My god, I should not be blogging right now. I have waaay too much to do.
I've told you about the move to California many, many times, yes? Well, it is now upon us.
On Saturday morning, my parents are bringing a trailer up to my apartment to help me clear out all of my belongings and move them into storage (aka: my parents' basement.) I will then take up temporary residence (from Saturday until Wednesday) in my parents' spare bedroom. From there, I have to split everything into two groups: what is coming to San Diego, and what is not. (I have some of that sorting done already, but not all of it.) A lot of it depends on how much will fit into the trailer we're bringing. (We couldn't afford a moving van at this point in time, so we're taking a smallish SUV and a 4x8x4 trailer. Woohoo.)
My mom and I will be making the 3-day drive from Minnesota to California - we'll be leaving next Wednesday (the 30th) and arriving on Friday (the 1st). Well, my mom and I... and my two dogs. One 9-hour day, one 13-hour day, and one 7-hour day. It's set up that way because we had to pre-book dog-friendly motel rooms. Blah.
I'm told I should be excited about the drive, about the sights I will see and the experience of crossing our Great Nation and whatnot... All I can think of is: How would YOU like to spend 13 hours at a time in a stuffy car with two 50-80lbs hyperactive dogs? Tell me that, and then you can preach to me about the excitement of road trips.
I should probably also mention, at this point, that I have never driven anything with a trailer attached before.
It will probably be a huge pain in my ass.
I am whining again, aren't I?
I'll stop, promise.
I suppose I would be lying if I told you I'm not excited at all for the drive - I am, a little. It'll be an experience, and so far, my life is lacking in traveling experiences. I feel ridiculously sheltered for a 23-year-old. I only just saw the ocean (and had my first plane ride) last September. The Navy will probably remedy my lack of traveling know-how - already has, in fact - whether I like the way they do it or not. But that's the decision we made, I guess. The Navy, I mean.
What was I saying? Oh yeah. I only have until Saturday morning to pack up the rest of my stuff. It's kind of hard to say what percentage of packing I have left, because the furniture is in the way, clouding my judgment. (Thank goodness none of the furniture is actually coming. It just needs to be transported to the "HERE! TAKE THIS! IT IS FREEEE! area of the apartment's garage.) All I know is that I have a lot to do.
And here I sit. Blogging.
Avoidance, much?
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Pwn of Arc
So...I think I may have discovered a new hobby tonight. Promise you won't laugh? Okay then...
Roller Derby.
No, I'm serious. I would really love to try it.
Before you ask, I am terrible on roller skates. I haven't skated since I was around ten. But my older sister and I went to the see the Minnesota Roller Girls tonight, and, WOW. I have never had so much fun at a sporting event! For the first time, I wished I could be in the midst of the action. Normally I am fine just being a spectator, but... I dunno. I think I'd like to give it a try.
San Diego has a women's Derby team: the San Diego Derby Dolls. (http://sd.derbydolls.com/) It says on their website that you don't have to have any skating experience to join - they have a "boot camp" program to train newcomers. It does cost money, and you have to buy equipment and stuff, but...
I even thought up a derby name for myself: Pwn of Arc
Or Malice in Wonderland. Or Rumblesplitskin.
I just might try this.
Roller Derby.
No, I'm serious. I would really love to try it.
Before you ask, I am terrible on roller skates. I haven't skated since I was around ten. But my older sister and I went to the see the Minnesota Roller Girls tonight, and, WOW. I have never had so much fun at a sporting event! For the first time, I wished I could be in the midst of the action. Normally I am fine just being a spectator, but... I dunno. I think I'd like to give it a try.
San Diego has a women's Derby team: the San Diego Derby Dolls. (http://sd.derbydolls.com/) It says on their website that you don't have to have any skating experience to join - they have a "boot camp" program to train newcomers. It does cost money, and you have to buy equipment and stuff, but...
I even thought up a derby name for myself: Pwn of Arc
Or Malice in Wonderland. Or Rumblesplitskin.
I just might try this.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Brace Yourselves...
...because I am about to go on a petty bitchfest.
A few months ago, my roommate and I signed up to donate a story to a charity fanfiction compilation, the proceeds of which would go to victims of flooding in Australia. It's a really good cause, and we were really happy to do it. So we did. After procrastinating for a month or two, we sat down and pumped out a 33-page alternate ending to Two Captains (our massive PotC fic). We worked hard, often late into the night. But the ending result was wonderful, and we were very happy about the whole thing.
