It's the RETURN OF THE TO DO LIST!!!

1. Laundry

2. Shopping
- cherry pie filling
- bath scrunchy
- underroos
- turtlenecks (?)
- Christmas CD
- Kitty Litter

3. TV Setup

Oh yeah... it's a long list today XD I'm heading out to the Mall, stopping at WalMart and PetCo before heading to the Christian Bookstore. I'm singing in church in a few weeks, so I need a new holiday song, and Mom wants the three of us to sing for Christmas... which means finding a new song in an SSA arrangement. Joy.

And then... I'm being a slug. :P

I am feeling really run down for some reason. ...I think Mom may be infecting me with something.

So the store is gearing up for the holiday season. We aren't playing Christmas music yet, but we're getting ready for it. We'll be decorated within th next week or so, but the music won't start til after Thanksgiving. Our increased discounts start on the 20th. ...which means I can snag some good stuff for the rents and whatnot for Christmas presents. muahahaha

In other news, there's an Arty Party tomorrow. Which I am totally excited for. XD I'm going to be working on a new shawl (why do I keep getting started on shawl projects? and why can't I seem to finish the alien scarf???) for my grandma. I'm also going to be bringing snickerdoodles. numnumnum

Other than that, not much else going on. Just working and trying to keep my head above water. I'm going to start taking the serious steps to get into an MA program after the first of the year. I'm also going to be looking for teaching gigs. >.> if only because, as mom pointed out, they'll help pay for it. But eh... I kind of like working at Starbucks. I like the people I'm working with and I'm good at what I'm doing. Which is something I think I need right now.

So yeah... hopefully, I'll be able to get down to Maryland sometime soon. I've signed up to work all the major holidays, with the exception of Black Friday (which yes, is a major holiday for us. do you have any idea how EARLY we're opening?!?!) to go down to Kentucky and visit the fam. It'll be soooo much fun... driving down Thursday night and coming back on Saturday. ...joy. I need to work on getting my iPod filled up again.

but yeah. It's a fun life.

So, I went to go see Paranormal Activity with Chibi, her hubby and one of their friends.

Oh. Ma. God. O.O

Let me make this clear: if you like gorefest scary movies you will probably think this one is a bit boring. It's a slow building scare, and I really LIKED that. You can tell that they did their research on what actual paranormal activity looks like, because there aren't any CGIed "ghosts" running around. The comparison has been made to Blair Witch, and yes, there is a resemblance in shooting style (except that these guys are smart and actually have the camera on a tripod or a table or something for a good bit of time so you don't get motion sickness), but this movie actually scared me.

I screamed. Out loud. And had to sleep with my desk lamp on all night. >.> I am not ashamed to admit this.

If you're looking for a GOOD scare without the gore, I highly recommend this movie. It's got some light comedy, some really classy effects, and is a slow build to a sudden and intense climax.

and now... to complete the psycho doll outfit. muahaha

Wow. It's been almost a month since I updated. O.O What the heck have I been doing?

Oh yeah. That thing called working. >.<

Not much going on at the moment. I've qualified for benefits from work, and mom helped me enroll last night. So hopefully, that'll go into effect on the first of next month. It's a good plan, and I'll be able to get new glasses, and my feet looked at, and my stomach... *dances* So happy. The only really bad thing at the moment is that, apparently, the free Toshiba upgrade to Windows 7 requires proof of purchase.

...which I cannot find for the LIFE of me. >.< And I think my mum just threw my computer box away. darnit.

*sigh* Oh well. If I really want to upgrade, I can save my tip money for it.

Other than that... it's really just a lot of eat, sleep, work. I'm still looking into Master's programs, mostly because I want to watch my finances for a bit. There's been some issues with M's school loans, which means Mom has been helping her with some money. Which means Mom has actually borrowed money from me in order to pay the bills. *sigh* so yeah. I'm waiting until that's all sorted out.

I think, however, that I'm going to be doing a Secret Life of Baristas thing. If only to be amusing.

See you on the flips, kids.

Sorry for the quiet, guys. >.> Life's been a lot of eat, work, sleep recently.

