too funny
She's from Montana originally, though her folks now live in Idaho and her brother is in (i want to say) Texas.
And she has a boyfriend who's from Sweden.
I have a feeling this is going to make for some very fun and interesting posts in the months to come. I can't fricken WAIT!
Of these,
I actually had conversations with 136
Met with 92
Said yes to 11
Offered 3 a nod of approval with any level of confidence
2 turned me down due to outlying circumstances
and 1 was actually turned down by the apartment complex.
Why on earth was this so hard?
I might be picky to a certain point but, come on! I've got horror stories coming out of my ears!
God I want out so badly. I have a hunch if Kelsie will let me, I'll be moved in by the 25th at the latest. Turn the power, and cable/phone/internet off then and just go back to turn in my keys when the lease is officially up.
The new place is unbelievably nicer. If I ever have to leave, it's goign to be hard to go back to economy style.
 |
Speaking of Kelsie, *yes that's the right spelling* let me tell you a bit about her from what I know so far.
She's a blond version of me, taller, bubblier, and a little older. I believe she told me she was about to turn 27 soon.
She's very regimented in a good way, she even had a list of questions she wanted to ask me.
She does the tangent thing when she talks, too funny
She's from Montana originally, though her folks now live in Idaho and her brother is in (i want to say) Texas.
And she has a boyfriend who's from Sweden.
 |
I have a feeling this is going to make for some very fun and interesting posts in the months to come. I can't fricken WAIT!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Update: Living situation
Since...oh about FEBRUARY!!!!!! I have spent the great majority of my posts on rants about my "ex"-roommate and pleading that something will finally fall into place so I don't have to deal with this anymore.
Well, finally something has finally gone right and i feel better about this update than I have about any others before.
I posted an Ad for myself on Craigslist, hoping to find someone else who was looking for a roommate to go find a new place together. Mostly to avoid the "Seniority Mentality" that i ran into with Katherine.
All too soon, the responses started rolling in. There were several jewels this time, people and places that seemed too good to be true, until i found out the catches. (300$ worth of utilities? I don't think so!) and of course the people who can barely speak English, let alone type coherent emails.
But one stuck out most of all. Basically what caught my attention was the fact that she was exceedingly specific but somehow managed to make it seem like she was still a human being. So we began the obligatory talks and next thing i know, I'm sitting across from a blond mirror of myself. Friendly, talkative, but still mature and responsible. 3 hours later I finally managed to leave and for the first time felt like i had a form of kinship with her.
We have had almost the exact same scenario play out. The roommates lost their jobs, wouldn't look too hard to get a job, ONLY wanted to be a nanny, were lazy and we basically had to force them to continue to pay rent, and finally just disappeared back to their parent's home without so much as a goodbye.
And if anything, our experiences have made sure we know to cover our butts for the future. What i really like about her is that when i start talking contracts...she doesn't take it as a personal attack, but more like a good idea in that we don't really know each other and until we do, it best to treat this like a business arrangement.
I have accepted, and she has agreed. We are meeting again on thursday to discuss specifics.
On the plus side of this:
My one unfortunate circumstance is that my couch would need to go into storage. My wonderful, comfortable, Red Couch of Awesomeness.
Oh and that next I get to negotiate the return deposit amount with Katherine. Fun times *sarcasm*
*raises water bottle* Here's to moving pains.
Well, finally something has finally gone right and i feel better about this update than I have about any others before.
I posted an Ad for myself on Craigslist, hoping to find someone else who was looking for a roommate to go find a new place together. Mostly to avoid the "Seniority Mentality" that i ran into with Katherine.
All too soon, the responses started rolling in. There were several jewels this time, people and places that seemed too good to be true, until i found out the catches. (300$ worth of utilities? I don't think so!) and of course the people who can barely speak English, let alone type coherent emails.
But one stuck out most of all. Basically what caught my attention was the fact that she was exceedingly specific but somehow managed to make it seem like she was still a human being. So we began the obligatory talks and next thing i know, I'm sitting across from a blond mirror of myself. Friendly, talkative, but still mature and responsible. 3 hours later I finally managed to leave and for the first time felt like i had a form of kinship with her.
We have had almost the exact same scenario play out. The roommates lost their jobs, wouldn't look too hard to get a job, ONLY wanted to be a nanny, were lazy and we basically had to force them to continue to pay rent, and finally just disappeared back to their parent's home without so much as a goodbye.
And if anything, our experiences have made sure we know to cover our butts for the future. What i really like about her is that when i start talking contracts...she doesn't take it as a personal attack, but more like a good idea in that we don't really know each other and until we do, it best to treat this like a business arrangement.
I have accepted, and she has agreed. We are meeting again on thursday to discuss specifics.
On the plus side of this:
- at this rent rate, it means i can still take a trip to New York AND afford my new and much needed laptop!
- All stainless in the kitchen *drool*
- Still in Redmond near enough to work and friends, instead of way the bloody hell out in Kirkland
- Washer and dryer *jumping for joy*
- and i can walk through my closet to my bathroom and the bathroom is HUGE!
- And last but not least, i can start to move in right away.
My one unfortunate circumstance is that my couch would need to go into storage. My wonderful, comfortable, Red Couch of Awesomeness.
Oh and that next I get to negotiate the return deposit amount with Katherine. Fun times *sarcasm*
*raises water bottle* Here's to moving pains.
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