Now that I've received the "official" compilation, I am feeling less happy.
As in, very very very unhappy.
I realize the whole thing is for charity, but DEAR GOD, did they have to mess up our formatting so much? No italics (which can make things more confusing than you'd think), no proper indentation, and every now and then there's a line with only one word on it. Like
this.
Oh, and they screwed up the title too. NOWHERE, and I mean NOWHERE, did we refer to our story as "2 Captains." It is "TWO CAPTAINS." Because when it is spelled "TWO CAPTAINS," it looks less like a pathetic bad-internet-grammar type of story. BECAUSE WE WORKED TOO EFFING HARD ON OUR GRAMMAR FOR THAT!
I suppose I would be less upset about the whole thing if it didn't make us look so... I dunno... unprofessional. I mean, I realize fanfiction itself isn't exactly "professional," (and neither is this post, really) but we have been trying to put a good image of ourselves out there. Especially lately. Part of the reason we're still keeping so connected to that fanfiction is because we're trying to build up a fan base for when we actually have a Real Novel to publish. (And because we're in love with it.) This compilation will not help.
AND WE WORKED SO EFFING HARD ON THE DAMN THING!
Also, we won't be able to post the story (on our own terms, on fanfiction.net) until June. It is going to be like an itch I cannot scratch until then. Driving me bonkers. Rrrgh.
Apart from that, I don't really have a whole lot to say. I finally finished knitting the scarf I've been working on since December, and I started a new one (for my sister) that I'll be working on during the drive to California. (You know, when my mom is driving. I just had this mental image of me struggling to knit at the steering wheel and veering into oncoming traffic.) So... yup. Huzzah for me!
Only about 3 1/2 more weeks to go until we leave. Craaaaazy thought. I've lived in Minnesota my entire life. I've never been more than 2 hours away from my family. We're really close. We get together for every holiday, almost every birthday. Now I'm going to see them, what? A handful of times a year? If I'm lucky?
This is going to be tough.
But we won't talk about that now, will we?
No we will not.
Man, I'm still fuming about those stupid formatting issues. It's petty and bitchy, but hey, I did warn you, didn't I? In the very first entry? I did. You can't get mad at me. You knew what you were getting into.
Thanks a lot, charity formatting committee... *shakes fist*
Grr. Argh.
(EDIT: Can I just say... I feel like a complete ass for getting that upset about minor formatting errors. Perfectionist? Yes. Good person? Not exactly...)
A few months ago, my roommate and I signed up to donate a story to a charity fanfiction compilation, the proceeds of which would go to victims of flooding in Australia. It's a really good cause, and we were really happy to do it. So we did. After procrastinating for a month or two, we sat down and pumped out a 33-page alternate ending to Two Captains (our massive PotC fic). We worked hard, often late into the night. But the ending result was wonderful, and we were very happy about the whole thing.
Now that I've received the "official" compilation, I am feeling less happy.
As in, very very very unhappy.
I realize the whole thing is for charity, but DEAR GOD, did they have to mess up our formatting so much? No italics (which can make things more confusing than you'd think), no proper indentation, and every now and then there's a line with only one word on it. Like
this.
Oh, and they screwed up the title too. NOWHERE, and I mean NOWHERE, did we refer to our story as "2 Captains." It is "TWO CAPTAINS." Because when it is spelled "TWO CAPTAINS," it looks less like a pathetic bad-internet-grammar type of story. BECAUSE WE WORKED TOO EFFING HARD ON OUR GRAMMAR FOR THAT!
I suppose I would be less upset about the whole thing if it didn't make us look so... I dunno... unprofessional. I mean, I realize fanfiction itself isn't exactly "professional," (and neither is this post, really) but we have been trying to put a good image of ourselves out there. Especially lately. Part of the reason we're still keeping so connected to that fanfiction is because we're trying to build up a fan base for when we actually have a Real Novel to publish. (And because we're in love with it.) This compilation will not help.
AND WE WORKED SO EFFING HARD ON THE DAMN THING!
Also, we won't be able to post the story (on our own terms, on fanfiction.net) until June. It is going to be like an itch I cannot scratch until then. Driving me bonkers. Rrrgh.
