Verdict for the Plantiff

We don't have cable in our apartment. As I had expected this has turned out to be just fine. I can watch the Hills and the Real World online easy enough and no Bravo is livable. I read all of our magazines (we have multiple subscriptions) and books to pass the time when I'm not looking for real employment. The unexpected result of out limited tv channels has been a new fascination with courtroom tv shows. They're on all day long and never fail to entertain. People are always watching Judge Joe Brown at work, very enjoyable, but my personal favorite is The People's Court. Things I have learned: it is very rare that a defendant wins and get everything in writing

I saw a squirrel at the park today with a broken tail. His tail just dragged behind him like a sad piece of string. But he was still living his life finding nuts and running around. Way to be.

It looks like I will not be home for Thanksgiving which is weird. But ugh, it sucks that any time I want to visit it costs at least $200 and two days of full driving time. Add on top of that cost the student loans I have to pay back, and I want to crawl into a hole until I get a real job.

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So the Beyond is my own little square of purgatory. I don't get sore like I did at first, but my feet are still mad at over this job. Most of the customers are nice, but about 8% are downright rude. I don't like rude people treating me like crap. The museum had their own brand of rudenss in the form of stick-up-their-you-know-what moms, but I had no idea the general retail public would be worse.

My parents came for a visit last weekend. Hopefully they feel better about the move now that they saw my surroundings. We went to the museum (my mom likes them more than me), and a brewery. Five years ago I would have never predicted visiting a brewery with my parents, and it was worth the wait. I was glad they came and look forward to a trip home myself.

I do miss school. Right now watching Brian busy with homework, I could use something to keep me occupied. But I also miss the learning, the reading, the discussion. I"m a dork.

Pick up lines

Apparently blue eye like mine are not as common here in Albany as they are in the Dutch lands of West Michigan. I have been asked more than once if I am wearing colored contacts. Nope these baby blues are 100% the real deal.

Something I miss from good old Michigan is Meijer. I'd heard from others who have left the area, that Meijer is hard to replace. It's true, those great one-stop-shop stores have no equal here. I miss shopping for food, goldfish, and furniture all at once. Not that I often shopped for items other than food often, but the option was there.

Also the squirrels here are different. In the park we live by there are many smaller grey squirrels. In our backyard and in the park across from the museum in Mich there were fat brown ones.

A couple weeks ago I had the best kid encounter. It overtook many cute expereince at the children's museum. We were resting for a minute in Target on their display chairs, when I glanced over at a young boy pushed in a cart by his father. They boy looked right at me and said loudly, "Hey Beautiful!" Wow, quite a compliment from one so young.

Hilarious. I wonder where he learned that one. It remeinded me of a boy at the museum who walked up to the desk peaked over and asked, "Do you come here often?"
Ummm I work here? How old are you?

The Hill

Well tomorrow marks my three week anniversary living in New York. So far so good I guess. I was really really bored and a little down for the first week. After unpacking I found myself with nothing to do and no internet. Worrying about money didn't help. Those days were the first since 9th grade that I have not had a job. So I got one. I am now a cashier at Bed Bath and Beyond.

Working there is loads different than working at the Museum. But I think all my experience from the Museum helps me to adjust quickley to this new job. I don't know if I will love it there, but it's a job and they don't pay too badly either.

We went apple picking today, something I havn't done since maybe middle school. A very enjoyable time. So now we have tons of apples and delicious apple cider.

Pleasant Peninuslas

Today is my last day in Michigan

My little focus will be seriously packed to the gills when I leave tomorrow morning for New York. As I was putting all my boxes and things into a pile I found myself wondering if it could all actually fit. Dear God I hope it does. I don't want to choose what clothes to bring and which to leave.

I have my last day at the museum today. I'm expecting some people to cry (there are three of us going at once, all old-timers) but I don't plan on crying. I'm pretty glad I will never have to facilitate there ever again.

The hardest part will be saying goodbye to my parents. As glad as I am to be moving out, I know I will miss them from time to time.

Keep cool

Packing/moving is taking up most of my thoughts lately. I've packed away most of my clothes in the last couple days. I've always hung up all my clothes, so it was strange to see all the space they took up when folded together in boxes. I may have to downsize my wardrobe even further. In the past its been difficult for me to get ride of clothes (I never outgrown them, they always fit) but in the last year or so I put things in the give-away pile without much remorse.

I've been saying a lot of goodbyes. There is a general feeling in all of them that I am falling off the face of the earth. I guess I kind of am. A 11+ hour drive between place is nothing to scoff at, and Michigan and New York have Canada in between. Its had to say I'll visit when I don't know when. But I will visit eventually.

Our new place will not have cable. Heartbreaking really, I've become pretty addicted to the television this summer. Living in my parent's house hasn't proved very stimulating. I turn to the TV for company most of the time. Luckily my summer favorite Big Brother is on CBS so I can still watch it. I'm sure I'll miss MTV and VH1 the most. I love that crap a little too much.

So Soon

So I'm moving very soon.

I feel some mixed feelings about the change. But mostly I am very excited and hopeful for the future. Myuneasiness comes from the fact that I don't know how I'm making any money once I get there. That's a big deal but I'm trying to be calm about it. I'm sure something/anything will come my way.

I am very sad to be leaving my friends at work. Buuuttttt I am pretty glad to be leaving work otherwise. Yesterday (while I was working) I came up with a new game - "Things I won't miss!".

Things I won't miss!
-Facilitators not picking up crap
-Facilitators messing up on desk
-LeAnne
-Todd
-Teaching people the same thing over and over again
-Small office politics
-Overflowing toilets
-Cleaning puke
-Cleaning
-Cleaning days
-Exhibit load in days
-Exhibit load out days
-The people in charge of loading days
-Stupid volunteers that come to loading days
-Giving volunteers tours
-Doing busy work at my internship
-Doing nothing at my internship (I'm doing that right now)
-Dusting
-Broken exhibits
-Cloud Soaring
-Come on Over! songs
-Guests complaining
-Guests yelling
-Kids screaming
-Witnessing spanking
-Birthday parities
-Birthday party moms
-Spoiled children
-Snotty noses
-Field trip intros
-Field trips coats
-Peed pants
-Wearing clothes that you can't care about (Old Navy)

I know I will miss (most of) the staff, but I am very ready to move on. Five years on the floor of the Children's Museum is enough for me.


On a different note I was a counselor for AAA week at Fowler a couple weeks ago. It was a wonderful experience. I had a great cabin of girls who had a lot of fun together. Being a counselor was really different than being a staff member. I enjoyed it very much and will try to volunteer in the future. I was also able to see that not returning for another year as staff was the right decision. All those people in Pine, I would have gone crazy :) But mostly it was great to see old friends and be at camp again.