So I'm finally 26. Yup. ...feels a lot like 25, really. But the Birthday weekend in Baltimore was vurray good. Fun was had with everyone (although we shall not speak of the evils of driving in DC or just how badly my navigation sucks even when I'm on foot), and I can't wait to go back. Don't know when that will be.

So. It's October, which means the deadline for making a choice about what I want to do beyond Starbucks has passed. ( And I have made the choice. )

So yeah. A lot of Eat, Sleep, Work. A lot of researching. A lot of thinking. Fun stuff, really.

OH. And randomly. Chibi? Jenn? Remember Gay Tim for SHU? He totally walked into the store and put in an application. XD I love it.

See you on the flips, kids.

*collapse* So... yeah. It's been a while since I've updated. I've been a tad busy, but since there isn't a whole lot beyond work, I'll keep it short.

Today was the church's Fall Fun Festival. We started it about a year ago as a community outreach sort of thing. Pretty much it's like a miniature craft fair sort of thing. We have vendors selling everything from cookies and knitted ware, to chainsaw wood carvings. ...ok, we don't really have the last one, but we had some pretty neat woods crafts this year. I helped set up a little, then walked the tents and bought a few things. First of all... I bought a lunch of three home made pierogies, a bag of home made peanut brittle, and a small serving of haluski.

ooooh haluski. You shouldn't be so good but you ARE.

The major finds of the day were from two different booths. One was from one of our church members. He's a photographer by profession... and he happened to be at the Stanley Cup Parade Pittsburgh held for the team. He had a CD of 150 pictures. For $5. My sister will love it.

The other one... is for me. I give you.... the Box-o-Pus!



I LOVE HIM! HE IS MA SQUISHY!


...*ahem* There may be more later. But yeah.

So 1: the crocs worked pretty well. My feet still hurt, but not as badly as they did before.

Number 2: I talked to the boss. And she says she doesn't think there will be a problem for my Birthday Weekend of Fun. The schedule will probably look like this:

Friday 9/18: work in the morning, then drive down to BMore. Be in town probably in time for a late dinner or some such.

Saturday-Sunday, 9/19-20: ???

Monday 9/21: drive back sometime in the morning so I can crash for a little while before working that afternoon/evening.

I will know for SURE for sure by Tuesday. But I think it's safe to put together a schedule. I'm looking for a place to crash and to spend some time with the much beloved friends.

Comments? Ideas? Propositions? ^_~

...*collapse* Just... seriously. Yeah. I'm a wee bit tired because of the whole working thing. I've been working between 30 and 38 hours a week for the past two weeks. ...which means I'll have a REALLY nice paycheck, but it also means my feet and ankles are not to thrilled with me. I'm hoping tonight will be better, because I'll be sporting the latest in Rosy Work Fashion! Ace Ankle braces and Bistro Crocs! ...yeah, they're ugly as sin, but if they help at ALL I don't really care. XD I know the ankle braces worked really well last night. My actual feet still hurt, but I didn't have soreness or swelling in my ankles. So hopefully, the Crocs will take care of the rest.

We've already had drama in SnuSa. And just... yeah. >.> But it's been handled and I'm hoping we don't have much more for the rest of the fest. I have absolutely BRILLIANT prompts, and again I have one that is just DEMANDING to be written. I'm working on making sure I have all my plotty ideas ready before I start writing. ...it would also be nice to have time to actually -write-, since I'm coming home with enough energy to change clothes and then veg in front of compy/tv. That'll be Friday and Sunday of this week, then Tuesday and Saturday of next. I also need to get started on shawl for my Grandma. I'd like it done before Christmas, mostly because.. well, Grandma's getting UP THERE. She's in her early 90s and we're not real sure how much longer she'll be around. Yes, I know I still have a scarf to finish. Shush.

In other news, my birthday is in 3 weeks. Yay me. I am going to see if maybe I can spend the weekend down in Baltimore. It would have to be the weekend of the 18,19, & 20th, since it's my mom's birthday the weekend after and I'm singing the choir solo in church that day. Going to write a note to my boss, and see if we can make it happen. I'm thinking work early on Friday, and leave right after work for BMore. Hang about Friday night and Saturday, leave sometime Sunday evening. I don't want to take more time than that because I'm still new... and lets face it I need the money. :D So we'll see if we can make it work. I'll let people know and we'll see what happens. I know I have gabs of people I want to see... so it may be a jampacked weekend for me. :D

Not much else going on I'm afraid. I'm still pondering what to do next, but there's time.