Apart from that, I don't really have a whole lot to say. I finally finished knitting the scarf I've been working on since December, and I started a new one (for my sister) that I'll be working on during the drive to California. (You know, when my mom is driving. I just had this mental image of me struggling to knit at the steering wheel and veering into oncoming traffic.) So... yup. Huzzah for me!
Only about 3 1/2 more weeks to go until we leave. Craaaaazy thought. I've lived in Minnesota my entire life. I've never been more than 2 hours away from my family. We're really close. We get together for every holiday, almost every birthday. Now I'm going to see them, what? A handful of times a year? If I'm lucky?
This is going to be tough.
But we won't talk about that now, will we?
No we will not.
Man, I'm still fuming about those stupid formatting issues. It's petty and bitchy, but hey, I did warn you, didn't I? In the very first entry? I did. You can't get mad at me. You knew what you were getting into.
Thanks a lot, charity formatting committee... *shakes fist*
Grr. Argh.
(EDIT: Can I just say... I feel like a complete ass for getting that upset about minor formatting errors. Perfectionist? Yes. Good person? Not exactly...)
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Gin and Lemon Groves
Yes, I realize I haven't updated in a little while, but I won't apologize. I've been busy. You'll just have to deal with it.
The move to California is swiftly approaching. Only a few more weeks left to pack and to say my goodbyes. Today I started in on the monumental project that is packing up my library. I whittled the collection I plan on bringing down to four smallish boxes. Three totes are already packed up and ready to go into storage, yet there are still books up the wazoo left on the shelves. It makes me feel a bit gloomy about packing up the rest of the apartment. Especially the kitchen. I hate packing kitchens - everything is fragile, and nothing is the right size or shape. I'll probably leave that for close to last, especially since I do plan on eating/using dishes this month. (And because I hate it.) Tomorrow I plan on rummaging through my bathroom stuff and discarding a whole bunch of half- and never-used crap that I have somehow accumulated. It'll make me feel better, because there's a ton of stuff I can throw away.
I was supposed to go and sign rental papers for a temporary storage unit today, but I was abducted by some aliens from space who kind of looked like Jamie Farr... Actually, no. I just forgot. Trying to decide which books are important enough to lug across the country is a grueling process. It makes you forget. (Oh, and as a side note, the correct answer to "which books are important enough" is: ALL OF THEM.) So I have to do that tomorrow, as well. Go take care of the storage unit business, I mean.
Despite all the stress (and the sadness that I am currently trying to ignore), I'm pretty excited for the move. It'll be the first time I've lived outside of Minnesota since I was 9 months old. It'll also be my first major road trip. Also, who wouldn't be excited about leaving behind 3 degree temperatures? Especially since the apartment Mark and I found is in a suburb that has boasted the "Best Climate On Earth!"
That's right! We found an apartment!!! Or rather, a condo! (Holy exclamation points, Batman!) Located in Lemon Grove, CA, our new condo will have granite counters, marble kitchen/bathroom floors, stainless steel appliances, 9-foot ceilings, a covered patio... AND LEMON GROVES. (Well, they're two blocks-ish away, but still.) I'M SO FRIGGIN' EXCITED! They approved our dogs, and now it's on hold for us! We even have all the deposit money already lined up! Hurrah! Something is finally working out correctly!
YAY! THIS IS WAY MORE BETTER THAN I EXPECTED!
I rode up to Duluth with my sister-in-law, Kallie, this weekend. It was a decent weekend, overall. Uneventful. Well, except for Saturday night. (And Sunday morning, but we'll discuss that later.) Kallie and two of her friends took me out for drinks. Three gin-and-tonics, one "Chuck Norris" and one "Chocolate Cake" later, I was feeling a bit blurred around the edges. But I didn't do anything stupid, trust me. I even stopped drinking the hard stuff and started drinking Mississippi High Balls (water) pretty early. Wasn't hungover. In fact, I was about 99% sober by the time the bar closed. Then I got to go out for breakfast (at around 3am) with three VERY LOUD, VERY DRUNK ladies. It would have been nice to have a friend of my own to hang with there, but otherwise it was fun.
"Chuck Norrises" taste like gummi worms, by the way.
"Chocolate Cakes" taste like vomit and sin. And chocolate cake.
On Sunday morning, my older sister called me. My mom's 5-month-old Great Dane puppy, Joey, was hit by a car about the same time I was eating breakfast with the Tipsy Trio. He survived, don't worry, but he did suffer a broken leg and pelvis. He had to have surgery on both today. Apparently it went very well, and as long as my parents are careful and watch him closely while he's still going through his growth spurts, he should make a full recovery.
