Employment

Well my interview at AE went really well. She said she'd get back to me as soon as she checked my references and figured out where I'm needed. I'm not super excited, because its retail, and it won't give me many hours at all (less than 20) and only pays around $7 an hour. So as it stands, I'm looking for a second job as well. Probably Subway or Half Price. I went and picked up an application for Half Price, but I didn't get a chance to get to Subway (The Boy was driving, and his custard was going to melt). Hopefully I'll pass my third freaking driver's test today and I'll be able to get there myself. Ugh.

I really want a real job.

Monetary

I know these are showing up in the wrong order, but so far I've blogged today about the things I want to accomplish, and the things I want to buy to accomplish them. To do all of that, I need money, and, more importantly, a job.

I have an interview at American Eagle on Friday morning. I'm also going to go into Subway probably tomorrow afternoon and apply. I might be able to swing by Half Price Books and The Cheesecake Factory and apply to those places as well. My goal right now is to maybe land two jobs, which would be much easier if I pass my road test on Friday. (I'd better!)

I need to be raking in a good amount of money, because not only do I have bills, I have debts. My credit card is maxed out, I want to start paying off my student loans, and I owe my mom $300 for the repairs to my car. I'm really hoping to land the job at AE, not because I want to work in retail again, but because it's in the mall, and if I don't pass my test I know I have transportation.

I'm keeping my eyes open and fingers crossed.

Things

I know, lots of blogs today, but I'm trying to keep them going by subject, instead of huge mash-up. So this is my list of things I'd like to buy in order to make life easier and less cluttered. I know, it's very consumerist of me, but I think these are good investments.

• New living room set from IKEA. Simple, modern, and cheap. Plus my couch (and recliner) is probably at least 23 years old. It's not even comfortable to sit on anymore. Time to upgrade. Cost: $300
• Bed frame. All we have right now is a metal frame with the box spring exposed. It functions, but it's ugly, and my parents never had a bed frame and I'd like to have one. Naturally, this will come from IKEA. Cost: $100
• Kitchen table and chairs. Again, from IKEA. My table is fine (albiet scuffed) and I think it was quite a deal for $7 from Goodwill. However, half the chairs are broken (free from a neighbor). So instead of being able to seat 3 we can now only seat 2. Cost: $130
• Laundry drying rack. This will actually save us money (and energy!) in the long run. I found the most cost-effective and best deal at...you guessed it, IKEA. It looks like it can hold two loads of laundry, which would save us $2.50 every time we did laundry. Cost: $40
• A fire-safe safe. This would be nice for storing documents, and would eliminate the need to have two big file boxes just sitting in the open. (The Boy and I would share). Unfortunately the best deal I could find was at Wal-Mart. Cost: $50
• Total Cost: $620

I'm sure I'd end up spending more, because I'll find some other useful things while shopping for those things. Also, I didn't factor in the cost for the aformentioned rubber bins, because I don't know how many I'll need.

I need to win the lottery.

Organized

Since it's officially springtime, and since it's finally getting warm out, I'm feeling the sudden urge to organize EVERYTHING.

It really drives me nuts that nothing around here is in neat little bins, etc. Which means I'm going to end up cleaning out my closet. Which means I'll end up donating a ton of stuff to Goodwill. Which means I'll feel as though I've wasted a ton of money.

I have this problem with multi-seasonal clothes. Like long-sleeved cotton tops that are too warm for wear in the daytime in summer, but nice for the evenings or more formal occasions. And now, when the weather hasn't decided what it wants to be, I have ALL my clothes out. When I lived with my parents, we used to take all the winter clothes and put them into storage at the end of winter, and vice versa with summer clothes. But since The Boy and I haven't gotten to tackling the basement, I don't have any extra storage down there. I'm thinking of getting a smaller set of drawers similiar to the one in my closet (plastic, sterilite drawers) for the shelves on top of my closet, and storing suff there. I really want a bigger closet! Ha.

As far as the basement goes, right now it's just a chaos of boxes and odds and ends and large garbage bags of aluminum cans (The Boy takes them in for recyling, but he's waiting until the price of aluminum rises). We both decided that a good system would be getting large rubbermaid tubs and organizing all of the things in boxes into the tubs. I like that idea because I'm deathly afraid of bugs, and in my opinion bugs are much less likely to get into an airtight plastic container than a cardboard box. (Side note: is it weird for me to put empty cardboard boxes in rubber containters? I save boxes for everything, like my Mac, and I don't want them ruined.)