And now, for your entertainment...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFJWoxGsonE

( Musings... )

...and now... I'm going to make crepes for brunch.

Mmmm my first day off. So nice. I am digging the job. I impressed the boss lady with my mad milk steaming skills. XD Always good. Still have to work on my cappuccino foam... bubbles are too large. Otherwise, it's going well. The Boss Lady is trying to make sure I have enough hours to meet the Health Benefit requirements. Which is awesome because a.) I am earnin the MONIES and b.) HEALTh BENEFITS!! WOO! From what I understand, the store keeps a minimal number of partners (aka barristas) so that the ones they do hire have enough hours. I like it. The people I've met so far are fun, and I get free coffee or tea while I'm working and a 30% discount when I'm not. Mom is planning on coming in at some point to reap the benefits.

I've decided to get settled into the job before I start actively looking for the Master's program or whatever education thing to start. I've got a few choices, and I want to take my time to make the right one.

I spent the day hitting up Target for some more work clothes. Went well. Also got my haircut. ...not digging the style the girl did, but it's cut and I can work with it.

I'm still looking at the computer (kinda kicking myself that I didn't get it before the price went up $80... d'oh) and I have a question for all the peeps more technologically literate than I. Is an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 graphics card better or worse than an ATI Radeon x800? ...out of mere curiosity. Of course. >.>

And that's pretty much all I've got so far. :D Later gaters!

Who's starting work on Monday? Could it be... ROSY?!?!?!

WHY YES! YES IT IS!!

*does the happy work dance*

Oh it's a good Monday.

Why is it a good Monday, you ask? Because there are Big Happenings in Rosyland this week.

Big Happening #1: Baby Sister M is moving back to college for her Senior year. This makes me SO happy, you have no idea. The biggest thing? There will be one less person sharing the bathroom... and both of the people sharing the bathroom know the value of PUTTING CRAP AWAY. M likes to leave out almost everything... for instance? This morning resulted in the melting of the tag on her hairdryer because it fel against S's flat iron. ...ok, yeah, I take partial responsibility because I had to unplug her hairdryer to plug mine in and didn't notice the melting... but it wouldn't have happened if the hair dryer had been put away in the first place. Once she's gone, the bathroom will be getting SCRUBBED to within an inch of its ceramicand porcelain life. I love my sister, but she's an absolute SLOB.

Big Happening #2: I am going to be reorganizing my room a bit. Mostly because I'm not a fan of the current fung shui and because... I want to reclaim the space a bit. I may be digging into the box of decorations to personalize it. :D Bailey will probably not be too thrilled, but she will have to deal. She might actually like it, since a lot of "her space" will be a little more secluded. So yeah... I'm looking forward to that.

Big Happening #3: I will know by Wednesday if I have a job. I've gone through two interviews at Starbucks, and the store manager has said she just has to run it by her District Manager before she can hire me. So... *crossing fingers* If I get as many hours as I indicated I wanted (at least 25), I'll easily make my monthly bills and payments, with extra left over to save up.

My car has to go to the shop this week for an oil change and for my parents mechanic to check out a squeaky noise its been making for a while. IF I get the job at Starbucks and IF the car doesn't cost too much to fix... Big Happening #4 is me getting a new computer. A laptop with a 500GB hard drive, 4GB of RAM expandable to 8GB, dedicated graphics, 16" screen... *shivers* Oh so pretty... it runs Vista, but what can ya do? I'm trying to find out when PA's Tax-Free PC week is going on... cuz that would just be AWESOME.

So yeah... Big Happenings mean a hopeful and happy Rosy. :D

Ok, I know I posted maybe... what, five minutes ago? But this is worth sharing.

My dearest friend Molly shared with me the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) talks. Specifically, Elizabeth Gilbert's discussion on cultivating creativity and how we interact with what we create. For anybody who writes, draws, dances, sings, acts WHATEVER. Watch This. It is seriously worth it. Just... so good.

Why yes it is!