I can't believe someone hit him and left him laying in the ditch, though. Cause that's what happened - a guy happened to see him there in the snow and was kind enough to get help. Whoever hit him left him there to die, which he would have done if he hadn't been found when he was. Great Danes have very thin fur. He would have frozen to death.
Those bastards. I'd like to hit them with my car, break their leg, and leave them in a snowbank to think it over for a while.
People. What a bunch of bastards.
Also... LEMON GROVES!!!
The move to California is swiftly approaching. Only a few more weeks left to pack and to say my goodbyes. Today I started in on the monumental project that is packing up my library. I whittled the collection I plan on bringing down to four smallish boxes. Three totes are already packed up and ready to go into storage, yet there are still books up the wazoo left on the shelves. It makes me feel a bit gloomy about packing up the rest of the apartment. Especially the kitchen. I hate packing kitchens - everything is fragile, and nothing is the right size or shape. I'll probably leave that for close to last, especially since I do plan on eating/using dishes this month. (And because I hate it.) Tomorrow I plan on rummaging through my bathroom stuff and discarding a whole bunch of half- and never-used crap that I have somehow accumulated. It'll make me feel better, because there's a ton of stuff I can throw away.
I was supposed to go and sign rental papers for a temporary storage unit today, but I was abducted by some aliens from space who kind of looked like Jamie Farr... Actually, no. I just forgot. Trying to decide which books are important enough to lug across the country is a grueling process. It makes you forget. (Oh, and as a side note, the correct answer to "which books are important enough" is: ALL OF THEM.) So I have to do that tomorrow, as well. Go take care of the storage unit business, I mean.
Despite all the stress (and the sadness that I am currently trying to ignore), I'm pretty excited for the move. It'll be the first time I've lived outside of Minnesota since I was 9 months old. It'll also be my first major road trip. Also, who wouldn't be excited about leaving behind 3 degree temperatures? Especially since the apartment Mark and I found is in a suburb that has boasted the "Best Climate On Earth!"
That's right! We found an apartment!!! Or rather, a condo! (Holy exclamation points, Batman!) Located in Lemon Grove, CA, our new condo will have granite counters, marble kitchen/bathroom floors, stainless steel appliances, 9-foot ceilings, a covered patio... AND LEMON GROVES. (Well, they're two blocks-ish away, but still.) I'M SO FRIGGIN' EXCITED! They approved our dogs, and now it's on hold for us! We even have all the deposit money already lined up! Hurrah! Something is finally working out correctly!
YAY! THIS IS WAY MORE BETTER THAN I EXPECTED!
I rode up to Duluth with my sister-in-law, Kallie, this weekend. It was a decent weekend, overall. Uneventful. Well, except for Saturday night. (And Sunday morning, but we'll discuss that later.) Kallie and two of her friends took me out for drinks. Three gin-and-tonics, one "Chuck Norris" and one "Chocolate Cake" later, I was feeling a bit blurred around the edges. But I didn't do anything stupid, trust me. I even stopped drinking the hard stuff and started drinking Mississippi High Balls (water) pretty early. Wasn't hungover. In fact, I was about 99% sober by the time the bar closed. Then I got to go out for breakfast (at around 3am) with three VERY LOUD, VERY DRUNK ladies. It would have been nice to have a friend of my own to hang with there, but otherwise it was fun.
"Chuck Norrises" taste like gummi worms, by the way.
"Chocolate Cakes" taste like vomit and sin. And chocolate cake.
On Sunday morning, my older sister called me. My mom's 5-month-old Great Dane puppy, Joey, was hit by a car about the same time I was eating breakfast with the Tipsy Trio. He survived, don't worry, but he did suffer a broken leg and pelvis. He had to have surgery on both today. Apparently it went very well, and as long as my parents are careful and watch him closely while he's still going through his growth spurts, he should make a full recovery.
I can't believe someone hit him and left him laying in the ditch, though. Cause that's what happened - a guy happened to see him there in the snow and was kind enough to get help. Whoever hit him left him there to die, which he would have done if he hadn't been found when he was. Great Danes have very thin fur. He would have frozen to death.
Those bastards. I'd like to hit them with my car, break their leg, and leave them in a snowbank to think it over for a while.
People. What a bunch of bastards.
Also... LEMON GROVES!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)