Aside from my closet and my basement, I want to really give a go at organizing my desk, getting it packed up, and dismantled so that I can move my recliner from my grandmother's house to the apartment. that will provide seating, appease The Boy's lust for a recliner, and hold me over until I can afford a trip to IKEA.

The trouble with all of these organizational goals is thus: it's rainy. I never, ever want to do anything but sit around and read when it's rainy outside. And I have my last night of work tonight so that cuts my time down. Oh, and I'd have to get to Wal-Mart (I know, I know, evil) to get some storage solutions (on second though, for the large bins, Home Depot. sells those). And I don't have a new job lined up yet so my account is effectively 'frozen' to pay the bills until I know I'm at least going to be earning some income.

Everything's a mess and it's driving me nuts.

Search

Well, I'm pretty sure this will be my last week at Starbucks. My last official day is next Monday. I don't know if I'm actually going to be scheduled though.

My job search has not been fruitful thus far. I've been sending out resumes and applications like a crazy person. I'm just a little scared, because I've heard from employers that I applied to 3 or 4 months prior. I can't go that long without a job. And right now I'm a little hampered because I don't have my license yet (test this Friday!).

On a more positive note, I had a really amazing weekend. The Boy and I spent pretty much all of it together. Saturday we got breakfast and then picked some stuff up that we needed. I had to work, but afterwards we had dinner together and watched Futurama movies on the couch. Sunday, we went thrifting at a few different Goodwill locations. Then we got custard, came home, and watched TV. I know things have been really rough between us lately, but I've noticed that things only get this way when money is really tight. Which is a bit reassuring because I know that that's the most common trigger of fights among couples. And for us it's a huge stress because we live paycheck-to-paycheck, and now there are no paychecks. Ugh. I really need to find another job. I'm trying to find something in the "real job" category. However, Alterra is also hiring, and I would love to work there. And at this point, I'd take a job in retail or food. I really don't want to work in retail ever again. Food sort of frightens me, but if I'm serving I could make a lot in tips. Also, I need to call my credit card company and tell them that I've lost my job.

Life.

Kicked

I guess life just can't help itself.

Thank god I don't work today.

Shame

Ok, I think I've avoided blogging about this for long enough.

I put in my two weeks notice at work. Not because I wanted to. Because I was given the option of either quit or get fired.

Over Facebook.

I made a group that ambiguously makes fun of a couple customers. And because Starbucks is corporate and controlling, I got put on final written notice for it (even though it was only my second write up ever). Then after some yelling and much crying on my end, I was handed the choice to either quit, get a good reference, and know it's coming, or be on eggshells and be surprised. I chose to quit.

I don't have anything lined up yet. I saw that Alterra is hiring, and to be honest, I think I'd fit in much better.

I'm just feeling a lot of shame because of all this. I don't like having to admit that I essentially got fired. Over something stupid on Facebook.

And on top of that The Boy is being...well he's being a complete and total a-hole but that really isn't too far out of the norm. I'm kind of done with that. I'd like to be able to just up and go, but I'm stuck here, at least until I can find a job/place to live. So right now I'm fantasizing about how I'm going to get a nice paying job, find an apartment on the Eastside, and fill it with IKEA furniture. And no, The Boy isn't a frequent visitor in this fantasy. I don't know what to think about that anymore though. And I'm not going to go into it in this blog post, because I know nobody really wants to hear (read) about it.

C'mon life. It would be really, really great if you would quit shitting on me just long enough for me to at least get up off the ground. But I guess it's no fun kicking a girl when she's standing.

Headache

I don't feel well at all today. I have this really bad migrane that just won't go away. And since I drank some coffee, I'm also jittery. The muscles in my forearms are shakey also. So while I really want to clean this place up, I also want to drop into bed.

I also managed to fail my second road test today. Only this time, I knew I failed. First off, I went up on a curb backing up. Then, I got into nearly two accidents. I don't know what happened. But, at least the tester was a really nice guy about it. So I scheduled my next test at the same place. Third time's the charm right?