I update because there are things afoot in Rosyland. And they are goood things indeed. I've made a significant dent in my credit card debt thanks to moolah from MetLife. I find it amusing that right before I did this, Capital One upped my credit limit by about $1K. I've also been doing my resumes and whatnot. Today, I put in applications at Starbucks and Panera. ...yes, I know, not the grandest of jobs. But Starbucks pays pretty well from what I hear. And as my mom always says, it's easier to find a job when you have a job. I also got a call this evening. From Starbucks. Who wants to talk to me. :D I have to give the store manager a call on Wednesday to set up the interview, since that's the next time she's in. So. Fingers crossed people. Amusingly, mom has suggested that if they ask, I took some time off to work on my writing. She's sly, my mama.

In other family news... Dad has gotten himself a shiny new car thanks to the Clunkers for Cash deal that was going on. His old Green Hornet (a big ole mini-van that was pretty darned near its last leg) has been exchanged for a shiny, blue Chrysler Seabring. He has Sirius radio for a year, and he is really happy. Most likely because he's found the All Bluegrass Channel. XD He's a simple man, my dad.

I'm still knitting... although for some reason, I am having serious difficulties assembling my little stuffed hearts. Something happens when I start sew them up... they become distinctly un-heart shaped. The last one more closely resembled a slightly amorphous kidney bean. *sigh* I'm going to try again. I still have time to reserve a booth for the Fall Festival, and if I can get it going, it'll still work. Mom is talking about doing a caramel apple booth, since the festival is woefully short of food stuffs. We'll see about combining our efforts. Muahaha.

One thing I've been meaning to do... Say, for a moment, that you are a teenager. You want some face time with your Significant Other. Do you...

a.) go to either your or your SO's house and seclude yourself in a den or whatnot for privacy
b.) go to a local hangout (movie theatre, coffee shop, bowling alley) and use the car in a darkened parking lot for a little privacy
c.) go to the local church in BROAD DAYLIGHT and proceed to suck face under the porch in full view of God and anybody who might be passing by.

...if you answered C, you are the local neighborhood teens. Seriously. I. Kid. You. Not. We've found used condoms in the side stairway. The uncomfortable, dank, somewhat grimy side entrance to the basement. ...just... yeah. >.<

And now... for Good Eats and Sex in the Ancient World. mmmm

So... today was hokay. I lost a few more pounds, though I was told I should be losing more. I tend to agree, since I haven't been doing my YBB. Yarn was acquired for my Grandma's shawl, and it tickles me pink that the colorway is called "Burbon." The biggest YAY of the day was that the MetLife money has come in, and it's about $1K more than I was anticipating. I've decided how much I am dedicating to wiping out some of my credit card debt, and how much is going to be reserved for House Get. Which happens after Job Get.

Which brings us to the usual purpose of these posts. Or so it seems for the past few months. The NIH Editorial Assistant job I applied for is still in the "reviewing applications" stage. Thus, I am still hoping for a call and any good thoughts in that direction would be appreciated. However, I'm also a bit of a realist. So, I'm going to be hitting the Job Sites harder. ...especially since my parents have been saying they know I will have a job by October. ...I don't know where they're getting their information from, but ok. O.o The goal is at least 2 resumes out a day. That will give me at least 12 applications per week. ...what? You're not expecting me to do this on Sunday, are you? Child, you must be outside your head. XD This house be CRAZY on Sunday.

Other than that.. well. Things are going a little better. I've continued work on the sock, though it goes slowly. The family and I are interacting a little better... how, I don't know. But I'm just glad we are. I think having knitting in my hands when I'm downstairs with them helps. XD Although, I have two projects that I've decided to start. Project #1 is the Family Cookbook. I am really tired of emailing/calling my mother every time I want a recipe of hers that I should know. So, I'm raiding her recipe box/books and typing up all the recipes I want. Eventually, they'll be printed out and put in a 3 ring binder. Project #2 is... well, a little harder to explain as to why I want to do it.