I'm trying to get everything on my desk packed up and put away for the time being, so that The Boy can dismantle it and put it into storage. He told me that it might be a better investment to just store it away until we have a bigger place for it. It makes sense, since it is a really nice desk. And I can't seem to sell it. Hopefully soon I can get down to Shaumberg and procure a new living room set. I'd love to get a chair so more people can sit down on a surface that isn't the floor.

Let's see, what else.

It's getting really hard to concentrate with this headache. And my arms feel really odd right now. I wish that would just go away. That would be nice.

I work all weekend, which stinks because my friend is coming back from Iowa tomorrow. I think I work all week as well. I really wish I could find another job. A steady job. A real job. But I don't have any marketable skills other than a great personality and an ability to type 100 WPM. Not too much call for that these days. I'm ready to be a grown up and work full time. Except working a full time job around my one class will probably be difficult. Unless I transfer to a different section. Which would stink because I like my section.

I think my eyeballs are going to explode now.

Uncomfortable

Lately I've been feeling really uncomfortable. Like that feeling you get when you're sitting in one position too long.

I know it's because I want to move. I think maybe because I moved around so much as a kid, I don't like staying in the same place too long. Maybe I just haven't found that perfect place yet.

So The Boy and I are keeping our eyes open for places that might offer slightly cheaper rent around here. Hopefully somewhere not in West Allis, but that's really just my requirement. It's too bad the North Side is so jacked up, because some of the houses there are BEAUTIFUL. All the old German and Polish demi-mansions, in neighborhoods where I'd get shot simply for being pale. It's a crying shame really. Why can't we all just get along? But that's another rant.

I'm also thinking of moving out and living with my cousin near UWM. We'd have to take on another roommate which would be fine. I'm just hesitant because of the implications it would have on my relationship with The Boy.

I'm also keeping the option of renting a studio open. It would be a lot smaller, but I think we could manage if we get that sofa bed I've been drooling over and got rid of a few key pieces of furniture (i.e. my gigantic desk). Honestly, I'm going to box up a lot of the stuff on it tonight, and I'll probably end up taking it apart, putting it on the curb, and posting a curb alert on Cragislist. I was hoping to get like $50 for it, but I don't want it in my house any more. I never even sit at it. I use my computer while sitting on the couch, and really all that I use the desk for is a bookshelf. So theoretically if I get a bookshelf I'm set. Thank god for Ikea. (My new addiction)

Though since The Boy is laid off again, who knows when I'll be able to afford my new ($300!!) livingroom set.

Oh, and my next road test is on Friday. My stepmom is taking me, and since she's from Waukesha, we're practicing around the DMV before hand. Then afterwards my father is going to buy us lunch. I just hope they don't disqualify my car for the dent in the hood and trunk. My mom said that I can't use any car that looks like its been in an accident. Somehow I don't think that's true but we'll see. I'll be pissed if it is. Because my car runs fine, the damage is really only cosmetic.

Sunday

This is the first really relaxing Sunday morning I've experienced in a long time. Partly because I don't really have anything all that stressful to do today. Partly because its actually sunny out.

Today I'm driving out to Waukesha with my mom's neighbor (I still call her my neighbor. So if I ever refer to "my neighbor" it's probably her). She knows her way out to the DMV there, and we're gonna drive around the area so I can get a feel for it for my second driver's test. I'm thankful that she's taking me and not my mom, because while I love my mom with all my heart, I just can't drive with her. She's the world's worst passenger. The other day I had to pull over and ask her to stop flinching every two seconds and screaming at me for every little thing. She knows she's bad at the whole being a passenger thing. I told her that when she gets old she can just take the bus everywhere. I was kidding of course, but she laughed and it broke the silence. Anyways my mom's neighbor is really relaxed and makes me feel way more comfortable driving. If I'm driving all the way out there without taking the freeway, relaxation helps.

It also helps that my car is like a brand-new vehicle now. Yeah it was a ripoff, but I'm glad I had it fixed. It handles much better, and it didn't need a front end alignment after all. Just a new ball joint. The only thing I need to work on now is two new(er) tires, and mayyybe a new hood latch/trunk. Oh, and the metal covering of my gas tank. And I need to fix the heat. But it's driveable which is really all that counts.

So right now I'm enjoying a cup of coffee while The Boy reads a Game Informer in the livingroom. I'll finish cleaning out the gerbil tank and then vacuum up the living room with our new vacuum. Today should be a good day :)