In September, the church is having a Fall Festival. A bunch of local artists and artisans and cooks are getting together to hawk their wares... and the idea sort of came to me. I'm calling it The Giving Heart Project. I'm going to knit 100 of those little felted hearts. You remember? Scroll back a few entries if you don't. Anyway. 100 felted hearts, some filled with scented beanies if I can find them. I'll be selling them for $2 a piece, for use as rear-view mirror danglies, pens, or potpurri kind of things. All the money will be donated to a charity... that I have yet to pick. I plan on making one experiment heart to show my mom, since she would be able to tell me if they would actually sell or not. But yeah... like I said, I don't know why I want to do it... I just do.

And that's pretty much where I'm at for the moment. :D See you on the flips!

So I stumbled on this tonight.

I will be very, very disappointed if there are not zombies. For serious.

Also? The new season of Hell's Kitchen is balls out CRAZY. XD

...SyFy? Really?

Ok, so you want to be able to trademark your name brand and do merchandising and whatever. I get it. I can even understand it. But SyFy?!?!?! Your fan base is a group of individuals who likes Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, and who are fairnly intense about what they do and do not like. You were the channel for them, one of the few bastions of geekery. You revelled in the SciFi original movies which... yeah, kinda got crap towards the end but didn't always suck for air! You brought us Ghost Hunters, Eureka, and Stargate. And now...

Now you've changed your name to something that sounds like the hybrid bastardization of hip hop and cutsey text speak.

...I weep in geeky rage.

...so right now it's a big con weekend. Otakon is going on... and I miss it. *sigh* But it got me thinking about next year, when hopefully I'll have a job and maybe a job down in Bmore or DC. ooo that would be nice.

ANYWAY. I've thought of three characters I might want to cosplay.

1. Duck from Princess Tutu
2. Honey from Ouran High School Host Club
or
3. Saber from Fate Stay Night


Opinions? :D

So today was good.

I have an interview tomorrow with B School District for a long term subbing job. I'm not all that stressed about it, since a.) if I don't get it, there's still daily subbing at the same district, and b.) it's only about $10 more than daily subbing. *shrugs* We will see. If it happens, cool, if not, it's ok. Because I'm still crossing my fingers for the NIH job Mom and I went Speed Shopping tonight to find me a new interview suit. Pro Tip? The Ross discount stores are AWESOME. Cute little pinstripe skirt and vest suit for $16. Very nice. I also may have gone down another dress size... but I'm not quite sure I've got the outfit for tomorrow pretty much planned in my head, so I just have to get hair, makeup and nails finished. Interview is in the afternoon, so everything should be ok.

Also, I am still squeeing over the fact that people seem to like "A House Mad From Grief". I'm so so happy with all the positive response and I'm thrilled people seem to like it. now if I can just get Turnabout Prince finished before it's one year anniversary

BCPS was very helpful when I called them. The guy in payroll I talked to said I'd have the necessary documents by the end of the week. He also said that if the people at MetLife give me any grief, to give him a call and he'll "rattle some cages". ...I find that mildly endearing.

Other than that... still kinda fighting a case of the blahs. When there's nothing specific you HAVE to do... it's really hard to get up the gumption to do much of anything. Going to work on that. I've started a sock, since the one scarf project I'm working on is very fiddly. >.> As in, it requires a LOT of attention to do. While knitting a sock is challenging, it isn't quite the same sort of fiddly. I also have to dig through the donated yarn to see if I find something I like for my Grandma. Dad has suggested my next prayer shawl be for her, and really, I can't blame him. The rest of the family can wait for their hats and whatnot. The one thing I'm kinda bumming about is the fact that I had all these great projects lined up for the Craft Meme... and it look like I won't get them finished in time mostly because of budget constraints. Things may get better once school starts or the MetLife money comes in. We'll see. Although money for this month isn't so tight anymore. Got a check from B School District for some homebound instruction I did. Yay for being able to make the bills!

Minor Update....

Yay: I've checked the status of my NIH Assistant Editorial position. I'm eligible and my resume has been referred. The PROCESS has begun... now if it will only move a liiiittle faster. *crosses fingers*

Yay: The MetLife paperwork to withdrawl my 403B monies has come

Boo: I need to contact them and BCPS to make sure everything is filled out correctly and sent to the right place so I can get the DAMNED money already.

Boo: Mom broke her finger in the garage door. ...yeah. She does things like that.